A young man slowly opened his eyes on a soft bed. Staring at the ceiling, his thoughts drifted to the raid that was scheduled for today. As a B-rank hunter, he was used to danger, but yesterday's close call still lingered in his mind—he had almost been fatally injured, if not for his friend's timely help.
Shaking the thought away, he got up, went to the bathroom, and freshened up. When he entered the dining room, a cheerful voice greeted him.
"Brother, you're awake! I was just about to call you," his younger sister said.
The young man smiled warmly. "Should I drop you off at school, Alisa?"
She pouted. "No. You always fly through the streets so fast. You know I'm not a hunter like you."
"Fair enough," he chuckled.
They ate breakfast together before leaving the apartment. At the door, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Be safe, Alisa."
The girl grinned mischievously. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"
He gave an awkward smile, then watched her leave before heading toward his mission site—a dungeon lurking deep within the forest.
At the entrance, a young man with bluish hair waved. "Asher, you're finally here!"
Asher smiled. "Hey, Sam. How are the preparations for the raid?"
Sam's expression grew serious. "It's going well, but… we need a solid strategy. This dungeon might be tough—it's a dark-type dungeon."
Asher frowned in thought. Sam sighed. "You know we can still abort the mission. Last time you entered a dark dungeon, things almost got out of hand."
"I remember," Asher said quietly. "My main element is ice. But… I also carry the dark element within me. That makes it more dangerous here."
Sam nodded. "Exactly. It'll be a challenge for you. But… as team leader, it's your call."
Asher looked around at his party—nine hunters preparing their gear, the missing tenth member was injured in the last raid .
"I'll be fine," Asher said firmly.
Sam exhaled deeply, then turned to the group. "Everyone, gather up! Are you ready?!"
"YES!" they shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the trees.
Asher smiled to himself. Sam's enthusiasm always boosted morale. With that, the party entered the dungeon.
Inside, darkness swallowed them. The walls stretched wider as they advanced through the cave-like structure. Suddenly, a screech echoed above. A monstrous bat descended, its horns gleaming in the shadows.
Ruby, a girl with fiery red hair, raised her wand and chanted:
"May the blaze of the ever-burning sun banish the darkness!"
A torrent of fire erupted, reducing the beast to ashes in seconds. She grinned proudly. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah, yeah. I was about to punch it," Sam muttered. "Save your mana, Ruby."
"Shut up, Sam! The captain put me in charge of long-range attacks!"
From the back, Zarin smirked. "You two bicker like a married couple."
In unison, Ruby and Sam snapped, "We don't!"—both of them blushing.
Levvy chuckled. "You know, Sam, the captain's reputation as a strategist is pretty solid."
Sam sighed. "I know, but still—mana conservation is important."
Kaiser joined in. "Speaking of the captain, did you hear? He's got a new nickname in the guild."
Asher raised an eyebrow. "A nickname? For me?"
Sam grinned. "Yeah. They call you the Cold Sword of Reshive."
Asher scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Is that because of my ice element… or because people think I'm cold?"
The party laughed, their spirits high as they ventured deeper. But suddenly, Asher stopped, his eyes narrowing.
"STOP."
Everyone froze.
A chill swept through the cavern as Asher's voice lowered. "This aura… it's like a wraith.