“What on earth is going on?!”  
“Contact, can’t we make contact?!”  
“We’re inside a dungeon! How are we supposed to make contact?!”  
“Are there no Hunters? Hunters?!”  

It was pure chaos, an inferno of panic and confusion.  
Suddenly faced with an unexpected situation, the citizens fell into turmoil.  
Some screamed in fear.  
Others went pale, their faces stricken with despair.  
Some even fainted, overcome by tears.  

But, of course, not everyone succumbed to panic.  

Kim Ji-Ah, an A-rank Hunter, calmly assessed the situation around her.  
All she could see within the dungeon’s endless corridors were bare walls and floors.  
Thankfully, some torches were lit on the pillars here and there, but that was it.  

“There’s no visible exit. And the mana concentration here... something’s definitely off.”  

Having conquered countless dungeons before, she quickly drew a conclusion.  
This was a one-way entrance dungeon, one of the special types of dungeons where escape was only possible by defeating the boss.  

“Everyone, listen up!”  

Ji-Ah patted the shoulder of a trembling woman, Si-Yoon, and raised her voice with authority.  

“I am Kim Ji-Ah, an A-rank Hunter! Please, everyone, listen to me!”  

Her words had a calming effect on the crowd, as the chaos began to die down.  
The weight of the title ‘A-rank’ was substantial.  

“We’re saved...!”  
“An A-rank Hunter is here! Thank goodness!”  

People gathered around her, seeking reassurance.  
She looked around and called out,  

“Are there any other Hunters here besides me?”  

“I-I’m a Hunter too…”  
“I’m a C-rank…”  

Out of the dozens gathered, there were only two.  
Both were C-rank Hunters.  

Even so, Ji-Ah felt slightly relieved.  
Considering the usual number of Hunters, this was better than nothing.  

After calming the citizens, she quieted everyone down and then turned to speak with the two Hunters.  

“You’re not E-rank, so you must have battle experience, right?”  
“Well, yes, but…”  
“Isn’t this at least a B-rank dungeon?”  

The two Hunters were visibly trembling.  
Ji-Ah hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and spoke truthfully.  
After all, lying would only lead to trouble when the truth came out.  

“I believe this is an A-rank dungeon. I’ve rarely felt mana this intense, even in A-rank dungeons.”  
“What…!”  
“We’re doomed…”  

The two Hunters turned pale with fear.  
Ji-Ah realized she needed to boost their spirits.  

“I’m here with you all.”  

Their gazes turned to her, as she declared firmly,  

“I’ll take on the majority of the monsters. You two, just handle any stragglers that I can’t get to.”  
“Well, in that case…”  
“M-maybe we can manage…”  

Ji-Ah nodded encouragingly.  

“If we hold out, reinforcements will come. Our endurance will protect the civilians too. Stand tall. Don’t tremble. Can you do it?”  
“I’ll try my best!”  
“I’ll do it…!”  

The two Hunters’ expressions became a bit more resolute.  
Ji-Ah breathed a sigh of relief.  

But it was still too early to relax.  

If she remembered correctly, all S-rank Hunters in Korea were currently out on missions.  
If her assumption was correct and this really was an A-rank dungeon…  

They would need an alliance between guilds.  
At least six A-rank Hunters would need to be deployed.  

Special dungeons, especially one-way dungeons, required a cautious approach.  
In other words, it was highly likely that help would be delayed.  

“This is bad…”  

Ji-Ah bit her lower lip.  

Can I really handle this?  
Can I actually endure?  

She would need to take on the work of at least four people alone.  

...But she had to do it.  

After all, there was no other choice.  

“Everyone, this terrain isn’t ideal. Let’s move somewhere easier to defend than an open space like this.”  
“Shouldn’t we stay here so help can find us quickly?”  
“Please, trust my judgment for now.”  
“Alright.”  

Moving too far wouldn’t be wise, as one of the other Hunters had suggested.  
However, Ji-Ah could only defend from one direction alone.  

She needed to find a place where at least one side was blocked off.  

Hoping such a spot was nearby, Ji-Ah led the group to move as she organized them.  

---

‘Wh-what… what do I do now?’  

Following Ji-Ah’s guidance as they moved,  
Si-Yoon struggled with a deep internal conflict.  

Ji-Ah, who had confidently told them she would hold on until reinforcements arrived,  
had asked them all to stay calm and trust her.  

Because of that, the civilians felt reassured and followed her instructions with diligence.  

‘Is Ji-Ah really right about this…?’  

From Si-Yoon’s perspective, Ji-Ah was truly reliable.  
Her eyes shone with a strength that was unwavering, her posture standing tall and steady.  

She looked like a hero straight out of a movie.  

But that was exactly what made Si-Yoon uneasy.  
She looked as though she was going to extreme lengths to appear composed and strong.  

Si-Yoon debated whether or not to activate the accessory Si-Hyun had given her.  

What if this place really was dangerous?  
Would she be putting Ji-Ah in greater danger by doing so?  

Even Ji-Ah might struggle here.  
Would it really be the right choice to call for her sister?  

Si-Yoon wasn’t certain about her sister’s true strength.  
She had heard stories about her involvement with a hero’s party, but she had never actually witnessed her abilities.  

All she knew was that her sister had once easily defeated a C-rank Hunter who had been stalking her.  
And there was that time when Ji-Ah and her sister had gone on a C-rank dungeon mission and came back laughing about it.  

That was all she knew; she had no further information.  
So, she couldn’t make a decision lightly.  

Si-Yoon looked straight ahead.  

“Hyaah—!”  

By then, Ji-Ah had already started fighting.  
The two men who had revealed themselves to be Hunters took position in front of the civilians.  

Their legs shook uncontrollably.  
Unlike Ji-Ah, they didn’t inspire any confidence.  

“Damn it…!”  

One of the massive, humanoid monsters ignored Ji-Ah and started charging toward them.  

“Kyaaah!”  
“Do something about that, please!”  

The more fearful civilians shrieked.  

But the two Hunters in front of the group were frozen solid, like statues.  

At that moment—  

“Graaaah——!”  

A long spear pierced into the monster’s back.  
Unable to resist the force, the monster crashed to the ground.  

Only then did the two Hunters snap out of it and start using their skills on the monster.  
The creature’s agonizing cries echoed around them.  

Si-Yoon turned her gaze back to Ji-Ah.  
Having more spare weapons, she had already pulled out another spear and continued fighting.  

However—  

“She… she’s injured…”  

A massive scratch had been gouged across Ji-Ah’s back,  
and blood was trickling down.  

Si-Yoon began to tear up.  
She treasured her sister Si-Hyun deeply, but Ji-Ah was just as precious to her.  

Watching Ji-Ah’s face contorted with pain as she fought,  
it felt as if Si-Yoon herself was hurting too.  

In the end, she couldn’t hold back and activated her bracelet.  
She didn’t know if it was the right choice or a mistake.  

But, caught up in her emotions, Si-Yoon chose to believe in her sibling—in her sister.  

Her sturdy older brother, who had protected her after their parents passed away.  
Her beautiful sister, who had come back as a woman and helped her by stopping that stalker.  

The Saint from the hero’s party who had defeated the Demon King.  

Si-Yoon didn’t know much about Hunters or dungeons.  

But she remembered what her sister had said.  
She had promised to come to help, no matter what.  
That was all she could rely on now.  

“Ugh…”  

Ji-Ah now had a fresh, long scar on her left arm but had managed to defeat all the monsters.  
For now, the situation was under control, but the dungeon’s assault was only just beginning.  

---

“Haah… haah…”  

Leaning on her spear, Ji-Ah panted as she finally let herself breathe.  
As she suspected, this was definitely an A-rank dungeon.  

Minotaurs, ogres—  
monsters of overwhelming power had poured out in waves.  

Even someone as experienced as Ji-Ah, who was used to fighting alone,  
couldn’t emerge unscathed from these battles.  

And with the civilians as added burdens, she no longer had the option of retreating when things got dangerous.  

Ji-Ah found herself doubting if she could really endure this.  

“No, I can’t think like that.”  

If she fell here,  
the fate of everyone in this place would be sealed.  

Outside, they might

 already be preparing to leave the civilians behind and focus on clearing the dungeon.  
In reality, that happened quite often.  

But giving up wasn’t an option.  
Especially with Si-Yoon here with her.  

“I’ll protect everyone until help arrives.”  

Opening her status window, Ji-Ah took out a potion and drank it.  
It was an expensive item, so she hadn’t stocked up on many, but this was no time to hold back.  

She would save them all—no matter what.  

As more and more of her companions and friends left this world,  
Ji-Ah had made herself a solemn vow.  

She would grow stronger, to prevent any more deaths.  
Though she had come to fight alone to avoid seeing anyone die,  

her goal hadn’t changed.  

Now was the moment to prove herself.  
To see if she had truly become closer to her goal.  

Si-Yoon, the two Hunters, the civilians—  
she would protect them all.  

Even if it meant burning herself out.  

Ji-Ah faced the next wave of monsters pouring toward her.  

“Come at me, all of you——!”  

To fortify her courage, she let out a powerful battle cry and charged forward.