Seo-jun Was in the 12-Q Dungeon

It was because he had run out of Krekseg pork belly.

The 12-Q Dungeon, which he revisited after a week, had undergone some changes.

First, the number of CCTV cameras had increased from just eight to sixteen. That was only counting the visible ones—there were eight more hidden here and there.

Well, if I were the owner, I’d be mad too.

The guards would lose consciousness without knowing the reason, and when they came to, the Kreksegs would be gone.

I should compensate them at some point.

Seo-jun started walking toward the third floor, where the Kreksegs were.

Then, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.

So this is the real thing.

The CCTV was just bait—the real trap was the yellow line in front of him.

His assumption was correct.

Kim Chul-jun had activated an A-rank trap skill and an S-rank detection skill in the 12-Q Dungeon.

He believed that these two skills would surely help him catch any tomb raiders who showed up.

If it had been an ordinary person... no, even an awakened one, Chul-jun’s plan would have worked. Unfortunately, Seo-jun was not ordinary.

Seo-jun waved his hand.

Dark crimson haze seeped into the trap skill that Chul-jun had set up.

That was all it took.

Just as he was about to wave his hand again—

Come to think of it, I’ve never actually experienced an awakened one's skills on Earth.

He had seen raid videos and highlights of awakened individuals on Entube, which Seo-woo had shown him with great enthusiasm, but watching and experiencing were two different things.

Deciding that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to test it out, Seo-jun cast Polymorph.

With no suitable form immediately coming to mind, he transformed into Doo-shik’s orc form.

Then, he lightly tapped the yellow line.

At that moment—

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAK!

With a deafening roar, massive rock formations shot up from all directions, completely trapping Seo-jun.

From the outside, it would look like a stone prison.

As he examined the rock formations, he sensed a presence.

Moments later—

Chul-jun, realizing his detection skill had been triggered, appeared, cheering.

“Finally caught the... huh?”

“Guild Master, are my eyes playing tricks on me?”

“Captain, do you also see an orc?”

“Guild Master, do you?”

“Yes. But did our dungeon ever have red orcs?”

“No. We only have green orcs here.”

“Right? I’ve only ever heard of red orcs appearing once in Russia.”

“Then, was this red orc responsible?”

“Most likely. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

The other guards stood ready to provide backup in case of an emergency, while Chul-jun charged toward Seo-jun.

His fist struck Seo-jun.

Thud!

The sound of flesh bursting.

Chul-jun was convinced.

The orc’s neck must have twisted grotesquely.

Crack—!

“Hmm.”

Meanwhile, Seo-jun couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

The faint white glow leaking from Chul-jun’s fist suggested that he had used some kind of skill, but Seo-jun didn’t feel a thing.

As Seo-jun remained still, the flustered Chul-jun threw another punch.

Thud!

“Hmm.”

Realizing that this wasn’t working, Chul-jun finally drew the Edeus Blade. A brilliant aura surged forth.

He slashed diagonally.

Got him!

This time, he was sure.

The sensation of flesh being cut traveled through his fingertips.

The dull resistance at the end suggested that he had sliced all the way to the ribs.

...Or so he thought.

W-what…?

Overwhelmed with confusion, Chul-jun clenched his teeth.

Then, he unleashed every skill he had.

Chul-jun was one of the top-ranked awakened in Korea. Seeing his skills up close was as rare as catching a star in the sky.

The guards took out their phones and started recording videos.

“Is that all?”

Seo-jun’s words drained the color from Chul-jun’s face.

For the first time since becoming an awakened, he felt the emotion of fear.

“H-h-how…?”

“Guess it’s over.”

“N-no, I still have more—”

Thud!

With just a flick of Seo-jun’s hand, Chul-jun and the guards collapsed, unconscious.

Returning to his original form, Seo-jun scratched his cheek as he looked down at Chul-jun.

I thought he looked familiar… turns out he was that guy from before.

The one he had saved when he was about to be killed by the Hydra.

For a moment, he considered letting that rescue count as his compensation, but that didn’t seem right.

Seo-jun reached toward the peacefully sleeping Chul-jun.

Dark crimson haze rose from his hand and slipped into Chul-jun’s nose.

This power should be enough compensation.

After dragging the unconscious Chul-jun and the guards outside, Seo-jun finally butchered the Kreksegs.

“Ugh…”

With a groan, Chul-jun woke up.

Looking around, he realized he was outside.

Once he came to his senses, he hurried back into the dungeon in search of the red orc from earlier.

But the red orc was nowhere to be found. Only freshly respawned green orcs bared their fangs at him.

Ha…

What was that red orc?

The red orc reported in Russia was said to have used magic. Could it be one of those?

Or was it a new type of orc?

He didn’t know.

But the fear remained.

It’s been a long time since I felt this kind of fear…

Even when he faced the Hydra, it wasn’t this bad.

But when he stood before that red orc, he felt sheer terror.

“Hoo…”

In the end, he had missed his chance.

As he sighed, the green orcs approached him.

Deciding he might as well take out his frustration, Chul-jun prepared for battle.

However—

Thud!

All of a sudden, the orcs dropped to their knees.

“Chiiiik! Please give us your orders!”

“...?”

“Chwik! We will obey any command you give!”

Chul-jun blinked, deep in thought.

Was he the one going crazy, or were those orcs the crazy ones?

Back at the shop, Seo-jun marinated and portioned the slabs of Krekseg pork belly.

Just as he was pondering how to handle the remaining meat—

“Excuse m… Ah! Mr. Seo-jun, you’re here.”

Unlike yesterday, Go Kyung-soo walked into the shop dressed in his police uniform.

“Yes. What brings you here?”

“I was wondering if you could make a meal like yesterday.”

“A meal?”

Seo-jun asked, prompting Kyung-soo to explain.

“We responded to a theft report, and the culprit turned out to have gone days without eating. All he stole were three red bean buns…”

“Hmm.”

“When we asked what he wanted to eat, he said he craved Korean food. But in District 12, places that serve good Korean food are rare. I suddenly remembered the meal you made yesterday and thought I’d drop by.”

“I see.”

“If this is too much of a request, please don’t feel pressured.”

“No, I was about to eat anyway. Four is better than one.”

“Ah! Thank you!”

Kyung-soo stepped outside and returned with Sergeant Park and the middle-aged man.

The man, unkempt and reeking of sweat, made Kyung-soo scratch his head awkwardly.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Park Yeon does the cleaning anyway.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Just a joke.”

“…Right.”

“How would you like your meal?”

“If it’s like the one you made for me yesterday, I’d be really grateful… but, if possible, could you also make kimchi stew?”

His request was cautious.

He must be worried about overstepping.

Kimchi had become an expensive side dish. Asking for a dish made with it was bound to make him hesitate.

It seemed like he needed some reassurance.

“Perfect timing. I was planning on making kimchi stew for myself, anyway.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Yes. Have a seat, everyone. I’ll bring it out shortly.”

Sergeant Park peeked over the kitchen counter and whispered,

“Wow, that smells amazing.”

“Told you, there’s no place like this.”

“I didn’t expect it to be this good, though. How can kimchi stew smell this incredible?”

“Why, are you craving alcohol again?”

“Of course. Having soju with this stew isn’t just drinking—it’s respecting the drink. Not drinking would be an insult. Right, Mr. Kang Min-seok?”

Startled, Kang Min-seok flinched and muttered,

“…Yes.”

“See? Good food naturally calls for soju.”

Shaking his head, Kyung-soo turned to Min-seok.

“By the way, Min-seok.”

“Yes?”

“I was too busy earlier to ask, but do you have anyone to contact?”

“Someone to contact…?”

“Yeah.”

“……No.”

As Min-seok shrank into himself, Sergeant Park waved dismissively.

“Come on, why are you bringing that up while we’re eating? You can ask later.”

Soon after—

Seo-jun walked out of the kitchen, carrying the kimchi stew.

Sergeant Park gasped in awe.

Boiling in a hot stone pot, the stew looked like a work of art.

The bright red broth, the soft white tofu, and thick slices of pork belly—topped with freshly chopped green onions—all blended into a picture-perfect dish.

“This would be perfect with a drink.”

If only he weren’t on duty…

Perhaps sensing his frustration, Seo-jun spoke.

“Come by again sometime. I’ll serve this stew as a proper side dish next time.”

“Oh! Can I come tonight?”

“I’ll have it ready.”

As Sergeant Park cheered, Seo-jun glanced at Min-seok, who was fixated on the kimchi stew and fried eggs.

“It’s hot.”

Ignoring the warning, Min-seok reached for a bowl.

“Ah, hot!”

“I told you.”

“I-I thought it was fine since you handled it barehanded…”

“I do this all the time. Anyway, there’s plenty of rice, so ask if you need more.”

“T-Thank you!”

With a small bow, Min-seok scooped some stew into his bowl.

After swallowing hard, he took his first sip.

“Ahhh…”

Is this what bliss feels like?

Min-seok thought this—not anything else—was true bliss.

Next was the rice.

He scooped a generous bite into his mouth.

Chew, chew—

The texture was perfect, fluffy yet slightly sticky.

It had been years since he had such a good bowl of rice.

Seeing him eat so enthusiastically, Kyung-soo and Sergeant Park also began their meal.

“Officer Go! Arrest him!”

“Huh? Arrest who?”

“That soju thief over there! Arrest him now—he’s dangerous.”

Kyung-soo shook his head and looked at Seo-jun.

“He does this sometimes… well, often. Please don’t mind him.”

“Officer Go, I can hear you.”

“Enjoy your meal, sir!”

No matter the profession or relationship, when people shared a deep bond, even outsiders couldn’t help but smile.

Seo-jun felt the same.

Watching the two interact, he couldn’t help but smile.

Well, they do face life-and-death situations together sometimes.

Among non-Awakened government officials, police officers had the highest mortality rate.

Since they were often deployed to dangerous situations, they had likely formed strong camaraderie akin to that of comrades-in-arms.

Even if they’re smiling now, they must be under a lot of stress.

Kyung-soo seemed to be managing well, but Sergeant Park—despite his endlessly bright demeanor—seemed to be under significant stress.