VSP 99

Lee Dohun.

Yongseok frowned the moment he heard that name, the name of the person who usually didn’t bother him much but had recently caused one huge irritation.

Even so, the funniest part was how he continued watching the video because he still wanted to hear what the panelists would say.

The conversation naturally shifted to Seo Sejun.

[Honestly, the incident in Busan last time showed it too, but Hunter Seo Sejun is way more well liked than people think.]

[I never thought I’d say something like this about Hunter Seo Sejun, but lately he kind of feels like the center of things.]

[Right, especially these days.]

[There was the Busan thing, the amusement park thing, and also Hunter Cha Dogyeong even visited the restaurant run by Hunter Seo Sejun’s parents.]

[He wouldn’t do that unless they were pretty close. And Hunter Cha Dogyeong isn’t the type to pretend to be friendly on purpose.]

[Exactly. In the past, everyone hated Hunter Seo Sejun based on how he looked on camera, and rumors about conflict were everywhere, but recently he seems so close with the others that those stories disappeared.]

Of course the panelists only talked about S-rank hunters, and not about anyone else.

It wasn’t surprising, since the entire topic was about S-rank hunters, but even that annoyed Yongseok.

[What’s amazing to me is especially… Hunter Cha Dogyeong literally doesn’t have anyone he’s close to. Ever since school.]

[He’s the definition of “above heaven and under heaven, only oneself is supreme.”]

[People who knew him during school said it was shocking he’s even dating now. He didn’t meet people much.]

[Is it because he’s too perfect?]

[But this time he went to an amusement park. And with Hunter Seo Sejun.]

[Ah, so that’s why people are saying maybe it was a date at the amusement park…]

Lee Yongseok, who had been watching up to that point, turned off the video in a nervous manner.

It was ridiculous that two guys going to an amusement park became a big topic, and it was disgusting that people were making up things like that.

“Ah, shit”

He already didn’t like Seo Sejun, and thanks to a certain recent incident his feelings had gotten even worse. He got irritated and shut down his computer.

Yongseok harbored a deep grudge toward Seo Sejun. The guy was an S-rank hunter but he was useless. Yongseok was confident he wouldn’t lose even in a one on one fight. So why was that guy S-rank while he was A-rank?

It was because rank measurement looked at the hunter’s total “combat output.” That guy’s summon was strong. But even so, he couldn’t use it properly.

Honestly, that was why he looked weak. Yongseok picked fights because he hated seeing him. Whenever he did, the guy would leave with a face like he’d bitten into dirt, as if he were treating Yongseok like an old elder. That made him even easier to pick on.

If Lee Dohun hadn’t butted in that day…

“Isn’t that still better than the way you talk, Yongseok-ssi? Stop picking fights everywhere. You even do that to the Association President, and now it’s Seo Sejun?”

When Yongseok shouted at the younger guy for his rude tone, the kid immediate response was a work of art. The funny part was that Dohun normally picked fights with Seo Sejun just as often, so why that day…

He had almost exploded, but guild members who’d just finished their health checkup walked out and held him back. He barely left the scene in one piece. Even now, thinking about that day made his insides boil.

Ha, so in the end it’s because they’re both S-rank, right? Birds of a feather?

Damn S-ranks. They can all die.

“Guild Master.”

While he was silently cursing random S-rank hunters in his head, Dongsik, his right hand, quietly came inside and called him. Yongseok immediately straightened up as if he had never been flapping around.

“Do you have a moment?”

“Yes, what?”

Dongsik looked at his guild leader, he saw he wasn’t in a good mood even though he tried to hide it. He leaned in and whispered.

“We got a report from the guys. You know the Taeseong Department Store, the Gangnam branch near our building.”

“Yeah, right. What about it?”

“Our guys went there today, and they found something strange.”

“Hm?”

What had they found that it had to be reported directly to him, and whispered like a secret?

Knowing the guild master’s impatient nature, Dongsik didn’t drag it out.

“They said they felt something similar to entering a dungeon in several parts of the department store.”

“What?”

Yongseok’s eyes widened.

“Is a dungeon opening?”

“It seems so.”

“But does that make sense? If it were a dungeon, there’s no way the Association wouldn’t notice. Before any hunter could sense it, they’d already evacuate everyone and start drawing up a list of hunters to raid it.”

“That’s why it’s strange.”

Yongseok quickly understood what Dongsik was implying. His expression grew more serious.

“So it’s not just a specific section of the department store, but the entire department store?”

“Yes. They said the reaction seems to be getting stronger. It’s probably growing even now.”

“A dungeonization?”

A dungeonization, where the place where the gate appears becomes unified with the inside of the dungeon. It wasn’t common, but it wasn’t something impossible either.

But even if it was a dungeonization, the Association failing to notice its appearance was strange.

Normally, the Association’s detection net would have gone wild already, but nothing had happened. That alone was abnormal.

“They said the entire building is showing the same reaction, so it fits. I’ve never seen a dungeon big enough to assimilate an entire department store, though. And the fact that there’s still no detection…”

“Hmmm.”

Yongseok fell into thought.

The reason Dongsik had come so discreetly was obvious.

Should they report it to the Association and follow protocol, or since they found out first, should they get ahead of everyone and not report it?

Reporting it was the proper and safer option, but if this dungeon really was a completely new type never seen before, then the reward would be extraordinary.

Dungeons that went beyond the standard usually dropped unbelievable rewards.

And if they got something related to mana…

In moments like this, Yongseok’s brain worked faster than anyone else’s. He quickly calculated the merits of not reporting it and taking everything for themselves, along with the excuses he could later give the Association.

He jumped to his feet.

“Dongsik.”

“Yes.”

“We’re taking it.”

Dongsik raised his thumb.

“As expected, I knew you’d say that, Guild Master.”

“I’ve been bored lately, so this is perfect.”

“Exactly. The Association’s been hogging all the A-rank dungeons, and the guys were whining about boredom. This is great. Time to get some real exercise.”

“Right, those damn Association bastards.”

The two grumbled in perfect rhythm as they hurried toward Taeseong Department Store.

A dozen minutes later, Yongseok and Kim Dongsik arrived at the spot inside the department store where the reaction was supposedly the strongest.

It was a corner of the parking lot on basement level six, a place with very little foot traffic. The space was already warping, but because it was a quiet weekday hour in the deepest floor of the parking garage, nobody had found it yet.

“Will this be okay?”

The guild member who had reported it first swallowed, nervous about handling this without the Association, but Dongsik smacked his back.

“What could be the problem when the Guild Master is here? The Guild Master is the strongest!”

“That’s right.”

“Yes sir!”

The one who asked didn’t seem to distrust the Guild Master, only nervous about not reporting it to the Association, but he shut his mouth because of the mood.

Yongseok looked at the warping space with a confident expression.

“Good. Let’s go in and see what kind of reward we’ll get.”

The rippling space vibrated briefly as if answering him. The atmosphere twisted, and a subtle metallic smell brushed the noses of the Baecheon guild members standing around.

As the guild members watched with anticipation, Yongseok reached his hand toward the pulsing distortion.

At that moment, the space opened its massive jaws wide.

And that was the beginning of a catastrophe.

•••

A few days passed since the date that wasn’t a date at the amusement park.

During that time, Sejun had suffered through a wave of articles coming from everywhere.

It felt embarrassing, like he had been caught publicly flirting, and also unbearable, because acquaintances, especially his parents, continued calling him to mention the incident.

Of course, he didn’t hate the memory of that day…

No, actually it was pretty good.