Entering the dungeon.

He didn’t feel particularly nervous.

If anything, he was more nervous when taking the Accountant Trial.

‘Strange…’

Kim Songcheol was even surprised by his own calm emotions.

What was the origin of this confidence?

Was it his Magic Thread power, or the difficulty of the F-rank Dungeon?

The survival rate for F-rank dungeons is approximately 98 percent.

Hunters do occasionally die in dungeons, but it’s usually due to extremely bad luck.

Most of them fall backward and break their noses.

For example, someone might fall while trying to avoid a Goblin and get stabbed by a sharp branch, rupturing their internal organs.

‘It must be the difficulty.’

Kim Songcheol concluded this and stepped out of the dormitory.

His attire was, as always, comfortable.

He had to change clothes anyway to enter the dungeon.

This was because there was a designated uniform for dungeon entry.

Kim Songcheol entered a certain building on time.

Kim Myeongju was standing in the lobby inside the building. It had been quite a while since he last saw her.

“Hello?”

He greeted Kim Myeongju, who was looking at her mobile phone.

Kim Myeongju turned her head and raised an eyebrow. She smiled as soon as she saw Kim Songcheol.

“Hello? Are you entering the dungeon today?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Yes, let’s go, haha.”

Kim Myeongju pointed inside and led the way. She had come specifically for Kim Songcheol.

She was more curious about him than having any special instructions.

Things like Kim Songcheol’s mood or his condition.

“Did you sleep well?”

Kim Myeongju asked.

“Yes. I slept well.”

“That’s a relief. Many trainees have trouble sleeping. Sleep is directly related to combat power.”

“That’s why I purposely went to bed early yesterday.”

Kim Myeongju scanned Kim Songcheol with a satisfied gaze.

He showed no signs of fatigue or nervousness.

He looked the same as always.

‘That’s a relief.’

In the first dungeon, it’s common for people to make mistakes due to nervousness.

This can trigger the fear to remain as a trauma.

It was a path that led to trainees with excellent magic power who were unable to perform well in dungeons.

“Now, first, the equipment.”

As soon as Kim Myeongju turned the corner, she pointed to a room on the right.

A table was placed there, and on the table were name tags and baskets.

Moon Gijeong, Oh Songhui, Seo Gangjin, and Kim Songcheol.

The three baskets were empty. Only Kim Songcheol’s remained.

The large basket contained a set of combat boots, a combat uniform, and protective gear.

Next to the basket was a backpack, quite full. It was a backpack containing drinking water, food, and first-aid tools.

“Shall I change?”

“Ah, yes.”

Kim Songcheol took the basket and went into the changing room provided in the corner of the room.

He took off the clothes he was wearing and changed into the combat uniform.

Although it looked like a plain khaki combat uniform, it was an item that incorporated every possible function.

It was so tough that the combat uniform alone provided a certain level of defense, and it was unique in that it had fire resistance as well as automatic regeneration.

‘It feels like I’m back in the military. It’s really bad.’

However, the design could not escape from that of a military uniform. That was the only regrettable point.

Kim Songcheol put on the combat uniform and all his armor, then came out.

He looked like a well-trained special forces member.

“Will the design ever change?”

Kim Songcheol asked, looking at his reflection in the window.

“Haha, don’t you like it?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just too much like a military uniform.”

“You should try to push for it.”

“Me?”

“Later, that is. If Hunter Cha Sehyeon had wanted to improve the combat uniform, it would have changed by now.”

Cha Sehyeon had that kind of power. Her influence was not just a whisper, but the breath of a dragon.

“That sounds like you’re urging me to get stronger quickly.”

“That’s right, haha.”

“By then, I probably won’t even wear a combat uniform… but I should try to do something for the people who come after me. But wouldn’t the Education Director have the ability to change it?”

“Ah, it’s a bit difficult for me to change it.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I chose that design. It’s a bit difficult for me to choose it and then change it myself, haha.”

“Oh.”

To think the person who selected the design was right in front of him.

Kim Songcheol, who had been enthusiastically criticizing the Combat Uniform without knowing that, became a little embarrassed.

“…Suddenly, I like the design. Shall we move?”

This time, Kim Songcheol led the way. Kim Myeongju followed behind him with a gentle smile.

Kim Songcheol crossed the corridor and pushed open the large door at its end.

It was a spacious underground area. Bright lights, almost blinding, greeted Kim Songcheol first.

In the center of the space was a circular stone slab, about 3 meters in diameter. Unknown characters were carved along the edge of the stone slab.

It was a stone slab that creates portals.

The Republic of Korea possesses a total of two stone slabs.

One of them was here.

“You’re here?”

As Kim Songcheol entered the space, the trainees who were already waiting greeted him quite cheerfully.

Any old grudges had long disappeared. Kim Songcheol, in the first place, didn’t hold grudges anyway.

Now the four of them were close enough to be considered a single team.

“Oh, the Director is here too.”

“What? She never came before.”

The trainees whispered as Kim Myeongju followed them in.

She was Kim Myeongju, who hadn’t shown her face even once, despite them having entered F-rank dungeons multiple times until now.

It was unavoidable to feel a little disappointed.

“Is everyone ready?”

Kim Myeongju pretended not to hear the trainees’ grumbling and gently opened her mouth.

“We’re ready.”

“It’s not like we’re going in for the first or second time. Though it’s our first time going in with the Director seeing us off.”

The trainees grumbled as if it were nothing.

Although they wore clothes similar to military uniforms, the Training Institute was not the military.

It was a place that revolved around efficiency and results rather than strict hierarchy.

Team 25A, who were achieving the highest results among those of similar rank, could certainly voice their opinions.

“Haha, I also have a schedule. I trust you will understand that part.”

Kim Myeongju expressed her regrets briefly, then said a few words just as briefly.

It was the usual talk about being careful and returning safely.

After Kim Myeongju’s short encouragement, Kim Songcheol stepped onto the stone slab with Team 25A.

As all four of them got on, the stone slab began to emit a faint light.

“F-grade setting.”

Moon Gijeong said, tapping his finger in the air.

Kim Songcheol was also looking at the hologram that Moon Gijeong was seeing.

It was visible to all team members, but controlling it was the leader’s role.

“”F-grade setting.””

Instead, the team members repeated the leader’s words. It was a rule for all four to watch and repeat, just in case the grade setting was incorrect.

If the grade were set incorrectly, it would truly be a disaster.

It was quite an important process.

“Transfer in 5 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”

Moon Gijeong’s countdown ended, and his finger poked the air once.

Then, the light emanating from the stone slab instantly brightened, engulfing Team 25A.

Kim Songcheol’s vision turned white, with Kim Myeongju’s smiling face being the last thing he saw.

It wasn’t blinding, but all he could see was white.

After about 3 seconds, he suddenly felt an uneven floor beneath the soles of his shoes.

At the same time, the white light receded, revealing a peculiar forest.

Colorful leaves.

Bizarrely twisted trees and branches.

And colorful bushes growing on the ground.

It was an alien sight.

“It’s Bienin Forest,” Moon Gijeong said, looking around.

Moon Gijeong said, looking around.

The terrain appearing in F-rank dungeons had already been categorized.

It was simply a matter of memorizing the organized data.

Bienin Forest was a terrain where insect-type monsters appeared.

They weren’t as intelligent as goblins, but they had the characteristic of slightly higher combat power.

“Ugh, I hate Giant Beetles.”

Oh Songhui frowned and drew her sword.

The special alloy sword made a clear sound.

“Let’s go with a Transformed Guard Formation.”

Following Moon Gijeong’s words, Team 25A adjusted their formation.

In a zigzag formation, swordsmen were at the very front and back, with mages interspersed in the center.

This time, Kim Songcheol was in front of Moon Gijeong.

Not directly behind, but to the left rear, a position where Moon Gijeong could be seen with just a slight turn of the head.

“We will move.”

The primary goal was to secure the portal’s location.

Although there was enough water and food, it was most advantageous to find it in advance since they didn’t know what might happen.

Team 25A began to advance through the forest. The forest was sparse, not dense.

However, due to the repeating changes in terrain elevation, securing a clear view was not easy.

‘It feels like I’m on an alien planet.’

Kim Songcheol thought, looking around.

Both the colors and the shapes were like that.

It was similar to Earth in that there were stems and leaves, but the colors and shapes were alien.

It was after advancing about 50 meters while maintaining vigilance.

Kagagak!

With a strange noise, a giant beetle the size of a large dog burst out from the bushes.

It generally resembled a dung beetle, but it had scythe-like forelegs of a mantis attached to its mouth area.

Combining two familiar things in such an odd way gave it a rather grotesque feel.

“Hey!”

Oh Songhui screamed convulsively and swung her sword upwards.

Much faster than usual.

The speed of the sword strike was clearly visible even to Kim Songcheol.

Chwaak!

The scythe attached to its mouth was severed by the sword strike and spun in the air.

At the same time, the magic missile Kim Songcheol fired struck the foe’s flank.

Puck!

There was a rather loud noise, but its hard shell meant there wasn’t much damage.

Instead, its body swayed greatly.

Oh Songhui did not miss that opening.

In the gap where its body lifted from the ground, she kicked the foe’s head with her foot.

As its body was half-flipped, Oh Songhui swiftly sliced off the foe’s neck.

Oh Songhui, who had been swinging her sword splendidly just moments ago, let out a ‘Uiiing!’ sound like a college student her age and quickly retreated.

Immediately, the giant beetle thrashed, and bodily fluids splattered everywhere.

Oh Songhui had retreated because she knew this from experience.

“Can’t you finish it off for me!?”

Kim Songcheol, having received Oh Songhui’s request, immediately cast a spell.

As everyone knew, Kim Songcheol’s mana pool in the 1st Circle was like an inexhaustible spring.

Wasting one or two spells was no problem at all.

A Wind Cutter flew from Kim Songcheol’s magic formation.

The blade of wind severed the waist of the flipped giant beetle and tore into its vulnerable belly.

Only then did the Giant Beetle’s movements gradually subside.

“Ugh, thank you. Giant Beetles are really the worst.”

Despite Oh Songhui’s weakness, the team members didn’t say anything.

They knew that if the situation were urgent, she wouldn’t hesitate to cover herself in bodily fluids.

[23 Points]

As the Giant Beetle died, a small message appeared in the vision of all team members.

It meant they had earned 23 Points by killing the Giant Beetle.

Deleting an F-rank Gate requires about 3000 Normal Points.

Killing 150 of these Giant Beetles would close an F-rank Dungeon.

“Moving out. Maintain formation.”

Moon Gijeong’s command.

Oh Songhui wiped her sword on a leaf and returned to the formation.

Team 25A continued through the Forest, killing Giant Beetles.

Perhaps thanks to Oh Songhui’s fuss, the atmosphere was quite light.

From what they heard, she seemed to normally proceed through Dungeons without much trouble.

However.

Oh Songhui, who was walking at the very front, suddenly crouched down sharply and sent a ‘stop’ Hand Signal.

It was an unusual situation.

“So, at that time…”

Seo Gangjin, who had been chatting, immediately shut his mouth, and all team members almost collapsed into a low posture.

The team members walking behind were all looking at Oh Songhui.

Oh Songhui was hiding behind a broken ridge, looking down at the other side of the ridge.

…

She soon hid behind the ridge again and looked back at her team members.

Anxiety was visible in her eyes.

Oh Songhui immediately sent three Hand Signals.

The expressions of the team members who saw the signals instantly hardened.