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Author: rolypoly
* * *
A little far away from Haeun and her party.
Rick leaned against the dungeon wall and observed the situation.
「Damn it. What the hell are they?」
Rick’s target was Baek Soyeon. Baek Soyeon’s grandfather, Baek Doohan, came along as an additional gift because she was in a wheelchair. However, this was within the margin of error that was predicted.
However, he didn’t expect other humans, especially S-Class, to intervene.
Seo Dojoon and Jung Jinho were both famous S-Classes. One was a famous Hunter that can be seen even in the world rankings, and the other was an S-Cclass blacksmith whose waiting list was hundreds of units.
Why in the world are these people acquainted with the daughter of this client? If there is something special, shouldn’t it be said in advance!
There was even someone in the group that Rick knew.
「There’s even a kid.」
Even the girl who robbed his stuff from him in the park a few days ago. Well, he doesn’t think she’s a Hunter, but—.
Rick fiddled in his pants pocket.
「Should I cancel the contract and leave?」
The conditions for Awakening are simple.
Being alone, facing a dangerous situation, or being in an environment alone.
It becomes easier when there is a situation where people around them die or sacrifice because of them. This is because emotional factors play a big role in Awakening as well.
「I thought it would be easier to Awaken if that old man died.」
However, two S-Class Hunters have already intervened.
Baek Soyeon, a non-Awakened person, would be protected and wouldn’t come to the forefront.
Rick, who clicked his tongue in regret, made his decision.
「Breaking the contract.」
The contract was originally carried out on the condition that Baek Soyeon would be Awakened and returned safely. Still, Rick decided to ignore the contract, claiming that Brian was responsible for everything.
There are two S-class people, so they will attack and escape on their own.
What if they can’t escape?
「Why should I care?」
It’s not his fault that they die because they’re weak.
Rick hummed lightly and pulled a set of keys from his pocket.
It was then.
「Uh.」
The black whip that flew like the wind tightly bound Rick’s body. Rick, who had lost his balance, fell as if being thrown to the ground.
Rick’s stomach was very hurt by the strong force of magic that cut through his skin.
「Ugh! Kuk—.」
“See? I’m telling the truth, right?”
This voice…!
Rick lifted his head with difficulty and looked in the direction of the voice.
Four people walked out of the dark cave without a single light.
* * *
“Huh?”
Haeun, who caught the culprit, opened her eyes wide.
What is this punk? He’s someone she knows?
Last time, he tried to cheat on her while they were playing trickery in the park.
Come to think of it, the clothes are the same. The pattern is slightly different, but he wears a colorful floral shirt today.
What the hell is he doing?
「Ugh!」
Seo Dojoon stepped on his back with his foot, giving strength to the hand holding the magical whip. A sharp eye looked at Rick as if it wanted to cut him up. Seo Dojoon, who soon realized his identity, solved Haeun’s curiosity.
“It’s R.”
“R?”
“He is a famous Awakening broker in the shadows. I heard that he always wears fancy shirts.”
She thought he was crazy, but he was an Awakening broker. Haeun took a step back and returned to Jung Jinho’s side.
“I had only heard of it through rumors. Being here means you are targeting someone to Awaken them.”
“But who…”
Jung Jinho looked around. Obviously, the first to fall into the trap is—.
“You mean that child?”
“W, what do you mean…!”
Baek Doohan, enraged by Jung Jinho’s reasoning, rushed at Rick. Baek Doohan grabbed Rick by the collar and growled.
「Tell me what you’ve done, now!」
「Ugh. T, the contents of the contract are confidential…」
「Do you still not want to tell me!」
Bugh—.
Baek Doohan’s strong hand slapped Rick in the face. It’s not a slapping sound, but it’s a hit sound.
Rick’s face was swollen red from a single punch, and he returned to the other side. Rick gave a painful moan and blinked. His soul seemed to have left his body for a while due to a dull sense of hitting.
「Hurry up and say it!」
‘Oh, my.’
Surprised, Haeun’s heart pounded. Somehow, it seems that his fists are sharper than the Hunters.
‘But isn’t that hitting too much?’
Rick’s face is turning into an exploded dumpling.
Besides, escaping from this dungeon was the first priority. It’s not too late to ask about the punishment of Rick or R after that.
If Rick passed out and escaped the dungeon was delayed, that would be more of a loss.
「Grandpa…」
Even Baek Soyeon was surprised.
As expected, Haeun stepped forward, thinking that she should calm down Baek Doohan a little.
“Wait, Baek Doohan-ssi.”
At that time, Jung Jinho grabbed Baek Doohan’s arm before Haeun. He seemed to be trying to stop Baek Doohan. As expected, her father is smart.
However, what Jung Jinho said was different from what Haeun expected.
“This is an item I made. You can adjust the intensity just by pressing a button. It can deliver up to the impact of falling meteorites. Shall we brush it off with this?”
“Dad! Didn’t you mean to stop it?”
“As a father of a daughter, I can’t possibly forgive that man.”
“Hmph. I guess you knows something too.”
“Why are the two of you suddenly getting along!”
“I think everyone needs to calm down for a while.”
Seo Dojoon dropped Baek Doohan and Rick. Rick, who was barely free, made a strangled sound.
Seo Dojoon asked in a calm voice.
「Tell me right now what purpose you set us up for.」
「The contents of the contract are confidential.」
「Should I just step back?」
Rick’s face was stained with fear. He seemed to be scared of Baek Doohan.
「Actually…」
Receiving Baek Doohan’s gaze, who raised his eyes, Rick eventually confessed everything.
From the work Brian asked him to do, to the fact that he purposely dug a trap on the day of the expo,  and encouraged Baek Soyeon to go to the dungeon experience site through Brian.
Haeun was shocked when she heard all the facts.
“It was that brat.”
「You’re cursing me right now.」
“Yes. You scumbag. Hundreds of people lost their lives because of that Awakening Broker.”
「You guys are swearing at me because I can’t speak Korean.」
“You know it well.”
Haeun smiled.
Baek Soyeon seemed to be in shock.
「Daddy… Daddy put me in a dungeon? Is that on purpose?」
It was for Awakening, but it was something that could endanger her life.
Moreover, today was also the moment when Soyeon saw the end of Baek Doohan, although it was a secret that she couldn’t tell anyone.
In the end, it means that her father was fated to trigger Baek Soyeon’s grandfather’s death.
「Ugh.」
「Soyeon-ah, don’t cry.」
Baek Soyeon sobbed in shock, Baek Doohan calmed her while swallowing his anger.
Seo Dojoon said, giving strength to the black whip that tied Rick tightly.
“Hunter Jung Jinho, what should we do?”
“Getting out of here is a priority.”
“But the attack….”
“What are you so worried about?”
Haeun intervened between the two.
“I heard that R or something set a trap for us to fall into the dungeon. And given that he has been a broker so far, he must know how to get out.”
Eureka!
A ray of hope flashed across Hunter Seo Dojoon’s face.
“Take care of him.”
You brat, I didn’t like you from the first time we met.
Haeun’s suggestion sparked the eyes of Seo Dojoon, Jung Jinho, and Baek Doohan.
Rick fell to the floor and groaned.
「Tell me how to get out right now.」
「I, I can’t. I can’t tell you. It’s my business base…」
「Do you want to be buried alive at the bottom of the dungeon?」
Baek Doohan cracked his neck and asked terribly. He looked like he would mince and bury Rick with his garlic skills at the cooking show.
Rick shuddered.
[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ says Baek Doohan should have been an Awakener.]
Haeun nodded. No matter how she looks at it, the scariest person here is Baek Doohan.
「Ha… Ah, really. Okay. I got it.」
In the end, Rick gave up on the appearance of the three, who did not see any gaps. Then, he showed his tied wrists to Seo Dojoon.
「Please release this.」
Seo Dojoon raised his eyebrows and refused at once.
「What do I know you’ll do if I accept your request?」
「Ah, it’s because I need something to get out!」
「What is it? Don’t try to cheat, just say it properly.」
Rick was hesitant this time, but he still put his hand in his pocket.
Seo Dojoon put his hand carefully into Rick’s pocket as he fixed Rick’s body.
What came out of the pocket was a package of keys with an old doll.
Rick sighed at Seo Dojoon’s suspicious look.
「Damn it. It’s my money.」
The keys ranged in variety from iron to plastic, from small to large.
Haeun realized that the key that glowed silver was the most unusual among the keychain. And Seo Dojoon also seemed to notice this.
However, in Seo Dojoon’s hands, nothing changes. It seemed that the owner of the key would have to act directly.
Tak.
Seo Dojoon threw the key in front of Rick. At the same time, the black magic whip tightly wrapped around Rick’s body changed.
「Try it.」
「Tsk.」
Rick turned his sore wrist a few times before picking up the silvery key from the keychain. Then he put the key on the empty floor and turned it to the right.
Then a strange thing happened.
Whoosh—.
A silver line appeared in the air, and a door appeared.
“Space movers…”
Seo Dojoon muttered.
This was the reason Rick was able to lead the non-Awakened to freely enter and exit the dungeon, avoiding the eyes of the watchers.
Realizing that the opponent was a person with the ability to escape easily, Seo Dojoon’s power went into his hands. Rick frowned and groaned.
「Ugh, I’m not going to run away. Stop tightening it.」
「I’m the one who makes the decision. And open the door」
「Tsk. I got it.」
Rick grumbled and grabbed the doorknob. Everyone focused on his actions.
An accident has occurred, but they manage to escape anyway. Baek Soyeon’s face was the brightest than anyone else’s.
「Huh?」
Rick pulled the doorknob in panic. But it didn’t open. He turned the key which glowed softly again, but the door didn’t budge.
Baek Doohan’s eyes became fierce.
「Wouldn’t you do it properly?」
「No! It’s not that I don’t…!」
「If you play tricks on me, you know you will become minced meat that day.」
「Ugh! Because it’s not a trick! It’s not responding!」
Rick, who seemed relaxed even when Baek Doohan hit him, finally lost his composure and shouted.
「The door won’t open!」
It seems like they’re in big trouble.