That Face Is the Problem - vanish into fiction

Jae-gyeong hesitated for a moment. Should he say this? He glanced at Da-sol, but he was already wearing headphones and staring out the window, seemingly ignoring the conversation in the van.

There was no reason to lie, nor did he want to, so Jae-gyeong answered honestly.

“I ran into him yesterday when I went to take out the recycling…”

“Wow, what a coincidence. So you’re neighbors?”

Ye-jin clapped her hands, trying to spin it positively. Jae-gyeong gave an awkward smile. Neighbors. If Da-sol heard that, he would probably find it disgusting. After all, the word he had chosen yesterday had been “perverted stalker,” not “neighbor.”

“Since you two are like this, you should get close quickly. The tank and healer are usually the closest positions,”

Hee-ro said with a smile. Jae-gyeong nodded reluctantly. He could not understand how the team here could expect him to become close with Da-sol, knowing Da-sol’s personality.

Of course… They did not know that Jae-gyeong had mistaken Da-sol for Da-in, had cried in confusion, drank, cried again, treated Da-sol like a senior with territorial claims, and even torn Da-sol’s clothes.

He cursed himself for how many incidents had piled up in such a short time.

“Phew…”

Jae-gyeong let out a quiet sigh. If the training guild’s first team participated in this dungeon, he figured he would have to give up on receiving heals from Da-sol.

He curled up in a corner of the van, as far away from Da-sol as possible, and changed into his combat gear, silently hoping to avoid this dungeon.

***

Unfortunately, Jae-gyeong’s ominous feeling was correct. Why did only these instincts come true? The first guild to arrive at the emergency gate was the Training Guild. The dungeon was estimated to be S-rank, so the first team, which had two S-rank hunters, was deployed.

Hunter Management Bureau staff quickly briefed them on the nature of the gate based on a rapid analysis. They added repeatedly that it seemed to be a special dungeon, so caution was necessary.

A special dungeon meant one that was not composed of the basic elements. Sometimes it required roleplay, achieving a specific goal, or solving a puzzle to clear it.

“That might be why it’s rated S-rank,”

Hee-ro muttered, then gestured to the team.

“Let’s go in and analyze it in detail.”

Team 1 entered the gate without hesitation. Jae-gyeong, silently hoping they would not be the only ones caught, nonetheless stepped forward and led the way.

As soon as he entered the dungeon, he used [Angel’s Judgment]. Giant, dazzling wings spread from his back, and an arm gun appeared on his right arm.

“Wow, it’s still so cool. The dignity of a paladin,”

Ri-na whistled. Jae-gyeong blushed slightly and nodded in thanks.

“You really look like an angel, Jae-gyeong,”

Hee-ro teased, and Ye-jin chimed in in agreement. Jae-gyeong glanced slightly behind him. Da-sol was not looking at him. Feeling slightly down, he turned his gaze forward again.

“By the way, this special dungeon… it’s probably because of this, right?”

Ye-jin looked around and laughed nervously.

The dungeon smelled strongly of sugar. Everything—terrain and natural objects—was made of desserts.

“A dessert dungeon is awesome. You could even eat the items instead!”

“Don’t be silly, Ri-na. They might be items or poison. We don’t know yet,”

Hee-ro immediately scolded her with a smile.

Jae-gyeong understood what she meant. Dessert dungeons were usually the most rewarding among special dungeons. Natural dessert objects often served as items.

For example, eating a branch might show as “Chocolate Biscuit Branch (B)” and restore 5% health or mana. Of course, some could be poisonous, so caution was necessary.

“Still, this is great. We get to tackle two dessert dungeons,”

Hee-ro said, licking his lips. The Training Guild had previously conquered a dessert dungeon and collected enormous resources. If done well, this dungeon could be like winning the lottery.

And the first person to scratch this lottery ticket was the tank at the very front: Jae-gyeong.

“First, I’ll do a test shot…”

Jae-gyeong murmured, aiming his arm gun at a distant mound. Boom. The hill, shaped like a rolled cake, shattered, and mole-like monsters wriggled out from underground.

Chocolate Moles (B)