Although Jeong Haram was clearly smiling as gently as ever, Huiyeong instinctively shrank back.
He could've sworn there was a black aura looming behind the man.
Sensing danger, he reflexively turned to Shinyul for help.
Noticing the pleading look, Shinyul smiled brightly and quickly pulled Huiyeong behind him.
It didn't help.
Haram strode straight past Shinyul without slowing down and stopped right in front of Huiyeong.
"Mr. Huiyeong...?"
"Uh... Teacher. What are you doing here?"
"I asked why you didn't come."
Haram's soft voice sent chills down Huiyeong's spine.
Unable to answer, he instinctively looked at Shinyul again.
There really wasn't any excuse.
They'd told him the lessons were held every other day, but he'd been so preoccupied because of Shinyul that he'd forgotten he even had class. After that, he'd been too stressed about the dungeon to think about attending.
In short...
He'd simply forgotten.
But he didn't have the courage to tell the frighteningly intimidating Haram that.
Instead, his trembling gaze bounced back and forth between Haram and Shinyul.
Seeing the silent plea for help, Shinyul wrapped an arm around Huiyeong with a pleased smile.
"He was too busy spending time with me."
"When was I?"
"Then why didn't you come?"
"..."
Even the people gathered farther away held their breath and focused on the bizarre standoff.
At first glance, it looked like a love triangle.
In reality, it was nothing more than a teacher scolding a student for skipping class while the student's delinquent guardian stood beside him.
The gap between appearance and reality left everyone thoroughly confused.
Guiding lessons were optional, yet Haram was acting as though Huiyeong had committed an unforgivable offense by missing one.
Huiyeong, whose bad temper was already famous throughout Center, was cowering like a frightened puppy.
And Shinyul...
Shinyul was still completely insane.
"It's alright, Mr. Huiyeong."
"I'm not trying to scold you."
"I was genuinely curious."
"...Doesn't look that way. Anyone can tell you're pissed. Your eyes are kind of scary right now."
"Hahaha, me?"
"Not at all."
"You stopped coming to class without even contacting me, so every lesson I waited for three hours without eating."
"But I really was just worried."
"Your health is so poor."
"...Pretty sure you're angry."
"I told you I'm fine."
"Because I'll be entering this dungeon with you."
"We'll make up the missed lessons there."
"I even brought the textbooks."
"...?"
Still smiling cheerfully, Haram reached into his bag and pulled out two thick textbooks.
Without thinking, Huiyeong took a step backward and grabbed the hem of Shinyul's clothes beside him.
Can you do something about him?
Fuck...
Private tutoring?
Inside a dungeon full of monsters?
Maybe the real lunatic isn't you or me...
Maybe it's the teacher.
As Huiyeong's grip on Shinyul's shirt tightened, Shinyul chuckled and gently patted his cheek.
"It's okay, Princess."
"Teacher said he's not angry."
"He'll even give you makeup lessons."
"No need to be scared."
"That's right."
"We'll just make up the lessons."
Haram nodded with another warm smile.
Only Huiyeong's face became even more twisted.
Are these bastards all fucking crazy?
Once the conversation finally died down, the Dungeon Management employee who had been awkwardly waiting nearby cautiously approached.
"We should be getting ready to move."
"This time we're entering Permanent Dungeon No. 211, a Beast-Type dungeon located in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province."
"It's also commonly called Dungeon 1178."
"I'll begin roll call."
Listening to the employee start reading the names of Espers and Guides one by one, Huiyeong tilted his head.
What the hell's he talking about?
"Dungeons are divided into Permanent Dungeons and Vanishing Dungeons."
Haram immediately glued himself to Huiyeong's side and launched into another rapid-fire explanation.
"Normally, a dungeon disappears after its completion conditions are fulfilled. If nobody has discovered those conditions yet, it's classified as a Permanent Dungeon."
"The entrance remains open until someone clears it."
"Usually the condition is something like defeating the dungeon boss or clearing a maze."
"But nobody has discovered the completion condition for Dungeon No. 211 yet."
"...I see."
"'Beast-Type' means monsters appear inside."
"And it's called Dungeon 1178 because exactly 1,178 monsters spawn every single time."
"You have to eliminate all 1,178 monsters before the exit appears."
"Until then, the exit remains sealed."
"It's a fairly large dungeon, and those 1,178 monsters are scattered everywhere, so clearing it takes quite a long time."
"On the other hand, until all 1,178 monsters regenerate, the dungeon entrance won't reopen."
"The monsters themselves also aren't particularly dangerous, so it's classified as Safe."
The instant Haram saw Huiyeong's bewildered expression, he attached himself even closer and continued explaining at incredible speed, almost like he was rapping.
Huiyeong nodded along politely despite understanding barely half of it.
What?
He wanted to ask.
But Haram's sparkling eyes burned with so much educational enthusiasm that Huiyeong was too intimidated to interrupt.
Noticing his condition, Shinyul gently brushed Huiyeong's hair back.
"My Princess doesn't need to know any of that."
"I'll kill everything anyway."
"My Princess just has to reward me with a victory kiss."
"..."
Both Huiyeong and Haram stared at him in disbelief.
Huiyeong nearly had another seizure the moment he heard the word "kiss."
Haram, however, wasn't angry about the kiss.
He was angry at everything else Shinyul had just said.
Technically...
Shinyul wasn't wrong.
He was an S-rank Esper.
Very few dungeons posed any real challenge to him.
No matter what dungeon they entered, the ones who actually cleared it were the Espers.
The Guides' primary role was supporting them while remaining under their protection.
But preventing someone from learning in the first place...
That was another matter entirely.
Espers naturally wanted their Guides to rely on them completely.
They became obsessed with every aspect of a Guide's life.
It wasn't something you could simply blame them for.
Their feelings were pure.
Desperate.
Yet those feelings became twisted, slowly squeezing the life out of their Guides.
Haram hated that.
Especially in Huiyeong's case.
The man lacked even the most basic common sense.
Watching someone like him spend his life being manipulated by an Esper's possessiveness while remaining completely ignorant...
It wasn't fair.
Haram pitied Huiyeong.
He wanted Huiyeong to make his own choices.
To understand everything for himself.
That was why he'd become so determined to educate him.
Normally, Guides waited safely at camp even after entering a dungeon.
Haram had already resolved to seize this opportunity and teach Huiyeong everything he could.
Huiyeong stared blankly at the textbooks in Haram's tightly clenched hand.
There wasn't a single sane person here.
"Team Leader Han Shinyul, Pair Guide Yu Huiyeong."
"Confirmed."
"Twenty-five people accounted for."
"We'll depart now."
At the employee's announcement, the crowd gathered together.
Haram simply smiled, told Huiyeong they'd continue inside the dungeon, and disappeared into the group.
Watching so many people assemble, Huiyeong became genuinely curious.
How the hell were they planning to get all these people to Gangwon Province?
The employee made a phone call.
Moments later, a tall young man emerged from Headquarters wearing a bright, cheerful smile.
What the...
Does everyone here go around grinning all the damn time?
Are they all fucking crazy?
As Huiyeong grimaced, the young man noticed him and hurried over.
"Shinyul!"
"It's been ages!"
"So this is your Guide?"
"Hi!"
"The hell do you mean 'hi'? Show some manners."
"...Huh?"
The young man's cheerful expression instantly stiffened.
Shinyul burst into delighted laughter.
"Princess."
"Good job."
"Don't greet other Espers."
"You only need to greet me."
Already irritated because of the dungeon, Huiyeong's mood immediately soured even further.
What am I, some damn puppy?
He irritably slapped away the hand that had been stroking his cheek.
The smack echoed loudly.
Despite having his hand slapped away that hard, Shinyul only looked anxiously at Huiyeong's hand instead.
As though he were worried Huiyeong had hurt himself.
Huiyeong brushed off even that concern as annoying before turning toward the awkward young man.
"Try introducing yourself again."
"...Me?"
"Didn't anyone teach you manners?"
"'I'm so-and-so!'"
"'How do you do!'"
"Bow your head."
"Come on."
"...I'm Kim Yoonjae..."
"...How do you do..."
"That's it!"
"Now you're greeting people properly!"
Startled by Huiyeong's booming voice, Yoonjae awkwardly bowed.
"Lower!"
"More!"
"More!"
At Huiyeong's sharp commands, Yoonjae instinctively bent even farther.
By the time he was nearly at a perfect ninety degrees, Huiyeong finally nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"Hello."
Only then did Yoonjae snap back to his senses.
He hurriedly straightened up and looked toward Shinyul.
"R-right..."
"Shinyul."
"I... uh..."
"It's been a while, and I had a lot I wanted to say..."
"B-but..."
"Let's talk next time."
"Next time."
After stumbling through the sentence, Yoonjae shuffled back toward the employee looking completely drained.
Watching him with half his soul missing, Huiyeong clicked his tongue.
"Honestly..."
"Kids these days..."
Apparently hearing the comment, Yoonjae's shoulders visibly twitched.
He hurriedly stretched out a hand.
A ripple of white light suddenly spread through the air.
An enormous rectangular curtain of light materialized before them.
"Please line up and proceed!"
the employee called out.
Without the slightest hesitation, everyone walked straight into the glowing curtain.
Huiyeong stood there with his mouth hanging open.
No matter how many times he witnessed these supernatural abilities...
They still amazed him.
Wait...
But what the hell is that?
Just as Huiyeong was about to ask Shinyul beside him—
Shinyul grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the light.
"Hey! Wai—!"
Before Huiyeong could finish speaking...
The two of them disappeared into the light.