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Over the past few days spent in the dawn, my perception of the Wolf has dramatically changed. The fear that used to fill its eyes has now transformed into curiosity and desire. Mostly, it seems to want a good petting.

Every time I feel that gaze, I realize the Wolf’s image is shifting… into a grumpy puppy in Marang. This means Kang Tae-jun’s groundwork is paying off.

Now accustomed to the Clan, I stretched my stiff body, feeling like it’s been ages since I last went out, and Kang Tae-ho chuckled at me.

“You’ve completely turned into a sleepy tiger!”

One of the executives was supposed to accompany us, and predictably, it was Kang Tae-ho. After all, the other executives were probably still recovering from Neverland’s fatigue. A large van was parked a bit away; I couldn’t tell what brand it was, but it was definitely big. In front of it stood four Hunters, and among them, Euna was covering her mouth in surprise.

“Alpha…!”

Speaking of, didn’t I mention I would be accompanying them yesterday? I waved my tentacle at her, and she waved back. Nodding, Kang Tae-ho pressed the button on his car key. It seemed like he planned to drive, which was surprising for such a massive vehicle.

“…Kyu!”

Euna wagged her tail at Kang Tae-ho, who nodded for her to get in.

“No! I said I don’t want to!”

It looked like my previous attempt to pet her left a lasting impression. After receiving a few hits, Kang Tae-ho pretended to be hurt, which seemed to satisfy Euna as she turned away, while the Wolf shook its head. At that moment, Kang Tae-ho was laughing. Unfortunately, the outcome was pretty clear.

After getting into the van and not long after, we arrived at a dungeon—a massive cave. Once we stopped in front of it, the Hunters jumped out to open the trunk. They began pulling out gear from their backpacks, connecting belts and pouches, and arming themselves.

Two warriors emerged: one wielding a shield and sword, the other with a shield and torch, while carrying a spear on their back. Behind them, I spotted Euna with her bow and a small dagger at her waist. She wore some protective gear, like greaves, but overall, she had a pretty lightweight outfit. I wondered if it was right to call her a Mage, but the setup looked good. The Wolf nodded as it observed the Hunters.

‘Just as I thought.’

Only Euna had participated in Neverland. That meant they were all Hunters below B-class. I wondered why Euna, who had been part of Neverland, was coming to a dungeon again…

‘Guess it’s good for her growth.’

Deciding not to dwell on the question, a spear-wielding Hunter ignited a lighter, and the torch began to blaze. After a quick scan of the cave, the Hunters proceeded into the dungeon.

‘Couldn’t we use lanterns instead?’

Peeking with my vision, I saw there was a lantern in their backpacks. As they entered, Kang Tae-ho gestured with his chin, and the Wolf followed behind them at a suitable distance. After all, darkness posed no obstacle for the Wolf.

“Hey, you.”

Suddenly, Kang Tae-ho spoke to me, and I just turned my head to look at him.

“Just one pet… Argh, never mind, it’s too dirty to bother.”

Seeing the Shadow slinking around made Kang Tae-ho flinch and pull back his hand, mumbling about expecting to get hurt if he tried again. At that moment, the Wolf’s ears perked up.

***

In a dungeon that felt like a cave, the most critical factor was maintaining visibility. Though they held torches, they still needed to adapt their eyes to the darkness. Just as their eyes adjusted near the entrance, the Hunter designated as the leader issued the command.

“We’re moving in.”

The spear-wielder led the way with the torch, while the warrior protected him beside. The archer took the rear, and Euna walked in the center of the formation. Her role was vigilance, using her skills to detect approaching enemies and engage in combat if necessary. After advancing for a bit, Euna alerted them of a monster’s approach.

“Six ahead.”

At that, the archer crouched down and strained to listen. Then, he seemed to hear the footsteps.

“…Cobalt or Goblin? I think it’s one of those two.”

The warriors nodded. Just as the archer had said, the monster was indeed a Cobalt. Six Cobalts, armed and ready for battle.

“Formation!”

With the archer’s order, Euna quickly scrambled into position, following the command. The warrior raised his shield, successfully deflecting the spear thrown by the Cobalt. It was expected, given that they were Cobalts and the narrow cave made their trajectory rather obvious.

As the Cobalts charged, the spear-wielder swung his torch arm wide to create distance, and an arrow flew like a ray of light, piercing a Cobalt’s forehead. While the Cobalts hesitated, the spear-wielder retaliated with a kick, disrupting their formation. Meanwhile, the warrior pushed forward with his shield, striking at the right moment.

This was a flawless synergy. In response, Kang Tae-ho quietly asked, “How’s it looking?”

“…….”

“What? Just speak up!”

Kang Tae-ho was asking about the Hunters’ hunting techniques from the perspective of the monster. He seemed genuinely interested in how the monsters perceived them.

“…They’re doing well.”

Even the Wolf nodded in agreement. For Hunters around C-class, this was probably their best effort. Although, Kang Tae-ho seemed slightly disappointed.

“If you’ve got something to say, share it. We need to fix what needs fixing.”

Kang Tae-ho’s willingness to accept feedback made the Wolf shake its head. It wasn’t that there wasn’t anything to say, but the Wolf wasn’t disappointed with the Hunters.

“……”

With the Wolf in silence, Kang Tae-ho interpreted it as a sign to keep watching. As that happened, the remaining Cobalts had quickly dwindled down to three. It was a puzzling situation considering only six had been initially present. The Hunters were handling the Cobalts smoothly, pushing them to a side. It was clear they planned not to let any monsters interfere with their retreat later.

Kang Tae-ho rested his chin on his hand and said seriously, “But seriously, can’t I just touch it once?”

“―――.”

“Kyu!”

“Okay, okay. You guys are really stingy!”

***

Progressing smoothly, we had now reached the dungeon’s midpoint. We managed to get this far without much trouble, but soon enough, higher-level monsters began to emerge.

[Cyclops]

[Height 2.21m] [Weight 161.1kg]

[Strength 336] [Agility 281] [Health 303]

[Skills]

[Tough Skin (E)]

From the Hunters’ perspective, the Cyclops was a familiar monster. It was the same one I’d seen before in the Fantasy World, the one that had made me flee in fear. It boldly revealed itself, tearing apart portions of the cave wall and throwing them.

“―――!”

The warrior skillfully raised his shield to block, but the impact from the throw was overwhelming, making him stumble backward. The spear-wielder swung his torch in response, but it didn’t deter the Cyclops. The archer yelled out, “Split!”

As the order was given, the warrior and spear-wielder moved to create space in the center, and the archer shot an arrow through the gap toward the Cyclops. The arrow flew straight, striking the Cyclops in the chest, but it didn’t pierce through. The thick fat layer and tough skin prevented that. The Cyclops howled in pain, swinging its massive arm, causing one warrior to crash against the wall.

At that instant, Euna murmured, “Distort.”

With those few words, the Cyclops was caught by intangible magic, immobilized. Meanwhile, the spear-wielder torched its eye, and as the large eye caught fire, the warrior who had previously fallen plunged his sword into the Cyclops’s neck.

“Add. 5!”

No time was to be wasted. Hearing the sound of approaching monsters in the distance, the warrior turned his gaze backward. Suddenly, the Cyclops raised its arm, and Euna clenched her fist. Behind the Cyclops, gigantic spiders revealed themselves, scuttling along the walls and ceiling. The archer shouted, “Retreat! We’re moving to the narrow passage!”

It was a sound decision, but the spiders were faster. If it continued like this, they would be caught. The spear-wielder swung his torch to fend them off, but the swarm of poison emitted by the spiders extinguished the torch.

“……!”

With the lights out and complete darkness settling in, Euna’s magic erupted to illuminate the ceiling. A small explosion knocked down stalactites, skewering some spiders. Just as the brief light illuminated the area, the warrior twisted his body and kicked a spider away.

Before the remaining spiders could rush in, the archer quickly lit a new torch. Maneuvering the poisoned aerial attack with a distortion of space made it easy to eliminate them. Now only one remained. As the Hunters gave chase, they were welcomed by three diverging paths.

“So, where did the spider go?”

“It went down the right path… There are about eight more left.”

“Can you feel the Boss?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Euna bowed her head, and at that moment, the spear-wielder, having taken the torch, patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“What are you sorry for? It’s actually been easier thanks to you. You did great earlier.”

The Wolf observed the spear-wielder’s face closely, realizing it was the same young Hunter who had fought alongside the juniors at the Academy. The concerned Hunters decided to leave the left path, which was clear of monsters, and proceed down the right one. They aimed to avoid any surprises while potentially engaging the Boss. They took a cautious approach, and even if they were lower-ranked, they moved with the grace of veteran Hunters. For a moment, the Wolf’s gaze turned toward the central passage, furrowing its brow.

“―――.”

Since entering the dungeon, the Wolf had noticed the snoring sound had vanished.

***

The Hunters had easily dispatched the spiders. To be precise, it was more of a processing than dispatching.

“Oh wow.”

Kang Tae-ho chuckled. He would have never imagined the ceiling would come crashing down on them. The fallen spiders squealed as their blue blood seeped through the debris. No matter how monstrous they were, they couldn’t survive that. The returning Hunters came back to the central passage and spotted Alpha and Team Leader No. 2 in the distance.

“……”

They had followed along as the observer, keeping a reasonable distance. Unless the situation was dire, they wouldn’t intervene, as it was up to the Hunters to ensure that.

“So there’s nothing on the left?”

As Euna nodded, the archer pressed his ear to the ground. While it was impossible to confirm if nothing was stirring, it seemed no monsters were moving at least.

“Let’s advance.”

They had barely moved past the middle. It would take a bit more time to reach their destination… As the Hunters continued to advance, contrary to their expectations, Euna suddenly exclaimed, panicking. Monsters were flooding in from the central passage, as if being chased by something.

 

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