āYes, we desperately need your help, Mr. Kang Sung Joon. Excuse me, but where are you now?ā asked Hyun Sung.
āI just finished a dungeon solo run a little bit ago, so Iām on my way to the Dungeon Bureau right now. But whatās the matter?ā Sung Joon inquired.
āItās something related to the dungeons. The second party that went in to rescue the first hasnāt come out for a week. Thatās why we need a Hunter who can investigate and clear the dungeon!ā
āIsnāt it commonplace for a party not to return from a dungeon? I donāt think you should be so hasty.ā
It was just a minor issue in his opinion. Thatās why he couldnāt understand why Hyun Sung was being so impatient.
āThe phone isnāt secure so I canāt tell you everything, but I can tell you one thingā¦ the situation is a lot more serious than you think.ā
āWhat exactly is happening?ā
āItās a completely new type of dungeon that hasnāt appeared before. If you help us, you wonāt be rewarded by the Bureau, but by the nation,ā promised Hyun Sung.
After listening to Hyun Sung, Sung Joon understood the severity of the situation.
If the country would reward him for his efforts, that meant that the issue was large enough for the government to keep an eye on.
In general, most of the issues regarding the dungeons were handled by the two Bureaus (the Dungeon Bureau and the Hunter Bureau). The government intervening or handing out a reward was rare.
āAre you certain that there will be a reward?ā Sung Joon asked.
If there was a reward, he wouldnāt have a reason not to help them.
āSince itās a really serious situation, thereāll be an equally large reward to compensate you. Letās talk about it in further detail at the Bureau.ā
It seemed that he was busy since Hyun Sung didnāt want the call to drag on for very long. As he had heard the urgency in his voice, Sung Joon gladly ended the call.
Sung Joon sold the magic stones that he had gotten from his B-rank solo run at the Dungeon Bureau, procuring $400,000. He had some trouble with the dungeon since he had soloed it, but since he didnāt have to split his share, naturally, he smiled.
āMr. Kang Sung Joon?ā
An glasses-wearing woman approached him. She wore a nametag around her neck which indicated that she was a Hunter Bureau worker.
Sung Joon asked, āDid the Team Leader send you?ā
āYes, allow me to guide you to the conference room,ā she replied.
The woman and Sung Joon arrived on the floor with the conference rooms. Eventually, Hyun Sung came out of one of the conference rooms with a grave expression, and the woman that guided Sung Joon left with his consent.
āMr. Kang Sung Joon!ā
As soon as Hyun Sung discovered Sung Joon, he ran towards him.
āPlease, letās go inside. Iāll explain everything to you,ā he said.
There was one worker inside the conference room. It was a face heād seen a few times when heād gone to Hyun Sungās office.
Sung Joon and Hyun Sung went into the conference room, and the worker bowed their head and left.
Sung Joon sat in an unoccupied chair and began.
āPlease explain the situation to me. You said it was a new type of dungeonā¦ What are you talking about?ā he asked.
āItās just as I said. Itās a dungeon that has completely different features compared to the other pre-existing dungeons. The Dungeon Bureau hadnāt properly grasped the situation, so they proceeded with the matching and a party of five A-rank Hunters entered the dungeon. However, they havenāt returned yet.ā
āWhatās the difficulty level?ā
āThe Dungeon Bureau has designated it as an A-rank dungeon, but we might have to adjust the rating up.ā
āAre you saying itās at least A-rank? Itās commonplace for a party of Hunters that are the same rank as the dungeon to be annihilated.ā
The dungeons were always accompanied by a certain level of danger. Even if they werenāt faced with an Elite Dungeon, it was commonplace for Hunters who challenged a dungeon that shared ranks with them to not return. (*e.g. A-rank Hunters often die in A-rank dungeons, B-rank Hunters often die in B-rank dungeons, etc. The author mentioned before that most Hunters donāt challenge dungeons of the same rank. Instead, B-rank Hunters will usually go through C-rank dungeons, etc.)
āWeāve sent our own regular assault team, āSpearā, into the dungeon, but they didnāt come out, just like the first party.ā
āIsnāt an S-rank Hunter part of the āSpearā? But youāre saying that he didnāt return from an A-rank dungeon?ā Sung Joon asked.
Hyun Sung nodded with a burdened expression.
āKoreaās fifteenth ranked, Mr. Yang Dong Jin, as well as his team, went in a week ago, but hasnāt returned.ā
If they hadnāt returned in a week, there was a high likelihood that they had all perished.
āWeāve also requested the assistance of the thirteenth rank, Ms. Choi Eun Joo, the team leader of her own regular assault team, āDikeā*. If you approve, youāll move together with them.ā (*I assume that theyāre named after Dike, the Greek goddess of justice and order.)
āItās not even a Raid, so may I ask why youāre moving so hastily?ā Sung Joon questioned.
Hyun Sung examined his surroundings once before speaking.
āThe Bureau believes that this dungeon is more dangerous than a Raid. We have to go and assault the dungeon immediately.ā
āWhat kind of dungeon could it be thatā¦ā
āEven now as we speak, the dungeon is expanding and eroding the surrounding landscape. The Bureau has determined that monsters may spill out of the dungeon, similar to that of a Raid,ā Hyun Sung explained.
Sung Joon was completely shocked.
Did he say a dungeon was expanding and eroding its surroundings?
Now he could understand why Hyun Sung and the Bureau were moving so hastily.
Even if they failed at clearing the pre-existing dungeons, the dungeons would just passively remain, so they werenāt very dangerous compared to the Raids. However, if the Bureau and Hyun Sungās analysis was to be believed, the āEroding Dungeonā was just as threatening as a Raid.
āWouldnāt it be better to call higher ranked S-rank Hunters?ā Sung Joon asked.
Hyun Sung shook his head and said, āThe only S-rank Hunter we can call to attack the dungeon right now is Dikeās Choi Eun Joo.ā
Due to the mana within the dungeon, communication equipment was useless. Therefore, if an S-rank Hunter was in the midst of clearing a dungeon, they wouldnāt be able to contact them.
Also, most S-rank Hunters acted as they pleased, so there were several instances where they werenāt even in Seoul.
āThe rate of erosion is high. You must leave as soon as team āDikeā arrives.ā
āIs there a reason that you specifically called for me?ā
āExcluding āDikeā, amongst the Hunters we can call, you are the highest rated, as well as having superb skills, so we decided on you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.
Although the Bureau had some A-rank Hunters, there were quite a few that they couldnāt immediately mobilize.
āWhen did āDikeā say they would arrive?ā queried Sung Joon.
āTheyāll be here soon.ā
āPlease tell them to hurry. I donāt have much free time,ā Sung Joon said.
Hyun Sung nodded his head.
* * *
Team āDikeā, led by Choi Eun Joo, arrived.
Hyun Sung had said that he had recommended Sung Joon for his superb skills. They went through a quick briefing, and then Sung Joon and the team arrived at the entrance of the dungeon. It was then that Sung Joon realized why he specifically had been sent.
Team Dike hadnāt brought a Healer with them.
Dike was supposed to be on vacation right now, based on a Dike memberās explanation. Their Healer hadnāt had a vacation in a very long time, so to commemorate the occasion, their Healer had travelled to America. Dike had accepted on the condition that the Hunter Bureau send them a veteran Healer.
āMr. Kang Sung Joon?ā
Dikeās Team Leader walked towards him.
Sung Joon turned his head towards the voice and took in her appearance. Her bobbed hair blew in the wind. She had beautiful eyes and her features reminded him of a cute puppy.
Rishubalt narrowed his eyes, examined Eun Joo, and then spoke.
āPerhaps itās because sheās an S-rank Hunter, but I can sense a tremendous mana from her.ā
Sung Joon nodded his head, wordlessly agreeing with Rishubalt. There were a lot of people watching, so if he said anything, people might think he was strange.
āIs something the matter?ā Sung Joon asked.
Eun Joo spoke with a calm expression.
āYou remember everything that they said in the briefing room, right?ā
Eun Joo had briefly explained Dikeās attacking method to Sung Joon in the briefing room.
āOf course.ā
āThere honestly isnāt much that a Healer Hunter needs to be aware of,ā Eun Joo said. (*Sheās not being condescending; sheās just saying that there was more relevant information for other people in the meeting and assumes a Healer knows their job.)
Sung Joon nodded his head. It was different for the Combat Hunters who had to work together; Healers didnāt really have to worry about much.
āThere wonāt be much to worry about, so donāt get too tied down by the rules, and please just focus on healing.ā
āI understand.ā
The Dike team members gathered, but Eun Joo didnāt open the dungeon doors. The Hunter Bureau had dispatched a worker to investigate, so they were waiting on him.
Eventually, a van arrived at the entrance of the dungeon. Hyun Sung and two investigators, as well as one escorting Hunter, got off the van.
Hyun Sung and the two investigators wore body armor and were armed with handguns. He didnāt know about the body armor, but Sung Joon knew that the pistols would be of no help. However, it seemed that they carried the pistol for some peace of mind.
āHeās an A-rank Hunter. Although heās classified as such, it seems heās around the low-tier level.ā
While Sung Joon and Hyun Sung greeted each other, Rishubalt grasped the Hunterās level.
Even if he excluded Hyun Sung, the two investigators, and the escorting A-rank Hunter, they were still sending ten A-rank Hunters, as well as an S-rank Hunter to assault a single dungeon. He thought it was excessive. However, since the two prior parties had been annihilated, the Bureau had no choice but to tread with caution.
āIāll perform a final check on our equipment,ā said a party member.
An A-rank dungeon was vast. Also, the dungeon they were going to attack was eroding the surrounding landscape, so it was a lot larger than a normal A-rank dungeon.
Thus, they had to thoroughly check their equipment and supplies.
āWeāre done checking!ā said another party member.
āFine. Please get in position,ā Eun Joo said.
The Hunters got into their respective positions. Sung Joon easily found his position since he had been shown it beforehand. Dikeās Supporter Hunter and the Bureauās survey party were placed in the rear with Sung Joon.
āMr. Kang Sung Joon, please take care of me,ā said Hyun Sung as he walked beside Sung Joon.
Hyun Sung was trying his best to smile, but Sung Joon could tell that he was clearly anxious. The Bureau had never sent investigators into a dungeon to ascertain the dungeonās rank, so even the inspectors couldnāt help but be uneasy.
In order to put him at ease, Sung Joon wore a calm expression as he spoke.
āIf you just stick next to me, youāll be safe. But Iāve never seen those two investigators before.ā
āAhā¦ Theyāre investigators dispatched by the Dungeon Bureau. The two Bureaus have decided to work together on this investigation, due to how unusual it is,ā Hyun Sung explained.
Since the Dungeon Bureau had the most amount of manpower, they were responsible for investigating the dungeons. However, since the Hunter Bureau also had investigators, when there was an important matter involved, the two Bureaus would perform a joint investigation.
āIāll open the door,ā Eun Joo said.
Eun Joo opened the door, revealing narrow stairway that led underground. Ten Light Drones illuminated the darkness and the party slowly went underground.
There was another door underground.
āPlease open the door.ā
A different Hunter opened the genuine entrance to the dungeon.
āEnemies!ā someone warned sharply as soon as the door opened.
A barrage of several dozens of ice shards flew towards the party.
Eun Joo drew the greatsword that had been on her back and raised it. The brilliant sword gleamed with a white aura.
Swinging her greatsword, she shattered all the ice shards in the air with a single blow.
āAre there around thirty of them?ā
Sung Joon felt their presences via their mana, and grasped the number of ambushing monsters. As the party advanced, the Light Drones illuminated their surroundings, revealing the spirits that had laid in the darkness.
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āThere are thirty-one enemies! There are Ice Crossbowmen and Cold Mages, as well as some Gale Knights mixed in!ā Sung Joon predicted precisely.
āA-rank monsters from the start?ā someone griped.
Ice Crossbowmen were B-rank monsters, but Cold Mages and Gale Knights were A-rank. There were only ten Ice Crossbowmen and the rest were Cold Mages and Gale Knights.
This many A-rank monsters showing up from the start was a bad sign.