Chapter 98

< Traditional Play (2) >

I wondered what Sung-hyun-je was planning to do with the picnic basket he took out of the car trunk. Did he really come here to play? But noticing Noah's subtle excitement, I kept my mouth shut. Well, there's no rule that you can only bring snacks to a dungeon. Of course, since we planned to be here for about two days, I did pack some luggage.

Sung-hyun-je, holding the picnic basket, put on a white coat. It was an unrealistically clean white, not made of fabric or leather. The equipment this guy uses must be at least S-grade.

In contrast, Noah's V-neck T-shirt, pants, and short robe, which were not in our world's style, were all B-grade. Of course, Noah did have S-grade equipment. He had a well-fitted racing suit with good options, but the problem was the full-body sign language.

I managed to think of a way to process the equipment for full-body sign language, but I lacked the materials. Specifically, the materials needed for special processing of A-grade or higher equipment. I had placed an order for the materials, so I would be able to get them soon, but compared to Sung-hyun-je, I felt a bit embarrassed.

Moreover, I was wearing ordinary clothes. I had brought magical and mental equipment, but the clothing options were primarily for defense, so with my F stats, there would be no difference in A-grade dungeons; I would be killed in one hit. It's like trying to block the rain in a storm with a newspaper. If it had a high-level skill attached, it might be useful, but such equipment is rare. Besides, if I got high-level equipment with a skill, the dungeon runners would get it first; it would be a waste for me to use it.

'I want to get Yerim a full S-grade set.'

Sung-han also needs to upgrade his equipment. Asking Myung-woo would probably be the fastest way. But before that, I need to finish what I'm making.

"Let's practice combat in a full-body sign language state this time."

Since it's a lower A-grade monster, it's suitable for practice.

"But leaving the place with Eugene here..."

Noah trailed off and glanced at Sung-hyun-je. Sung-hyun-je's eyes, full of suspicion, made the corners of his mouth twitch.

"Thinking I can protect you if you're by my side? You're quite confident."

Noah's eyes turned fierce at the direct provocation. But Noah is also S-grade, though... Hmm, it's annoying, but Sung-hyun-je is stronger than Yu-hyun. He was the top-ranked hunter before disappearing.

"It's fine, Noah. This guy talks like that, but he won't harm me."

"Do you really trust the leader of Se-seong Guild?"

"I don't trust him, but I think he won't do anything that would harm himself."

He's not the type to fall for such a simple trap. Noah hesitated but nodded. The growth rate of my child skill, which was applied at 200%, doubled. Even the cooldown was halved to 15 days. ...How did Yu-hyun not get the cursed dragon sign language skill? It's really good.

Anyway, Sung-hyun-je is really...

"Is it fun to tease a much younger kid even as an adult?"

"You're not treating me like an adult, are you? It's an honor for Han Yu-jin to think of me as a good adult."

Sung-hyun-je's words made me realize. Even if he treats me lightly and playfully, he's not really that kind of person. He has no reason to be lenient with Noah, who ran away from him. Especially after revealing himself like that just now.

"Please at least pretend to be a good adult in this dungeon."

"Who asked you? I'll try."

Stop smiling so sweetly, it's annoying. I should avoid leaving Noah and Sung-hyun-je alone as much as possible, just in case.

As we were about to enter the dungeon building, someone approached. It was a man in his early thirties with a cold expression. No, it wasn't his expression, but his gaze towards me was cold.

'It's been a while since I received such a look.'

These days, everyone is so friendly. Noah's regret was towards Riet, not towards me. Feeling a bit nostalgic, I smiled at the man, Yoon Kyung-soo, the leader of Sudam Guild.

"I wanted to meet you once, and it's nice to finally meet."

I greeted him, and Yoon Kyung-soo smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"I should have come to you first, but I'm sorry for the late greeting."

Why didn't he contact me at all? The conversation was formal and ordinary. Since it was a dungeon managed by Sudam, some related topics came up, and he wished us a successful run.

But there was no reason for the guild leader to come here just to say that. Maybe he was just bored and wanted to take a walk.

Noah went in first to clear the area. As soon as we were alone, I asked about what I was curious about.

"The leader of Sudam seems to have a lot of regret towards Hyun."

The only reason I could think of for him to show hostility towards me was Yu-hyun. I'm now under the protection of large guilds, raising monsters. I've never contacted Sudam. There's no reason for an S-grade hunter to have a grudge against a stat F with useful skills.

So, it must be towards my protector.

"Yoon Kyung-soo underestimated the young master first, and then he got a severe bite."

"Then it's his own fault. He seems to be a narrow-minded person."

"Since the young master is so young, his pride is more hurt. Yoon Kyung-soo tried to approach him to stand on his own but was pushed away and became a stepping stone. He must be grinding his teeth, thinking Han Yu-hyun took his place. But that's all it is."

Unlike Breaker or MKC, he tried to use the young and seemingly easy target, Yu-hyun, to create his own guild but ended up being the one who suffered.

"It's surprising that Yu-hyun sent me here without a word."

"He didn't say anything to you, but they already had a confrontation. He also had Sudam on a tight leash during the kidnapping incident."

"Is that so? Since he's also an S-grade hunter, he might resist... Could he pose a threat to Hyun?"

Before the regression, there were no issues. But now that I'm here, Yu-hyun's attitude must have changed significantly. The kidnapping and this dungeon trip didn't happen originally.

Given the excessive suppression, Yoon Kyung-soo might harbor a grudge and attack Hyun. What were Yoon Kyung-soo's main skills? And why isn't Sung-hyun-je answering?

The prolonged silence made me turn to him, meeting his gaze, which seemed to be observing me carefully.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Out of curiosity."

There are many things to be curious about. You must be enjoying life.

"It's not easy for a dog that has submitted and rolled over to show its teeth again. Without something to back it up and secure a clear advantage, it will remain docile. The young master knows this, which is why he keeps Yoon Kyung-soo alive."

"Is that why you came to a dungeon managed by Sudam? To see if he has something to back him up?"

Talking about bait and going to a dungeon of another guild. Moreover, with a small team. If there's someone targeting you, they might take this opportunity to attack. Of course, with two S-grade hunters, it's not a small force, but it means the opponent has a similar level of strength.

This could also be dangerous. But I gave Noah the beads, and Sung-hyun-je will handle it well. He's not the type to act without thinking.

"It could be, or it might not be. If nothing happens today, I'll go to MKC next. And check on Han Shin and Breaker. As far as I know, Hyun is not certain."

...Let's end it with Sudam, please.

About ten minutes later, we entered the gate. This time, no greeting message appeared. Maybe he's thinking of not interfering in my personal dungeon in the future.

A vast green plain stretches under the blue sky. A golden dragon, which had been flying across the sky, suddenly turned in mid-air and landed in front of me. Its landing was much more skilled than before. The faint poison on its golden body slowly disappeared.

-All nearby monsters have been dealt with.

"Thank you for your hard work."

His ashen eyes narrowed and smiled. Seeing him in dragon form, I felt like I should pat his head or scratch his neck. Comet liked having his horns rubbed; maybe Noah does too.

"There's no need to deal with all the monsters on the first floor. Let's head to the lake first. It's not far from the gate."

Sung-hyun-je said, approaching Noah as if it were natural.

"Two people might be too much for Noah. Since it's not far, let's walk slowly."

"You're underestimating the dragon. It can easily carry a monster several times its size, so don't worry."

He just doesn't want Noah to carry him, even though he knows it. Noah, I'm sorry. Please bear with it this time.

--------------------------------

The gate, still active, glows blue. It will close in about twenty minutes. The faint crackling of gate energy echoes in the quiet space as people start to enter.

The hunters, centered around the guild leaders of MKC, Choi Seok-won, and Sudam, Yoon Kyung-soo, are all A-grade or higher, except for healers and support roles. With fifteen A-grade hunters and two S-grade hunters, they had the strength to easily tackle any existing dungeon.

Despite this, their expressions were tense. Even Choi Seok-won, an S-grade hunter, couldn't completely hide his unease.

"Who would have thought I'd face Sung-hyun-je again like this."

During the frequent dungeon breaks, battles between hunters in break zones were common. Although S-grade hunters were rare, they did occasionally face each other. Choi Seok-won had faced Sung-hyun-je before.

The fight was short, and Choi Seok-won clearly lost. Feeling the insurmountable gap, he never challenged Sung-hyun-je again.

"Sung-hyun-je, Han Yu-hyun, and Moon Hyun-a. Those three are definitely crazy."

Choi Seok-won muttered, almost to himself. The latter two were known for actively seeking out trouble. Sung-hyun-je rarely left his territory, but Han Yu-hyun and Moon Hyun-a could be encountered anywhere at any time. They even had fiery confrontations with each other.

They didn't bother with A-grade or lower, but they were a disaster to other S-grade hunters. Some even joked that the name "Hyun" was the problem.

"Are you already scared? Pathetic."

Yoon Kyung-soo sneered, and Choi Seok-won shot back with a sneer of his own.

"Better than being a coward who can only watch a younger kid."

"Shut up."

"You're so scared of a stat F walking around defenselessly that you can only suck your thumb. That's why Han Yu-hyun left Sudam alone."

The sound of grinding teeth was heard. Yoon Kyung-soo's face twisted, but he didn't respond, only glaring at the gate. As Choi Seok-won said, he was completely dominated by Han Yu-hyun. A lucky S-grade awakening for a young kid. After that short evaluation turned to fear, he could only suppress his rebellion internally.

"Sending his beloved family member's fingers one by one will make his face worth seeing. I'm already looking forward to it."

"I told you not to kill him."

"As long as he's alive, it's fine. Seeing him in person, he's more similar to Han Yu-hyun than I thought. So, even more—"

Yoon Kyung-soo couldn't finish his sentence, crossing his arms in front of his face.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

A sharp kick landed on his guard. Despite blocking it perfectly, Yoon Kyung-soo felt intense pain and was pushed back. Riet's golden eyes looked at him with contempt.

"You're so weak."

Riet lowered her leg and clicked her tongue.

"If you're scared of a stronger opponent, you should just hide in a corner. Why are you taking out your frustration on the wrong person? How can you be so pathetic? And you call yourself an S-grade combat hunter? Why don't you cut off your balls? Huh?"

"Damn it."

Yoon Kyung-soo ground his teeth and glared at Riet, but that was all. He didn't even notice her approach. The difference in strength was clear in just one exchange. He wouldn't easily challenge her even under normal circumstances, and now was definitely not the time to fight.

Riet's lips curled in disdain at his appearance.

"Really, how did I end up with such boring people?"

She roughly scratched the back of her head and sighed deeply.

"Thanks for the ride, MKC."

"My pleasure. Good luck."

Unlike Yoon Kyung-soo, Choi Seok-won looked relieved as he watched Riet. He felt they might have a chance now.

Riet turned and walked towards the gate.

"Come on, let's get this over with. We shouldn't keep our client waiting."

She stepped into the dungeon first, and the others followed one by one. The room fell silent again, and the gate deactivated earlier than scheduled.

< Traditional Play (2) > End

ⓒ Geunseo