The interior of the dungeon was dim and stifling, the scent of moss clinging to the air. Jagged walls loomed on both sides, carved from deep gray stone.
Hwang Dongsuk and his group took the lead, weapons ready. Their formation was textbook—too textbook, as if rehearsed to mask something. Jinwoo and Choi Yoora followed behind, her staff held firmly, her eyes darting around despite the way she clung to his arm.
A bit behind them, the porter trailed—an oddly eye-catching figure despite his role. He was a young man, clean-cut with neatly styled brown hair, soft features, and a slightly nervous smile. His name was Yoo Jinho, a D-rank hunter. But his gear… his gear was pristine, shining, and expensive-looking. His armor was layered A-rank composite, the kind used by elite guilds. His greatsword, slung across his back, looked more ceremonial than practical—but it too radiated power.
Jinwoo's gaze lingered on him briefly.
'A D-rank… with gear that's worth billions?'
He shifted his eyes back to the front.
'Hwang Dongsuk…' he thought, smiling faintly. 'Cunning bastard. He offered me fifty percent of this dungeon's profit just to gain my favor. That's not generosity… that's bribery masked as respect.'
Something felt wrong. The glances of envy Hwang Dongsuk threw, the way he laughed a second too late, the oppressive undercurrent of mana that seemed to slip out from him every now and then…
Sinister. Murderous.
"Yoora," Jinwoo said suddenly, softly.
"Kyaaah!" she yelped, jerking back in fright.
The entire party turned, startled.
"What happened?" Jinwoo asked, brows lifting slightly.
"N-Nothing!" Yoora stammered, cheeks red with embarrassment. "You just startled me… that's all."
The others grumbled and turned back toward the path.
Tch! This spineless bitch! Hwang Dongsuk cursed inwardly. Why the hell did she have to awaken as an A-rank and not me?!
Jinwoo frowned slightly. He had noticed the look in Hwang Dongsuk's eyes when Yoora screamed—dark, twisted, filled with hate.
"Yoora," he said gently, brushing her shoulder. "Is this your first time in a dungeon?"
"N-No..." she said, still a little shaken. "I've already done a dungeon with them before..."
She hesitated, then admitted, "It's just that… it's dark… and the monsters are scary…"
Without a word, Jinwoo pulled her closer, guiding her head to his chest.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "If anything happens, I'll protect you."
Her shoulders relaxed under his touch. The tension faded just a little.
"Now," he asked gently, "how did you meet those guys?"
"Well…" she began, finding comfort in his warmth. "After I awakened, and the Association confirmed my rank… there were so many guild recruiters outside. I was overwhelmed. Then these guys appeared… they pulled me away from the crowd, said they'd help me get some experience first."
She sounded genuinely thankful.
"Then Hwang Dongsuk offered me to join his party, just for some practice. So I accepted."
"You could've picked a better team," Jinwoo pointed out calmly.
"I know… but they helped me back then. It felt wrong to say no."
Jinwoo smiled faintly, though his eyes remained sharp.
'Helped her? Or preyed on her confusion?' he wondered. Earlier, when Yoora had screamed, Dongsuk's killing intent had surged toward her like a whip. That wasn't something a comrade should feel. It was the look of a predator pissed that his tool had made a sound.
"And can I ask..." Jinwoo continued, voice still gentle, "how much did they pay you for that last dungeon?"
"2 million won!" she said, smiling proudly. "That's a lot, right?"
Jinwoo's lips curled in a cold grin.
"Yeah... that's a lot," he said.
'A lot… for an E-rank maybe. But you're A-rank. They're paying her peanuts to do the work of ten men.'
He said nothing more. That truth… he'd make Hwang Dongsuk admit it to her face.
Jinwoo narrowed his eyes.
"Enemies. Above."
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. The relaxed expressions vanished from every face. Weapons were drawn in a blur of motion, spellcasters raised their staves, and eyes turned upward—toward the narrow, jagged tunnel above.
From the shadows, movement stirred.
Hundreds of glowing red eyes blinked into existence—shifting, crawling, twitching in the dark.
Then came the noise: the skittering, clawing sound of countless limbs scraping against rock.
"...Ants," one of the hunters muttered, his voice low with dread.
A tide of monstrous red ants—each the size of a dog—poured out of the tunnel, flooding down like an avalanche of flesh and chitin.
Jinwoo didn't flinch.
"Hey, Jinho," he said, glancing back at the porter. "Stay behind me. I'll protect you."
Jinho blinked in surprise, then nodded quickly. "Thanks…" He ducked behind Jinwoo.
He was probably a conglomerate heir trying to prove himself. Jinwoo respected that, at least.
"Shoot them with magic!" Hwang Dongsuk barked. "Yoora, now!"
"Y-Yes!" Choi Yoora stammered. She raised her staff, hands trembling as she aimed into the tunnel.
"Earth Spike!"
A rumble echoed through the dungeon floor. In the blink of an eye, jagged spikes of rock exploded upward from the tunnel, piercing the descending ants. Dozens were skewered in midair, their bodies impaled and writhing as black ichor splattered the walls.
More than half of them were dead in a second.
Their broken bodies slammed to the ground with wet thuds.
A few of the hunters let out impressed grunts, their weapons lowering slightly.
'Easy work…' Hwang Dongsuk smirked to himself. 'Using this bitch is really worth it…'
"Good work, Yoora," he said out loud, his tone fake and dripping with false charm. "We'll handle the rest now."
"O-okay…" Yoora replied, panting. Her face was pale, and sweat beaded at her brow. That single spell had taken a toll—too much mana spent too quickly. She was still unused to her strength.
She didn't notice the satisfied glint in Hwang Dongsuk's eyes, the way he stepped back and let the rest of the group charge in to clean up the wounded ants.
But Jinwoo noticed.
He raised his hand, and purple flames began to gather at his fingertips. Not yet. Not now. But soon…
He'd make them pay for using one of his women like this.
Every single one of them.
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liked it?
Also, I just got an idea to make this little arc more interesting (the entire fanfic really).