The air was thick with tension as the Cursed Gnoll Warchief let out a guttural snarl, its crimson eyes glowing with malice. Behind it, a dozen gnolls bared their fangs, their low growls reverberating through the dungeon walls.
Jinhyuk could feel his heart pounding.
This was bad.
A Cursed Gnoll Warchief wasn't something a C-Class hunting party should face without preparation.
> "Everyone, formation!" Park Sungho shouted, quickly recovering from the near-death experience.
The hunters moved like professionals.
Sungho, the tank, raised his shield and stepped to the front.
Woojin, the swordsman, and another melee damage dealer positioned themselves behind him.
The archer and magician readied their attacks from the back.
The healer stood behind them, preparing to provide support.
Jinhyuk and Taesuk, still labeled as porters, had no place in this formation.
But Jinhyuk wasn't about to just stand there.
As the first wave of gnolls charged—
He activated his skill.
> [Illusion: Phantom Strike]
A blurred afterimage of Jinhyuk sprinted forward at unnatural speed.
The gnolls lunged at it instinctively—only for their claws to pass right through.
> "What the—?!" Woojin's eyes widened in shock.
> "It's an illusion!" someone shouted.
But it was too late.
The real Jinhyuk had already moved behind the distracted gnolls.
And then—
> [Illusion: Shadow Bind]
The shadows beneath the gnolls twisted unnaturally. Dark tendrils wrapped around their limbs, holding them in place for just a moment—
But that moment was enough.
> "Now!" Sungho roared.
Woojin and the melee hunters struck.
SHIIING—!
Their weapons cut through the immobilized gnolls with ease.
Two fell instantly.
The rest struggled, but their movements were restricted just long enough for the other hunters to finish them off.
Jinhyuk exhaled sharply.
That was the first time he had used his illusions in real combat.
And it worked.
> "Did he just—?"
> "That was a D-Class hunter?"
Even the C-Class hunters were stunned.
> "Jinhyuk! You—!" Woojin began to say something, but—
A deep growl cut him off.
The Cursed Gnoll Warchief was no longer watching.
It moved.
Faster than anyone expected.
> Shit—!
Jinhyuk's instincts screamed.
The Warchief ignored the tank and went straight for the magician and archer at the back.
They weren't prepared for a monster that fast.
Jinhyuk had no time to think.
> [Illusion: Phantom Shift]
A mirror image of himself appeared next to the magician.
Just as the Warchief swiped with its massive claws—
The illusion took the hit and vanished in a mist of light.
> "What the hell?!" the magician stumbled back, eyes wide.
The Warchief snarled in confusion, its attack hitting empty air.
That tiny moment of hesitation was all Jinhyuk needed.
> [Illusion: Mirage Strike]
A phantom blade shimmered into existence—an illusion of an attack that felt real.
Jinhyuk lunged.
His attack hit nothing but air—but the Warchief reacted as if it had been struck in the side, stumbling slightly.
> "NOW!" Sungho shouted again.
Woojin and the other melee hunters pounced on the opening.
Their weapons dug deep into the Warchief's body.
> "GRAAHHH!"
The monster howled in pain.
It staggered, its body writhing—before collapsing onto the ground, blood pooling beneath it.
Silence.
The battle was over.
The hunters slowly lowered their weapons.
And then—
> "That was insane…" Woojin muttered, turning to Jinhyuk. "You set up that entire fight."
Jinhyuk blinked.
> "Huh?"
Sungho nodded, his face serious.
> "You restrained the gnolls, distracted the Warchief, and even created an opening for us. That wasn't luck. You know how to fight."
The other hunters exchanged glances.
A D-Class hunter… had just saved their team.
Jinhyuk rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
> "Uh… I guess I just got lucky?"
Woojin snorted.
> "Yeah, right."
For the first time—
Jinhyuk wasn't just a porter.
He was one of them.
—
Taesuk's Internal Conflict
From the sidelines, Taesuk watched everything unfold.
His hands trembled slightly.
Jinhyuk was the same rank as him.
A D-Class hunter.
But the difference in skill… was enormous.
> "I thought we were the same…" Taesuk whispered under his breath.
His fists clenched.
He wasn't angry at Jinhyuk.
He wasn't jealous in a hateful way.
But seeing someone his level perform like that—it made him feel pathetic.
> I've been struggling just to survive in D-Class dungeons… while he's already fighting at this level?
It wasn't fair.
But… it also made him want to be better.
> "I need to train harder," he muttered.
Jinhyuk didn't deserve resentment.
He deserved respect.
And Taesuk would earn his place alongside him.