Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 020

 

“Damn it, a kid followed me!”

 

Kim was startled by the soft cheek he felt against his palm and quickly pulled his hand away.

 

He had frantically opened a door trying to avoid Big Guy, only to find himself in some dark hallway.

 

Still, satisfied that it was a perfect place to hide, he had entered and discovered this at the end of the hallway.

 

A gate.

 

Seeing something familiar, a good idea suddenly came to mind.

 

‘I’ll hold out inside the dungeon like before…!’

 

He had lasted a whole month when he tried to smuggle himself to China, so surely he could endure just a few days.

 

Besides, looking around, he thought he knew where this place was. He could find information about this gate from the electronic pad embedded in the wall.

 

[Safety Grade Dungeon C1116–E Grade.]

 

BOND’s safety grade underground dungeon that he’d only heard about.

 

‘They said they only buy and collect the so-called where safety is guaranteed, right?’

 

Grinning broadly at his stroke of luck, he approached the gate.

 

“Hmm…?”

 

But from a distance, he could see something approaching with small sounds. Kim immediately pressed his body against the wall nimbly.

 

‘Could it be the Security Team?’

 

-Tap tap tap tap.

 

What?

 

-Tap tap tap tap tap.

 

Only the sound of footsteps echoed, but no human figure could be seen anywhere.

 

He kept watching ahead, but could only sense a presence. He could feel his muscles gradually tensing with creeping anxiety.

 

“What could this be?”

 

-Whoosh.

 

Kim’s head quickly turned toward the gate where the sound was coming from.

 

“…!”

 

He stared as if mesmerized at the small thing spinning around in front of the gate, looking here and there, then let out a startled cry in a low voice.

 

“Hey! What are you? How did you get in here?!”

 

However, this small thing completely ignored Kim.

 

“It looks interesting. It’s similar to the color of the potion Noah showed me~”

 

“Hey kid! How did you get in here??”

 

“…”

 

At the continued questioning, the little brat turned around crookedly and replied.

 

“I opened the door.”

 

Look at this kid?

 

A boy who looked like trouble walked toward Kim with heavy steps.

 

His eyes were sharp with displeasure about something, and Kim wanted to give him a piece of his mind, forgetting the situation.

 

Now that I look at him, isn’t this one of the kids who was talking about poop to me in the restroom earlier?

 

“…Tae-jae!! Where are you?!”

 

“…!”

 

But just then, a voice that seemed to be looking for this kid came from behind.

 

“Huh? Teacher? Teach-!”

 

Before the child could respond to the voice calling him, Kim panicked and covered the child’s mouth with his hand.

 

“…Mmph.”

 

His heart pounded frantically from shock and sweat trickled down.

 

‘If I get caught here, it’s over.’

 

As the presence drew closer, Kim grabbed the child like he was being chased and rushed into the gate.

 

And so, presently.

This troublesome little brat was glaring at him fiercely.

 

“What are you staring at?”

 

“You, mister.”

 

“Don’t stare at me. You little brat.”

 

“How do you lay down eyes? What does laying mean? I know about laying down blankets, is it the same thing?”

 

“….”

 

I was left speechless by the kid’s expert-level retort. I opened and closed my mouth several times in anger before finally just turning my head away sharply.

 

‘Patience, patience. What’s the point of getting worked up over a grain-of-rice-sized brat like this…!’

 

I huffed and looked around the Dungeon. I’d felt it since we first entered, but this place was quite different from the dungeons I’d been in so far.

 

‘This is the first time I’ve seen a place like this.’

 

At the end of the vast space stood sheer rock walls, and in the center stretched an endlessly sprawling, poorly maintained grass field.

 

It was clearly dark, yet not dark.

 

This must be the reason for that. Kim looked down at the stone embedded at his feet.

 

Light-Emitting Mineral.

 

These stones were embedded sporadically in the floor along the field path.

 

When I stared quietly at these minerals emitting a gentle blue light, I felt like I might get sucked into somewhere.

 

‘What is this thing that feels so unsettling?’

 

…Well, thanks to it, I’m walking comfortably though.

 

“What’s your name, mister?”

 

As I was walking, trying to shake off the unpleasant feeling, the kid who had been following behind me asked.

 

Kim glanced at the kid and spoke with a deflating sneer.

 

“What are you going to do with that information?”

 

I’ll just walk with him like this, and when the kid gets tired, I’ll abandon him and leave.

 

My conscience had been worn down to sand long ago, too much to feel guilt over abandoning one little kid like this.

 

Why would we need to know names when we’ll part ways soon enough?

 

“Hey! I don’t want to be called ‘kid’!”

 

“Then shouldn’t you tell me your name first?”

 

“I learned that asking first is polite. What were you doing instead of learning things like this, mister?”

 

“….”

 

This hopeless little brat is being polite in the strangest places?

 

Kim coughed a few times and awkwardly let slip his name.

 

“Kim Pyo-sang.”

 

The awkward pronunciation lingered on his lips. Even though it was his own name, he felt strange since he barely remembered saying it.

 

Well, after quitting his job, no one had asked for it.

 

“I’m Nam Tae-jae.”

 

So what? Kim Pyo-sang’s face hardened as he looked down at the child who was now walking alongside him.

 

“Hey, Nam… Tae-jae? Let’s go our separate ways now.”

 

I want to get rid of this burdensome child quickly.

 

I’m busy enough trying to save my own life, and I have no intention of dragging around a kid who might cry at the slightest touch.

 

“I’m following the path though.”

 

“Ah, is that so? Then you go that way. I’ll go this way.”

 

Kim gritted his teeth and even kindly pointed with his finger. Drawing on his last bit of patience.

 

“Okay. Take care.”

 

I’d thrown out the suggestion just in case, but the kid turned around without a trace of regret and started walking toward the field corner.

 

Trudge, trudge. Watching the yellow bag gradually disappear, Kim also turned his steps again.

 

‘…What, how anticlimactic.’

 

I thought he’d follow me more persistently, or cling to me crying like a child would.

 

I felt unpleasant, like a stone had been placed on my chest, but my tense nerves relaxed considerably.

 

Right, this is it.

 

Now that the round head had disappeared from view, my mind finally seemed to be working again.

 

‘Let’s see. Where should I hide?’

 

Dungeons managed by large Hunter Companies like BOND were generally low in danger level.

 

Occasionally there were high-level ones, but those had different purposes. Generally, they deliberately didn’t clear them and instead extracted monster byproducts or resources that could only be obtained in dungeons.

 

This was also why dungeons were called a kind of new generation ‘mine.’

 

However, non-combat type Awakeners like Kim should be careful to protect themselves even in safe-grade dungeons.

 

If they happened to encounter a Monster, there was no other option but to run away.

 

It was annoying to keep running around, so he should find somewhere to hide and rest leisurely.

 

“Mister.”

 

“Wh-what?!”

 

He was humming while looking for a suitable place… when that ominous voice came from beside him again!

 

“Y-you, why did you come back?!”

 

“The path over there is blocked by a Wall. And strange kids keep chasing me.”

 

“If the path is blocked, you should go somewhere else on your own! Why are you following me?”

 

“I could only see a path here… Is this perhaps your Home, mister? If so, I’m sorry.”

 

The guy who appeared again apologized, clasping his hands together neatly and bowing his waist, which was absurd.

 

What is this, does he know what he’s doing or what?

 

No, more than that.

 

Wait… didn’t this guy say something earlier?

 

“…What did you say earlier.”

 

“I don’t remember.”

 

“No! You said the path was blocked earlier, then what else did you say?!”

 

“…I don’t know. The path was blocked and strange kids were chasing me, so I came here…”

 

“Strange kids?”

 

“Yes, they’re small and cute-looking… Oh, there they come. We meet again. Hello~”

 

Seeing the guy turn around and greet them, Kim also stopped walking and checked.

 

In the distance… he could see grass-like things approaching from the direction where the kid had disappeared.

 

“What is that?”

 

Can grass normally move?

 

And why, why does it seem like the ground is moving?

 

As the figures got closer, the ground vibrated finely. Gradually, their clear appearance came into view.

 

Where faces should be, they wore Animal Skull Masks, with moss wrapped around their bodies, short and stocky in height, holding small axes or shovels in one hand!

 

At a glance, they definitely weren’t human.

 

Then, what would be in this place…

 

“…!!”

 

“Hello, what are your names?”

 

Mon, Monsters.

 

As soon as that thought occurred, he immediately grabbed Nam Tae-jae’s side and ran.

 

Abandoning a kid without knowing anything was strictly different from abandoning them knowing they would die right before your eyes!

 

And though it wasn’t something to brag about, his running skills weren’t bad thanks to his eventful past experiences.

 

Kim ran with veins bulging in his neck, relying only on stamina and leg strength.

 

Really, damn it!

 

“They suddenly tried to give me an Axe, so I just didn’t take it and came here. Don’t you think they might be strange but kind friends?”

 

No, no?

 

They weren’t trying to give you an Axe, they were trying to strike you down with it!

 

“Mister, you’re running too fast, I think I’m going to throw up.”

 

“D-don’t throw up!”

 

“I ate a little while ago!”

 

“Swallow it! Swallow it!”

 

“Uuueeeewk.”

 

“Yaaaahhhhh!!”

 

His right arm getting warmly soaked made him feel like his soul was leaving his body.

 

Behind them, some Dwarf Monster was chasing with a Blade, and on his right arm, another dwarf was throwing up.

 

***

 

I grabbed the dazed Kwon Hae-seong by the collar and threw myself into the gate.

 

As soon as I entered the dungeon, I could feel the air change against my skin. But before I could even register that change, my eyes were already spinning.

 

Where are they, those little brats.

 

“…We lost them.”

 

Kwon Hae-seong muttered in a voice that sounded almost tearful, looking utterly dejected.

 

“….”

 

No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see the yellow bag or sky blue tracksuit that had been visible even from 10 meters away.

 

Instead, I saw something else.

 

A landscape I could never find no matter how hard I looked within my living radius of concrete buildings on all sides.

 

This space shrouded in early evening darkness even felt mysteriously eerie. Here and there were large moss-covered rocks, and behind them towered high rock walls.

 

However, my impression upon seeing this scenery was closer to shock than admiration.

 

“It’s a maze…”

 

Have I gone crazy.

 

Really, it’s a maze.

 

If my brain wasn’t refusing to accept reality and making me hallucinate… what spread before my eyes was a large maze made of crude grass walls.

 

With no way to tell where it ended.

 

“Nam Tae-jae!! Don’t die!”

 

Just then, Noah’s desperate cry echoed and reverberated outside the maze.

 

Without even thinking to sigh, I gestured toward Kwon Hae-seong.

 

“First, let’s find the kids.”

 

 

As I walked along the maze, I discovered that glowing stones were embedded in the floor of this path.

 

At least it was fortunate that there was something serving as lighting like this – without it, just walking would have been a challenge.

 

And I could also discover things like this.

 

Footprints.

 

Thanks to that, finding the three children wasn’t difficult. Kwon Hae-seong, who had an uncanny ability to spot palm-sized footprints, eventually found them in a dead end.

 

“Teacher.”

 

“…You little brats.”

 

My hollow laugh was brief, as both Kwon Hae-seong and I silently clenched our fists.

 

‘Well, this is… what now.’

 

Behind the children waving their hands, I could see a monster the size of a refrigerator…

 

It was quite threatening as it waddled toward us making sounds like “Uuuuu-“.

 

That couldn’t possibly be one of those monsters I’d only heard about…

 

“That thing’s noisy.”

 

“Did that thing eat Nam Tae-jae?”

 

Meanwhile, the children who hadn’t grasped the situation were having a casual conversation with a monster right in front of them.

 

“Hmm, Noah. Tae-jae probably wasn’t eaten by that ugly thing. If you look closely, its teeth are round like a herbivore’s, and animals like that usually don’t eat meat.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Yeah, carnivorous animals have sharp teeth. And my brother said you only chew things that are worth chewing, and ugly-faced animals chew really well. But this one is ugly but looks kind.”

 

“What does having an ugly face mean? Do ugly things chew well?”

 

“Don’t you know? Maybe it just looks like this – eek!”

 

Finally, Kwon Hae-seong muttered quietly with a shocked expression.

 

“That’s not how it works…”

 

I silently increased my running speed.

 

In this maddening situation, only the adults were in a panic.

 

“You know what. It looks like ‘Hello T-Bot’ with ‘Booster’.”

 

“Does it? My brother said he’d buy me a T-Bot for my birthday this time.”

 

“…Nam Tae-jae really likes T-Bot too.”

 

And the moment we approached within arm’s reach of them.

 

The monster’s heavy arms came crashing down toward the children’s heads.

 

-Thud!!

 

I slid forward and stretched out one arm. Then I wrapped my arm around the waists of the three children and rolled my body.

 

In sync with my movement, Kwon Hae-seong threw a punch toward the Monster.

 

The burning sensation on my back lasted only briefly before I jumped up from my position and ran frantically toward the back.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Startled, the children only nodded their heads.

 

I set the children down in a distant spot and looked back at Kwon Hae-seong, who was engaged in fierce combat with the Monster.

 

The Monster fighting Kwon Hae-seong wore a Buffalo Bone Mask the size of a rice cooker on its head, and every time it moved its head, I could hear the sound of wind being split.

 

‘How brutal.’

 

However, what was surprisingly unexpected was that Kwon Hae-seong wasn’t struggling as much as I thought against that Monster.

 

…Though he wasn’t overwhelming it either.

 

In a way, it made sense. That guy isn’t even part of the BOND Field Team, so how could he win in a direct fight with a Monster?

 

If we keep dragging this out, we’ll all be in danger.

 

Seeing Kwon Hae-seong glancing over here repeatedly, I shouted loudly.

 

“Don’t look over here and focus!”

 

Is this really the time for you to be worrying about us?

 

Then I immediately rummaged through my bag. It was packed full with the Discarded Products that Section Chief Lee Won-woo had given me.

 

There had to be a way.

 

Some method to break through this situation.

 

As for charging in with just my bare body, I had some sense left.

 

‘I’d just die.’

 

Like autumn leaves, if that Monster so much as shook its head, I’d be smashed against some rock.

 

So my plan was to find something from the bag to grab in my hand before charging in.

 

‘…This is!’

 

As a cold sensation brushed across the back of my hand, I reflexively gripped it tight. Looking down at it silently, I found myself nodding without realizing it.

 

I remembered.

 

A plausible plan that could break through this situation.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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