“This isn’t a duel. This is real combat. Remember what Sen said? The goal is to knock the other side off—to kill them.”
Did Sen really phrase it that way…? Well, in essence, that was the message.
“One person has already fallen, but the fight isn’t over. That probably means it only ends when an entire side is eliminated.”
“Exactly. Which means you guys should be the ones to fall.”
“Dain, are you saying we should just fall to our deaths?”
“Who said anything about dying? You, Jenin, and Kelian could probably climb back up if you fell. And Seiris could just use magic to pull you up.”
At that, Seiris, who had remained silent until now, spoke coldly.
“Don’t dump annoying tasks on me, Dain.”
“…So it’s fine to annoy me instead?”
Whether that was exactly what she meant or not, Seiris simply closed her mouth again without answering.
In the end, it was Dain who gave in with a sigh.
“Barkrud, looks like we’ll be the ones falling.”
“This’ll be fun.”
“It’s not fun for me at all…”
They spoke as if it didn’t matter who fell, only that it would be a bit of a hassle for the ones who did. But Sen had clearly stated that falling meant certain death.
Not wanting to interrupt their discussion, I leaned in as quietly as possible and asked Kelian in a hushed voice,
“Isn’t it dangerous to fall? Are Dain and Barkrud really going to be okay?”
Since Kelian was still holding me, speaking softly wasn’t difficult. But apparently, the sight of me resting my head against him and whispering bothered Dain, who shot a glare in our direction.
“What are you two whispering about?!”
“…….”
Kelian ignored him entirely, tilting his head slightly toward me and answering in the same low, intimate tone,
“You don’t need to worry. However…”
His unreadable teal eyes blinked slowly, once.
“…It wouldn’t be so bad if we were the ones to fall.”
I found myself blinking just as slowly, as if his words had somehow transferred to me. Wouldn’t be so bad if we fell…? Did that mean he was planning for us to fall?
Kelian, as if confirming my thoughts, turned to Jenin and Seiris and stated,
“It would be better for us to fall and climb back up than for them to.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I feel like it.”
“…Huh? Why?”
Even after hearing the answer, Jenin still didn’t understand and laughed in confusion, asking again. But Kelian didn’t offer any further explanation.
What surprised me more was that Seiris, who had just coldly refused Dain out of annoyance, looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before agreeing with Kelian’s plan.
…Why did she look at me?
I couldn’t understand Kelian or Seiris’ actions, but the one most baffled by all of this seemed to be Jenin. She let out a small groan of contemplation before ultimately shrugging it off.
“Alright, I don’t know why you’re suddenly acting like this… but sure, let’s fall! I guess this is another chance to show off in front of Aine.”
Jenin flashed her signature bright smile at me and declared,
“You better watch closely, Aine!”
“Yes, Jenin. I’ll be watching.”
If I can even focus enough to do so…
They were only agreeing to fall because they were confident they could climb back up. But even though Kelian was holding me, the idea of plunging into the depths that Sen had warned meant certain death was terrifying. I was only managing to keep myself together because I trusted them—because I trusted Kelian…
“…….”
“…….”
But then, Kelian and Seiris, who hadn’t seemed to care much about the conversation before, suddenly glanced between Jenin and me with unreadable expressions.
“Will you watch me too?”
“Look at me as well.”
They both spoke at the same time.
Jenin chuckled at their unexpected competitiveness, finding it amusing, while I, caught completely off guard, could only respond awkwardly.
“Y-Yes… I’ll watch all of you.”
If I can even keep my eyes open…
No matter how secure Kelian’s arms felt, falling off a cliff was still terrifying. Unable to handle the fear, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Are you afraid?”
I felt something soft brush against the corner of my eye before it pulled away.
Startled, I opened my eyes, only to see Kelian looking at me with a serious expression, as if he hadn’t considered my fear until just now.
“Ah… yes, a little… But it’s fine. I trust all of you.”
But Kelian… just now, did you kiss the corner of my eye?
I wanted to ask, but with everyone already stepping toward the cliff to throw themselves off, I swallowed the question. This wasn’t the time.
“Alright, let’s—”
Jenin glanced down into the abyss, swinging her sword a few times as if cutting through the darkness, signaling their intent to fall.
But before anyone could take the leap, Sen’s voice cut through the moment.
—You have passed all the trials.
With a single nod from him, everything changed in an instant.
Before we could even process what had happened, we found ourselves standing inside Sen’s worn-down house once more.
Hans and his last remaining ally staggered in confusion, nearly falling into Seiris—but she sidestepped effortlessly, letting them collapse onto the floor.
[Dungeon cleared.]
[Rewards have been distributed.]
[Level up.]
“…….”
The first two trials had been challenging, but the last one? It felt like we had passed without doing much at all. It was a little baffling.
Still, the feeling of clearing an S-rank rare dungeon, right after an A-rank one, was surreal. Of course, my contribution was probably negligible again, but still…
Regardless, I had leveled up to 28, and a new item appeared in my inventory: Key to the Trap of the Tailwood Serpent 2 (Bound).
This was one of the three keys required to enter an SSS-rank rare dungeon. And now, I had two of them.
Excited, I turned to speak to my companions, but my words caught in my throat when I noticed Kelian’s expression.
He looked… displeased.
For someone who rarely showed emotion, his irritation was striking. I froze mid-sentence, unsure of how to react.
“How exactly did we pass this trial?”
Seiris seemed just as dissatisfied. Her brows furrowed as she directed her sharp gaze at Sen, demanding an answer.
The mage, seated once again in his chair, lost in thought like when we first met him, responded slowly.
—Those who endure… until the time runs out… pass.
“So all we had to do was survive without falling for a certain period? Then knocking the opponents down was never necessary in the first place.”
I had never seen Seiris talk this much before—except when discussing food she liked.
Now, she looked down at Sen with undisguised contempt as she delivered her final verdict.
“A pathetic trial.”
—……
Sen shrank under her gaze, looking utterly deflated. But no matter how much he regretted it, the trial had already been cleared. There was no going back.
“I agree.”
Even Kelian, who rarely voiced opinions, sided with Seiris, making Sen shrink even further.
Why are these two picking on poor Sen? Were they just high-level adventurers frustrated by an easy trial? But Dain and Jenin—who were also high-level—didn’t seem to share their irritation.
“It was a bit underwhelming… but we cleared the dungeon. What’s there to complain about?”
“Yeah. Let’s just drop it and get out of here.”
As our group finally prepared to leave the dungeon, we noticed that Hans and his last remaining ally were already gone. The last I remembered was them collapsing inside Sen’s house, but I hadn’t seen them since.
They must have left as soon as the dungeon clear notification appeared.
Considering how many comrades they had lost, it made sense that they’d want to escape as soon as possible.
“Kelian, you can put me down now.”
“You’re still exhausted.”
“I’m really fine now.”
Not that I had ever been that exhausted in the first place.
Kelian still looked hesitant, but since I insisted and the situation was now safe, he finally relented and gently set me down.
“You keep saying ‘Kelian, Kelian’…”
Dain’s sharp gaze grew even narrower.
“When did you start calling him just ‘Kelian’?”
Ah.
I had been too distracted to remember to call him Hero as I usually did. But at this point, switching back felt too awkward, so I could only give a vague answer.
“Now that you mention it…”
“Now that you mention it?”
Dain mimicked my words mockingly, and I braced myself for another outburst. But to my surprise, he didn’t explode this time.
“Hmph, whatever.”
…What?
From what I’d seen of Dain so far, there was no way he’d drop the topic this quickly.
As I stared at him in confusion, he ignored me completely and strode out the door with an irritated tone.
“What are you all standing around for? Get moving.”
Following him, we stepped outside and used the magic circle in front of the house to leave the dungeon.
“The teleportation spell won’t be available until tomorrow morning, so we’ll have to stay here for the night.”
After returning to the inn, we sat down for a meal and discussed our next plans.
The village had a teleportation mage, and while their services were expensive, they could transport people to different regions.
Kelian’s party had already arranged to be sent to Rilka, the empire’s capital.
“There’s an SS-rank rare dungeon in the capital, right?”
“Yes, Aine. It’s a bit of a noisy place… but it’s less troublesome than searching for another SS-rank rare dungeon.”
The higher the rank, the rarer the dungeon. Finding one at all was a stroke of luck. Knowing exactly where one was located was even better.
I nodded in understanding when, surprisingly, Barkrud spoke up immediately after Jenin finished.
“It’s not a first clear.”
“Right… Didn’t some royal clear it ages ago?”
“Five hundred years ago.”
“And no one has cleared it since?”
“Probably.”
“That sounds interesting.”
If no one had conquered it in five hundred years, that meant it was incredibly dangerous. The S-rank rare dungeon we cleared today felt oddly ambiguous in difficulty, but I had a strong feeling that the SS-rank dungeon would be different.
“You don’t have to worry. We’ll protect you.”
Jenin, noticing my serious expression, reassured me kindly.
I smiled instinctively, but another thought crept in. Shouldn’t I be leveling up more?
I was currently level 28. That was already an unbelievable number for me, but compared to the Hero’s party, it was still far too low.
I didn’t know how long I’d be able to stay with them, but as they continued tackling higher-ranked dungeons, I needed to at least ensure I wouldn’t be a burden. Reaching level 30 seemed like a reasonable goal.
One by one, the party members either headed to their rooms or to the bath. The sun hadn’t set yet, so…
Glancing out the window, I quietly stood up.
“Aine, you’re going to bathe too, right?”
“Ah, I was actually thinking of stepping out for a bit.”
“Going out? Now? Where to?”
Jenin, Barkrud, and Kelian all turned to look at me at the same time.
“Um… the hunting grounds.”
“The hunting grounds? Why all of a sudden?”
“I haven’t gone since leveling up. I thought I’d take a quick trip.”
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“Ah, no. I want to go alone.”
Jenin let out a small groan, clearly unwilling to let me go by myself. She looked so adorably reluctant that I almost felt bad, but I had no intention of bringing anyone along.
We had just cleared a rare dungeon. They hadn’t even had time to properly rest, and now I was talking about going to a hunting ground for something as trivial as my level-up? I knew they were willing to come for my sake, but I didn’t want to burden them with it.
“Not even me?”
Even Barkrud, who I thought wouldn’t care, chimed in.
But if I turned down Jenin, I had to turn him down too.
“No, sorry.”
“I see.”
…Was he disappointed? He must have really wanted to come along.
But honestly, the monsters I would be hunting were nowhere near his level. It wouldn’t be any fun for him. Still, despite feeling a little guilty, I knew this was for the best. They needed to rest.
And Kelian…
“…….”
He stepped forward and silently took my hand.
For a moment, I was too stunned to react, my fingers instinctively closing around his. Then, when I finally met his gaze, I felt my breath hitch.
His mesmerizing teal eyes stared down at me, intense and unwavering, as if compelling me to change my mind.
But…
“…I’m going alone, Kelian.”
I wasn’t sure if he was doing this intentionally or not, but those impossibly beautiful eyes were using a dangerously effective charm attack.
Disappointment flickered across his face, and I nearly caved. I almost told him I’d do whatever he wanted.
Instead, I gently pulled my hand away and cupped his cheeks in both hands, stroking them softly.
“I’ll just kill a few and come back.”
Monsters, that is.
It sounded oddly brutal as a farewell, and honestly, there was a chance I’d be the one getting killed instead. But I whispered it calmly, hoping to reassure him.
Kelian sighed lightly before bowing his head, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.
“Then take this.”
“…This is…”
The floral-patterned handkerchief he handed me was the same one I had once given him in exchange for a rare item.
Looking back, it had been such an unbalanced trade. Seeing him return it now, I wondered if he hadn’t liked it after all.
But my misunderstanding was quickly cleared up by his next words.
“I had it enchanted at an artifact workshop. It will help in an emergency.”
“…An artifact?”
He had actually gone to a workshop and spent money to have magic engraved on this plain handkerchief?
Even buying a ready-made artifact was ridiculously expensive. Having one custom-made… I couldn’t even imagine the cost.
“That’s…”
“I’m just lending it to you. It’s important to me too, so make sure you bring it back safely.”
…Important.
The word made my cheeks burn.
Before I could even gather my thoughts, he kissed the back of my hand, right over the handkerchief he had placed in my palm.
“Th-Thank you.”
As I hurriedly left the inn, feeling completely flustered, I heard Jenin mumbling behind me.
“…And they’re not dating?”
❖ ❖ ❖
It was already fascinating to form a party with the hero’s group and explore rare dungeons, but in my relatively modest world, the fact that I had finally escaped the beginner’s hunting grounds felt like a major milestone.
Level 28. While not high enough to be called a top-tier level, it was enough that I no longer had to return to the tedious beginner’s hunting grounds.
In the intermediate hunting ground of the only village, there were many werewolf monsters called Jakshus, creatures with the upper bodies of wolves and the lower bodies of humans. These Jakshus, with their gleaming yellow eyes, always moved in packs and showed no signs of separating. However, occasionally, one would stray on its own. I targeted those loners and engaged them in battle.
I attacked the Jakshu vigorously with the intermediate-level club I had hastily bought at the weapon shop before entering the hunting ground. My old club had broken earlier inside the rare dungeon, leaving me with no choice but to get a new one.
“Ugh, too fast…!”
Unlike the beginner monsters like the Torong, whose movements I had grown used to, the intermediate-level Jakshus were much more agile, dodging my attacks and swiping at me with their claws. Even though the village was different, the monsters in hunting grounds seemed to follow a similar pattern based on their rank. I wondered if the intermediate hunting ground in my hometown, Spring Village, would feel the same way.
[You have obtained Intermediate Jakshu’s Claw.]
[Item Rank: D]
“Haa… haa…”
At last, I had managed to take down two Jakshus. I hadn’t expected to reach level 30 immediately here, but I had hoped to gain at least one level. Progress was slower than I thought.
As I absentmindedly read the message in front of me, I suddenly noticed a notification glowing blue with a ‘!’ symbol in the lower left corner. When had that appeared? Did it pop up after I killed the Jakshus?
Muttering to myself that I would check it, the notification expanded.
[You have reached Level 20.]
[Skill Selection]
― Club Barrage (5)
― Club Shield
― Club Leap
“…….”
Before I could even get excited about the skill selection message, my enthusiasm dimmed just a little when I saw that all the skill names revolved around clubs. Sure, my weapon was a club, but… every single skill being club-related?
“Well, a skill is still a skill.”
So it was true that you could use skills after passing level 20. In reality, I had long surpassed that level and was now at level 28, but I was still glad to have finally noticed the notification, even if it was late.
“Which one should I choose?”
Just as I focused on the skill selection, my heart starting to race again, I suddenly sensed movement behind me. Instinctively, I turned my body and dodged to the side.
Thud!
A dazzling golden sword, not as ostentatiously ornate as Seiris’ staff but still striking, struck the ground where I had just been standing.
“You…”
The person who had swung the sword at me was none other than Hans—the man who had been trapped in the rare dungeon with me earlier. He had always gone out of his way to pick fights with me.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He straightened from his lowered stance, flashing a sinister smile.
“What? Are you scared now that you don’t have the hero watching your back?”
“I asked you what you’re doing.”
“Because of you, my guildmates died. The guild told me to take responsibility.”
I had no right to comment on his loss, but his accusation was something I couldn’t just let slide.
“And how exactly is that my fault?”
“You—because of you, the mage Sen initiated the trial! That makes it your fault!”
If the trial hadn’t started, we would have been trapped there forever. In that case, why even enter a rare dungeon in the first place? He had said the same nonsense inside the dungeon, and now even outside…
“I think you know very well how ridiculous that sounds. You’re just looking for someone to blame.”
And the fact that he chose to pin it on the weakest-looking member of the hero’s party? Pathetic.
“Shut up!”
Hans, clearly out of his mind, launched a full attack. Earlier in the dungeon, he had mentioned his level was 48. Mine was 28. A fight between us wasn’t even a contest.
“Ugh!”
I tried to dodge his sword, but my right arm was slashed. Fortunately, it wasn’t too deep, but the burning pain and the heavy bleeding were concerning. I would have stopped to bandage it if I had the time.
“Just stand still and die!”
I had no intention of standing still and dying as he demanded. I hadn’t given up even after being cursed with a rare affliction. I had clung to life, even deceiving Kelian and the others just to keep going. There was no way I would let someone like him take it from me.
Skill Selection.
[Skill Selection]
― Club Barrage (5)
― Club Shield
― Club Leap
The skill selection window reappeared before me, and I wanted to examine it carefully… but dodging Hans’ attacks left me no time for that. In the end, I chose the skill that stood out the most.
[Skill has been created.]
Hans was completely out of control. His bloodshot eyes and the way he swung his sword wildly made that clear.
“It’s all your fault… Losing everyone, losing my position as vice guild leader… It’s all because of you…!”
He sounded more upset about being demoted than about his fallen comrades. Regardless, his frenzied state was an opportunity for someone of my lower level.
In the next instant, I ducked low and rushed into his guard. Caught up in his rage, he never expected me to strike back. I swung my club straight into his unprotected stomach.
Thud.
“Urgh!”
My attack landed, but Hans only let out a grunt. He didn’t seem seriously hurt.
“That’s what you call an attack? Huh?”
He stopped swinging his sword just to sneer at me. But his mockery didn’t bother me. My club was still pressed against his stomach, and I activated the skill I had just chosen.
Club Barrage (5).
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Ugh… Agh! AARGH!”
I had wondered what the (5) meant. Turns out, it let me strike five times in rapid succession. My hands moved on their own, delivering a relentless flurry of blows to Hans’ midsection with a speed and force incomparable to a normal swing.
By the fifth hit, Hans was sent flying. The arrogance on his face was completely gone.
“Gah… Wh-what the hell?!”
“……”
“You—you said you weren’t even level 30 yet!”
That was true… but it seemed I had chosen an excellent skill.
As I stepped toward Hans, who was writhing on the ground, he started screaming.
“W-wait! Don’t come any closer!”
Ignoring him, I swung my club down onto his back. Thud. As expected, without a skill, the impact was weak. Hans barely let out a small groan, not looking particularly hurt. Then his eyes glinted with cunning.
“You… You can’t use that skill again, can you?”
That… I didn’t know. And since I didn’t know, the only way to find out was to test it again.
I pressed the club against his back and activated the skill.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a once-per-day ability—Club Barrage triggered again.
“Aaaghhh!”
Hans let out a bloodcurdling scream. His body, already sprawled on the ground, seemed to sink even deeper into it.
“M-my bones… I think my bones are broken…!”
Given the way he had collapsed, something was probably fractured.
I had no intention of hitting him further, nor did I have any plans to take him back for healing. My goal today had been to level up at least once to keep up with the hero’s party, but at this rate, I was going back to the inn empty-handed.
“Get a grip. I’m leaving now.”
Lowering my club, I turned away and began walking out of the intermediate hunting ground.
I would have made it back safely—if not for the hand that suddenly shot out from behind and grabbed my hair.
“Ugh…!”
“I swear, I’ll kill you!”
So, saying his bones were broken was just a lie to make me lower my guard?
Hans, gripping my hair with one hand, pressed his sword against my throat with the other. I winced at the sharp sting where the blade barely touched my skin.
And then—
“Wh-what…? A-ARGHHH!”
Hans’ entire body burst into white flames.
It was unbelievable, but it was real. The pale fire engulfed him completely, yet it didn’t spread to my hair or the parts of me he was touching. The flames consumed only Hans.
Frozen in shock, I could only watch as he let go of my hair and began thrashing wildly. He jumped and writhed, but the ghostly fire clung to him stubbornly, burning stronger. His struggles weakened until, in mere moments, his body collapsed onto the ground—vanishing without a trace.
“…What…?”
My mind was filled with confusion. I had no idea why that had happened.
Then, completely out of place given the situation, a system message popped up before me.
[Level Up.]
I was now level 29. Because Hans had died.
So, killing people also increased my level… That was the one clear realization I could process in my dazed state. But why…?
“……”
A sudden thought struck me. I reached into my pocket, fingers brushing against a rough, old handkerchief with a rustic pattern.
It was glowing white.
When Kelian had given it to me earlier, it hadn’t shone like this.
After a few moments, the glow gradually faded, and it looked like an ordinary handkerchief again. But I knew—it had saved my life and burned Hans to nothing.
Kelian had said it would help in times of danger. He hadn’t been lying.
“…Kelian.”
If he hadn’t given me this, I would have died in this hunting ground today.
My heart was still racing, and my breath came in shallow pants as I stared at the spot where Hans had disappeared.
“Aine.”
At the sound of my name, I turned my head.
Standing a short distance away, Kelian watched me with an unusually tense expression.
I wasn’t surprised to see him. Somehow, I had expected this.
Holding up the handkerchief, I met his gaze.
“This saved me, Kelian.”
“Who did this to you?”
Kelian strode toward me, pulling a cloth from his inventory. He carefully wiped the blood from my arm before wrapping it tightly to stop the bleeding. His touch was gentle, but the sharp gleam in his eyes and the chillingly calm tone of his voice betrayed his frozen fury.
“How did you know to come?”
“Aine.”
He didn’t answer my question. Instead, he pushed me to respond first.
I leaned against him, letting go of the tension that had kept me on edge.
“…Thank you for coming.”
For stopping the bleeding. For calming my heart. For being angry in my place.
If Kelian hadn’t arrived, my legs might have trembled so much that it would’ve taken me forever to get back to the inn. If I had encountered monsters on the way, I would have been in serious trouble.
Kelian listened in silence before letting out a slow, controlled sigh, as if forcing himself to calm down. Then, his strong arms wrapped around my shoulders and back, steadying me.
“That handkerchief is imbued with magic. It burns to death anyone who threatens its owner’s life.”
I had already figured that out, having watched Hans vanish into white fire, leaving no trace behind.
“And… it also contained a spell that summoned me to your side in that moment.”
“…You requested that kind of magic too?”
So it hadn’t been something he intended to use for himself. Then…
“Yes. However, due to its limited durability, it could only hold a one-time enchantment.”
Even as a one-time spell, its power had been overwhelming. An artifact that could both incinerate an enemy and summon a hero—
I handed the now ordinary handkerchief back to him. Kelian took it, stored it in his inventory, and then—
He lifted me into his arms.
I found myself cradled against him, held effortlessly in the air. Yet, there was no fear of falling—only a deep sense of security.
As if being in his embrace was the most natural thing in the world.
“I’ll take you to get treated.”
I wanted to reply, to say I understood, but no words came out.
A wave of comfort and exhaustion crashed over me, dragging my consciousness under. My eyes, heavy with sleep, began to close.
Through my fading vision, I caught one last glimpse of Kelian’s face—shadowed and grim. Yet, his arms around me remained gentle.
