LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 80
Kim Hunter, who had entered the dungeon first, silently nodded.
The unmistakable scent of insect secretions filled the air.
Kim Hunter had discerned the dungeon’s theme through her sense of smell as well.
I heard that the woman was a time instructor; it seems the assistant’s emphasis on her being talented wasn’t wrong.
As a counterexample:
“Ugh, the smell.”
“I really hate the stench of dungeons.”
None of the newcomers could grasp the dungeon’s theme.
They merely held their noses, making expressions of disgust.
“Alright, everyone! Proceed as trained.”
Clapping her hands, Kim Hunter issued orders.
Only then did the recruits of Dawn, expressionless, begin to act.
Kim Hunter briefly glanced at their slow progress before approaching Si-hyun.
“What’s your rank, protector?”
“…I’m C-rank.”
“Got it. Please ensure the students’ safety, and I hope today becomes a meaningful experience.”
“Yes, understood.”
Si-hyun replied politely to the other person’s courteous demeanor.
They said she was a famous hunter, and not only did she have a thoughtful impression, but her manners were also good.
Kim Hunter moved toward the recruits.
Si-hyun looked at the students and said, “Let’s follow them.”
“Yes!”
The dungeon raid began.
And, just like that, combat broke out in an instant.
Tatatat——
“A swarm of ants!”
“The encounter was too quick?!”
“Maintain formation! Let’s deal with them calmly!”
The Dawn newcomers began their battle with composure.
Swoosh—thud!
Bam!
As the ants approached noisily, two hunters from afar began to decrease their numbers.
Kieek!
Krek!
The approaching ants were sturdily blocked by the melee hunters in front.
They calmly reduced the number of monsters.
‘…There’s way too many bugs.’
Seeing the situation, Kim Hunter decided to assist the newcomers.
While the worst-case scenario flashed through her mind, it was still too early to be certain.
For now, she would focus on resolving the current fight calmly.
After a brief tumultuous battle, the two melee newbies who had been healed by the supporter, Yang Chae-wook, felt the pain in their injured thighs vanish.
The man smiled broadly and said, “It’s definitely nice to have a supporter!”
“That goes without saying! Hahaha!”
Yang Chae-wook laughed joyfully.
After finishing their tasks and taking a short break, the party hastened their steps again.
However, it wasn’t long before another battle broke out.
“Left flank! It’s ants again!”
“Let’s handle it just like before!”
The Dawn hunters charged into battle once more.
Kim Hunter participated in this fight too.
The continuous appearances of the ants were simply too many.
…Thus, a few more battles ensued.
Kim Hunter pressed her finger to her temple, deep in thought.
‘There must be a special entity around.’
This was already on Si-hyun’s mind, who was watching from a distance.
“Hey guys, don’t you think there are too many monsters?”
“Yeah, um… Is this how a dungeon full of bugs usually is?”
“It’s not typically like this. Does anyone know how long it’s been since the gate to this place opened?”
When Si-hyun asked, Eun-byeol raised her hand and answered, “Uh, I remember it wasn’t even a week until the dungeon went berserk.”
“Aha. That explains it.”
“Huh?”
“They must have been breeding for several weeks.”
“…….”
The students’ mouths turned into straight lines.
Si-hyun smiled wryly.
While there were various types of ant monsters, they shared one thing in common.
Normally, a single bug isn’t a big deal. Just a big and strong insect, after all.
But they never travel alone.
They always swarm together and have a command structure.
With this many, it was almost certain.
“I guess we’ll get to see a giant queen ant monster as the boss today. That’s quite the rare monster, right?”
“Ugh… I’m not happy about it at all!”
Eun-byeol shouted in disgust, and Ah-reum nodded vigorously.
Si-hyun observed Jae-woo, who was making a very serious face, and then took a step forward.
Before long, the newly regrouped Dawn Guild hunters started to set off.
And soon after, the next battle ensued.
“Ahhh! Help me—!”
An accident occurred.
One of the ants that had stealthily escaped targeted Yang Chae-wook, who was behind them.
He couldn’t even resist properly.
He swung his staff but missed, and while stepping back, his ankle was bitten.
“Uaaah!”
Yang Chae-wook screamed in pain.
He tried to slam the ant with his staff to shake it off.
However, the ant held onto his ankle with a strong grip and refused to let go.
“Get off! Get off me!”
“Damn it! I’m coming!”
Only then did Kim Hunter grasp the situation.
She hastily used a combat skill to sweep away the ants in front of her.
She then charged to the side to help Yang Chae-wook.
Ah-reum, watching from a distance, frowned.
‘Is that the right thing to do…?’
She witnessed Kim Hunter deal with the ants in an instant.
Yang Chae-wook, now freed, was sobbing and tending to his injured ankle.
He looked like someone who was new to a dungeon.
‘He’s so different from our professor…’
Is it because he’s a rookie?
…But still, isn’t he supposed to be C-rank?
Though he’s new to the Dawn Guild, being C-rank means he should’ve at least a year of hunter experience.
And can’t even deal with a single ant? He looked so flustered.
Ah-reum cast a glance at the professor standing next to her.
She recalled how magnificent the professor had been when she was dealing with thieves in the undead dungeon.
At that time, Professor Jeong Si-hyun radiated brilliance as if she had gathered all the light in the world.
Ah-reum looked back at Yang Chae-wook.
The new hunters, having finished their battles, approached him to apologize.
‘Is that supposed to be a single supporter…?’
Ah-reum looked at the professor again with a confused expression.
Noticing the gaze, Si-hyun smiled as if to say, “What’s the matter?”
Reliable. Truly brilliant!
‘I want to be like Professor Jeong Si-hyun!’
Big ambitions! Great dreams!
I want to be like the great, powerful, cool, and shining professor!
Ah-reum looked at the professor with sparkling eyes and said, “Oh, it’s nothing!”
She turned back to face forward.
With a curious expression at the student’s behavior, Si-hyun tilted her head slightly and looked at the Dawn people.
She lowered the hand that had been placed above her bracelet.
‘If it were Kim Hunter in danger, I would’ve helped her…’
She didn’t want to help Yang Chae-wook.
Good deeds should be reciprocated.
She had no intention of helping someone who started off on the wrong foot.
From the beginning, by observing the combat levels of the other newbies, it was clear that Yang Chae-wook wasn’t in danger of dying from one ant bite.
Si-hyun was quicker than anyone to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, Kim Hunter was thinking.
‘This isn’t good.’
Even though she participated in the battle, an accident had still occurred.
Even if it was just an ant, an accident was still an accident.
The situation was clear.
‘This is a factory-type dungeon.’
In other words, a plantation. It was undoubtedly a dungeon where monsters proliferate abnormally.
There must be a special entity at the center of the monster reproduction.
With a serious expression, Kim Hunter instructed the newbies to regroup.
She immediately approached those watching from afar.
“Everyone, the situation has become quite dangerous.”
All four gazes turned to Kim Hunter.
“As long as I’m here, clearing the dungeon isn’t an issue. However, I don’t think I’ll be able to ensure your safety, students. It would be best to return quickly, even though I regret the observation.”
After finishing her explanation, Kim Hunter looked at Si-hyun.
Because she represented the observers.
Receiving Kim Hunter’s gaze, Si-hyun turned to Eun-byeol.
Because she was the true star of the observation.
‘She looks disappointed.’
Then they should continue with the observation, right?
Isn’t it the true professor’s job to fulfill the students’ wishes?
Si-hyun slowly opened her mouth.
“I’ll protect the students, so there’s no need for you to worry.”
“…I’m not doubting your abilities. But the number of ants is excessive. To put it bluntly, this dungeon is close to a B-rank level for a C-rank.”
“Thank you for your concern. But really, it’s fine.”
“Hmm…”
Kim Hunter examined Si-hyun’s face.
Her expression had remained unchanged since the first time he saw her.
Ultimately, she hesitated for a moment and spoke in a serious tone.
“Please be sure to take responsibility for the students’ safety. If I judge it to be dangerous, I will forcibly withdraw everyone.”
“Yes, I promise. I will follow orders then.”
“Good.”
Kim Hunter finally stepped back and turned towards the new recruits of Dawn.
Si-hyun gazed at the professor’s back for a moment before speaking to the students.
“Guys, it looks like you’ll really just be observers.”
“…Were you planning to make us fight?”
“Well, if a good opportunity arises?”
“….”
Eun-byeol looked at the professor as if dumbfounded.
It was hard to tell if her playful expression was genuine or not.
Eventually, she let out a deep sigh and said, “We trust you, but I doubt the other side will.”
“I see, you trust me?”
“You can easily slice through troll necks. What’s there to question…”
Eun-byeol spoke incredulously, but her words were filled with faith.
Feeling this, Si-hyun’s face lit up with a faint smile.
Just then, Jae-woo, who had been quietly standing beside them, spoke.
“Everyone’s starting to move.”
“Shall we go too?”
“Yes!”
Following behind the Dawn members, Si-hyun and the students hastened their steps.
After that, battles continued to break out frequently.
The swarm of ants didn’t just decrease; their numbers only seemed to grow.
Ultimately, Kim Hunter modified the formation of the newcomers, placing herself in front.
This significantly reduced the chances of the rear positions being exposed to the ants.
Though they had poor combat skills, there were still C-rank supporters among them.
The Dawn hunters healed their wounds thoroughly after each fight as they made their way through.
However, the number of ants was overwhelming.
As battles persisted, ants began targeting the students as well.
“Pro, professor! Over here!”
A swarm of ants began crawling up the cave wall toward Si-hyun and the students.
Kim Hunter, having cut down the ants in front of her, turned her gaze to the side.
She quickly assessed the number of ants in the swarm.
‘…There are quite a few.’
It was too many for a C-rank hunter to hold off alone.
The students were three in total, but all were E-rank hunters.
Having made her judgment, she got into a stance to dash over.
This time, she planned to help out and then retreat.
Just then, Si-hyun and Kim Hunter’s gazes met.