As Kang Jin-ho meticulously explained the precautions to take in the dungeon and the weaknesses of the monsters we would encounter, his expertise stood out, even among top-tier adventurers.

*So this is what it’s like to be at the pinnacle…* I thought, impressed. The new adventurers around me murmured in awe, but Kang Jin-ho’s gaze remained fixed on me.

“Don’t be too scared; you won’t get hurt.”

“Yes. I won’t be scared.”

“Alright. Anything more would just be nagging. Do your best.”

“Yes, sir.”

At his encouragement, my tail wagged, which he must’ve noticed as it was wrapped around his hand. Seeing me in a positive state, he seemed relieved. He had probably been worried I’d be too nervous.

Relieved, he released my tail, and I stepped toward the other adventurers. My first target was a woman standing nearby.

“Um, excuse me…”

“H-Huh?!”

As I approached, the woman, Shin Seoyeon, just transitioning from a novice adventurer, felt her heart race. She looked down at me with tender eyes, as though I were a small kitten mewling for attention.

“This is a gift…”

I offered her an enhancement potion. It was a precious item, hard to come by, and her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“W-Why are you giving… this to me?”

Her words came out stammered, and she bit her lip.

“It’s my first time in a level-three dungeon… I hope you won’t get mad if I don’t do well…”

My ears drooped, and my tail curled tightly around my belly, looking like a frightened kitten. She couldn’t help but feel protective.

“O-Of course.”

Shin Seoyeon knew a bit about my past from what had been shared online. She understood that I’d had a lot of bad experiences with humans and that my plea for patience likely stemmed from those memories.

*What should I do…* 

She didn’t plan to get mad, even without the gift. Should she tell me it wasn’t necessary? As she hesitated, she looked up to find Kang Jin-ho’s stern gaze fixed on her—and every other adventurer. Only I remained unaware of his silent command, nervously fidgeting with the enhancement potion in my hands.

“Th-Thank you! Let’s agree not to get mad at each other if we make mistakes.”

“Yes!”

The fact that she’d accepted my gift must have thrilled me, as my ears and tail perked up excitedly. Kang Jin-ho, seeing this, turned his gaze away, and I continued handing out potions to the adventurers, asking them for their patience.

*What kind of horrible person…*

Shin Seoyeon thought, glaring inwardly at the unknown people who had treated such a sweet child so poorly.

*I’ll save this potion and never use it.*

With that vow, she entered the dungeon.

—

I entered first, with Master by my side. The first wave is usually the most dangerous, but with him there, I felt invincible. To borrow Levinas’s words, it was like being in “invincible mode.”

“Wow…”

The dungeon was a forest, covered in lush green grass. It reminded me of the goblin dungeon, so it didn’t feel entirely new.

“Don’t stray farther than tail’s length.”

“Yes, sir.”

I stayed close to Master, observing my surroundings carefully. As I focused on sensing the location of any monsters, the other adventurers began entering the dungeon one by one.

Once they had all gathered, Master began explaining our mission.

“As you know, this is an Ent Dungeon. It’s harder to distinguish the monsters here since they disguise themselves as trees.”

Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Today, you’ll be learning to search for hidden monsters. Identifying camouflaged enemies will be a useful skill. Does anyone know how to spot a hidden Ent?”

He looked around at the adventurers, and one wielding a large sword raised his hand.

“Can’t we just stab each one?”

“…That’s not wrong, but there’s a better way.”

“Oh, so that works?”

The adventurer seemed pleased to know his idea wasn’t entirely off base, gripping the hilt of his sword as if ready to start stabbing every tree.

“Anyone else?”

Shin Seoyeon, the woman I’d first given a potion to, raised her hand.

“I heard you can use fire.”

“Correct.”

*Fire?* I looked up at Master, surprised.

“Are we supposed to set the forest on fire?”

“No, we just use the heat. Ents are terrified of even a small flame nearby.”

“Oh…”

Using something the monsters feared to reveal them was interesting. Learning new tactics used by adventurers piqued my curiosity.

“Of course, skilled searchers don’t necessarily need fire.”

Master then fixed his gaze on me, making it clear what he was implying. Reading auras was one of my greatest strengths. Tapping into this skill, I heightened my senses and began analyzing the nearby trees.

*Thump… thump…*

Among the regular trees, I could feel one pulsing like a beating heart. It looked like any other tree on the outside, but inside, it throbbed with a life force louder than that of most humans.

“There’s a tree with a heartbeat.”

“Which one?”

“That one.”

About ten meters away, a tall tree stood distinct. Master nodded toward it.

“Try shooting it.”

Shooting, huh? I aimed for the heart-like pulsing area and released an arrow coated in enhancement potion.

*Whoosh—thud!*

The arrow embedded itself deep into the heart of the tree. I wasn’t very strong, so I’d expected it to stick just slightly, but to my surprise, the arrow buried itself almost entirely.

“Wow…”

*Is this the power of enhancement potions?* I thought, marveling at its destructive force as green sap began to flow from the tree’s “heart.”

The tree, which I had assumed had deep roots, toppled over sideways. It wasn’t rooted but standing on its own legs.

*Boom!*

With a heavy crash, the massive tree fell, and Master patted my head, a gesture I understood as praise.

“That’s a perfect match for you.”

“A perfect match?”

“Yes. Ents don’t move unless you get close, and they’re so well-disguised that they’re almost indistinguishable from real trees. But since you can spot them from a distance and shoot, they’re like stationary targets for you.”

“Oh.”

It was like having an overwhelming advantage, as clear as fire versus water. Feeling a sense of pride, my tail wagged happily.

“Since today’s focus is on improving the adventurers’ tracking skills, maybe you shouldn’t participate in the searching, Gyeoul.”

“Oh…”

*Then what should I do?* I looked up at Master with puzzled eyes.

“Try practicing a support role instead. Aim to disrupt enemies with single, well-timed arrows. Timing is crucial, so it’ll be harder than just taking down the monsters.”

“Oh! Yes, sir!”

It sounded like a challenging skill worth learning. I unwrapped my tail from Master and began moving freely to position myself better for shooting.

—

A giant Ent swung a branch at an adventurer, its lengthy limbs lashing like whips. The small twigs along its branch resembled thorns that could impale anyone hit by them.

*That’s dangerous.*

In my heightened perception, time seemed to slow, and I shot two arrows quickly.

The first arrow was an ice arrow from Jung Yuna. The second was a regular one.

*Thunk!*

The ice arrow struck the Ent’s branch, freezing it partially. If Jung Yuna had crafted a magic arrow, it could’ve frozen the whole Ent, but the ingredient I’d gathered, goblin magic stones, could only freeze about thirty centimeters around the impact.

That’s why I’d prepared a second shot.

*Thunk!*

The second arrow shattered the frozen branch.

“Thanks!”

The adventurer, who had almost been hit by the branch, quickly thrust his sword into the Ent’s heart.

*Boom!*

The Ent collapsed, green sap spilling out. My heart raced with excitement.

*This is amazing.*

Hunting Ents had a thrill different from goblins. Perhaps it was the higher level of the dungeon.

*Hoo…*

I took a deep breath to calm my heart. Just then, Shin Seoyeon approached.

“You’re making significant contributions to the hunt, Gyeoul. You’re going to earn a lot.”

“Yes…!”

“Maybe with all that money, you should treat everyone to a meal?”

Her light teasing stopped my heart for a moment.

*I need to pay off my debt…* I thought. But was it customary for the highest earner to treat the others? Confused, I began to fidget with my fingers.

“Well… um…”

“I’m just kidding! How could I ask you to treat us?”

Realizing how uncomfortable I looked, Shin Seoyeon waved her hands dismissively.

*I feel bad, like I was being selfish…*

“I’m sorry… I have some debts to pay off.”

“Debts? You have debts, Gyeoul?”

“Yes…”

From head to toe, Shin Seoyeon looked me over. She reached toward a torn part of my outfit but then withdrew her hand.

“Is it a lot?”

“Yes… I’m really sorry… but maybe I can at least buy everyone a drink.”

Unable to afford a meal, I bowed to her, apologizing earnestly.

“N-No! Really, you don’t have to!”

“No, I’m the highest earner, so I should at least show a little gratitude.”

Just as she said, it was only right to express my thanks,

 even in a small way. I might be tight on funds, but this was something I couldn’t skimp on.

After all, it’s part of living in society.

______________________

TL NOTE: Please don’t skimp on the stars and likes of the translation – it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep