Chapter 36

“Si-hyun! How did it go this time?!”

“I think I just did pretty well too!”

After the additional battle while clearing the dungeon came to an end…

The men approached Si-hyun with sparkling eyes.

Standing slightly behind, Si-hyun gave a light nod.

“You’ve all improved greatly.”

“The buffs really are something else, huh?”

“It’s all thanks to Professor! Hahaha!”

The excited men naturally praised Si-hyun.

Si-hyun’s lips twitched ever so slightly.

“How do you know so much about monsters?”

“As expected from an Academy professor! Incredible!”

“Hmph…”

The shower of compliments continued unabated.

They say flattery can make even whales dance, and slowly Si-hyun’s stoic expression began to soften.

It was the heartfelt gratitude from those whose lives she’d saved that was gradually taking effect.

With contracts being one thing, but coolness is another, and everyone found themselves drawn into Si-hyun’s suave and strong aura.

A cheerful atmosphere filled with laughter ensued.

In such a warm and fuzzy ambiance, there was exactly one person who wasn’t feeling it…

It was the archer.

He approached Han-gyeol beside him with a deflated posture.

“Han-gyeol, why am I stuck with bows…?”

“Huh? Isn’t ranged combat good?”

“But Si-hyun said she doesn’t know much about bows, right?”

“Ahaha… Still, there’s plenty to learn about monsters though, right?”

Han-gyeol awkwardly chuckled in response. The archer slowly nodded his head.

True, there might not have been direct teaching on bows, but there was certainly much to learn.

Still sighing deeply, the archer trudged along as the group smoothly advanced through the dungeon.

Some time later…

The pumped-up group encountered a single troll.

“Woo?”

“…Everyone, we’ve got some great study material here.”

Si-hyun stepped forward.

Buoyed by the endless praise from the men, Si-hyun had also caught the vibe and become more proactive.

“When facing trolls, first off…”

Whoosh!

The troll swung its massive fist which Si-hyun effortlessly dodged by twisting her body.

“Primarily, targeting joints or knees works best.”

In the blink of an eye, Si-hyun closed in and tapped the troll’s knee with her fingers.

To the troll, it was an infuriating provocation.

“Graaah!”

Enraged, the troll delivered a powerful kick with its knee.

But Si-hyun, as if she had anticipated it, took a step back and easily evaded.

The quick succession of moves left the men wide-eyed.

Next, Si-hyun casually kicked the inside of the troll’s knee.

“Guuuaaaah!”

With a loud roar, the troll collapsed onto its knees.

Even a hulking mass over 3 meters tall couldn’t resist when forced down, now leveling eye-to-eye with Si-hyun.

Naturally, Si-hyun resumed her lecture.

“Of course, if distance allows, aiming for the neck is also fine.”

“Graaaaah!”

While enduring the pain, the troll swung its arm wildly at Si-hyun.

However, it was futile resistance.

Raising her leg, Si-hyun powerfully kicked the incoming arm.

Pffft!

With a sickening crunch, the troll’s arm bent unnaturally backward and hung limp.

Si-hyun gave it a casual glance before continuing her lesson.

“The archer among you could aim for the eyes too.”

She grabbed the troll’s head firmly with one hand.

Her other hand pointed to the troll’s tear-filled eyes.

The Wings Guild members watching quietly were stunned by the scene.

“Whew…”

“Hey guys, what am I looking at right now?”

“Isn’t it crying because it hurts?”

“Is this how weak trolls actually are?”

Ignoring the men’s shock…

Si-hyun tilted her head once before beckoning the male archer.

Noticing her gesture, she pointed again at the troll’s eyes.

Blink blink.

The archer alternated his gaze between Si-hyun’s face and the troll’s head.

‘She wants me to shoot, right?’

Awkwardly raising his bow, he assumed his stance.

Though his brain struggled to keep up, he figured since he was told to do it, he should comply.

For a fleeting moment, he worried about accidentally hitting Si-hyun, but then quickly concluded he wouldn’t be able to hit her even if he tried.

Shwoosh!

Thud!

“Good job!”

“Oh, hahaha!”

It was a perfect hit!

The arrow struck the troll’s eye precisely.

Though the troll’s head was slightly tilted, no one seemed to notice.

Si-hyun’s praise made the archer scratch his head sheepishly with a smile.

He felt like an elementary school kid, but surprisingly, it wasn’t unpleasant.

His self-esteem soared under the radiant smile of the beautiful woman praising him.

“See, ranged combat really is better!”

“Isn’t it?”

“Hahaha!”

“Hmph.”

The party’s mood grew even warmer.

No one was left behind as they laughed together, exchanging compliments and humor.

And just like that, the C-rank dungeon field trip for the Wings Guild turned into a picnic.

* * *

After a short rest…

Before resuming the dungeon run, the Wings Guild members asked Si-hyun.

“Si-hyun, what are your plans after finishing the dungeon today?”

“Will you join us for dinner before heading home?”

All eyes focused on Si-hyun as she shook her head in reply.

“I plan to eat at home with my younger sibling.”

“Aha, I see!”

The men showed slight disappointment but didn’t make a big deal out of it.

As they prepared to wrap up the dungeon run, the group moved briskly.

Then they encountered a group of goblins armed with various weapons.

“The professor wishes to leave early!”

“Let’s finish before mealtime!”

“My younger sibling is waiting! Let’s crush them—!”

The men shouted enthusiastically as they charged forward.

‘Early departure wasn’t exactly what I wanted…’

Si-hyun gave a wry smile. Still, compared to when they first entered the dungeon, everyone seemed much more spirited, which was a pleasant sight.

“Hmm…”

“Keh!”

With a swift kick to the stomach of a suddenly charging goblin…

Si-hyun leisurely observed the Wings Guild members.

Clearly, D-rank Hunters were more skilled in combat than E-rank ones.

Familiar with goblins, they fought like fish in water.

Still, the sheer number of goblins made things look tough.

But thanks to Si-hyun’s timely assistance during critical moments…

The group managed to successfully defeat the monster horde using their own strength once again.

“Thanks to Si-hyun, our dungeon-clearing speed has skyrocketed. We’ll be done soon, right?”

“In no time at all!”

The men chattered happily while collecting loot.

Indeed, their clearing speed was incredibly fast.

With renewed confidence, the men strode ahead without hesitation.

“Hm? Is that an open space?”

“What’s that visible at the end of the clearing?”

“Could this be the end?”

“Everyone, wait a moment…”

Si-hyun tried to stop the men.

She sensed her spreading mana hitting an invisible barrier.

This sensation was exactly like entering a boss room.

Feeling this within a dungeon clearing was a first.

“Hurry up and finish!”

“Let’s go!”

But the excited men chatting away didn’t hear Si-hyun’s voice.

Taking a few more steps, they kept talking animatedly.

“Stop immediately!”

Sensing something off, Si-hyun shouted loudly.

Han-gyeol, near Si-hyun, stopped instantly.

But the other men continued moving forward.

Their conversation stopped.

Yet their steps didn’t.

As if crossing a certain boundary caused ‘space separation.’

An unusual situation unfolded.

Immediately, Si-hyun propelled herself forward.

In mid-air, she hurled a powerful punch toward the spot where her mana was blocked.

BOOM!

Si-hyun’s punch was halted.

An intangible barrier crackled, resisting intrusion.

The men walking ahead stopped.

They hadn’t heard the barrier rupture sound.

Realizing only after noticing Si-hyun and Han-gyeol had stopped following.

Turning around with puzzled expressions, they opened their mouths to speak but no sound came out.

Cut off completely across the boundary.

Han-gyeol, approaching Si-hyun, patted the air.

Something transparent blocked his way.

An alert popped up on his status screen.

Breaking out in cold sweat, Han-gyeol stared at the status screen.

The men trapped on the other side also noticed the strange situation.

Attempting to retreat across the boundary.

Thud!

Blocked by an invisible wall, they stumbled back.

Rubbing their bumped foreheads, they glared at the boundary.

At that moment, Han-gyeol sighed.

“Ma… Man, this is outrageous…”

“Si-hyun?”

“This… This is fucking ridiculous…”

Han-gyeol muttered through tears.

Si-hyun turned her head toward Han-gyeol.

Staring blankly at some point in the air, Han-gyu’s expression told her everything.

She instinctively understood the meaning of that action.

Awakened individuals check their status screens like that.

“Damn it! DAMN IT!”

Han-gyeol swung his sword forcefully against the invisible wall.

The barrier crackled lightly, repelling the blade.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Han-gyeol repeatedly kicked the barrier with all his might.

But he couldn’t continue forever.

Since it was utterly useless.

Despairingly clinging to the invisible wall, Han-gyeol dropped to his knees.

“Why does this dungeon have to happen now…”

Crying softly, Han-gyeol trailed off.

Si-hyun furrowed her delicate brows and looked up.

On the opposite side of the large clearing, the dungeon’s boss monster slowly rose.

Having detected prey within its domain.

The faces of the four trapped D-rank male hunters turned pale.

To defeat a C-rank dungeon boss, a minimum of over a dozen D-rank Hunters would typically be required.

Even then, casualties were expected.

So how could just four manage?

Effectively, it was equivalent to receiving a death sentence.

The men’s legs began trembling uncontrollably.

The situation became urgent. Si-hyun looked at Han-gyeol again.

“Han-gyeol, what’s going on?”

“…It’s a one-way restricted boss room. Only D-rank or lower can enter! Damn it!”

Half-crazed, Han-gyeol screamed.

Had a normal C-rank party discovered it, the Management Bureau would’ve gathered sufficient manpower to properly tackle it.

Unfortunately, due to this discovery, an accident occurred.

Pure bad luck.

Suddenly, Han-gyeol widened his eyes and stared at Si-hyun.

‘Huh…?’

Isn’t Si-hyun a D-rank Hunter?

Hunter ranks appear on status screens, viewable only by the owner.

That’s why upgraded Hunters go to the Management Bureau for official rank recognition via promotion tests.

Meaning…

Right now, Si-hyun must be a C-rank or higher Hunter.

‘Ahhh… So what…’

The reason behind her strength finally clicked.

But that didn’t solve the immediate predicament.

Perhaps they should exit the dungeon immediately and call for reinforcements?

…No, that would definitely be too late.

There was no way they could hold out until enough D-rank Hunters gathered.

Soon, the guild members in front would be torn apart by the boss monster.

“Damn it, damn it…”

Han-gyeol pounded the floor with his fists, tears streaming down his face.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no solution.

Today was the unlucky day every Hunter feared—an undignified death.

Specifically, today!

Han-gyeol sobbed in despair.

Upon hearing the explanation, Si-hyun placed her palm against the transparent wall.

‘Rank restriction, huh…’

What Hunters always said.

Status screens are indeed convenient but simultaneously ‘unhelpful’.

Seems accurate enough.

Especially since non-Awakened individuals like herself were restricted from entry.

In other words, this isn’t a restriction based on rank. It’s a magical phenomenon.

“Han-gyeol.”

“…”

Si-hyun calling out made the tear-streaked Han-gyeol lift his head.

He saw the serious look in Si-hyun’s eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

“…”

Han-gyeol’s eyes widened dramatically.

The woman before him radiated absolute confidence.

As if she truly had a way to resolve the current situation.

Her mysterious golden eyes shimmered brilliantly.

Han-gyeol felt himself being pulled in as he slowly opened his mouth.

“…Yes! I trust you!”

It was a resounding answer.

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