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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Jeil Arts High School
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This just in. At 4:44 a.m. last night, a gate opened at an abandoned school in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Hunter Association Chairman Kim Kang-hee has announced it as an A-rank dungeon and stated that a dispatch team will be sent soon to manage it. Online, netizens are buzzing about the gate's appearance time, speculating that a ghost created the dungeon. This is reporter Lee Seung-hyun.
"Gives you chills, doesn't it?"
At Han Jin-woo the hunter's words, I nodded quietly while staring at the news screen in the association cafe.
'No doubt about it. Nokdu's in that dungeon.'
Last night, out of nowhere, my Wolf's Companion mission had pinged. And right after, that dungeon popped up. There was no way I couldn't suspect a connection.
"A few days ago, I actually saw something like this."
"What is it?"
That's when Han Jin-woo the hunter suddenly thrust his phone at me.
Ryongryong's Occult Repository
It was like an SNS account collecting ghost stories and mysteries, with a ton of followers.
'Let's see, the most recent post... from the day before yesterday.'
There was a black-and-white school photo with the text '[Short Story] Jeil Arts High School,' and a link to a personal blog below. Tapping it brought up a plain blog page, with a long post right in the center.
"This Jeil Arts High School is the one where the gate opened."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah! Read it quick!"
Under Han Jin-woo the hunter's eager gaze, I lowered my eyes back to the phone screen.
Wrote this cuz Jeil Arts High is shutting down and it just popped into my head...
Anyone from Wonju probably knows it, but Jeil Arts was one of the top arts high schools in Gangwon Province.
They had practical music, film, design, and modern dance departments, with dance being the best.
Competition rates were insane every year, so the kids who got in were super proud lololol.
Anyway, I graduated from the design dept there, and I'm gonna tell you about this one famous rumor from our school. It's legit, so don't call it fake, assholes.
The first floor was just admin offices, then floors 2 through 5 were practical music, film, dance, and design classrooms in order. Dance was on the fourth floor, so ghost sighting rumors were extra common there.
The oldest one was 'If you practice alone in Dance Room 1 at 4:44 a.m., the ghost in the mirror dances with you.' I thought it was just your typical school ghost story, but then something happened that made me believe it was real.
Every two years, the dance dept would produce this kid who danced so insanely well it was like, wtf. And those kids always died in accidents or suicides right before graduation. When I was a senior, there was this guy in dance from my year who was that crazy talented.
He swept national competitions, had this insanely pretty face, got business cards from theater troupes and agencies left and right. Even that Papillon agency tried to recruit him.
Anyway, it was October? I left my phone at school and had to go back after cram school since the bus was already gone. It was 11 p.m., and I went with the security lady...;;; So scary ;;;;
Design's on the fifth, so I had to pass the dance practice rooms. On the fourth floor, I heard an music box playing. Me and the lady stopped and went toward the sound, and there was that guy dancing like mad in the practice room.
But... even for flexible dance kids, joints can't bend every which way, right? His whole body was twisted unnaturally, dancing some unknown dance to this creepy music box tune I'd never heard ;;; He'd cry, laugh, even scream while dancing;;
We were both terrified, but the lady finally opened the door, and boom—he snapped back to normal. She yelled at him for being out late, and he just tilted his head like he forgot what he was doing, packed up, and left. I nearly pissed myself but managed to grab my phone and get home.
Sure enough, he killed himself around December, and word spread that all those genius dancers who died before were possessed by ghosts.
Once the rumors got out, fewer kids applied, and the school closed a few years ago. I still don't know if what I saw was that guy, a ghost, or a possessed guy, but that freakishly twisted body is burned into my eyes even now.
How to end this? I'm out, peace lol.
"Eek... creepy."
"Right? It might be made up, but a dungeon appearing at a place with rumors like that—and exactly at 4:44 a.m... I kinda wanna check it out!"
Han Jin-woo the hunter clenched his fists, his whole body buzzing with excitement. But he soon deflated, slumping his head onto the table.
"I'd love to go straight to the chairman and beg to be sent..."
"Hey, haven't you checked the hunter intranet?"
"Ah! Kang Se-bin the hunter!"
Turning at the familiar voice, I saw Se-bin holding her phone in one hand. She flashed me a grin and plopped down beside me.
"The Wonju A-rank's been assigned to the three of us."
"Whoa, really?! Awesome!"
"For real?"
I yanked my work phone from my inventory and fired up HunterNet. A notification blinked.
[1 Dispatch Mission Assigned.]
[Location: Gangwon Province, Wonju A-Rank Dungeon (New)]
[Date: April 23, 11 p.m.]
[Dispatch Team: Shin Ji-ui (SS-Rank), Kang Se-bin (S-Rank), Han Jin-woo (S-Rank)]
'Nice.'
I cheered inwardly. If there hadn't been a request, I'd have had to make some excuse, but the timing worked out perfectly.
"Ji-ui, you okay with this?"
"Huh? With what?"
"You're scared of ghosts."
"Oh."
That was the problem.
I could tough out zombie or gore flicks, but ghosts and eerie vibes? Not so much.
"What can I do? Gotta go."
"Ah! Kang Se-bin the hunter, check this out. There's a ghost story just like that dungeon~"
Han Jin-woo the hunter showed Se-bin the same creepypasta he'd shown me. He was so hyped his words came twice as fast, making him sound like a chirping chick.
Se-bin peered at the phone with interest, then nodded slowly.
"Could be a new type: ghost story dungeon. Or rumor dungeon."
"What if the monsters are ghosts? Oh man, that'd be so cool!"
I was a bit tense, honestly, but the thought of meeting my lost summon Nokdu had me a little excited too.
Se-bin patted my back lightly as she stood.
"See you at the gate at eleven, then."
Passing wide fields and greenhouses, a rusty red brick wall surrounding a large sports field came into view.
Jeil Arts High School
The nameplate on the wall was so weathered the letters looked ready to flake off. The car pulled up by some container boxes on the field. I thanked the driver and got out.
"Whew..."
The infamous Jeil Arts High loomed before me. The white concrete building had identical windows crammed together, most shattered horrifically. Through the broken lock on the door, toppled shoe lockers were visible—and though it had to be my imagination, some shadow seemed to shift beyond.
Whish.
Wind rustled leaves against each other, tickling my nose with grass and faint burnt wood smells. Just being here made my body tense up.
Time to head in.
"Welcome~!"
"Hello...?"
I tilted my head at the sight of Han Jin-woo the hunter. Crisp white tee, straight jeans, Converse—normal enough. But in his hand was a brown fuzzball I hadn't seen before.
"An... animal?"
"This is my weapon!"
"That's a weapon?!"
I almost used my ability on reflex but pulled back, casually brushing my hair instead. In his hand was a volleyball-sized brown fluffball. It looked like a weird pouch at best—not a weapon.
"It's called Lucky Rabbit's Foot! An S-rank boomerang."
"Fascinating..."
He hugged the fluff tightly, beaming, dimples popping on his cheeks.
Bzzz, bzzz.
"Ah, sorry. Gotta take this call."
Han Jin-woo held the phone to his ear and stepped aside. Only then did I notice the gate ahead—a wrought-iron gate like a school entrance. Gates usually reflected the dungeon's vibe, so something school-themed was probably inside. My head throbbed.
"Really? Hmm... Then radio schedule first..."
I formed the Eye of the Creator toward Han Jin-woo the hunter, who was busy negotiating his schedule.
Definitely support-specialized skills. Healing Hand was a cheat that fixed dying people in seconds—best if we never needed it, but just having him around felt secure.
The inscription... Was it appraising the weapon or his fandom? Unclear.
"Sorry I'm late."
The container door opened, and Se-bin bustled in. Han Jin-woo nodded mid-call; I waved lightly.
Soon, he hung up. All three of us were assembled for the mysterious A-rank dungeon.
"Let's go!!"
With his usual chipper voice, Han Jin-woo pushed the gate. Cricket chirps as our soundtrack, we stepped inside.
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