The moment they teleported into the dungeon, Snow's team stood frozen—their eyes wide in shock.
"Snow? Why on earth did you select Hell Mode by mistake?!"Forest Brown asked in a panicked voice, his anxiety barely contained.
"It wasn't a mistake," Snow replied calmly."We're here because Smight insisted. For some reason, he believes he can lead us through Hell Mode without issue.So I figured... why not trust his instincts—just this once."
At her words, every member of her party turned to glare at Nitish like they wanted to strangle him on the spot.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Forest Brown finally snapped."Fine, maybe you're not afraid of losing a few levels. Maybe dying in a dungeon doesn't cost you much experience.But that doesn't mean the rest of us should suffer because of your childish stunts!"
His frustration boiled over. He was practically yelling now—his voice echoing through the stone corridors.
Nitish, however, remained unfazed. A calm, knowing smile spread across his face.
"Judging by how scared you are... I'm willing to bet you're the weakest one on your team," he said with a smirk."No wonder you're the most worried."
Forest Brown was just about to launch into a barrage of insults when—a sudden, blood-curdling scream tore through the dungeon.
GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
The entire party spun toward the sound.
Something had gone horribly wrong.
The moment that scream echoed through the cave, every face in the party turned pale.Even Snow—usually unshakable—showed a flicker of fear.Had she made a grave mistake by choosing Hell Mode just to put Nitish in his place?
"W-What was that?!" Blazy asked, trying to keep her voice steady but clearly shaken.It was their first time ever stepping into a Hell Mode dungeon.
"Hell Scream," Nitish said quietly, speaking before Snow could answer.
"It's the dungeon's way of welcoming new visitors," added Blue Gem, his voice calm but low.
Snow looked ahead.They stood at the mouth of a massive, ominous cave—far more vast than expected.The rocks resembled those from the Purple Mountain terrain, but the atmosphere was far different.A bone-chilling cold filled the air—like the silence that comes just before a deadly storm.
Snow turned to address the group."Alright, we're already here, so backing out isn't an option.We'll advance slowly and in formation.Hemant will lead at the front, with Bear beside him—they're both our tanks.Right behind them: Smight, myself, and White Jade.Then Blazy, Drunken Mage, and Blue Gem will follow.Lastly, all healers will stay at the rear. Got it?"
Before anyone could move, Nitish spoke up quietly.
"I'll stay at the back."
Blazy scoffed immediately."Of course you will. Typical."
Snow, however, didn't mock him. She simply looked at him, curious."Why?"
"To protect the healers," Nitish replied simply.Then without waiting for permission, he took his position at the very end of the formation.
"Alright then, let's do a quick team review before moving forward."
RED SNOW – Berserker
SMIGHT (Nitish) – Swordsman
WHITE JADE – Berserker
DRUNKEN MAGE (Aaryan) – Cursemancer
BLAZY – Fire Mage
BLUE GEM – Summoner
SPARKY – Oracle
FOREST BROWN – Priest
IRON BEAR – Guardian Knight
HEMANT – Guardian Knight
PARADISE – Assassin
NIGHT RANGER – Archer
With their roles reaffirmed and formation in place, the entire team began cautiously advancing into the cave.
Snow remained on high alert, her focus razor-sharp as she scanned the surroundings.Every subtle sound, every movement of air—she paid attention to it all. She was determined to detect any abnormalities before they could turn into threats.
"STOP!" Snow suddenly commanded after only a few minutes of slow movement.
The group halted instantly, though most of them looked confused.Why had she stopped them?
Nitish turned to glance at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips.Her instincts are sharp, he thought to himself, silently impressed.
From somewhere deeper within the cave, a low growling sound began to echo—deep, guttural, and primal.
It was the kind of sound predators make.
As if lions or beasts were lurking just beyond the darkness...waiting.
"Mountain lions," Nitish warned, his voice calm but firm—alerting the entire group instantly.
Snow's teammates didn't waste a second. They snapped into formation, their weapons drawn, eyes scanning the cave ahead.
From the shadowy depths, four massive, lion-like beasts charged toward them.
Each one was the size of a car, their fangs extending well beyond their jaws, glowing with menace.Their eyes burned with primal fury—it was clear they despised the presence of intruders in their territory.
The two Guardian Knights, Hemant and Bear, immediately stepped forward and activated their "Distract" skills, drawing the monsters' aggro and attempting to keep the beasts locked in combat with them.
[Mountain Lions (Corrupted)]Level – 5HP – 3500 / 3500
Hemant and Iron Bear stood their ground, shields raised, bracing for impact.
Behind them, Blazy and the other damage-dealers prepared their spells and strikes.
But oddly, both Snow and Nitish remained completely still—calm, observant.
Nitish's eyes narrowed.
"Corrupted creatures…?" he muttered, stunned.From everything he knew, corrupted monsters shouldn't even exist in this dungeon.And yet, these lions bore the telltale signs—blackened veins, twisted forms, glowing red eyes.
Something was definitely off.
Suddenly, a notification flashed across Nitish's interface.
SYSTEM GUIDE ALERT:Something is wrong with the dungeon!
His pupils dilated.
Even the System Guide was warning him?
That only meant one thing—something was seriously, dangerously wrong with this place.
"RED DRAGON FIST!"Blazy roared, unleashing a terrifying burst of mana.
A massive surge of flaming energy, shaped like a roaring dragon, exploded from her staff—crashing into the mountain lions with devastating force.
The beasts were hurled several feet back, slamming into the rocky cave walls.
–400 HP
The sheer damage from just one spell left all four corrupted lions visibly staggering.
There was no doubt—Blazy was a powerful mage.
"I'm not like that useless Smight," she thought proudly, a smug smile curling on her lips."Now his team will finally understand the true power of the Hailstorm Guild."
But then she looked toward Smight's team… expecting awe, shock—maybe admiration.
Instead?
Every single one of them was completely focused on the battle.Not one of them looked impressed.Not even slightly.
They just kept watching the mountain lions—analyzing, calculating, preparing.
"Are you kidding me?" Blazy gritted her teeth, annoyed."These guys aren't even paying attention to me?!"
Suddenly, Aaryan stepped forward.
"Black Whip."
Dark tendrils of cursed energy lashed out from his hands, wrapping violently around one of the lions—locking it in place and draining its health with every passing second.
–112 HP, –112 HP, –112 HP
The lion roared in pain, bound and twitching under the crushing power of the skill.
Snow's entire team blinked in surprise.
That much damage… from a cursemancer?That wasn't normal.
Even Blazy, mid-spell, was startled.Aaryan's gear was clearly working overtime—but even still, this kind of DPS output from a debuffer was impressive.
Snow, however, remained mostly calm.She had noticed Aaryan's level and the quality of his bronze equipment earlier.
What she couldn't understand, though, was Nitish.
He hadn't moved.Not a single step.
He just stood there…staring directly at the lions.Unblinking.Watching.
Just moments later, Blazy finished off the remaining mountain lions with another explosive spell.
The battlefield went still.
"So?" Blazy turned toward Snow, pride glowing on her face."How was my performance?"
"Better than before," Snow replied in her usual calm tone."Just work on your timing."
Meanwhile, Bear and the rest of Nitish's party had barely lifted a finger.They exchanged glances among themselves, silently acknowledging that Snow's guild was, without question, strong.
"Boss," Blue Gem chuckled, turning to Nitish."Should we just sit back the whole time, or are we allowed to do something too?"
"Huh?" Nitish murmured, snapping out of his thoughts.He hadn't even registered the joke.
Snow narrowed her eyes."What's with you? Why are you acting so off?"
Before Nitish could respond, Blazy cut in with a smug grin."Oh, it's obvious, Snow. He's just intimidated by our power now. I bet he's regretting ever raising his voice at us earlier."She smirked dramatically."Don't worry, sweetheart. We're mad, sure—but we're not monsters. We won't hurt you."
She truly believed Nitish had taken the bait.
But Nitish just exhaled slowly… his expression turning serious.
"There are corrupted creatures in this dungeon," he said at last, eyes darkening.
Everyone fell silent.
"Let me give you one piece of advice," he continued, his tone sharper now."From this point on, all of you need to stay more alert than ever before."
Snow frowned."Why? What are you hiding?"
Nitish turned his head slightly, his gaze meeting hers.
"We're in trouble," he said, a strange, unsettling smile forming on his lips."This… is a corrupted dungeon."
And with that, he drew his sword—its steel gleaming cold under the torchlight.