**Two Days Later, Morning.**

Jia and Si-hyun began their day diligently. The car smoothly drove along the highway.

Si-hyun was lost in thought, admiring the passing scenery. It was her first time leaving Seoul since her return.

“Oh, Jia! Look over there. The clouds are so beautiful.”  
“Oh wow, they really are.”

The sky was covered with clouds, but there was one spot that was completely clear. The light streaming through that opening created a truly stunning sight.

As Jia glanced briefly to the side, she continued driving with a light smile. The sky was nice, but Si-hyun, innocently gazing out, was cute too.

The car continued to move at a suitably fast speed. Soon, a hill appeared, blocking Si-hyun’s view.

She looked ahead. The hills continued on. Swallowing her disappointment, she turned to Jia.

“We’re going to a dungeon in the countryside. You said it was a request from the management office, right?”  
“Yes, that’s right.”  
“Do you get asked often?”  
“Well, sort of. To be precise—”

Jia briefly explained to Si-hyun. Although she was neither affiliated with a guild nor the management office, she mostly tackled the dungeons they requested, especially the dangerous ones.

There were many benefits provided by the management office, creating a win-win relationship for both sides.

Once the explanation was done, Si-hyun nodded lightly. She remembered what Jia had said before; the management office was quite flexible.

‘That’s not a bad idea.’

The fact that they could negotiate and build relationships. If one is confident in their abilities, it seems like a good approach.

“So that’s why you’ve met with the department head separately?”  
“Exactly. It’s like being a quasi-public servant.”  
“Ah, I see.”

Si-hyun nodded repeatedly.

Having examples made it easier to understand. Meeting people and hearing various stories seemed to benefit life in many ways.

Thinking back, the Wing Guild, where the crafting hunters gathered, was a unique case. It wasn’t a guild made up of just crafters, but one of combat hunters.

Si-hyun wanted to learn more about the diverse stories of hunters. If she got the chance, she would listen to someone else's tale again. A small goal was added to Si-hyun’s mind.

“Speaking of which, we didn’t buy any drinks. Should we stop by the rest area?”  
“Let’s do it! We should get snacks too. Something like walnut pastries?”  
“Ha ha, I’m sure they sell those. It’s one of the joys of traveling.”  
“That’s right.”

Although it was more of a business trip than a vacation, neither of them paid much attention to the details.

A little later, the car smoothly entered the rest area. After the car stopped, Si-hyun stepped out and stretched her arms.

“Ah—! It’s really been a while since I sat in a car for so long.”  
“Didn’t you only sit for an hour?”  
“…It felt like two hours.”

In response to Jia's joke, Si-hyun pouted. Because of her cute reaction, Jia, who had walked over to Si-hyun, couldn’t help but reach out her hand.

Rustle—

Jia gently patted the top of Si-hyun's head. The soft hair brushed pleasantly against her fingers.

Since it was an impulsive action, Jia quickly withdrew her hand.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”  
“…It’s fine. I’m okay.”

When Jia apologized, Si-hyun abruptly turned around. Though Jia couldn’t see it, Si-hyun’s face turned as red as a ripe apple.

Si-hyun walked briskly toward the convenience store. 

Jia chuckled lightly as she followed behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Wing Guild.

Ji-han and Han-gyeol were riding in a car driven by a guild member.

While the two aimed to tackle a C-rank dungeon, others planned to go to a nearby dungeon as well.

As they entered the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province, Han-gyeol felt a bit bored and glanced at Ji-han sitting beside him. Ji-han was diligently watching something on his smartphone.

“What are you watching?”  
“This? It’s a channel that interviews famous hunters.”

Ji-han slightly adjusted the angle of his phone so Han-gyeol could see. A beautifully dressed woman with a refined appearance was conversing with the host.

“Isn’t that Hunter Kim Jia?”  
“Oh, you know her too? Isn’t she really cool?”  
“That last A-rank dungeon incident was amazing.”  
“Right, that! This is an interview that happened afterward.”

“Ooh.”

Han-gyeol also became curious and turned to look at the screen along with Ji-han.

Ji-han handed a single earbud to Han-gyeol.

- We interviewed the citizens who were trapped in the dungeon at that time. I heard you protected the citizens without taking a single step back.  
- Yes, that’s right.  
- Wow, I would have been too scared to run away! What were you thinking at that time?  
- Personally, I have a firm belief: don’t retreat even if you’re afraid. That’s exactly what I—  

Han-gyeol watched the interview, unable to take his eyes off the screen. Hunter Kim Jia’s words had a captivating power.

After a few minutes, the interview concluded, followed by casual conversations and Q&A.

Han-gyeol returned the earbud to Ji-han, saying, “Beliefs are really impressive.”  
“Right? I think you need to be at that level to be an A-rank hunter.”  
“And she’s the second strongest among hunters who use spears in our country.”  
“Oh! I’d love to meet her in person someday. I wonder if she does sign events or something?”

Ji-han, thoroughly impressed by the interview, continued to chatter excitedly with Han-gyeol.

Han-gyeol was also deeply moved, so he engaged in the conversation. 

Eventually, their discussion about the interview continued until they arrived in front of the gate. Just before entering the gate, Han-gyeol expressed his worries.

“But are we okay just the two of us?”  
“Hey, I’m here! Soon to be B-rank!”  
“Hmm… well.”

Han-gyeol chuckled at Ji-han’s confident attitude. Just a little while ago, he used to get stressed out every time Ji-han acted like this.

It was remarkable how the same words could feel so different. Life sure is long.

“Alright, let’s go!”  
“Yeah!”

The two entered the gate.

In an instant, the scenery before their eyes changed. They found themselves in a forest densely populated with large trees.

Han-gyeol mentally organized what kind of monsters they might encounter from now on.

This was his first time entering a C-rank dungeon, but since he was from the academy, he had a rough idea.

Ji-han charged ahead energetically. Han-gyeol walked beside him.

“Hyung, in front!”  
“It’s coming! Get ready!”

The two shouted simultaneously, preparing for battle.

A significant number of goblins charged at them. Just because it was a C-rank dungeon didn’t mean only C-rank monsters appeared. Sometimes, many low-tier monsters would swarm together.

Moreover, unlike in E-rank dungeons, the goblins had a variety of weapons.

Han-gyeol approached the battle with heightened tension.

“Kerrek!”  
“Kehehe.”

Goblins wielding clubs and swords rushed toward the two.

“Who do they think they are, goblins?!”

Ji-han yelled as he charged forward. He swung his long sword powerfully, instantly slicing through several goblins. With explosive power like an enraged bull, he slaughtered the monsters.

Han-gyeol didn’t rest either. He systematically dealt with the goblins that charged at him.

Kek—!  
Kekek—!

The dying screams of goblins filled the forest.

After the ruckus subsided.

“Ugh…”

After collecting the remnants, Han-gyeol rubbed his waist. The spot where he had been hit by a club earlier.

It felt sore, and it seemed like a proper bruise was forming. It wasn’t a severe injury, but it felt like things were starting off roughly.

“Hyung, let’s move on!”  

With overflowing energy, Ji-han charged ahead again. Han-gyeol followed behind him with a wry smile.

He could clearly feel that Ji-han was stronger than him. Even at the same rank, there was a definite gap.

It was an eye-opening realization.

If C-rank was like this, then how much more so for B-rank, A-rank, or even S-rank? The gaps between ranks would likely be even greater, making it hard to call them humans.

Though Han-gyeol had been lost in thought, he quickly shook it off. He had to stay focused, as he never knew what might happen.

He looked around.

And then—

“…Huh?”

Wobble—wobble—

It was an accidental discovery.

A massive slime, towering well above an adult male, was hidden high up among the trees.

Han-gyeol felt a cold sweat trickle down his back. He pushed Ji-han aside while yelling loudly.

“Damn it, get down!”  
“Uh, what?!”

Bam—!

The enormous slime landed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Han-gyeol

 fell backward onto his butt.

He was immensely relieved.

What if he hadn’t dodged in time? He would have been crushed under that massive slime and seriously injured.

“Ow, damn. That scared me!”

As Han-gyeol got up and regained his stance, Ji-han charged at the slime first.

Swinging his sword, he aimed for its core.

However, the slime didn’t go down easily.

It twisted its body and even shifted the position of its core to evade Ji-han’s attack.

Not stopping there, it morphed its body, with parts of the slime whipping like a whip.

The wildly swinging attack forced both Ji-han and Han-gyeol to retreat.

In that brief moment, the slime’s body, which had taken Ji-han’s attack, began to recover.

“Ugh, I really hate slimes!”  
“……I agree.”

The two men, armed with swords, exchanged anxious words.

After some effort, they ultimately succeeded in defeating the slime, but it took a significant amount of time.

“That’s why we need magic-type hunters or parties.”  
“Yeah, but they’re relatively rare, so it can’t be helped…”

A light lament followed.

* * *

At the same time that the two men from the Wing Guild had just defeated the slime, Si-hyun and Jia had just entered the A-rank dungeon.

They found themselves inside a cave, a common type of dungeon that frequently appeared.

True to its A-rank status, the interior of the cave was quite spacious.

Si-hyun immediately began to use magic.

First, she conjured light to illuminate the area. Next, she spread her mana lightly around, gathering information moment by moment. Finally, she applied buffs to herself and Jia using both mana and divine power.

Having finished her preparations, Si-hyun nodded. Jia, holding her spear in her unoccupied hand, flexed it to check her condition.

“I haven’t experienced this much, but it’s really impressive.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah! Right from the start, you’re doing the work of several people!”  
“Well, it’s not quite like that…”

At Ji-han’s direct compliment, Si-hyun’s face flushed as she turned away.

Compliments always felt good to hear, but since it was unfamiliar to her…

Si-hyun scratched her cheek as she spoke.

“Shall we get going?”  
“Yeah, let’s do it!”

The two women marched forward energetically. Jia maintained a suitable level of tension while scanning the cave.

After a few minutes had passed.

“Jia, wait a second.”  
“Huh?”

Si-hyun stopped Jia. When Jia tilted her head in confusion, Si-hyun pointed to a distant part of the ceiling.

Following Si-hyun’s finger, Jia turned her gaze. The light illuminating their surroundings moved ahead, leaving the two behind.

“Oo…”

Jia couldn’t help but let out a short exclamation.

Several massive slimes were exuding a chilling aura from high above the ceiling. If they had just passed by, they would have been ambushed.

Of course, a hunter like Jia could evade them with her senses and reaction speed.

However, as expected, it was much easier to deal with them if they were aware beforehand.

Amazed by Si-hyun’s detection ability, Jia spoke in a small voice.

“Si-hyun, your ability is truly versatile.”  
“……Hehe.”  
“But of all things, it’s a slime with an elemental attribute. That’s going to be tough for a close-combat type.”  

After Jia’s compliment, Si-hyun fell into thought for a moment. Then, she hesitantly spoke up.

“Um, if that’s the case… should I handle it?”  
“Huh? How?”  
“It’s not my specialty, but… if you could buy me some time, I’ll wipe them out with magic.”  

Wipe them out? Just hearing it made it sound impressive. Jia blinked a few times before nodding her head.