The Invisible Guardian
The journey back after escaping the contaminated forest was nothing short of hell. Although Kard's flank wound had been treated with a recovery potion, the venom-laced injury refused to heal easily. He swallowed a groan with every step, dragging the party's pace down to a crawl. As if mocking their plight, the monsters of the dungeon's second floor beset them without end.
"Damn it, more Orcs! There's no fucking end to them!" Ruben cursed, bracing his shield to block an Orc's club. This was already the third Orc patrol they had encountered. All four of them were utterly exhausted, and with magic support desperately needed, Kard could barely keep himself upright, let alone cast spells. At this rate... we're going to be wiped out! Just as Ruben was about to cry out in despair, three arrows flew out of nowhere, burying themselves precisely into the eyes and throats of the Orcs threatening Hayeon and Jane.
"Kreeeeck!"
Once the dust settled, four Silver-plate adventurers appeared. Introducing themselves as Grak and his crew, they offered to escort them. Exhausted as he was, Ruben accepted their kindness without suspicion. However, Hayeon and Jane sensed an ominous undertone in their blatant stares and hypocritical warmth. As they made their way toward the first floor with Grak's group, they crossed paths with another adventurer party coming from the opposite direction. The newcomers exchanged brief nods with Grak, casting lingering side-glances at the Corinth Team before passing by.
"Do you know them?" Ruben asked.
Grak offered a genial smile. "Ah, just some guys I grab a drink with from time to time."
But the moment they reached a secluded stretch of the path where all signs of other adventurers vanished, Grak abruptly halted. He turned around, a sinister smirk playing on his lips.
"Well, I suppose this is far enough."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the friendly demeanor of the four Silver-plates vanished, replaced by the cold, predatory gaze of bandits. In unison, they drew their weapons and surrounded the Corinth Team. To make matters worse, the adventurer party that had passed them earlier had quietly doubled back, cutting off their retreat.
"You bastards...! What is the meaning of this?!" Ruben roared in shock, but Grak only sneered at him.
"What does it look like? We're just collecting a toll. You lot practically scream 'newbies.' Wandering around a dangerous dungeon with an injured mage, an exhausted warrior... and a woman who looks like a literal goddess? You're basically begging to be eaten alive."
The bandits lunged first at Kard, who could barely stand on his own two feet. "Take out the mage first!"
But Ruben threw himself in front of his comrade, his shield locking into place like a steel wall to protect Kard. "Keep your filthy hands off my teammate, you scum!"
Meanwhile, another bandit approached Hayeon, a sickening grin plastered across his face. "Don't worry, gorgeous. We'll treat you real nice. If you use that smoking-hot body of yours to keep us entertained, we might just let you live. Hehehe."
The moment the man reached out to grab her shoulder, Hayeon's eyes turned ice-cold. Again. Another piece of trash looking at me with those eyes. This sickening, endless cycle of lust. But... I won't let it happen again!
Slapping his hand away, she slipped inside his guard. Moving exactly as she had trained, she drove the pommel of her sword violently into his solar plexus.
"Gah-ack!"
The man collapsed, wheezing in agonizing pain as the wind was knocked out of him. Hayeon did not hesitate. Only one thought consumed her mind: Kill him. She drove her blade deep into the fallen man's shoulder.
"Why, you little bitch...!" The bandits faltered, caught off guard by her fierce counterattack.
In that split second, Jane moved. Slipping behind one of the bandits like a shadow, she drew her poisoned dagger across his throat. The man didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed, foaming at the mouth and seizing violently.
"W-what the hell?! These guys aren't pushovers!"
Losing two men in the blink of an eye sent a wave of panic through Grak's face. "Kill them all! Tear them to pieces!"
The battle quickly devolved into a desperate struggle against overwhelming numbers. Ruben's shield began to crack under the relentless onslaught of three attackers at once, while Jane was locked in a deadly shadow-dance with an enemy assassin. Hayeon, too, found herself in a grueling struggle against two warriors. Every time she dodged a sword, an axe came swinging at her from the blind spot. Her body was already accumulating a map of minor cuts and bruises.
The bandit whose shoulder she had stabbed stumbled back to his feet. Blinded by pain and fury, he lunged at Hayeon. "You crazy bitch...! I'm not letting you die easy! I'm going to ravage you day and night until you break...!"
His vile threats snapped the final thread of Hayeon's restraint. Die. Just fucking die.
Instead of dodging his sword, Hayeon stepped directly into his strike, closing the distance. The enemy's blade grazed her shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air, but she didn't care. The sword in her hand thrust forward, piercing the man's heart with unerring precision.
Squelch!
The dull, heavy sensation of tearing through leather, bone, and flesh to puncture the heart vibrated vividly up her arm. The light faded from the man's eyes, and his massive frame collapsed to the ground. Hot, metallic blood sprayed across her face and body.
She had killed a human being with her own hands for the very first time. Strangely, she felt no guilt—only a cold, washing sense of relief.
What a... crazy system...
But there was no time to bask in the achievement. "Hayeon!" Ruben's desperate scream pierced the air. One of the three men he was fighting had slipped past him, charging straight toward her. Exhausted and drained of strength, she couldn't dodge. Watching the axe blade hurtling toward her face, she braced herself for death. I can't dodge it...! She squeezed her eyes shut.
Ping!
A tiny pebble flew out of nowhere, striking the axe-wielding man's wrist with pinpoint accuracy.
"Argh!"
The man cried out, dropping his weapon. Hayeon didn't miss the opening. Driven by pure instinct, she threw herself forward, sweeping his legs to bring him down before driving her sword straight into his throat.
What was that just now? A pebble? Where did it come from? She was bewildered, but there was no time to ponder. Scrambling back to her feet, she lunged at the next enemy.
Every time she clashed blades and faced a lethal threat, bizarre things happened. An opponent would suddenly lose their footing and slip, trip over a random rock to miss their strike, or a flying arrow would inexplicably veer off course. At first, she thought it was just dumb luck. But as the coincidences piled up, Hayeon grew certain. Someone... is helping me. Watching over me from the shadows. A face flashed in her mind—the man of overwhelming strength who had saved her before, wearing that smug, teasing smirk. Could it be... Gold Sun?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, her fear vanished. I can't show him any weakness. A strange sense of security washed over her, coupled with a fierce, stubborn pride that refused to let him see her struggle. Her movements grew bolder, wilder, and far more precise.
"Haaah!"
With a fierce battle cry, Hayeon dove into the guard of the last remaining bandit. Casting aside her sword and shield, she engaged in raw, close-quarters combat, relying solely on her body and a dagger. It was the survival technique Gold Sun had taught her. She locked his joints, targeted his vitals, and finally drove the dagger straight into his heart.
When she finally brought down the last enemy, the only sound left in the cavern was the ragged breathing of the Corinth Team. Covered in wounds, Ruben, Jane, and Kard stared at Hayeon—who stood drenched in blood after slaughtering their foes like a demon—with a mixture of awe and sheer shock.
"Hayeon... did you... seriously take them all down by yourself...?" Ruben stammered, unable to finish his sentence. To his eyes, she looked like a goddess of war.
"Incredible... truly... You're not the Hayeon we used to know..." Kard murmured, dragging his injured body forward as he gazed at her with reverence.
Hayeon panted heavily, whispering in her heart to the invisible guardian she knew was watching. See? I can handle this much on my own. A faint, unconscious smile played on her lips.
Deep within the distant forest, shrouded in darkness, Gold Sun chuckled softly. He tossed the small pebble he had been holding onto the ground. "Not bad, my little rabbit." With a satisfied grin, he vanished silently back into the shadows.
"Is everyone alright?" Ruben asked, catching his breath. His shield was dented in multiple places, and his body was covered in gashes.
Jane silently began stripping the bandits' corpses, pocketing their coin pouches and any usable gear. "The dungeon scavengers will clean up these bodies soon anyway. No point letting good loot go to waste."
No one objected to her words. Such was the law of the dungeon.
Gathering the bandits' belongings, the four of them began moving to find a safe place nearby. As they left the marshlands behind, the damp, heavy air was replaced by the cool, crisp scent of the forest. Though no one spoke, a deep, unbreakable bond—one forged only by comrades who had survived a bloody, life-or-death struggle together—shone in their eyes. Hayeon looked down at her blood-stained hands. She was no longer a fragile, helpless girl. She was now a cold, hardened adventurer, willing to stain her hands with the blood of others to survive.
"Even the first floor is too dangerous for us in this state. Goblins will keep swarming us if they catch a whiff of this blood. We should rest for the night in that cave over there," Ruben said, letting out a heavy sigh.
No one disputed his judgment. The party settled into a small cave nearby, setting up camp with practiced ease. As the campfire crackled to life, the tension finally drained from their bodies, leaving them to stare silently into the dancing flames.