Chương 11: Chapter 11
Min-ji sat across from her father, Hak-kun, at the dimly lit family room table. The air was heavy with unspoken thoughts. She looked down at the mug of tea cradled in her hands, then finally broke the silence.
"I think you were right, Dad," she said quietly.
Hak-kun looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Right about what?"
Min-ji hesitated, her gaze distant. "The kid. Jin Tae-min."
Hak-kun leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Okay? What about him?"
"The way he moved during the fight," Min-ji said, her voice sharpening. "It's not something a D-class healer should be capable of. When I tossed my dagger at him, he caught it mid-air without even flinching—and he didn't just catch it. He stabbed it into the serpent's eye like he'd done it a hundred times before. There was no hesitation, no panic."
Hak-kun frowned, his fingers tapping the table. "D-class healers don't belong on the battlefield, let alone fight like that."
"Exactly," Min-ji said. "It wasn't just skill. It was instinct. The way he fought… it was like he'd been in situations like that before, despite his rank. It doesn't add up."
Hak-kun crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. "You think he's hiding something?"
"I don't just think it. I know it," Min-ji said, her tone firm. "The question is, what?"
Tae-min's eyes fluttered open, the sterile white of the hospital room coming into focus. His body felt heavy, every muscle aching as if he'd been crushed under the weight of a mountain.
"Bro, he's alive!" Ju-won's voice broke through the haze as he jumped in excitement, fists pumping in the air.
Tae-min blinked, trying to sit up. Jun-hee, who had been leaning against the wall, walked over with measured steps. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed relief.
"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.
"Fine, I guess? Just weak," Tae-min replied, his voice hoarse.
"I can't believe you waited until I woke up," he added, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"I said I'd look after you, didn't I?" Jun-hee replied, her tone steady. She turned toward the door. "I'll get the nurse."
As she left, Ju-won stepped closer, his grin wide. "Bro, I still can't believe you're alive. Jun-hee told me you ran into a King in a B-class dungeon."
Tae-min grimaced as he tried to move, his body refusing to cooperate. "A King? I don't even know what that is," he muttered.
Ju-won smacked his forehead dramatically. "Seriously, dude? You're such a dumbass. A King is—well, how do I explain this?"
He took a deep breath, his tone growing serious. "A King is stronger than even an SS-rank hunter. They're not just powerful—they're gods of their own dimensions. Every King has their own world, their own set of rules, and anyone who enters is at their mercy. In their dimension, even the strongest hunters are just pawns."
Tae-min's eyes widened. "So you're saying the B-rank gate we entered didn't lead to a dungeon but to a King's dimension?"
"Exactly," Ju-won said, crossing his arms. "The thing is, no one can identify a King's Gate by sight. Only SS-class hunters can feel the unique pressure it gives off. Even S-ranks can't stand a chance against a King in their own world."
Tae-min's brow furrowed, memories of the fight flickering through his mind.
Ju-won continued "But Jun-hee said she defeated the King. She's only A-class. That's what's so weird," "If she really did defeat a King, it doesn't make sense. It's unheard of. Even if she's strong for her rank, a King is on a completely different level."
Tae-min felt a chill run down his spine as pieces of the event began to align in his mind. "So you're saying even a B-class hunter couldn't recognize a King's Gate?"
"Never," Ju-won said firmly.
Before Tae-min could ask another question, Jun-hee returned, her calm demeanor unchanged. "The nurses are on their way," she said. She gave Tae-min a small smile. "Get well, okay?"
As Jun-hee reached the door, she paused and turned back to Tae-min, her expression serious yet unreadable.
"And when you're feeling better," she said, her tone firm but calm, "let me know. We need to talk."
Without waiting for a reply, she stepped out, the door clicking shut behind her.
The dungeon was a nightmare made real. The jagged walls were slick with an unidentifiable black ichor, and the air carried the stench of rotting flesh and sulfur. Pools of stagnant water dotted the uneven ground, their surfaces reflecting warped images of the hunters moving cautiously through the dimly lit expanse. The only sounds were their tentative footsteps and the occasional drip of water echoing from the unseen heights above.
The party of hunters moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing ominously in the cavernous space.
"This place is disgusting," muttered one of the D-class hunters, a wiry young man with a queasy expression. "I might throw up already." He gagged, holding a hand to his mouth.
"Get a grip," snapped another D-class hunter, a stocky woman clutching a longsword. "We're in a dungeon, not a spa." She glanced around nervously. "But honestly… I'm telling you, is this how C-class dungeons really are? This place feels worse than it should."
"Enough whining," barked Seo Jin-Hak, their A-class leader. His voice was a deep rumble, his presence commanding. "We're here to clear this dungeon, not chat. Stay sharp."
Jin-Hak moved ahead of the group, his steps deliberate and his broad, iron-like frame cutting an imposing silhouette. He didn't need weapons; his fists were his tools of destruction, capable of breaking stone and crushing bone. The others followed hesitantly, their torches casting flickering shadows that made the walls seem alive.
A faint growling echoed from the darkness, causing the hunters to freeze.
"What was that?" the wiry hunter whispered, gripping his dagger tightly.
Jin-Hak didn't bother turning around. "Goblins," he said curtly. "Prepare yourselves."
From the shadows emerged a pack of goblins, their grotesque forms illuminated by the flickering torchlight. Their green, leathery skin gleamed with sweat, and their yellow eyes glowed with savage intent. They carried crude weapons—rusty swords and jagged clubs—but it was their sheer numbers that made them a threat.
The stocky hunter stepped forward, raising her shield. "Here they come!"
The battle erupted in a chaotic frenzy. The D-class hunters fought valiantly, though their movements were clumsy and uncoordinated. The wiry hunter slashed desperately at a goblin, managing to wound it, but another leapt at him from the side. He barely parried its attack, stumbling backward.
Jin-Hak moved through the horde like an unstoppable force. His fists connected with goblins one after another, each strike producing a sickening crunch as bones shattered and bodies crumpled. His iron-like skin deflected their weapons effortlessly, their blades bouncing off him like toys.
"Stay in formation!" Jin-Hak bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The stocky hunter managed to skewer a goblin on her blade, panting as she turned to the wiry hunter. "Focus! You're going to get us killed if you keep flailing like that!"
The wiry hunter wiped blood from his face, gritting his teeth. "I'm doing my best!"
Jin-Hak delivered a devastating punch to the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked several goblins off their feet. He straightened, his cold gaze sweeping over the carnage.
When the last goblin fell, the hunters regrouped, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The floor was littered with the mangled remains of the creatures, their blood pooling around the hunters' boots.
"I can't believe this is just a C-class dungeon," the wiry hunter said, wiping blood from his cheek. "It's like they're stronger than usual."
Jin-Hak turned to the group, his expression cold. "Stronger? No. The problem isn't them. It's you."
The air shifted. The remaining hunters froze, sensing the sudden change in his tone.
"What do you mean?" the stocky hunter asked cautiously.
Jin-Hak stepped forward, his fists clenched. "Weaklings like you don't deserve to live."
The wiry hunter let out a nervous laugh. "Come on, Jin-Hak. That's a bit harsh—"
He didn't get to finish. Jin-Hak's fist connected with his chest, the force of the blow sending him flying into the cavern wall with a sickening crack. His body slumped to the ground, unmoving.
"Jin-Hak! What the hell are you doing?!" the stocky hunter screamed, raising her shield.
Jin-Hak's eyes glinted with cold fury. "Culling the weak," he said simply, his voice devoid of emotion. "In my world, only the strong survive. You? You're nothing but dead weight."
She charged at him, swinging her sword with all her might. Jin-Hak caught the blade with one hand, the metal crumpling in his iron grip. With a swift motion, he drove his fist into her stomach, shattering her armor and sending her crashing to the ground. She coughed up blood, her eyes wide with terror.
The last D-class hunter turned and bolted, his panicked footsteps echoing through the dungeon. Jin-Hak moved like a predator, catching him in an instant. He grabbed the hunter by the neck and lifted him off the ground, his grip tightening until a sickening snap echoed through the chamber.
As the lifeless body fell to the floor, Jin-Hak stood amidst the carnage, his iron-like fists dripping with blood. The dungeon seemed to grow darker, the shadows swallowing the light as if the place itself fed on the violence.
Jin-Hak exhaled slowly, his expression calm and unreadable. he muttered, turning toward the deeper darkness of the dungeon.
"Pathetic Losers."
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