Part 6. The Dragon’s Shadow (8)
“Um… excuse me…”
Lee Sanghee spoke in a trembling voice.
“Hari.”
All the surrounding students stopped at once. In the middle of the hallway, Lee Sanghee had called my name. In front of everyone.
“Yeah!”
I answered, having no choice.
Lee Sanghee took a step closer. Her head was still lowered, but her voice was clear.
“Y-you… next week’s Ongdalsam Dungeon practice… um, would you maybe… maybe want to participate…?”
“…What?”
I froze at the sudden question. Ongdalsam Dungeon? She was asking if I wanted to participate.
The students around us immediately started whispering.
“Huh? Hari?”
“She’s F-rank; is that even okay?”
“Isn’t that against the rules?”
“Ongdalsam is an easy dungeon, though.”
“But still, F-rank…”
Lee Sanghee continued speaking.
“Um, I—I’m participating too, and… for your experience… I thought maybe we could go together… j-just once…”
Her voice was shaking, but her eyes were firm.
This wasn’t a suggestion.
It was a trap.
“For your experience… I thought it might be good to try going together…”
The hallway fell silent.
All eyes turned to me. Some were curious. Some were worried. Others looked doubtful, as if thinking, No way.
I felt the full weight of those gazes as I looked at Lee Sanghee.
She still had her head down. Her long hair hid her face, but I could see her lips trembling slightly.
With her timid personality, speaking up in front of so many people must have been terrifying. And yet, she still made this proposal.
I knew instinctively.
Lee Sanghee was trying to hurt me. She had cornered me in a public place, creating a situation where it was hard to refuse.
“Is she giving her spot to Hari? Ongdalsam has limited slots.”
“That’s crazy. That dungeon’s popular.”
“Yeah, sometimes you even get good rewards.”
The whispers grew louder.
Ongdalsam Dungeon was C-rank but low difficulty. For first-year students, it was known as a safe dungeon that was great for gaining experience.
Occasionally, decent items dropped as rewards too, so competition to apply was fierce.
And Lee Sanghee was offering that spot to me?
On the surface, it looked like pure kindness.
But I knew better.
I knew her real intention.
“Um… Ongdalsam Dungeon is really easy. You know the golden axe, silver axe story, right? It’s like that… you just go to the mountain spirit and bring back the iron axe. It usually ends in about fifteen minutes…”
Lee Sanghee explained awkwardly.
She wasn’t lying.
Ongdalsam Dungeon really was simple.
But she left something out.
It only ended in fifteen minutes if you had enough mana.
For hunters with low mana, things were very different.
“Hari, what do you think? This is a good opportunity.”
Someone nearby chimed in.
“Um… but…”
“Are you worried because you’re F-rank? It’s fine. Ongdalsam is really easy. My sister trained there too, and nothing happened.”
Others joined in.
“Yeah, Hari can definitely handle it.”
“And it’s Class 8 going together. That’s safer, right?”
“They all awakened recently too.”
They meant well. They truly believed this was a good chance for me.
But I knew why Lee Sanghee was doing this.
Why now?
Why in front of everyone?
And what would happen if I refused?
Up until now, I’d built the image of a “hardworking F-rank.”
Early morning training. Studying during lunch. Practicing alone after class.
That image could protect me someday if something happened.
But what if I refused now?
She turned down a good opportunity. Guess she’s just F-rank after all.
Is she really hardworking, or is it just for show?
Those kinds of whispers would definitely spread.
That wouldn’t help me.
And honestly, I could never get too close to Yoo Hanseong’s group anyway.
“H-Hari?”
Lee Sanghee lifted her head slightly and looked straight at me. Her eyes locked onto mine. Her voice was shaky, but her gaze was firm.
Answer. Now.
It was silent pressure.
I took a slow breath and quickly organized my thoughts.
Ongdalsam Dungeon.
C-rank. Low difficulty.
Usually cleared in fifteen minutes.
But that was for normal hunters.
For an F-rank like me…
It’s dangerous.
In the original story, Ongdalsam turned into the Azure Dragon dungeon almost immediately, so there wasn’t much detail. But there were hints.
You needed a certain amount of mana just to approach the mountain spirit.
If mana was insufficient, the spirit became hostile.
And F-rank Jin Hari’s mana was nowhere near enough.
I could never clear it alone.
I would need help from party members.
That was Lee Sanghee’s goal.
Bring me into the dungeon and prove how much of a burden I was.
An F-rank who just drags everyone down.
Once that image formed, I’d no longer be a “hardworking F-rank.”
I’d become a “clueless F-rank who doesn’t know her place.”
But refusing was also risky.
She turned down a good opportunity herself.
And more importantly—
Lee Sanghee plays a key role in Yoo Hanseong’s party later.
In the original story, she had yandere tendencies, but she was still a core light mage. Her barriers and buffs greatly increased party survival.
If I publicly fell out with her now?
It could hurt me later.
Damn it.
Either choice was bad.
Lee Sanghee had trapped me perfectly.
“Hari, lunch break’s almost over.”
Someone urged me.
The pressure grew heavier.
I looked at Lee Sanghee again.
She was staring straight at me now. A faint smile curved her lips, as if saying, Let’s see what you choose.
…I have to accept.
Refusing carried too much risk.
And honestly…
I remembered Moon Halo.
That day I stood outside, waiting.
Watching others nearly die while I could do nothing.
That helplessness still burned in my chest.
Maybe this time will be different.
Even if it was dangerous. Even knowing her intentions.
Because—
This might be the last dungeon where I can still be protected, even as a burden.
To survive the mandatory final dungeon, I had to grow stronger.
To grow stronger, I needed experience.
Dungeon experience.
I slowly nodded.
“…Okay. I’ll go. Thanks for thinking of me, Sanghee.”
For a split second, her eyes sparkled.
Victory.
“R-really? That’s great, Hari! D-don’t worry. I’ll help you a lot…”
She smiled brightly. To anyone else, she looked genuinely happy.
But I knew what hid behind that smile.
The students started clapping.
Why are you clapping?!
“Oh, that’s brave of you.”
“Sanghee’s so kind, giving up her spot.”
What nonsense.
Praise and encouragement poured out.
I was going, yes—but Sanghee’s reaction was unsettling.
After all, she might actually get me killed.
I have to be careful.
Watching her walk away down the hallway, I silently vowed that to myself.
