“P-Professor…?”

“Yes?”

At her student’s call, Si-hyun looked at Areum with a gentle smile. She gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, as if to tell her not to worry, then turned her gaze forward.

The leader of the bandits began issuing commands.

“Hey. I’ll take on that one; you handle the plain-looking guy over there.”

“Got it, boss!”

“Heh, let’s have some fun with them.”

At the start of the bandits’ conversation, the men from the Wing Guild also readied themselves for battle. Thus, a clash among hunters ensued.

Ji-han’s opponent was Do-joon.

Although Ji-han was a promising talent within the guild, he was still only a C-rank hunter. Furthermore, he was exhausted from the large-scale dungeon raid, having pushed himself hard in the recent fight.

As a result, Do-joon toyed with him blatantly, the difference in their skills resembling an adult bullying a child.

“Haha! This is so boring I could yawn!”

“Ugh, damn it!”

“How about this!”

Swoosh—

In the fierce close-quarters speed battle, Ji-han couldn't completely dodge Do-joon’s dagger, and a scrape appeared on his shoulder.

From stamina to skill, Ji-han had no advantage over Do-joon. He bit his lower lip in frustration.

Meanwhile, Han-gyeol found himself in a one-on-one fight with a C-rank bandit from the rogue party. Like Ji-han, he wasn’t in an ideal state.

The C-rank bandit wasn’t as skilled as Do-joon, but he was an experienced hunter, especially in close combat. On top of that, Do-joon kept creating opportunities for his ally, so he was in much better shape.

“Hah! Hraaah!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Han-gyeol was being pressed hard, forced into a defensive stance as he calmly blocked attacks.

However, he was gradually pushed back. At this rate, defeat was inevitable.

“Hup!”

Han-gyeol attempted a quick counterattack, risking injury, but the bandit twisted his body to evade and widened the distance with ease.

“Did you think I’d fall for that? Hahaha!”

He sneered mockingly.

Han-gyeol managed to catch his breath but ended up with a long gash on his forearm. It hadn’t been a favorable exchange.

“Guys! Come on, hang in there!”

“Hah… haaah…!”

Even the D-rank hunters on their side weren’t in an advantageous position. They were utterly drained from half a day’s raid, both mentally and physically.

All they wanted was to take down the boss room and rest. But suddenly, a battle among hunters had broken out, and they weren’t in the condition for an extended fight.

On the contrary, the two D-rank bandits were much more energetic and used sly tactics.

They didn’t initiate attacks. If the Wing Guild charged at them, they dodged and hid. When their weary opponents paused to catch their breath, the bandits blocked their path again, taunting them.

“Hahaha! With that kind of stamina, can you even keep up at night?”

“Can’t believe four of you can’t handle just two of us?”

Their mocking voices were filled with snickers.

One of the Wing Guild’s archers, enraged, grabbed another arrow.

Whoosh—

The arrow shot out at high speed!

But—

“Oh no, did you really think I’d let myself get hit by that?”

“Look at that pitiful excuse for a long-range attack! Hahaha!”

The bandits, who had been keeping an eye on the archer, easily dodged the shot, a testament to their vast experience in battles against people.

The archer felt cold sweat trickling down his back. If this fight hadn’t started in a standoff, he’d probably have been ambushed first. His entire body tensed in fear.

“W-What do we do…?”

Watching from a distance, Areum trembled, her voice filled with unease. Anyone could see that their side was at a disadvantage.

Furthermore, those vicious bandits would flee with their stealth skills if things turned against them. And if they drew monsters back with them and hid again…

‘I… we’d be trapped and doomed…!’

The thought alone was horrifying. Areum shuddered once more.

At that moment, Si-hyun, who had been observing the situation quietly, stepped forward.

Areum looked at her in shock.

“P-Professor?!”

She remembered their conversation back at the cafe before entering the dungeon. Her professor had mentioned that she was only classified as a D-rank hunter because she hadn’t applied for a promotion yet. Meaning her actual abilities were at the level of a C-rank hunter.

But their opponents? Among them was a fully-rested B-rank hunter.

“Haha! Where’s that cocky kid who was shouting earlier?”

“Grr—!”

That same guy was toying with Ji-han, a C-rank hunter, treating him like a plaything.

Though he could end it at any time, it was clear, even to an inexperienced eye, that he was dragging it out.

Would Professor Si-hyun really be able to change the situation by stepping in?

Areum didn’t think so. She admired her professor, but the situation was dire.

“P-Professor! No, even if you’re the professor—”

Si-hyun turned back at her student’s anxious voice, raising just one finger to her lips. As Areum, wide-eyed, fell silent, Si-hyun nodded with a calm expression.

Watching her trembling student, Si-hyun thought it would be easy to step in and wipe out the bandits. Honestly, she was tempted after watching the thug strut around.

But dealing with it that simply felt wasteful.

She wanted to become the “radiant figure” Areum looked up to.

She wanted to show her what an ideal supporter was.

With a pretty smile, Si-hyun asked Areum, “Areum, what do you think is a support hunter’s greatest strength?”

“W-What?”

In a tone completely at odds with the tense situation, Areum couldn’t answer right away, glancing between Si-hyun and the others.

“In this kind of situation… If one of those common C-rank hunters were added, would it change things?”

“Uh… N-No, I don’t think so?”

“But what if that person could use support skills?”

Her voice was soft, almost like poetry, as she continued to explain.

‘What is she trying to say?’

Areum swallowed nervously, eyes fixed on her professor’s cherry-red lips as they parted again.

“What if it wasn’t just another person, but someone who could empower all their allies?”

Areum listened intently, her ears perked.

“Our team wouldn’t simply grow from six to seven; it would become something much more powerful, don’t you think?”

“Ah, oh—!”

Finally grasping the meaning, Areum covered her mouth in astonishment. Even with basic math, the impact would be on an entirely different scale.

While she didn’t have such amazing skills as an E-rank, her professor was far from ordinary!

She’d been mistaken until now. Her professor wasn’t just some typical C-rank—she was someone with powerful support skills.

Areum had never actually seen Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s abilities in action, so she had no idea what kind of change they could bring. But she didn’t doubt it.

Unlike her, her professor hadn’t shown a hint of fear all day. No trembling, no panic. She had just calmly observed the situation.

‘I can trust her…!’

Seeing Areum’s expression change, Si-hyun smiled warmly.

How often does one get a chance to truly shine? She was determined to show her best.

“Watch closely from here. This is the ideal supporter you should aspire to become.”

With her explanation finished, Si-hyun snapped her fingers.

Snap!

In the chaotic battle, the sound was barely noticeable to anyone else.

But from that moment on…

The battlefield’s dynamics began to shift.

The tide was turning.

“I knew you’d come through! Haha!”

“H-Huh?! What the hell?”

In an instant, Han-gyeol, who had been on the defensive, switched to offense. The cautious approach he’d taken before was gone; he surged forward with ferocity, pressuring his opponent.

“I’ll pay you back for every hit you’ve landed so far!”

“Argh—!”

The bandit who had been pushing him back now found himself retreating. Han-gyeol, bolstered by Si-hyun’s support, matched the bandit’s speed and more.

Originally, the bandit had a comfortable advantage over Han-gyeol, but suddenly, the tables turned.

Each time Han-gyeol stepped forward with his longsword, the bandit with the dagger was forced to defend, struggling against the power and momentum behind each attack.

The balance was breaking.

And it wasn’t only Han-gyeol who experienced this transformation.

“Hahaha! Where did all that arrogance go?”

“Damn it! What the hell happened? Why are you so different all of a sudden?”

“Hah! Maybe you should’ve made some better friends!”

For the first time, Ji-han, under Si-hyun’s buff, fought with glee.

Having felt this inexplicable surge before, Ji-han immediately recognized who was behind it.

‘Haha! Professor Si-hyun, you’re the best!’

The weariness from earlier faded away as his body seemed to renew itself. But it wasn’t just recovery; he sensed himself surpassing his usual limits.

A rush of euphoria surged through him, and

 he focused intently on his opponent.

‘I can do this!’

He felt sure he could defeat the B-rank bandit!

“Weren’t you the one yawning just a second ago? Now I think I’m the one who’s bored!”

“You little punk!”

“Yaaawn—!”

“Damn you!”

Ji-han openly mocked his opponent. Enraged, Do-joon cursed, but the shifted battle dynamics were irreversible.

Just moments before, he’d been toying with Ji-han. Now, they fought almost as equals.

It was an unbelievable turn of events. Ji-han had been on the verge of collapse!

No, even without exhaustion, a C-rank should never have been able to contend with him!

‘What the hell is happening here?!’

Ji-han and Do-joon’s intense exchange continued, weapons clashing sharply.

Swish, swish, swish!
Clang! Clang! Clang!

Neither side gave in easily. However, Ji-han’s momentum only grew as he pressed his opponent.

Do-joon attempted a sharp counter, but Ji-han twisted his body, deflecting it and swinging his sword to exploit the opening.

Whoosh—

Do-joon ducked, narrowly dodging the blade, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Ji-han.

‘This is dangerous!’

He felt a chill run down his spine—not from fear, but an unpleasant sensation clawing at his body, sapping his strength.

If this state persisted, he had a sinking feeling he might lose to this “insignificant rookie” in front of him.

As infuriating as it was, he trusted his instincts.

He needed to change the situation.

‘Think, think…!’

His mind raced, scrambling for a solution.

Then, almost by chance…

He spotted the beautiful woman standing calmly at the edge of his vision.

Dodging another of Ji-han’s attacks, he shouted with all his might.

“Everyone! Go after the women——!”

And then, he yelled again.

“Lure some monsters here——!”

Hearing his commands, the other bandits shifted into action, moving with a new purpose.