Bureaucratic Hurdles and the Samtaegi Dungeon
"...You want me to sign all of this?"
Back home, Sujin handed me a stack of documents as thick as a major textbook. There were dozens of pages on awakener regulations and oaths.
"Yeah! And you've gotta do 40 hours of online lectures too."
"Aigoo..."
Why the hell did I have to do something like that? Online lectures didn't even make sense to begin with. If you wanted to study, you'd grab a book at an academy or school and listen to a teacher in person. Watching lectures on a computer?
"You can really concentrate on something like online lectures?"
"Of course not. Just leave it running and play games or surf the web."
"...Then why do it?"
"Gotta fill the time."
"...?"
I still didn't get it. Why bother filling time at all...?
"Anyway, it's a long story. Once you finish the lectures, you get officially registered as an awakener. A full-fledged one, registered with the Hunter Association."
"Sounds simple enough."
"After that, just submit periodic reports to the Hunter Association. Easy, right?"
"What? Reports?"
"Yeah. If you're with a company or guild, they handle it for you. Otherwise, you gotta submit reports yourself. Hunter activities and stuff like that."
"Ha. How often? Once every year or two?"
"Heh heh. First year, it's monthly."
"Aigoo..."
The paperwork and lectures were headache enough, and now reports on top? I was doomed.
"They use those reports to determine your hunter rank after a year. Someone like you would breeze into S-rank, no problem."
"Ahem."
I tried not to show it, but her praise felt good.
"Anyway."
This was way too much hassle. I'd just wanted to tend to my new crops.
"Pretty annoying, huh? There are two other ways. One's the official route, the other's a bit of a loophole."
"Why didn't you say so sooner!"
Sujin really knew her stuff. You couldn't underestimate real-world experience.
"One's joining a guild officially. Or a company. You know I'm with Yukang Group, right? For someone like me, writing a recommendation letter's no big deal."
Sujin puffed up proudly. Not a bad option, but then who'd farm?
"What's the loophole?"
"Heh heh. Just get a temporary hunter license. Paperwork and lectures, done. Expires in six months, but that's plenty for you, right?"
"Perfect for me."
"Yeah. Dungeon fees and restricted dungeons are a pain, but it suits you."
"Good enough."
Sujin nodded like she'd expected that, then pushed the documents back.
"Still gotta sign these, though."
"Ugh."
"I'll prep the temporary awakener license route. While you're signing."
Without a sister like her, this would've been a nightmare.
"... ."
Signing all that crap was annoying enough.
* * *
"This the place?"
After three days and nights of dozing through online lectures, I'd somehow finished. Thank god for games in between, or I'd have lost my mind.
"Still playing StarCraft these days."
I'd figured after twenty years, it'd all be new games, but they were mostly the same. Beginner lobbies still open meant new players kept coming.
"Whatever."
"This should do it."
With the temporary hunter license Sujin had pulled strings for, I headed to the nearest dungeon. Korea had plenty, mostly in poorly managed rural areas.
Seoul dungeons were guild-locked, so temps like me waited months just to enter. That's why I came here—a dungeon on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
[No entry except for awakeners.]
[Hunter Association not responsible for deaths.]
Sinister warning signs littered the entrance. The whole area was cordoned off like police tape, blocking access completely.
Past the heavy security, a wide clearing opened up. Unlike the grim exterior, it buzzed with people. Weird outfits everywhere—leather armor, flowing hanbok robes like from a wuxia novel. Artifacts like Sujin's, but hers looked way higher quality.
'Feels like a hiking trail rest stop.'
Big pots of chicken soup sealed the deal.
"It was a hiking trail before the dungeon."
Beyond the entrance, a dense forest-covered mountain loomed. Smaller than our backyard one Sujin mentioned buying.
🏛 Dungeon Rank: C+ rank
⚔ Type: Xianxia
💀 Main Monsters: Earth Ghosts (C+ rank), Flame Ghosts (C rank)
👑 Dungeon Master Rank: Asura (B rank)
📍 Internal Summary Map: …….
This was Samtaegi Dungeon, formed mid-2010s on the mountain named after its three-humped shape. Everything from maps to monster matchups was well-documented.
I peeked curiously when someone spoke up.
"First time here?"
A tanned guy with stubbly beard like pencil lead. Looked my age, backpack and all—like a hiker.
"Yeah? Uh, yeah."
"Hmm. From a guild?"
"Solo these days."
"Hah! Kid's got guts! Hitting dungeons without a guild these days!"
"Kinda happened that way."
"Fair enough. Everyone's got their reasons. But hey."
He leaned in seriously.
Have you got your dungeon strategy items ready?
"Not really..."
"Hey now! Guts are great, but bare-handed? You'll get wrecked!"
"Hm."
C+ rank dungeon, mostly C-rank monsters. Ents were B, so no sweat. Even the "Asura" master seemed Ent-master level at best.
'Sujin said the same.'
"So?"
"Ahem. Nothing big. I sell Healing Packs up ahead. Like your spirit, so big bro'll hook you up cheap."
"Ah, that explains it."
My flat response got a mock-hurt yell.
"Hey! It's 'cause I worry about you!"
"Heh."
Obvious hustle, but whatever. Curious about market Healing Packs anyway.
"How much each?"
"List is 100k won, but three for 200k! Two for the price of one! Basically cost!"
"Three then."
"Ha! Smart choice! In dungeons, protect yourself first. Dead's dead."
"Yeah. Sure."
Grinning, he pulled packs from his bag—stuffed full.
Herbal-pack style, with their logo—a thumbs-up bearded guy, obviously him.
"Here, three... 200k won!"
"Card okay?"
"Uh, card? Hmm. Left the reader... Bank transfer works, though..."
He stammered. Made me wanna mess with him more.
"No cash on me. Later."
"Wait! Card's fine! But no extra one..."
"Heh. What, no permit for this?"
"Well..."
"Hold it!"
A chirpy voice cut in. Familiar face—shoulder-length wavy bob.
'Where from?'
"What're you doing?"
"Wh-what? Business!"
"Lemme see."
She snatched a pack, inspected it.
"No Association cert. Cards no good. This even real?"
"Of course! Who you callin' scammer!"
They bickered. He lost.
"Argh! Crazy chick! Fine, I'm out!"
"Hmph!"
She fist-pumped his back, then brightened.
"Phew, close one~!"
'...~?'
That cutesy tone grated a bit.
"You're Park Soo-hyeok, right~?"
"Yeah... sorta."
Then it clicked.
"Ah, Myoryong Guild, right?"
"Huh? You know me~?"
She'd been half-dead then. Never saw my face.
'Sujin took credit for the Druid kill.'
"Passing by. You okay now?"
"Oh! Yeah~! Awakener and all~!"
Ji-hyang flailed her arms, full of energy.
"What brings you here...?"
"Sujin-unnie asked~!"
"Aha."
Sujin'd said she'd send a guide. This was her.
"Heard you're Sujin-unnie's bro. True~?"
"Yep."
"Hmm."
She eyed me oddly.
"Thought unnie's bro'd be older~."
"Ahem. Still in my fourth year of high school vibes."
"Huh? Fourth year?"
I gave my age; she jumped.
Surprised that much? Kinda bittersweet.
"Ah... S-sorry~! Thought you were my age... Wait, then Sujin-unnie's..."
"Ten years younger than me. Late bloomer. Thirty-five."
"Whoa, thought she was just four or five years older~."
"Ahem."
Good she wasn't here. Might've gotten smacked—she was touchy about age.
"Ahem. Intro time~! Myoryong Guild hunter, Yoon Ji-hyang~! Twenty-one~! C-rank. Oh, talk casual~!"
"Ah, yeah. Sure."
Twenty-one. Practically a daughter.
If not for that other world, I'd have one her age.
"First dungeon, right~? Just awakened too~."
"Uh... yeah."
Sujin's cover story.
"Be careful on first trips~! Scammers everywhere~!"
"Really?"
"Yup~! Uncerts like that? Just juice. Artifacts worse~!"
"Figured..."
Was gonna test it anyway.
One thing bugged me.
'Ex-Myoryong?'
"Quit your old guild?"
"Nah, not quit or fired. Awkward spot~! Everyone but me died. So gigs like this~!"
"Oof."
No daughter, but seeing one act like this tugged at me.
"Trust me then~! Sujin-unnie's request! Good pay too~!"
Ji-hyang burned with zeal. Helpful or not, spirit was there.