Dogmatic Dungeon Dominion

"Are you sure you're okay?" Daniel asked, handing Penn a hot cup of tea from the drink table in the match test room. Penn groaned as he sat back up in the chair.

"I thought I slept fine, but it feels like I didn't sleep at all…"

"It'll be over soon, and then you'll be able to head home to get some rest," Daniel stood beside him, looking worried. "Did you want to stop by the clinic before you head home?"

"No, I should be fine after I rest up," Penn replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's just get this over with…"

"The Hunter coming today… is notorious for being late to scheduled events," Daniel remarked, clicking his tongue as he looked at the door. Penn frowned as he sipped the tea. 

"That's worrisome. How is someone like that responsible for clearing dungeons?" Penn looked up, concerned. 

"Oh, dungeons are the exception. He shows up early for those. The man is a maniac. A killing machine. He has zero regard for guides, so just be on your toes around him. Keep it short and polite. Try not to set him off—though that might be an impossible task…"

"Oh, lovely. Good thing I'm used to playing suck-up with superiors…" Penn mumbled. Daniel nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, as demeaning as it is, do that. Then we'll get through the day safely," Daniel encouraged with an awkward smile. Penn chewed his inner cheek, zoning out. "Being an S-ranked is already impressive enough, but it doesn't excuse such shitty behavior."

"That bad?" Penn looked up, discouraged. Daniel hesitated, biting the corner of his lip before nodding. 

"I'm not one to talk badly about anyone, but his personality is no joke. Not only is he a powerful physical class, as he overpowers anyone and everyone - he treats Guides like disposable wipes," Daniel said, his face filled with disgust and resentment.

"Is it… consensual?" Penn leaned forward in his chair, concerned. Flashes of those rumors have haunted him since he awoke as a Guide. Daniel turned red as if he were about to say something out of anger, but he held himself back.

"According to all accounts, yes. There is just something about him that seems to draw in any Guide as if he were Houdini. Watching those poor souls tear each other apart over trash like him is frustrating. He drains them empty, then tosses them to the ground unconscious, leaving them there while he either finds the next one or enters a dungeon. Garbage."

Though the topic was frustrating and gross, Penn couldn't help but smile at Daniel, who looked like he could spit on the door the S-rank would soon walk through. If he had salt on him, he would also throw it at the door to ward off any bad luck. He wasn't superstitious, but he would do it for Daniel. 

"Hmm," Daniel mumbled, looking at his watch. "As usual, that ass is late. We cleared out the other Hunters for their own safety, but I might call at least one in while we wait." 

"Let's do that then," Penn nodded, leaning back in the chair. Daniel walked off to the overview room to discuss with the testing technicians. He returned moments later.

"I sent off a message to an available Hunter. He'll be here shortly. I have to run to HR to deal with something fast. I should be back before the trash makes its appearance," Daniel commented, swiping on his tablet a few times without looking up. 

"I'll let you know if anything happens," Penn assured Daniel, who looked up and smiled back in relief. 

"Thank you, Penn," he replied before turning to leave. In an unusual moment for Penn, he flopped backward in the lounger. The restless night was a confusing thought for him, as he had always been a deep sleeper and was never one to experience many dreams. His head felt foggy and under pressure. He was not used to feeling this way. 

While Penn massaged his temples, the door opened to the testing room. At first, he assumed Daniel had returned, but the heavy, long footsteps didn't match Daniel's light form. Penn didn't move and kept his eyes shut until the footsteps stopped in front of his chair. He opened his eyes to see a tall shadow towering over him. A subtle sense of dread seeped into him before the stranger's mouth opened. 

"Hello, neighbor," that same familiar rumbling tone. Penn's tense shoulders relaxed when he spotted that pretty puppy face. 

"Hello, Nathan," Penn gave a gentle smile. Nathan smiled back, but his brows knitted when he focused on Penn's eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" he pressed, a concerned tone creeping through. His gloved hand reached out and quickly brushed the bags under Penn's eyes before pulling back. Penn flinched at the intense heat that transferred through the gloves, and his eyes shifted to Nathan's hand.

"... I'm fine, just a restless sleep," Penn looked away awkwardly. Nathan's eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully, your day is short enough for you to go home early. Make sure you eat well and exercise before you sleep to have a full night's rest."

"I'll be sure to do so," Penn chuckled, his eyes crinkling as he smiled in thanks. Nathan remained silent momentarily as his intense stare locked onto Penn's face. 

"Good. I see I'll be doing the match test with you today—a pleasant surprise."

"Very much so! You must be one of the two I have to be tested with today. Better than going through ten tests in one afternoon," Penn gave a relieved laugh. 

"Then, for your well-deserved rest, let's get this over with," Nathan replied with an easygoing smile, waving his hand to the overview room window. A solid beep gave the go-ahead, and he sat beside Penn in the testing chair. They both rested their hands on the dungeon core, and the monitor between them flickered on as the test began. 

Penn watched from the corner of his eye as Nathan whistled in a relaxed manner. Nathan's eyes shifted, and his cold brown irises met Penn's sharp ocean-green eyes. Nathan smirked and chuckled when Penn nodded awkwardly. 

The machine beeped periodically throughout the fifteen minutes of testing. The core hummed quietly with a subtle glow that Penn didn't notice in the crowded room during the previous testing. The feeling of cotton balls stuffed in his cheeks was never a feeling he could get used to—probably why he never acquired a taste for hoppy beers. 

The beep sounded again, and a ding from the monitor chimed in only a moment later. The room remained quiet as Penn hadn't looked at the screen yet, but moments later, he could hear a buzzing of discussions coming from the open door of the overviewing room. 

"Well, isn't that something," a low chuckle came from Nathan. Penn looked over and was surprised to see such a smug expression on his puppy-like face as he looked at the screen. Penn's eyes shifted to look as well. He frowned at first, not comprehending what he was seeing. He squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose before opening his eyes to look again — the same results.

"Pardon?!" Penn jumped to his feet, staring at the completed reading percentage that flashed on the screen. "Ninety-three? Ninety-three percent?!"

"That number can still go higher if you rank up through your levels and pass the promotion exam from A rank to S rank," replied the testing director, who exited the overview room. Three testing technicians peeked around the doorframe nervously behind him. Penn looked back at Nathan, who gave a courteous smile, his eyes curving into half-moons as he sat there silently.

"What… does that mean exactly?" Penn asked tentatively, his eyes shifting back to the staff. 

"Well…" The test director looked nervously between Nathan and Penn. "With the high proficiency match, bonding is an option—"

"Bonding?!" Penn replied, concern creeping into his voice. 

"For now, it would be best to assign you as Hunter Nathan's exclusive guide."

"I'm… not familiar with that term yet," Penn replied awkwardly. 

"It means that he will be the priority when it comes to guiding. If you have any appointments and he needs guidance, he comes first. It also means you'll be assigned to the dungeon expeditions with him—since you'll be able to guide him faster and with higher quality to return to fights than any guide we send along with him. Your sync rate is unmatched." 

"Is that all there is to it?" Penn questioned, the answer relieving some of his worries. The testing director nodded.

"For now, unless you agree to bond. But we currently don't suggest any of our rank A+ Hunters and Guides do so. If something happens to either bonding pair, they can never guide or be guided by another. That's a risk the association would like to avoid—even though you would most likely be able to guide him completely within moments if you were."

"That's understandable," Penn replied, looking over at Nathan, who had remained silent during the whole exchange. Nathan just flashed an innocent smile.

"You don't mind?" Nathan asked, his voice playful. Penn smiled back to reassure him he wasn't bothered by it. 

"Not at all. We're already acquainted."

"Good," Nathan responded, his lips stretching into a thin line as he smiled. "You mentioned there was another test happening after me, correct?"

"Yes," Penn nodded in affirmation. 

"I'll go grab us lunch from the café at the dorms. I'll meet you in your office with food after you're finished," Nathan said as he got up from his chair. The testing director flinched and took a step back. He side-eyed him as he passed by before calling over his shoulder to Penn. "I'll see you shortly."