By Zephyria [The new grade of the Jongno 3-ga Underground Dungeon is S+!]
‘S+ Grade?’
The grades of Rifts with high priority for capture are finely divided and classified from Grade 1 to Grade 10, and Dungeons, which are less dangerous than Rifts, are divided into grades from S to F. That was according to the classification method proposed by the United States. The System also initially marked both Rifts and Dungeons with letters, but changed the notation accordingly when international law was enacted.
Until now, a Dungeon with a higher grade than S had never appeared. Only Hong Ye-seong’s exceptional abilities in all aspects led to the prediction that an L grade might exist above S. In other words, this is a Dungeon of a grade that Eui-jae, who has raided countless Dungeons and Rifts, is seeing for the first time. Eui-jae turned sharply to Sa-young. Because Lee Sa-young would have more information.
However, Sa-young didn’t seem to know anything either, as he narrowed his eyes and stared blankly into the air. He muttered lowly.
“This is a first…”
The Jongno 3-ga Underground Dungeon was the second case, following the West Sea Rift, where the grade suddenly changed upon Cha Eui-jae’s entry. The grade changed as if waiting for him. A feeling of unease gnawed at one side of his brain.
‘Because of me.’
…No, this is not the time to be unnecessarily sentimental. Being buried in emotions will only be a hindrance. Now, he had to move his body instead of thinking. Eui-jae slapped his cheeks with both hands and stood up from his seat.
“Do you have any data related to the inside of this Dungeon?”
“I have some that I investigated… but it’s data extracted before the Dungeon Infiltration. It’ll be useless now.”
Sa-young, with a slight frown, stared intently at Eui-jae’s face. He seemed somewhat displeased. He continued.
“Besides, even if I don’t know what it is, the Dungeon has been reconfigured… We’ll have to investigate to know for sure, but it’s right to see it as a completely new Dungeon.”
“……”
An unknown Dungeon. Eui-jae stared blankly at the outside where white ash swirled. It was still a familiar landscape. Both the Infiltrated Dungeon and the reconfigured Dungeon resembled the West Sea Rift. Only J knows that fact. What is the relationship between the Dungeon Infiltration phenomenon and the West Sea Rift? Just as Eui-jae’s thoughts were sinking deeper, a sarcastic low voice pulled Eui-jae’s consciousness up.
“By the way.”
Sa-young twisted his lips.
“Hyung, do you really have a self-harming hobby?”
“What nonsense are you talking about again… Is spewing bullshit your hobby?”
“No… it’s just what it looks like from your actions.”
Slowly getting up, Sa-young reached out and touched the red cheek with his fingertip. Then, he lightly rubbed the skin with his thumb and whispered.
“Why don’t you try it again somewhere else? Hitting isn’t really my taste… but I can accommodate you.”
“Is this bastard’s head the only place that hurts, since he says he’s in pain, you son of a bitch.”
No, hold on. Eui-jae calmly calmed his mind, removing the hand that was rubbing his cheek. Otherwise, he felt like he would punch Lee Sa-young in the stomach. Ouch, it hurts. He pretended not to hear Lee Sa-young’s exaggerated voice as he complained about his wrist being grabbed. According to his experience so far, there is only one good thing about being with Lee Sa-young. He keeps talking non-stop, so there’s no time to get buried in emotions.
“It seems like you’re feeling better since you’re running your mouth like that. Prepare. Let’s move. We need to scout quickly.”
“Well… alright.”
Sa-young, who answered readily, tilted his head.
“But is there a need to rush so much?”
“You said you came in with Jung-bin. Shouldn’t we join up with them?”
“That’s true, but we also need to carefully move while figuring out this Dungeon. Jung-bin will move like that too. He’s not weak enough to not be able to handle that much.”
Eui-jae doesn’t doubt Jung-bin’s skills either. Even if it’s an S+ Grade Dungeon, he will be able to endure it alone for a while. The problem is Hong Ye-seong and Yoon Ga-eul, who are with him. Those two were caught up in this without any fault, and it’s questionable whether they can even protect themselves in the first place.
But explaining this would exponentially increase the amount of explanation needed. Eui-jae nonchalantly slung the staff over his shoulder. Sa-young slyly bent his back and added.
“There’s no need to cover your face now, is there? Can you hide this face just by pulling up your hood? Why… are you just trying to get caught by Jung-bin?”
“……”
The most annoying person in the world is the one who only says the right things. Then, wouldn’t it be better to kill the Dungeon boss before joining up with Jung-bin? Just as Eui-jae was about to tell the most simple solution in the world to an ignorant person, Sa-young muttered as if he had realized something.
“Ah…. I get it now.”
“What?”
“You rushed in like this back then too… and rammed into the Master of the Rift, Hyung.”
Sa-young sighed deeply and shook his head. There was something about that action that was irritating, so Eui-jae poked Sa-young’s waist with his staff.
“What, you punk.”
“It’s nothing. Let’s move. We can just put on a Gas mask…”
Sa-young, muttering, stepped out of the ruins first. Until Eui-jae left the entrance of the ruins, Sa-young was holding debris next to the entrance. When he put down the debris, the entrance, which had been shaking precariously, collapsed. And as if reacting to the sound, Monsters appeared from all over the place. They were Monsters that Eui-jae knew well. Their eyes and bodies were burned white.
Kieeeeek!
As the Monster at the front screamed, the Monsters began to rush in. Eui-jae swung his staff without hesitation. Kwaaang! The Monsters swept away by the staff fell to one side. Just as Eui-jae was about to strike down with his staff, something black flew towards them. A sweet scent spread. The Monsters covered in the black, viscous substance couldn’t even let out a death cry and melted away. Eui-jae turned to the side. Sa-young, who had already taken off his gloves, was beckoning his hand towards them. Their eyes met. Sa-young smiled brightly.
“From what I see… I think our compatibility is quite good.”
As Lee Sa-young said, the two’s movements were so well-matched as if they had practiced before. To be exact, it was more accurate to say that Lee Sa-young perfectly followed Cha Eui-jae’s movements. As if he had predicted all of Cha Eui-jae’s movements, he used Poison exactly where Eui-jae’s staff would stop. As they continued to fight like that several times, even the hesitations that came from fighting in sync with someone for the first time gradually disappeared.
The huge figure covered in black Poison slowly crumbled. Eui-jae shook off his staff once. Sa-young was observing the Monsters with an indifferent face, as if he had never been in pain. Eui-jae suddenly opened his mouth.
“But, you.”
“Yeah.”
“Before the Awakening… were you in a lot of pain?”
Only after saying it did he wonder if it was too sudden of a question, but he couldn’t take back what he had already said. Besides, he felt relieved after saying it. He didn’t want to see that face, pale and chained, twice. Sa-young answered without looking at Eui-jae.
“I wonder.”
It was an ambiguous answer. Did he not want to talk about it? It was the moment when Eui-jae slightly frowned. Sa-young chuckled.
“I can hear you thinking too well, Hyung.”
“It’s also a talent to talk so rudely, you…”
“Eung, I won’t tell you. It’s a secret.”
“What?”
“There are a lot of things you haven’t told me either, Hyung.”
Eui-jae, who was about to retort, closed his mouth. That was true. The words he couldn’t say to Lee Sa-young had already snowballed and were following Eui-jae closely. Lies beget lies. What kind of result will the stacked lies eventually bring? Eui-jae, who has lived only in lies since the Awakening, has not yet seen the end of lies.
“Well, it’s okay. Even if you lie.”
“……”
Eui-jae raised his head. Sa-young continued calmly with his hands behind his back.
“And if it’s Hyung, you’ll be able to figure it out enough. My secret.”
“……”
“You have to.”
Purple eyes turned to Eui-jae. Their eyes met. Cha Eui-jae could recognize trust towards him better than anyone else, if nothing else. That’s what he had received to the point of being sick of it after the Awakening. The same goes for the emotions hidden under the guise of trust. Admiration, pity, disregard, envy, jealousy…. Eui-jae didn’t bother to unpack the packaging of trust. Because he didn’t want to forcibly pull out and face the emotions they were hiding.
But the trust contained in Lee Sa-young’s eyes. Underneath that….
Something that Eui-jae didn’t know at all was contained. Something so brilliant that he wanted to unpack the packaging.
“Geez… they keep coming endlessly.”
Sa-young grabbed the neck of a Monster rushing towards Eui-jae. Shiiik… The Monster, which was twisting its body while screaming as if being squeezed, began to melt down black. Sa-young murmured languidly.
“And I know why you’re so anxious… but it’s okay, Hyung.”
“……”
“How many S-rank are in this Dungeon?”
No, you don’t know. That’s the problem.
Eui-jae looked at the black melted Monster with a disgusted face. Currently, there are a total of 8 S-rank Hunters in Korea. And among them….
‘Does it make sense that more than half of them are in this Dungeon?’
Lee Sa-young doesn’t know that Hong Ye-seong and Yoon Ga-eul are in this Dungeon. But Eui-jae was vividly experiencing the pain of the one who knows. This situation where 5 out of 8 S-ranks are gathered in one place. Cha Eui-jae has experienced it enough in the Hanover Soup Restaurant and the Artisan Exhibition.
If more than two S-ranks gather… something goes wrong!