Chapter 209: Abnormal Phenomenon (3)
The building surrounding the S-Class dungeon gate wasn’t very large. While its location might have been a factor, the truth was that if an S-Class dungeon break occurred, no matter how sturdy the defensive walls were, they would crumble instantly. Because of that, it didn’t take long to walk through the corridor and reach the gate chamber.
It was silent beyond the door.
Maybe the soundproofing was good.
There was no reason to hesitate, so I opened the door immediately.
The first thing I saw was the dungeon gate inside. It shimmered faintly, still active.
A safe where supplies, potions, and recovery items were stored.
Chairs arranged for waiting.
Seong Hyunjae was sitting in one of them.
Alone.
There was no one else in sight. Not even a trace.
It was too clean—there was no way an entire team could just vanish without a trace. They were likely still inside the dungeon.
…Had they simply been left behind, or had they encountered an enemy strong enough to wipe them out, leaving only Seong Hyunjae?
My heart pounded slightly.
“You came all the way to greet me. How touching.”
Seong Hyunjae spoke casually.
His face was as composed as ever. His hair was slightly disheveled, but that was it. There were no visible injuries.
He leaned back in his chair, one long leg casually crossed over the other.
He didn’t look like someone who had just emerged from an S-Class dungeon.
There was no scent of blood, and his clothes were spotless.
“You look so fine that I feel like I came here for nothing. If you were at least tired or had some wounds, it would’ve felt worth the effort.”
I stepped toward him, stopping a short distance away.
On the surface, he seemed completely normal, but—
“Why are you alone?”
He tilted his head slightly and looked at me.
“Why did you come in here alone?”
Just as I had done to him, Seong Hyunjae’s gaze slowly swept over me.
It briefly lingered on the hand holding the emergency signal button.
“The Young Master?”
“Yuhyun is waiting outside, safe and sound.”
“Then it must be the little lady.”
“The fact that you exited the dungeon earlier than expected and personally reported the raid’s completion could mean that your partner was simply worried. I’ll pretend not to know, so you can shed a tear of gratitude.”
“My partner is truly kind. Now that you’ve seen me safe and sound, you’re welcome to rush into my arms with joy. I’ll gladly embrace you.”
What nonsense.
Maybe Yuhyun or Yerim, but me? No way.
“So, what happened to the abandoned ones? And…”
I was about to ask if anything strange had occurred inside the dungeon when—
A faint metallic sound rang out.
From beneath my feet.
Before I could even curse, something cold wrapped around me, yanking me forward.
I lost my balance and fell.
In an instant, my arms were caught, strong fingers pressed into my wrist, forcing my hand open.
The emergency button slipped from my grasp and hit the floor with a soft thud.
Not that I had planned to use it.
Chains clinked softly as they unraveled at my feet.
“…Break the cameras in here while you’re at it.”
And let go of me already.
This was seriously uncomfortable.
“Did you leave them on?”
“How should I know if they’re on or off? It’s not like Sesung is that trustworthy. Just break them, since I already told them to.”
Evelyn had said she’d turn them off, but I had just told them to destroy them.
Not that I trusted them, but still—if we broke our cameras, it was only fair that theirs got smashed too.
“These days, surveillance cameras are so advanced. Who knows if there are listening devices too?”
“I’ll check for you.”
“That’d be helpful— Ack!”
A sudden jolt of electricity surged through my entire body.
It wasn’t strong—just a weak static shock.
But when it spread all over, it startled me.
“There’s nothing.”
Seong Hyunjae said, having apparently scanned the room in an instant with the electric current.
His ever-smiling face made me want to punch him.
“Control yourself, you—”
Boom!
A camera exploded.
“…Why are you taking it out on me?”
“We can’t be sure you don’t have something hidden on you too, Han Yujin. Fortunately, it was just your phone.”
I hoped it wasn’t broken.
It had only been a static shock, so it should be fine.
So, electronic devices could be detected by that method?
How convenient.
“What happened inside the dungeon?”
“You must have had some idea before coming in. If you charged in blindly with no clue, I’d be a little disappointed.”
“There’s no need to go that far.”
Instead of answering, Seong Hyunjae gradually increased the pressure on my wrist.
Not enough to be blocked by Grace, but enough to make a point.
Fine, I get it.
Even with an immunity item, standing alone in front of an S-Class Hunter fresh out of a dungeon was reckless.
“My brother sensed something unusual inside his dungeon. That’s why he finished the raid faster than expected. Didn’t you experience something similar?”
I twisted my wrist in an attempt to free myself as I spoke.
“And I came in because I was dealing with you, my business partner.”
At the very least, he was someone I could trust.
No matter what had happened inside, Seong Hyunjae wasn’t the type to be easily shaken.
Hearing my answer, he softened his gaze slightly and finally spoke.
“The Young Master also felt a presence?”
“Yes. He said it felt like someone outside the dungeon was watching him.”
“That’s exactly how it felt.”
Seong Hyunjae nodded slightly.
He, too, had sensed a gaze pressing into the dungeon from the outside and had eliminated it.
Afterward, he hadn’t felt it again.
“The dungeon’s state changed?”
On the second floor, unfamiliar monsters had appeared, and the paths had shortened. The monsters weren’t particularly strong, but the changes were concerning, so Seong Hyunjae had left his team behind and cleared the dungeon alone.
“I cleaned things up, so they should be out by tomorrow.”
“…Yuhyun said his dungeon didn’t change.”
Was it the difference between merely sensing a gaze and actually being attacked?
I really hoped Yerim hadn’t accidentally provoked something and ended up stuck inside a shifting dungeon.
Seong Hyunjae said his dungeon had shortened, but there was no guarantee that another one wouldn’t lengthen instead.
If the changes were just to that extent, it wouldn’t be too bad, but…
“And my dear partner, were you unharmed?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. But it looks like I’ll have to go visit the volleyball, so let’s get out of here.”
If Seong Hyunjae came with me, Yuhyun wouldn’t object as much. He’d be curious about the presence as well, so he’d follow along without resistance.
“Oh, did that gaze seem familiar to you? Like the jellyfish, perhaps?”
Unlike Yuhyun, Seong Hyunjae had encountered the jellyfish before. He was sharp enough that he might have picked up on something.
At my question, he paused as if recalling the memory, then shook his head.
“It felt unfamiliar. Definitely not the jellyfish or the volleyball.”
So at least it wasn’t the jellyfish. That was a relief.
That meant it was probably another filial duty addict Seong Hyunjae didn’t know about.
Had someone accidentally caused a dungeon error again?
Seong Hyunjae stood up, and I moved as well—only to realize I was still being held.
Why wasn’t he letting go?
I looked at him questioningly, but his gaze was fixed on the floor.
The emergency button lay there.
“Wait a sec—”
Click.
Seong Hyunjae pressed it with the tip of his foot.
Hey!
“I was curious.”
“Would it kill you to just ask?!”
What are you, a five-year-old who has to touch everything that piques their curiosity?!
And don’t give me that innocent smile, you menace.
I should have never taken that button in the first place.
Wait—did Evelyn know this would happen when she gave it to me?
Before I could even process that thought, Seong Hyunjae scooped me up in his arms.
Golden chains wrapped around us.
Wuuuuung—
Even though the gate chamber was buried behind layers of walls, an ominous vibration pulsed through the air.
And then—
BOOOOOM!
The world shattered.
Debris exploded into the sky as the walls and building were blown apart.
Falling wreckage was deflected and pulverized by the chains, protecting us.
Through the dust and chaos, I saw a translucent barrier dome where the building had once stood.
“That’s…”
“It’s Evelyn’s skill. It traps a target and concentrates firepower on them.”
So that’s what she meant when she said she could demolish the building cleanly.
Chunks of debris ricocheted off the barrier before falling like rain.
The supposedly sturdy dungeon building was reduced to ruins in an instant.
The surrounding buildings remained intact, their windows gleaming as if nothing had happened.
The stark contrast made the scene feel even more surreal.
The barrier faded, and murmurs of shock rose from the crowd.
Using an attack skill like that in the middle of a bustling district—
She had seemed so composed and rational, but in the end, Evelyn was still an S-Class.
Suddenly, Song Taewon came to mind.
Was it lucky or unlucky that he was inside a dungeon right now?
“You just got attacked by your own guild member. How delightful for you. Now, put me down.”
The embarrassment was kicking in.
Most of the time, I had no choice but to be carried because of my low stats, and there were few witnesses, so I could tolerate it.
But this was a busy area.
The humiliation washed over me like a tidal wave.
Sesung’s guild members and Association staff were forming a barrier, but anyone in the upper floors of the surrounding buildings had a perfect view.
…Oh god, this is mortifying.
“Put me down. Now.”
I swallowed my curses just as Yuhyun leapt over the wreckage and landed in front of Seong Hyunjae.
Without hesitation, my brother stretched out his hand.
“Return him.”
Seong Hyunjae looked at him briefly before obediently handing me over.
Hey—I said to put me down, not pass me around like luggage.
Somewhere, a camera clicked.
…Wait.
The reporters are already here?!
Kill me.
“Put me down right now, Yuhyun.”
“Are you okay, hyung?”
“I’m fine. Seong Hyunjae pressed the button on purpose.”
He was the type of person who’d probably press a nuclear missile launch button just to see what would happen.
I seriously questioned whether I could trust him.
I had gone through so much effort to save the world, but I wouldn’t even be surprised if this lunatic suddenly decided to destroy it out of boredom.
“Seong Hyunjae said he felt the same thing. We really need to check out the dungeon.”
I muttered to Yuhyun as I turned away.
In the distance, Evelyn smiled warmly and waved at me.
If you only looked at her, she seemed like a kind teacher who had just spotted one of her students on the street.
…Don’t be fooled by appearances.
“Partner, spare me a moment of your time.”
“You’re making a man fresh out of a dungeon work already? How ruthless.”
“Oh, my apologies. I forgot to consider your age. If you’re planning to retire soon, I’d be happy to take over Sesung as your business partner.”
It was a joke, but…
Actually, that sounded tempting.
Maybe I should really draft a contract.
If he got into an accident or stepped down from his position, I’d inherit his assets.
Despite his theatrics, Seong Hyunjae readily agreed to come along.
He was curious too.
We immediately arranged to enter a nearby low-level dungeon.
[Honey!]
The moment we stepped into a snow-covered forest, Newbie came bouncing toward us.
[W-wait just a little longer! Just a little more!]
Newbie shouted like an overworked employee being pressured to meet a deadline at a black company.
No, that’s not why I came today, but now I feel kind of bad.
“We’re not here for that today. These two said they felt a gaze inside the dungeon. Do you know anything about it?”
[Oh, right!]
The volleyball bobbed up and down as if nodding.
[There was repeated interference in the dungeons. Chain, Honey’s little brother, and the one who holds Droplet’s power—]
“Yerim?! What happened to her?!”
So something had happened to Yerim too!
I reached out to grab the volleyball, but it deftly dodged me.
Guess it’s getting used to my reactions.
[I checked, and there’s nothing wrong. There was some interference, which caused slight changes to the dungeon, but it’s nothing an S-Class Awakener couldn’t handle.]
“Are you sure?”
[Yes! Hmm, would you like a small confirmation? But if I do that, the request Honey made will be delayed a little longer.]
“Show me.”
Who cares about the item? Making sure she’s safe comes first.
The volleyball fell silent for a moment before a translucent screen appeared in front of me.
[This is way too tast—□. Right, □ny?
Ah, Blue□! Don’t □□ smeared with blood!]
The text was fragmented, with some parts missing.
They were probably resting and eating dry rations.
That stuff really tastes awful.
[Since it’s related to Honey, this is the most I can show you.]
A sigh of relief escaped me.
She seemed fine.
Thank god.
Blue and the other team members didn’t appear to be in trouble either.
“Do you know what caused it?”
[No. Someone definitely interfered, but I couldn’t pinpoint the culprit. It could be one of us, or maybe—]
“It’s not the jellyfish.”
[Really?]
“Yeah.”
If they had been watching Yuhyun, Yerim, and Seong Hyunjae, then it probably involved me as well.
Would I be in any danger?
The volleyball spun in place.
[Nope! Interfering with dungeons isn’t easy. It’s not impossible, but as you know, it requires a huge amount of power. Normally, the most that can be done is altering the dungeon’s structure or introducing an S-Class monster.]
“The lizard’s master sent an SS-Class monster, though.”
[That’s because their skill is special. But the jellyfish doesn’t have that kind of ability. They can only pose a real threat by contracting with an S-Class Awakener from Honey’s world and borrowing their body.]
Which is why I had been warned to watch out for S-Class Hunters rather than dungeons.
The likelihood of an S-Class Awakener willingly making a contract like Choi Seokwon had was extremely low, but still…
[Just in case, I’ll set things up so you can leave immediately. I’ll keep investigating, so for now, make sure you only enter dungeons with multiple S-Class Awakeners accompanying you!]
Until it confirmed there was no risk, it advised caution and even created a separate gate for us to exit.
I explained what Newbie had told me to Yuhyun and Seong Hyunjae before we left.
The next day, Yerim successfully cleared the dungeon safely.
–TL Notes–
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