2.

"Ah." The laugh burst out before she could stop it. Seora quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. The damage was done, but she had to at least try to apologize.

"I've already scouted a suitable dungeon," Sijun continued, oblivious. "I figured if Buja joined us, we could compensate for my guild's weaknesses. It would be a win-win for both our public images."

'Pfft.' A second, louder laugh escaped. This time, even Sijun looked embarrassed, falling silent as he stared at her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's just… your intentions are so transparent." If he had made this speech in front of the press, she might have played along. His motives would still be obvious, but at least he'd be putting on a show. To come here, to this private location, and make such a self-serving proposal was simply absurd. "You want the Vitality Ring and Earrings back, don't you?"

"I would never betray him," he insisted.

On the surface, that seemed to be his goal. What happened inside a dungeon was a black box; even with recordings, if the main party died, the truth died with them. But Seora had seen Sijun up close and knew the full story of his dealings with Buja. 'He wants more than just the accessories,' she thought. He was aiming for a Special dungeon after using underhanded tricks to clear a Unique one. That was a move only someone who had witnessed Buja's true power firsthand would even consider.

But she kept that observation to herself. "In any case, I'll pass along the message."

"Thank you." Voicing her suspicions now would only serve to wound his pride. No matter how much of a pest he was, Sijun was still a rising star of the SJ Guild and the youngest son of the SJ Group. There was no need to create an unnecessary conflict. "And we'll enjoy the food." Besides, he had brought them a month's worth of lavish meals.

Taking the polite dismissal, Sijun reluctantly departed. The moment he was gone, her team crowded around her.

"Team Leader, since when is Park Sijun capable of clearing a Special dungeon?"

"He isn't," she stated plainly.

"Right? But still, you die if you fail. For him to plan on entering with Mr. Kim means he must believe Mr. Kim's skills are truly that incredible."

The implication was staggering. And it didn't take long for their speculation to become shocking reality.

'Flash!'

A brilliant light erupted from the dungeon gate.

"Someone's out!" a team member shouted. "Someone came out of the dungeon!"

"What?" Seora spun around. "How?!"

Three days. It had taken Buja only three days to clear his third Unique dungeon.

* * *

There's a saying among players:

'It's impossible to calculate an average clear time, because a dungeon is its own ecosystem. To conquer it, you must invest the time it demands.'

It sounds like nonsense, but the meaning is simple: dungeons are not a game. Anyone who mistakes a dungeon for a place you can waltz into with a few potions and buffs is likely to find that it will be their last. You have to learn to live in them.

'A player spends more than half their life inside a dungeon—sleeping, eating, resting. Those who can't adapt, don't survive.'

Comfortable beds, deep sleep, savory meals—such luxuries are nonexistent in a dungeon. The first step to becoming a true player is to shed the need for them. For anyone below level ten, acclimatizing to dungeon life is more critical than leveling up.

'Levels? They'll come whether you want them to or not. But if you don't learn how to survive, how to read a dungeon's patterns and adapt to its conditions, then leveling up is just a faster way to die.'

After going through this brutal learning curve, every player's approach becomes somewhat standardized: establish a base, hunt, rest, sleep, hunt again. The core loop of hunting and resting remains the same regardless of the clear conditions. This extended downtime, a concept alien to video games, is why dungeon clears naturally take so long. Non-stop hunting is possible, but even for the most skilled players, endless combat leads to debilitating fatigue.

"How did you do it?" Seora demanded the moment he was within earshot.

Buja hadn't entered with overwhelming numbers, nor was this some low-tier Normal dungeon. He had produced an impossible result. In fact, no one on site could even process what had happened. They were all so stunned that they forgot the most basic protocol.

"Uh, shouldn't we send in the collection team first?" Buja prompted, breaking their stupor.

"Ah!" Seora flushed.

How did he do it? He decided to ground them in reality before explaining. No matter how fast he'd been, this was a Unique dungeon—a treasure trove that needed to be picked clean. A call was hastily made, and Seora immediately cornered him again.

"It was nothing special, really," he said with a shrug. "I went in, popped some buffs, and found the ants were manageable. The pheromone debuff vanished on its own thanks to the Vitality Accessories, and the ants themselves were basically walking weak points. One good stab and they were dead."

Even as he recounted it, the whole thing felt simple. "I killed one, and then a few more swarmed me. They were bigger than I expected, and the nest was surprisingly cramped. I got surrounded, started fighting them two at a time, and before I knew it, I'd killed about a hundred."

"Huh," Seora breathed.

"I got worried I'd clear the monster-kill condition before I even found the boss, so I started searching for the boss room. Found it pretty quickly, killed the queen, and came out."

After hearing his story, Seora just nodded. "Sounds easy." When he put it like that, it didn't seem like something to get worked up about, even as other team members were muttering that it couldn't have been a real Unique dungeon.

"So," she summarized, her eyes gleaming with understanding, "thanks to the Special-grade items a certain sucker gave you, the pheromone penalty was nullified. The second penalty was irrelevant since fifteen days hadn't passed, and the boss was basically a non-issue. For you, this was no different from a Normal dungeon."

From the perspective of a genius, not an average player, it made a strange kind of sense.

"Well, yeah, pretty much," Buja admitted, scratching the back of his head, slightly embarrassed by her calm analysis. He'd omitted the part where the Queen Ant had been genuinely powerful, strong enough to make him briefly regret seeking her out. But he had won, and he wasn't about to dampen the mood with complaints. Besides, the difficult fight had been worth it. "Anyway, since the monsters weren't buffed, I just steamrolled them with my gear. I didn't sleep for three days, but I did get a nice Unique item out of it."

"Oh!" The single word cut through the lingering confusion, and every eye snapped to his hand.

"A bracelet!"

"What are the stats?"

"Wow!"

A Unique-grade item. The grade alone could fetch billions. They weren't guaranteed drops, a fact Buja knew well after getting nothing from his first Epic clear. That was why they were so valuable.

Instead of listing its stats, he took one of Seora's hands. He gently ran a thumb over her soft skin before fastening the bracelet around her slender wrist.

"Huh?"

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The cheering team members fell silent, exchanging confused glances. 'What's happening?'

Seora looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Buja froze for a second before speaking. "What's with this mood? You're looking at me like I should get on one knee and propose we become bathing partners in a sauna."

"That's not what this was?" she shot back, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. He was drawn to her confidence, but he quickly shook his head.

"There's a nice vibe between us, but I have no desire to end up like Sijun," he said. "I just felt bad taking your items for free, so consider us even. It's not comparable in value, I know, but it should be pretty useful for you." He wiggled the ring on his finger, and a collective gasp went through the team.

"Thank you," Seora whispered, her cheeks slightly flushed. The Vitality set had been her wager, but receiving such a gift had still felt like a debt. He wasn't the type to be burdened by such things, but he felt it was only right to return the sentiment. After checking the bracelet's stats, her face broke into a radiant smile.

The tension broken, the team erupted into good-natured jeers. They all moved to the buffet trucks, and as they ate, Seora filled him in on Sijun's visit.

"Is he trying to get a free ride?" Buja mused. "Or is he planning to backstab me? The latter seems impossible."

"It looks like he saw your skills and wants to leech off you," Seora concluded.

The decision was his. After a moment's thought, he gave his verdict. "If he shows up again, tell him to come talk to me inside the dungeon. Alone." It was a clear message: if this was some petty scheme, he'd ignore it. If not, he'd listen.

"Okay."

With the matter of Sijun settled, Buja took a bite of a large shrimp and gave a thumbs-up. "By the way, does the Jeong Cheol Guild always live this lavishly while waiting for a clear? This is a great place."

"Of course not," she laughed. "Someone rented these for a month and told us to eat well while we waited for you."

"What kind of suck—ah." 'He must have taken a huge hit to his pride after this clear. He must be desperate.' A flicker of curiosity ignited within him. "I think I really do need to talk to him."

He had a feeling there was something more going on here. In games, whenever he got a feeling like this, it always led to an incredible drop.

* * *

"Is the dungeon secure?" Sijun asked, his voice low.

"Yes, sir. It's being managed with the utmost care," his subordinate replied.

"My performance was flawless. Make sure your preparations are as well."

"Yes, sir."

"You understand this cannot be leaked under any circumstances."

"Of course." The subordinate nodded, his face a grim mask. They stood in a secret, soundproofed room, their conversation heavy with conspiracy.

"I won't even need to hire mercenaries now," Sijun said with a cold smile. "To think such a perfect pawn would just fall into my lap. I may have lost two Special items because of him, but if I play this right, I'll make back my losses and then some."

"We must ensure you are not discovered during the clear."

"Obviously. I'll handle my end. You just have the collection team on standby. No one else in the guild can know."

"Yes, sir."

"Ensure their silence."

"Understood." His instructions delivered, Sijun leaned back, a triumphant smile on his face as he took a slow sip of whiskey.

* * *

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.