AK woke up the next morning and got ready to join another D-rank gate raid with Ajay and his team. Without wasting any time, he reached the dungeon gate—but something felt off. The gate was far too massive to be a typical D-rank dungeon. AK, who knew more about dungeons than most awakened hunters, narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
As he approached, he saw Ajay standing near the gate, along with his team—and among them was the beautiful girl, Maya.
"Yo, Ajay," AK greeted casually. Then turning toward Maya, he added, a bit shyly, "H-hi Maya."
Maya smiled back, her radiant face slightly making AK blush.
Without further delay, Ajay clapped his hands. "Alright, team! Let's move in!"
The moment they stepped inside, everyone except AK gasped in disbelief. The dungeon resembled a war-torn stretch of Antarctica, littered with the remains of icy battles and crawling with monstrous Ice Bears.
"Formation!" Ajay shouted, instantly taking charge. "Tanks to the front! DPS on the flanks! Maya, stay back and support with your fire buffs!"
Everyone moved in unison, and AK joined them, cleaving through Ice Bears like they were made of butter—his sword blazing with Maya's fire enhancement.
"She's definitely not just a C-rank healer," AK whispered to RED, his system.
[RED: THE MORE POWER SHE USES, THE MORE SUSPICIOUS SHE BECOMES IN MY EYES.]
"You think she's hiding something? Or maybe she's just... naturally gifted?" AK smirked.
[RED: OR YOU'RE JUST SIMPING TOO HARD TO NOTICE REALITY. SHOULD I ACTIVATE SIMP MODE?]
"Hey! Shut up!" AK muttered with a grin.
The team continued their slaughter for two long hours before taking a much-needed break. During the rest, AK sat beside Ajay.
"Leader, can I ask something serious?"
"Of course. What is it?" Ajay replied, drinking from his flask.
"That healer... Maya. How much do you know about her?"
Ajay raised an eyebrow. "Trying to start a love story already?"
"No! It's just... she's too powerful to be a C-rank."
Ajay nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. She joined us just four days ago. Said she was a C-rank. But with skills like those? She could easily be A-rank, maybe higher."
"So you don't know her background
"Not at all."
"...You don't think she's suspicious?"
"I mean, she's definitely beautiful," Ajay chuckled. "But I don't have time to be suspicious of beauty."
[RED: YOU'RE A GONER, AK. SHE'S GONNA BE YOUR DEMISE.]
Ajay stood up. "Alright, break's over! Let's move toward the boss room. And mine some mana crystals on the way!"
In this world, unlike the glamorous manhwa AK once read, dungeon raids didn't allow for separate teams to do mining. Hunters had to fight and mine simultaneously. Efficiency was survival.
Three more hours of continuous battle passed. They finally reached the boss room—a towering, frozen gate of ancient ice.
AK stepped forward, but Ajay held him back. "Wait! Rest first. Boss fights aren't easy."
They rested for 30 minutes. Then, with everyone prepared, Ajay opened the gate.
A monstrous Ice Bear, twice the size of any before, stood in the center. Its growl froze the very air.
"Formation!" Ajay roared. "Tanks distract! DPS hit from sides! Maya, keep the buffs coming!"
The battle erupted.
Swords clashed against fur harder than steel. Spells illuminated the dark cave. Roars and screams echoed.
The boss monster, unnaturally strong—perhaps a B-rank in disguise—threw chaos into their lines. Ajay was knocked out by a swipe. Several team members were injured. Two swordsmen lost their lives trying to protect Maya.
AK fought like a beast, until a blow knocked him unconscious.
When he woke, blood filled the air.
"MAYA!!!" he shouted.
The Ice Bear had charged toward her.
Too late.
Blood splashed across the sky.
Those who remained standing froze in horror.
Even RED was silent.