VSP 103

President Ryu Sehyun had said, “Handle the field command until I arrive.” But even if his position in the Association was the second highest after the president, that was only because of seniority. He had been pushed into this role against his will. He wasn’t a Hunter, and he had never led an operation on his own. He’d only ever assisted Ryu Sehyun from the sidelines.

He didn’t resent that fact, so he never once thought of using this moment to prove himself. No, could this even be called an opportunity? It was more of a crisis.

But Son Wontae couldn’t just stand around and do nothing, so he got moving.

First, he calmly worked to prevent further casualties by restricting entry, then spent the rest of his time trying to calm down reporters who shouted about their “right to know” while recklessly approaching the dungeon for coverage. In the middle of that chaos, even more devastating news arrived.

“There are only three Hunters in Seoul right now?”

Only three Hunters were currently available to enter the dungeon.

Na Yookyung and Cha Dogyeong were already inside another dungeon. Ryu Sehyun and Choi Yerin were out of town. Jung Siwoo didn’t live in Seoul, so he was too far away to arrive quickly.

That left only three people: Lee Dohun, Choi Hangyeol, and Seo Sejun.

People were already screaming, saying their families were trapped inside the department store and demanding to know why no one was launching a raid yet. But how could three Hunters possibly clear a massive twenty-story building, counting the basement parking levels?

Even with all eight of the country’s S-ranks combined, that scale would’ve been insane.

At least there was one piece of good news. Among those three, Choi Hangyeol was specialized in sensory abilities. At the very least, he wouldn’t lose his way inside. And with Lee Dohun, one of the strongest combat Hunters among the S-ranks, that wasn’t a bad lineup.

As for Seo Sejun, well…

“Hmm.”

Let’s just leave Seo Sejun aside for now.

“…Ha.”

Son Wontae looked up at the department store that had become a problem zone.

The enormous high-rise already looked disastrous. Vines and roots spread like veins, wrapping around the entire building, as if it had been left abandoned for thousands of years.

He’d only ever expected to see something like that after humanity’s extinction.

The department store he himself had visited multiple times was now unrecognizable. It was hard to believe this building had been operating normally just this morning.

“Civilians, please stay back! You there, stop filming and move away!”

Police, soldiers, and Association staff were all mixed together in chaotic confusion. People who had no fear of dungeons were taking photos and live streaming, making things even worse.

Some were posing with selfie sticks, flashing peace signs with the warped building behind them. Others had tripods set up for live broadcasts.

Even those who weren’t filming had gathered in crowds, snapping pictures like it was something fascinating to see. The safety cordons had long since lost their meaning.

The police officers’ shouts were drowned under the crowd’s noise, and camera flashes popped from every direction.

Above them, helicopters circled and broadcasted the scene, while the faces below were filled with curiosity and excitement, as if they were watching a festival rather than a crisis.

This is completely fucked.

As Son Wontae ran around trying to assess the situation and calm people down, only one thought kept circling his mind “Everything was already falling apart.”

A few minutes later.

“Deputy Son! The three Hunters just arrived!”

Finally, some good news for the first time that day. Son Wontae rushed out to meet them.

He didn’t know how, but the three Hunters who were said to be ready for immediate deployment had arrived together, as if they’d been gathered already and received the news at the same time.

Of course, he’d heard they didn’t get along that well, so their simultaneous arrival was probably just coincidence.

From a distance, three men stood out. Son Wontae swallowed.

Lee Dohun, tall and broad even among the usually large Hunters, was the quintessential physical type. Choi Hangyeol, who specialized in mental-type abilities, was also tall, with a somber face that exuded a heavy air.

And then there was Seo Sejun, wearing a hooded tracksuit as if he’d just stepped out to a neighborhood cafe.

Even dressed in loose training clothes, with his hood and cap hiding most of his face, Seo Sejun’s build and the strange aura around him made him stand out even from afar.

If anything, he drew more attention than the other two, as if he were the protagonist of this scene.

Seo Sejun, a protagonist? No way.

Son Wontae shook his head quickly, pushing away that ridiculous thought. This wasn’t the time for nonsense.

“Good afternoon. I’m Son Wontae, acting representative for the president.”

Most of them already knew his face, but he quickly introduced himself and jumped straight into the briefing. There was no time for pleasantries. Every second mattered now.

“The president is currently on his way, but even by plane it’ll take at least an hour. I’ll brief you on the situation for now. The estimated number of people trapped inside is about five thousand.”

Lee Dohun glanced at the other Hunters, then spoke on their behalf.

“Inside the dungeon?”

“Yes, inside the dungeon.”

A heavy silence passes between them.

Five thousand people trapped inside a dungeon.

Because the department store had suddenly turned into a dungeon in the middle of the day while open for business, the number of civilians swept up in it was overwhelming.

The survival rate for civilians inside a dungeon was zero. There was a reason only Awakened individuals could enter. Even the weakest monsters in an E-rank dungeon were as dangerous as wild beasts.

But in an S-rank dungeon?

In the worst case, there might not be a single survivor. Speed was everything now. That was why they were rushing in despite knowing that sending only three people in was reckless.

Domestic news outlets were trying to stay hopeful, saying there was still a chance for survivors, but foreign media were already claiming that nearly all civilians were dead and that Korea had missed its golden window for rescue.

“Where can we enter from?”

Realizing how urgent the situation was, Dohun asked quickly.

“The entire department store has been dungeonized. You can enter from anywhere.”

It was an unusual case where the whole building had become a dungeon, so there was no designated entrance. Anyone who simply approached the area would be drawn inside.

They had learned that the hard way after several people who got too close were sucked in and never came back out.

As if suddenly remembering something, Son Wontae added, “Also, you should know, members of the Bacheon Guild are currently inside the building.”

“Bacheon? They’re S-rank?”

“They didn’t go in knowingly.”

How should he even explain this? Son Wontae let out a long sigh.

“We don’t know the exact details, but it seems they were already inside when the dungeonization began.”

If the guild had reported their presence to the Association beforehand, there was no way the response would’ve been this delayed. It was more likely that they had discovered this new type of dungeon and tried to claim it for themselves, only for things to spiral out of control.

“Fuck, Lee Yongseok, that crazy bastard.”

Realizing the situation, Dohun swore and ruffled the back of his hair in frustration.

In short, they had to sweep through a thirteen-story department store, deal with the boss, protect as many survivors as possible, and locate the Bacheon guild members, all at the same time.

“Hah. That’s hopeless.”

Choi Hangyeol muttered under his breath, and though Son Wontae hadn’t done anything wrong, he looked guilty. He knew this mission was an impossible burden, but there was no other option.

And this wasn’t the time to argue or assign blame. Someone had to patch up the chaos somehow.

“So you don’t know what type of dungeon it is yet?”

“We don’t. Nothing like this has ever been reported anywhere in the world. It’s not that a dungeon gate formed, it’s that a real physical space has been turned into a dungeon. You could call it an advanced version of an assimilated-type dungeon, but there isn’t a clear definition yet.”

In other words, they didn’t know anything.

Realizing there was nothing more to gain from this, the three Hunters immediately began preparing to enter.

“You’ll each need to wear a body cam and equipment. We need live footage from inside.”

Given the circumstances, having recording gear for monitoring was essential. The Association staff moved quickly, fitting the three Hunters with special body cameras that worked even inside dungeons.

While the staff adjusted the devices and checked the feeds, Dohun frowned when they started testing the cameras to see if they were transmitting properly.