The Royal Capital Hunters Guild was on a scale Jun had never seen before.
The building towered high like a fortress, its wide glass doors constantly swinging open and shut as hunters streamed in and out. Inside, the guild hall bustled with energy—mercenaries, adventurers, and hunters filled the space.
Dozens of voices overlapped. Some shouted about gate raids, others bargained loudly for potions, while recruiters waved parchments, looking for extra members to fill their parties. The air was thick with the metallic tang of weapon oil and the faint smell of mana stones.
Jun walked calmly through the crowd, his black hair catching the light, and headed straight for the counter. He placed his D-rank hunter's ID on the desk.
"I want to enter a C-rank gate. Is there any team I can join?"
The guild receptionist, a young woman with sharp glasses, quickly verified his ID. She nodded.
"Yeah, there is a team." She pointed across the bustling hall. "Over there, go talk to them."
Jun followed her finger and spotted four hunters waiting together.
Three of them were rugged men in their mid-thirties, their armor worn from years of combat. But what drew everyone's attention was the fourth member. A boy—barely seventeen—stood among them, his entire body encased in gleaming A-rank armor. From helmet to greaves, his equipment radiated wealth and power.
The murmurs around the guild grew louder.
"Look at that boy. Full-body A-rank armor."
"Do you know how much that costs? That's enough to buy a mansion in the Capital!"
"He must be from a ridiculously rich noble family."
"Yeah, with money like that, you don't need talent. You can just buy strength."
Jun ignored the chatter and approached the group.
"Hello," he said evenly. "Do you need any member for your team?"
The man in his mid-thirties, clearly the leader, looked Jun up and down before replying.
"Yeah, we need one more. What's your rank?"
"D-rank," Jun answered without hesitation.
The man's eyes lit up.
"Oh, perfect. Okay, everybody—we've got enough members now. We can depart immediately."
The massive swirl of mana shimmered before them—the gate pulsed with blue light, its surface rippling like water. Jun and the rest of the party stood in front of the C-rank dungeon entrance.
Jun glanced at the group, his voice calm.
"Don't we have other members?"
The leader, a rugged man in his mid-thirties, chuckled."No, we five are the team. You don't have to worry, we've got enough experience. If it wasn't for the minimum member requirement, we'd have gone with just four. So relax—you don't need to do that much."
Jun didn't respond. Instead, his thoughts sharpened as he stepped through the gate.
There's something wrong here… But fine. I'll watch for now.
The world twisted— whoooosh! —and the air grew cold. The stone ground beneath them was damp, the air thick with the musty scent of earth and decay. They had entered the dungeon.
The party moved forward cautiously until the shadows stirred. From the darkness, grotesque forms crawled into the light—eight giant spiders, their legs clattering against the stone floor.
"Skreeeeehh!"
The leader barked, "Alright, guys, get ready to fight!"
The boy in full A-rank armor smirked, turning to Jun.
"Please don't worry, brother. Stay behind me, I'll protect you."
Jun silently stepped back, folding his arms. It's not like they're going to die fighting these things. These spiders… they're weaker than the ones I faced in the training tower. I don't need to interfere.
The team surged forward, blades and spears flashing. The spiders fell one after another with sharp screeches.
But one slipped past.
"Hissss!" The spider lunged at Jun.
The boy shouted, panicked, "WATCH OU—!"
Shhhhk!
Jun's dagger cut through the spider's head in one swift motion. The monster collapsed at his feet.
[DING!]
[YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY KILLED A GIANT SPIDER.]
[EXP +399.]
Jun's eyes narrowed. As expected. They're nothing compared to the training tower spiders. Even the EXP is pitifully low.
The boy blinked in shock.
"Oh, you're stronger than you look."
Jun ignored him, his thoughts running cold. This party is missing too many things. One B-rank, three C-ranks, and me… though everyone thinks I'm just a D-rank. No healer, no balance. If someone gets injured, they'll die instantly. Something's definitely wrong here. And this dungeon… why are there so few monsters?
The boy clenched his teeth, hiding his irritation. He's just a D-rank… and he dares ignore me?
After a while, they cleared the remaining spiders and reached a massive chamber. The walls sparkled brilliantly—the entire room was lined with mana stones, glowing blue and casting eerie shadows.
And at the center of it all, a hulking monster slumbered.
The Spider Queen, her grotesque body curled up, her mandibles twitching as she slept.
Everyone's jaws dropped.
"Wooooah, what the—?!""We hit the jackpot!"
The leader turned, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"We forgot to bring the bags. We'll go grab them. You two—start mining."
The boy's face paled.
"But if that monster wakes up, the two of us won't be enough. We'll die."
The leader waved him off.
"Don't worry. It won't wake up."
The boy tried to protest again, but Jun stayed silent. His eyes flickered. Is that really it? Or is something else going on? …I'll just watch for now.
The three older hunters slipped out of the chamber, leaving Jun and the armored boy behind.
The boy forced a smile and patted his chest.
"Don't worry, brother. If the monster wakes up, I'll stop it. You can run away then."
Jun glanced at him, surprised. This boy… he's actually kind. From the start, he's been trying to protect me. It looks like he's not with them.
The two began mining the glittering walls, chipping mana stones from the rock.
But Jun's senses sharpened. His eyes scanned the chamber. There are three hidden routes connected to this room. Why do I feel so uneasy…?
In the shadows of one narrow passage, movement stirred.
The three hunters crept silently, their eyes glinting. They reached the route closest to the Spider Queen, their hands moving quickly. Clink. Crack.
"Skreeeeh—!"
The Spider Queen's eyes snapped open, glowing blood-red as her massive body stirred.
"SKRREEEEHHHHH!" Her screech shook the chamber.
Jun's expression darkened. So that's their plan…
The boy's entire body trembled as he raised his shield.
"P-Please… stay behind me, brother!" His voice shook as badly as his hands.