Into the Samtaegi Dungeon
"This way~!"
Yoon Ji-hyang, who had taken the lead, waved her hand.
Considering her age, her hunter rank probably wasn't that high. She likely hadn't been in the industry for long either. Maybe it was because she was facing a senior awakener she hadn't seen in a while, but she seemed super excited.
It was fine by me—less hassle for me the better.
But that speech pattern of hers... can't she do something about it?
The "~yong" at the end of every sentence was a bit grating. I'd work on fixing that gradually later.
Following Ji-hyang, we arrived at the entrance to the Samtaegi Dungeon. It was a large iron gate with bizarre wires connected to it, giving it a unique appearance. There was even a neat counter set up beside it.
The staff member, who looked like he was from the Hunter Association, raised an eyebrow when he saw us.
"Here to use the dungeon?"
"Yup~!"
The staffer gave us both a quick once-over, then checked the paperwork with a bored expression.
"Two teams are currently inside. If you don't have a reservation, you'll have to wait."
"Okay~ A little wait then~."
"Usage fee is one million won per person."
Pretty pricey. What kind of dungeon costs as much as a smartphone for one go?
"Eek...!"
Ji-hyang clearly hadn't known about that either.
"That's super expensive~."
Ji-hyang started rummaging through her backpack.
"Hold on~! Sujin unnie gave me something...!"
She must have gotten a card or something from Sujin for expenses. My sister was sharp with money, but she never skimped when it came to taking care of her big brother. She'd even handed over a card personally.
Hmm.
Family really is irreplaceable.
Still, I didn't want to waste money unnecessarily, so I approached the counter staff.
"It should be reserved under Park Sujin."
"...Ah, you're friends of the Knight of Flames."
The staffer's expression changed the moment Sujin's name came up. An A-rank hunter from Yukang Group—that carried a lot of weight even in a small-scale dungeon like this.
Hmm. He seemed a bit embarrassed now, like he'd been slightly looking down on us earlier. Not that I cared. Honestly, judging by our outfits alone, we didn't look like proper hunters.
I was in a basic hoodie and jeans that Sujin had bought me, while Ji-hyang wore a plain shirt topped with leather armor and greaves. She even had a massive backpack on her back, bigger than her torso—like she was off on some backpacking trip. We probably looked more like peddlers than combatants.
"W-well... please make good use of it. Sorry for not checking sooner...!"
"Ah, yeah. No worries."
"Haha... ahem, thank you."
"Shall we head in?"
"Ah, yup~!"
Leaving the awkward staffer behind, I placed my hand on the door to the Samtaegi Dungeon.
Fwaah.
Suddenly, the area lit up brightly, and I felt my body lift into the air.
The white light around us gradually took shape, soon revealing a massive cave.
It was surprisingly bright for a cave. Torches embedded in the walls throughout illuminated the dark interior.
This must be the main safe point.
Sujin had told me that normal dungeons dropped you at the main safe point upon entry. At least you wouldn't get ambushed by monsters right away—some shred of conscience there. There were also sub safe points inside for injured hunters to rest.
From the cavern where we'd arrived, three paths branched off. According to the info board earlier, each path had its own safe point, all leading to the dungeon master room.
"Urk."
A slight wave of dizziness hit me. It felt like riding a rollercoaster for the first time in my life. A weird sensation.
"Urgh."
Ji-hyang next to me had a similar reaction. No one would mistake us for experienced dungeon divers.
"Ji-hyang, first time in a dungeon?"
"Ah, w-well...!"
"I won't tell Sujin, so be honest."
"...This is actually only my second time~."
She must have exaggerated a bit to Sujin. One prior visit becomes "dungeon exploration experience: yes." Something like that.
Fair enough. Resumes are always padded.
Sujin had enough experience to see through it anyway. She probably gave me this job mostly to make up a little for the Druid incident last time.
"Well, that's twice as much as me. Double even."
"Ehehe~."
My joke to ease the tension worked. Ji-hyang's dejected face lit up with determination again.
"Anyway, care to explain? Like I said, first time for me in a dungeon."
"Ah! Sure~! The Samtaegi Dungeon is a C+ rank dungeon~ Mainly features earth spirits and flame spirits. Both look like snowmen made of fire~. Earth spirits are bigger, bluish, with stronger flames. Weakness is using ice bullets to slow their activity...!"
Ji-hyang rattled off the info like she'd memorized it perfectly.
Hmm.
Most of it was from the info board at the entrance. But hearing it explained verbally made it stick way better than reading.
"Bigger inside than I thought? Looked way smaller from outside."
From outside, it was just a small dirt cave at the base of Samtaegi Mountain.
But now it felt like a huge cavern.
"Yup~! Dungeons basically have twisted internal and external spaces~. So they're often much larger inside. I heard higher-rank ones can even have different physical laws~!"
"Oh? This one's fine then?"
"Yup~! No need to worry about Samtaegi Dungeon~. Plus, the type is 'Xianxia' so it won't feel too unfamiliar~. Just think of it like a Joseon-era setting~."
"Hmm. Xianxia, huh."
That was the term from the info board I hadn't understood. There were no "dungeons" in the otherworld, so I had no clue about types.
"First time hearing about Xianxia type~?"
"Yeah. Truth is, I've been holed up somewhere remote for a long time, so I know zilch about dungeons. No idea what types even are."
I glossed it over vaguely to avoid complications.
"Ah! Then let me explain~!"
Most people would tilt their head at that, but Ji-hyang just seemed thrilled to have more to teach.
"Dungeon types vary a lot~. Xianxia, Murim, Heavenly Realm, Abyss. Lots more~. New types keep popping up too~. Same-type dungeons spawn similar monsters, so they classify them for countermeasures~."
"Varied, huh...?"
Listening to her, something clicked.
Dungeons appearing on a normal Earth. Each with wildly different characteristics, like separate worlds.
"Could dungeon types be connected to other worlds too?"
"Ooh! Sharp~! 1st gen awakeners lost their memories after returning, so it's not certain, but that's the general view~. Like, there's a Murim otherworld, and some 1st gens got their powers from there and came back~. Dungeons of that type are influenced by those worlds too~."
"...So monsters and 1st gens come from other worlds?"
"Yeah~. Hard to say for sure since memories are gone~."
"......"
Ji-hyang's explanation muddled my head.
Other worlds. That hellish place that dragged me in.
We still knew so little. Why were 1st gens like me pulled there? Why was this world turning otherworldly? And one more thing—the dungeons themselves. No such things existed in the otherworld. Why here? Why not there?
"...Got it for now."
Too little info. I'd ponder it later.
We weren't here to uncover cosmic secrets today. Just to harvest otherworld crops.
Clang... clang...
As the staffer mentioned, other hunters were ahead, so intermittent clashes of metal echoed through the cave.
I'd rather not run into monsters if possible. Too much hassle. Best to grab the crops quietly and bail.
"Let's go this way."
Scanning the dungeon interior, I pointed to a path without any signs of life.
"Two other teams inside, right?"
They'd clear some monsters, making it easier for us.
"...Yup."
Ji-hyang's face darkened at the mention of other teams.
"...What's wrong? More people means safer in a monster-infested dungeon."
"No~. After monsters, the next most dangerous thing in a dungeon is other hunters~."
"...Huh. True that."
Her reaction told me enough without asking.
Dungeons were cut off from the outside world. Filled with deadly monsters everywhere. In other words, if you off someone here, you could blame the monsters and get away with it.
Yeah. In warzones, the biggest threat is always a knife in the back.
It happened often in my otherworld too. Especially to me. During full-scale battles with demons, one of the prime minister's lackeys once "accidentally" swung at me.
"Tch."
Shaking off the bad memory, I tossed my head.
"Then let's go the opposite way."
"W-wait a sec~."
Ji-hyang pulled out a device with a mic from her backpack. It bore the Myoryong Guild emblem.
She stared at it intently with headphones on, then nodded once it showed no reaction.
"Only monster signals, no awakener ones~. Looks safe~."
"Okay."
Didn't that thing fail last time and get you wrecked by the Druid?
I almost said it but held back—might just make her anxious. Besides, I didn't sense any awakeners here either.
Click. Click.
Now Ji-hyang assembled her gun from her backpack. Various parts clicked together into a hefty rifle suited to her waist height.
It looked heavy with all the attachments, but she hefted it easily and shouldered it.
Hunter or not, her base strength outclassed a normal adult male.
"Let's go~!"
With her weapon ready, Ji-hyang's eyes sparkled.
Her main weapon was a gun loaded not with bullets, but mana rounds to hunt monsters.
Popular below B-rank, right?
Low barrier to entry, unlike snipers who trained for hundreds of meters. Basic riflemen could learn in a couple months at boot camp.
But low ceiling too—relied on mana rounds, not personal power.
She seems strong enough physically.
Probably just timid. With her build, fists like mine might suit her better, but...
"...Whatcha doing~?"
"Huh?"
I'd been staring at her assembled gun, and she called me out.
Probably about the weapon.
"Ah. I'll just fight barehanded."
"Huh? What're you talking about~! That's dangerous~!"
"Eh... long story. Don't worry. I'm stronger than Sujin."
"That doesn't even... sigh, fine~. Take this at least~."
Ji-hyang pulled a small pistol from her bag. She checked the magazine and chamber expertly, then handed it over.
"I'll handle the monster hunting, so stay back~."
"Mm."
This felt familiar somehow.
A smack upside the head would snap her out of it, but I was curious about mana-round combat too.
"Sure, whatever."
"Hehe! Just trust me~!"