Wearing lightweight protective gear, with a small dagger on his thigh and a pistol at his waist, Raon checked the lantern mounted on his shoulder one more time. The hiking boots he was wearing for the first time, having always worn loafers or dress shoes, were more comfortable than expected.
“I just need to take a light look around and come back. I can pick up anything decent if there is any.”
After glancing around his surroundings, Raon stepped into the rippling blue light with a light heart.
“……”
After passing through the squishy jelly-like wall, Raon, who had been briefly excited at the sight of an ordinary cave spread before his eyes, clicked his tongue and took out the tablet he’d brought. He had brought an emergency召唤 scroll, and just in case, he’d also brought his cell phone. Peculiarly, the dungeon didn’t block cell phones and they worked just fine.
Raon, who had brightened the lantern’s light a bit more, slowly walked around with the feeling of exploring a small cave. Although he staggered a bit because of the moss-covered stones, there was also the sound of water dripping from afar, and it had its own charm.
“There’s nothing special here.”
A complaint flowed from Raon’s mouth as he scanned the visible moss and grass-like things to check one by one what kind of plants they were and what their uses were. As long as his job was what it was, he couldn’t say he didn’t know about dungeons. Should he call it the difference between theory and practice? There was a world of difference between seeing through others’ mouths or through reports written on documents and experiencing it directly.
He had only been to sites three times, including the times he went because of Jaehwi, but each time Raon was exposed to extreme tension. And this was the second time he’d actually entered a dungeon. The rampaging dungeon where he reunited with Jaehwi and the current dungeon that was certain to naturally dissolve. The dungeons were clearly different from the entrance. The soft jelly-like wall versus the pillar of fire that was no different from plunging into lava if you made even a small mistake. Not to mention one was the lowest F-grade and the other was a rampaging S-grade dungeon.
Compared to that place where it felt like even his brain would burn up from the scorching heat, this place was no different from taking a walk. So this is what F-grade is like. That was all Raon could feel right now. Even at D-grade, lower-level monsters appeared.
“A rampaging S-grade and a naturally dissolving F-grade… Such extremes.”
You can’t be full from the first spoonful. If it were up to his greed, he’d want to follow Jaehwi into all the dungeons he entered, but he knew better than anyone that it was impossible. Unless he became an exclusive Guide, he would never stand side by side with Jaehwi. Even if he became exclusive, it was natural for him to wait outside given his grade.
Because one small mistake of his could lead to the annihilation of team members in an urgent situation. Sometimes there were Espers or Guides who overcame low grades with things like experience and quick reflexes, but knowing there was their blood and sweat behind that, he didn’t even wish for such things.
At first, he impulsively had the ridiculous thought that he would somehow work hard to become a combat-type Guide and support him, but time was suppressing Raon’s impulses and making him find reason. He recalled the tremendous pain-inducing noise he experienced just before regression. It was like hearing all the sounds in the world, from really small sounds to sounds from far away. That was probably the auditory pain that Espers experienced. Even the brief indirect experience was overwhelming.
And only then could he understand Jaehwi a little. So if he went around even such low-level dungeons, it would be easier to understand him more. As with the excuse he gave Hyukjin, knowing the field well also allowed him to do his work better.
A small hum flowed from Raon’s mouth as he did this reckless thing filled with all kinds of excuses and justifications. If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it. But this wasn’t something he couldn’t avoid but something he brought upon himself, so he had to enjoy it even more.
The dungeons Jaehwi went to wouldn’t be like this, but what did Jaehwi think each time he entered a dungeon? Naturally, Raon’s head became filled with thoughts of Jaehwi.
Contact guiding was the most ideal method for transmitting his energy, which was neither abundant nor of outstanding quality, to an Esper. Rather than light skinship like simply holding someone’s shoulder or holding hands, the primal guiding where mucous membranes touch was good, but Jaehwi hated the contact itself.
Even just this afternoon was no different from him forcibly accepting his whining. If he disliked it, he could have pushed him away, ignored him, or firmly cut him off. Even after rolling and rolling through dungeons full of harsh work at NCSC, his kind nature couldn’t be helped, it seemed.
Raon, who had taken out the dagger on his thigh, squatted down on the ground, dug up fairly valuable grass, put it in the bag he’d brought, and took a deep breath. It had been dark at first, but as he went inside, the dungeon itself was getting brighter, so he adjusted the lantern’s light.
Seeing that the tablet, which would immediately ring if there was danger or changes, was quiet, this dungeon was clearly a dungeon full of only grass as initially expected. The air was pleasant, and a small hum flowed from his mouth as he walked around like taking a walk along with the fun of learning about new plants.
He could understand what people meant when they occasionally said that high-grade Esper and Guide couples go on dates to dungeons that regenerate. Such dungeons that regenerated at regular intervals made money rather than these dungeons with nothing special that disappeared quickly.
Such dungeons had the danger level, regenerating monsters, and even strategy guides perfectly disclosed as basics. The randomly dropped materials were traded at quite high prices depending on their condition or type, so those who wanted to conquer regenerating dungeons had to make reservations in advance and even put down deposits.
They made money that way, but they were also excellent as training grounds for Espers and Guides, so it was difficult even to make reservations. Still, there were many Espers and Guides who enjoyed the unique atmosphere felt in dungeons… It was literally another world, wasn’t it? It was a space that ordinary people couldn’t even enter.
Because one manifested as an Esper or Guide, entry permission was granted, and there were limits to which dungeons one could enter by forming teams according to grade. As a result, the higher the grade, the more diverse experiences one could have.
“This place wouldn’t be great as a date course.”
Raon, who had mistepped on another slippery rock and swayed, felt bored in less than 30 minutes after entering. The only living things were plants, and it wasn’t an open space but a cave with only narrow paths full of moisture continuing on. It was definitely an F-grade dungeon with absolutely no danger as always reported.
Raon, who was about to turn back since this was satisfactory for his first real dungeon exploration, looked in the direction of the sound as the water noise grew louder.
There wasn’t even a fork in the road, so he had followed a single path from the entrance until now, and a dungeon map was being created on the tablet he was holding according to his movements, so he didn’t have to worry about getting lost. Unlike how it had the appearance of a typical dark and gloomy cave, he could feel it actually getting brighter and more pleasant as he went inside. Hadn’t he actually been continuously adjusting the lantern’s brightness as he came in?
Raon, who was alternately looking at the entrance and inside, checked the time first. There was enough time until the dungeon dissolved, and aside from his whole body aching from muscle pain, there were no major problems with his stamina, so Raon headed inside.
In a space that had been full of only moss, slightly more grown grass could be seen. Instead of stones that had been slippery, covered with moisture and moss, wet soil was stepped on.
“…They say you really have to go to the end of a dungeon.”
A moment later, Raon, who had stopped walking, silently admired the beautiful scenery spread before his eyes with both hands on his waist. Could this be the kind of place where the fairy in “The Fairy and the Woodcutter” bathed? It wasn’t the bright sunlight that would dazzle at midday. The overall softly bright space, as if there were an artificial sun inside the dungeon, wasn’t very wide. Should he say it was about the size of an outdoor hot spring he often enjoyed?
Moreover, grass and trees surrounded the oval-shaped pond, creating a more cozy and warm atmosphere. Even the mist rising hazily from the pond. He felt like he should immediately take back what he’d said about it being not great as a date course.
“I would have regretted it if I’d gone back right away.”
Raon, who had approached close to the pond, stopped while trying to put his gloved hand into the pond. Then he brought the tablet close to the pond first.
“…Is this really a hot spring?”
Current water temperature 41 degrees, components similar to hot spring water. No life forms detected other than plants. Raon’s lips curled up as he confirmed it was still F-grade safe.
Can I brag that I enjoyed a hot spring in a dungeon?
He took down the bag he was carrying and took off his hiking boots and socks first. Then a hum flowed from Raon’s mouth as he rolled up the hem of his pants all the way to his knees. His whole body had been aching anyway. After sitting on a low stone at the edge of the pond, a satisfied sigh flowed from Raon’s mouth as he carefully put his toes into the pond water.
