Jinwoo arrived at the designated location—a dungeon gate set up on a quiet stretch of road.
Outside, a so-called "raid squad" had gathered.
Calling it a squad was generous.
There were washed-out hunters reeking of alcohol, men with old injuries that never healed properly, and retirees who looked like they'd come more out of habit than hope.
And then—
Jinwoo's gaze paused.
A girl lounged against a tree a short distance away, half-asleep. Her arms were tucked into the sleeves of an oversized sweater, making her look even smaller than she already was.
Short, black hair spilled fell over her shoulders, her legs crossed lazily as if this were a picnic instead of a dungeon raid. She looked completely out of place.
[Image Here]
Jinho spotted Jinwoo the moment he arrived and immediately bowed deeply.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, sir!" he exclaimed.
"Hey—"
That single bow was enough.
Every head snapped toward Jinwoo.
"…Isn't that—"
"The Strongest Summoner?!"
A man's beer bottle slipped from his fingers and fell on the grass.
Panic spread instantly.
One by one, the hunters straightened up and bowed in a rush, some nearly tripping over themselves.
Jinwoo sighed.
"Jinho," he said calmly, eyeing him up and down. "Why are you wearing that?"
Jinho was clad in a ridiculously expensive set of crimson armor—thick, reinforced, and clearly custom-made. It looked sturdy enough to tank an A-rank monster… and awkwardly oversized on him.
"W-Well…" Jinho scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "I-I thought I'd accompany you inside, sir, so I—"
"No need," Jinwoo cut in. "I'll enter alone. My summons are enough."
Jinho stiffened. "…Y-Yes, sir."
At that moment, the girl Jinwoo had noticed earlier pushed herself off the tree and walked over. She stopped in front of him and bowed politely.
"S-Sir…" she began. "I'm Han Song-Yi. I'm one of Jin-ah's friends…"
"One of Jin-ah's friends?" Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "You're in high school. What are you doing at a dungeon gate?"
She bowed even deeper, her voice firm despite her nerves.
"I want to become a hunter. Please, sir… take me with you."
[Ding!]
A familiar pink hologram popped up in front of Jinwoo.
He sighed.
[Quest — Conquer Han Song-Yi]
[Reward: Random C-Rank Skill Rune]
[If the quest isn't completed within one hour, penalties will be applied.]
"…Of course," Jinwoo muttered.
"Alright," he said aloud.
The girl straightened instantly, eyes shining.
'At least she's cute,' Jinwoo thought absently.
"Thank you, mister!" she said quickly. "You're really as kind-hearted as Jin-ah always says!"
Jinwoo sighed again and turned toward the gate.
"Let's go. Stay behind me." He started walking.
"W-Wait!" she blurted out, hurrying after him. "This is my first raid. Aren't you going to explain how it works?"
Jinwoo glanced back with a faint smile.
"It's boring to explain," he said. "You'll learn much faster on the battlefield."
And with that, he stepped through the gate.
After a brief hesitation, Han Song-Yi followed.
Behind them, Jinho watched the scene unfold, his brows knitting together.
"…Would he have taken me with him too," he muttered bitterly, "if I were a girl?"
...
The terrain shifted as they moved deeper into the dungeon. The solid ground gave way to murky wetlands, thick fog curling around twisted trees.
Greenish water stretched out in every direction, bubbling faintly as if alive.
"Ugh…" the girl wrinkled her nose, pulling the collar of her sweater up slightly. "It smells awful."
"It's a swamp," Jinwoo replied flatly. "That's normal."
She grimaced but nodded, carefully stepping where he stepped.
Then—
The water rippled.
A dozen shapes burst upward.
Lizardmen.
Tall, scaled humanoids with webbed feet and crude spears clutched in their claws emerged from the swamp, hissing as they surrounded them.
The girl stiffened. "M-Monsters—!"
"Watch closely," Jinwoo said calmly, not even turning his head toward her. "This is how you do it."
He raised a hand.
"Thread Magic."
Invisible threads shot out in an instant.
The spears were yanked clean out of the lizardmen's hands, flying backward and vanishing into the swamp behind them.
The monsters froze.
Confused.
Their reptilian eyes darted around, looking down at their empty hands.
Before they could react—
"Earth Spike."
The swamp erupted.
Jagged stone pillars burst upward from beneath the water, impaling every lizardman in a single heartbeat. The bodies fell limp, dissolving into particles of light.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Han Song-Yi stared, eyes wide.
"S-Sir…" she said slowly. "Weren't you… a summoner?"
"Summoners are mages too," Jinwoo replied, already walking forward.
She hurried after him, still processing what she'd just seen.
After a few steps, Jinwoo stopped.
Then he removed his shirt.
Han Song-Yi froze.
Her face flushed as she looked away instinctively.
"S-Sir… what are you doing?" she asked, clearly flustered. Jin-ah didn't tell me... his brother's body was... like this.
"We have to cross this area by water," Jinwoo said, pointing ahead. The swamp widened, the ground disappearing entirely beneath the green surface.
"I don't want to ruin this shirt. Jin-ah likes it."
"O-Oh…" she said quickly. "That's… fine."
After a brief hesitation, still red in the face and getting redder, Han Song-Yi carefully removed her outer clothes as well, keeping only what was necessary so they wouldn't be soaked.
Jinwoo turned back just in time to see her.
"What are you doing, Han Song-Yi?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.
Before she could answer, Jinwoo snapped his fingers.
A massive pink serpent materialized beside them, its body coiling lazily above the water.
"You'll ride on this bad girl," Jinwoo said calmly, leaning in to kiss Medusa's forehead.
Medusa's eyes sparkled instantly. Master... master loves me even in my monstrous form!
Han Song-Yi's face turned even redder. "…Ah."
The situation had become incredibly awkward.
Then her eyes widened.
"W-Wait… isn't that the Demonic Violet Serpent?"
Both Jinwoo and Medusa sighed at the same time.
"The one who named me clearly reads too many xianxia novels," Medusa muttered.
"…It talks?!" Han Song-Yi whispered, shock overriding everything else.
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liked it?
Also, I'm still quite troubled to whom I should make the blacksmith that will make the new dagger for Jinwoo. I wasn't that much convinced by your suggestions in the last chapter... I'm searching for a more mature vibe... maybe Romina would do.