HBWnovel Chapter 5
Chapter 5
A narrow, dimly lit passage hidden inside the cave stretched before us, illuminated only by the magic of the fire conjured by the magic-type hunter.
The leader took the front position, while the magic-type hunter, an older woman, brought up the rear. Han-gyeol and I took the middle.
I had told the others that as a paladin, I could serve as the tank and lead the way, but the leader refused almost immediately. As a D-rank hunter, he declared himself strong enough to take the front. Fine, let him do as he pleases.
“Han-gyeol, have you ever encountered a rare dungeon?”
“Uh, no... I haven't.”
Han-gyeol smiled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. Then, the leader cut in.
“I have.”
“What was it like?”
“...”@@@@
The leader glanced between Han-gyeol and me, sighed deeply, and continued.
“There were goblins hiding in a secluded area. The moment we stepped into the open space, they ambushed us from both sides.”
“Huh. I’ve learned about a few patterns at the academy, but that sounds brutal.”
“Ah, you're an academy graduate?”
“Yes, although I only graduated recently.”
Hiding monsters... Well, I didn’t sense anything like that around us, so it seemed like this time was different.
My curiosity was slightly satisfied, but it wasn't particularly helpful information for the current situation.
“In any case, I have experience. Just follow my lead.”
“Understood.”
“...Huff.”
Suddenly, a loud breath sounded from behind me. I turned to find the older woman glaring at me, her face scrunched up.
“...?”
“Focus on walking and stop looking around.”
Why is she always so angry? That's not good for her health. I nodded indifferently and turned back, uninterested in the reason for her irritation.
---
The magic-type hunter glared at the person walking in front of her.
The white-haired woman’s hair shimmered in the magical light, giving it a reddish hue, like a painting.
The more she stared at her, the more envy and resentment welled up inside her.
As someone who had mastered attack magic, she had always been the one in the spotlight. She should have been the center of attention, receiving the admiration of the male hunters.
But now?
Both men’s gazes were fixated on the woman in front of her. Even during combat, they kept watching her, as if ready to jump in and protect her at a moment’s notice.
If only this woman were incompetent... If that had been the case, she could have bullied her openly.
Yet, despite being a rookie who didn’t even know how to use the status window, she fought without ever losing her composure, no matter how many monsters came at her.
How was that even possible?
She had initially scoffed at the absurdity of someone wearing a skirt into a dungeon, but even the skirt didn't seem to flutter in a way that would hinder her.
In the end, although she was only pulling her weight, the magic hunter couldn’t shake the suspicion that the woman might be doing more than her fair share.
“We’ve reached the open area.”
“Finally.”
The older woman sighed in relief. Her mana was nearly depleted, and she wanted to finish the job quickly.
The group surveyed the open space.
It was about the size of a small auditorium. There wasn’t much to it, except for a chest visible on the opposite side.
“A treasure room!”
“Wait!”
The older woman ran toward the chest, but the leader tried to stop her. Too late.
The moment she reached out to touch the chest, an invisible barrier stopped her in her tracks.
And at that exact moment—
A magic circle formed in the center of the space, glowing brightly.
“Damn it! Get over here!”
“Eek!”
She hurried back to the group, panting heavily. While she caught her breath, the others prepared for battle, scanning their surroundings.
Then—
“Kerk!”
“Kekekeke!”
The familiar cackling of monsters echoed through the space.
Small, weak goblins—monsters often underestimated—began pouring out of the darkness.
This was impossible. There was no way they could survive.
Even if they somehow defeated these goblins, what if there was another wave after this?
They never should have come here. Greed had led them to make a fatal mistake. His poor judgment had doomed them all.
In that case, at least for the final moments...
He decided to go out with some dignity.
“Si-hyeon!”
“...?”
Without taking his eyes off the goblins, the leader shouted, his voice filled with fake bravado.
“We’ll clear the way to the exit! You can make it out alive!”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
The magic hunter screeched in disbelief.
This lunatic was spouting nonsense all of a sudden.
If they were going to survive, they should do it together. If they were going to die, they should die together.
How could he give up already and say only one person should escape?
And why her, not me?
He was out of his mind, no doubt about it.
She glared daggers at the leader.
But the leader paid no attention to her.
That brilliant talent he had seen—it couldn’t be wasted here. He had made the mistake of dragging her into this mess for his own gain, and now it was up to him to make amends.
He had to go out with honor, leaving behind an image of a strong, dependable man.
“If anyone should survive, it’s you, Si-hyeon!”
“I’ll help!”
“No, damn it!”
As the leader yelled, Han-gyeol stepped forward in agreement, ready to fight.
The magic hunter swore as she watched the two men’s ridiculous behavior.
But they both ignored her.
Meanwhile, Si-hyeon tilted her head, confused.
Why were they suddenly acting all heroic, like they were about to meet their end?
“Kerk... Kekh!”
She kicked away a charging goblin and began analyzing the situation more carefully.
She had only intended to pull her own weight, but apparently no one else had noticed what she had.
These goblins were fake.
Their bodies vanished when they were killed, and they didn’t drop any magic stones
.
The fact that she hadn’t noticed them when they entered the room...
These monsters hadn’t existed in the first place. They had just appeared out of nowhere.
“Do it while we hold them off!”
“As long as we’re holding the line!”
“Shut up and focus on the fight!”
Si-hyeon sighed. No one had figured out the trick.
She had no interest in playing along with this charade. If she let this drag on, they would only waste time.
It would draw a little more attention than she liked, but... It was better to deal with this quickly.
The sooner they finished, the sooner she could go home and have dinner with her sister.
“I’ll take care of this. Just hold them off for a while.”
“What?!”
“There’s no time for this kind of—”
“Oh, for crying out loud, she’s lost it too!”
They were loud. Too loud.
But judging by how much energy they still had, they should be able to hold out on their own.
She could take out all the goblins at once, but that would draw too much attention.
Better to play it safe.
Si-hyeon cast a stronger buff on herself, preparing to end the fight.