The Magical Hunter Girl Decorates the Dungeon! - Chapter 83

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Magic Hunter Girl Decorates the Dungeon! Episode 83
Hae-cho had received two messages a few hours ago.
One reported that an F-rank Dungeon had appeared in a neighborhood called Taekwon-ro, which seemed to have about three taekwondo dojos scattered around.
The other was a message from the Vice Association Chairman telling her to go on an assignment to that area.
“It’s F-rank—why me of all people?”
[False alarm. The F-rank Dungeon will be handled by the civil servant Hunters.]
“What? Then what am I supposed to do?”
[A group trafficking in illegal Magic Stones has been confirmed in Taekwon-ro. I need you to investigate them.]
“Illegal Magic Stones… That means the Association wants me to clean up their mess! This is even more annoying!”
Gwak Do-gi had no chance to protest further.
The cause stretched back several months—to an incident where an A-rank Magic Stone had been discovered in a C-rank Dungeon in Yeongju City, Gyeongbuk Province.
Some might call it a lottery win—
But from the Association’s perspective, it was like finding enriched uranium in a coal mine.
And there had been several similar cases since then.
In response, the Association conferred with the Ministry of Administration and Safety and imposed restrictions on private Magic Stone transactions to prevent dangerous stones from being traded.
The result was……
“Now it takes two days just to trade Magic Stones. All this certification nonsense.”
When legitimate trading becomes cumbersome, what happens to the market?
Naturally—
“Underground black market dealings increase, making things even more dangerous! Didn’t these idiots ever think about that?”
[Once the Certification System takes root, things should improve.]
“Right. After I clean up all this mess, the Vice Association Chairman will probably lord it over the Ministry. Anyway, what exactly is this group I’m supposed to investigate?”
[A pseudo-religion.]
“What?”
[Some Hunters who wanted to sell illegal Magic Stones but lost their market apparently partnered with a religious cult and sold these dangerous stones to their followers under the guise of miracle stones.]
“So what exactly do I need to do?”
[I’ll send you the address. Go in, rough up the ringleaders, and obtain the customer list—find out who those Magic Stones were sold to.]
“I really like that second part.”
Hae-cho stood up and stretched. But Gwak Do-gi’s words—or rather, the Vice Association Chairman’s instructions—were not yet finished.
[…There’s also a fourth task.]
“What is it?”
[Han Ji-hyeok. Remember him?]
“Oh, that suspiciously obedient S-rank kid?”
[The order is to take him on an assignment and teach him something about the work.]

* * *
In front of a convenience store located at the Taekwon-ro intersection.
The store’s glass wall had been completely shattered, and a yellow barrier had been erected in front of it.
“Please move along! No sightseeing!”
A civil servant was busily controlling the gathering residents.
But the rare event of a dungeon suddenly appearing—
And the chick-shaped Gate that had opened in the convenience store’s refrigerator kept drawing the crowd’s attention.
Whenever the Gate shimmered in rainbow colors, a draining sound could be heard.
Wheeze, wheeze, wheeze…
A sound like some sort of guinea pig squealing.
A citizen asked the civil servant.
“Is that really a dungeon? Is this some kind of liquor company event?”
“It’s a Gate! Don’t approach it, please. Hunters will be here soon!”
And at that moment.
Unable to overcome her anxiety any longer, Lee Ji, who had just arrived at the Taekwon-ro intersection, was bewildered by the peaceful scene.
‘On TV, dungeon accidents always left the surroundings in chaos.’
Outwardly, the only damage was to the convenience store. There were no people sitting and crying nearby. Everyone was simply watching peacefully.
‘Hmm?’
Among the peaceful onlookers, she spotted a familiar face. It was Jun-seo.
“Jun-seo!”
At the sound of a girl’s voice, a whole group of boys whipped their heads around. Jun-seo looked startled at first, then straightened his shoulders and broke into a broad smile, stepping forward.
“Lee Ji! What are you doing here?”
“I heard a dungeon appeared and got worried… What happened?”
“Apparently a dungeon opened up in the building next door.”
That much was obvious from looking.
Jun-seo didn’t seem to know any more than that.
Another boy, unable to stay quiet, explained instead.
“Something suddenly went bang! and the convenience store clerk and customer disappeared. That’s why the police came, and we’re waiting for Hunters now.”
People had vanished? Her earlier dismissal of the F-rank Dungeon evaporated in an instant.
‘Come to think of it, when I first fell into the Desert Dungeon, I was terrified too.’
If I’d been even a little slower, I might have lost my sight in that blazing heat.
While she was growing anxious, the Basketball Classroom Coach came running up behind the children.
“You brats! I told you to do self-guided practice—what are you doing out here?”
“A dungeon opened next door!”
“That’s exactly why you should stay inside! Ugh, nobody’s missing, right? Let me count… eight of you. That’s right.”
The Coach’s finger counted the heads of the children. And moments later, he noticed that the eighth head had hair that was a bit longer than the others.
“…Wait. You’re Jun-seo’s friend. Lee Ji, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Kids, where did Sang-chol go?”
“……”
No one answered, and the Coach tore at his hair.
“Nooo! Hey there, Officer! Who are the dungeon victims?”
“According to witness accounts, a woman in her sixties, the Shop Owner, and one young elementary school boy who was eating cup ramen! He was wearing a uniform.”
The Coach’s face went pale.
He immediately tried to cross the barricade, but a civil servant barely managed to stop him.
Fortunately, two civil servant Hunters arrived at the convenience store moments later.
“We’ll be going in now. Are you the guardian?”
“Yes! It looks like our student got trapped inside! Please, I’m begging you!”
“Don’t worry. It’s an F-rank Dungeon, so it should be over quickly.”
The Coach only managed to calm down and step back. The two civil servant Hunters climbed over the broken glass wall and walked into the back of the convenience store.
Wheeze, wheeze, wheeze…
The two Hunters disappeared along with the guinea pig-like sound.
The civil servant rolled down the shutter halfway and ushered the crowd back.
“There’s nothing to see. Please move back—it’ll be over soon—”
Police followed suit, dispersing the gathering.
The Coach pushed the children’s backs.
“Now, you all go back inside and do your self-guided practice. I’ll wait for Sang-chol.”
“Okay……”
Of course, the children turned around and walked back out, pretending to head into the Basketball Classroom building. Lee Ji and Jun-seo did the same.
Sitting quietly beside the convenience store building, they could hear the Coach’s trembling voice on the phone. Probably talking to Sang-chol’s guardian.
Jun-seo muttered to himself.
“Sang-chol said lately he wasn’t having fun with basketball anymore… I didn’t think he’d actually skip practice like this…”
Then another boy spoke up.
“Jun-seo. You don’t know Sang-chol dropped out?”
“Dropped out of what?”
“He originally wanted to go pro like you, but he failed the tryouts, so he’s stuck in the hobby class now.”
“Really? I never heard about that!”
“He lied to you. He was embarrassed. …Anyway, this is supposed to be a secret from Sang-chol.”
“……”
Another kid chimed in.
“But Sang-chol was planning to retake the test tomorrow.”
“Why skip practice and go eat ramen if you’re retaking the test tomorrow? What was he thinking?”
“…Huh, now that you mention it… Maybe I misheard and it was supposed to be next year?”
While the boys were chattering, Lee Ji leaned her body slightly through the back door of the building.
Beyond the corridor, she could see the back entrance of the convenience store.
All the lights were off, and the floor was littered with drink bottles as if a bomb had gone off.
A sound that didn’t match the horror movie atmosphere kept echoing.
Wheeze, wheeze, wheeze…
Jun-seo, who had drawn close to her side without her noticing, asked.
“Do dungeons make sounds like that?”
“I don’t know. This is my first time seeing it.”
“It sounds unsettling but kind of cute… which makes it even worse.”
“Maybe it’s a dungeon where guinea pig monsters live.”
She thought an F-rank Dungeon would be over quickly. But even after waiting more than five minutes, there was no word from inside.
“Lee Ji. Are you going to keep waiting?”
Lee Ji stood up as she answered.
“No. I saw you’re fine, so that’s enough. I want to go home.”
“…Hey. Since you’re here anyway, want to grab a Chocolate Milk? Let’s get one from the convenience store next door before we go!”
‘Should I?’
There seemed to be time for a drink.
As Lee Ji nodded and took a step, just as Jun-seo grinned in response to her answer.
A strange sound came from the convenience store.
Pssssh! Pssssh!
Several half-severed drink cans fell from the refrigerator and began rolling across the floor.
As if the moment when the Gate had opened in the refrigerator moments ago was repeating itself.
“Huh… What?”
The civil servant near the front entrance seemed a bit startled too. He tried to raise the shutter again.
In the meantime, drinks continued falling from the refrigerator, being cut in half—
And in an instant, the chick-shaped Gate pierced through the convenience store’s wall and stretched all the way to the elevator.
There was no time to escape.
“Ah…!”
By the time Lee Ji felt something hurtling toward her, her body was already suspended in the air. An overwhelming light engulfed both her and Jun-seo.
What startled Lee Ji most was the sensation of that light.
‘It’s so… soft and warm…!’

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