Today was the day to clear the dungeon. Although it was just a first-stage dungeon, it held great significance for me.

“Did you pack everything you need?”

“Yes, I packed everything.”

“Did you pack lunch as well?”

“Yes, I packed lunch.”

I took out the lunchbox from my bag and showed it to Sophia. It was a lunchbox filled with various fish dishes.

“Make sure the lunchbox is secure so it doesn’t spill.”

“Like this?”

“Yes, and listen to the adults, stay hydrated regularly. Also…”

Sophia’s worries and advice went on for a while. I quietly listened, knowing why she was being like this. As an elder, she couldn’t help but worry.

“Don’t hesitate to use potions, and if anything goes wrong, tell the adults nearby.”

“Yes.”

Though Sophia’s advice was long, I nodded without any resistance. Satisfied, she patted my head and turned to Saebyeok.

“Saebyeok, take good care of the others.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure they’re safe.”

“Huh…?”

Wasn’t I supposed to be the one taking care of the others? Why was Sophia asking Saebyeok to look after us? Just as curiosity began to rise, Midsummer and Kwon Arin walked into the house through the front door.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yes.”

I approached Midsummer, my tail wagging slightly. Kwon Arin, standing next to her, awkwardly lifted the corners of her mouth and waved.

“Today, Arin will be the leader and guide everyone.”

“M-me…?”

Kwon Arin looked shocked, as if hearing this for the first time. Midsummer raised an eyebrow at her reaction.

“Then who else would do it…?”

“Uh…”

Kwon Arin’s eyes shifted to me, then to Saebyeok and Levinas, who were stuffing something into their bags.

“You’re not thinking of making the kids do it, are you…?”

“N-no, I’ll do it…”

The leader was decided. Among us, Kwon Arin was indeed the most senior, so there was no reason for anyone to object.

“You all heard that, right? Today, Arin is the leader, so follow her instructions. And Arin, make sure you lead properly.”

“Yes…”

Kwon Arin didn’t look very confident. It seemed like she needed some encouragement.

“We’re counting on you, Leader.”

“Levinas also trusts the great Kwon Arin!”

“O-okay…”

She still didn’t look very reliable, but that was something experience would fix. For now, we decided to head to the dungeon together.

The newly appeared dungeon was quite close by, within walking distance.

A crowd had gathered near the portal. Some police officers we’d seen before were managing the situation, and Kim Min-jun, the public official in charge of beginner dungeons, was also there. Since this portal had appeared in the middle of the city, even though it was a low-level dungeon, many officials were present.

“Huh? Is Gyeoul the one raiding the dungeon today?”

“Yes. I’m raiding the dungeon today.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Hehe…”

I felt embarrassed. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, while my tail wagged on its own.

“But are you sure you’ll be okay? This dungeon is close to the highest difficulty for this stage.”

“This stage…?”

“Yes. It’s the hardest difficulty among first-stage dungeons.”

“Oh…”

So, even first-stage dungeons were subdivided by difficulty? I looked up at Midsummer, surprised by this new information.

“We’ll be fine. Jinhyuk and I are leading the group.”

“Oh, then it should be safe.”

“Yes, may we enter now?”

“Of course. Gyeoul, remember to listen to the adults in the dungeon, okay?”

“Yes.”

With Kim Min-jun’s approval, we gathered near the portal for a final check before entering.

“Alright, let’s do a gear check before we go in.”

“A gear check?”

“Yes, I’ll inspect what everyone brought and give scores.”

Ah, so this was like a field inspection to ensure we had everything we needed. I wasn’t worried, as I had already been checked by Sophia.

“I brought these.”

I showed arrows, bandages, a lighter, and rope—everything necessary for survival.

“Oh, that’s quite standard.”

Midsummer patted my head with a firm touch. My neck shrank slightly like a turtle’s, but my tail wagged.

“Levinas too! Check Levinas’ stuff!”

“Alright, what did you bring, Levinas?”

“Levinas brought dolls!”

Levinas’ bag was full of her favorite stuffed animals and animal-themed cards.

“Wow, you brought some great things!”

“Yes!”

“Okay! Levinas also passes!”

“Yay!”

Levinas jumped for joy at passing the check. Midsummer patted her head before moving on to the others.

“Saebyeok has brought things similar to Gyeoul, and Arin has…”

Midsummer stopped in her tracks while inspecting Kwon Arin’s bag. A portable game console was peeking out.

“Arin?”

“Le-Levinas too…”

“…Arin?”

Her eyes were smiling, but there was something scary in her expression. I couldn’t help but step back.

“…Sorry. It’s something that helps me feel calm.”

“A calming item?”

“Yes…”

“Well, if it’s like a good-luck charm, I guess it’s okay.”

Midsummer nodded and glanced at Choi Jinhyuk. He, who had been silently observing, stepped into the portal.

“Shall we go in too?”

“Yes.”

Finally, a real dungeon raid. I grabbed my backpack straps and stepped through the portal.

—

Inside, the dungeon didn’t look much different from a beginner’s hunting ground. The green grass was fresh, and the cool breeze brushed against my face.

“Arin, do you want to assign positions?”

“Yes…”

Kwon Arin hesitated as she studied us. Levinas, Saebyeok, and I huddled together, looking up at her.

“I’ll take the lead. Gyeoul, you stay in the rear and provide long-range support. Try to disrupt the enemy’s flow one by one.”

“Yes.”

“And Saebyeok, you move between me and Gyeoul to assist wherever needed.”

“Okay.”

Surprisingly, Kwon Arin assigned roles well. Midsummer even let out an impressed “Oh.”

“Levinas, since you’re not ready for combat yet, how about being the porter today?”

“Yes! Levinas will do her best as the porter!”

Excited to have a role, Levinas hopped up and down, then tilted her head at me.

“King, what does a porter do?”

“Well, they carry things like monster cores and loot.”

“Gasp…! That’s the most important job!”

“Yeah. You’re doing the most important job, so we need to protect you.”

It wasn’t a lie. Without collecting cores and loot, half the reason for clearing a dungeon was lost. Levinas had an important role.

“Levinas will work hard as the porter!”

With determination, Levinas grabbed her backpack straps and approached Midsummer.

“Midsummer, can you carry Levinas’ bag? It’s too heavy.”

“Sure.”

Midsummer smiled and took Levinas’ bag. She then reached out to me and Saebyeok.

“Should I carry yours too, Gyeoul and Saebyeok?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m okay. I’m strong.”

Saebyeok flexed her arm as if to show off. Her arm still looked soft and without any muscle.

‘I wonder how strong Saebyeok actually is…?’

If she claimed to be strong, she must be stronger than the average person. I was already excited to see her in action in the dungeon.

“Shall we start? Arin will give the orders.”

“Yes.”

We took our positions and started moving through the dungeon as Kwon Arin had instructed. After about a minute of walking through the forest, I heard heavy footsteps approaching.

“I hear footsteps ahead. There are five monsters walking on two legs.”

“R-really? Your ears are as good as they say.”

“Yes. But the footsteps sound light yet heavy.”

“Light yet heavy… Could they be gnolls?”

Gnolls—two-legged beasts similar to canines. We cautiously moved in the direction I indicated, as if it were rehearsed.

“…They really are gnolls.”

They had the lightness characteristic of beasts but also a weight that came with their size. Kwon Arin swallowed nervously and drew her sword from her hip.

“Remember, support from the rear, right?”

“Yes.”

Gnolls were close to the toughest monsters in first-stage dungeons. How strong would they really be? I stayed alert, drawing an arrow and placing it on my bow.

“I’ll draw their attention. Shoot one or two arrows from behind the trees.”

With that, Kwon Arin charged at the gnolls. Saebyeok stood between her and me, ready to act as a shield.

‘Let’s start with one shot.’

Kwon Arin lunged at the lead gnoll, and I aimed at the one behind it, shooting an arrow to disrupt their movement.

Would my skills be effective in this high-level dungeon? I kept my eyes on the arrow as it flew slowly.

Thunk!

The sharp arrow pierced the gnoll’s forehead. One down with a single shot.

“Oh.”

It worked. Realizing this, I quickly readied another arrow. I took down three, and Kwon Arin defeated two. We managed to

 eliminate the group of gnolls with surprising ease.

“Wow, we’re actually a pretty good team…”

“Right?”

We exchanged comments about the battle as we checked the gnoll corpses. We found five small monster cores, each slightly larger than a thumbnail.

“Levinas, here.”

“Yes!”

I handed the cores to Levinas, who trotted over to Midsummer.

“Midsummer, here.”

“Wow, Levinas is working so hard.”

Midsummer put the cores into the bag. She was helping Levinas with her porter duties, so we decided to stay quiet about it. Levinas was doing her best in her role.

“Midsummer, is Levinas doing a good job as the porter?”

“Yes. You’re doing great.”

“Yay! Levinas wants to be a porter when she grows up!”

At Midsummer’s praise, Levinas raised her hands high. It was the moment another aspiring adventurer was born.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep