Chapter 13: Chapter 13 – A Gambit of Deception

[HUNTER QUEST]

OBJECTIVE:

Enter the Rank D Dungeon Gate and destroy its core.

TIME LIMIT: 1 hour

REWARD: 1000 EXP, 1 New Skill, 1 Random Item

FAILURE:

All stats will be reduced by 50%if you refuse or fail to complete the quest.

[Accept: y / n]

_______________

Fucking system! Are you actually trying to get me killed?! The silent curse felt like it tore through my heart. My eyes were glued to the two equally terrifying options on the screen.

Refuse? Impossible. Losing half my stats meant returning to being that weakling. Every hard-earned improvement I’d made would vanish just like that. But accept? That was practically suicide.

The rewards were tempting, of course. A huge amount of EXP, a new skill, a random item—everything I needed to get strong and exact my revenge. But how? The gate was heavily guarded, and a team of Hunters had clearly already gone in first.

Should I use Time Stop? Too risky. My time was limited, and that skill was my only real trump card. Wasting it just to get inside? Not to mention the monsters waiting within.

I took a deep breath, my hands clenching into fists. My current status was still equivalent to a Rank E Awakener—the lowest tier. How could I possibly face Rank D monsters, let alone the Dungeon Boss which was likely Rank C? Sure, I could defeat them using Time Stop, but its duration was severely limited. I couldn’t rely solely on that skill.

My chest tightened thinking about all the potential disasters. But the penalty for refusal was too severe to ignore.

No. The truth was, I never had a choice to begin with.

Finally, I accepted the quest. The system screen vanished instantly, and I immediately started formulating a plan. I turned to a man in a tie standing nearby, who looked like a coordination officer.

“Excuse me,” I said, trying to sound calm.

“Has a hunter team already entered this dungeon? How long ago?”

The man glanced at me before answering, “Yes, the Hammer Maiden team from the Crimson Dawn Guild is assigned. They went in about ten minutes ago.”

Ten minutes? I thought. That’s not too long. At best, they’re probably still in the mid-section.

“How many are in their team?” I asked again, trying to gather as much intel as possible.

“Five people. Standard for a Rank D,” he replied curtly before turning his attention back to his tablet.

I nodded, gave a quick thanks, and hurried away from the scene. My eyes scanned the area, looking for a sufficiently hidden spot to transform. I finally found a narrow alley between two dilapidated old buildings, far enough from the crowd but still within sight of the dungeon gate.

Making sure no one was watching, I pulled the Faceless Mask from my inventory. My fingers trembled slightly as I opened my phone and searched for information on the Crimson Dawn Guild. From what I recalled, they weren’t a major guild—just a mid-tier one operating on the city’s fringes.

“Hammer Maiden…” I murmured, pulling up a picture of a tall, sturdy woman with long, unruly blue hair. Her face was cold and authoritative, with a gaze as sharp as an eagle’s. In the photo, she wore tattered jeans and a black leather jacket, with a giant hammer almost larger than herself slung across her back. According to the data, she was the guild’s vice-leader.

I then scrolled to a picture of the guild leader—Iron Knight. The man had messy black hair, olive skin, and an upright posture though not overly muscular. His brown eyes looked somewhat melancholic yet piercing.

’This is it,’ I thought. If I disguise myself as the guild leader, no one should dare to stop me from entering.

I put on the Faceless Mask, concentrating hard on the man’s face. A strange sensation spread through my body—bones seemed to shift, muscles tensed, and my skin turned olive. When I opened my eyes, the transformation was complete. Luckily, our heights weren’t too different, so my academy uniform still fit reasonably well, though it felt a bit tight in some areas.

I quickly removed the blue Nine Stars academy blazer and all its associated insignia. I was left with just a plain white shirt and the black pants. I then retrieved two daggers from my bag. Since I had originally decided to go to the academy, I had brought them with me.

After checking that the weapons were in good condition, I secured them to my belt and hid my backpack behind a trash can in a corner of the alley.

In my new appearance as Iron Knight, I walked confidently towards the dungeon gate, trying to mimic the decisive stride and arrogant demeanor I’d often seen in senior hunters.

I stepped confidently past the police barrier line. Immediately, an officer in uniform approached, raising a hand to stop me.

“Sorry, Sir. This area is restricted to licensed hunters only,” he said politely. “May I see your identification?”

I sighed, trying to emulate the annoyed attitude of a guild leader. “I’m Iron Knight, leader of the Crimson Dawn Guild. My team went in ahead of me.”

The officer’s expression immediately shifted to one of respect. “Oh, apologies, Mr. Iron Knight. Then… what is your purpose for entering now?”

“I need to check on something inside. Is there a problem?” I said, slightly raising my tone, trying to pressure him.

The officer looked nervous. “That’s not what I meant, Sir. It’s just… verification procedure. Could I see your guild card or hunter ID?”

“I don’t have it on me,” I answered tersely. My heart was pounding, but I suppressed it and continued pressing him. “Besides, are you doubting me?” I crossed my arms, trying to look irritated.

The young officer panicked. “No, Sir! It’s just standard procedure—”

His older colleague quickly approached, pulling his arm. “Forgive him, Mr. Iron Knight. He’s still new,” he said, giving a slight salute. “Please proceed, Sir. The Hammer Maiden team has been inside for about twenty minutes now.”

I gave a brief nod, trying to mask my profound relief. Without another word, I turned and strode towards the dungeon gate. Its magical energy prickled against my skin as I approached, like static electricity making the hair on my arms stand up. With one last breath, I stepped into the swirling energy mist, leaving the outside world and all my doubts behind.

The moment I passed through the dark brown gate, my head spun slightly, as if I’d been spun around too fast. But the sensation quickly faded, replaced by a damp chill and the pungent smell of wet earth. I now found myself inside a vast cave, with a ceiling covered in sharp stalactites dripping water periodically.

Plink… Plink…

The sound of the droplets echoed in the silence, creating a tense rhythm.

Faint, dim light came from bluish-green crystals embedded in the cave walls, casting strange, seemingly living and moving shadows. I took a deep breath, catching the thick scent of blood in the air. I tightened my grip on the two daggers in my hands, ready for any threat that might emerge.

Along the path, I found numerous goblin corpses scattered about. Small goblins with wrinkled green skin, larger hobgoblins, even a few goblin warriors with simple armor—all dead in gruesome conditions. Their bodies were utterly crushed, as if smashed by a heavy object with tremendous force.

’Must be the work of Hammermaiden and her big hammer,’ I thought, carefully stepping over the corpse of a goblin warrior whose head was shattered like a fallen watermelon.

Suddenly, from the depths of the cave, came the sound of heavy footsteps and a pained groan. I quickly ducked behind a large rock, peering through a narrow gap. A large hobgoblin, taller than an average man, was staggering closer. Its body was covered in wounds—blood poured from its shoulder down to its leg, one arm was severed, and its left eye was covered in blood. Its breath came in ragged gasps, but the long claws on its remaining hand still looked deadly.

My heart raced. Should I finish off this wretched creature, or let it go? But if it screams and alerts its pack… I tightened my grip on my dagger, preparing to face it.

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