[The new grade for the *Jongno 3-ga Underground Dungeon* is S+!]

“S+ grade?” 

Rifts, which had a higher priority for clearing, were divided into 10 levels, from Grade 1 to Grade 10, while dungeons, which were generally considered less dangerous, were classified from S to F grades. This was according to the classification method proposed by the U.S. At first, the system labeled both rifts and dungeons with alphabetical letters, but after international agreements were made, the system changed its labeling accordingly.

Up until now, there hadn’t been any dungeon higher than S grade. Thanks to the exceptional Hong Yeseong, there had been speculation about the existence of an L grade above S, but no one had seen it yet. In other words, this was the first time Uijae had ever encountered a dungeon of this grade, despite all the rifts and dungeons he’d cleared. Uijae quickly turned to Sayoung—if anyone had more information, it would be him.

However, Sayoung didn’t seem to know anything either, as he narrowed his eyes and stared blankly into space. He muttered quietly.

“This is a first…”

The last time the dungeon grade changed after Uijae entered was during the West Sea Fracture. Now, the *Jongno 3-ga Underground Dungeon* was the second. The timing felt as if the dungeon had been waiting for him to enter. A sense of unease gnawed at the back of his mind.

“Is this because of me?”

…No, this wasn’t the time to get sentimental. Being caught up in emotions would only get in the way. Now, he needed to act rather than overthink. Uijae slapped both cheeks with his hands and stood up.

“Do we have any data on this dungeon?”

“There is some data, but it’s from before the dungeon was eroded. It’s probably useless now.”

Sayoung, frowning slightly, stared intently at Uijae’s face. He seemed a little displeased as he continued.

“Besides, it looks like the dungeon has been completely restructured. We’ll have to investigate further, but it’s probably safe to assume this is a completely new dungeon.”

“……”

An unknown dungeon. Uijae gazed out at the swirling white ash outside. The landscape still felt eerily familiar. Both the eroded dungeon and the restructured one resembled the West Sea Fracture. This was something only J would know. What was the connection between the dungeon erosion and the West Sea Fracture? Uijae’s thoughts were interrupted by Sayoung’s low, mocking voice.

“By the way…”

Sayoung twisted his lips.

“Hyung, do you really have a hobby of self-punishment?”

“What kind of nonsense is that now? Do you enjoy talking crap?”

“No, I’m just saying… it really looks like it.”

Sayoung slowly rose to his feet, extending a hand to touch Uijae’s reddened cheek with a light tap. He gently brushed his thumb across Uijae’s skin and whispered.

“Go on, hit yourself again. I’m not really into hitting, but… I can make an exception.”

“This jerk… is your head hurting instead of your body, you little shi–.”

No, hold it together. Uijae calmly pushed Sayoung’s hand off his cheek and composed himself. Otherwise, he might’ve thrown a punch at Sayoung’s stomach. Despite the complaint of “ouch, that hurts” from the captured Sayoung, Uijae pretended not to hear. If there was one thing he appreciated about being around Sayoung, it was that the guy never stopped running his mouth, leaving no room for Uijae to get lost in his own emotions.

“You’re talking so much, so I guess you’re feeling better. Get ready. We need to move quickly.”

“Well… if you insist.”

Sayoung replied nonchalantly, tilting his head.

“But do we really need to rush?”

“You came in here with Jung Bin, right? We need to meet up with him.”

“That’s true, but we should also take our time to understand this dungeon as we move. Jung Bin will likely be doing the same. He’s not so weak that he can’t handle himself for a while.”

Uijae didn’t doubt Jung Bin’s abilities. Even in an S+ grade dungeon, Jung Bin could probably hold his own for some time. The real problem was Hong Yeseong and Yun Gaeul, who were caught up in this mess. They were dragged into this situation without any fault of their own, and Uijae wasn’t sure if they could even protect themselves.

But explaining all of this would only make things unnecessarily complicated. Uijae ignored the situation and slung his staff over his shoulder. Sayoung leaned in slightly and added.

“You’re not even hiding your face anymore. It’s not like pulling your hood over your head will help. What’s the plan? Just let Jung Bin find out?”

“……”

The most annoying people are the ones who make valid points. Fine. If they killed the dungeon boss before meeting up with Jung Bin, that would solve everything, right? Uijae was just about to explain this brilliant solution to the clueless Sayoung when Sayoung mumbled as if he’d realized something.

“Oh… I get it now.”

“What?”

“You did the same thing back then—rushing headlong into the rift boss.”

Sayoung sighed heavily, shaking his head in a way that irritated Uijae. Uijae jabbed Sayoung in the side with his staff.

“What’s your problem?”

“Never mind, let’s move. You can just wear a gas mask or something.”

Muttering, Sayoung stepped out of the ruins first. As Uijae left the entrance, Sayoung stood next to the rubble and, with a final push, let the crumbling entrance collapse behind them. In response to the noise, monsters began emerging from all directions. They were monsters Uijae was familiar with—their eyes and bodies scorched white.

*Kieeeeek!*

As the monster at the front let out a screech, the others charged forward. Without hesitation, Uijae swung his staff. *Boom!* The monsters caught in the sweep collapsed in heaps. Just as Uijae was about to bring his staff down for another strike, something pitch-black shot toward them. A sweet scent filled the air. Covered in the black, viscous substance, the monsters melted without even a death cry. Uijae turned to the side. Sayoung, who had taken off his gloves, was casually flicking his fingers toward the monsters. Their eyes met, and Sayoung smiled.

“If you ask me… I think we make a pretty good team.”

As Sayoung pointed out, their movements were perfectly in sync, almost as if they had trained together before. More accurately, Sayoung was flawlessly following Uijae’s movements, as if he could predict exactly what Uijae would do next. He used his poison precisely where Uijae’s staff stopped. After fighting together multiple times, any hesitation Uijae had from fighting alongside someone new gradually disappeared.

A large, blackened monster slowly crumbled under the poison’s effects. Uijae gave his staff a quick shake to clean it off. Sayoung, looking indifferent as if he had never been in pain earlier, observed the monsters. Uijae suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, you.”

“Yeah?”

“Before your awakening… were you in a lot of pain?”

As soon as he asked, Uijae wondered if the question was too random, but once the words were out, there was no taking them back. Oddly, he felt relieved after saying it. He didn’t want to see that pale, agonized face again, like when Sayoung had been chained up. Sayoung, still not looking at Uijae, replied.

“Who knows?”

It was an ambiguous answer. Was it that he didn’t want to talk about it? Uijae frowned slightly, but then Sayoung chuckled.

“I can hear the gears in your head turning, hyung.”

“You really have a talent for being annoying…”

“Nope, I’m not telling. It’s a secret.”

“What?”

“You’re hiding a lot from me too, aren’t you, hyung?”

Uijae, who had been about to snap back, fell silent. It was true. The things he hadn’t told Sayoung had piled up like snowballs, constantly following him. Lies only beget more lies. What would come from these layers of deception? Uijae, who had lived in a web of lies ever since his awakening, had yet to see where those lies would lead.

“Well, it’s fine. Even if you lie.”

“……”

Uijae looked up. Sayoung, with his hands behind his back, continued in a calm voice.

“And if it’s you, hyung, you’ll figure out my secret eventually.”

“……”

“You have to.”

Sayoung’s violet eyes met Uijae’s. If there was one thing Uijae had learned to recognize after his awakening, it was trust. He had received it to an overwhelming degree. And, just as he’d grown tired of the trust others placed in him, he’d also learned to see the emotions hidden beneath that so-called trust—admiration, pity, disdain, envy, jealousy. Uijae had never felt the need to uncover those buried feelings. He didn’t want to confront them.

But the trust in Sayoung’s gaze… beneath it lay something entirely different.

Something shining so brightly, Uijae almost wanted to unravel it and see what was hidden inside.

“Jeez… they just keep coming.”

Sayoung grabbed a charging monster by the back of its neck. With a hiss, the monster let out a twisted scream, writhing as its body melted away into black goo. Sayoung muttered in a lazy tone.

“And I get why you’re anxious, hyung, but… don’t worry.”

“……”

“There are plenty of S-ranks in this dungeon.”

No, you don’t understand. That’s the problem.

With a sour expression, Uijae glanced down at the blackened remains of the monster. There were currently eight S-rank hunters in South Korea. And among them…

‘Does it even make sense for the majority of them to be in this dungeon?’

Sayoung didn’t know that Hong Yeseong and Yun Gaeul were here. But Uijae, who knew, was all too aware of the looming disaster. Five of the eight S-rank hunters were gathered in this one place. Uijae had learned firsthand, both at his hangover soup restaurant and at the Artisan Exhibition:

When more than two S-ranks gather… something bad always happens!