"Just to let you know in advance. Don't rely on me too much inside."

Those were the examiner's words just before entering the dungeon.

He added that it might feel disappointing but please understand.

But no one. Not me, not Suhyeon, Dasom, or even Lee Hyunwoo.

No one showed disappointment at the examiner's words.

Rather, Lee Hyunwoo was even letting out a sigh of relief.

'Thank goodness.'

Right, it was really fortunate. I was honestly worried inside.

The examiner's level has now surpassed even A-rank.

Though rank measurement still shows B-rank.

No one believed that was real.

Father also seemed to already be convinced of that.

So he told me. Learn a lot by the examiner's side.

Though the field is different, there will definitely be things to gain!

That's why I was worried. The examiner is a good person.

If he swept everything alone for our sake in the dungeon, that would be troubling.

We also need to gain something.

Beyond simply material things, foundation for growing one more level.

One practical experience, one mana operation.

In such a situation, he said not to rely too much.

I nodded thinking that's right, examiner, understanding his meaning to experience enough and try clashing once more.

I was always grateful that he takes care of us every time.

'...But I didn't know such an impossible situation would occur!'

When the examiner first suspected our clan's dispatcher, my heart ached.

It was natural since a clan member who had done his best until now was suspected.

But at the same time, I could understand the examiner.

What happened now was something that absolutely couldn't be explained!

'Mist Tigers! There wasn't a single report of Mist Tigers appearing in this dungeon?!'

Cases where dungeon environments or monsters change are rare but sometimes occur.

But even that sometimes happens following some regular cycle.

And when dungeon interiors change, naturally it can be detected from outside.

But this time, all those cases were completely wrong.

It wasn't the change cycle, and it wasn't a place where changes were reported.

Even right before entry, no changes were visible!

"Unnie! How's your mana situation?"

"Ah, yes! Still okay. I can handle area magic three or four more times easily. Dasom, how about you?"

"I still have some leeway too. It shouldn't be at the level where I can't heal."

Thank goodness. Dasom's condition is most important.

No matter how perfectly junior and Suhyeon block front and rear.

Inevitably, small injuries will occur.

Quickly healing those injuries in time is the most important stage of dungeon subjugation.

"Junior! Your arm from earlier, is it okay?"

"No problem! Yoo Dasom senior healed it perfectly clean! Ahaha!!"

The fog is still thick and Mist Tigers are howling below the hill.

Even so, junior showed no sign of being discouraged.

It wasn't just me who gained courage from that sight. Dasom too, and Suhyeon...

Ah, Suhyeon probably gets it from the examiner rather than junior?

"Everyone."

At that moment, the examiner who had been silently dealing with Mist Tigers beside us spoke.

"It seems like a bigger one is approaching."

"Yes? ...Ah, surely! If you mean bigger one!"

At Dasom's question, the examiner nods as if correct.

Bigger one. At those words, I immediately turned to look at the fog below the hill.

Then I began to feel different mana from within, though faint.

"Hana noticed too. How is it?"

"It's the boss. That's why the Mist Tiger attacks became sparse."

"Could be that, or maybe because damage increased. Anyway."

Sling—

The examiner who re-gripped his sword smiles slightly.

"Let's work hard this time too, like last time. Still, it should be better than that corpse wave from before, so don't be too tense. Just like you've worked hard until now, if you don't make mistakes, it'll be fine."

The boss will be much more dangerous than the Mist Tigers so far.

Hana unnie wraps mana around her fingertips with a tense face.

"Suhyeon. Be careful."

I'm always grateful for unnie's concern.

But this time, I wanted to push myself rather than be careful.

The examiner is right next to me. I need to show him.

How much stronger I've become, how much I've grown.

So he'll know I can now stay by his side - that was my goal.

Keuheung!—

A pitch-black shadow appears in front, then immediately leaps into the air.

It seemed to plan to aim for the rear while fixing our vision forward, but not a chance.

The examiner entrusted the rear to me, so I absolutely can't let that happen!

Though it didn't enter my sight, I raised my sword as my body moved.

Then I thrust hard toward the hazy fog and felt a familiar sensation in my hand.

Stab!—

Not deep. If I had been just a bit faster, I could have cut through to the hide.

Checking my sword, only blood was slightly smeared - it seems I didn't give meaningful damage.

"Suhyeon!? H, how did you do that?"

From my perspective, it was a very disappointing and unsatisfying attack.

But to Hana unnie's eyes, this seemed quite impressive.

"It's nothing special. Focus, unnie."

"Uh... y, yes! Sorry!"

I can't be pleased with something like this. It's shameful to the examiner.

If I was going to attack, I should have given the boss serious wounds from the start.

Then the examiner would have been pleased, not Hana unnie.

When that thought reached me, I suddenly felt frustrated.

If I had just done it properly, Kim Suhyeon. Why couldn't you do it properly?

Are you going to make all your effort and hardship until now meaningless?

Do it properly. You absolutely can't be complacent.

By the examiner's side, that woman, Irina, is hovering around.

She possesses overwhelming force that I can't even dream of now.

She's watching for opportunities to steal my examiner somehow.

In such a situation, if I fall behind even a little, I can't catch the examiner.

I closed my eyes. Vision doesn't mean much because of the fog anyway.

It's much better to heighten other senses to the extreme.

Only that way can I make up for the disappointing strike from before!

Sasasa!—

I can hear it. From beyond the fog, the boss's footsteps targeting us.

I can feel it. The breath of the monster about to charge as soon as it finds an opening.

'Right side.'

At first I thought it was behind, but the position had changed.

And Yoo Dasom senior was standing in that direction.

It definitely aimed for the side receiving protection first.

It would have been good to warn first, but there was no time.

"Kyat!?"

I lightly pushed senior aside and swung my sword once more.

From bottom to top, left to right. This time to definitely cause damage.

Skat!—

The sensation from the sword was very unsatisfying.

I couldn't cut decisively this time either. I tried to slice the belly but only cut the leg a bit.

"Ah! N, nice! Suhyeon! Thank you!"

Yoo Dasom senior seems pleased with just that, but I'm not.

I bit my lips until they bled. Already the second mistake. I can't do this!

"Ice Spear!"

Even Hana unnie hit her magic perfectly.

She aimed for that moment when air time became long to avoid my attack.

Keuheung!—

At the boss's scream, Hana unnie and Yoo Dasom senior clench their fists saying "Good!"

But it wasn't good for me at all. Rather, I became even more pathetic.

What's the point of noticing first when I can't give meaningful damage!

"Suhyeon!"

At Lee Hyunwoo's voice calling me, I reflexively turned around.

There I saw Lee Hyunwoo narrowly avoiding the boss's attack.

Why did he call me when his own life was at stake?

My sword, my hand, my instinct answered for him.

Chaaak!—

Was it just coincidence? Or was it intentional?

Thanks to Lee Hyunwoo's narrow evasion, the boss came exactly to me.

To escape into the fog, it had to pass right by me.

In that situation, what I had to do was cut the creature with all my strength.

"Nice! Comrade!"

Lee Hyunwoo raises his hand and cheers.

I looked at him briefly, then focused on the boss beyond the fog again.

...Thank you, Lee Hyunwoo. Thank you, comrade. Thanks to you, the examiner smiled too.

What? They're fighting much better than I thought?

The boss felt from beyond the fog is at least A-rank monster.

Though I said not to rely on me, my hands were actually trembling.

Should I step in, or not? Should I endure, or not? Because of such worries.

I'm restraining myself from stepping in as much as possible for team members' growth.

Practical experience is a resource that can't be exchanged for anything.

How fortunate they don't have to fight Elders from the start like me!

But if my consideration becomes greed instead.

If they get injured, what should I do then?

With such thoughts, I became restless without knowing.

"Kut!"

A long blood line is drawn on Suhyeon's shoulder by the boss's claws.

Immediately Yoo Dasom runs over and heals her right away.

The reason they can do this despite another boss attack possibly coming.

"Ice Wall!"

This time, the attack targeting Yoo Dasom is thwarted by Kang Hana's magic.

And Lee Hyunwoo who immediately charged quickly cuts the creature's front leg.

Clearly the boss is the one ambushing from the fog.

But the side accumulating wounds is not the one being ambushed but the opposite.

It seems they all adapted to dealing with Mist Tigers in that short time.

'No need for me to step in... maybe?'

I was going to moderately leave it to them and step in when they got tired.

But at this rate, it seems fine to stay silent.

Woong!—

Until light trembling was transmitted to my skin.

"...This is ridiculous."

This isn't right. Now there are two bosses, not one?

I knew about monster upheaval and Gate incidents.

But this is my first time knowing dungeon bosses can be two.

Clicking my tongue, I looked toward the other boss targeting team members' backs.

Fortunately, it's just a different individual - not a completely different monster.

Another boss Mist Tiger. That means my side can handle it sufficiently.

'Since it's come to this, might as well try a new technique.'

I succeeded in collecting and re-fusing fragments of what was broken in recent battles.

If it was one-time use, it would have been very disappointing, but should I call it fortunate?

Welcome, boss friend. This is your first time with Elder abilities, right?

Puhwak!—

Monster blood scatters through the fog.

And at that spot, pitch-black shadows writhe.

Hmm, maybe I'll steal a few more when I meet Hyeon Sujin later.