Dungeon & Commander

Dungeon & Commander – 8

A suppressed voice.

“Then try entering the simulator.”

“But the Socrates team isn’t all here yet. And I heard the captain is heading straight to the dungeon.”

“Not everyone needs to enter the simulator.”

“Really?”

This was news to him. They had always trained as a full team. He thought individual training could be done outside.

“Follow me. I’ll show you.”

It was rare for the guild master to personally explain how to use the simulator. Choi Moo-hyun felt Go Chul-min’s consideration for his debut today.

As Go Chul-min descended the stairs, he called out to Kim Joon.

“You too, get in.”

“Where?”

“There.”

The simulator was a sleek, silver cockpit-like structure. The simulation room, with its sterile atmosphere, housed ten of these simulators. Up to ten people could enter the virtual world simultaneously to practice raid operations.

There were rumors that Jushin’s simulation room had a hundred simulators, but Go Chul-min deemed ten sufficient. Financial constraints also influenced this decision.

“Me too?”

“Yes. Hurry up.”

To enter the simulator, they had to wear suits designed for easy system access. They laughed at each other in their tight, aerobics-like outfits.

“It’s your first time, right?”

“Yeah.”

“It’ll be fun. It’s amazing, like a virtual reality game.”

Choi Moo-hyun grinned.

As the two entered the simulators, Go Chul-min adjusted the settings. The simulator system, which cost the Dungeon Association hundreds of billions of won, was notoriously inconvenient, causing frustration every time it was used. It seemed 80% of the budget had been pocketed, and the rest used for production.

“What monster should we use? Wyresisaurus would be good. Its strength is immense. And the location, here.”

After completing the settings, he pressed the start button. A whirring noise filled the simulation room.

Go Chul-min sat in front of a large monitor. The simulation screen appeared, initially black but soon displaying astonishingly clear images.

Finally, a familiar location appeared on the screen.

“How is it?” Go Chul-min asked, pressing the button below the microphone.

“…This is the guild house,” Choi Moo-hyun’s voice came through the speakers.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

Go Chul-min pressed the attack button.

Kim Joon looked around, almost forgetting that he was inside a simulator. The realistic background included the bench by the entrance, the iron stairs leading to the master room, various exercise equipment, and even the simulation room, all perfectly recreated.

Turning his head, he saw Choi Moo-hyun, who was familiar with this place, sharply scanning his surroundings. Kim Joon moved behind Choi Moo-hyun. The carrier’s position was always behind the tanker. The tanker was a living shield, and the carrier stayed safely behind, coming out after the battle to handle the aftermath.

Thud, thud, the ground shook.

Choi Moo-hyun had already taken his stance. His body emitted a glow, drawing out internal energy to enhance his defense. Cracks spread like spiderwebs beneath his feet, indicating the immense power he was gathering.

The monster that entered the parking lot was a Wyresisaurus. This monster used its hard forehead as a weapon, charging powerfully to inflict damage. Without the buffer’s help, it was a perfect match for Choi Moo-hyun.

Snorting, the Wyresisaurus charged like a bull. A shield of light radiated from Choi Moo-hyun’s body. The monster’s hard forehead collided forcefully with the glowing shield.

A loud noise echoed.

Though his feet slid back, Choi Moo-hyun remained unscathed. At this moment, if the main dealer launched an attack, the Wyresisaurus would surely fall. The monster retreated and charged again. Its movements were straightforward and repetitive. Choi Moo-hyun also created the light shield in the same manner, deflecting the impact.

After three attacks, the Wyresisaurus slowly disappeared. Overtraining could have adverse effects, so Go Chul-min stopped the simulation.

Standing behind Choi Moo-hyun, Kim Joon recalled the monsters he had seen in the Bukaksan Dungeon. Both the Gelusaurus and the Pyrosaurus were incredibly fast, but their attack patterns were simple and linear.

What if the expedition team adjusted their responses based on the monster’s patterns? For a charging type like now, instead of the tanker wasting energy, the entire team could sidestep in unison, and the dealers could attack the monster’s back or sides. What if the team moved as one with the tanker, then struck the monster’s flank to topple it? Or dug a pit in advance, or used strong ropes to trip its legs?

They could subdue it more effectively. Of course, this approach would require the team to move as one cohesive unit.

The simulation ended.

After showering, the two emerged to find Go Chul-min waiting.

“How do you feel?”

“Much better,” Choi Moo-hyun replied with a broad smile.

“Good luck,” Go Chul-min extended his hand.

“We’ll depart in thirty minutes, so take a break.”

“Yes, Master.”

As Choi Moo-hyun walked towards the lounge, Kim Joon, intending to clean up the simulation room, was called by Go Chul-min.

“What did you see in there?”

“Excuse me?”

“Tell me what you saw.”

Go Chul-min was very serious.

“I saw a guild house that was incredibly realistic, almost indistinguishable from the real one.”

“And?”

“I didn’t realize the Wyresisaurus could charge that quickly.”

“And?”

“…Choi Moo-hyun’s defense… it’s impressive.”

“Is that all?” Go Chul-min asked with a disinterested expression.

Kim Joon hesitated, wondering if there should be more. He cautiously shared the ideas that had briefly crossed his mind. After he finished explaining, Go Chul-min remained silent, making Kim Joon’s heart sink. Despite their camaraderie, Go Chul-min was still a former awakened one and a renowned tanker. Perhaps Kim Joon had inadvertently bruised his pride.

When Go Chul-min crossed his arms, Kim Joon’s worry intensified.

“I’ll give you an assignment.”

“Excuse me?”

“Forget about going home early from today.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Most people leave the guild house by eight. They might go for a drink or something. After you finish cleaning, enter the simulator and review all the raids Uramata Guild has experienced. Analyze the monster behavior patterns, the expedition team’s responses, and identify strengths and weaknesses. Write a report on what needs improvement in Uramata’s teams. I’ll register your fingerprints in the simulator system. Start tonight.”

Kim Joon nodded silently.

The simulator was primarily a training tool for awakened ones. Carriers typically only participated in the final stages of raid preparation. It was almost unheard of for a carrier to learn or practice strategies in the simulator. Yet, here he was, being asked to write raid reports and identify team strengths and weaknesses.

“There are about seven hundred raid files in total,” Go Chul-min said casually before heading back to the master room.

That meant if Kim Joon reviewed one raid video per day, he would be doing this for the next two years. Instead of feeling daunted, Kim Joon felt a surge of excitement at the opportunity to learn about raids in-depth and systematically. If he had known such resources were available, he would have asked to see them, even at the risk of seeming rude.

Even though the carrier’s role was minor, understanding the whole picture would help him perform his duties better.

When it was time to depart, Yoo Jae-il, the manager responsible for overall guild operations, drove Choi Moo-hyun, Kang Jin-goo, and Kim Joon to the Gwanghwamun Dungeon.

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***

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The entrance to the Gwanghwamun Dungeon was underground, so from above, only a small door was visible. The guild leading this raid was Jushin, widely recognized as South Korea’s strongest guild. Jushin had numerous teams, both large and small. Today, it wasn’t the Han River team from the Bukaksan Dungeon but the Nakdong River team leading the raid.

Tankers stood at the front of the gate, followed by dealers and buffers, with carriers at the back. Kim Joon realized firsthand how valuable experience was. Thanks to his experience in the Bukaksan Dungeon, he felt no nervousness at all.

“Today is your turn.”

“I understand.”

Last time, Kang Jin-goo had handled the task of extracting the core from the monster’s body. Today, Kim Joon, who had diligently practiced searching, digging, and taking, would take on that responsibility.

“Just don’t rush,” Kang Jin-goo advised.

“Yes, sir.”

Rather than feeling fear, Kim Joon was more excited about entering the dungeon again. He realized he had a fondness for this unfamiliar and perilous world. It was like understanding why climbers were so determined to reach the summit of Everest, where nothing awaited them but a blanket of white snow.

Broadcast cameras meticulously captured the expedition team waiting for the dungeon to open. Their focus was on Jushin’s team, led by Nakdong River’s leader, Jo Dong-gun. Jo Dong-gun was a Level 3 Fire Attribute Tanker in his twenties, with high expectations of reaching Level 1 in the future.

While Lee Hwan was popular for his flashy attack power as a dealer, Jo Dong-gun was known for his steadfast reliability in dungeon breakthroughs, earning him a reputation. Typically, a high-ranking raider like Jo Dong-gun wouldn’t participate in a low-grade dungeon raid. However, due to the sudden change in the Bukaksan Dungeon’s grade last year, resulting in no casualties, Jo Dong-gun had taken on the E-grade raid.

The door opened.

“Advance,” Jo Dong-gun’s voice was calm.

The expedition team slowly entered the dungeon. Moments later, the gate closed behind them with a bang. The darkness that enveloped the dungeon was quickly pushed back by the light spheres shot by the buffers and dealers, but beyond a 15-meter radius, it was pitch black. It felt as if one could touch the darkness if they reached out.

“Today’s goal is for each team to secure five monster cores. We will not be clearing the dungeon. Safety is the priority. Once you secure any five cores, form a defensive formation and launch a signal flare,” Jo Dong-gun instructed the team leaders.

The teams immediately dispersed. Each team would hunt separately, and Jushin’s Nakdong River team would gather them together before exiting the dungeon. This was the core plan for today’s raid.

During movement, one of the two tankers would take the lead, and the other would cover the rear, forming a double tanker formation. Naturally, Choi Moo-hyun fell to the rear of Socrates.

Choi Moo-hyun forced a smile at Kim Joon, but it was more of a grimace. He couldn’t afford to relax for a moment.

“They’re approaching. It looks like Goldeisaurus,” said buffer Park Hong-sik.

Goldeisaurus was one of the most favored monsters by expedition teams. Though fierce and dangerous like other monsters, it didn’t unleash magical attacks. Its core contained highly pure gold, making it highly sought after.

“One, no, two of them,” Park Hong-sik shouted.

“Formation Reverse Triangle!” Kwon Joon-sang shouted.

Choi Moo-hyun, who was at the back, moved to Kwon Joon-sang’s side, and Park Hong-sik took the rear position. Park Hong-sik primarily enhanced the team’s attributes with buffs but also served as a semi-tanker in such situations. By enhancing himself, he could withstand one or two attacks from Goldeisaurus.

The golden dinosaur charged with its sharp forelimbs raised. Goldeisaurus bounced off the invisible barrier Kwon Joon-sang projected. At that moment, Han So-young’s barrage of magical arrows turned its body into a pincushion. The one that shook Choi Moo-hyun’s shield fled into the darkness.

After waiting for about five minutes, the leader gave the order to advance. Kwon Joon-sang and Choi Moo-hyun passed the fallen Goldeisaurus, while Han So-young took a detour.

Finally, it was Kim Joon’s turn. Holding a sharp rod made of special metal obtained from the dungeon, he ran towards Goldeisaurus. As he felt for the position of the sixth rib, the monster suddenly opened its eyes. As it lunged with its mouth full of sharp teeth, Kim Joon instinctively thrust the digger into its throat. While Goldeisaurus struggled, Han So-young created a magical sword and stabbed it in the chest.

The monster went limp.

“Are you okay?” Han So-young asked.

“Yes, I’m fine!”

“I noticed last time too, you’re quick to make decisions. You’re also agile, which is why you survived twice when you could have died.”

Han So-young returned to her position.

Kim Joon exhaled deeply and extracted the Goldeium from the dead Goldeisaurus. It took about five minutes, which was fast for a first attempt.

“Good job,” Kang Jin-goo said, placing the core into the storage bag.

A low, stern voice came from the front. Kwon Joon-sang was reprimanding Choi Moo-hyun for skipping the step of ensuring the Goldeisaurus was dead, which nearly got the carrier killed. The fact that the person who almost died was his closest friend made it worse.

Choi Moo-hyun couldn’t lift his head.

“Focus now,” Kwon Joon-sang said.

“Yes, Sir.”

As they returned to the double tanker formation for the advance, Choi Moo-hyun moved to the rear. Seeing Kim Joon, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I was so tense that I forgot. Are you okay?”

“That Goldeisaurus was pretty weak. Not even a scratch on me. So don’t worry,” Kim Joon replied, mixing in some humor.

While tension was necessary here, too much of it could be detrimental. Despite having experienced only one dungeon raid, Kim Joon had learned a lot from the Bukaksan Dungeon raid—wisdom that couldn’t be gained from training at the guild house.

“Stronger than you, buddy,” Choi Moo-hyun laughed.

Kang Jin-goo gave Kim Joon a thumbs-up, and Kim Joon nodded back.

The Socrates team continued to advance. Just as it was becoming tedious, buffer Park Hong-sik shouted with a contorted face, “Captain, we’ve got a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Hard to believe, but it looks like Nuklatarus.”

“What?”

Park Hong-sik nodded slowly. Seeing his expression, Kwon Joon-sang raised his fist, and the team halted.

“Silence,” Kwon Joon-sang whispered, and everyone froze as if turned to stone.

Kim Joon, unfamiliar with this situation, looked at Kang Jin-goo, whose face had turned pale.

“Turn off the lights,” Kwon Joon-sang ordered, and Park Hong-sik retracted the light spheres.

Darkness enveloped the team, making it impossible to see anything.

“Damn it,” Kwon Joon-sang muttered. A red dot appeared in the darkness, growing rapidly. The fiery monster approached like a curious puppy.

Nuklatarus stood 5 to 6 meters tall, similar to other large monsters. However, this one was only the size of a calf. As the heat from Nuklatarus washed over him, Kim Joon realized what the monster was.

Killing Nuklatarus would yield an incredibly valuable core called Nuklium. This core, used as a room-temperature fusion fuel, could sell for billions of won each. The problem was that it was extremely difficult to kill in one go.

Many expedition teams had been reduced to ashes trying to kill Nuklatarus. When attacked, this monster triggered a nuclear explosion, akin to a small nuclear bomb going off. Known to appear mainly in A-grade or deep B-grade dungeons, Kwon Joon-sang couldn’t fathom why it had shown up in an E-grade dungeon.

Last year, an incident in Japan saw five hundred raiders perish trying to capture a Nuklatarus. This event led to the collapse and disbandment of the internationally renowned Japanese guild, Genji.

The light emitted by Nuklatarus revealed the outlines of the Socrates team. If anyone touched the monster, the high temperature would burn their skin. Fortunately, it seemed to lose interest and gradually moved away.

“Phew,” Kwon Joon-sang couldn’t hold back his relief and sat down.

Since the end of last year, strange changes had been detected inside dungeons. Experienced reconnaissance teams frequently went missing, and powerful monsters that shouldn’t appear in lower-grade dungeons began to emerge. Despite this, experts from the Dungeon Association deemed it a temporary phenomenon.

Kwon Joon-sang felt that the very nature of dungeons was changing. It was an instinct only those who had entered the dungeons could have, something analysts and critics reading reports in safe offices could never understand. He hoped this intense intuition was wrong.

Dungeon grades played a crucial role in reducing casualties. Difficult and dangerous dungeons required hundreds of raiders to enter simultaneously, forming alliances. Simpler dungeons could be tackled by teams of four or five. If the grades became meaningless or disrupted, the consequences would be dire. Every dungeon would have to be treated as an A-grade, requiring over a thousand raiders to storm in.

“What should we do?” Han So-young asked.

“Hmm, launch the signal flare,” Kwon Joon-sang decided. With Nuklatarus appearing, the hunt was over.

Just as Han So-young was about to launch the flare, Park Hong-sik shouted, “Gelusaurus and Pyrosaurus are approaching simultaneously. One from the front, one from the rear.”

“Damn it! Hold the line with a double formation!” Kwon Joon-sang ordered.

To fend off attacks from two directions, the tankers had to split. Kwon Joon-sang reluctantly chose the formation that left their flanks vulnerable.

Choi Moo-hyun braced himself and focused on the front. He could hear the sound of something charging towards them from the darkness.

Buffer Park Hong-sik cast an anti-fire buff on Choi Moo-hyun and an anti-ice buff on Kwon Joon-sang.

“…What?”

“What’s wrong?” Kwon Joon-sang snapped.

“They’ve switched positions. Gelusaurus is at the rear, Pyrosaurus is at the front. The buffs are reversed. Be careful!” Park Hong-sik shouted.

“Shift positions clockwise. Formation Light Turn!” Kwon Joon-sang commanded as he moved backward.

Thanks to repeated practice, Choi Moo-hyun could keep his focus forward while shifting his position.

“Dealers, take down Pyrosaurus first,” Kwon Joon-sang ordered.

He blocked the sudden icy blast from Gelusaurus with a bluish barrier. Han So-young, hearing the command, aimed her magical arrows at Pyrosaurus’s chest right after Choi Moo-hyun barely withstood its attack. Five arrows struck its chest, causing Pyrosaurus to fall backward.

As Han So-young turned to deal with Gelusaurus targeting Kwon Joon-sang, Park Hong-sik’s face contorted in alarm.

“Another Gelusaurus is charging from the flank,” he shouted.