The first time experiencing an A+-grade gate.

 

Yu-jin felt that this place was on a different level from the usual A-grade gates.

 

Just by looking at the monsters attacking right in front of him, he could tell.

 

[Gruwaaahh!!]

 

‘It’s a whole different world compared to the entrance exam.’

 

The monster Yu-jin was dealing with was called the ‘Executioner.’

 

A tentacle-type monster found from A-grade gates onward.

 

Even though it was an illusion, he had defeated it without much trouble during the entrance exam…

 

‘This is definitely not at the level of an A-grade. It seems to be enhanced.’

 

The attack speed was incomparable.

 

Even without a scratch, the pressure of the wind was enough to tear his clothes.

 

Speed meant attack power, so if he took the attack directly, his life could be in danger.

 

As expected of an A+-grade gate.

 

Even if the Cheonhwa Clan had sent a raid team, they wouldn’t have been able to avoid struggling.

 

Yu-jin clicked his tongue at the thought.

 

However,

 

‘Its movements are big, so it’s easy to read its patterns. That’s actually good.’

 

– Swoosh.

 

Whether it was an enhanced monster or the illusion he faced back then, there was no significant difference to Yu-jin.

 

Attacks that were hard to track with the eyes?

 

What did he do back then to avoid them? He induced and predicted them to dodge.

 

He had fought these monsters to the point of exhaustion before his regression, so recognizing their patterns was simple.

 

An overwhelming difference in specs?

 

It had certainly become stronger, but he had also become quite stronger.

 

With his sincere fitness training with Shia, he had increased by approximately 1. And in the past four days of grueling training with his master, he had increased by 0.3.

 

Combined, his strength and agility had increased by 1.3 since back then.

 

With perfect pattern recognition as before and significantly improved physical abilities, Yu-jin’s katana drew a beautiful purple trajectory this time as well.

 

Dancing among the tentacles. Cutting down all obstructions.

 

Just freely. Beautifully.

 

‘More than anything…’

 

– Paang!!!

 

‘It’s strange how it’s only targeting me. It makes it easier to deal with.’

 

The peculiar part was that the monster’s tentacle attacks were aimed solely at Yu-jin.

 

There was no need to use attack-inducing hypnosis.

 

It was strange.

 

The reason why the ‘Executioner’ monster was notorious was because it had a habit of attacking the weakest in the raid team first.

 

But now, it was focusing all its attacks on the obviously strong man, not even swinging a single tentacle at the two women behind him.

 

It was as if it had a reason to specifically target Yu-jin.

 

It was clearly strange, but…

 

Yu-jin decided not to think too deeply about it.

 

‘A tentacle monster that likes men? What kind of supply-without-demand is this?’

 

There was no time to leisurely ponder during a battle.

 

He just passed it off as a female tentacle monster.

 

Coincidentally, Alice, who was in the rear, didn’t find it strange either.

 

She had been trembling with excitement since earlier.

 

‘Yu-jin asked me to lend him my strength…!!!’

 

A trembling smile on her lips.

 

It was an unusual reaction for the typically timid Alice, but…

 

She couldn’t help it.

 

When they said they were going to attack the dungeon, she naturally thought she wouldn’t be brought along since she was still lacking.

 

She hated it.

 

She hated that he was going into a dangerous fight.

 

She hated that, as the weak one, she could only watch helplessly.

 

It felt like she had experienced it tens or hundreds of times before.

 

But then…

 

Yu-jin extended his hand.

 

He said it was difficult alone, so he asked her to fight together.

 

He promised to protect her no matter what.

 

That one word washed away something accumulated in her heart.

 

The sorrow of her weakness, the loneliness of waiting—it all disappeared.

 

Alice was now fully releasing her pent-up regret.

 

‘Moreover, when Yu-jin hugged me. He kept touching me down there with his lower abdomen… It wasn’t on purpose, but if I fight well, Yu-jin will forgive me, right?’

 

There was a somewhat dubious reason mixed in, but anyway.

 

That’s why she observed.

 

Yu-jin’s fight. The battle of an A-grade awakened.

 

To find the perfect chance.

 

– Thud!!

 

“Alice, now!!”

 

At that moment, Yu-jin’s voice came through.

 

It was a signal from Yu-jin, who created an opening by fending off the tentacle attacks.

 

But the signal wasn’t really needed.

 

A blue fireball was already shooting out from her wand like a comet.

 

– Swoosh.

 

“Yes!!”

 

With a magic power level hard to believe for a freshman cadet, in the late 5s range.

 

A rare S-grade innate talent in the magic category.

 

Lastly, the will to be of help to Yu-jin.

 

A massive firepower combining these three elements enveloped the monster.

 

– Boom!!!!!

 

[Arrrrrggghhhh!!!!!]

 

The deafening sound of an explosion.

 

Scattered chunks of flesh, burning black in the air.

 

A belated hot wind that felt like it would scorch the skin.

 

The monster’s agonized screams as it writhed in pain.

 

Finally…

 

[Graaaw…!]

 

“……!!!? Yu-jin!! It’s still alive….”

 

“It’s okay. I’ll finish it.”

 

– Slash.

 

The core exposed where the flesh had burst open.

 

A beautiful purple trajectory drawn diagonally across it.

 

The monster, which even an A-grade awakened couldn’t defeat alone, fell powerlessly.

 

Thud.

 

“…Phew.”

 

“We did it, Yu-jin!! We did it!!”

 

“Thanks to you, Alice. Indeed, firepower is magic. Absolutely!”

 

The two awakened gave a high-five for their perfect teamwork.

 

And then…

 

“By the way, director. Did you see? It’s really dangerous, so go back to the entrance and wait….”

 

“I even signed a waiver! Please, please let me film!! I’d die happy if I could film this!!”

 

Behind them, a woman with a large ENG camera on her shoulder.

 

At the moment when the party of one in the front line, one in the rear, and one porter cleared the first floor of the dungeon.

 

* * *

 

Turning back time a bit. As they were just about to go down the stairs.

 

Suddenly hearing footsteps from behind, he swung his katana thinking it was an ambush…

 

“Eek!?”

 

“……!!!!!?”

 

– Flinch.

 

“Director!!?”

 

It wasn’t a monster but the director.

 

Phew. Almost became a murderer.

 

Thank goodness he pulled his arm back with just a cloth’s width to spare.

 

“I told you not to come in, why on earth….”

 

“Well, the thing is! I actually.”

 

– Rustle.

 

“Oh.”

 

…The pressure of the wind tearing through the clothes was unavoidable, so the director’s sweater turned into a bold underboob fashion, resembling maternity wear.

 

The director continued her explanation without any sign of embarrassment.

 

“I’ve actually always aspired to be a film director, not just a commercial director….”

 

In short, she wanted to create a blockbuster film to build her portfolio as a director.

 

Her expression crumpled.

 

“No. It’s too dangerous.”

 

“I don’t care if I die! I’ve even brought a written waiver saying it’s entirely my fault if I die.”

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

What? She didn’t care if she died?

 

I bet my ‘Yu-jin’ that if she faced a real life-threatening situation, she’d scream for help.

 

I had no intention of unnecessarily increasing our burden.

 

“But look, don’t clans hire porters too? Just think of me as a porter and use me as you like! I’ll carry anything….”

 

“The porter is expelled from our party.”

 

“Please, don’t do that! If I can’t film this, I’ll be stuck making cosmetics commercials for the rest of my life!!”

 

The director clung persistently even after being declared expelled.

 

If we didn’t take her, she seemed ready to follow us secretly.

 

I had no choice but to use hypnosis…

 

“Go back to the entrance of the stairs….”

 

– Pause.

 

“…Hmm?”

 

I paused just as I was about to hypnotize her.

 

Wait a minute. We were shooting a commercial, right?

 

But then a villain intruded, and a gate burst open…

 

“Director, did you happen to film us catching the villain?”

 

“Of course!”

 

“Oh.”

 

This was tempting.

 

Eliminating five villains in a row, and then swiftly conquering the gate?

 

This seemed better than awkwardly shooting a commercial.

 

There was the downside of having an underboob burden increased, but

 

‘I’ll protect Alice no matter what, so one more person…?’

 

Protecting one more person while protecting our precious Alice wouldn’t be a big deal for me.

 

After a brief consideration, I nodded.

 

“If you don’t take me, I’ll bite my tongue right here….”

 

“I can’t help it. There’s no time to argue, so if you’re going to follow, you can.”

 

“……?!! Really.”

 

“But there are conditions.”

 

Of course, I didn’t intend to just take her along.

 

First, she must keep quiet during the battle to avoid being a distraction.

 

Second, her share of the loot would be 0%.

 

Third, she must not stay more than 50 centimeters away from Alice.

 

“If you keep these three rules, I’ll do my best to protect you.”

 

“……!!! Then.”

 

“But. Alice comes first.”

 

The fourth condition. In dangerous situations, I would prioritize Alice’s safety without fail.

 

The director’s face turned blank.

 

“…Our?”

 

“Yes. She trusted me and came to this dangerous place, so I must protect her even at the cost of my life.”

 

On the contrary, I hardened my expression.

 

I fired off cold words that would sound harsh.

 

“If Alice is in danger, I won’t care if you live or die. Your life is only the third priority.”

 

“Yu, Yu, Yu-jin……? What do you mean.”

 

“For reference, my life is the second priority. Alice is the first. Keep that in mind.”

 

Alice was bewildered by my cold-blooded statement.

 

…Sigh. My favorability must have dropped again.

 

When a guy who donates and acts nice does this, it feels worse.

 

No matter how much I say I’ll protect her, it must be scary.

 

But I had no choice.

 

I had to nail it down like this to avoid any back talk in critical moments.

 

A cold but reasonable guy was better than one who let people die.

 

I was just saying it as a precaution. At most, a few stones might fly her way.

 

“…Oh? Oh, my. I was being insensitive. Hehe.”

 

“……!!!? That’s not it!! Yu-jin and I, that…!!”

 

“It’s a good time, a good time.”

 

The third priority herself laughed, though.

 

Is she really someone obsessed with movies?

 

Anyway, after establishing the priorities, we started the proper dungeon raid…

 

But in the end, it was all for nothing.

 

– Boom!!

 

‘Even the pattern is the same as Wulsuk’s. They said it’s A+ grade, but it’s just the physical aspect that’s different.’

 

I lured one monster at a time with hypnosis to evade tanking.

 

Behind me, Alice, with her firepower that was already at the top level of A-grade, seized the opportunity and dealt massive damage.

 

Combining these two, it didn’t even take 30 minutes to reach the boss room.

 

Far from being life-threatening, it had been a no-hit run so far.

 

If there was one problem with this combination.

 

“Yu-jin!! We did it!!”

 

“……!!!? Alice!! Your clothes are burning!!”

 

“Again? How much… Uh!!?”

 

– Whip.

 

“Are Korean clothes too flammable or what!!?”

 

Alice’s clothes, being a bit thin, burned easily.

 

…With magic, holes and tears appeared every time.

 

She refused to borrow my sportswear, saying it was too hot, and ended up like this.

 

I hurriedly threw my outerwear at her.

 

“It’s made in China… Anyway, Alice, wear this!! Director, don’t film that!!”

 

“Don’t worry, I was filming Yu-jin!”

 

“I’ll check the film later!?”

 

“Anytime!”

 

I even had to regulate the filming.

 

The underwear exposure incident was resolved quickly.

 

All that remained was…

 

The boss monster waiting in the deepest part of the dungeon.

 

To defeat the boss monster and close the gate.

 

“Ahem, ahem. Shall we go then? Until we defeat the boss monster, we can’t let our guard down.”

 

“Yes, yes!”

 

With renewed determination, we stepped forward.

 

Beyond the blue barrier, a monster gazed down at us.

 

To defeat the Duokshini and close the gate.

 

‘Well, we’ll catch it quickly this time too. There’s nothing dangerous.’

 

– Swoosh.

 

I, the vanguard, passed through the barrier first…

 

“Alice, I’ll draw its attention. You….”

 

– Boom!!!!

 

“———Disciple!!!! Are you alive!!!!”

 

“……!!!?”

 

A thunderous shout from afar struck my eardrums.

 

…Huh. Weren’t the gate exits blocked?

 

How did you get in?