Chapter 45
Episode 5: Bonus Time (3)
Splash—Splash—
Waves were crashing, sending white foam onto Gwangalli Beach.
“I’ll take a picture for you! Strike a pose!”
Click!
“Is it because the weather’s nice? The pictures are turning out great!”
Many people were enjoying their time on the beach, either taking photos or strolling along the sand.
It was a scene fitting for Busan’s famous tourist destination.
However, there was a peculiar crowd at this place—people who seemed uninterested in the sea.
These were the hunters attempting to enter Water Dungeon No. 389 and the spectators watching them.
“What’s going on over there? Why is there such a crowd?”
“You don’t know? That’s where the Water Dungeon is. I heard it’s the hottest spot among hunters these days.”
Despite being a C-rank dungeon, Water Dungeon No. 389 was incredibly popular because of its clear and transparent water, refreshing dungeon environment, and the beach resort-like setting.
“So, are all those people C-rank hunters or higher?”
“Probably not. I’ve heard there are hunters who do carries, like tour guides, so there might be some low-rank hunters or regular tourists mixed in.”
A man and woman, who seemed like a couple, were having a conversation as they looked at the hunters gathered around.
One side of the sandy beach was crowded with hunters waiting to enter the dungeon.
The Water Dungeon was located within Gwangalli’s hunting grounds. It was so popular that, besides the hunters waiting to enter, there were also people on standby in case of cancellations.
Moreover, the hunting grounds were relatively small because they were set up on a beach, which caused a considerable crowd, including hunters trying to enter other dungeons as well.
Amidst the crowd, Han Sang-woo stood in a black jacket.
“It’s almost surprising that I won the bid for the dungeon.”
When leaving for Busan, Han Sang-woo didn’t have much interest in the Water Dungeon.
He had done some prior research and was in a situation where all he had to do was show up since he’d won the bid.
So, Han Sang-woo had taken the KTX down to Busan last night, slept at his accommodation without much thought, and moved to the Water Dungeon as soon as it was daylight.
But.
He hadn’t expected this many people.
He knew the Water Dungeon was becoming a hot spot on the internet, but he didn’t anticipate its popularity to this extent.
He even wondered how he managed to win a cancellation bid in such a competitive situation.
Han Sang-woo looked around.
Men and women wearing what seemed to be expensive items were gathered in small groups, chatting.
“How do I look? I matched my outfit with my spirit; do you think it goes well?”
“You look pretty! But does that even have any defense?”
“This isn’t an item; it’s just clothes. I wore it because there’s no place to change inside the dungeon, but maybe it’s too much to wear during the raid.”
Two women were talking, looking at their outfits with some concern.
Then.
“Haha, don’t worry. The spirits aren’t that dangerous.”
“Yeah, the guys will take care of the spirits, so you just enjoy yourself.”
“Wow, really? Thank you, oppa!”
“You’re so cool!”
The men, who seemed to be part of the same party, responded with a swagger.
“…I can’t get used to this.”
The atmosphere on the beach was lively and cheerful, like a vacation spot, but it felt unfamiliar to Han Sang-woo.
The mood around dungeons he’d experienced so far had always been gloomy and tense.
But here, perhaps because it was a tourist spot, even the hunters waiting to enter the dungeon were lively, and there were many attractive men and women.
It was the same when he looked at other groups.
“Water spirits are surprisingly strong, aren’t they?”
“Haha, don’t worry. The A-rank hunter here will protect us.”
Most of the parties consisted of mixed-gender groups with at least six members.
Since the Water Dungeon was a C-rank dungeon, it seemed like lower-level hunters were grouping up in parties.
Among them, some had hired high-ranking hunters as mercenaries, probably to impress the women in their party.
The Water Dungeon had become more of a tourist attraction than a place for leveling up, thanks to its scenic beauty and exclusivity.
Han Sang-woo was the only one among the many waiting parties who was alone.
“About 10 minutes left? If I’d known it would be this crowded, I would’ve come right on time.”
To save time, he’d arrived early as usual, but had he known it would be like this, he might have come a bit later.
The only consolation was that, thanks to the previous party finishing their raid quickly, he could enter the gate right on time once the monsters respawned.
In the midst of the noisy atmosphere, Han Sang-woo quietly took out his phone and started playing Hire.
He figured it was better to do some daily quests rather than just killing time.
But even that wasn’t easy.
Han Sang-woo wanted to play the game quietly, but he could hear the conversation of the next party in line, who were standing right behind him.
“Ah, I’m hungry. I want to finish the raid quickly and eat.”
“Me too. It’d be great if we were the next to go in, but it’s a shame. By the way, is that guy ahead of us alone? It’s almost time to enter, but I don’t see his party members.”
“No way. Who would go into the Water Dungeon alone?”
“But he looks like he’s alone. Should we ask him if he can switch times with us if he’s by himself?”
Hearing the conversation, Han Sang-woo lifted his head and looked at the group standing behind him.
Four men, four women.
It might have seemed like they were talking among themselves, but that wasn’t the case.
The distance between them and Han Sang-woo was less than 2 meters, yet they were speaking loudly enough for him to hear on purpose.
Sure enough, as soon as the conversation ended, two men from the group—one in armor and the other shirtless in swim trunks—approached Han Sang-woo.
“Excuse me, are you here alone?”
“No, I’m with a party. Why do you ask?”
In truth, he was planning to go in alone, but he knew what they were likely to ask, so he made up an excuse.
Of course, the two men didn’t seem ready to give up.
“We’re the next party in line, but there are a lot of us. We were wondering if you’d be willing to switch raid times with us.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. I also have a schedule, and there’s not much time left until my entry.”
“Then how about joining our party? We’ll give you a bit more of the loot, and we’ll make sure to support you fully.”
“No, thank you. As I mentioned, I have my own party.”
There was no reason for him to agree. Whether it was experience points or items, dividing them would result in a loss.
There was simply no need to go in together.
The man in armor seemed to realize the futility of his request and was about to bow and leave.
But then, the shirtless, muscular man in the group took a step forward and spoke aggressively.
“Hey, just switch with us. What’s so hard about that?”
“Gasp! Hyung, why are you doing this?”
“…….”
He wasn’t physically threatening Han Sang-woo, but his attitude was intimidating, lacking in logic, and the other members’ attempts to stop him were half-hearted at best.
It seemed like he was pushing things because he didn’t want to lose face by backing down.
The problem was that he was gradually crossing the line.
The shirtless hunter pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and said,
“How about 500,000 won? Will this make you change your mind?”
“I refuse.”
Han Sang-woo flatly rejected the offer.
There was no need for lengthy explanations. It was clear that conversation wasn’t going to work with this person.
“Could the hunter who signed up for the 12 o’clock raid please step forward?”
The dungeon guard had finished organizing the gate, and it was now time for Han Sang-woo to enter.
Han Sang-woo looked towards the Water Dungeon in the center and then glanced at a distant restroom.
Then.
[Summon Character: Dark Shadow]
He summoned Dark Shadow inside the men’s restroom and instructed it to walk towards him.
Step—Step—
An assassin wearing a mask walked out along the Gwangalli Beach promenade.
“What should we eat for lunch?”
“There’s a famous restaurant up ahead; want to check it out?”
Despite the conspicuous appearance of a turban-like hood, mask, and assassin’s garb, few people noticed Dark Shadow.
Dark Shadow typically erased its presence and used perception-blocking techniques, so most ordinary people didn’t even realize it was there.
Of course, some hunters in the crowd noticed Dark Shadow’s arrival and glanced over, but Dark Shadow paid them no mind.
It simply walked silently toward its summoner.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Master.”
Han Sang-woo moved with Dark Shadow to the guard, presenting his hunter’s license and the special hunter’s license he had received earlier, then entered the dungeon.
Meanwhile.
“Aww, he just went in.”
“What a pity. We could’ve gone in together.”
The women in the next party pouted in disappointment.
“Tch, that bastard…”
The shirtless hunter, Yoon Hyung-min, ran a hand through his hair, expressing his frustration.
He was angry not only because things didn’t go his way but also because of the attitude of the other guy.
Yoon Hyung-min, an A-rank hunter with a fierce appearance, didn’t often face rejection when asking for a favor.
But he had been rejected by a lone hunter whose rank he didn’t even know.
Even the excuse of having a party was ridiculous because they had been watching him from behind and knew no one was with him.
So, Yoon Hyung-min was upset, but before he could think of a way to vent his anger.
“What’s this?”
“Wait, why is that guy here?”
The attention of the party members was drawn to the black-robed figure who had just entered the dungeon with Han Sang-woo.
“Isn’t that Dark Shadow?”
“Yeah, I think so. He seems to be with that guy.”
Though they didn’t know exactly who or what Dark Shadow was, Yoon Hyung-min’s party at least recognized it as a notable being in the hunter community.
And when they realized Dark Shadow was with Han Sang-woo, their expressions became uneasy.
“Oppa, that person… is he someone important?”
“I’m not sure… but I think we should stop talking about him.”
“Okay.”
They could only guess, but Dark Shadow’s presence indicated that Han Sang-woo wasn’t just an ordinary hunter.
Soon after, the uneasy expressions faded from the faces of the eight people in Yoon Hyung-min’s party.
While they were talking among themselves, something else was happening on the other side of Gwangalli Beach.
“…Let’s get ready.”
A woman with her hair tied up tightly in a bun, wearing a black hunter’s robe, spoke.
“Are you okay? I heard you’re not feeling well.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t want to mess up just because I’m not feeling well.”
“Should we go in after them?”
“Yes, but I want to be sure. Let me see.”
As they finished speaking, the group of three hunters turned their attention to the gate and the dungeon guard managing the area.
“Please check your names and rank. After that, you can proceed into the dungeon.”
Following the procedures, the three hunters checked their licenses and then walked toward the gate.
But the woman in the black robe seemed uneasy. As she glanced back, she muttered to herself,
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
She clenched her fist, feeling the tension.
But the tension was fleeting.
Gwangalli Water Dungeon.
This dungeon, surrounded by clear water, had become one of the most sought-after places for hunters.
But it was still a dungeon.
No matter how attractive it seemed on the surface, danger always lurked within.
As the woman stepped through the gate, she could only hope her instincts were wrong.
