Dungeon & Commander

Dungeon & Commander – 19

The business card had only a name and phone number, Yang Hee-sun.

‘What kind of grandmother is she?’

“See you again.”

The grandmother grinned and walked away, swinging her bag.

Kim Joon stuffed the card into his back pocket and returned to the alley to retrieve the sandbag he had left behind.

He strapped the sandbag back on and started running again, contemplating how to adjust his training regimen.

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Running early in the morning felt refreshing.

The best part was easily overtaking the people running ahead of her.

Among those running along the Han River, no one could match Yoo Min-jung’s speed. The looks of defeat she felt as she passed by were like the sweet taste of chocolate.

Classical music played in her ears.

The sharp notes of the violin leading the piece, Passacaglia.

It felt as if the music was blessing her run!

After finishing her jog, Yoo Min-jung headed to the parking lot. She turned off the music and wiped her neck with a towel she took from her car when a man in training clothes approached her.

“You run really well.”

A smile that could belong to a movie star.

“Do I?”

Yoo Min-jung smiled back.

“Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me if you have time?”

“I don’t have time.”

“Oh, not now, but later…”

“I won’t have time later either.”

Yoo Min-jung got into the driver’s seat, drove out of the parking lot, and smiled.

Even though she would kick such men away even if they came by the truckload, the fact that someone approached her with interest left a pleasant aftertaste.

At that moment, she thought of the annoying carrier.

If the man who had just approached her was the sun, Kim Joon’s appearance wasn’t even worthy of being called the moon.

“He’s an asteroid, an asteroid.”

Yoo Min-jung burst into laughter.

Looking at her watch, she imagined Kim Joon running towards the guild house.

She wondered where he might be.

She made a quick U-turn but then questioned why she was curious and turned back around.

When Yoo Min-jung arrived at the guild house, she got out of her car in a good mood. Carrying her bag, she walked inside and felt someone’s gaze.

“Master?”

Go Chul-min was sitting halfway up the metal stairs leading to the master room, waving down at her.

“Come up for a moment.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, I have something to tell you. Before the others get here. By the way, Joon is late today.”

Go Chul-min scratched the skin between his side and hip with his nails as he climbed up to the master room.

Yoo Min-jung tilted her head. Go Chul-min had never called her to the master room early in the morning before.

It meant something important had happened.

While it felt good to be recognized as a key raider of the guild, his indifferent tone, worrying about Kim Joon instead of acknowledging her early arrival, was a bit disappointing.

‘Well, the master is a gruff old man.’

As Yoo Min-jung entered the master room, the scent of green tea wafted into her nose.

‘The master is drinking green tea at this hour? This must be serious.’

Yoo Min-jung felt a surge of tension.

“You know the dungeon reopening has been decided, right?”

“Of course.”

Yoo Min-jung couldn’t hide her excitement.

Although the disaster of Devil’s Day caused by rank disturbances was unforgettable, dungeons were a destiny for raiders.

“Before that, we need to pass a test.”

“A test?”

Go Chul-min explained that guilds in poor financial condition had received funding from the Dungeon Association, which led to the appointment of auditors. He also informed Yoo Min-jung that the Dungeon Association was doing everything it could to prevent a repeat of the Devil’s Day disaster, including potentially revoking the licenses of weak guilds through these tests.

Yoo Min-jung barely absorbed the shock and spoke.

“How many guilds are participating in the test?”

“Thirty-two.”

“…That’s quite a lot.”

“More guilds collapsed due to Devil’s Day.”

“I see.”

Not only Jushin but also large guilds like Heavenly Soul were shaken. Smaller guilds with only one or two teams mostly disappeared. Knowing the situation well, Yoo Min-jung approached it realistically rather than getting angry.

“When is the test?”

“In three days. Well, if it’s your team, passing the test should be easy. What I want is an upgrade.”

“You’re talking about a license upgrade, right?”

“Yes.”

Go Chul-min smiled broadly.

As a Level 6 dealer, the reality of having to take a test was annoying and hurt her pride, but if the license grade increased… if they could enter higher-level dungeons… she could take the test as many times as needed.

Yoo Min-jung thought so.

After coming down from the master room, Yoo Min-jung entered the shower room, undressed, and turned on the water.

The cold water flowing over her body cleared her mind.

Not only did she have to pass the test, but she also had to finish with excellent results, preferably in first place.

Only then would the license grade go up.

After quickly finishing her shower, Yoo Min-jung pondered how to inform her team so that they would train with the same intensity as in actual combat.

At that moment, Kim Joon entered, panting heavily. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

Kim Joon lay down on the floor and closed his eyes.

Yoo Min-jung approached and looked down at him.

“Get up.”

Kim Joon opened his eyes.

Yoo Min-jung’s features appeared much larger and closer than usual. Her big eyes made her look a bit monstrous.

“Why?”

“You need to cool down slowly to prevent muscle shock. It also makes it easier to maintain your overall condition. And you should avoid running on roads with cars from now on. It’s dangerous.”

“Your face is really big.”

Kim Joon got up and headed to the shower room, leaving Yoo Min-jung, who was trembling with frustration, behind.

After glancing around, Yoo Min-jung walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall and examined her face.

‘What’s big? If anyone has a smaller face than me, let them come forward. That guy is much better inside the simulator. At least he’s obedient there.’

Yoo Min-jung came up with an idea.

Choi Moo-hyun, Yeom Sang-taek, and Kim Joon each warmed up and trained in different ways. Tank, buffer, and carrier roles in the dungeon required diverse training methods.

However, the phase of loosening up muscles and preparing for training could be unified. This would help the team achieve more cohesion.

When Choi Moo-hyun and Yeom Sang-taek arrived at the guild house and Kim Joon came out from his shower, Yoo Min-jung shared her idea. She quickly realized that expecting enthusiasm was a mistake.

Choi Moo-hyun and Yeom Sang-taek looked indifferent.

Kim Joon was completely distracted.

“It’s an order from your team leader.”

At those words, Choi Moo-hyun, Yeom Sang-taek, and Kim Joon’s expressions changed.

‘That’s better.’

Yoo Min-jung smiled. She decided that after today’s training, she would talk about the test happening in three days.

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“Formation Snake.”

Yoo Min-jung commanded.

In an instant, the team’s formation shifted into an S-shape.

Tank Choi Moo-hyun moved to the front, buffer Yeom Sang-taek shifted to Choi Moo-hyun’s left side, and team leader and dealer Yoo Min-jung moved to Yeom Sang-taek’s right side.

Finally, carrier Kim Joon took his position at Yoo Min-jung’s left side, the tail of the snake.

Formation Snake was a formation still being studied by the Dungeon Association and major guilds.

It had the advantage of being fast and flexible, capable of responding to any changes. However, to use it perfectly in practice required near-perfect teamwork.

While it was easier for small teams to adopt, if applied perfectly, its power increased with the size of the team.

The snake moved forward as if dancing.

“11 o’clock direction, one approaching Silvarius.”

Buffer Yeom Sang-taek shouted.

“Reverse Triangle.”

Yoo Min-jung ordered a switch to a defensive formation.

The team stopped moving.

Yeom Sang-taek moved up beside Tank Choi Moo-hyun, with dealer Yoo Min-jung taking the rear. Carrier Kim Joon positioned himself behind Yoo Min-jung.

Silvarius, a dinosaur-like monster with silver-covered skin, ran into the light, its body emitting a silver glow.

A Golden Wall was formed.

Silvarius, moving even faster, raised its front legs. Its weapon was its sharp claws.

Silver claws scratched against the Golden Wall.

With Yeom Sang-taek’s help magic enhancing his defense, Choi Moo-hyun didn’t budge.

Yoo Min-jung, waiting for this moment, shot fire arrows.

Three fire arrows flew along different trajectories, hitting Silvarius in the neck, chest, and side. Fire clung to both its interior and exterior.

Silvarius didn’t last long.

“Extinguish.”

At Yoo Min-jung’s command, Yeom Sang-taek cast an anti-fire spell on Silvarius.

The flames subsided.

“Carrier.”

Yoo Min-jung issued the order.

“Okay.”

Kim Joon, having set down his store bag, ran forward and plunged his digger into Silvarius’s chest, where some flames still lingered.

Typically, one would stabilize the core with the digger and then remove it by hand, but Kim Joon twisted the digger to extract the core and successfully pulled it out of the body.

Yoo Min-jung was inwardly astonished.

‘It hasn’t even been three minutes. Even though Silvarius is relatively easy to extract a core from, this is incredibly fast.’

Kim Joon stepped back with the blood-stained core. After placing the core in the store bag and slinging it over his shoulder, he looked at the team leader.

Yoo Min-jung nodded.

‘He might really be the best carrier on Earth. But that attitude needs fixing. And why has Yeom Sang-taek suddenly become friendly with him? I need to push them harder.’

“Move out.”

Yoo Min-jung commanded.

There was a high possibility that monsters with keen senses of smell would be drawn to this location.

The entire team was brimming with confidence.

Yoo Min-jung could feel that intangible force. She finally understood why her father said that a raider’s true value is revealed not as an individual but as part of an organization.

As they moved, Choi Moo-hyun subtly extended his hand backward, and Yeom Sang-taek lightly tapped it.

Down-five!

It was a gesture of camaraderie and a wish for victory, similar to a high-five, used among raiders in the dungeon.

Surprisingly, a down-five was also exchanged between Yeom Sang-taek and Kim Joon.

Yoo Min-jung felt certain that the team had finally become one, but she simultaneously realized something was missing. The tank, buffer, and carrier were in perfect sync, trusting each other implicitly.

The problem was… the dealer and team leader.

‘Why don’t they do a down-five with me? Neither Choi Moo-hyun, Yeom Sang-taek… nor Kim Joon extends their hand to me.’

At that moment, Yeom Sang-taek shouted.

“One o’clock direction, two Pyrosaurus approaching!”

Yoo Min-jung frowned.

Pyrosaurus were fire-attribute monsters, making them difficult to handle. Despite knowing this, Go Chul-min had included Pyrosaurus in the simulation process.

‘Is he trying to mess with me?’

Without any orders, the formation changed.

It was the Reverse Triangle.

Choi Moo-hyun held the center, and Yeom Sang-taek supported him with help magic. The Golden Wall created by Choi Moo-hyun looked thicker and stronger than before.

The flames spewed by the Pyrosaurus heated the outer surface of the Golden Wall to a bright red.

Yoo Min-jung frowned and attempted a spell she was still practicing. Fireball—if successful, it could ignore attributes and blow away the Pyrosaurus.

The fiery magic exploded with a bang.

“Ugh.”

Failing a spell with only a 14% success rate came with a heavy price. Her back bent, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

“Are you okay?”

Choi Moo-hyun and Yeom Sang-taek asked simultaneously.

“…Don’t worry about it.”

Yoo Min-jung barely managed to stand up.

The Pyrosaurus had disappeared into the darkness but was circling back.

“One Pyrosaurus approaching from the seven o’clock direction.”

It was Yeom Sang-taek.

Choi Moo-hyun looked back and forth between Yeom Sang-taek and Yoo Min-jung.

Yoo Min-jung looked up at the sky.

“Master, this is enough! Let’s end it now!”

“Continue.”

Go Chul-min’s response was firm.

Yoo Min-jung, feeling suffocated by the swirling mana, couldn’t say anything and collapsed.

The team leader, who was supposed to give orders, was injured. Choi Moo-hyun and Yeom Sang-taek were at a loss.

Kim Joon stepped forward.

“Turning, help, Golden Fist.”

At his words, Choi Moo-hyun and Yeom Sang-taek quickly turned around.

Yeom Sang-taek moved beside Choi Moo-hyun and transferred power through help magic. Choi Moo-hyun took a deep breath and assumed the stance for Golden Fist.

The flames from the Pyrosaurus surged forward. At 7 meters, 5 meters, and then 3 meters away.

As Choi Moo-hyun slowly extended his fist, a golden aura gathered and began to spin.

The aura pierced through the flames and struck the Pyrosaurus’s neck. The Pyrosaurus’s neck twisted grotesquely, and it fell, convulsing before it stopped moving.

“Yay!”

It was Yeom Sang-taek.

Choi Moo-hyun turned around and hugged Yeom Sang-taek. Then they both ran to where Kim Joon was, shouting in joy. Kim Joon was also smiling broadly.

Yoo Min-jung watched from the ground, having fallen over.

She had somewhat expected to fail with the Fireball. But for Choi Moo-hyun to kill the Pyrosaurus with Golden Fist? That was unimaginable. Truly, he was the son of the strongest tank, Choi Min-soo.

‘I am the daughter of the best raider, Yoo Wan-seop.’

Yoo Min-jung gathered her strength.

She couldn’t give up here.

After casting a healing spell on herself, she slowly stood up and clapped her hands. Choi Moo-hyun responded to the sound.

“How was it?”

“It was amazing. You did really well.”

Yoo Min-jung gave a thumbs-up, though it pained her inside. She couldn’t show it.

Yeom Sang-taek’s joyful face twisted. Only Kim Joon noticed the change.

“What’s wrong?”

Kim Joon whispered as he approached.

“Something enormous is coming. I’ve never felt such an aura before.”

Yeom Sang-taek trembled.

It’s rare for a raider to be this terrified during simulation training.

“Direction?”

“…Two o’clock.”

Yeom Sang-taek muttered.

Kim Joon looked at Yoo Min-jung.

Her gaze was steady.

Yoo Min-jung quickly caught on.

“What’s going on?”

“Unknown monster approaching from the two o’clock direction.”

“Why are you the one saying that?”

Yoo Min-jung questioned, then noticed Yeom Sang-taek’s terrified expression. His face was filled with fear.

Yoo Min-jung glared upward. This had to be another one of Go Chul-min’s tricks.

She wanted to storm out of the simulator and confront him, but he was the master. No matter how small the Uramata Guild was, the master was still the master. His authority couldn’t be ignored.

Choi Moo-hyun began to tremble.

“This aura… it’s that one, that one.”

The tank collapsed, his legs giving out.

Yoo Min-jung also felt the overwhelming power transmitted through the air, but she was furious at Choi Moo-hyun’s cowardly behavior.

Raiders risk their lives entering dungeons. No matter what monster appears, raiders must remain composed.

‘That’s the basic stance of a raider. Yeom Sang-taek and Choi Moo-hyun lack the basics.’

Yoo Min-jung naturally lifted her head and was startled to see Kim Joon standing in front of her, sweating profusely.

Kim Joon’s face, with his teeth clenched, looked ghostly.

Barely opening his mouth, Kim Joon spoke in a suppressed voice.

“Do… not move. No matter what happens.”

His voice was stifled.

At that moment, a monster entered the illuminated area.

A small, brightly glowing yellow figure.

Yoo Min-jung instinctively took a step back.

‘It’s a Nuklatarus! Why is it here?’

The Nuklatarus, resembling a burning calf, slowly circled around Yoo Min-jung. It looked like a curious young antelope that had strayed from its herd.

Even in Jushin, she had never seen a Nuklatarus in simulation training.

In a large guild like Jushin, the training process was strictly regulated, and the monsters raiders could encounter were limited by their rank.

Suddenly, Yoo Min-jung felt an overwhelming urge to capture the Nuklatarus. The impulse was so strong that she couldn’t resist it.

She created seven fire arrows, the maximum number she could conjure with her mana, and fired them. The fire arrows flew straight at the stationary Nuklatarus.

“…No!”

It was Kim Joon.

A flash of light exploded. And then everything vanished.

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Go Chul-min stood with his arms crossed, waiting.

The people who emerged from the simulator stood before him.

“Why did you do that?”

Yoo Min-jung asked in a sharp voice.

“I should be the one asking that.”

“What?”

“Why did you touch the Nuklatarus?”