[ Chick Class Teacher (2) ]
Since both the Haeyeon and Breaker guilds didn’t have much time left in their grace period for managing the S-class dungeon, they had to schedule the A-class dungeon for the very next day.
There wasn’t much to prepare anyway. It was a lower A-class dungeon with perfect information, estimated to be cleared within three days, or possibly two if things went smoothly.
We arrived at the gate management building in front of the lower A-class dungeon, known as the “City of Black Golems.” As soon as I got out of the car with Peace in my arms, a sleek red sports car pulled up right next to us, parking with precision as if someone had been practicing for ten years.
The person who stepped out of the sports car was none other than Moon Hyunah, the guild leader of Breaker. She was dressed in a tight-fitting racing suit, with a utility belt that allowed her to carry some simple supplies. The backpack slung diagonally across her shoulder wasn’t very large either.
That outfit, the belt, and even the backpack were probably all dungeon items or made from dungeon byproducts. Despite her wearing long sleeves and pants that didn’t suit the weather, it didn’t matter since the temperature inside dungeons was different anyway.
Even Yuhyun was wearing a coat. I remembered it being an S-class item, but I couldn’t quite recall what it was.
“Hey!”
Bang! Moon Hyunah kicked the car door shut and raised one arm to wave. That car must be expensive. She’s way too rough with it.
“Just thinking about running through a dungeon with a glass marble makes me excited, even though it’s just A-class. Let’s hope it doesn’t break.”
“We’re not running around with it. If we leave it quietly in a safe place, it won’t break.”
“Ugh, boring. Hey, Yerim!”
“Hello, unnie!”
The two hugged each other with a friendly smile—well, not quite. Yerim grabbed Moon Hyunah’s arm and twisted it, while Moon Hyunah easily slipped out and put Yerim in a headlock.
“Oh? You’ve gotten stronger, haven’t you?”
“Ack, ack, I surrender!”
They sure get along. Yerim’s shouting, “I love you, unnie! Please, spare me!” It must be nice to say “I love you” so easily. I still have to use the keyword on Moon Hyunah.
“What are you staring at so hard for? Jealous?”
Yuhyun muttered some nonsense. My neck isn’t that sturdy, you know.
In the meantime, another car arrived. And the person who stepped out was none other than Seong Hyunjae, the guild leader of Sesung. As always, he was wearing a stylish coat that looked out of place for the season, making him look more like a young entrepreneur than a hunter.
I recognized that dark red coat. It was the SS-class item, [Wings of the Fire Dragon, Silekia], a reward from the first conquest of the S-class dungeon Volcanic Rain. The fire resistance was S-class, which had given Yuhyun a hard time during the ranking match.
‘But how exactly are dungeon reward items made?’
Could it really be that the system administrators are crafting them by hand? Although there are armors and such, most high-grade items resemble modern goods, probably tailored to our world. And those are always more expensive. A coat or a vest is more valuable than a cloak or armor.
“Am I the last to arrive?”
Seong Hyunjae approached with a slight smile. Honestly, there was no need for him to come.
When we contacted Sesung to ask for permission to conquer this perfectly suited A-class dungeon under their management, they granted it, but unfortunately, a needless guest tagged along.
S-class hunters in Korea sure are leisurely.
“Hey, let me borrow Peace for a bit. I wanna go a few rounds with that guy.”
Moon Hyunah said, glaring at Seong Hyunjae with determined eyes.
“Veterans should stick with veterans. Don’t think about dragging my still-developing kid into your mess.”
“Even if he’s still developing, he’s S-class.”
“No, thanks.”
We weren’t even clearing the dungeon yet, and here they were, trying to settle their own scores. I hugged Peace tightly as Seong Hyunjae stepped closer, looking down at me with an amused expression.
“A lot of interesting things have happened while I was away.”
“That’s—”
“Why don’t you contact Yu Myungwoo yourself? I’m sure you have his number.”
Before I could respond, Yuhyun interjected. He knew as well as I did that Myungwoo had been keeping his phone turned off lately. Besides, it wouldn’t benefit Haeyeon if Sesung and Myungwoo got any closer.
Seong Hyunjae shifted his gaze to Yuhyun, standing beside me.
“I’m always amazed when I look at you, young master. How did you manage to restrain yourself for three whole years?”
“Mind your own business.”
“Both brothers are quite something for this to be just ‘family business.'”
Ha, these two are really going at it. I wonder if Yerim’s next. Glancing back, I saw Kim Seonghan awkwardly holding onto the luggage. He seemed a bit troubled as well.
Maybe this is why S-class hunters rarely form teams together. Even when the difficulty of the dungeons increased, S-class hunters kept the team numbers to a minimum, probably not just because of a lack of hunters.
“Yuhyun, let’s get going. Guild leader Seong, could we wrap this up?”
“You can call me casually.”
What, should I call you Mister like Yerim?
Besides Kim Seonghan, there were no other A-class hunters on this team. We had more than enough firepower to handle a lower A-class dungeon. It also felt a bit unfair to drag any A-class hunters along.
Think about it—there were three guild leaders. One from our guild, one from the neighboring guild, and another from the guild across town. Any subordinate thrown into that mix would be reduced to a mere errand boy. Just earlier, Moon Hyunah tried to dump her bag onto Kim Seonghan, but he managed to dodge it, insisting she carry her own stuff.
An ordinary A-class hunter wouldn’t be able to do what I did, so it was better for them not to come. There’s no need for them to get caught up in a fight between whales and get crushed like shrimp.
The S-classes went through the gate first, while Peace, Kim Seonghan, and I waited about 10 minutes before entering the dungeon.
[○┣┗┗＝┃○!!]
Yes, yes.
Unlike the outside weather, the air inside was cool, and we were greeted by a ruined city. It wasn’t a modern city. Collapsed walls and houses with only their skeletons remaining, along with a castle shrouded in fog in the distance, reminded me of medieval Europe. However, I’d heard that this architectural style couldn’t be found in any era of our world.
‘…Could this be a remnant from another world?’
Such traces of civilization could only be found in higher-level dungeons. Lower dungeons usually just had natural environments.
‘What’s that?’
Among the debris, I saw long, trench-like marks, as if something massive had dug through the ground with an enormous excavator. There were five of these trenches, each about 20 to 30 meters long, fanning out in different directions. It looked as if some gigantic beast had clawed at the earth.
Scattered around the trenches were the remains of monsters, so thoroughly shredded that it was impossible to determine their original forms.
“Hey! Hey!”
Moon Hyunah approached me with a bright smile, holding a massive, white spear in her hand. It looked like she had ripped a utility pole right out of the ground.
“I’m not gonna fight Seong Hyunjae, but can you lend me Peace?”
“…Again, why?”
“I’ve never had a chance to fully use a monster mount in a high-level dungeon before. The mid-level monsters can’t handle my strength. No need to wait for Blue to grow, let’s just finish this up today, yeah?”
It wasn’t a bad idea. Peace could gain valuable experience in this A-class dungeon. But—
“Peace is part of Haeyeon. If you want to ask for a favor, ask the right person instead of bothering the wrong one.”
Yuhyun interjected with a smile. He was right—she needed his permission, not mine.
Annoyed, Moon Hyunah puffed out her cheeks like a child, but her eyes were anything but innocent. They were the eyes of a seasoned warrior who had survived many battlefields.
“I don’t waste words on people who—”
“Let’s just get going.”
I cut her off and stepped away. She really has a way with words. Yerim, who already has a bit of a sharp tongue, might get even worse if she hangs out with Moon Hyunah too much.
“Peace.”
-Kkyang!
Without needing further instructions, Peace jumped out of my arms and started to grow. Not fully into his adult form, but somewhere between adolescence and adulthood. His stats on the status window rose to S-class.
If he were any bigger, he’d be an easy target, so this size was just right for now. My Peace is so smart.
Moon Hyunah, who had been growling earlier, stopped and her eyes sparkled at Peace’s transformation. Even Seong Hyunjae, who had been watching with interest, stepped closer.
“He’s smaller than I expected. Can he control his size at will?”
“Yes, as you can see.”
I pulled a saddle for monster mounts from my inventory and placed it on Peace’s back. It was an A-class piece of equipment with options for weight reduction and speed increase. Like all dungeon items, the saddle adjusted its size to fit Peace perfectly.
It felt bitter having to attach a saddle. While Peace was a top-tier battle mount and wouldn’t usually need to carry cargo, still…
“Unnie! I can keep all the mana stones, right?”
Yerim flew over, shouting excitedly. I had wondered what she was doing near the scattered remains of monsters, but apparently, she had been collecting mana stones.
“Sure, take whatever you want.”
At Moon Hyunah’s generous permission, Yerim beamed. Collecting all those A-class mana stones would help reduce her debt quite a bit.
Since the surrounding monsters had already been wiped out, we quickly began moving forward. With my lacking stats, I had no choice but to ride on Peace’s back.
The City of Black Golems was a two-floor dungeon, with the main monsters being golems and the undead. They were sturdy and tough, but slow, and their ranged attacks were limited to throwing rocks, making them the perfect targets for us.
Sometimes, a low-grade lich would appear, but they were poison and curse specialists, so no issue for us either.
To clear the first floor, we had to wipe out an undead army that appeared after eliminating a certain number of monsters around the city.
“These guys are so slow!”
Yerim laughed as she gracefully landed atop a 3-meter-tall golem. There was no tension or fear in her at all; she might as well have been on a picnic.
Around her floated Cold Sigh, a white mist that froze her enemies in place, enhanced by the buff from her Icewood Spear, locking down dozens of golems.
As they stood immobilized in midair,
Kwa-gwa-gwang!!
Moon Hyunah’s spear crashed down.
The earth split apart, whirlwinds kicked up, and the hard golems were shattered into pieces, scattering like fallen leaves. It was brutal, almost pitiful for the monsters.
“Moon Hyunah’s a monster even without a mount.”
I said, lowering the binoculars. If she combined her strength with a top-tier mount, there’d be no one to stop her. At this dungeon’s difficulty, she could probably one-shot most S-class bosses.
“The power focused at the tip of her spear is unparalleled.”
Yuhyun, who was riding behind me, added. I know full well how vulnerable I am from behind, but he really doesn’t have to cling this close. Always so overprotective.
“But her movements are obvious, so she’d be easy to dodge. I’ve never fought her before, though.”
“Moon Hyunah’s pretty straightforward in many ways. That’s why she and Yerim make such a good team. For Moon Hyunah, an enemy she can’t dodge is probably the easiest target.”
Seong Hyunjae, who had been walking a bit ahead, chimed in.
Yerim’s crowd control, especially with her buffed freezing mist, was exceptional. If she added Shadowless Day on top of that, her skills would be unbeatable.
Just look at her now. She’s freezing undead, who are weaker than the golems, with just Cold Sigh, and—
Swaaash!
There was no need for Moon Hyunah’s spear. Yerim’s Pale Rain came down and shattered them to bits. The scattered ice shards glistened brilliantly under the sunlight.
Yerim quickly pulled out her mana stone detector, collected the stones, and then flew off to freeze the next group of golems. She was having a blast.
“Facing off against the young master would be more enjoyable than Moon Hyunah.”
Seong Hyunjae threw out a casual comment while watching the monsters being wiped out.
“Take off that coat and I’ll spar with you.”
Why is Yuhyun responding to that? Moon Hyunah, who had been squabbling with Seong Hyunjae, and Yerim, who had been bickering with Yuhyun, had finally settled down, and now these two were at it.
Goddamn it, Seong Hyunjae. Don’t start unbuttoning your coat.
“Golems are moving in the northwest. If you’re not just here for a stroll, Guild Leader Seong, would you mind lending a hand?”
“I told you to call me casually.”
“Seong Hyunjae, please. I’d like to finish this dungeon quickly and head home to my kids. I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
No need to look so distressed, Kim Seonghan. I’m not actually running out of stamina.
“Since you’re asking so nicely, how could I refuse?”
Seong Hyunjae smiled pleasantly and turned away. Good. Now get lost. Even though he’ll be back soon.
“Hey, why do you even bother responding to him? What if you two start fighting here? Are you trying to get me caught in the middle of your mess?”
“Of course not. We’ll wait until Yerim and Moon Hyunah come back and get at least a safe distance away.”
Listen to this guy. Notice how he doesn’t say he won’t fight. Well, I guess that’s why S-classes don’t hold back in ranking matches. High combat ability, low cooperation, huh?
“There’s no healer here. Don’t do it. Even if we had a Saint standing by, I don’t want to see you get hurt over something stupid.”
“…Alright. But Seong Hyunjae’s not going to stop provoking me.”
“Isn’t he too old to be acting like this? Why’s he like that?”
Once Seong Hyunjae was far enough away, I grumbled under my breath. I can let Yuhyun’s antics slide since he’s still young—twenty is that age when you’re full of energy, eager to test your strength, and quick to lose patience.
But seriously, isn’t that dude old enough to know better?
“S-class hunters rarely gather inside dungeons. It’s the perfect chance to measure each other’s stats. We won’t learn much from the monsters in this A-class dungeon, so everyone wants to spar, not just Seong Hyunjae, but Moon Hyunah and me, too.”
“Well, don’t. Just save it for when I’m not around.”
I really should’ve found a way to keep Seong Hyunjae out of this. Ugh, Peace is the only one who’s well-behaved.
Even after that, the S-classes kept sharpening their knives, eager for competition. Even Yerim, who was clearly the weakest, was boasting that she could win if the stat differences were evened out.
Caught between them, what could I do but try my best to keep them apart?
“Yerim, there’s a group of undead scattered to the east. You’re the fastest, so can you handle it?”
“There’s a perfect bunch of golems gathered between the walls. Moon Hyunah, why don’t you take care of them?”
“Yerim and Moon Hyunah have already done a lot, so why don’t you go, Yuhyun?”
“Seong Hyunjae, you look bored. Why don’t you take a light stroll? There’s something moving behind that collapsed building over there. Yes, that’s right, Seong Hyunjae. Good enough?”
After talking non-stop like that, we eventually reached the center of the city, where the fog covering the old castle began to clear.
-Woooaaarrr
With a haunting cry, the castle gates swung open, and an undead army began to crawl out. Here and there, enormous black golems, about twice the size of the previous ones, were mixed into the horde.
The sheer number of them was overwhelming, but I didn’t feel the slightest bit of tension. Of course not.
Now, who should I send in this time?
–TL Notes–
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