Chapter 16

[Title: Holy Shit, This Gate’s Gigantic!]

[User]

Haven’t we seen a high-level dungeon pop up in the middle of Seoul for the first time in ages?

– And it’s apparently A-rank, too!

– I saw it close by, and damn, it looked terrifying.

└ Seriously, that eerie vibe? Yeah, it was legit.

– Can you feel mana around there? I wanna awaken too!

└ Like that’s gonna happen, lol.

[Title: After reading the news article, looks like clearing this thing will take forever.]

[User]

This dungeon’s super strong—even if not S-rank, it’s ridiculously tough.

Guess everyone will have to wait till the S-ranked hunters on business trips get back?

– Didn’t dozens of people get sucked in already?

└ Yeah, basically wiped out.

└ What the hell is the Hunter Management Agency even doing?!

– Why don’t they send in parties of A-rank hunters?

└ Saw our guild discussing it—apparently, this is a one-way dungeon, so everyone’s avoiding it. Haha!

* * *

Suddenly, an A-rank special dungeon appeared.

The Hunter Management Agency and various guilds were thrown into chaos.

High-level dungeons popping up isn’t exactly rare,

but the problem here is twofold:

first, the agency failed to detect it beforehand,

and second, its appearance in the middle of downtown caused dozens of civilians to be sucked inside.

Families whose loved ones can’t be reached are crying out,

begging someone to save their family members,

pleading not to lose anyone else.

But as a nation, there’s nothing immediate they can do.

It’s not just any C or B-rank dungeon—it’s A-rank.

And worse, it’s a one-way passage dungeon.

Even hunters value their lives, leading to widespread avoidance.

Finding enough A-rank hunters willing to dive in right away is about as likely as plucking stars from the sky.

That’s how rare and precious A-rank hunters really are.

Civil servants controlling the area near the gate had tense expressions while talking.

“Isn’t there a shortage of A-rank hunters in Seoul right now?”

“Half of them are out on missions elsewhere. Without large guilds teaming up, it’s impossible.”

A man sighed when suddenly another perked up, snapping his fingers.

“What about Kim Ji-a? She came up to Seoul a few days ago, right?”

“She’s famous for taking on avoided dungeons, but we haven’t been able to reach her.”

“Eh?”

One male official frowned at the other’s surprise.

“She might’ve gotten sucked in herself.”

“Well, if she did, maybe some civilians survived too?”

“No way. Even if she’s A-rank, she’s alone.”

“…We might lose a valuable asset here.”

“If she knows how to run, maybe she’ll survive.”

Maybe that’d be for the best.

The civil servant’s expression turned bitter.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the dungeon…

Ji-a sat down to rest after fending off several waves of monsters.

Her body was covered in wounds, blood still flowing freely.

Si-yoon hovered nearby, visibly worried, checking Ji-a’s condition.

“Uh… sis… Are you okay?”

“Yeah… Luckily, I brought plenty of potions, so I should be able to hold on…”

Lies.

Ji-a had used up all her potions in the last battle.

From here on out, every fight would truly be a life-or-death struggle.

Not only was her stamina drained, but she gritted her teeth to endure.

“Si-yoon, stay with the others. It’ll be dangerous if you get caught up.”

“But… still…”

“You trust me, right? I’m one of the few A-rank hunters in Korea.”

Si-yoon knew.

She came because she was worried, but deep down, she realized she might be more of a hindrance.

Still, she couldn’t just leave her side.

She wanted to provide at least emotional support.

“Sis! When we get out, let’s grab cold beers and drink with Si-hyun!”

“Huh… sounds good?”

“Judging by how sweaty you are, your tolerance must’ve gone down. Aren’t you curious?”

“Hmm… guess I am.”

“She’s gotta be adorable drunk!”

After chatting idly, Si-yoon returned to where the civilians gathered.

Ji-a glanced at Si-yoon’s retreating figure before looking over at two other hunters and the group of civilians.

People quietly sobbing.

Others praying.

Some trembling uncontrollably, panic-stricken as they scanned their surroundings.

Everyone was relying on Ji-a alone to hold them together amidst their fear.

Ji-a memorized their faces.

Because these were the reasons she couldn’t fall.

Ji-a turned her gaze forward again, ready to engage in combat whenever the next wave of monsters arrived.

‘Si-hyun…’

Come to think of it, she hadn’t asked yet.

Whether Si-yoon activated the bracelet or not.

Ji-a felt conflicting emotions rising within her.

On one hand, if Si-hyun comes alone, it’d be dangerous.

On the other, she wished someone could stand beside her and lend support.

“I shouldn’t weaken…”

Why had she fought alone all this time?

Because she didn’t want to see anyone die.

Why had she taken on so many avoided dungeons during frequent trips?

To protect as many people as possible.

Ji-a stood up.

Somewhere ahead, another group of monsters spotted her and began advancing.

“Let’s go!”

Ji-a took a deep breath as the ominous air of the dungeon echoed around her.

Several trolls approached slowly, though these weren’t ordinary ones—they were higher-tier variants.

What’s more, unlike in C or B-rank dungeons where trolls appear in smaller numbers, this time over a dozen emerged at once.

Ji-a couldn’t retreat.

Nor could she let the monsters pass.

Right here, right now, she had to defeat them all.

“Charge!”

Her battle cry sliced through the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon.

She pushed off the ground and charged forward.

First, she jabbed the knee of the nearest troll with her sharp spear.

“AAAAARRGH!”

The troll screamed in agony, swinging its massive arm wildly.

Calmly keeping her distance, Ji-a dodged the attack.

She struck the same spot again.

If it were a one-on-one fight, repeating this simple maneuver would’ve sufficed.

But this was one versus many.

While attacking, other trolls closed in, swinging their fists toward her.

Had Ji-a been fully refreshed, she could’ve easily evaded the incoming blow.

However, both her body and mind were exhausted.

She narrowly avoided the first punch.

But another troll’s fist came hurtling toward her.

With her current condition, even being awakened provided no guarantee against sheer size differences.

She barely dodged the strike.

Yet her stance faltered.

She managed to block the following kick with her spear, albeit barely.

“Gah…”

Ji-a’s body slid backward under the force.

Her arms tingled painfully from forcing the block.

But she didn’t step back.

Clutching her teeth, she pressed forward.

Once again, she clashed with the monsters.

Ji-a relentlessly attacked the troll she targeted earlier.

Without the ability to wipe out multiple enemies at once,

taking them down one by one was the most efficient option.

Thanks to her quick decision-making and tenacity,

one troll finally collapsed, lifeless, onto the floor.

But Ji-a wasn’t unscathed either.

“AAAGH!”

A troll’s fist slammed into her shoulder before she could evade.

Despite her enhanced physique from awakening, there were clear limits.

Ji-a flew backward, landing hard several meters away, rolling across the ground.

For a moment, she nearly lost consciousness but clung to her senses with sheer willpower.

“Cough… cough…”

Her left arm refused to obey her commands.

Cold sweat dripped down her forehead.

Still, she struggled to rise, leaning heavily on her spear held in her right hand.

“Oh my god…”

“What do we do…”

“Is the hunter reaching her limit?”

Voices of anxious civilians carried from behind,

but Ji-a didn’t turn around.

With her left arm dangling uselessly,

she gripped her spear tightly with her right hand and moved forward.

“They won’t get past here…”

Even now.

If she ran now, she might survive.

With one arm out of commission but both legs intact,

if she gave it her all, she might live long enough for backup to arrive.

But she couldn’t.

Because this was Kim Ji-a.

The identity of Hunter Kim Ji-a, firmly established, wouldn’t allow retreat.

Ji-a firmly believed in why she became a hunter.

Why she achieved A-rank relatively quickly compared to others.

It stemmed from her desire to grow stronger to protect others.

So, she wouldn’t back down.

“AHHHH!”

The troll’s neck was slashed open by her spear, emitting a blood-curdling scream.

“Ugh…”

Exhausted from blocking another attack, Ji-a was hurled backward again.

“…Going…”

The battle continued.

Time passed, and eventually, the number of trolls dwindled by half.

But Ji-a’s body was battered beyond repair.

She felt her limits approaching.

Still, she endured.

At least until she defeated the trolls in front of her, she couldn’t fall.

Wobbling, she pressed forward.

Swish!

Bang!

Kill, get hit, repeat, and repeat again.

With great effort, Ji-a opened one eye to peer ahead.

One troll remained.

She had taken down nearly all of them.

Victory was almost within reach.

But her body wouldn’t respond.

“Please… move…”

Through gritted teeth, she commanded her body,

but it refused to comply.

Even one troll was enough to wipe out the civilians.

The two other hunters were essentially useless shields at this point.

Just a little longer, just a bit more endurance!

Though another wave would surely come,

securing survival until then was crucial!

Ji-a glared at the remaining troll.

It grinned wickedly, raising its massive fist high, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

The moment it swung—

CRACK!

The massive troll’s body cleanly split diagonally into two.

Ji-a’s eyes widened.

The troll’s corpse fell to the ground.

Behind it…

A mysterious figure in pitch-black nun robes appeared.

Its face obscured by a veil, making identification impossible based solely on appearance.

But Ji-a instinctively recognized who it was.

Holy Maiden Jeong Si-hyun had come to rescue them.

Ji-a’s lips curved upward into a faint smile.