Chapter 48: The Exception

At the Hunters’ Headquarters in Mond,

inside the office of the Huntress Commander—

Anna sat in Jean’s chair, her head resting against the desk.

The exhaustion on her face was unmistakable—she made no effort to hide it.

Anna: “How did Jean handle all of this on her own?”

Sarah answered calmly.

Sarah: “I told you—it was going to be exhausting.”

Anna: “I didn’t think it would be this bad…”

A knock echoed at the door.

Sarah: “Just a moment.”

Anna straightened up quickly.

Sarah: “Come in.”

The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside, his voice composed as ever.

Y: “Time to switch.”

Sarah’s eyes widened.

Sarah: “Y! You’re back!”

Anna let out a long breath, slumping slightly in relief.

Anna: “Finally… it’s time to rest.”

Y: “I told Jean I’d take care of everything.

So tell me—what problems are you dealing with?”

Anna paused for a moment, then answered honestly.

Anna: “First of all… I’m starving.

Let’s go to the restaurant.”

⸻

Margaret’s Restaurant

The three arrived at Margaret’s Restaurant.

Anna pushed the door open and entered first, followed by Y and Sarah.

Anna and Sarah took a seat at one of the tables, while Y remained standing near the entrance.

Almost immediately, he noticed something was off.

The restaurant was unusually quiet.

Elin: “How may I help you?”

Anna: “The usual.”

Sarah: “I’ll have today’s special.”

Elin turned to Y.

Elin: “And you?”

Y sat down with them.

Y: “Just water.”

Elin: “Of course.”

Anna: “You noticed the change, didn’t you?”

Y: “What happened to the hunters?”

Sarah: “Some time ago, Leona told me about a newly discovered route on the fifteenth floor of the dungeon—inside the floor boss’s chamber.”

Y: “You mean the fight with the Minotaur?”

Anna: “Yes.”

Liz approached and placed a glass of water in front of Y.

Sarah: “At first, I thought it was just another corridor.

But it leads downward… possibly to the middle floors, or even deeper.”

Y: “Did you send anyone to investigate?”

Sarah: “We considered it. We wanted to send our most experienced hunters—Scarlet and Mr. Zinger—but—”

Y: “Scarlet was with me.

And Zinger is outside Mond, right?”

Sarah: “Exactly.”

She continued.

Sarah: “After that, we asked Ash and L.

They refused.”

Anna: “Then there was the assassination attempt on Jean.

After that, we couldn’t risk sending inexperienced hunters into the dungeon.”

Y: “That makes sense.

So what did you do?”

Sarah: “Mr. Silva suggested another option… volunteers.”

Y: “Volunteers…”

Sarah: “We posted a notice—an expedition into the dungeon.

A reward for participation, and additional compensation for any information gathered.”

Y: “Sounds reasonable.”

Anna: “It did at first.

But a day after the expedition departed, several hunters returned…”

Sarah: “Carrying blue crystals.”

Anna: “They said they found large quantities along the route.”

She continued quietly.

Anna: “Those crystals are extremely valuable—perfect for high-grade magical weapons and tools.

And their market price is high.”

Y: “I think I understand the problem.”

Sarah: “You do.”

Y: “The hunters of Mond found out…

and rushed to the dungeon.

Greed took over.”

A quiet voice interrupted them.

Mia: “I’m sorry… this is my fault.”

She stood before them, her eyes lowered.

Mia: “The wall collapsed during my fight with the Minotaur.”

Y looked at her silently.

Margaret stepped forward.

Margaret: “I’m sorry…

it seems we caused trouble without realizing it.”

Y: “There’s no need to apologize.

You were only training the girls.”

He paused.

Y: “I was planning to visit Mond’s dungeon myself.

Looks like the time has come.”

Y finished his water, stood up, and headed toward the exit.

Mia: “I’ll help you.”

Y stopped and nodded.

Y: “Then let’s go.

Now.”

The two left the restaurant together.

⸻

Elin returned with the food and placed it on the table.

Anna & Sarah: “Thank you for the meal.”

Margaret remained silent.

Elin: “Are you alright, Mother?”

Margaret: “After you finish eating,

close the restaurant and go to Lara’s house with them.

Liz and I… will support Y and Mia.”

Elin: “Is something wrong?”

Margaret: “Just a feeling… nothing more.

Change your clothes. Then we move.”

⸻

Deep Within the Dungeon — Fifteenth Floor

Y and Mia stood before a newly revealed entrance.

Behind them, the Minotaur lay motionless, its body already beginning to decay.

They exchanged a brief glance, then stepped into the passage.

⸻

They walked through a long corridor.

Blue crystals embedded in the ceiling bathed the path in cold, pale light.

Y:

“Just to be clear…

whatever happens here has nothing to do with you, Mia.”

Mia:

“You really do care about the people around you.”

Y:

“As long as someone is within my range,

they’re under my protection.”

Mia:

“What’s your plan to stop this?”

Y:

“I don’t think we need one.

A little violence

should bring them back to their senses.”

After a pause, he added:

Y:

“I wonder…

how is a dungeon actually formed?”

Mia:

“I didn’t expect that question.

Some say there’s a core in the final chamber—the Dungeon Heart.

Others believe a powerful being resides in the depths,

and its magic shapes everything around it.”

Y:

“I lean toward the core theory…”

He stopped abruptly.

Mia:

“Something wrong?”

Y:

“Follow me.”

He dashed forward without hesitation.

Mia followed.

They stopped behind a large rock.

Mia peeked around it.

Behind the stone—

A young man stood over a hunter’s corpse.

A girl was pressed against the wall behind him, eyes wide with terror.

Girl:

“Why…?

Why did you betray us?

We were a team!”

The young man laughed.

Young Man:

“A team?

You really think I’d work with weaklings like you?”

He grabbed her hair.

Young Man:

“I was only with you for your money.”

He shoved her down and raised his weapon.

A calm voice spoke from behind.

Mia:

“That’s why…

I hate hunter teams.”

The man turned—

And Mia struck.

His body slammed into the wall.

She shook her weapon clean and turned to the girl.

Mia:

“Don’t worry.

You’re safe now.”

⸻

The man collapsed to his knees, eyes wide, then fell silent.

Y stepped closer.

Y:

“How many people have you killed?”

Young Man:

“I don’t know…”

Y:

“How many have you exploited?”

“I don’t know…”

Y glanced at the girl, her eyes burning with hatred.

Y:

“Betrayal is one thing.

Murder is another.”

He stepped forward.

Y:

“I’ll give you one last chance.

Will you start over?”

Young Man:

“Yes! I promise!”

(I’ll just move to another kingdom and exploit beginners again…)

Y sighed.

Y:

“You’ve failed.”

One strike ended it.

He turned to the girl.

Y:

“We’re heading deeper.

You can follow us—

or leave on your own.”

Girl:

“I’m support-type…

moving alone is dangerous.

I can help.”

Y:

“Then stay close.”

Mia extended her hand.

Mia:

“Can you stand?”

Girl:

“Yes.”

Mia:

“I’m Mia.”

Girl:

“Talia.”

———

Y walked at the front,

with Mia and Talia a few steps behind him.

It didn’t take long before they encountered a group of three hunters.

Y stopped and asked calmly:

Y: “What’s the situation here?”

The team leader stepped forward, his expression grim.

Leader:

“It’s madness.

Hunters are fighting each other now.

I’d advise you to be careful…

greed brings nothing but ruin.”

He gave them a brief glance and moved on.

One of the hunters lingered behind, his gaze settling on Mia.

Their eyes met—

In the same instant, both drew their weapons, each slipping into a combat stance.

The hunter spoke first.

Hunter:

“Is she with you?”

Y:

“And what if she is?”

Hunter:

“I wouldn’t trust her if I were you.

She killed her previous team.”

Talia turned toward Mia, doubt clearly visible in her eyes.

Hunter:

“She’s the worst kind of person to have on your team.”

Y moved.

In a single motion, he drew his weapon and rested it against the man’s shoulder.

Y:

“I won’t tolerate anyone insulting someone who stands with me.”

The hunter stared at Y for several seconds.

Slowly, he returned his weapon to its sheath.

Hunter:

“I warned you.”

He turned and left with his team.

—

Suddenly—

A powerful aura rippled through the area.

The hunter stopped and turned back, alarmed.

Hunter:

“What was that?!”

Y re-sheathed his weapon and immediately headed toward the source.

Mia followed calmly.

Talia hurried after them until she was walking beside Mia.

Mia:

“Are you sure?

That team was heading out of the dungeon.”

Talia:

“I feel safer with you.”

She glanced at Y.

Talia:

“You have an amazing partner.”

Mia:

“I’m not sure I’d call him a partner…

This is our first time working together.”

Talia:

“You seem perfectly in sync.

I’ve never heard of either of you before.”

Mia:

“I retired from hunting years ago.

As for Y… he isn’t a hunter to begin with.”

Talia’s eyes widened.

Talia:

“Not a hunter?

Will he be okay?”

Mia:

“You should worry about yourself, not him.

He’s S-rank.”

Y stopped abruptly.

Y:

“We’re here.”

———

They entered a vast arena.

The ground was littered with the bodies of hunters,

blue crystals stained dark where blood had soaked into them.

A place where nothing could be heard

but the slow drip of blood.

Y drew his weapon

and stepped into the center of the arena.

Mia:

“Be ready…

there’s something strange here.”

Y lifted his gaze slightly.

Y:

“Was it you who killed them?”

A voice answered from above.

Voice:

“I didn’t expect a human to be able to see me.”

A monster revealed itself.

In a single instant, Y understood.

Six arms—identical in arrangement.

A body barely held together by skin.

An unmistakable sense of age… not hunger.

And a green stone embedded in its chest—exactly as he remembered.

This was no new creature.

It was the complete form

of something he had encountered before.

Monster:

“I don’t recall us ever meeting.”

Y:

“I encountered a creature like you.”

Monster:

“Like me?

Did it complete its mission?”

Y:

“I know nothing of any mission.

It targeted spirits and people…

and I killed it myself.”

Monster:

“It seems leaving the dungeon caused it to forget its purpose…

and lose its sanity.”

It paused.

“Human…

thank you for ending its suffering.”

Y:

“I’m curious.

What is this mission?”

Monster:

“Simple.

Eliminate anything that threatens the dungeon’s stability.”

Y glanced at the corpses.

Y:

“Were you the one who killed them?”

Monster:

“I killed some.

The rest were already dead.”

Y:

“I see.”

Monster:

“Excuse me.

I still have work to do.”

Y:

“About that…

I’d like you to leave them to me.

I’ll remove them quietly.

My goal is to resolve the problem.”

Monster:

“Removing them is only a temporary solution.

There is no guarantee they won’t repeat this.”

Y:

“I understand your point of view.”

Talia whispered:

Talia:

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone negotiate with a monster.”

Mia:

“Same here.”

———

"What idiotic logic!"

The shout came from behind.

“You kill people just because a few walls were destroyed?!”

The hunters who had been heading for the exit had returned.

The one in front—clearly their leader—stepped forward, his voice sharp with anger.

Monster:

“Idiotic logic?

And you kill each other for stones.”

Behind the leader, a heavily built hunter raised his shield instinctively, a massive hammer resting in his other hand.

He didn’t speak—his eyes were fixed on the monster, tracking every movement.

To the side, a young woman tightened her grip on a magic staff, her stance shifting into a practiced casting posture.

Leader:

“Since when do we negotiate with monsters?

Can’t you see? Our comrades were killed here!”

He snarled.

“If a monster appears, we kill it.

That’s our job as hunters!

And if you’re afraid—

go back home.

This place isn’t for cowards!”

Monster:

“Humans are always the same…”

It continued calmly.

“You are the ones who enter the dungeon by choice.

You are the ones who slaughter monsters in their homes

for fame and wealth.”

Its gaze hardened.

“And when one of you dies,

you grieve—

and believe brute force can solve everything.”

Then it turned toward Y.

“But it seems…

there is an exception among you.”

Monster:

“If you can remove these humans,

I will allow you to act as you see fit.

If you fail—

I will kill them only if they interfere with my mission.”

The hunters shifted fully into combat stances.

The leader leaned forward, eyes burning.

Leader:

“I’d like to see you try.”

Y:

“There’s no need for this.

You can return to Mond.

I’ll handle things here.”

He paused.

“And in return…

I’ll give you my share

and my team’s share of the reward.”

Leader:

“Are you mocking us?

This isn’t about money.”

He glared at the monster.

“It admitted to killing hunters.

That makes it our enemy.

Leaving without killing it

would stain our honor.”

Y:

“That may be a problem…”

—

Suddenly—

The ground began to tremble.

At first, it was subtle,

as if the earth itself were drawing breath.

Then the shaking intensified violently.

Black cracks spread beneath their feet.

The blue crystals shuddered—

then shattered with piercing cracks.

Mia:

“Watch out!”

But time favored no one.

The ground collapsed all at once.

The surface beneath them vanished

as if it had never existed.

They were dragged downward into empty space,

freezing air slamming into their faces.

One of the hunters screamed as he reached for something—

his hand grasping nothing but air.

Sounds collided—

screams,

metal scraping,

stone tearing free.

Y moved on instinct—

But a massive worm burst from the depths,

slamming into him and tearing him away from the others.

At the same time,

Mia anchored herself to the wall,

pulling Talia with her using her weapon.

Another worm erupted from the stone

and lunged toward them.

And in that instant—

Two shadows appeared from behind.

Voice:

“You won’t take my daughter too!”

Two precise strikes.

The worm’s head was severed.

The newcomers latched onto the wall.

Mia:

“Mom…

Margaret! Liz!”

Margaret:

“Are you alright, Mia?”

Mia:

“Yes…

but we got separated from Y.”

Margaret:

“Then let’s climb back up.”

⸻

Elsewhere—

Y emerged in a vast chamber,

crystals lining the walls,

corridors branching in every direction.

He pushed himself up slowly.

One glance was enough.

This…

was not a random collapse.