Unlike regular dungeons, special dungeons are not completed immediately upon hunting the boss monster or destroying the dungeon core.

They were a more dangerous type of dungeon where the exit wouldn’t be generated even if basic conditions were met, unless the mission that appears as a system notification after entry was completed.

The S-class dungeon offering the world’s first elixir as a reward was classified as a rare type among these – a mental isolation maze.

Therefore, beyond physical defense, means of defense against mental attacks had to be prepared as well. This was why he was trying to enchant the armor.

“Hmm, it’s impossible to prepare for every possibility anyway. We can’t engrave multiple skills either.”

Of course, all of this was information he knew from the original work. Even a hunter whose main job was to estimate dungeon types in advance couldn’t know the internal environment in such detail before entering.

“I compared and analyzed the precursor phenomena of gates that occurred in Korea over the past 10 years.”

“Did you visit a dungeon history museum or something? I thought you came to work right the day after returning home…”

Facing Han Gang-seok, who questioned with a puzzled expression at the sudden statement, he smiled calmly. Skillfully hiding the nervousness of whether the excuse he had prepared in advance would work.

“I found that anyone can easily see it by accessing the official website of the Disaster Management Agency.”

“Right. They’ve made all the on-site video materials public for civilian research purposes. But why?”

“While looking around for fun, I discovered an interesting fact.”

“An interesting fact?”

“The fact that the magical wavelengths of gates are also largely divided into 27 types depending on the type of dungeon.”

It wasn’t nonsense spouted without any basis. It was a claim referencing the title of a paper that a research institute invested in by Choi Gang-hu would announce in a couple of years.

“You mean you can distinguish the type of dungeon in advance by the magical wavelength emitted just before the gate is created?”

“Yes. Just like how you can know the grade of the dungeon in advance by the color of the gate.”

“How did you measure that? You can’t know the shape of the wave with a magic quantity meter.”

“I used an electromagnetic wave meter.”

Han Gang-seok’s eyes, which had been skeptical, grew as big as saucers. Perhaps because he was a genius, it seemed no lengthy additional explanation was needed.

Judging it to be a fairly plausible story, Han Gang-seok began to busily tap on his laptop keyboard.

Data that could be viewed on the Disaster Management Agency’s website floated as a hologram by item equipment. It was video data with a kind of psychometry ability applied. It was a record of past information residing in the space where gates were created, read and recorded using spiritual and search skills.

Experimental tools that implement virtual information as tangible material and expensive measuring instruments were quickly set up. It was fitting for the production research lab that had everything except non-existent equipment. An impromptu experiment proceeded immediately.

“There really is… a pattern?”

Han Gang-seok let out an exclamation he couldn’t hide upon seeing different interference patterns appearing with a consistent pattern for each wave.

“Why didn’t we think of classifying by preliminary magical wavelengths before? This side is destructive interference, this side is constructive interference…”

Click, click, his right hand flipping through the videos grew faster and faster. His left hand taking notes on the subtle commonalities seen in each wavelength was the same.

“If there are 27 types of patterns… broadly speaking, regular dungeons, special dungeons, popup dungeons, for internal environment – field type, maze type, climbing type, for boss attributes – physical, mental, elemental. Is it roughly divided like this?”

He kept exclaiming in admiration as he compared the types of dungeons already conquered and revealed with the types of interference patterns in the waves. With a flush even on his face.

“Seo-ha! How on earth did you think of using electromagnetic waves to classify magical wavelengths?”

“There are rare cases where communication disturbances occur in the surrounding area when a gate is created, right? So I looked into it out of curiosity.”

“No, why are you so calm about this? This is such an amazing discovery that it could turn both academia and frontline fields upside down if published as a paper!”

Han Gang-seok jumped up and raised his voice as if incredulous at the attitude that seemed indifferent.

“Is it that significant?”

“Of course! It means the danger of all dungeons will be significantly reduced! You can prepare for the dungeon environment in advance before entering!”

“Even now, you can estimate roughly.”

Even current search-type hunters could estimate whether it was a regular dungeon or a special dungeon. Of course, there was no way to know the specific environment and attributes, but that wouldn’t change much even if the 27-type classification system was established.

Even if you know in advance that it’s a field type, you can’t figure out from the preliminary magical wavelength whether it’s a desert terrain, jungle terrain, or snowy mountain terrain. This was why Han Gang-seok’s reaction seemed excessive.

“The change in thinking that you can classify dungeon types in advance by the interference patterns of the waves is amazing! The first step is always the hardest, you know. As research continues, we might find ways to obtain more specific preliminary information definitively.”

“…That’s true.”

“What on earth can’t you do, Seo-ha? A supreme beauty that anyone would fall for at first sight, an S-class healer who’s also skilled in combat, and even academic talent suggesting groundbreaking research directions!”

Listening to Han Gang-seok’s excited, almost laudatory fuss, his hidden conscience throbbed. It was due to the realization that he had stolen someone’s unnamed achievements.

“Anyway, that’s why I felt the need to enchant mental defense skills.”

But without showing any sign, he brought the topic back to the main point. Atonement or compensation can only be done while alive. Now was not the time to be picky about means.

“Ah. So that’s why.”

Han Gang-seok nodded as if understanding after looking at the gate on-site video again. He distinguished at a glance that this dungeon was a maze-type special dungeon where mental monsters appear.

“I think everyone entering this S-class dungeon should be equipped with related equipment… Can you help with that, Doctor?”

“Of course. That’s my job. To publish a paper under Seo-ha’s name later, I’ll have to get approval confidentially first. You might be able to exercise intellectual property rights in related industries.”

“Ah. I’d like that part to be entirely attributed to the guild master.”

Han Gang-seok, who had been excitedly gathering various documents already, turned to look at him with a strange expression.

“How long do you think it will take? To secure enough materials for the entire conquest team to attempt enchanting.”

Ryu Seo-ha pretended not to notice and continued with his question. Originally, material items are much easier to obtain than equipment items. But their dungeon entry was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

“We’ll have to buy everything up today. The problem is the success rate of enchanting… Looks like the guild’s production-type hunters will be ground down all night.”

Han Gang-seok clicked his tongue and immediately instructed the dedicated purchasing agency team assigned to the production research lab to bid at auctions. To sweep up certain materials entirely.

“Just in case, we should try to get as many items for defense against mental skills as possible too.”

“Will the hunters readily agree, given that safety is at stake?”

By the time a hunter can enter an S-class dungeon, they usually already have an optimized equipment set for themselves. And there’s a limit to the number of items an awakened person can wear in the system.

“We’ll have to sweet-talk those gullible ones. I’m confident in my persuasion skills.”

“That’s reassuring. I’m counting on you.”

He nodded and smiled back at Han Gang-seok, who grinned and shrugged.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely succeed in enchanting your precious armor… Hm? What’s this?”

Han Gang-seok, who had been tapping the S-class armor set on the table, picked something up with a puzzled expression. It was a shimmering red pebble.

“Ah.”

The item obtained from the treasure in China, the Fire Egg. It seems to have come out along with the armor set when he took it out of the space expansion pouch while being distracted.

“Is this yours, Seo-ha?”

Although it just looked like a common pebble with a unique color, curiosity and interest dwelled in Han Gang-seok’s eyes as he examined the Fire Egg from various angles. Come to think of it, he was a character with unusually good intuition in the original work too.

“Yes. It’s an item I received as a gift recently.”

“Hmm, I can’t see its grade. Does it have abilities specialized in disruption?”

It seems he immediately tried using a skill, as expected of a search-type hunter. Now that it’s come to this, he thought it might be good to seek advice from an expert.

“That, I was thinking of eating it.”

“Huh?”

When he threw a direct question without any particular sign, Han Gang-seok raised his head with a bewildered expression. As he faced him with a serious expression, Han Gang-seok’s mouth slowly opened.

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes. Doesn’t it look delicious?”

“They say all geniuses are weird… You really have some quirky sides too, Seo-ha.”

He laughed and shook his head. It was embarrassing to be called by an absurd title meant for the genius in the original work, but he had no intention of confessing the real reason.

“Can you find a way for me not to get sick if I swallow that?”

“What benefit is there in swallowing it?”

Han Gang-seok tilted his head at the sudden request. Until he started helping Choi Gang-hu in earnest, he couldn’t even imagine consuming items to absorb their abilities.

“It’s worth trying, isn’t it? As long as there are no side effects. Who knows? The effect of that item might even become a skill.”

“…It does spark research curiosity that wasn’t there before.”

Did it seem like quite an attractive research topic?

“Then let’s check the mutual reactivity first.”

Quickly changing to an active attitude, he placed the Fire Egg in Ryu Seo-ha’s hand and quickly set up measuring instruments.

“Slowly infuse it with magic.”

As advised, he gradually inputted magic. He felt the pebble in his hand getting hot. Before he could be surprised by the unexpectedly immediate reaction, the stone cracked with a crunch. Something peeked out between the fragments that broke like an eggshell.

“Piyu?”

It was the appearance of a small red baby bird.