Chapter 31

Seora, who went to work with a heavy heart after four days of vacation, soon ceased to think like that.

A familiar task awaited her after a long time.

“There was a clash between small guilds over the weekend. There were no casualties, but the problem was that they put off their dungeon raid because they were fighting amongst themselves, and a Break almost happened.”

“Are there only fools there?”

At Jung Taesuk’s words, Seora bit her tongue. They did not argue after the raid, but during the raid? Do you have a brain?

“That’s what I’m saying. That’s why they’re under sanctions. I’m sorry for entrusting you with such fools, but please do me a favor. Since Section Chief Kim Sanghyun of the Hunter Management Team will go with you, there will be no problems.”

“This is what I used to do. It’s all right.”

Taesuk must have said that because he was worried about Seora, who had almost experienced something unpleasant, but Seora thought there was nothing to worry about.

Seora was originally an F-class, so even if she was a member of the Dungeon Management Team, she was mainly in charge of such chores rather than dangerous dispatch work. Besides, the Hunter she would be going with was a B-class, so it would not be dangerous.

‘I’m finally going to have it easy at work after a long time.’

Seora sighed in relief and began to review the related materials Taesuk had given her.

***n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“So we are victims! They stole the item first!”

The place that Seora visited with Kim Sanghyun, a member of the Hunter Management Team in the same management office, was a small guild called Hunting Guild. Guild leader Baek Guntae spat and claimed innocence.

“The exact percentage has been specified in the contract, but they stole from our behind! Is it allowed? How could they do this?!”

He deserved to be angry.

Unlike large guilds, small guilds had a shortage of people, so they helped each other.

Since they were in a mutually beneficial relationship, they usually did not cause trouble with each other because no one wanted to collaborate with a guild with a problem.

Still, the item in question must have been pretty good that the other party tried to extort them at will. The data did not specify what it was, but I will ask Kim Sanghyun later.

“The association has also completed an investigation about the other party. It has been confirmed that the problem is from the other side. However, postponing the dungeon raid was not the right to do.”

When Kim Sanghyun criticized him, the guild leader’s face turned pale at once.

“I was so angry when I saw him stealing…”

“So it’s okay to postpone the raid if you’re angry? A Break almost occurred, and it was in sparsely populated rural villages. The villagers would have been slaughtered without assistance if it had been delayed even a little.”

“Cough. Mm…”

Not knowing what to say, the guild leader coughed and quietly looked away. However, he seemed to think it was unfair because his face was still red.

Kim Sanghyun did not let it slide even after seeing it.

“According to the rules, Hunting Guild will not be allowed to raid a dungeon for two months. This applies to everyone from the guild leader to guild members. Also, the fine of 50 million won must be paid within one month.”

He jumped when Kim Sanghyun presented the relevant documents in front of the guild leader. Awakening people had special power and were likelier to earn money than ordinary people, so punishment was stronger.

“P-Pardon? Two months? And 50 million?! Isn’t that too much? Do you know what will happen to a small guild like us if we don’t raid for two months? We are victims!”

“As I said, this is a fine for arguing privately and delaying the raid. The punishment is heavier as a Break almost happened.”

“But—!”

He was about to shout, but he eventually bit his mouth as if he had nothing to say.

If monsters poured out of the dungeon, the village without a single Hunter would have been ravaged terribly. As a guild leader who led a guild, it would be his responsibility.

In the end, he grabbed the papers and took them over his face.

“As a consolation, the guild in question was banned from attack for half a year and fined 100 million won. Your situation is much better than that.”

“…”

The face of the guild leader, which had been flooded with anger, suffering, sadness, and other emotions, became calm in an instant. Yes, compared to half a year and 100 million won, two months and 50 million won were a much smaller punishment.

He made a strange smirking sound and buried his face in his hands.

“The ban is in effect from this moment on. Don’t forget to check the payment date of the fine.”

“Well, yes… Ah, that, the item in question…”

“The association has confiscated it, so don’t have any lingering feelings.”

“I won’t take it! Nothing like that! I’m just glad the association took it.”

Baek Guntae, who had been muttering, put his head on the desk and shed tears as if sadness was gathering again.

There was no reason to be here, so the two left the guild leader’s room.

I would be going home on time today! Seora was very happy that the mission she had been assigned to for a long time was completed easily and quickly.

Seora, smiling brightly, glanced back at the painful crying, gasping, and laughing that echoed through the closed door.

“It wouldn’t be strange if they fight the guild in question later on.”

“We’ll have to come again if there are any casualties. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen.”

“You are right.”

The association did not deal with clashes between guilds, but when human casualties occurred, the story was different.

Seora hoped they would only fight in a line where they didn’t kill each other.

“By the way, what is the item in question…”

Seora asked Kim Sanghyun just before leaving the Hunting Guild headquarters.

[Administrator: (ง •ω•)ง✧]

At the administrator’s unusual message, Seora’s footsteps halted.

What? Why are you raising your hands like that, and your eyes are shining? What is it? What’s the reason?

“Yoon Seora?”

Next to her, Kim Sanghyun asked in curiosity, but Seora couldn’t even hear it.

[Administrator: (ง •ω•)ง⁼³₌₃]

Because a very sinister emoticon that seemed to express “fighting” popped up again.

“We need to get out of here right now—!”

Seora, whose face turned pale all at once, tried to shout urgently, but it was too late. As soon as a cold chill came in, a message came to her eyes.

[Gate is created. Please be prepared for danger.]

[Gate creation is complete.]

[Location — Hunting Guild headquarters gets caught up in a rift dungeon!]

At the same time as the ground shook, the view changed in an instant. The interior of the building, which had been bright until recently, darkened and began to emit a faint light.

The building seen through it was no longer in an ordinary form. Faint ores emitted light from everywhere, and stones of unknown origin were everywhere.

Seora was standing in a rift dungeon, one of the dangerous dungeons, in which the entire space was turned into a dungeon. She let out a scream as she wanted to rip off her hair.

“I can’t go home on time!”

It’s not a rift dungeon, not a regular dungeon!

I can’t believe I can’t go home on time because of this stupid dungeon!

With a silent scream, the promise of going home on time flew away with wings.

***

It was right after the rift dungeon appeared that Yeonhee, the deputy guild leader of the Emissary Guild, came to the guild leader.

“This is a call from the president of the association.”

Guild Leader Jung Hoyoung received Yeonhee’s cell phone without delay.

“Yes, ma’am. This is Jung Hoyoung.”

—Oh, good. Hoyoung-ah. I’m sorry to disturb you from your training.

“It’s alright. Is there something wrong?”

—A rift dungeon appeared at the Hunting Guild side near your headquarters.

At the words of Song Hanna, the association’s president, Jung Hoyoung immediately glanced at Yeonhee. It just appeared, mouthed Yeonhee.

“Do you want me to take care of it?”

—That too. But there’s a bit of a problem. My Seoraseora is in there.

Jung Hoyoung’s face hardened at once. She understood why Song Hanna directly contacted her at once rather than asking for general assistance. Jung Hoyoung was one of the few people who knew about Song Hanna and Yoon Seora’s relationship.

“The deputy and I will go right away. Don’t worry. We’ll get her out of there soon.”

—Thank you, Hoyoung-ah. Ugh. I don’t know why she’s going through all this. Too many strange things are happening these days. Should we do an exorcism? My poor baby.

“I will find a good shaman and report it to you, so please wait a little bit.”

In response to Jung Hoyoung’s serious answer, Song Hanna was delighted over the cell phone.

—Oh, yes! Then I’ll ask you for that, too. And it’s a rift dungeon, so be careful.

“Yes. We will contact you as soon as she’s rescued.”

After finishing the phone call with a reverent attitude, Jung Hoyoung got up immediately. She had just practiced, so she didn’t need to warm up.

“What about the kids?”

“Four A-class Hunters are on standby. We can leave right away.”

“Let’s go.”

As if there was nothing to delay, Jung Hoyoung immediately left the training room. It took less than 10 minutes from here to the Hunting Guild headquarters on legs, so they would arrive in no time.

The problem was that Yoon Seora was an F-class.

Jung Hoyoung hoped that Song Hanna’s precious niece would be safe until then.

***

However, Jung Hoyoung, who led the second-best guild in Korea, the Emissary Guild, did not know.

It was not Yoon Seora who was pitiful… but the monsters who suddenly came across the S-class.

“You filthy things that prevented me from leaving work on time. Why don’t you come out? I have to kill you guys as soon as possible to get off work.”

The gloomy guild headquarters with only the faint light emitted from the glowstone.

After activating her skill, Seora’s left eye glowed red. The light from the eye emanating within the darkness could not have been more terrifying.

As a result, monsters who came to eat humans began to run away in confusion.

“Even if you run away, you can’t get out, so just give it up! Hahahahaha! I’ll shoot you to death one by one!”

Shrieeeeeek!

The anger of the office worker, who was not able to leave work on time, was like madness. At Seora’s, who had gone mad, cry, the monsters with no way to escape and nowhere to hide from were trembling.

A monster had descended into the dungeon.

It was about 10 minutes ago that Seora had started running rampantly without paying attention to the eyes of others.

[The Awakened ‘Yoon Seora’ has entered the Level 4 dungeon ‘Ghost Town’.]

Even after seeing the message, Seora hadn’t thought much. Leaving work on time, leaving work on time. Only those words repeated in muffled voice was shed. However, it was not the same for Kim Sanghyun, who was with her. His face hardened.

“The Ghost Town? Don’t tell me—!”

It was a ghost, ghost. It meant that the monster that ruled this place was none other than a ghost species that eroded people’s minds.

“Aaaaah! Aww! Oh, no! Go away! Die! Die!”

“Aww! G-Go! I don’t like this! Argh!”

“Save me! Save me!”

As soon as he realized this, screams resounded from all directions. They must be members of the Hunting Guild.

Kim Sanghyun looked at Yoon Seora with a blue, tired face.

“This is dangerous! Come on, let’s get out of here—!”

But it was already too late.

[The Awakened ‘Kim Sanghyun’ is being eroded by the monster White Ghost!]

A white, translucent monster that suddenly appeared was sucked into Kim Sanghyun’s body. He stretched out his hand toward Yoon Seora with a desperate face.

“S-Seora-ssi! Leave, hurry, run away—!”

Before he could finish speaking, Kim Sanghyun fell like a puppet with a broken thread. Oh my gosh. Seora, who had lost her mind for a while because she was so surprised, regained her senses.

“You’re taking care of me amid erosion? You are a good person.”

It was quite touching. I’m going to have to take this guy out alive.

“The problem is, I don’t have a mental barrier, so what should I do?”

Seora scratched her head with a carefree face and looked to see if Kim Sanghyun, who had collapsed, was injured. Because of that, she didn’t even notice that a White Ghost was coming down from the ceiling.

The white paper ghost soon swooped over her…

[The system administrator’s hands wrap around the Awakened ‘Yoon Seora’. Mental erosion does not work!]

… However, it bounced off with a Tuk, tick, and tang!

“… Eh?”

Seora, who was standing still, and the White Ghost, who bounced off and fell to the ground, looked at each other for a moment.

A cold silence descended.