One by one, they climbed into the vehicle. Everyone was seated. When it was Soo-Jin’s turn, he placed one foot on the step. Just as he was about to move forward, Gyu-Min, already seated in the back, let out a grunt.

“So, are you planning to take your sweet time or waiting in line like the rest of us? Ahem… Mister Porter, once we’re inside the dungeon, stay far from the fighting, will you? And try not to collapse—otherwise you’re the one we’ll end up carrying. HA HA… Damn, that was a good one. I surprise myself sometimes.”

A few muffled chuckles rippled through the van, especially from Baek Joon-Ho and Kim Hyo-Rin, two E-ranks who, for once, had found someone weaker than them to mock during a raid — because unlike them, Soo-Jin didn’t even have a rank.

Soo-Jin said nothing and stepped fully into the van, going to sit beside Kyung-Ah.

“Hey, we’re not all here to kill each other,” said Kang Do-Hyun with a raised eyebrow. Sitting in the front passenger seat, near the driver, it was his job to keep the group in check.

“This is a raid, not a contest to see whose aura is bigger.”

Soon after, silence settled back inside the vehicle. The road ahead was long… or at least, that’s how it felt to some.

After a while, a hunter suddenly spoke, breaking the quiet.

“Man, I can’t wait to get this dungeon over with. I’ve got a date tonight — first one with a girl I met on Zimzo two weeks ago. I really can’t mess this one up like the last one,” Baek muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

All eyes turned toward him.

He quickly turned off his phone, shoved it into a pocket, folded his arms, and closed his eyes as if centering himself for the mission.

Yoo Hae-Rin, seated just behind the driver, was quietly reading notes in a small notebook. She felt someone watching her. She looked up briefly — it was Young Jin-Tae. Her gaze met his with calm neutrality before she returned to her reading without a word. A faint chill surrounded her presence.

Young Jin-Tae felt a cold sweat crawl down his back.

An E-rank with a lean build, he sat beside Ryu Se-Ha — also E-rank, delicate and composed, almost fragile in appearance. The two were a quiet couple, used to raiding smaller dungeons together.

That single glance from Hae-Rin was enough to make him avert his eyes. There was something about her stare — a silent, suffocating pressure — that made it clear: there was a whole world of difference between them.

Without thinking, he reached for Se-Ha’s hand, squeezing it like a lifeline.

Meanwhile, Na-Yeon, a young and jittery E-rank, was whispering numbers under his breath while checking his watch, counting down the seconds.

Everyone had their own way of killing time.

Im Na-Rae, detached from the others’ conversations, slowly turned a small stone between her fingers. It was etched with ancient runes, pulsing faintly with a soft violet glow — almost like it was breathing.

Sitting across from her, Soo-Jin kept his eyes on the stone. He wasn’t staring outright, but his gaze lingered just long enough for her to notice.

Still turning the stone, a slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“You’re wondering what this is, aren’t you?” she said, her voice calm but assured, not even looking at him.

Soo-Jin didn’t reply. His eyes remained fixed on the stone, spinning gently in her hand.

Taking his silence as an invitation, Na-Rae began to explain—

“It’s—”

“It’s a Catalithe. A rune used by mages to enhance a spell’s focus and extend its duration. This one… is a C-1 Rune. The lowest tier, actually.”

She froze, surprised. For the first time, she lifted her eyes to look at him directly, eyebrows slightly raised.

“Wait… how do you know that?”

But their exchange was cut short by Gyu-Min’s raised voice:

“Seriously, at this point, what the hell are two C-ranks doing here for a D-rank gate? We’ve already got five D-ranks — we could wipe this thing clean in ten minutes flat.”

Choi Min-Kyu shrugged in response.

“It is what it is. Don’t just think about your cut. You’ve always been stingy when it comes to splitting rewards. Besides, something tells me that without them, you’d be the first out the door the moment something went wrong.”

Gyu-Min growled but said nothing. He stared out the windshield, jaw clenched.

“Pffft… What a team.”

Outside, the scenery rolled by. The gate was getting close.

The van finally stopped on a dusty forest trail, not far from an old industrial park. The sky was grey, covered in a milky haze that filtered out all sunlight.

In that cocoon of silence, the portal had begun to open — hovering in the air like a tear in reality, pulsing slowly, exuding a bluish glow.

Do-Hyun stepped out first. He signaled the others to follow. One by one, the hunters climbed out of the van, stretching, checking their gear.

“Alright,” Do-Hyun said. “Get in position.”

Choi Min-Kyu stood in silence, both hands on his crossbow. Im Na-Rae drank a concentration potion. Nam Gyu-Min feigned a few stretches, but his eyes remained locked on the portal like he was already searching for a reason to charge ahead.

Soo-Jin stood slightly off to the side, tightening the straps on the carrier pack he’d brought from the van. It was filled with porter supplies — used to store resources collected during the raid. He had nothing to prepare. Nothing to activate. So, he simply waited for the signal.

But his heart was pounding like a drum.

It was his first mission — even if only as a porter.

Do-Hyun gave the final instructions before entering:

“Standard formation. Hae-Rin and I will take the front. Sun-Woo and Gyu-Min provide immediate support. Min-Jung, Min-Kyu, and Na-Rae form the second line. The rest stay on rear guard. Ji-Hwan will bring up the rear with Soo-Jin.”

He turned to Soo-Jin.

“You’ll move with us until we encounter enemies. Only go when we tell you to. Stay close to Ji-Hwan — he’s a healer, and you’re a porter. Both of you will keep your distance from the main group. Only after the monsters are down will you stay behind to collect resources while we advance a few meters ahead. Before that — if you stray from the line, you die. If you touch anything before the signal, you die. Clear?”

Soo-Jin nodded, pale.

“Yes.”

Do-Hyun gave him a barely perceptible look — just the faintest softness in his eyes.

“Breathe. You’re not here to die.”

Lee Kyung-Ah stepped closer and gave him a kind look.

The portal began to pulse faster. A wave of blue spread across the ground, lifting a soft gust of dust into the air.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

One by one, they crossed through the portal’s blue veil.

Soo-Jin was the last.

He looked back. Just for a second. Only one.

Then he stepped forward.

A new life had begun.