Chapter 34 – The Northern Gate Mission

The Northern Gate of Eastern City loomed tall, its massive steel doors rising as high as a tower. From a distance, a thick gray fog blanketed the plains beyond. The air near the gate was unnaturally cold, a sharp contrast to the warm city streets.

A city guard captain barked orders. “The fog monsters are beginning to appear. They aren’t strong individually, but they come in overwhelming numbers. Do not let a single one slip through the gate.”

Zareen stood shoulder to shoulder with Yuna and Sari. This was the first time he was truly part of a team.

His heart pounded. *Okay, Zareen. Focus. Don’t embarrass yourself,* he thought.

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### The First Wave

A shadow moved in the mist. Monsters emerged—humanoid shapes with bodies made of thick smoke and glowing crimson eyes.

Sari drew her daggers and darted forward. “I’ll go first!”

*SWISH!*

In an instant, three fog monsters were down, bursting into clouds of smoke.

Yuna stepped forward next, her greatsword glowing with a dark aura. With a single swing, she cleaved through five monsters in one strike.

“Clear the rest,” she said flatly.

Zareen swallowed hard. *Okay… my turn.*

He raised his staff, ready to unleash—

…Nothing.

Zareen froze. “…Uh?”

Sari glanced back. “Zareen, hurry up! Where’s your attack spell?”

His face flushed crimson. “Um… I don’t have one.”

Both women stopped mid-motion. “What?”

He quickly raised his staff defensively. “I-I’m pure support. I can heal, make barriers, and give buffs. But… no attacks.”

Yuna’s brows furrowed. “That’s not normal. Even support mages usually have at least one offensive spell.”

Zareen gave an awkward smile. “Yeah, I’m… a little different.”

The monsters surged closer, leaving them no time for further questions.

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### The Role of Support

Zareen closed his eyes, focusing. “**Barrier Wall!**”

A lavender wall of light formed, halting the first wave of monsters.

Sari let out a low whistle. “Not bad. That’s a solid wall.”

Zareen quickly followed up. “Speed Up for Sari, Attack Up for Yuna!”

Sari became a blur, darting between enemies like a shadow, while Yuna, empowered by the buff, swung her blade with hurricane-like force, slicing through entire clusters of fog monsters.

Zareen kept patching up wounds and reinforcing defenses. Even though he wasn’t striking a single blow, he could feel it—he was making a difference.

---

### Team Rhythm

The battle raged for a while, but soon their rhythm was perfect.

* Sari struck first, stunning and poisoning enemies with her quick attacks.

* Yuna acted as the unshakable wall, her dark sword tearing through the horde.

* Zareen stood behind them, keeping their stamina and health topped off, shielding them whenever danger crept too close.

When a monster lunged at Yuna from behind, Zareen shouted, “**Barrier Flash!**”

A thin shield of light appeared just in time, the impact ringing out sharply.

Yuna turned her head slightly. Her expression was as stoic as ever, but the corner of her lips curved into the faintest smile.

---

### The End of the Battle

After an hour of relentless fighting, the fog finally began to thin. The last monster fell, dissolving into harmless mist.

The city guards cheered. “The gate is secure!”

Zareen collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard. “Phew… that was exhausting,” he muttered.

Sari wiped her brow and sat beside him. “You know, you did pretty well. At first, I thought you’d be dead weight since you can’t attack.”

Zareen pouted. “Thanks for the honesty.”

Sari grinned. “I mean it—your support was clean and on point. It felt good having you watching our backs.”

Zareen scratched his head, embarrassed. “That’s… all I can do, really.”

Yuna walked over and planted her sword into the ground. She looked at Zareen for a long moment before speaking in her usual blunt tone. “You’re weird. But… useful.”

It was the most awkward compliment Yuna had probably ever given, yet somehow, it made Zareen’s chest feel warm.

---

### A Little Comedy

When they returned to the guild to report their success, Doni was already waiting by the door, looking eager.

“So? Wasn’t it fun? So now you’ll let me join the next mission, right?”

Yuna snorted. “No.”

Doni’s face fell dramatically. “Why does Zareen get to join but not me!? He’s a guy too! What’s the difference!?”

Zareen flinched, his face turning bright red. “H-hey! Don’t drag me into this!”

Sari burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Well, he’s got a point.”

Yuna pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly tired of Doni’s whining. “Fine. Just once. If you become a burden, you’re out.”

Doni jumped for joy. “Yes!! Finally!!”

Zareen sighed, feeling heat creep up his neck. *Great… so now I’m not just the only guy in the team, I’m also the reason Doni finally gets to tag along…*