Chapter 39
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Dragon's Shadow (8)
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“Um, over there...”
Lee Sang-hee said in a trembling voice.
“Hari.”
The students around us froze all at once. Right in the middle of the hallway, Lee Sang-hee had called out to me. In front of all these people.
“Yeah!”
I had no choice but to answer.
Lee Sang-hee took a step closer. She still had her head bowed, but her voice was clear.
“Y-you... Next week's Ongdalsam Dungeon practicum... Um, do you, do you maybe want to join...?”
“...Huh?”
I was caught off guard by the sudden question. Ongdalsam Dungeon? She was asking me if I wanted in?
The students around us started murmuring.
“Wait, Hari?”
“An F-rank? Will she be okay? Isn't that kinda illegal anyway?”
“Ongdalsam’s an easy dungeon, though. She might manage.”
“Still, an F-rank...”
Lee Sang-hee pressed on.
“Um... I-I'm joining too... F-for your experience... H-how about we go together... just once...?”
Her voice shook, but her eyes were resolute.
This wasn't an offer.
It was a trap.
“F-for your experience... H-how about we go together... just once...?”
The hallway fell silent for a moment at Lee Sang-hee's words.
All eyes turned to me. Some curious, some worried, others skeptical, like No way she'll say yes.
I felt the full weight of their stares as I looked at Lee Sang-hee.
She still had her head down. Her long hair hid her face, but her lips trembled faintly between the strands.
For someone as timid as her, speaking up in front of a crowd like this must have been torture. And yet, she was making this proposal to me...
I knew it instinctively.
Lee Sang-hee was trying to screw me over. Right here in front of everyone, putting me in a spot where refusing would be tough.
“Is she giving up her spot? Ongdalsam’s spots are all filled already, right?”
Someone muttered under their breath.
“Whoa. Ongdalsam’s super popular.”
“Yeah. They say good rewards drop sometimes.”
The murmurs grew louder. Ongdalsam Dungeon was C-rank but low difficulty, making it a safe, experience-rich spot for first-years.
Plus, decent items popped up as rewards now and then, so the practicum signup was fiercely competitive.
And Lee Sang-hee was handing her spot over to me?
On the surface, it seemed like pure kindness.
But I knew her real intentions.
“Um... Ongdalsam’s really easy. You know the Gold Axe, Silver Axe story? It’s like that... Y-you just go to the mountain spirit and bring back the iron axe. Usually takes fifteen minutes...”
Lee Sang-hee stammered through her explanation. She wasn't lying. Ongdalsam was straightforward.
But she left something out.
That it only took fifteen minutes with enough mana.
For a hunter short on mana, it was a different story.
“What do you think, Hari? Sounds like a great chance.”
A familiar face nearby chimed in.
“Yeah... But...”
“Worried 'cause you're F-rank? You'll be fine. Ongdalsam’s a breeze. My sister did it for practicum—no issues.”
The other students joined in one by one.
“Totally. You can handle it, Hari.”
“Class 8’s going as a group, right? Even safer. Heard they all awakened recently.”
Their words came from good places. They genuinely thought this was a golden opportunity for me.
But I knew.
Why Lee Sang-hee was making this offer now.
Why in front of everyone.
And what would happen if I refused.
I'd built an image as the “F-rank who tries hard.” Dawn training, lunchtime self-study, after-school practice. Students and professors cheered me on for it.
It was an asset that could protect me long-term if trouble came.
But if I refused here?
She turns down a good chance. Guess F-ranks are just F-ranks.
Is she really trying, or just for show?
Ridiculous whispers would spread.
Not ideal for me.
Getting too close to protagonist Yoo Han-seong's group was tricky anyway.
“H-Hari?”
Lee Sang-hee lifted her head slightly to look at me. Her eyes locked onto mine—steady, unlike her shaky voice.
Answer. Now.
Silent pressure.
I took a slow breath, sorting through my thoughts.
Ongdalsam Dungeon. C-rank. Low difficulty. Usual clear: fifteen minutes.
But that was for “normal” hunters.
For F-rank me...
It could be dangerous.
In the original story, I turned into a blue dragon right after entering, so no detailed description. But hints existed.
You needed a certain mana level to approach the mountain spirit. Too low, and it turned hostile.
F-rank Jin Hari barely had any mana.
Impossible to clear solo.
Needs party support.
That was Lee Sang-hee's game.
Drag me in, prove how much of a “burden” I was.
F-rank shows up and just holds everyone back.
Turn me from “hardworking F-rank” to “clueless F-rank.”
But refusing?
That was trouble too.
Passed up a good opportunity herself.
And worse...
Lee Sang-hee plays a key role in Yoo Han-seong's party later.
In the original, she had yandere vibes but shone as a light mage. Her barriers and buffs boosted party survival big time.
If our relationship soured publicly now?
Could bite me later.
Damn.
Damned if I did, damned if I didn't.
Lee Sang-hee had cornered me cleverly.
“Hari, we're outta time. Lunch is almost over.”
Someone urged.
The stares grew heavier. Decide already.
I looked at Lee Sang-hee again.
She stared right back, a faint smile on her lips. Like Let's see what you do.
...No choice but to accept.
Refusal's risks were bigger.
And honestly...
Dal-muri Dungeon came to mind.
Waiting alone outside that day.
Watching classmates face death from afar—how helpless that felt. It still stung.
This time could be different.
Or flip it: might even be good.
Dangerous, sure, but knowing her intent.
Because...
I can tag along protected this time, but not forever.
To survive the mandatory final dungeon, I needed strength.
Strength needed experience.
Dungeon experience.
I nodded slowly.
“...Okay. I'll go. Thanks for thinking of me, Sang-hee.”
Lee Sang-hee's eyes lit up. Victory gleam.
“R-really? Great, Hari! D-don't worry. I'll help you out...”
She beamed. Looked genuinely thrilled.
But I knew.
The real feelings behind that smile.
The students clapped.
Wait, why clapping?
“Bold move!”
“Sang-hee's so nice, giving up her spot.”
What nonsense!
Praise and encouragement poured in.
Fine, I'm going—but her acting was awkward.
She might actually try to kill me.
Need to be careful.
I vowed, watching Lee Sang-hee's back as she walked away down the hall.