~ Chapter : 09 ~
“You were lucky. You got caught in a dungeon gate alone and still survived.”
“Yes…”
Before entering the deep blue vortex, the man said that in a sharp, rough voice. Hyoji let out a sigh of relief behind him.
‘Did I get away with it?’
As she swallowed nervously and stepped toward the vortex—
the man suddenly grabbed her wrist with quick reflexes.
“What are you doing?”
His sharp gaze turned toward her.
“W-what is it?”
She was just trying to leave the dungeon quickly…
Was there a problem?
Hyoji blinked with innocent confusion, and Jin-hwan let out a sigh.
She was so ignorant it was almost unbelievable.
At the entrance of a cleared dungeon, a strong energy current formed. If you were careless, you could be warped into another dungeon entirely.
There were even mandatory educational videos for civilians caught in gates—but she still didn’t know something so basic.
Jin-hwan held out his hand.
Hyoji blinked, looking back and forth between his hand and his face.
“Eek?!”
Her face quickly turned red up to her ears, and she leaned her upper body backward.
‘Hold hands? A grown man and woman?’
Her head was spinning.
She had recently read a popular novel:
A romance story between a top-ranked Hunter and an ordinary girl caught in a dungeon!
The two met fatefully, overcame danger together, and eventually got married.
‘…No way?’
Hyoji covered her mouth with both hands, her face red as she looked at the man.
Tall, well-built, muscular—like someone who used to be an athlete before becoming a Hunter. And his face was even more unbelievable.
Even top actors would be embarrassed standing next to him.
“Still, no!”
But Hyoji could not accept his feelings. She had decided she would never believe in love again.
Thanks to someone who turned five precious years of her life into trash.
“I already have a boyfriend.”
She lied again.
The man who had offered his hand looked at her blankly. He seemed slightly hurt by her firm rejection.
“So that’s how it is.”
“…Pardon?”
Hyoji blinked in confusion again.
Wasn’t he supposed to just back off when she said she had a boyfriend? That’s how it worked in dramas and novels.
“I’m going to marry him!”
In the end, she shouted loudly with her eyes shut tight, fists clenched.
A brief silence followed.
Only then did Hyoji realize something was off. She slowly opened her eyes.
The man was still staring at her, expressionless.
A heavy silence hung between them.
“Congratulations.”
Huh?
“If you’re getting married, you’ll need to get out of here safely. Take my hand.”
At his flat words, Hyoji’s face turned red again—this time almost burning.
‘Oh… that kind of meaning?’
He should’ve explained earlier that the warp out of a dungeon could be dangerous.
Hyoji covered her flushed face with her hair and took his hand.
But she only barely touched his fingers—and his brows immediately furrowed again.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought this would be enough…”
“At this rate, you won’t even make it to your wedding.”
“…Huh?”
The man casually said something terrifying.
Then he interlocked their fingers properly with his.
“Be careful. You might warp into another dungeon.”
“Yes…”
“Come closer.”
Hyoji, who had been leaning backward, had no choice but to stand right behind him.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the vortex, as if he was very used to it.
Whoooosh—
The moment they entered, strong winds wrapped around her body.
“Ugh!”
So this is why they said it was dangerous.
None of this was in How to Survive in a Dungeon. The wind was so strong her body swayed violently.
‘No!’
She couldn’t cause trouble for him.
In desperation, she waved her hands in the air, trying to grab anything.
But there was nothing to hold onto.
Her body tilted uncontrollably.
And before she could even react—
She stopped in midair.
Click!
A camera shutter sound rang out.
“Are you Hunter Kang Jin-hwan of the Haeyeon Guild?!”
“You’ve just returned to Korea and immediately went on a dungeon clear mission! Any comments?!”
“We heard you just returned from Japan! Could you comment on Japan’s dungeon situation?!”
Flashes exploded everywhere. Microphones were shoved forward. Reporters crowded like ants.
Hyoji stood frozen in an awkward midair position, completely forgetting her situation.
‘What is this?!’
And the man who had grabbed her collar to stop her fall—
‘Is that Kang Jin-hwan?!’
Even someone who didn’t know football would know Messi or Son Heung-min. Likewise, even though Hyoji knew nothing about Hunters, she knew the name Kang Jin-hwan.
Korea’s strongest Hunter. The world’s number one ranked Hunter.
The treasure of Haeyeon Guild.
The highest-paid Hunter in history.
‘That Kang Jin-hwan?!’
Still held in his grip, Hyoji blinked rapidly, looking between him and the reporters.
‘No way…’
But this was an A-rank dungeon. Normally, a guild team should have entered it together.
Yet this man had entered alone.
That meant—
‘It really is Kang Jin-hwan?!’
Even in this chaos, Jin-hwan’s expression did not change at all.
“I will decline the interview.”
He answered firmly toward the crowd.
“Just one comment, please!”
“The entire country is waiting for your interview!”
“No.”
With that, he pulled Hyoji up.
She stood easily, almost weightless in his grip.
Run.
That was the first thought in Hyoji’s mind.
Reporters, the world’s top Hunter Kang Jin-hwan, and herself—an unregistered Awakener who accidentally cleared an A-rank dungeon.
This was pure chaos.
She noticed a gap on the right side.
‘Run that way!’
She prepared to bolt.
But—
“Who is the person next to you?!”
The reporters’ attention suddenly shifted to her.
Right when she was about to run.
“Are you a new Hunter from the Haeyeon Guild?!”
“What is your rank?!”
“Did you clear the dungeon together with Kang Jin-hwan?!”
Questions flooded her instead.
‘What do I do?’
Her mind went completely blank.
‘I can’t let them find out I’m an Awakener.’
Panicking, she stepped in place helplessly.
Reporters swarmed closer like bees.
“Please say something!”
“You cleared an A-rank dungeon in record time! What is your rank?!”
“I-I’m not a Hunter…”
“Sorry?! We can’t hear you!”
“Please speak louder!”
“I said…”
Just as she opened her mouth again—
“I told you I’m not doing interviews.”
Her body was suddenly pulled into someone’s arms.
Looking up, she saw Kang Jin-hwan.
A large, firm hand rested on her shoulder.
“If you don’t want trouble, follow me.”
He whispered so only she could hear.
Hyoji nodded immediately. He had just saved her from this battlefield.
The reporters shut their mouths instantly at his words.
The noisy scene became silent in an instant.
“Hah… another wasted trip.”
“Yeah, same. I even went to the airport.”
“He’s really that arrogant. Kang Jin-hwan is famous for refusing interviews.”
“Still, it wasn’t a complete waste.”
As they left, reporters whispered among themselves.
One reporter’s sly gaze landed on Hyoji’s back.
“Ugh…”
A chill ran down her spine.
Jin-hwan glanced at her.
“Thank you for today. In many ways.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I helped because I needed you too.”
“…Pardon?”
Hyoji stopped walking.
‘Someone like him needs me?’
“First of all, I have no money.”
She said firmly.
“I’m so poor I survive by eating dungeon plants.”
Her sudden confession made Jin-hwan let out a quiet laugh.
“It’s true! I don’t even have savings. In this world, you can’t earn money unless you’re a Hunter…”
She tried her best to look pitiful.
A world-ranked Hunter helping her meant she would definitely be asked to pay something huge. And she couldn’t afford anything like that.
“Do I look like I need money?”
“…No.”
“And I didn’t do anything worth charging you for.”
He remained expressionless.
“Then… what do you need from me?”
“You’ll need to come with me for a moment.”
“Pardon?”
Was this an arrest scene from a crime drama?
“The Haeyeon Guild Master wants to meet you.”
Thud.
Hyoji felt her heart drop.
