With the dungeon entrance right before them, Minji looked at Raon, who was playing with the adorable Bbobbo.
“Are you really going to be okay?”
She desperately suppressed the urge to shout, ‘Please show some tension. Do you think we’re going on a picnic? Or does this look like we’re going to collect C-grade dungeon byproducts? This is not a situation to be so carefree,’ and instead spoke as indirectly as possible.
If Min Esper had come first and swept through the dungeon, she might be able to have some peace of mind too, but from the look of things, it seemed Min Esper would be arriving much later. There was no way to contact someone who wasn’t answering calls or checking messages. If there had been an Esper with teleportation abilities, they could have somehow made contact, but unfortunately, there was no one here with such abilities.
“Yes. Don’t worry about me. It’s not like it’s my first time entering a dungeon. And if Min Esper trained Bbobbo a lot, it should be trustworthy.”
When Raon, wearing a gentle smile she had never once seen at the center, tossed a small mineral into the air, Bbobbo made a “ppyong ppyong” sound and quickly caught and ate it.
Minji, who had lived her entire life without knowing what a headache was, was learning for the first time what it meant for her head to throb. Should I have reported this to Team Leader Choi? Team Leader Choi was the only one at the center who could stand up to Team Leader Kang. If she had, she wouldn’t be here with Team Leader Kang right now. Instead, every time she met Team Leader Kang at the center…
“As expected, that self-centered Min Esper is going to be late, so if we’re ready, let’s go in.”
Minji, who had been trying to find a way to enter the dungeon without Team Leader Kang somehow, could no longer ignore Team Leader Kang, who was smiling brightly at her. Where had the Team Leader Kang gone, who always had cold winds blowing around, hated people approaching, and even frowned at accidentally brushing past others? Was there a tourist here who looked like they’d come to see falling flower petals on a sunny day with a gentle spring breeze?
“As I said in the conference room, Park Hyungjun Esper and I will lead. Behind us will be Jeong Taehyun Guide, Kim Seowoo Esper, Team Leader Kang, and finally Choi Nayeon Esper in that order. Don’t leave your position between Kim Seowoo Esper and Choi Nayeon Esper, and follow along well. If there’s even the slightest problem, tell us immediately.”
Unable to overcome Team Leader Kang, Minji once again conveyed the important checkpoints to him before entering the dungeon.
At first, Minji took the lead, but once the metal-type monsters started pouring out, it was Park Hyungjun, the fire-type Esper, who truly demonstrated his power. As he went ahead and melted everything in sight with fire, those following behind could easily take the last breaths of monsters that hadn’t died immediately from the heat but had lost their form and were wandering as if they could stop breathing at any moment.
After swinging her jangdo with one hand to behead a monster with little life force remaining, Minji checked the dungeon tablet and let out a satisfied exclamation.
“As expected of our Hyungjun. He’s melting them real good.”
“We’re just at the entrance, what are you saying? But Team Leader, isn’t this a bit strange?”
“It’s strange. Very strange. As you said, it’s the entrance, but why are the things crawling out like this? And be careful not to damage the embedded minerals as much as possible. There are going to be tons of rare minerals.”
“Hyungjun hyung, should I give you light guiding? If you keep using your ability like that, I think you’ll run out of stamina later.”
“Forget it. I always say this, but on days like today, who’s the ending?”
“…Nox.”
“Ah! Let’s quickly clear this ourselves before that bastard comes! Whether it turns to mush or rice, it’ll work out somehow. Why is it always Nox? We’re good too!”
“Ppyak! Ppyaak! Ppyak!”
Listening to the conversation exchanged between those who had worked together for a long time as he walked following them, Raon extended his hand to Bbobbo, who was bouncing around frantically and screaming.
Bbobbo, who had been chattering more cheerfully than usual and showing lots of affection before entering the dungeon, was currently in a state of extreme tension. On top of that, the fire-type Esper, who was also its natural enemy, was using his ability, so it was literally an emergency situation itself for Bbobbo. Every time Hyungjun used his ability, it trembled and screamed, yet stealthily approached the walls, took a bite of minerals, and flew back. Watching this, Raon shook his head.
Was delicious food more important than life? Seeing it settle into his palm, flicking out its small tongue and even smacking its lips, it was definitely clear this wasn’t a common mineral.
“Team Leader Kang, are you okay?”
Everyone seemed tense at first, but after entering the dungeon and checking the monsters coming out and their attack attributes, they seemed to have some leeway, and Nayeon was the first to speak comfortably.
Raon, who had been stroking Bbobbo in his arms, looked at Nayeon and smiled slightly. The expensive protective gear he’d worn because it was an A-grade dungeon was a bit heavy, and the fire pit Hyungjun had created was a bit hot, but it wasn’t burdensome or difficult. There was nothing he could do about the place where his ribs had been broken stinging slightly every time he lost his balance a little on the rough ground.
“Yes. I’ll tell you right away if there’s a problem, so you don’t need to worry too much. So this is how you normally coordinate and move together.”
“This has been our team for two years now. When we’re in a hurry, we know what to do just by looking at each other’s eyes. As you saw from our files, Hyungjun is fire attribute, Seowoo is metal attribute, and Minji is water attribute. I’m wind attribute, so depending on the dungeon’s condition, we take turns leading. On days like today, Hyungjun has it tough and we’re a bit comfortable? But the one who’s always busy is Taehyun, the Guide. Even though he’s a combat Guide, guiding comes before combat, so he always has to check our conditi—ah!”
Since no monsters made it all the way back after going through Hyungjun, Minji, and Seowoo’s hands, Nayeon had been having a relaxed conversation when her hand swiftly swept through the air. At the same time, a large rock that had been flying toward Raon flew in the opposite direction, hit the wall with a loud sound, and fell.
“…Even if they handle things thoroughly up front, you still need to stay tense.”
Raon, who hadn’t even noticed the rock flying toward him, was at a loss for words at Nayeon’s quick reflexes. Even when together with capable Espers, an upper-grade dungeon was still an upper-grade dungeon. After launching the huge rock with tremendous force, Nayeon waved her hand lightly and laughed as if it were nothing.
“It’s definitely different from lower-grade dungeons.”
Since it was a situation where he could have been seriously hurt if not for Nayeon, Raon raised his hand and rubbed his now-chilled nape.
“But Team Leader Kang, can I ask you something?”
“Would you not ask if I told you not to?”
“…Nox. What’s your relationship with Team Leader Kang? There are so many rumors at the center.”
Though she hesitated briefly, at Nayeon’s appearance of boldly throwing a straight pitch, Raon let out a short sigh. Though the question came from Nayeon, he couldn’t help but notice that the attention of all the team members in front and behind had focused on him.
“I knew him briefly when we were young, and now… I’m providing guiding for that guy.”
“Eh? Team Leader Kang, you’re C…”
As if it were truly an earth-shattering event for a C-grade to provide guiding to an S-grade, Taehyun reflexively started speaking but trailed off.
“Compatibility…”
“Was rock bottom though…”
She was going to say the compatibility was good, but perhaps having been at the compatibility test site, this time Minji cut in mid-sentence, but she too couldn’t quite finish her statement.
“You’ll know for sure shortly after Jaehwi enters the dungeon.”
As an awkward atmosphere was created with silence every time someone spoke, Raon passed everything off to Jaehwi, who would appear later. Hmm… the team members would probably define them as having a really bad relationship, wouldn’t they? Since he entered the dungeon without telling Jaehwi.
Until this morning, he had lightly embraced and patted his back while providing guiding. Whether he really intended to receive guiding, Jaehwi came to find him morning and evening without being told. And he obediently accepted being lightly embraced or having his head stroked.
Today we promised to have dinner together… I don’t know if we’ll be able to eat.
In any case, Jaehwi had faithfully received guiding as promised. On the other hand, he was currently not listening to Jaehwi’s words not to enter dungeons. Despite Jaehwi’s overreaction regarding dungeons, he needed to gain dungeon experience.
The day of Jaehwi’s end. He planned to somehow follow along to the situation room. Jaehwi would acknowledge that much. And at the right moment, he would enter the dungeon to save him. He’d even saved him before from a dungeon seething with volcanic heat due to a rampage, so why couldn’t he enter again?
Moreover, regardless of grade, as a result of him continuously providing guiding with matching compatibility, Jaehwi’s condition was noticeably improving. Hyukjin, who didn’t know about the deal between the two, was begging to add various tests to Jaehwi, saying he had no idea what was happening to him.
The team members, who had stopped briefly while checking their equipment out of curiosity about the truth behind the rumors floating around the center, looked straight ahead without complaint at the anticlimactically ended conversation. The short break was over, so they needed to move now, but suddenly tension appeared on everyone’s faces and at the same time the ground shook. Bbobbo, who had been sitting quietly in his palm, was startled and burrowed into Raon’s protective suit, and Nayeon, who had been keeping her distance in the back, approached closer.
