Chapter 108:
Baek Joo-won whispered in a deliberately weak voice,
“An Esper protects their Guide, right? What if someone kidnaps me while I’m protecting this place alone? I’m so weak; I might not even be able to resist properly.”
It was complete bullshit. Weak? With his S-rank level strength?
And he wasn’t even alone. The dragon, hidden in the greenhouse, snorted at his nonsense.
“And we need to show everyone how close we are.”
Baek Joo-won smiled brightly, his resolve unwavering.
Seo Jae-yi was dumbfounded, but she couldn’t refuse, even though she knew he was lying. His cheek, pressed against her palm, was too soft and smooth.
He knew exactly how to break down her walls.
“I’ll give you good Guiding.”
“…Okay, let’s go…”
She couldn’t help but agree.
Kwon Gyu-yeon, oblivious to the truth, smiled brightly and exclaimed, “You two are so close! It’s adorable!”
Ignorance was bliss.
Seo Jae-yi called Kim Yoo-sung and informed him of the situation.
Kim Yoo-sung, still concerned about the recent Mount Taebaek incident, was relieved to hear that she was bringing Baek Joo-won.
After obtaining the Guild Leader’s permission, they immediately headed to Seoul Airport and boarded an Awakened individuals only plane to Pohang.
Seoul Airport was normally restricted, but S-rank Awakened individuals could use it for quick travel during dungeon subjugations.
They didn’t even have to go through a weapons inspection, so they arrived in Pohang quickly.
As they were driven from the airport to the gate, Kwon Gyu-yeon briefed Seo Jae-yi about the dungeon.
She showed her a map of the dungeon that the Espers were currently subjugating.
“The dungeon has a structure similar to a giant anthill. The passageways are ankle-deep in water, but the large chambers have varying depths, from calf-deep to neck-deep for an adult male.”
“Seo Jae-yi would be submerged up to her head.”
“Right. Completely submerged, not a single strand of hair above water.”
Kwon Gyu-yeon nodded vigorously at Baek Joo-won’s words. Seo Jae-yi, the shortest among them, said curtly,
“I might just make you both the same height as me.”
They immediately shut up.
“I’ll be useless if the water is that deep. Are you sure it’s okay for me to go? Should I just evaporate all the water and enter?”
“An A-rank Earth Manipulation Esper created platforms. He exhausted his power doing that and was carried out of the dungeon.”
He had done his part.
“And fortunately, the area where Seo Jae-yi’s ability is needed only has waist-deep water, so she’ll be able to handle it.”
“Where is that?”
Kwon Gyu-yeon pointed to a spot on the map. It was the innermost area.
“No one has been able to enter beyond this point, so we couldn’t confirm the structure. This is where the map ends, not the end of the dungeon.”
“Is it the boss room?”
“We believe it’s the Gatekeeper’s chamber.”
Some boss monsters had guards, while others had Gatekeepers.
And Gatekeepers were generally more dangerous than guards. Espers often encountered the boss monster after being exhausted from fighting the Gatekeeper.
“Have you cleared all the other areas?”
“All but one or two. The remaining areas are some distance away from the Gatekeeper’s chamber, so you don’t have to worry about them.”
Seo Jae-yi nodded. She listened to the explanations about the monsters’ characteristics and attack patterns for the remaining time.
The car soon arrived at the gate. Seo Jae-yi checked her equipment one last time. It had been a while since she entered a dungeon as an attacker, not a porter.
“Try not to enter the dungeon. If it seems too much, I’ll come out, receive Guiding, and go back in.”
Seo Jae-yi reminded Baek Joo-won again. They didn’t know how strong the Gatekeeper or the boss monster was, so it would be troublesome if he entered and became even more powerful.
And she didn’t want others to see the monsters reacting strangely to him.
“Is Esper Kwon Gyu-yeon entering with us?”
Baek Joo-won, who had been silently watching Seo Jae-yi, asked Kwon Gyu-yeon.
“For now. I’ll escort Seo Jae-yi and assess Joo Seon-min’s condition. If everything’s fine, I’ll come back out. I was hired for information gathering, not combat.”
“Would it be okay for you to observe from a distance?”
Kwon Gyu-yeon asked cautiously, sensing his anxiety, and Baek Joo-won looked at Seo Jae-yi.
“I can’t trust my Esper. Can you come out and inform me if she keeps using her ability in a dangerous situation, even if she should retreat?”
“Baek Joo-won!”
Seo Jae-yi yelled, but Baek Joo-won didn’t even flinch.
“Ah, well, I can do that. But you have to pay me, as this is also information delivery. Joo Seon-min is the one who hired me.”
“I’ll pay you, even if I have to sell gold. Don’t worry.”
Gold? Why gold?
Kwon Gyu-yeon blinked, confused.
Baek Joo-won ignored her and smiled at Seo Jae-yi.
“Listen carefully. I’m entering the dungeon if Kwon Gyu-yeon tells me you’re doing something dangerous again. If you don’t want that, don’t do anything reckless and come out and receive Guiding from me.”
He was telling her not to push herself like she had on Mount Taebaek.
“This is the first time I’ve been threatened with someone entering a dungeon.”
Seo Jae-yi was dumbfounded.
“I wouldn’t have to do this if you were the type to listen.”
What could she even say to that? She had no choice but to nod and promise.
“Come here.”
Baek Joo-won pulled Seo Jae-yi into a tight embrace. He enveloped her completely and poured his Guiding energy into her, deep enough to reach his power residing within her.
Seo Jae-yi shuddered as the two energies combined, surging in intensity. She felt like cold energy would burst from her lips if she opened her mouth, even though it was impossible.
Baek Joo-won, having infused every strand of her hair with his energy, finally released her.
“Go safely.”
Seo Jae-yi nodded at his gentle words.
She entered the dungeon with Kwon Gyu-yeon, who kept looking at her with a knowing smile.
“Wow, the fishy smell.”
A pungent, fishy smell assaulted her nose as soon as they crossed the white gate, typical of Fixed dungeons. Seo Jae-yi, her senses heightened, instinctively covered her nose.
“It’s strong, isn’t it? I was surprised too when I first entered.”
Kwon Gyu-yeon, who was wearing a small gas mask, spoke. She was so quick.
“Let’s go.”
Seo Jae-yi observed the dungeon terrain as they ran.
‘I was worried because it’s a cave-type dungeon, but there are openings in the ceiling. This should be enough for oxygen supply.’
Oxygen was essential for creating fire.
She had to assess the environment beforehand, as using her ability excessively could consume even the minimal oxygen required for breathing.
Splash, splash.
Murky, blue-gray water, ankle-deep, splashed with every step. And the ground was uneven, as it was a cave-type dungeon.
They were running comfortably now because a path had been cleared, but it must have been difficult during the initial subjugation.
“It’s over there.”
After running for about an hour, Seo Jae-yi and Kwon Gyu-yeon reached the Gatekeeper’s chamber without encountering any monsters.
“You’re here.”
Joo Seon-min, who had been sitting there, munching on an energy bar, greeted them.
Even she, the most experienced dungeon raider in Korea, seemed exhausted, her face showing signs of fatigue after being stuck in this place for a week.
“You look tired.”
“I haven’t been able to sleep properly. Even I can’t sleep soundly without a proper place to lie down.”
“Here.”
Kwon Gyu-yeon took out several items from her bag and handed them to Joo Seon-min, who was rubbing her eyes.
It was the legendary fatigue recovery potion, said to keep you awake for two days, and a bunch of incredibly sweet chocolates.
“Good. This should keep me going until we take down the boss monster.”
Joo Seon-min tossed the tasteless energy bar aside, gulped down the potion, and then popped three chocolates into her mouth at once.
Her tired face was instantly revitalized.
“So you’re paired with Baek Joo-won now. Why didn’t you bring him? It wouldn’t be dangerous, as long as you Guide him.”
“Ah, that’s…”
She was about to explain that there was a slight problem when Kwon Gyu-yeon interjected,
“Seo Jae-yi was so worried about Baek Joo-won that she left him outside the gate. They’re such a passionate couple. It was embarrassing to watch.”
“…”
Joo Seon-min stared at Seo Jae-yi intently.
She could practically hear her thinking, “Damn it.”
“I can’t interfere with matters between Pairs.”
No, she already had, with her eyes.
“Your condition… seems to be good.”
Joo Seon-min took Seo Jae-yi’s hand. She could instantly assess her condition with a light touch.
Before, she had been like an active volcano, spewing hot lava, ready to erupt at any moment. But now, she had cooled down a bit.
The heat coiled within her was still there, though.
It would eventually disappear with consistent Guiding. It was a significant improvement.
‘I knew Baek Joo-won would choose Seo Jae-yi, but I’m relieved to see her condition improve.’
She had been worried about what would happen if Baek Joo-won turned out to be a strange person, but they seemed to be getting along well.
“You might have heard, but the monsters inhabiting this dungeon are crocodile-shaped. The Gatekeeper is at least five times larger than the regular monsters. Its hide is incredibly tough, and it deflects most attacks.”
Joo Seon-min, her fatigue somewhat relieved, explained the Gatekeeper to Seo Jae-yi.
“The inner chamber is about the size of a soccer field, and the water is waist-deep. The Earth Manipulation Esper created platforms, but they’ll probably be destroyed when the Gatekeeper rampages, so be careful.”
“Okay.”
“Support? We have Sunghwa Guild members here; I’ll assign them to you if you need them.”
“Just have them provide cover.”
Seo Jae-yi could handle a Gatekeeper on her own.
Her body felt incredibly light and refreshed thanks to Baek Joo-won’s constant Guiding. She was confident she could use her ability even better than before.
“Let’s go.”
Seo Jae-yi led the way, followed by Joo Seon-min. Kwon Gyu-yeon also followed them, as Baek Joo-won had asked her to keep an eye on Seo Jae-yi.
The Sunghwa Guild members, who had been waiting outside the Gatekeeper’s chamber, greeted them.
“Ah, Guide Joo Seon-min. You’re here… Gasp!”
“Hello.”
The raid leader in charge of the Sunghwa Guild support team was Lee Hae-min, the deputy guild leader. She gasped, recognizing Seo Jae-yi.
“Guide Joo Seon-min, is she the one you requested support for?”
“Is there anyone more reliable in this situation?”
“But, but, I heard you’re paired now. Isn’t it still dangerous? And it seems like your Guide isn’t here.”
She must have heard about Seo Jae-yi and Baek Joo-won’s pairing from Seon Ju-hee.
“Dangerous? Please. She’s in better condition than ever, thanks to their passionate relationship.”
“That’s right. They couldn’t bear to be apart before they left! With their high Matching Rate, they might become even closer soon.”
Kwon Gyu-yeon added excitedly, saying they were so close that it wouldn’t be surprising if they got Imprinted.
To think they were already that close, to the point where Imprinting was being mentioned, even though they had only been paired for a short time. Lee Hae-min was impressed.