Chapter 107
Today was the day to clear the dungeon.
It was just a level one dungeon, but it meant a lot to me.
"Did you pack everything?"
"Yes, I've packed everything."
"Did you pack your lunch as well?"
"Yes, I packed my lunch too."
I took out the lunch box from my bag and showed it to Sophia.
It was a lunch made with various types of fish.
"Make sure the lunch box is securely closed so it doesn't leak."
"Like this?"
"Yes, listen to the adults there and keep hydrated. And..."
Sophia's worried advice went on for a while.
I just listened quietly, understanding why she was concerned.
She couldn't help but worry as an elder.
"Don't be stingy with potions, and if things get tough, talk to the adults nearby."
"Okay."
Sophia talked a lot, but I just nodded without any objection.
Satisfied, Sophia patted my head and then turned to Saebyeok.
"Saebyeok, take good care of the kids."
"Okay, I will."
"Huh...?"
I'm supposed to take care of the kids, right?
Why is Sophia asking Saebyeok to do that?
Just as I was wondering, Yeoreum and Kwon Arin entered the house through the front door.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Yes."
I approached Yeoreum, my tail wagging gently.
Kwon Arin awkwardly smiled and waved her hand.
"Today, Arin will be the leader and guide us all."
"Me...?"
Kwon Arin was startled as if hearing it for the first time.
Yeoreum looked at her, clearly embarrassed.
"Then who's going to do it...?"
"Uh..."
Kwon Arin's gaze turned to me.
After looking into my eyes for a while, she then shifted her gaze to Levinas, who was putting something into a bag with Saebyeok.
"You're not planning to make the kids do it, are you...?"
"No, no, I'll do it..."
The leader was decided.
Since Kwon Arin was the most senior among us, there were no complaints.
"Did you all hear? Arin is the leader today, so you must listen to her well. And you, Arin, make sure you lead well."
"Yes..."
Kwon Arin didn't seem confident.
It looked like we needed to boost her confidence.
"We'll trust only in our leader."
"Levinas too, trusts only in SupremeMasterKwonArin!"
"Uh, okay..."
She didn't seem very reliable yet.
Experience would solve that.
For now, we decided to move to the dungeon together.
<+>
The dungeon that appeared this time was quite close, close enough to walk.
Many people gathered around the portal.
I saw some police officers organizing the area, and Kim Min-jun, a civil servant managing the beginner dungeons, was also there.
Because the portal opened in the middle of the city, even though it was a low-level dungeon, there were a lot of officials present.
"Wait, is the person who came to clear the dungeon today Gyeoul?"
"Yes, I'm clearing the dungeon today."
"Wow, that's impressive, isn't it?"
"Hehe..."
I felt somewhat embarrassed. Scratching the back of my head awkwardly, my tail wagged on its own.
"But are you sure you'll be okay? This dungeon is almost the highest difficulty for its level."
"This level...?"
"Yes. It's the hardest among the level one dungeons."
"Oh..."
So, there's further division even within level one dungeons?
I looked up at Yeoreum, hearing this for the first time.
"It'll be fine. Jinhyuk and I will be there."
"Ah, then you'll be safe."
"Yes, we're allowed to enter, right?"
"Of course. Gyeoul, you have to listen to the adults in the dungeon, okay?"
"Okay."
With Kim Min-jun's permission, we gathered near the portal for a final check before entering.
"Okay, how about we start with checking the gear before entering the dungeon?"
"Gear check?"
"Yes. I'll look at the items you brought and score them."
Aha.
So it's like checking if we've brought all the necessary items, a gear inspection.
I wasn't scared because I had already been checked by Sophia.
"I brought these."
Arrows, bandages, a lighter, and rope. I only brought items necessary for survival.
"Oh... Very standard, huh?"
Yeoreum patted my head, making me feel like my neck was retracting into my body like a turtle, but my tail still wagged happily.
"Levinas too! Let's inspect Levinas!"
"Okay. What did Levinas bring?"
"Levinas brought dolls!"
Animal dolls and Levinas's favorite, the Animal King cards. The contents of the bag were filled with Levinas's favorite things.
"Wow, you brought only cool stuff, huh?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmm! Levinas passes too!"
"Yay!"
Levinas, happy about passing, jumped up from the spot.
Yeoreum patted Levinas's head and then moved on to check others.
"Saebyeok brought similar items to Gyeoul, and Arin has..."
As Yeoreum was checking Kwon Arin's gear, she suddenly stopped.
It was because a portable game console was peeking out among her items.
"Arin?"
"Le, Levinas also..."
"...Arin?"
The eyes were smiling, but something felt scary.
I unintentionally stepped back.
"...Sorry. It's something that gives me peace of mind."
"It calms you down?"
"Yes..."
"Well, if it feels like a talisman, then it can't be helped."
Yeoreum nodded and then looked at Choi Jinhyuk.
Upon that signal, Choi Jinhyuk, who had been silently watching us, entered the portal.
"Shall we go in too?"
"Yes."
Finally, it was time for a proper dungeon conquest.
I grabbed my bag strap and hurled myself into the portal.
<+>
The inside of the dungeon looked no different from the beginner's hunting ground. The green grass was fresh, and the wind tickling my face was quite cool.
"Okay, Arin, want to try assigning positions?"
"Okay..."
Kwon Arin looked around at us, deep in thought.
Levinas, Saebyeok, and I huddled together, looking up at her.
"I'll take the lead. Gyeoul, you provide long-range support from the back. Cutting through the enemy one by one to disrupt their flow would be good."
"Okay."
"And Saebyeok... move flexibly between me and Gyeoul, providing support wherever needed."
"Got it."
Surprisingly, Kwon Arin allocated roles quite effectively. Even Yeoreum expressed admiration with an "Oh" of surprise.
"Levinas doesn't have combat abilities yet, so how about being in charge of carrying things today?"
"Okay! Levinas likes that!"
Levinas was happy to have been given a role, bouncing excitedly.
After jumping around for a while, she tilted her head at me.
"King, but what does the person in charge of carrying do?"
"Well... You're someone who collects things like monster mana stones and by-products."
"Wow...! That's the most important role?!"
"Yes. Levinas has the most important role. That's why we need to protect you."
It wasn't a lie.
If we didn't collect mana stones and by-products, half the reason for running dungeons would be lost. Levinas truly had been assigned a crucial role.
"Levinas will work hard!"
Levinas held onto her bag strap with a serious look. Then she toddled over to Yeoreum.
"Yeoreum, can you carry Levinas's bag? It's too heavy for her."
"Should I?"
Yeoreum smiled with her eyes and took Levinas's bag.
Then she reached out her hands towards Saebyeok and me.
"Should I carry yours and Saebyeok's too?"
"I'm okay."
"I'm fine too. I'm strong."
Saebyeok flexed her arm as if to show off her strength.
It was a soft, muscle-less arm.
'How strong is Saebyeok...?'
If she claims to be strong, she must be stronger than the average person.
I was already looking forward to seeing her perform in the dungeon.
"Shall we start moving? Arin is the one giving orders, right?"
"Yes."
Following Kwon Arin's instructions, we positioned ourselves and moved through the dungeon.
After walking through the forest for about a minute, heavy footsteps reached my ears.
"I hear footsteps ahead. There are five monsters walking on two legs."
"Really? Your hearing is as good as they say, huh?"
"Yes. But the footsteps sound light yet heavy."
"Light yet heavy... could it be Trolls?"
Trolls.
Beasts of the fields that walk on two legs. As if on cue, we cautiously moved towards where I pointed.
"...They're really Trolls."
They had the unique lightness of beasts, along with the heaviness that comes from their large size.
Kwon Arin swallowed hard and drew her sword from her waist.
"You know the plan for rear support, right?"
"Yes."
Trolls, monsters that are almost the highest difficulty for this level of dungeon.
How powerful could they be?
Keeping my tension, I knocked an arrow to my bow.
"I'll draw their aggro. Hide behind a tree and shoot one or two arrows."
Saying so, Kwon Arin charged towards the Trolls.
Saebyeok stood between Kwon Arin and me, acting as a middle defense.
'Let's shoot one.'
Kwon Arin ran towards the leading Troll.
I shot an arrow at the next Troll behind it, aiming to disrupt the monsters' flow as she had planned.
Would my skills work in a dungeon at this level?
I watched the slowly flying arrow with bated breath.
Thump-!
The sharp arrow pierced through a Troll's forehead.
Just one arrow took down one creature.
"Ah."
It worked.
Confirming the arrow's effectiveness, I quickly grabbed the next one.
I took down three, and Kwon Arin took down two.
We managed to easily defeat a group of Trolls.
"Our teamwork is surprisingly good, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
We discussed the recent battle while looting the Trolls' bodies.
Five mana stones, slightly larger than fingernails, were our spoils.
"Levinas, take these."
"Okay!"
I handed the mana stones to Levinas, our designated porter.
Levinas ran to Yeoreum with the stones.
"Yeoreum, here."
"Wow, Levinas is working really hard, huh?"
Yeoreum put the mana stones Levinas gave her into the bag.
I stayed quiet, letting Levinas fulfill her role as the porter.
After all, she was doing her best.
"Yeoreum, is Levinas doing well as a porter?"
"Yes, she's doing very well."
"Wow! Levinas wants to be a porter when she grows up!"
Levinas raised her hands high at Yeoreum's praise. It was the moment another aspiring adventurer was born.
<+>
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