Ch.196IF Side Story – And the Two Lived Happily (50)

“Are you sure you’re okay? I can come up too…”

[It’s fine. We’re not short on manpower at the moment…]

The voice on the other end of the phone was as calm as usual.

It was hard to believe that a massive dungeon had opened in the heart of Seoul, given such a response.

“Are you really okay? You don’t have to pretend. I know it’s a bit awkward having to go up right after arriving for vacation, but…”

[I’m truly fine. Everyone’s actually excited to have something to do for once and they’ve all rushed into the dungeon. At this pace, the raid should be completed by tomorrow before lunch at the latest.]

“Hmm…”

Something was bothering me.

“So you’re saying you don’t need my help, right?”

[Yes, we already have excessive manpower. All the S-rank Hunters who had nothing to do have gathered. Besides…]

I couldn’t hear the rest clearly.

Was it a connection issue, or did they deliberately trail off?

Either way, it didn’t seem to be a good sign.

“Besides, what?”

My voice grew sharper.

Considering Aila was just on the other side of the wall, it wasn’t the best reaction, but it came out reflexively.

[…It’s nothing. Just— Huh? What is it?]

The voice cut off momentarily.

Someone must have entered the room. Did something happen over there?

I’ll just wait.

There’s plenty of time.

[…Hello?]

“Yeah. What happened?”

[Nothing important. Just routine business…]

I heard a sigh.

Even in emergency situations, the paperwork never changes, I guess.

I recalled the stacks of documents piled on the desk whenever I visited.

“Am I interrupting you when you’re busy?”

[Not really, but…]

The returning voice was calm.

Almost as if nothing was wrong at all.

“…Well, I’ll stay here for now. Call me immediately if anything happens. I’ll come right away.”

[Yes, I’ll hang up now.]

The call ended.

So, what should I do now?

While I was pondering, the door clicked open.

“Umm… How did it go?”

Aila’s head peeked through the door crack.

Judging by the timing and speed of the door opening, she must have been waiting right outside while I was on the phone.

I approached her and patted her head.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but soon narrowed again as a gentle smile spread across her face.

“They said everything’s fine.”

“If that’s true, then that’s good…”

Her voice grew progressively quieter.

Aila’s not stupid; she probably understands the situation.

“Everyone will be okay, right? Like Seona and the others…”

“Well, they’re not weak enough to not be able to take care of themselves… They’ll be fine, I think.”

“I suppose so…?”

Aila slumped onto the sofa and murmured while rubbing her belly.

I wish she wouldn’t stress over this.

But it’s not like we have a way to get to Seoul right now…

“Sigh…”

I turned on my phone with a sigh.

Express buses, planes, trains, and even ships.

All transportation to Seoul had been suspended.

It makes sense.

With a dungeon opening in the middle of Seoul, it would be stranger if they didn’t restrict transportation.

I can’t leap through the air carrying Aila, so my options are either leaving her here and going alone, or waiting until the situation calms down and going together…

‘…I’ll wait for now.’

They said everything was fine, so I should trust them and wait.

“…Ah well.”

I felt a bit pathetic for not being able to simply be happy when things were going well.

***

“It’s really spacious.”

The inside of the dungeon was a massive cave.

Each step echoed loudly.

Normally, someone would have stopped such behavior, but…

“How can it be so big that we haven’t encountered a single monster in half a day…?”

Unlike usual, they hadn’t encountered any monsters.

While that was a good thing, something felt off.

No matter how spacious, how could they not encounter even a single monster?

Moreover, it wasn’t just that they hadn’t encountered any.

“…I’ve confirmed. There are none within a 1km radius.”

“…Are they deliberately avoiding us?”

“Well, let’s think positively. We can finish quickly and go back.”

“Right, especially with the urgent situation.”

Something was strange.

Ji-a suppressed the ominous premonition rising in her mind and kept moving.

“By the way, it’s been a while since we’ve been in a dungeon.”

“Yeah. Haven’t heard from them lately, have we?”

“It’s been unusually quiet…”

With no monsters appearing, the atmosphere naturally relaxed, and voices flowed from here and there.

It felt almost like a picnic.

Of course, not everyone had lowered their guard, but… could they maintain concentration if this situation continued?

“Which way next?”

“…The right path.”

“Let’s hurry. I feel uneasy.”

The one fortunate thing was that others also recognized the current situation as abnormal.

They moved quickly.

Toward the deeper parts.

***

“…Hmm.”

When I opened my eyes, pitch-black darkness covered the sky.

Just a while ago, the sunset was still visible.

“Did I doze off…?”

It seems I had fallen asleep.

Something that would have been unimaginable under normal circumstances.

Usually, work would have been pouring in without a moment’s rest.

“The situation…”

I wondered if something had happened while I was briefly asleep.

I checked my phone with that thought.

It was clear.

I made a call to check in.

The situation hadn’t changed much from before I fell asleep.

“Phew…”

I put down my phone and leaned back in my chair, letting my body rest against the backrest.

With a creaking sound, the support tilted, and my body naturally tilted with it.

“…It’s too quiet.”

No noise could be heard from outside.

The sounds of intense battle that should have been audible were now silent.

It was strange.

Monsters that should have rushed out as soon as the dungeon opened hadn’t shown themselves at all.

I wondered if they were hiding, but there was no response on the pressure sensors or temperature sensors.

An abnormal yet ideal situation.

Others were relaxed, thinking they were lucky, but Seongho couldn’t feel the same.

That pitch-black shining fragment.

That fragment lingered before his eyes.

If that hypothesis was correct, then this dungeon gaping open in the middle of Seoul was a kind of weapon infused with someone’s malice.

That’s why Seongho thought that this current peace might not be simple peace, but the calm within a storm.

“…Not enough information.”

But thoughts were just thoughts; it was difficult to act on them.

There was no concrete evidence.

Even Seongho didn’t know much.

He only knew what he knew.

‘They’re so secretive…’

He had heard many stories, but most lacked substance.

The man only revealed the minimum necessary information to explain situations, so Seongho couldn’t know much.

At best, he could piece together fragments of information to reach this conclusion, but…

It was challenging in many ways to use it as evidence to convince others and prompt action.

“What on earth is going to happen—”

“Excuse me, Director!”

The door burst open with a bang.

The already high-pitched voice, combined with a strong tone, created a sound that literally tore at the ears.

Seongho, now fully awake from the auditory assault, turned his head.

“What’s—”

“We just received word. The dungeon has been cleared…”

“…Already?”

He checked the time.

About ten hours had passed since they entered.

Theoretically, it was possible to break through in half a day if they took the shortest route, but… that was only in theory, in ideal conditions.

In reality, they would have to fight monsters along the way, which should take several times longer…

“…Were there no monsters inside the dungeon either?”

The speed of the raid suggested they hadn’t engaged in combat.

And considering that no monsters had emerged outside, the conclusion was easy to reach.

But was that really possible?

Something unlikely to occur naturally.

If so, it could only mean someone’s intention was hidden behind this situation.

“…The raid team is coming out now, right?”

“Yes, they should be out around lunchtime, but the exact details are still being investigated.”

“…Gather all the Hunters on standby. Contact the military too.”

“Seeing how they were talking, the military probably already knows the situation by now—”

“You’re wrong.”

A long sigh escaped Seongho’s lips.

“This isn’t simply about completing a dungeon raid.”

“What?”

“Something’s coming. We need to prepare for it.”