Chapter Text
The air is crisp, a slight breeze stirs up fallen leaves on the pavement below. I gaze at them through half lidded eyes, analyzing the currents of airflow as they snake across the sky. Mana whispers beneath my skin, singing as the leaves are pushed into the gate and disappear with a dim flash of light.
The gate. A circle of blue mana that leads to a dungeon, full of magical beasts and monsters straight from fairy tails. This one is only D-Rank, two ranks below me, but the South Korean Hunters Association required I take part in a couple low ranked Dungeons to prove my skill. In other words, they want to make sure I’m not dead weight before giving me higher ranking assignments.
“Would you like a cup of coffee, miss?” I turn and see an Association worker handing out coffee to the raiding party. I smile graciously and take the cup from him with a quick, “Yes please. Thank you, sir.”
His eyes widen as he sees my face and hears my accent. “Are you from the States?”
“Yeah,” I nod, “Just moved here a couple weeks ago. Is it that obvious?”
“Well your Korean is incredible for only living here two weeks! I wouldn’t worry about your accent, the fact that you can speak it at all is good enough for me.” His grin is contagious, and I return it warmly before moving out of the way so a middle aged man in a blue jacket can get a cup.
The coffee is too hot to drink, so I lean against a wall and wait for it to cool while I eavesdrop on people’s conversations. Being a wallflower isn’t a complete bore - sometimes I catch some juicy gossip just by standing alone in a corner, but today it’s pretty boring. A man is back to raiding after “retiring” to support his pregnant wife and is worried his skills aren’t up to par, but the conversation stops short as a boy approaches the party of hunters, his floppy black hair messy and unkempt and his clothes just a little too baggy for his small frame.
“Sung! It must’ve been cold on the way here. Thanks for coming.” Another man says as he claps Sung on the back.
“Don’t mention it,” he replies, “Looking forward to working with you today, as always.” As always? This kid couldn’t be older than twenty. How many raids has he been on?
I inspect his figure, using my mana to get a feel for his own. All hunters have mana. It’s basic knowledge in today’s society, ever since the gates opened up a decade ago and people began undergoing awakenings. I had my own seven years ago, mere days after my sixteenth birthday. One short week and a mana test later, I’m proclaimed a B-Rank mage with air magic. I’d considered joining a guild, but my older sister convinced me otherwise. Well, it was more so her death than her words that convinced me. She gave her life dealing with a dungeon break that should have been raided days prior, but apparently banquets and photo shoots are more important to guilds than hunting monsters and closing gates.
So I left. And now I’m here, inspecting this young boy’s mana, or lack thereof, with a raised brow. He couldn’t have been anything but E-Rank. His mana is barely a spark compared to the infernos I’ve seen in S and even some A-Ranks. He’d be effectively useless in the D-Rank dungeon, or any dungeon for that matter.
“Is that guy a strong hunter? Everyone’s so happy to see him.” The man from before, with a pregnant wife, asked. His friend in blue chuckles quietly before answering, “I guess you don’t know since he came around right after you quit. That guy’s nickname is the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind.”
Tracks. I’m not surprised.
“The weakest? Not the strongest?”
“Now look here, that’s what you would call an S-Rank hunter like Choi Jong-In. Sung’s the ‘Weakest Hunter.’ He’s always getting injured, even in E-Rank gates.”
Are they aware that the poor boy can hear them? Weak as he is, he still has ears. Fucking idiots.
“The weakest?”
“Probably the weakest of us all.”
“Is he really that weak?”
“Yep. So the fact that he’s on duty proves that the dungeon’s going to be easy.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Let’s leave it at that. He might hear us.”
Judging from the boy’s drooping soldiers, he already did. He approaches the Association worker handing out coffee and asks politely, “Excuse me, may I order a cup of coffee?”
“Ah, Mr. Sung Jinwoo. I’m sorry to say this, but all the coffee has just ran out…” To be fair, the worker does appear to be sincerely apologetic, but it doesn’t change the fact that the boy can’t even get a cup of Joe around here. Survival of the fittest, that’s how it goes beyond the gates. This boy is as good as dead. So perhaps it’s pity, or even compassion, but either way, I find myself walking up to the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind and offering my cup to him.
“Sung, isn’t it? Here, you can take mine. I haven’t touched it yet, and I had some before I left anyway.” A flat out lie. I still haven’t fully woken up without my daily cup, but it’s obvious this guy needs it more than I do.
“Oh!” A blush invades his cheeks and the gray in his eyes pops out in contrast. “I couldn’t, it’s yours, thank you for offering th-”
“Sung,” I interrupt, my lips tugging upward. “I insist. Besides, we’ll all need to be at our best to get through this unscathed.” You, in particular, will need to be at your best to make it out alive.
His hands shake as he accepts the offering, our fingers brushing together. The pink of his cheeks deepens to red at the contact. “Thank you, I really appreciate it. What’s your name?”
“Alrie. B-Rank Mage from America.” I reply blandly, not bothering to give him my full name. “I look forward to raiding this dungeon with you. Stay safe in there.”
His lips fall open, obviously wanting to say more, but before he can a high-pitched voice overtakes us, “Ah! Jinwoo! You’re hurt again!” A redhead approaches, her hair impressively long and healthy, with bright blue eyes and a perfect complexion. She’s fucking beautiful. I blink a couple times and swallow, looking away to save myself from blushing as she brushes past me to inspect Sung.
“Huh? Oh, hello. I see you’re going on this raid as well, Joohee.” Sung says lamely.
“Of course I am! But that’s not the issue here! What happened to your face this time?!”
My head cocks to the side as I inspect the redhead. Her mana is no joke, burning even brighter than mine, and I can tell she’s a healer by her robes. A B-Rank healer entering a D-Rank gate? What a waste of talent. I leave the two friends to catch up and instead wait by the gate, inspecting the party. Mostly D-Ranks, with a couple E-Ranks and one C-Rank. A pretty average party, besides Joohee and myself. What was a girl like her doing in D-Rank raids? She could be making so much more with A or B-Ranks, hell even C-Rank would be better and she’d be just fine.
I don’t have any more time to ponder it as the party stands, ready to enter the gate. “Listen up, everyone!” A middle aged C-Rank mage calls out, “I’m sure we’re all looking to have a good time and hit the jackpot today. That said, even though I’m not in any place to say this, I’m thinking about taking charge and being the party leader. How’s that sound to everyone?”
“Song, you’re the highest rank out of everyone here! I approve.” No, that honor would go to myself and Joohee. But I don’t bother correcting them, instead leaving them to sort it out themselves. A few more voices chip in their agreement, and with no dissenters, we enter the gates.
I glance at Sung, armed with a cheap knife and basically mana-less. He hangs back, taking up the rear upon the request of the other party members, and I fall into step with him. Just in case.
Not like anything will happen, though. I just need to complete this dungeon without anyone dying, and I’ll be able to take on a C-Rank next week. It’ll be a breeze with Joohee here.
The blue magic swallows me whole as I step inside the gate.
There is something strange about this dungeon.
The goblins come in waves, the air is charged, the stone is… humming. Like my own mana. I press my palm against the wall, closing my eyes and focusing entirely on my magic. All dungeons are essentially made of magic, so they feel different than the real world. But this one is odd. The magic sings to me, pushing me forward, urging me deeper into the cave. Was it the boss? Is it some strange, unknown monster calling to me like a siren?
“Alrie!” Someone screams and I whip around to see yet another wave of goblins sprinting toward me. They were coming from behind us, the path we already cleared that leads back to the gates. How on earth did they get behind the party?
“Stay away!” I shout, thankful that the rest of the group was some ways away since I’d been distracted and lagged behind. Some of the older men rush forward despite my warning, but they’re flung back with a gust of wind. “I said stay away!” The words morph into a snarl, and I don’t bother to check if the men are okay before returning to the goblins. There were eight of them. All armed and vicious as rabid dogs.
I’ll make short work of them.
I curl my left hand into a loose fist with a tunnel between my fingers and press it to my mouth, my lips against my thumb and pointer finger. Then, I bring my right hand up, fingers flattened and palm facing skyward as a runway for my attack.
I suck in a deep breath, infusing it with my mana.
And release.
An arrow flies, made of the wind itself, and strikes the first three in the chest. It pierces a hole from front to back, cutting through as if they were butter, then swings back around and finishes the rest.
I turn on my heel, a glare hardening my features as I gaze at the open mouthed hunters. “When I say stay away, you stay. The fuck. Away. Is that understood?”
A choruses of timid ‘yes ma’am’s echoes through the chamber, a beat of awkward silence lingering before Song has the balls to ask what they were all thinking. “You’ve got to be at least B-Rank, right? What are you doing here?”
“I’m a B-Rank mage from America. The Hunters Association demanded I complete a few low-rank gates before I can start on the high rankers. Apparently, you’re having an issue with finding enough hunters to defeat the recent surge. I’m here to help remedy that.”
There’s another beat of silence, this time awkwardly long.
“So you’re our baby sitter?” Someone deadpans, and I shrug, “View it however you want. Ultimately, seeing as I just saved you from eight Goblins rushing us from behind, I don’t see why you’re taking issue with my presence. Let’s continue. I want to be done by lunch time.” With that, the group exchanges bewildered glances before continuing the raid. Sung and Joohee trail behind, murmuring between themselves while very obviously looking at me. I clench my jaw, turning away. Oh boy. This is going to be a fun raid.
I am proven correct almost immediately. Another wave from behind, this time double the size and paired with a wave of similar size at the front of the party. Our forces are forced to split, forming two fronts. I take the rear with Sung and Joohee, and the others defend the front. It’s an even split power wise, but it still irks me. I’m left to deal with over a dozen goblins and baby sit Sung and Joohee at the same time.
I’ve realized why Joohee is in a D-Rank raid. She’s timid, scared as a newborn fawn stumbling through the forest. She doesn’t have the stomach for combat regardless of the difficulty.
“Stay behind me. Joohee, keep me alive.” I order, turning to take on the group of green rodents. With another arrow half of them fall, but I don’t have the chance to breathe before the rest are in arm’s reach. I duck as one of them swings their sword, grabbing their arm and halting their movement. Air hardens around my fist, and with one swing it’s skull caves in. Blood splatters on the walls, striking scarlet on dreary gray.
The next few fall beneath my fists, but one loops around and charges for the two hunters behind me.
“Sung!” I shout, and he swings the dagger at just the right moment, catching the goblin in its rib cage. It chokes up blood, splattering crimson on his pale face.
Not entirely useless, it seems.
I open my mouth to speak, but the world… shifts? A flash of magic, light then dark, sings like a church choir. I frown, shaking my head, trying to think through the fuzz. What the fuck is going on?
“Jinwoo!” Joohee cries, and I open my eyes to see yet another goblin rushing them. Where the fuck did it come from? It must have slipped past the front lines!
Sung evades the monster’s first attack and stabs its ribs, but the blade shatters against its green skin. Cheap piece of shit and horrible luck, really.
The goblin stabs him in the abdomen, but I kill it with a punch before it can pull out the blade.
Sung reaches for it, grasping the hilt - “No! Don’t pull it out!” It’s too late. His blood gushes onto the floor, red as a cherry. The goblin severed a major artery, Sung would be dead in minutes if it weren’t for Joohee collapsing beside him and immediately getting to work, her healing magic glowing green and yellow in the dim light.
“Jinwoo, why are you so set on being a hunter? Keep on fighting like this and you’ll get yourself into big trouble one of these days!” Joohee scolds, concern lacing her tone. “I’m sorry…” Sung says lamely, only riling his fiery friend up more.
“I’m not saying this because I want an apology! I’m worried about you!”
Sung doesn’t respond, instead turning to look at the other party members.
“Park you’ve still got it!”
“This is a piece of cake!”
“Looks like we’re just about done here!”
Their words echo through the chamber. My gaze remains on Sung.
A piece of cake for some, yes. Life or death for one, in particular.
My lips purse, but I force my next words to be as soft as I can make them, “Sung, you could do anything else and not almost die. Why hunting?”
He blushes, shrugging lightly, “I’m doing this hunter stuff as a hobby. I’d probably die of boredom if it wasn’t for this.”
My eyes narrow. Bullshit!
“Stick with this hobby of yours and you’ll be doing raids in the afterlife!” Joohee snaps, her expression shockingly similar to mine.
Sung laughs, apparently unable to help himself. “Stop laughing! Your wounds will open!” She scolds some more, raising her hand to smack his knee, only to remember he’s got a major gash, then returns to healing it.
This dungeon is very, very strange. Wave after wave of goblins with a few other beasts scattered around, but for the most part it’s dry as a desert. Almost no loot of any kind to be found. Just goblins and their shitty weapons.
The boss is a Lycan of some kind, D-Rank as expected. The party ends it quickly while I guard the rear, and to be honest, mostly just Sung.
“Looks like they’re all finished up,” I murmur, “Let’s go, Sung.”
“You can call me Jinwoo, y’know.” He forces a chuckle, a small smile tugging at his features. It’s surprisingly nice, and lights his face with a warm glow. I can’t help but smile back, “Okay, Jinwoo.”
The group is huddled in the very back of the boss’s lair, a dark tunnel before them. Is this a double dungeon?!
“A double dungeon… so things like this really do exist. I was beginning to doubt their existence.” Song shoots a bright ball of fire into the darkness, piercing the shadows with ease.
The fire fizzles out before it can reach the end.
“This cash cow might not be as dry as we thought it was.”
“I was wondering where the loot was!”
Song scratches his jaw and turns to face us. “Hmm… everyone, listen up for a second. The gate doesn’t close unless we defeat the dungeon’s boss. Seeing as the gate’s still up, it looks like there must be a boss inside of that dungeon. Usually, we have to report this to the Association first and wait for them to make a decision, but other hunters might get their hands on the boss before us, which means that our profits will drastically decrease. So I say we go ahead and deal with the boss ourselves. It could be dangerous, so how about all seventeen of us here vote on it?”
“I’ve got one kid and another on the way, I have to support my family. I’m in.”
“Me too.”
“I don’t think we should. It could be too dangerous.”
“Yeah, let’s not go in.”
“I vote yes!”
“I’m against it.”
The votes continue, leaving just Joohee, Sung, and I at the end. “I’m sorry… I don’t want to go.” She murmurs quietly. Not a surprise there.
“Me either.” I chip in, and she blushes beside me. “I’ve never seen a double dungeon before, but this gate… it feels different. I don’t think it’s a good idea to continue.”
“Well of course it feels different! It’s a double dungeon!”
I roll my eyes at the random voice, shaking my head. “Sure, ignore the B-Rank Mage warning you about strange mana.” I whisper beneath my breath, unable to help myself.
Sung hears, though. He looks at me, eyes wide, as Song announces, “We have 8 votes to go and 8 to stay. You’re the tie breaker, Sung.”
He clutches the singular E-Rank essence stone he got from this raid, and I know his decision is already made for him.
“I’m going too!”
A series of groans rings out from the group, but Song shushes them. “You can always turn back now, but know this. We will be at a serious disadvantage without a full party.” Way to guilt trip us, old man.
I glance at Joohee, clinging to Sung like a lost puppy. She’d no doubt go wherever he goes. And Sung’s already announced he’s fucking going. Who knows what lays inside that tunnel. Could it be a simple D-Rank boss, or something much stronger? Deadlier? I clench my fists as I stare into the shadows, mana rumbling in waves as people begin to walk forward.
There’s something here. There’s something here. There’s something here.
But what?
Find out.
Sung and Joohee linger, their gazes on me. I’m the only party member who hasn’t entered that tunnel.
“We might not be able to do this without you.” Sung says quietly, waiting for my decision.
I swallow as I stare into the void beyond him. A forced smile tugs at my lips, “Oh please. Of course I’m coming, you guys would be lost without me.”
Sung and Joohee roll their eyes, grumbling about over confident high ranks. They don’t catch my tense shoulders and clenched fists as the darkness swallows us.