[Traditional Play (2)]
When Seong Hyunjae pulled a picnic basket out of the car trunk, I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth he was thinking. Was he really here for a leisurely outing? But then I noticed that Noah was quietly excited, so I kept my mouth shut. Well, there’s no rule that says you can only bring simple meals into a dungeon. Of course, since we planned to stay for only about two days, I had packed lightly.
Seong Hyunjae, holding the picnic basket, pulled out a white coat and put it on. It wasn’t fabric or leather, but a pristine, impossibly clean white garment. Since it was equipment he used, it had to be at least S-class.
On the other hand, Noah’s V-neck shirt, pants, and short robe cardigan—all in a non-modern style—were B-class. It wasn’t that Noah didn’t have S-class gear. He even had a sleek racing suit with great options, but the issue was full-body transformation.
I’d managed to figure out a way to apply special processing for full-body transformation gear, but I lacked the necessary materials. Specifically, I didn’t have the ingredients to upgrade anything above A-class. I had already arranged to get what I needed, so it wouldn’t be long now, but compared to Seong Hyunjae, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Noah.
As for me, of course, I was wearing normal clothes. I brought along gear for boosting magic and mental power, but defensive clothing was pretty much useless. With F-rank stats, in an A-class dungeon, it wouldn’t make any difference—I’d be killed in one hit regardless. It’d be like trying to protect yourself from a storm with nothing but a newspaper. If it had high-level resistance skills attached, it’d be worth using, but that kind of gear was rare. And if I did get such gear, I’d give it to the dungeon runners first—it’d be a waste for me to use it.
‘I want to get Yerim a full S-class set.’
I also need to upgrade Seonghan’s equipment. I should probably beg Myungwoo—he’s the fastest option. Though, he’s already working on something, so it’ll have to wait.
“Now would be a good chance for you to practice fighting while in your full transformation.”
The low-tier A-class monsters should be perfect for training.
“But leaving you alone, Yujin…”
Noah trailed off, glancing warily at Seong Hyunjae. Seong Hyunjae responded with a crooked smile, amused by Noah’s guarded look.
“Confident that as long as you stay by his side, you can protect him? How arrogant.”
Noah’s eyes sharpened at the thinly veiled provocation. I had to admit that Noah was an S-class hunter, but… unfortunately, Seong Hyunjae was stronger than Yuhyun. Before he disappeared, he had been ranked first for a reason.
“It’s fine, Noah. That man might talk like that, but he won’t hurt me.”
“You really trust the Sesung Guild Leader?”
“It’s not that I trust him; I just know he won’t do anything that would hurt his interests.”
Seong Hyunjae wasn’t the type to set up such an obvious trap. Noah hesitated for a moment, then nodded. I decided to use my Look How Talented My Kid Is skill, which now boosted growth rate by 200%. Even the cooldown had been halved to 15 days. I wonder if Yuhyun could somehow get a Venom and Curse Dragonkin transformation skill. That’d be really useful.
Anyway, that guy, Seong Hyunjae, really…
“Do you enjoy mocking someone much younger than you?”
“I’m being mature by not tearing his limbs off. If you think of me as a good adult, I’m honored.”
His comment made me pause. No matter how lightly or playfully he treated me, I knew he wasn’t that kind of person. He had no reason to be lenient toward Noah, who had essentially turned his back on him. Especially since Noah had just bared his fangs a moment ago.
“I hope you can at least pretend to be a good adult in this dungeon.”
“Who could refuse a request like that? I’ll give it a try.”
Don’t smile so kindly—it’ll make me grow attached. I should avoid leaving Noah and Seong Hyunjae alone together, just in case.
As we approached the dungeon building, someone walked over to us. A man in his early thirties with a cold expression. No, rather than his expression, it was the icy look in his eyes directed at me.
‘It’s been a while since someone looked at me like that.’
Recently, everyone’s been so friendly. Even Noah’s hostility had been aimed at Liette, not me. The look felt oddly nostalgic, so I smiled at the man—Sudam Guild Leader Yun Kyungsu.
“I’ve wanted to meet you. It’s nice to run into you like this.”
Yun Kyungsu smiled, though only with his mouth.
“I should’ve sought you out sooner. I apologize for the delayed greeting.”
Indeed, why hadn’t he contacted me sooner? The conversation that followed was polite and ordinary. Since this was a Sudam-managed dungeon, we talked briefly about that, exchanged pleasantries, and he wished me a safe clear.
In other words, nothing the guild leader needed to come here to say. He could’ve just been taking a leisurely stroll, but still.
Noah went into the dungeon first to secure the area, leaving me alone with Seong Hyunjae. I immediately asked the question that had been on my mind.
“Seems like the Sudam Guild Leader has some strong feelings about Haeyeon?”
The only reason I could think of for his hostility was Yuhyun. These days, I’m quietly raising monsters under the protection of major guilds, so I hadn’t had any direct contact with Sudam. A S-class hunter holding a grudge against an F-rank with useful skills didn’t make much sense.
It had to be because of Yuhyun, not me.
“Yun Kyungsu looked down on the young master. Then he got bitten hard.”
“Sounds like he got what he deserved. He must be more narrow-minded than he looks.”
“He probably felt even more humiliated because of how young the young master is. Yun Kyungsu tried to stand on his own by using Yuhyun, thinking he was easy prey because of his age, but instead, he became a stepping stone and got pushed aside. He probably thinks Yuhyun stole his position. But all he’s doing is gnashing his teeth over it.”
Unlike Breaker or MKC, he tried to form a guild independently, but instead of using the young Yuhyun, he got outplayed, huh?
“It’s surprising that Yuhyun didn’t mention anything to me.”
“He didn’t say anything to you, but they already had a big blowout. During the kidnapping incident, Yuhyun also shook Sudam like a rat in a trap, just in case.”
“Did he? I’d think other S-class hunters would strongly resist that… Couldn’t this lead to Haeyeon being in danger?”
Before the regression, there hadn’t been any issues. But now, things had changed. Yuhyun’s behavior would have changed considerably because of me. The kidnapping and this dungeon trip both hadn’t happened in the original timeline.
There was a very real possibility that Yun Kyungsu, frustrated by Yuhyun’s excessive oppression, might harbor a grudge and try to attack Haeyeon or Yuhyun. What were Yun Kyungsu’s main skills again? And why wasn’t Seong Hyunjae answering?
The silence stretched on, so I turned to look at him. He was watching me intently, as if observing something fascinating.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re interesting.”
There are plenty of interesting things in the world. Life must be enjoyable for you.
“It’s not easy for a dog that’s rolled over and shown its belly to bare its teeth again. Unless something happens that completely shifts the balance of power, it’ll stay quiet. Yuhyun knows that well, which is why he’s keeping Yun Kyungsu alive.”
“So, that’s why we’re in a dungeon controlled by Sudam? Because you think he might’ve found something to back him up?”
With all this talk of bait and coming to another guild’s dungeon, it’s like waving a flag, saying, “If anyone’s planning to attack, now’s your chance!” Sure, there were two S-class hunters here, so it wasn’t exactly a small party, but if the other side had a similar force, it would be a good opportunity.
This could get dangerous. But I had given Noah the orb, and Seong Hyunjae could take care of himself. He wasn’t the type to act without thinking.
“That’s one possibility. If nothing happens today, I’ll check out MKC next. Then Hanshin and Breaker. I know for certain it’s not Haeyeon.”
…Can we just end this with Sudam, please?
About ten minutes later, we entered the gate. This time, the usual message window didn’t appear. Maybe the system decided not to interfere anymore, now that it had already set up my personal dungeon.
Under the bright blue sky, a vast green meadow stretched out before us. A golden dragon flew across the dazzling azure sky, twisting midair before descending gracefully in front of me. Its landing was much smoother than before. The faint poisonous aura swirling around its golden body dissipated.
—I’ve taken care of all the nearby monsters.
“Good work.”
Noah’s light gray eyes narrowed in a smile. Seeing him in dragon form made me want to pet him and tell him he did a good job. I even felt like scratching his neck. Comet liked being rubbed between her horns—I wonder if Noah would like that too.
“There’s no need to clear all the monsters on the first floor. Let’s head toward the lake. It’s not far from the gate.”
Seong Hyunjae said. As he spoke, he naturally moved toward Noah.
“It’ll be too much for Noah to carry two people. It’s not far; why don’t you just walk?”
“You underestimate dragonkind. They can easily carry monsters three or four times their size, so don’t worry.”
I just didn’t want him to ride on Noah, but he knows that and still acts this way. Noah, I’m sorry. Please endure it just this once.
The gate still hummed with blue light, indicating it was still active. There were about twenty minutes left before it closed. In the otherwise quiet space, only the faint crackling of gate energy could be heard as a group of people began to enter, one by one.
At the center were MKC Guild Leader Choi Seokwon and Sudam Guild Leader Yun Kyungsu, surrounded by their hunters. Aside from the healers and support, the rest were all A-rank or higher, a total of fifteen hunters. Adding the two S-rank hunters made this group strong enough to easily clear any existing dungeon.
Despite their formidable force, tension was thick in the air. Even Choi Seokwon, an S-class hunter, couldn’t fully conceal his unease.
“I didn’t think I’d be facing off with Seong Hyunjae again.”
Back when dungeon breaks were rampant, battles between hunters in break zones were relatively common. Though it was rare for S-class hunters to clash due to their small numbers, it wasn’t unheard of. Choi Seokwon himself had once faced off against Seong Hyunjae.
The fight hadn’t lasted long, and Choi Seokwon had clearly lost. The gap in their strength was insurmountable, and after that, he never challenged Seong Hyunjae again.
“Seong Hyunjae, Han Yuhyun, and Moon Hyunah… Those three are definitely crazy.”
Choi Seokwon muttered under his breath. The last two were especially infamous for seeking out opponents to pick fights with. While Seong Hyunjae mostly stayed within his own territory, Han Yuhyun and Moon Hyunah could pop up anywhere, ready to cause trouble. They were notorious for clashing with other S-class hunters, as well as each other.
Though they generally left A-rank hunters alone, to other S-classes, they were nothing short of disasters. There was even a joke that maybe the issue was having “Hyun” in their names.
“Are you already scared? Pathetic.”
Yun Kyungsu sneered, but Choi Seokwon shot back with a mocking laugh.
“It’s better than watching your back all the time because you’re terrified of a kid ten years younger than you.”
“Shut up.”
“You’re so scared of an F-rank walking around unguarded that all you can do is grind your teeth. No wonder Han Yuhyun left Sudam alone.”
The sound of teeth grinding was audible. Yun Kyungsu’s face twisted in anger, but he didn’t respond further, his eyes now fixed on the gate. Choi Seokwon was right—Yun Kyungsu had been completely crushed by Han Yuhyun. His initial impression of Yuhyun as just a lucky kid who awakened as an S-class had turned into fear, leaving him unable to even think of rebelling.
“Once we start sending back his precious brother’s fingers, one by one, that kid’s face is going to be priceless. I can’t wait to see it.”
“You aren’t supposed to kill him.”
“As long as he’s alive, right? He looked even more like Han Yuhyun in person, so that just makes it more—.”
Yun Kyungsu never finished his sentence. He crossed his arms reflexively, bringing them up to shield his face.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Despite his perfect defense, the sharp kick sent pain shooting through his arms and knocked him backward. As he staggered, golden eyes full of disdain bore into him.
“Pathetic weaklings.”
Liette lowered her leg and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“If you’re scared of someone stronger than you, you should stay hidden in a corner with your tail between your legs. What kind of idiot thinks they can take it out on the wrong person? How pathetic. And you call yourself an S-class combat hunter? Should I just tear off that pathetic little thing between your legs, huh?”
“Damn it.”
Yun Kyungsu glared at Liette, seething with rage, but that was all he could do. He hadn’t even detected her approach. And after just one exchange, the difference in power was clear. He wouldn’t have stood a chance against her even on a normal day, but now was definitely not the time to fight.
Liette sneered at him, clearly unimpressed.
“What a bore. How did I end up joining forces with such weaklings?”
She scratched the back of her head roughly and let out a long sigh.
“Thanks for sending the private jet, MKC.”
“My pleasure. I’ll be counting on you.”
Unlike Yun Kyungsu, Choi Seokwon seemed much more at ease now that Liette was here. Things were finally starting to look possible.
Liette spun around and started walking toward the gate.
“Let’s get this over with. We can’t keep my darling waiting.”
She entered the dungeon first, followed by the others, who quickly disappeared beyond the gate. The room fell silent once more, and the gate deactivated sooner than scheduled.
–TL Notes–
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