Dungeon & Commander

Dungeon & Commander – 7

The next day, the atmosphere at the guild house was heavy. Kim Joon, feeling the weight of the mood, glanced around nervously and asked Choi Moo-hyun, but he knew nothing either. Kang Jin-goo and the others remained tight-lipped.

Given the success of yesterday’s dungeon raid, Kim Joon had expected a celebratory mood today.

Just before lunchtime, Go Chul-min made a decision. He called Oh Woong-ho and, as he was about to sit on the sofa, Go Chul-min spoke.

“You seem to be close with Thunderbolt Guild?”

“…What do you mean?” Oh Woong-ho feigned ignorance.

“I know everything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jung Sang-mok and Kim Cheol-soo confessed. They said yesterday’s car accident was deliberate.”

Oh Woong-ho glared silently at Go Chul-min before crossing his arms.

“That’s right.”

“Why?”

“We do all the hard work, but you guys take all the rewards.”

Oh Woong-ho was already prepared to leave the Uramata Guild. His plan was to deal a final blow to Uramata and strengthen Thunderbolt Guild. If yesterday’s plan had succeeded, he would have received a substantial financial reward. However, the unexpected participation of the newbie in the raid had thwarted his plans.

“Are you talking about the raiders?”

“Yes, the raiders! Those awakened ones! Just because they have abilities doesn’t mean they should discriminate against people like that.”

Oh Woong-ho shouted angrily.

Go Chul-min immediately understood the reason and sighed. Oh Woong-ho intended to leave a seed of discord behind.

According to the current regulations of the Dungeon Association, there was an insurmountable line between raiders and carriers. The disparity was stark, starting with their basic salaries. Carriers were in a far worse position, often exploited.

Despite this, people flocked to become carriers because, although poorly paid compared to raiders, they still earned more than the average office worker.

Go Chul-min let Oh Woong-ho rant. The man had nowhere to go. Thunderbolt Guild would face an audit and disciplinary action from the Dungeon Association for this conspiracy. There was no way Thunderbolt Guild would take in Oh Woong-ho and the two carriers involved.

As Oh Woong-ho was escorted out of the guild house, Go Chul-min sat down and sighed deeply.

Last year, he had tried to double the carriers’ salaries. Financially, it was feasible, but the Dungeon Association intervened. They argued that if Uramata Guild increased salaries, other guilds would be affected as well.

Go Chul-min had met with the high-ranking officials of the Dungeon Association to explain, but they were unmoved. They even hinted that if he didn’t retract his decision, Uramata Guild would face indirect disadvantages and might lose its dungeon license.

In that situation, Go Chul-min couldn’t persist.

He had shared the details with Kang Jin-goo, the manager responsible for carriers, over soju. For the first time, Kang Jin-goo, who was younger than the guild master, had shown tears. There was no other guild master in the world who would voluntarily try to raise the carriers’ salaries without being asked.

The heavy mood lifted when they saw the results of yesterday’s dungeon raid. Go Chul-min, having erased Oh Woong-ho from his mind, smiled broadly.

The gold, weighing 5 kilograms, was worth approximately 200 million won. Five large diamond rough stones sold for about 90 million won. Five pieces of Geludium fetched 100 million won each, totaling 500 million won. Four pieces of Podium sold for 150 million won each, totaling 600 million won. The total came to 1.39 billion won.

It was a huge success.

After deducting fees, they had 1.4 billion won. The guild house would receive about 800 million won, with the remaining 600 million won distributed among the raid participants.

The distribution ratio was determined by the Dungeon Association regulations, considering the dungeon’s grade, participants’ levels, and their contributions. The awakened ones from the Socrates team would receive at least 1 billion won each as bonuses, on top of their salaries.

“…This is a problem.”

The issue was with the two carriers. For participating in an E-grade dungeon, each carrier would receive 5 million won. Currently, carriers’ bonuses were 3 million won for F-grade, 5 million won for E-grade, 10 million won for D-grade, 20 million won for C-grade, and 50 million won for B-grade and above. Even if a carrier significantly contributed to a raid’s success, the maximum bonus was double the base amount.

Thus, the most Kim Joon could receive was 15 million won. If they tried to give him more for his crucial role in the raid, the Dungeon Association would intervene, as they did last year.

As a guild master, Go Chul-min couldn’t break the regulations. He began to think of ways to give Kim Joon more money.

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Kim Joon was speechless when he checked his bank account. The balance, which had been around 120,000 won, now showed 240 million won. He counted the zeros again, and the amount was correct.

“Wow,” Choi Moo-hyun, standing next to him, exclaimed.

“There must be a mistake,” Kim Joon said, pulling out his phone to call Guild Master Go Chul-min.

―Surprised? Go Chul-min said playfully.

“There seems to be an error. In my account…”

―It’s no mistake.

“What?”

―I wanted to give you more, but this is the most I could manage. You did exceptionally well in the Bukaksan dungeon. It was astonishing.

“…I don’t understand. I thought carriers received 3 million won per raid.”

For a high school senior like Kim Joon, 3 million won was a significant amount.

―That’s correct. But there’s a system called ‘Corona Kiwi Car.’ It’s a way for team members to share their earnings with those who helped them during a raid. It’s a form of gratitude. Though it has its downsides… Anyway, the consensus was that you should be the beneficiary this time. So, that’s how it is. And if possible, give all the money to your mother. It might seem like unnecessary advice, but I’ve seen young people ruin themselves with large sums of money. Understand?

The call ended abruptly.

“It’s not a mistake, right?” Kim Joon asked.

“Yeah,” Choi Moo-hyun confirmed.

After a moment of contemplation, Kim Joon asked, “Do you know what Corona Kiwi Car is?”

“Corona Kiwi Car?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Did you get one?”

“Yeah, apparently.”

“Oh~ that’s impressive! I heard it was discontinued, but I guess not?”

“So, what is it?”

“It’s a civic crown.”

“A civic crown?”

“Yeah, a civic crown. In ancient Rome, it was an oak wreath given to someone who saved a fellow citizen.”

Kim Joon blinked, still confused, prompting Choi Moo-hyun to elaborate.

“That’s the old term. Nowadays, it’s a system where you share your reward with someone who helped you during a raid. But it’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

“Everyone in the team has to agree to give the award. If even one person objects, you don’t get it.”

“Really? How do you know so much about it?”

“My dad received one once. He cherishes it a lot.”

Choi Moo-hyun recalled how his father, Choi Min-soo, would meticulously polish the civic crown. Though Choi Min-soo was usually nonchalant about most things, he treasured the civic crown dearly.

“He wouldn’t even let anyone touch it.”

“Really? You can touch mine,” Kim Joon said.

“Oh, are you bragging now?”

“Yes,” Kim Joon replied playfully, causing Choi Moo-hyun to playfully grab his neck and give him a light punch. As they were fooling around, the phone rang again. It was Go Chul-min.

―Just in case you’re worried, I wanted to let you know that Manager Kang Jin-goo also received a Corona Kiwi Car. The amount is a bit different, but just so you know.

The call ended abruptly.

Kim Joon smiled broadly. Knowing he wasn’t the only one who had received a large sum made him feel better.

“I want steak,” Choi Moo-hyun said, or rather demanded.

“Where should we go?” Kim Joon asked confidently.

Mission: Grade Disturbance

The long winter had ended. The sound of birds heralding spring came from outside the window.

Waking up, Kim Joon went to the bathroom, still groggy, and washed his face haphazardly after taking care of business.

As he sat at the dining table, his mother brought out a meticulously prepared dish of braised short ribs. Next to it was a rolled omelet.

“Eat a lot,” his mother said.

His mother had resigned herself to a reluctant acceptance. Though her true desire was to stop him, she knew better than anyone that once her son started something, he would see it through to the end.

After the new year, his mother began helping in her own way. One of those ways was through his diet.

After finishing his meal, Kim Joon prepared to head out. The clock showed 6:30 AM. In the living room, his mother was reading the Daily Raiders, a newspaper most people didn’t bother with.

“Today is Moo-hyun’s debut day.”

“Is it in the newspaper?”

Today marked the beginning of the nationwide March Madness raids. Choi Moo-hyun, who had been steadily preparing as a tanker, was entering an E-grade dungeon for the first time today. His schedule was listed in the Daily Raiders. Unlike carriers, the names of tankers, dealers, and other raiders were often featured in the newspaper.

“Are you going in too?”

Though his mother tried to appear calm, she couldn’t hide the tremor in her voice. No mother could remain composed knowing her son was heading into danger.

“Today, all teams affiliated with the Uramata Guild are entering dungeons. More than half of the raiders and carriers in Korea will be participating.”

“I see.”

His mother sounded weak.

“I’ll be in the back.”

“Be careful.”

She said no more. During the few hours, or at most a day, that he would be in the dungeon, she would be praying continuously for his safe return.

As Kim Joon headed towards the door, he glanced at the oak wreath hanging on the wall. The Corona Kiwi Car. It was a real award, highly esteemed by Roman soldiers. At first, he had felt shy about it, but the more he looked at it, the more it grew on him. Though the memories of his first raid had become hazy, the oak wreath would forever remind him of those tense moments.

Outside, Kim Joon began to stretch lightly. The weather had warmed, and it was no longer cold even in the early morning. He started his run slowly, gradually increasing his pace as he passed Ssangmun Station. Cars were already on the streets, people were opening shops, cleaning the streets, and waiting for buses. The world was already bustling in the early morning.

His body warmed up, his legs felt lighter, and his arms swung with more strength. As he approached Gwanghwamun, he turned left and sped up until he saw City Hall. After passing City Hall, he ran straight to Yongsan.

At Yongsan Station, he pressed the stopwatch button. His time was 1 hour and 22 minutes. Considering the crowds and traffic lights, it wasn’t a bad record. He jogged lightly to the nearby Uramata Guild House, entered the security code, and went inside.

Kim Joon quickly showered and checked the schedule. Today was a day when multiple teams—Pride, Socrates, Black Sheep, and Ilgidangcheon—would raid simultaneously. Such large-scale raids only happened a few times a year.

The dungeon was the Gwanghwamun Dungeon, an E-grade dungeon with 23 awakened ones scheduled to enter the gate. The team leader for Socrates was still Kwon Joon-sang. The dealer was Han So-young, and the buffer was Park Hong-sik. It was an excellent setup for Choi Moo-hyun’s debut.

The carriers were the heroes of the Bukaksan Dungeon, Kang Jin-goo and Kim Joon. The Bukaksan Dungeon remained closed, with only the Dungeon Association’s reconnaissance team allowed inside.

Kim Joon entered the supply room, gathered the necessary items like raider gloves, boots, and belts, and moved them to the locker room. These items were produced and supplied by the Dungeon Association to fit the raiders’ body measurements.

Having completed the basic preparations, Kim Joon grabbed a coffee from the vending machine and sat on a bench, sipping it slowly. Kang Jin-goo arrived.

“Hey there.”

“Hello.”

“The weather’s warmed up quite a bit, hasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-goo glanced at Kim Joon’s wet hair and remarked, “You ran here again today, didn’t you?”

“It’s a habit.”

“About 20 kilometers, right?”

“Not quite 18 kilometers.”

“Running 18 kilometers every morning, that’s impressive.”

Kang Jin-goo had a knack for finding and praising people’s strengths. Even though he said similar things every time, it always made Kim Joon feel good. Kim Joon thought he should emulate that quality.

Kang Jin-goo accepted the coffee Kim Joon had gotten from the vending machine and hesitated before speaking.

“Today is the first day I own my own apartment.”

“Really?”

“I signed the contract, and today I’m moving in.”

“Why didn’t you mention it earlier?”

Kim Joon understood that feeling of joy well, as he had bought a house just last month. Though small, it was enough for the three of them. On the night they moved in, his mother stayed up all night in the living room, unable to sleep. Kim Joon and his younger sister, Kim Ji-hyun, felt the same way.

“Keep it to yourself. Don’t say a word. I hate crowds.”

Kang Jin-goo had hesitated but felt he had to tell Kim Joon.

“Even so…”

“My wife will handle the move. She’s always done it.”

“Alright.”

Guild members started trickling into the house. Uramata Guild had four teams. While team compositions varied depending on the situation, overall, there were nine tankers, eight dealers, six buffers, and fifteen carriers. Kim Joon had memorized their faces and names and noted their styles. He considered it his duty as the youngest member.

The team names were entirely up to the team leaders, which is why the teams in Uramata had such diverse names. Pride Team, Socrates Team, Black Sheep Team, and Ilgidangcheon Team all strove to achieve their goals in different dungeon grades.

Choi Moo-hyun entered the guild house with a pale face.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Kim Joon asked, concerned.

“My stomach…”

“Did you take any medicine?”

“Yeah.”

Choi Moo-hyun, uncharacteristically weak, sat on a bench by the entrance. He hadn’t slept all night, and his eyes were bloodshot. The mental pressure of debuting as a tanker seemed immense.

“Choi Moo-hyun!” Go Chul-min called from the master room on the second floor.

“Yes, Master.”

“Come up.”

Choi Moo-hyun mustered his remaining strength and bounded up the iron stairs to the master room. Go Chul-min brewed tea and placed it in front of Choi Moo-hyun, who was seated on the sofa.

“I was hospitalized before my debut.”

“Really?”

Choi Moo-hyun knew well how formidable Go Chul-min had been as a tanker. He was a steadfast man who could also think on his feet to ensure the expedition team’s safety.

“I couldn’t sleep due to anxiety and worry, and I had indigestion. I almost couldn’t enter the dungeon.”

“…That’s how I feel right now.”

“You’re better than I was.”

“Really?”

“At least you made it to the guild house. I didn’t. Are you nervous?”

“…To be honest, I want to run away.”