Chapter 15
“What the hell is going on?!”
“Can’t you make a call?!”
“How could you call inside a dungeon?!”
“Is there a hunter here?! A hunter?!”
Pandemonium, or in other words, utter chaos.
The sudden situation threw all the citizens into confusion.
Some people were shouting.
Some people had expressions that were drained of all colour in despair.
Some people even collapsed, shedding tears.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
A-rank Hunter Kim Ji-a calmly assessed the situation around her.
All that could be seen within the open dungeon were endless walls and floors.
Fortunately, there were torches lit on the columns here and there, but that was all.
‘There’s no exit in sight. Besides, the concentration of mana here is no joke.’
Having conquered countless dungeons, she came to one conclusion.
It was one of those special dungeons, a one-way dungeon.
It was a dungeon where you had to defeat the boss to escape.
“Everyone, please pay attention!”
Ji-a patted Si-yoon’s trembling shoulders and shouted loudly.
“I am A-rank Hunter Kim Ji-a! Please listen to what I have to say!”
Her shout gradually quieted the uproar.
The weight of the name “A-rank” was that significant.
“W-We’re saved…!”
“Thank goodness, there’s an A-rank Hunter here!”
People started gathering around her.
She looked around and shouted.
“Is there any other hunter besides me?!”
“I-I’m a hunter….”
“I’m C-rank….”
Out of dozens of people, there were only two.
Two C-rank Hunters.
Even so, Ji-a felt a bit relieved.
Considering the total number of hunters, even this was fortunate.
She calmed the citizens and quieted the surroundings.
After that, she began talking to the two hunters.
“You’re both above E-rank, so you have enough combat experience, right?”
“W-Well, yes, but….”
“Isn’t this at least a B-rank level?”
The two hunters shuddered.
Ji-a hesitated for a moment but nodded as she spoke.
There was no point in lying since the truth would be revealed soon enough.
“I think this is an A-rank dungeon. I’ve never felt such a vicious concentration of mana, even in A-rank.”
“Gasp…!”
“We’re all dead….”
The two hunters’ faces turned pale with fear.
Ji-a felt the need to encourage them.
“That’s why I’m here, everyone.”
Their eyes turned toward Ji-a.
She put on a determined expression and declared.
“I will take on most of the monsters. I just need the two of you to handle any that slip through.”
“T-That much, I can….”
“M-Maybe… we can manage that…?”
Ji-a nodded.
“If we hold on, reinforcements will arrive. If we endure, the citizens will be safe. Stand firm. Don’t tremble. Can you do it?”
“I-I’ll try my best!”
“I’ll give it a shot…!”
The expressions of the two hunters changed slightly for the better.
Ji-a let out a sigh of relief inside.
But it was still too early to feel relieved.
From what she remembered, all of Korea’s S-rank hunters were currently dispatched abroad.
If her prediction was right and this place was an A-rank dungeon…
The guilds would have to form an alliance.
At least six A-rank hunters would need to be deployed.
Special dungeons, especially one-way dungeons, require even more careful decisions for entry.
In other words, the chances of reinforcements being delayed were high.
‘This is bad….’
Ji-a bit her lower lip.
Can I do this?
Can I really hold out?
She had to handle at least four times the usual amount.
…She had no choice.
“Everyone, the terrain isn’t ideal. Let’s move to a place that’s easier to defend rather than staying here where it’s open on all sides.”
“W-Wait, shouldn’t we stay here to wait for reinforcements?”
“Please trust my judgment for now.”
“O-Okay.”
It wasn’t good to move far, as that hunter said.
But Ji-a could only block one direction by herself.
At the very least, they needed to find a terrain where the opposite side was blocked.
Praying there was such a place nearby, Ji-a led the people and began moving.
***
‘W-What should I do…?’
While moving along with the citizens under Ji-a’s guidance…
Si-yoon was struggling with a big dilemma.
Ji-a unnie said she could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
She asked everyone to remain calm and follow her lead.
Thanks to that, the citizens felt reassured and were diligently following her instructions.
‘Is what Ji-a unnie said really true…?’
Even to Si-yoon, Ji-a looked very reliable.
Those strong eyes that didn’t waver for even a moment.
The way she stood tall and firm.
She looked like a hero straight out of a movie.
But because of that, Si-yoon started to feel uneasy.
It seemed like Ji-a was trying too hard to look that way, as if forcing herself to seem composed.
Si-yoon hesitated.
Should she activate the accessory that Si-hyun had given her or not?
If this place is truly dangerous…
Wouldn’t it be bringing my sister into harm’s way for no reason?
Into a place that even Ji-a unnie finds overwhelming.
Is it really the right choice to call my sister here?
Si-yoon didn’t know how strong her sister was.
She had heard stories about the Hero’s Party, but she hadn’t experienced their abilities firsthand.
The only thing she knew was that her sister had easily dealt with the C-rank Hunter stalker.
And that she had gone to a C-rank dungeon with Ji-a unnie and happily shared stories about it afterward.
That was all she knew, nothing beyond that.
That’s why she couldn’t make a hasty decision.
Si-yoon looked ahead.
“Haa—!”
Before she knew it, Ji-a had started fighting.
The two men who had revealed themselves as hunters stood in front of the citizens.
But they were trembling all over.
Unlike Ji-a unnie, they didn’t seem reliable at all.
“Damn it…!”
A large humanoid monster ignored Ji-a and started charging this way.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Do something about that, please!”
People with weak nerves screamed.
But the two hunters standing in front of the citizens were frozen solid, like statues.
Then, at that moment…
“Graaah——!”
A long spear pierced through the monster’s back.
Unable to withstand the force, the monster fell to the ground.
Finally, the two hunters snapped back to their senses and started pouring their skills onto the monster.
The monster’s painful screams echoed through the air.
Si-yoon averted her gaze from them and looked over at Ji-a.
It seemed she had extra equipment, as she pulled out a new spear and continued fighting.
But…
‘S-She’s injured…!’
There was a large claw mark on Ji-a back.
Blood was streaming down her back.
Si-yoon began to cry.
Although Si-hyun was precious to her, Ji-a was also an important person.
Seeing Ji-a’s strained expression as she struggled to continue fighting…
It felt as though she herself was the one in pain.
Unable to bear it any longer, Si-yoon activated the bracelet.
She wasn’t sure if this was the right choice or not.
But overcome with emotion, she chose to trust her older brother—no, her sister.
The dependable older brother who always protected her after their parents died.
The pretty older sister who came back as a woman and dealt with the stalker.
The Saintess of the Hero’s Party who defeated the Demon King.
Si-yoon knew only the basics about hunters and dungeons.
But she remembered what her sister had emphasized.
No matter what, she would come to help.
That was all she could believe in now.
“Ugh…”
Ji-a now had a long gash on her left arm, but she managed to defeat all the monsters.
For now, the situation was resolved, but the dungeon’s onslaught had only just begun.
***
“Huff, huff…”
Leaning on her spear, Ji-a took a deep breath that she had been holding back.
As expected, this place was definitely an A-rank dungeon.
Minotaur’s, ogres…
Powerful monsters were pouring out in droves.
Even for someone like Ji-a, who was used to fighting alone…
It was impossible to win without getting injured.
Especially with the added burden of having to protect citizens.
There was no option to pull back, even momentarily, in dangerous situations.
Ji-a began to doubt whether she could really hold out.
‘No, I can’t think like that.’
If she fell now…
Everyone here would be doomed to perish.
Perhaps, outside, they were already preparing to clear the dungeon while abandoning the citizens.
This sort of thing happened all too often.
But that didn’t mean she could give up.
Not when Si-yoon was here, along with herself.
‘I’m going to save everyone until reinforcements arrive.’
Ji-a popped her status window and took out a potion.
It was expensive, so she didn’t have many stocked, but this wasn’t the time to be frugal.
She had to, she must save everyone.
Every time a fellow hunter or acquaintance ceased to be part of this world…
Ji-a made a firm vow to herself.
She would become stronger so that no one would have to die.
Although she started fighting alone because she didn’t want to see anyone die…
That didn’t mean her goal had changed.
Now was the moment to see if she could stay true to that goal.
Si-yoon, the two hunters, and the citizens…
She would protect them all.
Even if it meant burning herself out completely.
Ji-a faced the next wave of monsters that started pouring in again.
“Come at me——!”
She shouted with all her might to muster up courage as she kicked off the ground.
—
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