Chapter 22: Awakening Dungeon (1)

“Isn’t that Kim Onyu?”

At that moment, a friendly-looking man extended his hand for a handshake.

Strong grip.

At least B-rank… no, A-rank?

Judging by the ID badge around his neck, he seemed to be an association employee.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Ho-yeon, an A-rank hunter with the Association.”

“I’m Kim Onyu.”

“Wow, I never thought I’d meet the person my mentor always talked about like this.”

Choi Ho-yeon let out an exclamation, looking me up and down.

The mentor he mentioned was probably Min Kyung-hwa.

“I heard you’re joining us in the dungeon this time?”

“It just kinda happened.”

“Don’t worry too much. It’s just an E-rank dungeon, and we’ve got high-rank hunters going in too.”

There’s a saying: if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.

Since I’m going in anyway, all I can do is pray nothing goes wrong.

The kids, excited, were busily looking around.

The ones joining me in the dungeon this time were Shin Ahyeon, Kim Seogun, and Yoon Cheonwoo.

Seong Taeyoon opted out, saying he’d rather read a book than roll around in a dungeon, and Han Yuseong showed no interest at all.

He probably didn’t see the point in bothering with a mere E-rank dungeon.

“Mr. Choi Ho-yeon.”

The most talented rookie hunter among those gathered spoke up.

But he was openly glaring at me.

“Kim Onyu, this is Hunter Ho Chang-woon, a newly awakened A-rank talent.”

“He’s also my junior who’ll be joining the Association.”

Unaware of Ho Chang-woon’s hostile gaze, Choi Ho-yeon greeted him warmly.

This is getting old.

I could tell at a glance why Ho Chang-woon was hostile toward me.

“A dungeon isn’t a playground for kids. Why are you bringing him along?”

Looks like he’s not happy about me bringing the kids.

I couldn’t say I didn’t understand.

High-rank hunters tend to have strong pride.

No hunter would be thrilled about a teacher bringing kids into a dungeon.

“They’re here for observation purposes only, so they’ll stay quiet and just watch.”

Sensing the tension, Choi Ho-yeon quickly tried to mediate.

“Just stay in a corner and look after the kids. Bringing kids like that…”

What’s wrong with our kids!

Taking a deep breath, I suppressed my emotions as much as I could.

We’re just visitors, and they’re the hosts.

Getting angry and fighting wouldn’t do either side any good.

Ho Chang-woon let out a scoff and moved to where the other hunters were gathered.

“Sorry about that. He’s not usually like that, but I guess he’s on edge since it’s his first real mission.”

“It’s fine.”

I’ve met too many people like him to care.

I already know ignoring them is better for my mental health.

“Alright, everyone! Pay attention!”

Min Kyung-hwa, amplifying her voice with mana, began explaining safety protocols.

“Inside, you must follow the Association supervisor’s orders.”

“If anyone acts alone and endangers their teammates, I’ll personally strip them of their hunter status, so keep that in mind.”

Min Kyung-hwa is someone who means what she says.

If someone screws up in the dungeon, she’d really revoke their hunter license.

The dungeon entry began with the Association’s B-rank hunters going in first.

Min Kyung-hwa and Choi Ho-yeon would enter last.

Since dungeons can be life-threatening, the order was strictly set.

I ended up in the middle of the group, mixed in with the hunters.

“Teacher, don’t lose us and stick close.”

“Okay!”

They answer well.

But I’m the one feeling uneasy…

The hunters ahead of us entered the dungeon, and soon it was our turn.

Holding the kids’ hands, I stepped toward the dungeon gate.

The fractured space, like shattered glass, felt otherworldly.

Just as I was about to enter the dungeon—

[■■■ invites you.]

What…?

My head went cold.

The familiar glitched text appeared before my eyes.

[Entry restricted.]

The people behind us started murmuring.

It wasn’t just me who saw the system message.

Instinctively, I tried to back away from the gate, but the entry had already begun.

Starting with a frightened Shin Ahyeon, Kim Seogun and Yoon Cheonwoo vanished into the gate.

Min Kyung-hwa, unable to grasp the situation, looked at me with a hardened expression.

“Kim Onyu!”

“Damn it! The kids…!”

Before I could finish, a blinding white light engulfed my vision.

The last thing I remembered was Min Kyung-hwa rushing toward me urgently.

A scorching sun blazed overhead.

An endless, vast desert stretched out around us.

“Teacher…”

Shin Ahyeon, trembling, grabbed the hem of my clothes.

To reassure her, I held her hand tightly, gritting my teeth.

The damn system screwed us over.

[Entry restricted until the dungeon is cleared.]

★★★

Boom!

The air trembled with a shockwave.

Min Kyung-hwa, channeling her mana into her fist, struck the gate.

Even her heavy A-rank blow left the gate unscathed.

“Damn it! Why won’t the gate open!”

No matter how hard she tried, the gate wouldn’t budge.

Even B-rank hunters were pushed back by the gate’s mana just by getting close.

Only A-ranks Min Kyung-hwa and Choi Ho-yeon were searching for a way to enter.

“This is a first. A gate blocking entry on its own…”

There had never been a reported case of a gate closing like this worldwide.

If this got out, it would shake the hunter world.

Sigh… “Who’s the nearest S-rank hunter?”

“From what I know, Seol Ah-hyun from the Hongyeom Guild is nearby.”

“Of all people… Request emergency support from Seol Ah-hyun.”

Even A-rank mana couldn’t make it budge.

Maybe an S-rank could solve it.

But even that wasn’t guaranteed.

“Who went inside?”

“One B-rank hunter from our Association staff and one A-rank hunter.”

“The rest are all rookies, huh? Damn it, we should’ve gone in first!”

The dungeon, classified as E-rank, was now emitting mana far beyond that.

A precise inspection would be needed, but it felt at least B-rank or higher.

B-rank would be manageable.

The worst-case scenario was if it had turned into an A-rank dungeon.

If it’s B-rank, the people inside could probably clear it.

If it’s A-rank? The chances of everyone dying would skyrocket.

‘No… Kim Onyu’s in there, isn’t he?’

She hadn’t seen his skills firsthand.

She’d only heard bits from her daughter.

If what her daughter said wasn’t an exaggeration, they might be fine even in an A-rank dungeon.

“We need to find a way to get inside, fast!”

As chaos erupted, Seong Taeyoon closed the book he was reading, his eyes filled with worry.

“Where are you going?”

Han Yuseong stood up, indifferent as ever.

“None of your business.”

“Your teacher and friends are in trouble, and you don’t even care?”

“…Yeah.”

A cold response.

That’s his usual personality, but this time it was too much.

“What’s wrong with you, talking like that? These are friends you’ve known for years!”

“Then what, stare at the gate endlessly and hope for answers? We’re just powerless kids.”

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

No one stepped in to stop it.

With all the attention focused on the gate incident, there was no time to mind the kids.

“This is perfect timing. Let me ask you something. What was that power you used when the school collapsed?”

Han Yuseong’s cold tone turned aggressive.

The magic Seong Taeyoon used to bind Iblis.

It was a type of magic Han Yuseong had never seen in all his regressions.

If Seong Taeyoon is connected to the system, Han Yuseong was ready to kill him.

During his eight regressions, he had taken countless lives.

Killing a fragile child would be nothing.

“I can’t tell you that.”

Seong Taeyoon lowered his head, avoiding the question.

Just as Han Yuseong resolved to force the information out, he caught sight of Seong Taeyoon’s wrist.

“What’s with your wrist?”

Startled, Seong Taeyoon hurriedly covered it.

As if a secret he didn’t want revealed had been exposed.

“It’s nothing…”

“We’re helping by staying put. And if it’s Teacher, he’ll be able to get out just fine.”

The fear of people around him dying.

It wasn’t a big concern for Han Yuseong.

His repeated regressions had dulled his sense of death.

Han Yuseong stared intently at the dungeon.

The guy called Teacher was still a suspicious figure, no doubt about it.

But if, by some chance, he was truly on their side, he could be a reliable ally.

A hunter who could raise others’ stats was something Han Yuseong had never seen in all his regressions.

If he dies in this dungeon? Then that’s the end of him.

Strangely, Han Yuseong couldn’t picture Teacher dying.

“Teacher’s probably strong enough to clear the dungeon and walk out proudly.”

But Han Yuseong knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Normally, the phenomenon of dungeons closing doesn’t happen until three years from now.

Possibilities from the future were unfolding right before his eyes.

Fragments of an unsettling future started overlapping with the past.

‘Something’s definitely gone wrong.’

★★★

The scorching sunlight felt like it was burning my skin.

Of all things, a field dungeon…

“It looks like we’re trapped in the dungeon.”

No need to point out the obvious.

The gate, the dungeon’s only entrance, vanished into a handful of sand.

So, we either die of thirst here or clear the dungeon.

Damn it, is that even possible?

Field dungeons are vast and sprawling.

Finding the dungeon boss alone could take ages.

“This is an emergency, so from now on, the Association will take control of the situation.”

An Association hunter who entered the dungeon first drew everyone’s attention.

They tried to maintain a calm expression, but they were clearly shaken.

“As you know, we have limited supplies. So, we’ll need to clear the dungeon with a small, elite group.”

The only supplies left were water bottles and some snacks meant for the hunters.

That amount wouldn’t last two days.

“All high-rank hunters, please join us.”

“Wait! What about us!?”

An E-rank hunter raised an objection.

Gathering high-rank hunters.

That essentially meant abandoning the low-rank ones.

Low-rank hunters would want to stick with the high-ranks no matter what.

It’s their best shot at survival.

“There are kids here too!”

I shouted, pointing at the kids hiding behind me.

With kids involved, the hunters hesitated, lips tightly shut.

The looks from the other hunters weren’t exactly friendly.

They were struggling to survive themselves and likely saw the kids as unnecessary baggage.

“We’ll assign one of our staff to stay with you, so the kids and low-rank hunters, please wait here safely.”

There was no room for further negotiation.

Reluctantly, the low-rank hunters nodded in agreement.

The plan was for a small elite group to take down the dungeon boss while the rest waited in a safe spot.

It might be the wisest approach in this situation.

Low-rank hunters could end up being a liability.

The remaining group had one job.

Conserve energy and resources as much as possible.

The high-rank hunter group split the water supply in half and left to find the boss.

“By the way, I didn’t expect you to stay here.”

I glanced at Ho Chang-woon.

He was leaning on his spear, his main weapon, sitting on the sand.

As an A-rank hunter, Ho Chang-woon would’ve been a major asset to the elite group.

Given his fiery personality, he didn’t seem the type to stay put either.

But he chose to stay here to protect the kids and others.

“If a monster shows up here, what then? There needs to be at least one A-rank.”

Ho Chang-woon said it nonchalantly.

But his eyes kept drifting toward the kids.

Could it be… he acts cold on the outside but is actually worried about the kids?

“Teacher, what do we do?”

“Just stay here for now. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

What the kids needed most right now was reassurance.

At my words, their expressions softened a bit.

‘…Something’s off.’

I slowly scanned the surroundings again.

The system was clearly behind us being trapped in this dungeon.

If it’s the system, it should’ve given us a quest upon entering the dungeon. So why hasn’t it?