CHAPTER TWO !
─── the dungeon.

"WHY DO YOU INSIST ON WORKING AS AN HUNTER?"

"I'm sorry." Jinwoo lowered his head.

Joohee Lee, the beauty performing a healing spell on him, made her disapproval clear by sulking.

"I didn't ask you to hear you apologize. I asked because I'm worried about you. Keep fighting like this, and you'll find yourself in real danger someday."

Jinwoo gazed over Joohee's shoulder at his colleagues locked in combat. Gates were entrances to dungeons.

This particular dungeon was approximately D rank. Over a dozen hunters were dealing with the magic beasts without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, it had proven too much for an E-rank hunter like Jinwoo.

Generally, healers brought up the rear and took care of the wounded. Jinwoo was infamous among healers for getting injured in every raid.

Joohee cautiously asked him, "Is there a reason you can't just quit?"

Jinwoo shook his head firmly. He really didn't want others knowing his personal business.

"This is my hobby. I'd probably be bored to death if I didn't do this."

Joohee pouted at this. "Well, indulge in your hobby too much, and your next raid will be in the afterlife."

Caught off guard, Jinwoo burst out laughing.

Joohee's scolding continued. "Ahhh! Don't laugh! You'll open your wound!"

Jinwoo couldn't stop giggling. "Who talks like that these days?"

"Who do you think? That uncle aaaall the way over there, Mr. Kim."

"Oh man, that old geezer..."

"Joohee! Can you help me Over here?" Hyeon asked Joohee, making her nod and immediately go after him and heal the person beside Hyeon.

Jinwoo is really amazed by Hyeon, even though he is E-rank like him. He is useful, he gives direction and gives proper instruction. Unlike him.

Jinwoo shook his head, Jinwoo's treatment was wrapping up. Unfortunately, it was already too late for him. The raid seemed like it was almost done.

His face clouded over.

'I barely defeated one beast today.'

What's more, it had been only an E rank.

Jinwoo fiddled with the E-rank essence stone in his hand. As the lowest- rank item, the essence stone from an E-rank magic beast was worth less than 100,000 won. It was a terribly low reward for risking his life, and also he doesn't want Hyeon to give the stone again to him.

'They say an essence stone from even a C-rank magic beast could be worth over 10,000,000 won......'

However, because he barely qualified as an E-rank hunter, Jinwoo was no match for a C-rank beast.

Suddenly, someone shouted to the rest of the group. "Huh? There's another entrance here?"

Nearby hunters gathered next to him. "Whoa, it's true."

"Looks like it's really there!"

Just as the first hunter had claimed, there was indeed a hidden entrance to yet another dungeon.

Hunter Song, whose grizzled hair spoke to his ten years of experience, examined the entrance, fascinated.

"A double dungeon...... I guess they actually exist."

It was hard to see far into the dimly lit cave. Song cast a fire spell, his specialty, and tossed it inside. The flame flew through the cave, illuminating the interior.

The passage seemed endless. Eventually, the flame lost its momentum and fell to the ground, where it sparked for a bit, then fizzled out. Darkness engulfed the cave once again.

"Hmm...... Everyone, gather around, please." Song, the de facto leader of the party, summoned all the hunters to him. With Jinwoo's treatment now finished, he also joined them.

Jinwoo waved his hand towards Hyeon who also responded.

Song looked at the group as he addressed them. "As you all well know, a gate will not close until the boss is defeated. Even though we've cleared this area, the gate's still perfectly fine, so my guess is that the boss is in there."

Song gestured at the entrance to the hidden dungeon. The others exchanged looks and nodded in agreement with Song's assessment.

There was no other possibility.

Song continued. "Now, protocol dictates that we report this to the association and wait for their decision. But...we'd make a lot less money if some other hunters showed up and stole our kill in the meantime."

Everyone's expressions hardened. Park, who needed a big payday because of his wife's pregnancy, looked particularly displeased by the prospect.

'Postnatal care alone is so expensive these days......' Jinwoo's thoughts.

If they were paid less, it would mean risking his life to participate in this raid would've been meaningless.

"That's why I don't want to leave this dungeon without defeating the boss...... What do you all think?"

Everyone was lost in their thoughts.

"......"

"......"

No one's safety could be guaranteed in such an unusual situation.

On the other hand, this was a very low-rank dungeon. It was likely the level of difficulty of the hidden dungeon wouldn't be that high.

"Ahem." Song cleared his throat.

"There are seventeen of us, so let's vote. Once a decision is made, no one can object. Does that sound good?"

Everyone nodded at Song's suggestion. There wasn't a single objection.

"I'm going in." Song raised his hand. As he did, others also warily raised their hands.

"Me too."

"I vote for going in, too."

Park was the first to raise his hand, and other hunters, including Kim(Not our MC), followed. Naturally, there were also many votes in opposition.

"Let's not go in."

"Wouldn't it be better to wait for the association's decision?"

With the tally for both sides being neck and neck, the voting continued until Jinwoo, Hyeon and Joohee were the only three left.

"I'm sorry......" Joohee bowed her head toward Song apologetically and opted not to go in.

With her vote, it was eight for and eight against. A tie.

"Oh..my vote it's depend on Jinwoo." Hyeon said, making Jinwoo more pressure. When Jinwoo hesitated, Song addressed him point-blank.

"How about you, Sung?" It all came down to him. Jinwoo gripped the E-rank essence stone in his hand tightly and looked to the person at his side.

Joohee shook her head at him. She seemed unsettled by the situation. And looked at Hyeon, who is looking at him like he trusts Jinwoo in his decision.

Jinwoo also felt uneasy. Normally, he would never expose himself to such risk. He had neither the ability nor the courage for it.

But he also had a sister who was going to college in the near future.

'I don't have any savings......'

Jinwoo was twenty-four years old. For his part, he'd given up on higher education because he'd been unable to afford it. He refused to make his sister suffer the same fate.

At the moment, there was nothing but lint in his pockets. Park wasn't the only one who needed a big payday.

Jinwoo's hand shot up. "I'm going in, too." As he did, a small sigh escaped next to him and thumbed up that's clearly for him.

The tunnel stretched on forever. The strongest hunters, including Song, led the way. Song lit their path with the little flame he'd summoned, keeping it cupped in his palm.

Kim walked beside him. "Aren't we going in too deep? We need to start considering the exit time."

"How long have we been walking?"

Kim checked his watch. "It's been about......about forty minutes."

"Since the gates close an hour after the boss is defeated, we still have about twenty minutes."

"We should withdraw if we can't find the boss by then." "I guess we should."

Song silently nodded and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "It's dark up ahead, so stay behind me, Kim."

Kim stared at the little spark of light before taking out his hunter-issue phone and turning on the flashlight app. As he did, the road ahead was flooded with light.

"......" Song glanced between his flame and the light from the phone, then wordlessly started digging through his pockets.