“We should get going soon... Perhaps I’ll give her a call,” Seo Mu-Kwon said.
It was already past the 10:30 AM gathering time.
Seo Mu-Kwon sighed and fiddled with his smartphone, but as if on cue, the sound of a luxury sports car’s engine filled the air, naturally drawing everyone’s attention toward it.
The car pulled up to the parking line in front of Sanglog-Won and came to a stop. Then, the door opened, and a woman stepped out from the driver’s seat.
“Wow! An S-rank Hunter came to our school!”
“I’ve got to get her autograph.”
All eyes were on her, and Min-Ji, seemingly accustomed to the attention, ignored the stares as she looked toward the group of Academy trainees gathered nearby. Then, her eyes met with a man’s.
Min-Ji’s expression showed a brief moment of surprise. She froze and wondered why he was here until she remembered that this C-rank Fissure was under the Seoul Fissure Management Division’s jurisdiction.
“Hoit!” Yong-Yong jumped out of the passenger seat, smiling widely as he breathed in the fresh air.
Fortunately, it seemed Yoon-Hee hadn’t noticed them yet, and they just had to keep it that way.
“Keke, as long as I don’t get caught...” Then, he met eyes with Do-Jun.
Despite being chilly early April morning, cold sweat instantly broke out and trickled down Yong-Yong’s back.
W-why is Master here...?
Yong-Yong avoided Do-Jun’s gaze, his eyes darting around nervously.
But in the single moment when their eyes locked, Yong-Yong saw Do-Jun silently mouthing something: I’ll give you five seconds.
Along with those words, Do-Jun wiggled his fingers with a smile.
At that, Yong-Yong and Karsiel rushed toward Do-Jun as if their feet were on fire. As Karsiel ran, she thought that she should’ve just stayed home.
Yong-Yong and Karsiel? Don’t tell me they followed me. Yoon-Hee thought as she recalled what had happened that morning.
“Okay. Have a good day.”
The two dragons had seen her off as she left for school. They were trying to act like everything was fine despite their eyes saying quite the opposite.
That was how it had been, at least until the morning.
I guess it was all just an act.
But instead of feeling betrayed, Yoon-Hee felt a sense of relief. Seeing their sorrowful faces as she left them behind had her feeling uneasy.
With a resigned smile, Yoon-Hee told herself she would show them her cool side today.
So the guest Hunter today was Hunter Min-Ji...
Min-Ji was one of the top-ranked S-rank Hunters. Among female Hunters, she ranked only below Moon Ae-Kyung of Behemoth Guild, the third-ranked Hunter and one of the First Hunters.
The Academy students were abuzz with excitement upon realizing who had arrived. They were filled with anticipation, thinking that if they were deemed talented enough, they might even receive a recruitment offer from one of Korea’s top guilds, like the Icarus Guild.
However, Yoon-Hee was distracted.
Do-Jun and Min-Ji were engaged in a seemingly pleasant conversation. Though she couldn’t make out what they were saying due to the distance, it was obvious they were getting along quite well.
On top of that, both were attractive people, making them appear like a perfect couple. While it didn’t seem like they had romantic feelings for each other, one could never predict such things.
“I don’t at all,” Yoon-Hee said.
“What don’t you like, Yoon-Hee?” someone suddenly asked. It was Jung Hye-Jung, another student from Class B.
Yoon-Hee’s face flushed red hearing the question. She had only meant to think those words, but they had slipped out aloud without her realizing it.
“N-no, it’s nothing.” Yoon-Hee awkwardly waved her hands with a forced smile.
“Hmm, really? Oh, by the way, don’t you think that city official over there is pretty handsome? He’s tall, and he looks pretty fit, too.”
Hye-Jung pointed at Do-Jun as she asked, assuming that Yoon-Hee didn’t know him.
After all, no one in Class B knew that Do-Jun was Yoon-Hee’s father.
Yoon-Hee nodded cautiously while Hye-Jung continued, “But you should be careful around guys like that. Handsome men tend to live up to their looks. He probably flirts with a bunch of girls. He seems like the type to cause a lot of heartbreak.”
“N-no, my father is so kind and...!”
For a moment, Yoon-Hee lost her cool, perhaps because someone was badmouthing her father right in front of her.
Hye-Jung stared blankly at her and asked, “Your father...?”
“N-no, I meant that he’d probably be a kind dad.”
“Oh, that’s what you meant? For a second, I thought you were saying he was your dad, but that wouldn’t make sense. He looks like he’s in his twenties, so there’s no way he’d have a daughter our age.”
Yoon-Hee laughed awkwardly and sighed in relief.
The students entered the Fissure under Seo Mu-Kwon’s guidance.
It was a plain field—a typical feature of this type of Fissure, with a log cabin surrounded by defensive barriers in the distance.
Do-Jun handed out pre-printed maps of Orc Settlement to the students. The maps contained brief information about the Fissure's terrain and monsters.
“As long as you follow the instructions I’ve given, you shouldn’t have much trouble with the hunt. Any questions?” Do-Jun asked the group.
The brief introduction took about ten minutes.
The students had already learned more than enough about orcs in their classes and were familiar with the mapped-out areas of the Fissure, so no one seemed to have any questions.
They were all eager to get started with the hunt.
“Great. And as previously instructed, split into teams of three and proceed with your activities,” Seo Mu-Kwon said to the students.
The teams had already been formed before arriving here.
Seeing Yoon-Hee team up with Jin-Soo and Hye-Jung, Do-Jun couldn’t help but smile. She seems to be getting along well.
Thinking about how Yoon-Hee always came home early without lingering after classes, Do-Jun had been slightly worried that she might be excluded or ostracized at the Academy. But it seemed his concerns had been unnecessary.
“Alright. That’s that, but...” Do-Jun looked at Yong-Yong, who was eyeing him warily.
When their eyes met, Yong-Yong quickly averted his gaze and started whistling.
Seeing this, Do-Jun chuckled and said, “Go ahead and play. I won’t scold you.”
Yong-Yong’s guard went up even more.
“What’s wrong? I’m not lying. Feel free to play around.”
Do-Jun had his own task to take care of. While Hyuk-Soo had said that Orc Settlement was a completely mapped-out Fissure, Do-Jun could sense the presence of other monsters at the three o’clock position on the map, which was marked as being blocked off by a tall cliff.
Do-Jun intended to investigate that spot.
“Um, Master...” Yong-Yong said hesitantly.
Watching this, Karsiel sighed and decided to speak on his behalf. “Master, if you’re not too busy, perhaps you could join us for a walk?”
“A walk?” Do-Jun rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but the decision didn’t take long. “I’ll pick the walking route, though. Is that okay?”
Yong-Yong beamed innocently, like a child. “Let’s go!”
Yong-Yong darted across the field. He then suddenly stopped, turned around, and waved his paw at Do-Jun.
Do-Jun shrugged and muttered, “I said I was going to choose the route.”
Yoon-Hee found herself watching Do-Jun, Yong-Yong, and Karsiel walking somewhere intently without even realizing it.
Where on earth could they be going?
I wish I could join them...
Despite what she wanted to do, today was a precious opportunity to gain real-world experience with practical Fissure training. She couldn’t waste such a valuable chance, especially with S-rank Hunter Min-Ji, whose face was rarely seen, here as a guest instructor.
Not taking full advantage of her knowledge and experience would be a huge loss.
“When’s it going to be our turn?” Hye-Jung mumbled enviously, watching the other students receiving advice from Min-Ji.
“Instead of just waiting around, let’s go hunt. Come on, just follow me.” Jin-Soo glanced at Yoon-Hee with a confident expression.
He was determined to impress her today at any cost. He figured that taking on the role of leader would make him look cool, so he naturally took the initiative.
“You are sooo obvious, Jin-Soo,” Hye-Jung teased.
“Aha. Haha. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Hye-Jung clicked her tongue and shook her head. It was apparent to everyone that Jin-Soo liked Yoon-Hee. Anyone observing from a third-party perspective would immediately figure it out, but it was clear that Yoon-Hee herself didn’t have any particular thoughts about it.
“Thanks, Jin-Soo,” Yoon-Hee said.
“Haha, l-leave it to me. I’ll take down any orcs that come our way with just one blow.”
“Hah, so you’re a comedian now, huh? Aren’t you weaker than Yoon-Hee?”
“Hye-Jung! Why are you always...!”
Jin-Soo and Hye-Jung glared at each other, growling. The two were always at each other’s throats like they were mortal enemies in a past life.
Suddenly, a sound came from the nearby bushes.
As if on cue, the duo immediately pulled out their weapons and braced themselves. They saw the five orcs crawling out from the bushes.
Yoon-Hee drew her mana gun from her waistbelt and loaded it using Charging.
Since enrolling in the Academy, she had undergone one physical enhancement using the B-rank mana stone provided to the students, gaining 20 Mana in the process and making considerable progress.
Let’s focus on this for now, she thought to herself.
The mana stones and other spoils from the orcs they defeated would be divided among the team, and a stone from a C-rank monster like an orc could fetch around 800,000 won.
Even taking down one would net each of the three about 250,000 won.
I bet that’ll make Father happy, she thought happily, imagining preparing a hearty dinner tonight.
The orcs stepping aside to make way was like a reenactment of the parting of the Red Sea.
It wasn’t because of Do-Jun but because of the two dragons leading the way. The two beings were far too formidable for the C-rank orcs to face.
Just making eye contact with them caused the orcs to flinch, either fleeing or averting their gaze. Even though their bodies had shrunk and their forms had changed slightly, the orcs instinctively knew what they were.
“The weather is really pleasant,” Karsiel commented.
It wasn’t too hot or too cold inside the Fissure. With the warm sunlight streaming down, it felt as if both body and soul were being warmed.
Do-Jun nodded in agreement.
“Hoho, what a perfect day for a stroll,” Yong-Yong said.
“That being said, I think it would be best to apologize to Young Master later properly. After all, we did leave the house after she told us not to.”
Yong-Yong suddenly stopped, scurried over to Karsiel, and whispered in her ear, “Karsiel.”
“All we need to be forgiven is to flash some aegyo. Don’t even sweat.”
After saying that, Yong-Yong resumed walking ahead, humming a tune. Before long, he found himself standing before the tall wall surrounding Orc Settlement.
Do-Jun touched his SpacePad and checked the mapping status; as he expected, nothing was marked on it.
Do-Jun tapped a particular spot on the wall, and the sound that came back was hollow, as if the inside was empty.
It was at that moment that his slight suspicion became a certainty.
“Move aside,” he said.
When Yong-Yong scurried back, Do-Jun lightly punched the wall. With a loud Boom! a portion of the wall crumbled.
No, the wall was actually a large rock.
What they found on the other side was a staircase leading downward.
[You have discovered a hidden dungeon.]