I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius

I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius – 11

EP.11 Chapter Hidden Piece (1)

Songnisan Mountain.

To the right, moss-covered rocky cliffs rise high,

To the left, a steep dirt path extends along the forest trail.

The time has already passed 3 o’clock in the afternoon, past lunch time.

Kang Seo-Jun and Jin Se-rin’s security team have finally arrived at the entrance of the hidden dungeon.

[Arrived at the destination. Eye of Providence end the guidance.]

“Here we are.”

“Yes?”

The bodyguard carrying Kang Seo-Jun looked around, turning his head.

“There’s nothing here?”

To the right, moss-covered rock wall, to the left, a steep slope.

Other than that, all that could be seen was dense trees.

When the puzzled guard asked, Kang Seo-Jun pointed below.

“Look down.”

As the bodyguard followed Kang Seo-Jun’s finger and looked down, there was an arch-shaped crack like a mouse hole under the rock wall.

Pointing at the small crack with his foot, the guard asked.

“Are you talking about that?”

“Yes. Take me down. I need to inspect the entrance.”

After setting Kang Seo-Jun down, the guard raised an eyebrow.

Because the crack under the cliff was too narrow and small to be called an entrance.

“An entrance…?”

Kang Seo-Jun didn’t bother to answer that question.

Instead, he lay down on the ground and carefully examined the dungeon entrance.

Indeed, it was a narrow passage, just as described in the game.

“I need to widen the entrance by digging a bit. Will you help?”

It seemed challenging for Kang Seo-Jun’s inflated body to pass through, especially for anyone other than a slim woman or man.

“How should I dig?”

“Just clear the dirt around this crack as the center.”

“Manager Go, come over here.”

“Ah… Why is it always me…?”

Manager Go grumbled with a disgruntled expression, rolling up his sleeves.

No shovel or the like was needed for digging the soil.

Jin Se-rin’s security team consisted of hunters, each of B-rank or higher.

Their hands were sharper and tougher than shovels made of steel.

– Thud! –

Manager Go spread his legs comfortably, assumed a posture, and thrust his palm into the dirt floor.

As if stabbing with a sharp sword, the palm made a resounding noise, digging into the soil.

– Thud! Thud! Thud! –

As dirt was thrown aside, the narrow crack quickly widened enough for a large dog to pass through.

– Whoosh! –

The cold wind from the cave brushed against Manager Go’s cheek, carrying a damp, musty smell.

Manager Go lay down, briefly inspecting the interior, and then stood up.

“It seems to be connected to the cave.”

“The cave?”

Seo Eun-ha’s expression stiffened.

Entering a cave? A place difficult to protect VIPs in case of a similar situation.

Restricted exits, difficult terrain awareness, if the opponent set a trap, it would be easy to be surrounded with no way out.

Trusting a man who was unknown until yesterday to enter such a dangerous space seemed unreasonable.

Seo Eun-ha looked at Jin Se-rin with a facial expression suggesting, ‘Isn’t this a bit much?’

“Hmm~ Hmm~ ♬ The weather’s nice.”

“Ah…”

However, Jin Se-rin seemed indifferent, as if she had no particular thoughts, even as if she were just playing in a flower field.

Seo Eun-ha stepped forward before the situation could worsen.

“Just a moment.”

Looking at Kang Seo-Jun, seo Eun-ha spoke.

“Now that we’re here, you should provide specific guidance on where we’re going and what measures the young lady should take.”

Even if this man had ulterior motives, it was necessary to address such questions, even if only to move on with a semblance of control.

Kang Seo-Jun nodded in response to Seo Eun-ha’s words.

“All right. Please gather around me. I was about to brief everyone anyway.”

Eight bodyguards and Jin Se-rin gathered around Kang Seo-Jun.

Though Seo Eun-ha looked at Kang Seo-Jun with a suspicious gaze, he paid no attention and began the briefing.

“This is an unregistered dungeon.”

“An unregistered dungeon?”

The bodyguards exchanged puzzled glances at the mention of an unregistered dungeon.

They had only heard that there might be a battle, never thought they would actually enter a dungeon.

Moreover, it wasn’t even a properly registered dungeon, it was an illegally unregistered one.

Is it okay to proceed like this?

“Yes. It’s not a very large dungeon, and most of the monsters that appear are C-rank, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for your skills. And…”

“Wait a moment.”

Seo Eun-ha interrupted Kang Seo-Jun’s words.

“An unregistered dungeon?”

“… Exactly, a dungeon that hasn’t been reported to the government.”

“No, what I mean is… how do you know the coordinates of an unregistered dungeon?”

Other bodyguards, not much different from Seo Eun-ha, looked at Kang Seo-Jun with a similar gaze.

Eight pairs of eyes were fixed on Kang Seo-Jun.

However, Kang Seo-Jun, without a hint of embarrassment, rather asked as if it were a natural question.

“Is it strange that information varies from person to person? Some people can know.”

“… What?”

His audacity and nonchalance left Seo Eun-ha dumbfounded.

She could no longer tolerate the ominous feeling.

Leading Jin Se-rin away, seo Eun-ha said,

“Miss, let’s talk for a moment.”

“Huh? Why?”

As Jin Se-rin asked innocently, seo Eun-ha motioned her to follow.

Kang Seo-Jun made a somewhat annoyed expression, clenched his fist.

Glancing at Kang Seo-Jun with suspicion, seo Eun-ha whispered to Jin Se-rin.

“It’s suspicious. Just the fact that he knows about an unregistered dungeon, not to mention practicing illegal magic. Obtaining the coordinates of an unregistered dungeon is only possible through the illegal black market. I have a bad feeling. Miss, that man is undoubtedly from the underworld. It’s not good to get involved. It’s better to cut ties here.”

“… Why are you like this since yesterday… No, we have to keep going.”

“Miss…!”

Jin Se-rin sighed.

Then, in a voice so small that only Seo Eun-ha could hear, she said,

“There’s no turning back from here. And there’s no other way. We’ve tried every verified method for two years, but none of them worked. I think it’s time to seize this opportunity.”

Having spoken to herself and seemingly frustrated, Jin Se-rin sighed again.

“Academy admission is just under two weeks away. But I keep standing still. I understand what unni is saying, but right now, it’s a bit unsettling, and I can’t go back. There’s no other way. I have to catch something now. I know it’s dangerous. But now, we’re in a situation where we have to take risks. We talked about it when we came here.”

[Eye of Providence are reading the nearby conversation.]

Kang Seo-Jun had been observing all of this, like reading chat logs.

“If that’s what the miss means… Understood.”

Seo Eun-ha lowered her head with a bitter expression.

As the owner’s intention was so firm, as a servant, she had no choice but to follow.

“Sorry. But I’ll see it through to the end today. Also, today, your suspicion is a bit excessive.”

Jin Se-rin returned a moment later, sighing, and Seo Eun-ha followed suit a beat later.

Kang Seo-Jun applauded once, gathered attention, and resumed the briefing.

“Let’s continue then. Most monsters are Ghost types, around C-rank…

”

Kang Seo-Jun eloquently listed information about the dungeon, as if reading chat logs.

His skill in precisely grasping the core points of the dungeon and efficiently summarizing necessary information was no less than that of a large guild’s specialized briefing.

It was the result of extensive experience writing numerous strategy guides as a veteran of the Grand Hunter Academy.

‘Why is the briefing so specific and skillful…?’

However, in Seo Eun-ha’s eyes, Kang Seo-Jun seemed to be someone who had conquered not only this dungeon but countless others, raising even more suspicions.

‘Moreover, how does he know so much about a dungeon that hasn’t been conquered yet…?’

As the briefing progressed, seo Eun-ha’s lips protruded more and more.

Various suspicions and anxieties flooded her mind, and in a situation where nothing could be done, her words naturally spilled out.

After a brief explanation of the boss battle, Kang Seo-Jun finished the briefing by scanning the group and saying,

“I’ll provide more detailed information about the boss before the boss battle start. Any questions so far?”

Silence.

The briefing was so perfect that there were no questions about the dungeon.

However, the bodyguards exchanged glances with expressions that seemed to ask, “Is this okay?”

“Well then. Let’s finish the briefing. Let’s go in.”

But Kang Seo-Jun didn’t pay attention to such opinions.

After all, if they cleared the dungeon without any problems, their attitudes would naturally change.

《Quest》

▶ Clear the dungeon 《Shrine Sealed by the Cursed Flame》!

◆ Description:

Annihilate all monsters inside the dungeon and claim your reward!

◆ Success Reward:

Random stat +1

◆ Failure Penalty:

-10 Affinity with Adventure-related Constellations

-10 Affinity with Justice-related Constellations

As they passed through the narrow passage into the dungeon, a quest was triggered.

The success condition was to annihilate all monsters inside the dungeon.

If Kang Seo-Jun were alone, it would be an impossible condition, but now he had eight bodyguards aside from Jin Se-rin.

Each one of them was an elite with a rank of B or higher.

It was truly reassuring and boundless.

Kang Seo-Jun’s task was simple.

Guide them through the dungeon, indicating the right path at every intersection, and solving puzzles if they encountered locked doors.

‘And once the boss is dealt with, I’ll snatch the Hidden Piece.’

The main reward of this dungeon would be handed over to Jin Se-rin, but it was a reward that Kang Seo-Jun didn’t need anyway.

In fact, the reward was practically an item exclusively for Jin Se-rin.

However, even so, Kang Seo-Jun would come back to this dungeon alone later.

This dungeon contained a Hidden Piece so valuable that it couldn’t be compared to the reward of just raising a few stat points.

‘With that alone, I can accelerate my growth several times over.’

Kang Seo-Jun smiled with satisfaction at the thought of already having the Hidden Piece in his hands and continued forward.