Chapter 34: Dungeon Overflow?

The “big foreign awakened guy” who saved Hong Insu’s brother before.

Likely the Hahoe Mask.

[Hong Insu] That hyung’s bossing me around just like my brother lol

[Bae Younghoe] Sounds like a good guy.

[Shin Minji] Wow, what a coincidence haha

[Ssonya] Is he hot?

Ion quietly pocketed his phone. His head throbbed.

Hong Insu’s brother caught in two dungeon overflows… that’s no coincidence.

The odds were astronomical.

Not natural—deliberate.

Butterfly Mask’s doing.

Did Butterfly Mask have a skill to trigger dungeons or overflows?

No such skill existed in the novel.

Thoughts swirled, leading to one conclusion: he needed to see Hong Insu’s brother himself. Butterfly Mask was likely lingering nearby.

And Hahoe Mask is probably hovering around too.

Ion was 90% sure Hahoe Mask was Ade Tuna, acting as a guardian angel for Hong Insu’s brother.

Moments later, the broker returned, not alone. A plump middle-aged woman accompanied her—Sa Jiun, a Ryu founder and Korea branch leader. Ion had chosen Ryu over the black market for ongoing dealings, and Ryu was equally keen to keep him from their rival.

Sa Jiun smiled warmly, extending her hand.

“Ion Corps Leader. I’m Sa Jiun, Korea branch leader. Sun will handle your transactions, but I wanted to greet you.”

“Hello. Please drop the title.”

“My apologies, Corps Leader.”

“Looking forward to working with you, Branch Leader.”

“Likewise.”

Ion shook her hand.

For now, he focused on this.

After concluding with Ryu, Ion headed to the hospital where Hong Insu’s brother was admitted.

When Ion asked for the hospital’s name, Hong Insu was thrilled, gushing for five minutes about his sidekick caring for him. Ion nearly considered asking Ryu for the info instead before Hong Insu finally spilled.

He debated leaving Sansevieria but decided to bring it, expecting to encounter the “big foreign Hunter.” He packed it in a long backpack bought just for it, along with a small device from Ryu.

The A-rank U.S. mercenary ID and Wendy Lowell’s info would arrive within a week, the System Age meeting within a month, via the device.

Though it could be stored in an inventory, Ion, unawakened, hid it in Sansevieria’s soil, alongside a compact mirror with one remaining use for observing Jin Seongha.

He’d worn a Hunter’s robe to Ryu, but for a civilian hospital, casual clothes were better. His wardrobe was all combat gear, so he bought new clothes near the hospital.

He grabbed a fruit basket and headed up.

The four-person room held only Hong Insu’s brother. Healing skills and potions had limited effects on non-awakened, but external injuries didn’t require long stays anymore.

Laughter filled the room. Knocking and entering, a warm-faced woman—Hong Insu’s mother—spotted Ion first.

“Oh, Insu! Your friend’s here. Oh my…”

“Hey, Ion! You came? Aw, you didn’t have to bring anything. You love me too much,” Hong Insu teased.

“Hello, ma’am. Insu-hyung.”

Ion smiled brightly, then froze, seeing Hong Insu’s brother in patient clothes, staring wide-eyed.

Hong Insu was twenty-one, so Ion expected a late teen, maybe mid-teen at youngest. But…

No one said he was this young.

A quick glance at the chart read: Hong Inyoung / 9 years old. Picture books were scattered nearby.

Yeah, losing a kid this young without help would make anyone snap.

“Sit here. You really carry that Sansevieria everywhere? Not heavy?” Hong Insu’s mother asked.

“It’s a lightweight item, so it’s fine.”

“Neat. Should I get one?” she mused.

“Mom, those start at twenty million won,” Hong Insu said.

“Maybe for my birthday,” she teased.

“Your birthday was last month,” he retorted.

“Then for Chobok.”

“What kind of occasion is Chobok…?”

Ion tuned out their banter, greeting the brother instead.

“Hey… Inyoung.”

“Hi. Are you really my brother’s friend?”

“Yup.”

“Thanks for visiting. I’m getting discharged soon, so you didn’t have to. I’ll enjoy the fruit.”

The kid was more mature than Hong Insu.

“I’m the tallest in my class and got 100 on dictation. Wanna read with me?” Inyoung said, offering a book.

Crash Bang Potion Battle

“Our kid wants to be an awakened, so she loves these stories. Sit here. Inyoung, read it nicely for Ion-oppa,” the mother said.

“Okay!” Inyoung chirped.

Ion sat where the mother directed.

Inyoung opened the book with sparkling eyes.

Thirty minutes of playing harmless and bonding with Hong Insu’s family later, Ion’s target arrived.

“Hey, hyung-nim! You’re here! Ion, this is Tuna-hyung, who saved my brother twice. Huge, right? Hyung-nim, this is my friend, Ion, an awakened mercenary,” Hong Insu introduced.

Over two meters tall, a burly Black man with delicate features and a scratched eyebrow.

It’s Ade Tuna, as expected.

Confirming Hahoe Mask’s identity eased Ion’s mind.

Ade Tuna was a good person—soft-hearted, prone to tears despite his appearance. His kindness might explain why he tried saving doomed characters, even scum like Park Yujik.

He was a final member of the Demon King subjugation team. Getting him on Jin Seongha’s side earlier would be great.

Ion gave a harmless smile and bowed.

“Hello.”

“Greetings. Nice to meet you,” Ade Tuna said in fluent Korean, sitting naturally among them. Hong Insu’s mother and brother welcomed him warmly.

He doesn’t recognize me.

Ion had used a disguise item back then, so it made sense.

The cheerful mood continued.

“Hospital food’s great these days. Better than when I was vegetarian,” Hong Insu said.

“You were vegetarian, Hong Insu?” Tuna asked.

“Yup, hyung-nim. Thought the world might end, so I ate only plants to do my part. Now I can eat meat freely—happy days.”

“Oppa, the world wouldn’t have ended. Just humans would’ve gone extinct,” Inyoung said.

“That was back then. Now, if humans go, the world does too. You know nothing, kid,” Hong Insu shot back.

“Hey, watch how you talk to your sister!” their mother scolded.

“Ow, Mom! My ears! Ouch!” Hong Insu whined as she tugged his ear, though he could’ve easily pulled away. He wasn’t really in pain.

Tuna asked, “Did your whole family go vegetarian?”

“Nope, just Insu. Me and their dad love meat too much. Never thought the world would actually end,” the mother said, releasing Hong Insu’s ear.

He pouted. “My family didn’t take it seriously. Said humans would find a way…”

“I was vegetarian too,” Tuna admitted.

“No way, hyung-nim too?” Hong Insu grabbed Tuna’s thick hand, who nodded with a simple smile.

Tuna wasn’t just vegetarian—he’d been an ocean cleanup worker, rescuing turtles and sharks from nets and lines.

Not as extreme as Jin Seongha, but a solid animal lover.

…Wait.

Ion noticed something off about Tuna.

His smile was soft, but his limbs were tense, ready to spring, as if on a battlefield.

Soon, Ion understood why.

Beep! Beep!

A deafening alarm blared through the hospital.

“What the hell!” Hong Insu yelped.

“Eek!” Inyoung squealed.

“What’s happening?!” their mother cried.

Red emergency lights flashed.

A dungeon overflow.

The third one near Hong Inyoung.

Beep! Beeeep!

The alarm could wake a dead-tired office worker. The mother clutched Inyoung, and Hong Insu stood protectively, summoning shadows.

Crash!

The window shattered. No need to wonder why.

A mechanical tentacle of chained links slithered in.

“Balder!” Hong Insu shouted.

He bound the tentacle with shadows as Ion’s flame sword severed its links.

Hiss!

The chain melted under the heat, and a monster’s roar echoed outside.

Balder: a round-bodied, flying monster with twelve chain tentacles. Normally B-rank, but in an overflow, near A-rank.

“Monster!”

“Help!”

“Call Hunters!”

“To the shelter! Basement, now!”

Chaos erupted in the halls. Post-Cataclysm buildings had shelters per floor, but this old hospital required a basement evacuation.

“Another overflow? Is a gate stalking Inyoung? This place gets thorough gate checks!” Hong Insu cursed.

“Lucky for this hospital, three Hunters are here,” Tuna said, clenching his fist and twisting his wrist, summoning the spear from the Park Yujik incident.

Ion extended his flame sword to longsword length. “To make it lucky, we need to move fast. Insu-hyung, evacuate the people. Tuna, check for trapped civilians. I’ll handle the monster.”

“But it’s a flyer—tough for you alone,” Hong Insu protested.

Ion silently cast magic.

A strange mana breeze swirled, and green vines sprouted, stretching out the broken window like tentacles.

“…”

Tuna’s eyes widened, seeing the vines after the flame sword. He realized Ion was the one who killed Park Yujik.

And now, they were allies.

“…”

A brief glance confirmed mutual understanding. They silently agreed to deal with the monster first, talk later.