Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

commonly referred to as Mr. Park, was looking at the person lying on the bed with a perplexed expression.

“I’ve seen all sorts of people since I started this job, but this is really… unusual…”

The sight of the Titan guild master reduced to being in a patient’s position, having to rely on someone with an illegal medical setup, was something Park could hardly describe.

“Are you sure nothing is going to come back to me from this?”

Feeling anxious about potentially being involved in something troublesome, Park prioritized his own safety.

“You’ve watched too many movies, Doctor. Surely nothing can happen just for saving a life.”

“Then why do you keep glancing outside?”

“Umm…”

“I’m not planning to kick you out, so just be honest with me.”

Hearing Park’s words, Kang Jin-hyuk scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

“I can’t give you all the details, but let’s just say I’m being chased.”

“Damn it! I knew it!”

The fact that the Titan guild master couldn’t even visit a proper hospital was a clear sign this was far from a minor incident.

If things went south, his life could disappear along with the building.

Yet, Park, as he initially stated, had no intention of chasing Seo Sang-ho and his companions away.

As an unlicensed doctor, it was essential for him to maintain equity in accepting any patient.

If he started rejecting some while accepting others, he could easily end up stabbed by someone who felt wronged.

“Damn, it doesn’t seem human to just send off a patient who made it this far.”

Though it had been seven years since his license expired, Park still considered himself a doctor.

He let out a small sigh that no one could hear, regaining his composure.

“Well, the immediate danger is gone, so you should wake up in about two weeks.”

“T-Two weeks? Are you saying he’ll be in a coma for that long?”

“There’s no other way. It’s not like this is an ordinary hunter; an S-rank hunter’s been hit by this poison…”

A basilisk was not typically seen as a significant threat to ordinary people.

To someone who was not a hunter, the basilisk’s venom was just slightly stronger than a wasp sting.

The poison specifically targeted hunters as its prey, functioning like a natural enemy to them.

The higher a hunter’s stats, the more dangerous the poison became.

An S-rank hunter like Seo Sang-ho could teeter between life and death from just a small amount of venom.

Had he taken just one more sip of the poisoned drink, recovery would have been impossible.

He would have inevitably faced severe impairment.

“It’s a blessing that he’s only sleeping for two weeks.”

“Just being able to stay safe during that time would be fortunate.”

Kang Jin-hyuk buried his face in his hands, collapsing onto a nearby chair.

“What am I going to do about this?”

He did not expect Seo Sang-ho to instantly regain full power upon treatment.

But two weeks?

He was hardly confident in facing Titan’s pursuit by himself during that long stretch.

No matter how good he was at keeping quiet, certain things couldn’t help but get out.

Considering Titan’s capabilities, they would likely find out their location in less than three days.

Park guessed what Kang Jin-hyuk was worried about, but he had no advice to give.

“Such bad people, yet they make you feel bad for them.”

While he reflected on their situation, Park heard the doorbell ring and headed to the entrance.

After confirming who it was via the intercom, Park approached Kang Jin-hyuk again.

“You might want to pause your worries for now.”

Kang Jin-hyuk, still looking down, finally noticed someone else had come.

“Could it be already…?”

Assuming Titan’s hunters had arrived, Kang Jin-hyuk pulled a baseball bat from his inventory.

However, Park waved his hand to stop him.

“It doesn’t seem like the kind of people you’re thinking of.”

“Who are they?”

“Well, I think you know them pretty well.”

Kang Jin-hyuk tilted his head and approached the still-active intercom.

“Oh?”

To his surprise, he recognized the face on the screen.

“Why are those people here?”

After a moment of contemplation, Kang Jin-hyuk opened the door.

If they had come all this way, there was surely a reason, so he decided to hear what they had to say as Park suggested.

* * *

Sitting across from Kang Jin-hyuk at a table was Lee Jun-cheol and Jo Hyung-il.

They placed a small pouch on the table.

It was likely something that could hold a camera.

Most likely an inventory.

“We’ve brought the potions you ordered.”

“You didn’t come all this way just to deliver one potion, did you?”

There was no need for someone like Lee Jun-cheol to personally deliver something so trivial.

Especially since they tracked him down to this place, it didn’t seem like a request made without ulterior motives.

“As you expected, the potion delivery is just an excuse.”

“So what’s the real objective?”

“We want to board the same boat as you.”

“…”

Their sudden visit and such words prompted Kang Jin-hyuk to hesitate before tackling the implications.

“Why?”

This wasn’t a question tinged with suspicion but pure puzzlement.

They weren’t hunters, nor were they part of a large guild.

Frankly speaking, they were simply people who had been scavenging for scraps.

“Do you understand what’s happening right now?”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s inquiry prompted Lee Jun-cheol to nod.

“I don’t know the full details, but I realize the guild master of Titan is involved in something serious.”

At that moment, Kang Jin-hyuk looked towards Park.

The only person who could have mentioned Seo Sang-ho’s situation was the doctor.

“Ahem.”

Feeling guilty, Park cleared his throat and intentionally avoided Kang Jin-hyuk’s gaze.

“Didn’t you say you needed to keep things confidential?”

“Well, that’s not exactly…”

“What? Do you plan to deny it?”

As Kang Jin-hyuk reached for the baseball bat he had previously set aside, a sense of urgency flared up in Park.

He was aware of the consequences of revealing secrets to outsiders.

If necessary, Kang Jin-hyuk could report his disclosures to Titan.

Park saw Kang Jin-hyuk’s serious gaze and felt dread creeping over him.

“Okay, okay! I admit it! I’ll cover the treatment fee, just please calm down.”

He mentioned returning the exorbitant fees of treatment multiple times, but Kang Jin-hyuk was far from placated.

“If I let the people tracking us know, do you think that money will save you?”

It would be better to smash Park’s skull now and live freely afterward.

That was Kang Jin-hyuk’s point of view.

Park, voicing his rambling thoughts, calculated everything rapidly in his mind on how to resolve it.

“Stop spinning me in circles and do as I say if you want to live.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“First, hand over your cellphone.”

Park obediently pulled out his phone and handed it to Kang Jin-hyuk.

As soon as he received it, Kang Jin-hyuk crushed it with a grip, then extended his hand again.

“Hand over another.”

“Another? Do you think anyone has more than one phone?”

“Hmm…”

While dealing with Jo Hyung-il’s organization on the black market, Kang Jin-hyuk had learned quite a bit about the circumstances here.

In his experience, it was an obvious lie to say anyone in this line of work had only a single contact device.

“Should we start checking?”

“Ugh!”

Reluctant, Park ultimately fished out all the phones he possessed.

“I swear I gave you everything, so please don’t smash them. I’ve got to make a living.”

If he lost contact with everyone around him, his work would become much more difficult, and Park pleaded like someone desperate.

Kang Jin-hyuk had some understanding of that situation as well.

Reluctantly, he entrusted all the confiscated phones to Lee Hyena.

“Make sure you don’t hand them over until this whole thing is settled.”

“Of course.”

Even after blocking all external communication, Park’s punishment wasn’t over yet.

Seeing Kang Jin-hyuk approach, Park went pale.

“What now?”

“What do you think? I have a proposal.”

Put your arm around Park’s shoulders like a close friend, Kang Jin-hyuk pointed to Seo Sang-ho lying on the bed.

“You need to follow us around until that friend wakes up.”

“Wh-What if I refuse?”

“Do I really need to spell it out for you?”

With a grin, Kang Jin-hyuk spun the baseball bat like he was playing with a pen.

Park gulped involuntarily, fearing that his head might be smashed if he misstepped.

“Okay, okay! I understand! I’ll do as you say. Just don’t kill me!”

Even with its absurd nature, it was Park’s fault for creating this situation.

He couldn’t turn elsewhere to take his grievances.

He’d already lost any credibility by undermining the trust in this trade.

If it spread that he had betrayed others’ trust in this business, potential jobs would dry up.

“Are we done solving matters?”

After silently watching, Jo Hyung-il spoke up, and Kang Jin-hyuk sat back down across from him.

“The real problems are just beginning. Frankly speaking, I can’t understand your feelings at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, by getting involved in this mess, what do you stand to gain?”

There was only danger, not profit, in this situation.

Sure, if things turned out well, the benefits could be substantial.

Yet, the chances of it happening were nearly nonexistent.

Kang Jin-hyuk felt obligated to help due to his debt to Seo Sang-ho, but there was no similar obligation for Lee Jun-cheol.

Kang Jin-hyuk, though engaging with him, never counted on loyalty emerging from the two.

Trust was practically nonexistent when dealing with such shady individuals making deals for money.

The exception was that a sum of money could easily flip allies to foes.

Jo Hyung-il fully grasped Kang Jin-hyuk’s assumptions, as he himself was someone trepidatious about such an offer.

Even he could discern that this proposition was shadier than it appeared.

To gain trust with someone in a deal, you had to reveal your true motives.

That was Jo Hyung-il’s idea.

“We don’t want to keep being the ones tidying up after hunters.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“It’s a chance to properly operate a business through this opportunity.”

“I mean, what’s your plan?”

At that inquiry, Jo Hyung-il’s gaze drifted toward Seo Sang-ho.

“Based on my conjecture, it seems serious internal strife has arisen within Titan.”

“…”

“You won’t be able to return Titan to its old ways. Wouldn’t it be better to just branch off?”

Kang Jin-hyuk finally grasped Jo Hyung-il’s intention.

“So essentially, you’re suggesting forming a new guild?”

“Precisely! With S-rank hunters like you around, what do you have to fear?”

“Are you serious?!”

It was Lee Hyena who erupted in disbelief.

Having chased Seo Sang-ho from the moment Titan was formed, she found it hard to accept the notion that they’d abandon Titan to create a new guild.

“You’re saying we should just give up on Titan?!”

“Exactly.”

“W-What did you just say?”

“What’s more, simply put, the guild leader has reached a level where he can’t be trusted anymore. It’s not an overstatement to say Titan no longer stands by Seo Sang-ho.”

Otherwise, where were the others loyal to Seo Sang-ho?

The fact that they lacked anyone supporting him here was enough to underline that point.

Jo Hyung-il challenged Lee Hyena’s standpoint.

However, she couldn’t say anything back to him.

“Really? There are far too many enemies in Titan. Folks that are just waiting for a greater gain.”

“You can’t fix a decayed entity. It’s better to start anew. That’s a historically proven approach.”

“Wouldn’t that come too soon at this juncture?”

“It’s precisely now that we must put the idea on the table.”

This moment served as the perfect opportunity.

Jo Hyung-il was steadfast in his belief.