‘Hellish Lee Sooah Team, huh…’

It was a line that lingered in my mind.

Of course, there was no time to ask about it again.

I had to be deployed to the dungeon immediately.

‘I’m not particularly close to those people yet. I’ll get to know them over time.’

‘It feels a bit odd to ask since it’s only our first meeting…’

‘Besides, I might realize what it means through firsthand experience.’

In truth, it wasn’t something that mattered greatly to me at the moment.

My mind was filled solely with thoughts of Chae Suhyeon and rank points.

“Hah. It’s so hectic. I have to actively participate in guild activities right away.”

“I need to gather information on how to distribute points effectively.”

It felt like my entire life foundation had crumbled because of Chae Suhyeon, yet I decided to start fresh and properly build myself up.

“I’ve been feeling anxious from the start.”

“There was a strange sense of unease.”

“I failed simply because I was too fixated on my goals.”

I made a resolute decision.

And I decided to properly build my life here, in the Blue Guild.

“From now on, I will live for my own sake.”

“I can’t afford to fail again by just giving everything away like before.”

The scene of Chae Suhyeon’s press conference flashed through my mind.

Feigning nonchalance, pretending to have succeeded through sheer effort.

With the most repugnant expression.

“How could a person be so vile…”

“Sigh. It doesn’t matter. For now, let’s just focus on doing my own tasks diligently.”

“Alright, everyone. Today we’re heading to the Yongsan War Memorial Dungeon. Since you all come here often, you shouldn’t worry too much, right?”

It seemed like someone who held a decent position in Lee Sooah’s team began the briefing.

Yongsan-gu is a well-known area with famous dungeons in South Korea.

Of course, it’s also within the territory of the Blue Guild.

“Come on. We’re not kids. We’ve been here more than once. Let’s take it easy and finish this.”

A voice dismissively called from behind.

And I could hear some giggling as well.

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be a particularly difficult place.”

I had heard that it was known to be somewhat tricky, but given that it’s a guild with a decent rank, it seemed they were taking it in stride.

“Today, there is also someone new joining our team. I hope everyone pays attention,” Lee Sooah said as she stepped forward and pointed at me.

I was slightly flustered by the sudden attention, but I decided to take the opportunity to get to know everyone gradually.

The S-Rank Hunter, Lee Sooah, glanced at me for a moment before turning her gaze toward the dungeon.

She wore a face that seemed to express some annoyance and pain, but it clearly wasn’t directed at me.

“Looks like S-Rank Hunters carry some unknown pain with them.”

*

“Ugh. Do you know how many times I’ve been here? It feels like it’s already over 40 times.”

“Hyung, do you know how many times I’ve had to listen to that? Can you knock it off? I understand that you find these dungeons easy, okay?”

“Haha, is that so?”

They were chatting casually as they marched forward.

“But doesn’t today feel a bit strange?”

One of the hunters following behind spoke up with a worried tone.

He had a somewhat timid impression, yet he seemed to be a C-Rank Hunter.

“What’s strange? The weather is nice. The inside of the dungeon seems no different than usual. You’re the one who’s overly cautious. You always say something feels off.”

“Oh, that one will probably still be like that even if he ranks up to A.”

Everyone else seemed to take it lightly.

Thud.

Suddenly, a new quest notification appeared in front of everyone.

“Huh? What’s this…?”

“What is this? Why is there suddenly a quest here?”

Everyone was murmuring in confusion.

They looked as if they had never seen anything like this before.

“What’s going on? This sudden atmosphere…”

Naturally, since I had just joined the guild today, I had no choice but to feel the tension around me.

“Wait a second. It says Medusa has appeared? This quest notification is popping up, right?”

“Is that so? Isn’t something wrong with this? It looks like a glitch?”

“This isn’t a game, so there can’t be any glitches, right? There’s no one to file a complaint with, either.”

Everyone tapped their quest screens with puzzled expressions, contacting one another and continuing to react in confusion.

“Everyone, it seems a bit strange. You all need to prepare yourselves.”

Lee Sooah, who had been approaching slowly from the back, sprinted forward the moment she saw the quest screen. She had quite a worried expression on her face.

“Hey, Hunter Sooah. Don’t worry. It seems like there’s been some sort of mistake. Why would there be a Medusa here?”

“What’s wrong or mistaken doesn’t matter. What if this is actually true?”

She raised her voice significantly.

“Uh… then…”

Everyone appeared as if they were contemplating the possibility that this situation was real.

“Is there anyone here who has acquired the Medusa resistance skill?”

Someone who seemed to hold an administrator rank stepped forward and asked the question. Of course, there was no response to this.

Everyone was anxiously opening their status windows and calculating things frantically.

It seemed that something had gone horribly wrong, as everyone’s expressions were quickly growing tense.

“Does no one among us have the resistance skill?”

Hunter Sooah shouted with increasing urgency.

“Hah… As you know, our guild operates in a corporate manner, right? Naturally, we wouldn’t have anyone with such attributes in the War Memorial Dungeon.”

“Damn it. Who would even take such a useless skill? There shouldn’t be anyone in the Blue Guild who possesses a skill like that. It’s not even necessary in our guild territory.”

Everyone’s expressions became quite frantic. Based on the atmosphere, they realized that something serious had occurred.

“So what happens to us now? Are we going to be wiped out?”

“Damn it, don’t talk nonsense. Just look into the dungeon quest glitch. We need to find a way out, and fast.”

Everyone seemed to be in a slight panic. It was clear that the situation had changed completely from what they were used to.

“Medusa resistance…?”

Since I couldn’t intervene in their conversation anyway, I kept a distance and took a look at my skill window.

It had been a long time since I opened the skill window.

A countless number of skills caught my eye.

As everyone acknowledged, there are really a lot of skills. The question of whether it was even possible to collect enough points to unlock all these skills was always a topic of discussion.

Naturally, all hunters focused their investments on essential skills and those they could specialize in. Choices and focus. When resources are limited, you can’t help it.

It’s somewhat akin to the specialization of professions in modern society.

From the looks of it, it seemed that no one had chosen this skill.

“Hmm. 250 points?”

“Why is it so ridiculously expensive?”

Of course, since I had become quite wealthy in terms of points, that amount was practically nothing. Just like how the purchase cost of a sports car might feel like taxi fare to a wealthy tycoon.

I cautiously observed the atmosphere. I felt like I should step in, but if I took the lead on the first day, I might come off as a showoff.

“Is there really no one? Seriously? How is it possible that among so many people, not a single one has chosen that skill?”

The situation was gradually worsening.

Bee-beep!

The announcement signifying that the quest had officially begun echoed through the air. Everyone’s faces stiffened. Some wore expressions of fear.

“Everyone… get ready. We have to survive somehow.”

“How are we supposed to survive? Are you kidding? We’re totally cornered!”

They raised their weapons half-heartedly.

“Uh. I really think I should step in. If I don’t, everyone might be wiped out.”

Given the vast variety of dungeon types, studying them thoroughly would never be enough. Especially since this Medusa had high investment costs with useless drop items, it was an unpopular target. I, too, had almost no information.

But there was one fact that I was sure of.

Those affected by Medusa’s skill slowly turned to stone all over their bodies.

And to free someone who has been affected by that skill, the skill I just mentioned is necessary.

“Ah. Does anyone have any skill points left? F*ck. I’ll make sure to pay for a point reset later in the guild, so someone just put some points in.”

“What kind of insane person saves up 250 points? If there’s such a person, you shouldn’t keep them close.”

“Ah… I only have 17 points at best. This is a big problem.”

From a distance, I could hear something crawling unpleasantly.

It wasn’t just one problem.

“Huh? Didn’t Medusa normally appear one at a time?”

“Uh… right…? That’s how I saw it…? What the hell…?”

“No. It seems something has been adjusted in this dungeon. What the hell is happening right now…”

Confusion deepened.

Everyone was preparing by casting various shields and buffs, but it seemed difficult to hide their fearful expressions.

“E-Everyone… Be careful not to turn to stone. If we can swiftly behead them before they use their skills…”

“How can you say that when they’re so agile?”

The sense of crisis was gradually rising.

“Jihoon.”

While contemplating what to do, Hunter Lee Sooah quickly approached.

She looked even more troubled than usual.

“It’s your first day, right? Please stay back. We’ll figure something out.”

She had a look like she was biting her lip, as if enduring some pain.

“This is far too dangerous for a D-rank hunter. I’m sorry you have to face this on your first day.”

Her voice was sharp, but there was genuine concern behind it.

Kyaaaah…

Numerous Medusas began to reveal themselves.