The ground was shaking.
No—I was.
My hands trembled as I gripped the dagger tighter, pulse hammering in my ears. It felt like my legs were sinking into the stone floor.
This is bad. Really bad.
"Everyone! Get out of the portal—now!"
They didn't need to be told twice. One by one, they stumbled through, disoriented and unsure. I stood at the front, dagger raised in reflex, just in time to see it.
Red, cloudy eyes.
That thing locked onto me like prey. Its shriek tore through the silence, ear-splitting, wild. In an instant, it was right in front of me.
What the hell was that speed…?
But I moved. Reflexes honed by countless failed drills, hours under Hayoon's relentless yelling.
I kicked upward, connecting hard with the rat's side. It tumbled but didn't even flinch—recovered like it had barely noticed the hit.
This isn't a monster we can stall out. We'll be overrun.
I twisted, planting my weight on my back foot and slammed the dagger into its skull.
It spasmed. Twitched. And then—stillness.
I turned.
They were still frozen near the portal, eyes wide, faces pale with fear. Dahee opened her mouth, voice cracking.
"I-It won't open. We're stuck."
My dagger slipped a little in my hand.
"What…?"
I stepped toward the portal and reached out.
ZAP.
I yanked my hand back, fingers tingling from the light shock.
And then came the system notification:
Ding!
[Extermination Quest: Rank D-]
Objective: Eliminate 8 Slaughter Rats (1/8)
Reward: Portal Reactivation | ???
What. The. Hell.
This isn't right. Bronze dungeons don't have quests.
My stomach turned cold.
The sound came before I saw them—scuttling claws, gnashing teeth, countless little screeches. From every tunnel except one, they came.
We were trapped. This wasn't a dungeon anymore. It was a death sentence.
I clenched my jaw and turned to them.
"…Do you want to survive?"
"Huh?" Dahee blinked.
"What kind of question is that?! Of course we do!" someone shouted.
"Then listen to everything I say. No hesitation. No complaints. Got it?!"
Silence.
A second passed. Two.
"…Yes!" one said. Another followed. Heads began nodding.
Good.
I pointed toward the narrowest tunnel—Tunnel Two. Three entrances had rats pouring out. One was above us—out of reach.
"This is the only shot we've got. When they're close, we rush Tunnel Two."
"That's suicide!" one of the guys yelled.
"No questions! Hold your weapons. I'll lead. You just keep the others off us!"
Three… two… one—
"GO!!"
They burst through the tunnels like a tidal wave. Sharp teeth, greasy fur, endless screeches.
The middle tunnel was narrow, less crowded. Still, there were at least ten in our path. Most came from the right, wider one.
My dagger met the first one's throat.
I twisted—got it hooked—dragged its body with me as a shield. Screams behind me. The clang of metal, muffled cries.
"Just swing!" I yelled. "Scratch them—anything! It'll count!"
The rest was instinct. Movement. Blood. Screams. My body moved on its own, carving forward, step by step, blow by blow.
No hesitation. No blinking. Just running.
Until—
An opening. A large chamber.
Countless tunnels branched out—one massive, gaping one on the far side. Probably the one that led to the boss, The Boss' Lair. Rats everywhere. Dozens.
I didn't stop. There was a wide tunnel to our right. I had hoped it was the one connecting to the entrance. That's right. This was my plan— a U-Turn.
"To the right!" I screamed.
We ran again.
Minutes blurred. My body burned. But then—I saw it.
The portal.
Still guarded. A few stragglers left behind.
"Get through!" I shouted.
"Isn't it still blocked?!"
"JUST GO!"
They dove through. One after another. I followed last.
And then—silence.
I collapsed, knees hitting the ground.
I couldn't feel my legs.
We survived.
How?
Ding!
Quest Completed!
Slaughter Rats Eliminated: 17/8
Reward: Silver Weapon Set ×1
A breath escaped me. I almost laughed.
It worked.
Slaughter Rats—they accelerate too fast for their bodies to handle. Their skulls are thick, especially up top. That's how they attack—headbutts.
My plan? Force them into a tight space. Let them collide with each other, clog the way. And even kill each other. The rest was just luck.
And the system… thank god it works like the novel. Even a scratch counts as a kill.
A hand touched my shoulder.
I didn't flinch.
I knew it was her.
Hayoon.
"…You did well," she said softly.
For the first time in hours, I let myself breathe.
Despite everything, I felt… proud.
The adrenaline faded like a wave pulling back from the shore, and my body finally gave out. Everything went black.
---
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying inside a tent. My back ached, and the lingering taste of blood coated my tongue. I must've been carried in.
Dahee sat across from me, legs folded neatly, her expression soft.
"You're awake... that's great," she said gently. "I'll call the others—"
"N-No, don't," I cut her off, voice hoarse. "What happened to the others?"
She paused, then smiled. "We all made it. Everyone's alive."
Relief hit me like a silent punch to the chest. I let out a shaky breath.
"That's… good."
"Oh! I almost forgot about the rewa—"
The flap flew open.
Hayoon stormed in like she owned the place. Although she did.
"Oh... you're up," she said, arms crossed, grinning with that same smug confidence that made people love her—or want to strangle her.
"I heard everything. You brought everyone out alive. It was reckless, but... you did good."
"…Thanks."
"If you keep this up, I might just make you my right-hand man," she added with a smirk.
As prideful as ever.
"That'd be an honor."
"Oppa," Dahee said softly, interrupting. "Here… this is yours."
A bright shimmer appeared in front of me.
[Silver Weapon Set ×1]
"Seriously?" I blinked. "I only took out one rat. You guys did most of the work."
Dahee shook her head. "That's not true. We only could do it because of you. You saved us, oppa. Everyone agreed—you deserve this."
"…Well, I'm not gonna reject it twice."
I reached forward.
Draw—
[...]
[TA-DA!]
[Light Steelsword: D] Obtained!
[Heavy-Handle Gloves: D-] Obtained!
A sword and gloves.
I stared at the weapon in my hands.
Tch. A sword? Of all things…
It felt foreign. I didn't even know how to hold one properly. Not like Hayoon, who handled hers like it was an extension of her body.
I turned toward her.
"Hayoon-ssi," I muttered, holding out the blade. "You can take this."
She raised a brow. "You sure? That looks like a decent sword."
"Yeah. I'll stick with the gloves."
Her smirk widened. "Well… I'm not gonna reject it twice."
Cheeky.
She was mocking me now, tossing my words back with a glint in her eye.
Cunning fox.
I gave her a side glance but let it slide.
Now wasn't the time.
"Hayoon-ssi."
"Hm?"
"I have a plan."
Her expression straightened. "Go on."
"…To clear the dungeon."
For a brief second, the air grew heavier.
Hayoon's gaze sharpened. "You're serious?"
"I am."
"Didn't think you were the type to charge into danger again after barely making it out alive."
"I'm not," I replied. "But I'm not the type to leave things half-finished either."
She studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"…Alright. Let's hear it."
I clenched my fists.
We survived round one. But I wasn't about to let luck carry us through the next.
Now… it's time to finish what we started.