Chapter 14
The next day, Si-hyun entered the gate, riding in Ji-a’s car.
‘Having a car is really convenient…,’ she thought absentmindedly.
Ji-a glanced over at Si-hyun and spoke.
“What kind of weapon do you use? I’m a spearman.”
“Hmm, I couldn’t bring the weapon I used back with me when I returned… so, I just use whatever’s available?”
Maybe I should try out the sword Da-young gave me.
Thinking simply, Si-hyun took out a sword.
Seeing this, Ji-a’s eyes widened as she asked,
“A sword? But you’re a Saintess?”
“I picked up a fair bit by just eyeballing.”
Si-hyun responded as if it were no big deal.
During large-scale battles, she used whatever she could get her hands on amidst the chaos.
Moreover, she had years of experience rolling around with the Hero’s Party.
It wasn’t formal training, but she knew how to use it to a certain extent.
“Hmm… Then, shall we start?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Standing side by side, the two confidently stepped forward.
As they ventured into the dungeon, they soon encountered two trolls.
Over 3 meters tall, with thick skin and formidable regenerative power.
For an average C-rank hunter, this would be an opponent that required maximum caution.
But these two were far from average.
“Let’s take one each. Can you handle it?”
“Of course.”
They each took responsibility for one troll and prepared for battle.
Ji-a adjusted her stance and glanced at Si-hyun.
Although Si-hyun looked confident, Ji-a had never seen her in action before.
A C-rank troll was an easy opponent for Ji-a.
So she decided to observe Si-hyun’s fight first.
But, the same was true for Si-hyun as well.
She had killed trolls countless times before.
She could take one down with her eyes closed.
Because of this, both of them noticed that the other was watching them.
“Haha…”
“Hahaha!”
We’re both thinking the same thing!
The two laughed heartily before turning their eyes back to the monsters.
The dungeon was spacious anyway.
They could take their time observing each other.
With that thought in mind, the two launched into battle just as the trolls charged at them.
First, in Ji-a’s case.
She used swift movements and maximized the long reach of her spear.
She maintained a certain distance while striking at the troll’s weak points.
Joints and knees—areas that could slow its movements.
No matter how sturdy a troll may be,
When an A-rank hunter repeatedly targeted the same spots,
Its regeneration couldn’t keep up, and the troll eventually fell to its knees.
At that moment!
Ji-a used her spearman skill.
The spear shot out quickly, drawing a blue trajectory.
The spear, imbued with mana, pierced straight through the troll’s neck.
“Gaaah—!”
No matter how great its regenerative abilities, this was a fatal wound.
The troll collapsed to the ground, drawing its last breath.
“Hoo…!”
Ji-a lightly stretched her body, feeling satisfied, and shook the blood off her spear.
She turned her gaze toward Si-hyun.
“…Oh.”
Ji-a let out a small sound of admiration.
The troll that had been on Si-hyun’s side was already down.
Its neck was cleanly severed.
Although Ji-a hadn’t gone all out, she didn’t expect to be slower than Si-hyun.
Si-hyun seemed to be much stronger than she initially thought.
“…But is this really what a Saintess should be doing?”
Si-hyun, who was approaching, heard Ji-a’s muttered comment.
With a wry smile, she responded.
“Holy Knight.”
“Ah, I see.”
Even though it was just a single word, the meaning was conveyed accurately.
Ji-a nodded with a laugh.
Today’s dungeon activities were a secret.
“Do you remember you promised to give me a blessing if I entered a dungeon yesterday?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Will it be similar to what support-specialized hunters use?”
“Maybe… something like that?”
At Ji-a’s question, Si-hyun tilted her head.
She hadn’t seen other support hunters’ abilities, so she didn’t know.
Well, I’ll know once I try, right?
Si-hyun lightly channelled divine power to strengthen Ji-a’s body.
Next, she used mana to cast a buff that enhanced various efficiencies.
Since it was a C-rank dungeon,
Si-hyun adjusted the strength accordingly.
Once the “Blessing” was completed, Ji-a clenched and unclenched her fists as if marvelling, murmuring to herself.
“…This feels different somehow.”
“Really?”
“This sensation at the beginning—it’s my first time feeling it. After that, I recognized it as mana.”
“Divine power?”
“That’s what it’s called? Yeah, I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
“Hmm…”
Si-hyun pondered for a moment.
No one had ever pointed that out before.
Maybe it’s something only A-rank hunters can perceive.
But she concluded that it was a problem even she didn’t have the answer to.
Divine power came from prayer and faith.
Mana, though theoretically understood, was a discipline that relied heavily on intuition.
‘Awakened beings and status windows really are different from me,’ she concluded.
“There’s no problem, right? No side effects or anything?”
“None at all! If anything, I have too much energy now. I feel like I could take on an S-rank opponent!”
Ji-a confidently exclaimed.
Her entire body was brimming with strength and vitality.
It was no wonder the large guilds sought out support-type hunters who were in short supply.
The sense of hitting a limit, a wall that everyone encounters at some point—
For a brief moment, having a way to effortlessly break through that barrier.
It was truly an intoxicating sensation.
“Shall we go wild?”
“Yeah, let’s go!”
With Ji-a feeling so energetic, Si-hyun also felt a surge of vitality.
Ji-a’s enthusiastic response felt fresh and invigorating to her.
The two energetically advanced through the dungeon.
It was merely a C-rank dungeon that they were overwhelming, but both Ji-a and Si-hyun were more exhilarated than ever.
***
After clearing the dungeon and stepping back outside.
Ji-a voiced a question that suddenly came to mind.
“Si-hyun, haven’t you said you’ve never been to a C-rank dungeon before?”
“Hm? It’s my first time, yeah.”
“Then how were you so skilled at handling them?”
Ji-a recalled Si-hyun’s movements in the dungeon.
It wasn’t just a matter of talent or physical ability responding to the opponent’s attacks.
She was predicting.
Her movements were those of someone who had already grasped the opponent’s behaviour and patterns.
Combined with her strength,
It was as if she was toying with the C-rank monsters, easily dealing with them.
“Ah… I’m not sure why myself, but.”
Understanding Ji-a’s question precisely, Si-hyun scratched her cheek.
“The monsters here are exactly the same as the ones from the world I was in.”
“Really? E to C-rank ones, all of them?”
“Yeah. I’ve fought these monsters so many times that their counters are ingrained in my body.”
“Then…”
Ji-a’s eyes widened in surprise.
Maybe Si-hyun also knew about B and A-rank monsters.
If she even knew about the few S-rank monsters that had appeared so far…
The world would be turned upside down.
“Ah, it’s not like I know everything, okay? I only know what I know.”
What I don’t know, I don’t know. Si-hyun muttered to herself as she added.
Then, she smiled slightly and continued speaking.
“By the way, you’re really strong, Ji-a.”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
“Yeah, I was honestly surprised. You’re on a completely different level compared to the lower-ranked hunters.”
“R-really…?”
Ji-a’s cheeks turned red at Si-hyun’s unexpected praise.
Just like how compliments can make even a whale dance, Ji-a’s heart started pounding.
Honestly, Si-hyun’s appearance right now was a total heartbreaker too.
Feeling shy, Ji-a thought it was best to change the subject.
“You’re really not going to join us for the shopping trip with Si-yoon?”
“…Yeah. I think it’ll be tiring.”
“Oh, come on. Isn’t a dungeon way more tiring?”
“I’m fine, so you two have fun.”
Si-hyun, not wanting to get caught up in a shopping spree with the girls, put up a solid wall.
Ji-a lightly tapped on the wall, but she couldn’t break through.
***
Time passed, and the weekend arrived.
Ji-a was out shopping with Si-yoon, wandering around a nearby shopping district.
That’s when Ji-a happened to notice a bracelet on Si-yoon’s wrist.
“Si-yoon, that bracelet is pretty. Where did you get it?”
“Oh, this.”
Si-yoon smiled brightly and raised her arm.
“It’s a gift from my sister! She gave it to me recently, saying the custom order was just completed.”
“Huh…”
As Si-yoon proudly showed off her bracelet, Ji-a instinctively reached out to touch it.
And she felt a familiar sensation.
“Huh? Status window.”
She quickly opened her status window to check the bracelet’s information.
Unlike ordinary items, it was an accessory made using mana stones.
The status window displayed simple details about it.
“This is an accessory made from mana stones?”
“Oh, is it? No wonder. She did tell me a lot about what to do if I was in danger….”
Listening to Si-yoon’s murmur, Ji-a gave a wry smile.
What a doting sister.
How long has it been since she returned, and she’s already preparing things like this?
“…I want to buy something too.”
“Shall we go to a store that sells accessories?”
“Yeah.”
The two women wandered around various accessory shops in the shopping district.
Though it took some time, Si-yoon finally found something she was satisfied with.
Just as Si-yoon was packing her purchase,
“E-everyone! Please evacuate!”
“What’s going on?!”
A sudden commotion broke out.
A young man shouted urgently.
People stared at him in confusion.
“A dimensional rift…!”
The young man couldn’t finish his words.
With a massive roar, a giant gate emitting a red aura appeared.
The people in the shopping district were sucked into the gate, unable to react.
The Management Bureau had failed to detect it in advance.
It was the appearance of an irregular, special dungeon.
Among the many citizens pulled into the gate were Ji-a and Si-yoon.
***
Left alone at home, Si-hyun was browsing the internet and switching between different channels.
That’s when she happened to come across a ‘breaking news’ alert, with the same information repeated.
[A gate that the Management Bureau failed to detect appears at a shopping district in Seoul]
[The Management Bureau announces it as a one-way dungeon. Once entered, it is impossible to come out.]
[Measured as the most powerful A-rank dungeon ever detected in South Korea]
“……”
Si-hyun stared blankly at her bracelet.
She had insisted again and again that Si-yoon activate it if anything happened.
But she hadn’t heard where they were going shopping today.
There was no reaction from the bracelet yet, so it seemed like everything was fine…
But she couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.
Her concerns began to grow.
Just then, a faint, almost imperceptible vibration came from the bracelet.
“……!”
Si-hyun’s heart started to pound furiously.
Without thinking, she quickly activated the bracelet.
It was a pair of bracelets that could track each other’s location in case of an emergency.
Her eyes widened as she confirmed the location being transmitted to her bracelet.
“……!”
Her breath caught in her throat.
The location was none other than the shopping district where the gate had appeared.
“…….”
For a moment, Si-hyun stood frozen in place.
Then, determination set in.
She immediately grabbed her phone and called a number.
The call connected almost instantly.
“Yes, this is the Hunter Management Bureau, how can I help you?”
“Hello, I’m a hunter. I want to register for immediate gate entry.”
“May I have your hunter license number, please?”
Si-hyun quickly provided her information, and there was a pause on the other end as they verified her identity.
“……Your registration has been confirmed. May I ask the reason for the immediate entry request?”
“I’m requesting entry into the new gate at the Seoul shopping district.”
“I’m sorry, but the gate has been declared a one-way entry, and only high-ranking hunters are permitted inside.”
“That’s fine. I’ll take responsibility. Let me in.”
“……Please wait a moment while I escalate your request.”
After a brief silence, a different voice came on the line.
“This is Jang Han-soo from the Hunter Management Bureau. Si-hyun, what’s going on?”
“Section Chief Jang. Please, let me enter that gate.”
“Are you crazy? You know that’s an A-rank dungeon, right? There’s no coming back out once you go in!”
“I’m aware.”
“Then why—”
“My sister is inside.”
A heavy silence fell over the line.
“……Your sister?”
“Yes. And a friend too. They were both pulled in.”
Han-soo sighed heavily on the other end.
“Si-hyun, I know how you feel, but this isn’t something you can handle alone. Let the guilds or higher-ranking hunters handle it.”
“I’m going.”
Her voice was resolute, leaving no room for argument.
“…….”
Han-soo knew Si-hyun wasn’t someone who could be stopped by words alone.
“Alright, but I’m not giving you permission as a Bureau officer. Just—stay safe. And if things get dangerous, prioritize your life first.”
“Thank you.”
Si-hyun hung up the phone and grabbed her equipment.
She had no intention of sitting back and letting someone else handle it.
Her sister’s life was at stake.
With quick strides, she exited the house and made her way to the gate’s location.
The surroundings were already in chaos.
The area was cordoned off, and numerous Bureau staff members and hunters were trying to manage the situation.
Si-hyun flashed her hunter license and passed through the security checkpoints without issue.
Standing before the massive gate, she took a deep breath.
“Don’t worry, Si-yoon. I’m coming.”
With those words, Si-hyun stepped forward and disappeared into the swirling red light.
***
The inside of the gate was a landscape of pure devastation.
Screams, smoke, and the scent of blood filled the air.
Monsters roamed freely, preying on the unfortunate civilians who had been sucked in.
Ji-a gritted her teeth as she stood in front of Si-yoon, her spear tightly gripped in her hand.
“Stay behind me, Si-yoon. Don’t move unless I tell you to.”
“O-okay…!”
Si-yoon clung to Ji-a’s back, trembling with fear.
The sudden chaos had thrown her completely off balance.
But Ji-a was different.
She had been through countless life-and-death situations before.
Even though this dungeon was on a different level from the C-rank ones they had just faced,
Her resolve didn’t waver.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
Summoning her strength, Ji-a thrust her spear forward, fending off a horde of monsters.
But even she knew they couldn’t keep this up forever.
The monsters kept coming, one after another.
It was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.
‘Damn it…!’
Just as Ji-a’s stamina began to wane—
A blinding light suddenly engulfed the area.
The monsters shrieked and staggered back, as if repelled by the sheer force of the light.
“……?”
Ji-a blinked, struggling to see through the intense glow.
A familiar silhouette emerged from the light.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“……!”
Si-hyun stood before them, her golden eyes gleaming with a fierce determination.
“Unni!”
“Si-yoon, Ji-a. I’m here now.”
With those words, Si-hyun raised her hand.
The divine power radiating from her engulfed the entire area.
The monsters that had been swarming them moments ago melted away under the overwhelming aura.
Ji-a and Si-yoon watched in stunned silence as the monsters were completely obliterated.
Si-hyun turned to them with a reassuring smile.
“Let’s get out of here. Together.”
—
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