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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Dungeons were largely divided into two types.
The first type was a regular dungeon that periodically generated monsters in designated locations.
Among regular dungeons, the Guryong Mountain dungeon was known for its particularly low difficulty, frequently visited by novice hunters and hunter trainees.
However, not all regular dungeons were as easy as Guryong Mountain, and the difficulty varied greatly from dungeon to dungeon.
Still, the most troublesome aspect of regular dungeons was the need for periodic management.
As monsters were continuously generated within the dungeons, if their numbers exceeded a certain threshold, they would venture beyond their habitat and invade human territories.
Therefore, the Hunter Association diligently worked on the systematic maintenance and management of dungeons.
When necessary, they would commission high-ranking hunters to conduct large-scale cleanups.
I also had several experiences assisting with cleanup operations in my previous life.
The second type was hidden dungeons.
Hidden dungeons operated on a completely different system compared to regular dungeons.
As the name suggested, these dungeons were concealed.
They were dungeons that could only be entered by meeting various conditions, and they also had penalties.
For example, in the case of the hidden dungeon within the Guryong Mountain dungeon, the penalty was the inability to escape if one failed to clear it.
As a result, novice hunters who unknowingly entered would be unable to flee and ended up going missing, incidents that had occurred in this Guryong Mountain dungeon.
However, the rewards were commensurate with the demanding requirements.
Although the difficulty was on a different level compared to regular dungeons, with the weakest monster being around level 4, no further explanation was needed.
While hidden dungeons were disastrous for the unprepared, they presented an unparalleled opportunity for those fully prepared to clear them.
If one obtained fragments of monsters’ bodies or their weapons as rewards, it was equivalent to gaining the potential to aim for an even higher rank as a hunter.
Even without potential, being the strongest was sufficient, but there was no harm in acquiring it.
* * *
When I arrived in front of the Guryong Mountain dungeon, I knocked on the door of the management office.
As I opened the door and entered, a man wearing Hunter Association clothes stood up from his seat to greet me.
“Welcome. It’s 6 o’clock now… The 6 o’clock time slot applicant… Here it is! Mr. Choi In-wook?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm… There’s one more applicant for the 6 o’clock time slot, so please wait a bit more. If they’re late, I’ll let In-wook go in first, so have a seat over there for now.”
Truthfully, 6 o’clock was almost the latest time slot, so I thought it was rare for there to be another applicant besides me.
Nodding at his explanation, I silently sat on a chair and waited for the remaining person.
Not long after, someone opened the door and walked in.
But the person who appeared there… was a girl I knew all too well.
It was Si-hwa.
“You… How did you…?”
I hadn’t even hinted to her that I was going to a dungeon.
The only people who should have known were Ye-na and Ha-rin, whom I informed this morning…
Without even answering my question, Si-hwa shifted her gaze towards my bag.
“At least you brought the items I gave you.”
“You two seem to know each other. Anyway, I’ll start the briefing on precautions, so please pay attention for a moment.”
The association staff carefully explained the precautions.
“Well, that’s the explanation. You two are going to enter right away, right? This way, please.”
The staff guided us to a place that resembled the entrance of a gloomy cave.
“Then, be sure to be careful not to get hurt, and remember the emergency response procedures.”
The staff’s attitude was as if he had done his part and we should handle the rest on our own.
Si-hwa, who was staring into the dark depths of the cave, began to unwrap the bandage on her spear.
That was…
Blue mana rippled from the tip of Si-hwa’s spear.
Of course, it wasn’t the weapon Si-hwa used when we were active as a pair in my previous life.
However, the spear she was holding now was definitely not a cheap practice sword like the one I was currently using.
It looked like a weapon that would be primarily used by A-rank hunters or higher.
“Let’s go.”
Without answering any of the questions rising in my mind, Si-hwa walked into the darkness.
And I followed her into the dungeon.
* * *
With Si-hwa entering the dungeon with me, my plan was greatly altered.
My original plan was as follows:
1. Easily dispose of various low-level monsters that appeared at the entrance of the dungeon.
2. Open the entrance to the hidden dungeon located on the deepest underground level.
3. Defeat “that guy” in the hidden dungeon and obtain a weapon.
However, due to Si-hwa’s intervention, I encountered difficulties from step 1.
In order to make Si-hwa understand why I came here, I needed to put on an act as if I was gaining experience and practical experience here.
Sigh…
If it were according to the original plan, I could have taken down one monster per swing with just a practice sword, but now I pretended to engage in fierce exchanges with them.
The monsters’ appearances were no different from goblins that appeared in various games and fantasy movies.
The only slight difference was that their body fluids were green.
While I was putting on my best performance reluctantly, Si-hwa advanced forward, swinging her spear as if she had no interest in what I was doing.
Every time she swung her spear, monsters fell like puppets.
As expected of a genius…
Although I had never actually seen her skills during our student days, Si-hwa’s movements were truly restrained.
They were neat and clean, without any unnecessary actions.
I also wanted to do that and quickly go down…
Before I knew it, Si-hwa had swept through all the monsters on the first level, and the only one left was the one I was holding onto.
When Si-hwa turned her head and looked in my direction, I intentionally took the attitude of a protagonist from a growth-oriented manga.
“Hiyaaah~”
Although it had been a long time since I shouted while fighting, a fierce battle couldn’t be complete without a war cry.
I was inwardly satisfied with my acting, thinking that this should be enough to dispel any suspicions, but…
Si-hwa looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask what I was doing, as if I was pathetic.
“Ugh… Ugh. Won’t you help me? Si-hwa?”
I spoke to Si-hwa in a desperate voice while blocking the monster’s attack with my sword.
Si-hwa yawned with a carefree expression.
“Why should I?”
Usually, when a friend who entered together is struggling, wouldn’t you help them…?
Does Si-hwa not have that concept?
Or did I not look desperate enough?
I intentionally allowed the monster’s attack to slightly graze me and took a gesture of retreating.
“Haa… Haa…”
Heavy breathing.
This was also an important acting point.
However, Si-hwa’s expression became more and more expressionless as time passed.
Why… Why?
Feeling awkward, I decided to finish it this time and raised my sword high for a dramatic victory performance.
At that moment.
I sensed something flying towards me from behind at a terrifying speed.
Slightly turning my head to look behind, I saw Si-hwa’s spear flying towards me.
The trajectory of the spear was aimed precisely at the monster’s heart… but the important point was…
If I didn’t dodge this, my chest would also have a hole in it.
Instinctively twisting my body to avoid Si-hwa’s spear, the spear mercilessly pierced through the monster’s heart.
If I hadn’t dodged it just now…
The monster and I would have been skewered together like a kebab.
Although I managed to dodge, I shouted at Si-hwa in a loud voice.
“That’s dangerous!”
Honestly, if I hadn’t returned, dodging it would have been impossible at that speed.
If I had turned around at that moment, I might have died.
“…If you have the skill to dodge that, why aren’t you finishing it quickly?”
Si-hwa pulled out the spear stuck in the monster’s heart, completely ignoring my reaction.
“That’s…”
Si-hwa’s words were true.
It was indeed strange for someone with the skill to dodge that attack to struggle with such a low-level monster.
Suddenly realizing how all my acting must have looked, I felt my face burning with embarrassment.
Si-hwa seemed to have vaguely noticed my true abilities.
In other words, my acting was nothing more than a meaningless stunt…
Although I could have gotten angrier in this situation, I closed my mouth tightly and descended to the next level.
From the next level onward, I didn’t stop acting, but I dispatched the monsters a bit faster.
Si-hwa didn’t even glance at me after that and steadily advanced forward with overwhelming force.
And before long, we arrived at the final level.
As I approached the end, I spotted the entrance to the hidden dungeon.
It looked no different from any other cave wall, but the entrance had a subtle distortion in the flow of mana within the dungeon.
Would Si-hwa notice it?
If it were the Si-hwa from my previous life, she would have noticed it immediately, but I couldn’t say for certain at Si-hwa’s current level.
However, either way, it was troublesome for me.
The guy in the hidden dungeon wasn’t a level that students could handle, even Si-hwa.
With my current physical condition, I judged it would be difficult to protect her while facing that guy.
On the other hand, if Si-hwa didn’t notice and suggested leaving, I would have wasted my time without any gains.
I silently watched Si-hwa’s reaction with tension.
“Choi In-wook.”
She called my name in a low voice.
“Yeah?”
“Are you ready?”
Si-hwa’s words were always too abbreviated.
“For what?”
“Let’s go.”
Si-hwa raised her spear high.
The tip of her spear began to glow with a brilliant blue light, holding intense mana.
And Si-hwa threw the spear straight at the entrance of the hidden dungeon.
…What did she think was there to throw that?
The crack that appeared at the entrance opened its mouth towards us, and I slapped my forehead.
Is this right?
Really.
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