#82
When Seo Yi-young arrived at the scene, everyone was frantically busy as he had expected. He heard that they had summoned all A-Class and above hunters who weren’t already deployed for dungeon conquest at the time of occurrence, and had officially requested participation from foreign S-Class hunters as well.
Although allied countries would provide support, it was difficult to expect that hunters, the core of dungeon conquest, would come. After all, this was a disaster-class dungeon.
Normally, the dungeon grade prediction is adjusted after investigation by the first preliminary investigation team. However, disaster-class dungeons have different waveforms that can be detected from the surroundings even before they appear, making estimation possible from the appearance prediction stage.
While the summoned hunters were waiting in the waiting room, a man in military uniform walked in. The man looked around the interior of the waiting room, then raised his eyebrows and spoke to his subordinate standing next to him.
“Where’s Hunter Lee Myung-hoon?”
“Ah, he says he’ll be a bit late due to condition issues.”
“Ha, really. The person who lives here is late… I see.”
Seated in the front, Seo Yi-young could hear their conversation completely. Lee Myung-hoon was the very hunter Jo Tae-su had mentioned in his dream. He could guess what had been done with him. Although Seo Yi-young had no memory of it, Lee Myung-hoon probably did. At this point, it might be better to face him after entering the dungeon.
“—So, the preliminary investigation team will not be deployed. It has been decided that only combat hunters and support hunters will be deployed. We will first accept volunteers to form the conquest team. Details about national-level compensation for volunteer hunters will be briefed in three hours.”
After the man’s announcement, the room was filled with unrest. As the man left his seat, another man who appeared to be his subordinate went up to the podium.
“Well then, are there any hunters who would like to volunteer?”
The man’s voice echoed desolately through the room. He stood on the podium waiting for volunteer hunters, but his expression showed no expectation.
Understandably so, entering a dungeon without a preliminary investigation team meant taking on considerable risk. It meant not having any information about the dungeon. They would have to enter the conquest without knowing anything about the dungeon environment or what attributes would be advantageous.
Entering a dungeon itself was already a life-risking endeavor, but without prior information, the risk level was too high. Voices of complaint were heard, asking if this was a joke, if they were serious. Their reactions weren’t strange. After all, one only has one life.
“They’re asking for volunteers for this?”
“No way. I’m not doing it. I’d be crazy to volunteer.”
“Exactly. I don’t even want to go if I’m drafted, let alone volunteer. No matter what compensation there is.”
The hunters thought they were speaking quietly, but everything was audible. It was certainly right. Who would volunteer for a disaster-class dungeon with a danger level incomparable even to S-Class? Only someone who was out of their mind.
Seo Yi-young quietly listened to the murmurs of other hunters and exhaled. As if the situation was predictable, the man quickly opened his mouth as if to wrap things up.
“Well, if there are any hunters who are willing—”
Screech.
It was the sound of a chair dragging on the floor as someone stood up. The previously quiet room was filled with the sound of people holding their breath. The gazes of all the hunters there converged on one spot. Seo Yi-young’s gaze was no exception.
He had forgotten. The fact that Choi Do-jun was one of those crazy people.
Choi Do-jun calmly opened his mouth.
“Do volunteers go immediately?”
Exclamations burst from around the room. It seemed they hadn’t expected Choi Do-jun to be the first volunteer. Seo Yi-young felt the same. It would be a lie to say he hadn’t anticipated Choi Do-jun volunteering at all, but he hadn’t expected him to be the very first. After all, wasn’t Choi Do-jun a hunter who had nothing to lose in the current situation? One might think that Choi Do-jun, as an S-Class combat hunter, would naturally be mobilized for dungeon conquest anyway, but dungeons don’t end with just this one. There was a high probability that they would spare Choi Do-jun for future dungeon conquests rather than drafting him now. Or was that precisely why he volunteered immediately?
There was no way they could reject the first volunteer. Doing so would affect subsequent hunter volunteers.
What is that guy thinking? Seo Yi-young sighed softly and closed his eyes tightly. He had no particular intention of volunteering. After all, it was a disaster-class dungeon. Even without experiencing it, one could clearly guess that the conquest would be difficult. Who would want to go in voluntarily? Of course, if ordered, he would do it.
He couldn’t let that guy go alone. He would charge in without looking around, so there needed to be someone to block for him and heal him, right? Seo Yi-young clicked his tongue softly. He really didn’t want to go. …He really didn’t, but waiting outside without knowing what was happening while that guy was sent in alone was even worse. Damn you, Choi Do-jun.
Seo Yi-young raised his hand with a half-resigned face.
“Is this when I volunteer for the dungeon conquest team?”
The room stirred once more. After Choi Do-jun, now Seo Yi-young too. The reaction suggested they hadn’t expected this. Honestly, even Seo Yi-young hadn’t known until just moments ago that he would volunteer for a disaster-class dungeon.
He didn’t volunteer out of some grand or noble purpose. To be honest, he didn’t want to go in. His true feeling was that he wanted to wait for others to go in and complete the conquest. But what could he do? He couldn’t just watch Choi Do-jun enter such a dangerous place. By going in himself, the dungeon conquest would be a bit easier—that was all there was to it.
“Ah… ah, yes. Hunter Seo Yi-young.”
The man on the podium seemed about to say something but stopped and looked at Seo Yi-young who had risen from his seat. Choi Do-jun, who was about to leave his place, stopped his steps and looked at Seo Yi-young. Like Choi Do-jun, Seo Yi-young stood up from his seat and moved forward.
“Aren’t you going?”
Since he was following right after Choi Do-jun volunteered, it felt a bit embarrassing, so he spoke bluntly. He thought Choi Do-jun might retort something, but he didn’t.
“Oh, then please come this way.”
The man seemed flustered and extended both hands as if guiding them. In a situation where he thought no one would come forward, two world-renowned S-Class hunters volunteered, bringing a flush of color to the man’s face.
After Seo Yi-young also volunteered, he could feel the atmosphere gradually changing.
The man remained in his place to receive other volunteers, and Seo Yi-young and Choi Do-jun entered through a door to move to another location inside. At the end of a long corridor, another door was visible. It seemed like a waiting area for the volunteer hunters. Just as Seo Yi-young was about to step forward, Choi Do-jun grabbed his shoulder.
“Seo Yi-young.”
“What?”
“What are you thinking? This is disaster-class. Not an ordinary dungeon.”
He hadn’t expected such a question. Especially from Choi Do-jun. Seo Yi-young turned his head to answer but hesitated momentarily upon seeing Choi Do-jun’s face. His expression was different from what Seo Yi-young had imagined, causing a slight delay in opening his mouth. It was hard to pinpoint exactly how Choi Do-jun’s current face differed from the expression Seo Yi-young had expected.
Why are you so angry?
“What about you? Were you planning to conquer a disaster-class dungeon without a healer? Besides, I would have been drafted anyway even if I hadn’t volunteered.”
Choi Do-jun silently faced Seo Yi-young. His eyes seemed to be reproaching him.
“I volunteered and it’s done. We go into the dungeon and conquer it. Are you not confident?”
“No way. Just take care of yourself.”
“I can’t just look after myself. I have to look after you too.”
As Seo Yi-young shrugged and retorted, Choi Do-jun’s eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed to have more to say but didn’t open his mouth further. Choi Do-jun looked at Seo Yi-young’s face for a moment before turning his head again. He seemed to be stopping himself from saying more. That was fortunate, if anything. Anyway, the current situation required focusing solely on dungeon conquest.
The place the two went to was another large waiting room. It was a place with several large sofas, seemingly used for important meetings.
They had expected there to be a guide, but there was no one. Such a quiet place made even small sounds nerve-wracking. When would others come? If there were no volunteers, they would have to select people, which would take some time. Seo Yi-young decided to sit on the sofa first.
Prrrrrrrt.
“…”
“It wasn’t me.”
When a sound like a fart was heard, Seo Yi-young quickly waved his hands. However, what came flying was Choi Do-jun’s expressionless face. Just as he was about to feel embarrassed for making a fuss over something Choi Do-jun wasn’t even paying attention to, Choi Do-jun opened his mouth.
“You’re concerned about such things in this situation.”
At the unexpected voice, Seo Yi-young closed his mouth for a moment. It certainly might have seemed irrelevant. Being so carefree as to make such comments right before a disaster-class dungeon appearance—others might think that way. Hiding his embarrassment, Seo Yi-young said.
“It would be unfair to be misunderstood.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
His mind was certainly peaceful to an unusual degree. Was it because it hadn’t sunk in yet? Or was he so scared that he had become calm instead?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
