"That's life."
"……."
"Not knowing what's a hundred li ahead is life."
Gru hopped down from the desk.
"More like an inch ahead."
"That's right, that's right."
Gru whipped her head around.
"Gru needs to go to the bathroom, then go home with Siljjang-nim."
Jurim stared intently at the child's back as she trudged away.
"Hmm—"
Jurim sighed and tilted his head.
It didn't seem like something she said for no reason.
He couldn't tell if she was acting that way because she had picked up something strange from TV or YouTube again, or if there was another reason.
"……."
Jurim aimlessly shuffled through some documents, threw them on the desk, and buried himself in his chair. Then he closed his eyes to fall asleep, only to exhale and open them again.
Normally, he should have been overcome with drowsiness around this time, but ever since his mana leakage had decreased, his fatigue had diminished significantly.
In the end, instead of sleeping, Jurim sifted through his contacts and called the director of Miral Orphanage.
"Hello, Director. I have something I'd like to ask you."
*
'Hmph!'
Having slipped out pretending to go to the bathroom, Gru turned around and headed the other way.
'The Guild Leader doesn't know anything.'
The child crossed her arms with a sulky expression.
As she walked along sulking, the secretary noona's greeted her and patted her head.
"Gru, hello!"
"Gruru! Want some chocolate? I bought this at a famous dessert shop."
Whenever Gru passed between the offices, people always welcomed her like this. They took pictures, patted her head, and told her she was cute.
Thanks to all the people who doted on her so much, she was growing ever more attached to Hyeonak.
"Thank you."
Gru bowed politely and took the chocolate, letting it melt in her mouth.
'Sweet.'
Feels good.
But the anxiety lurking in one corner of her heart didn't easily disappear. In fact, the more she enjoyed being at Hyeonak, the greater her anxiety grew.
Becoming a useful child by growing stronger. And by doing so, securing her place.
That was the only way to dispel her anxiety.
'I'll become strong enough for the Guild Leader to acknowledge me!'
[Achievement Unlocked!]
— Growth effects increased by 50% for 3 days.
※Also applies to party members.
'Wow!'
With this…!
With firm resolve, Gru opened her skill, 'Deep-Rooted Attachment.' The Foster Parent slot was still empty.
'I can lure one! A Foster Parent!'
Diligently moving her feet for this purpose, Gru suddenly peeked her head up.
The back of her neck stung.
'……?'
She must have been bitten by a mosquito or something last night.
*
Ring ring—
Gidan, having changed out of his school uniform in the locker room, stopped as he exited to the lounge.
A children's tricycle that had spotted him and approached braked to a halt with a screech in front of him.
— S-Rank Hunter Gidan, I wish to make a deal.
On the bear mask, cute curved eyebrows rose and then fell.
Gidan strode forward and plucked the bear mask right off. Soon, a small, delicate child's face was revealed.
"Eeeeh~"
Gru flailed her arms, demanding it back, and Gidan handed the mask over again.
Gru pressed the mask firmly back on and continued speaking.
— I promise compensation you won't be able to refuse. S-Rank Hunter Gidan, will you accept my deal?
"Hmm, well. Did you make the syrup that'll raise me to rank 1? Silly Gru."
— Gru is not silly. The person who wants such ridiculous syrup is the silly one. Foolish Gidan.
"Oh, not bad."
Gidan plucked the mask off again with a pop.
"Eeeeh~"
Gru threw a tantrum again, flailing her arms.
Gidan smirked, giving it back and snatching it away repeatedly.
She moved this way and that trying to grab the mask, but with her [Physical Stats (Stamina, Strength, Agility)] stuck at 1, matching the movements of a top-grade Hunter was impossible.
Gru, who had been huffing, wailed with tears welling in her eyes.
"I hate you, Danni oppa…!"
Ring ring—
As Gru turned her tricycle to leave the lounge, Gidan grabbed the long handle attached to the back.
"Wait, wait."
He pressed the mask firmly onto Gru's head and turned the tricycle around.
The bear doll's eyebrows, facing Gidan, shot sharply upward toward the sky as if expressing Gru's anger.
"I did it because Gru is cute. Oppa was wrong. Forgive me, okay?"
When he coaxed and placated her, the eyebrows settled down a bit.
Gidan held back a bursting smile and pretended to beg with his hands clasped, and from inside the mask, the sound of a sniffle could be heard.
— Fine. I'll let it slide this once.
"Thank you, Lady Gru."
Gru shrugged her shoulders.
Gidan patted her head and sat on the back of the sofa.
"So, what deal do you want to make with me?"
Gidan caught a baseball and repeatedly threw it up toward the ceiling and caught it.
As Gru raised and lowered her head following the baseball, Gidan smiled.
— Gru wants to gain experience points in dungeons and craft various items from dungeon byproducts to contribute to Hyeonak.
"What do you need? I'll get it for you."
Shake, shake.
— It is an essential condition that Gru also enters the dungeon to gain experience.
"Hmm. Do you really have to go yourself?"
Gidan crossed his arms with a reluctant expression.
*'This won't be easy. But can he refuse even now?'*
— Gru possesses an incredible buff. If you take Gru as a party member, experience points increase by 50% for 3 days!
Gru sent a party invitation as if to say he could test it out all he wanted.
Gidan accepted the party with a doubtful look and checked his status window.
"Ooh…"
*'Wow, that's insane. How does a buff like this even exist?'*
At 50%, it was efficiency equivalent to running a dungeon one rank higher, so for Gidan, it was extremely tempting.
— However, this deal is a secret from Hyeonak's Guild Leader. Severe punishment will surely be handed down to both Gru and Gidan.
"That's true. That hyung is terrifying when he's angry."
At the mention of him being scary, Gru hunched her shoulders slightly.
— But! If we don't get caught, it's fine! If we don't get caught, it's as if it never happened!
Gru spoke grandly as if giving a speech, and Gidan smirked.
"That's also true."
— What say you, Gidan. Will you accept the proposal?
Gru raised her eyebrows and held out her hand.
— You aren't a coward who fears getting scolded by a mere adult, are you?
Having provoked his competitive spirit, Gidan bared his teeth in a grin.
"That's my line."
Soon, the two clasped hands.
*
"If we want to avoid getting caught by the Guild Master hyung, we have to go to a guerrilla dungeon."
Gidan, having seated Gru on his lap, opened the app 'Knock Knock, Where's the Dungeon?' supported by the Hunter Association.
— Guerrilla dungeon?
"It's a dungeon anyone can enter."
Usually, most dungeons were bid on by guilds or individuals and then raided.
However, if the raid failed or discovery was delayed, bringing the dungeon to the brink of a dungeon break, the entrance turned red and the Hunter Association stepped in.
They posted a notice on the app so that anyone could enter and defeat the boss.
Hunters called such dungeons guerrilla dungeons.
Dungeons that had turned into Red Gates had a high chance of the boss going berserk, so they had the disadvantage of being harder to raid.
But because you could skip the bidding process, there were also raid teams these days that mainly ran guerrilla dungeons.
— Then isn't it dangerous?
"If it were dangerous enough for me, it wouldn't even appear on the app. They'd contact a large guild immediately and request a raid team."
— Oho, I see.
When they entered the Red Gate tab, a map displaying various regions loaded.
After setting the range to Seoul, Gru, who had been scanning with hawk eyes, pointed to one place.
[Seooreung, Frost Zone, B-Rank.]
[Yeti Habitat.]
[3 Days Until Dungeon Break]