Seth leaned back in his chair, letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Ah… that was really good." He commented, feeling truly full for the first time in a long while. With his miserable salary, meals like this were an inaccessible luxury.
Connie smiled, resting her elbow on the table as she watched him with an intense gleam in her golden eyes.
"I'm glad you liked it."
Her fixed gaze made him raise an eyebrow.
"Hmm… if you keep staring at me like that, I'll have to take you upstairs." Seth teased with a smirk.
"Hm… that's not a bad idea…" She murmured, sliding her fingers along her own chin. "I still have a lot to learn… after all…" Her voice dropped to a lower, sultry tone. "I just lost my virginity…"
Seth froze for a moment, blinking a few times before his eyes widened.
"You… were a virgin?! Acting all crazy and shameless like that?" He exclaimed in disbelief.
Connie chuckled softly, leaning in slightly closer to him.
"Mhm… I only had eyes for you." Her smile carried a dangerous sweetness. "After all, I promised we'd be together, didn't I?"
Her gaze was intense—possessive. A shiver ran down Seth's spine.
'She really is a determined woman…' he thought, swallowing hard.
But, as if the universe enjoyed interrupting his moments, a serene and professional voice broke the mood.
"Miss, we have to go."
Seth nearly jumped out of his chair as he realized Kaguya had appeared beside Connie without making a single sound.
'Shit… is this woman a ghost?!'
Connie smiled upon noticing his reaction. "Oh, time's up." She sighed and stood gracefully. "I can't take you with me, so…" Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "I'll leave Kaguya with you, since you probably don't even have the money to get back home."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Very funny."
She chuckled and, without warning, pulled a black card from her small purse, placing it in front of him.
"The pin is 0216." Her smile was playful. "Have some fun."
Seth glanced at the card and then back at her, a grin creeping onto his lips.
"Dangerous move, giving me this, you know?"
Connie just winked, amused, before walking away with Kaguya at her side, leaving behind the lingering echo of her overwhelming presence.
Seth let out a long breath before lifting his gaze to Kaguya. The white-haired woman remained motionless, her hands clasped behind her back in a flawless posture. Her impassive expression made it clear she was only there to follow orders, waiting for him to make a decision.
Ignoring her presence for the moment, Seth grabbed his phone and scrolled through available job opportunities. He couldn't just depend on Connie's generosity.
"I need money… I'm not going to live off her like a parasite."
He opened a recruitment app for Hunters and began searching for Rank-D dungeons still accepting members. Porter, miner, last-minute fighter—anything would do. His eyes narrowed when he found something interesting.
[Rank-D Portal: Last spot available to complete the team.]
"This'll do."
Seth clicked on the offer and reviewed the details. It looked like a straightforward, uncomplicated job—something he had done before.
Nodding to himself, he put his phone away and stood up. Looking back at Kaguya, he noticed she was still in the same position, watching him without a hint of emotion.
"I'm taking a job." He informed casually.
She tilted her head slightly. "Do you need transportation?"
Seth raised an eyebrow, surprised by her readiness. "…Yeah."
"Then let's go."
Without hesitation, Kaguya turned and started walking, as if she had already known what his answer would be.
Seth sighed once more before following her.
As he walked through the hotel lobby behind Kaguya, he could feel the discreet gazes of the staff and guests passing by. Her presence exuded a silent authority, and he wondered whether it was due to her Rank-A status or simply her flawless, composed demeanor.
As they stepped out through the main entrance, Seth noticed a sleek black SUV parked right in front—imposing and elegant. It was an armored vehicle, clearly high-end.
Seth let out a low whistle. "So this is how you guys roll, huh? Not bad."
Kaguya didn't respond immediately. She simply opened the passenger door for him, like a personal chauffeur.
He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You're gonna treat me like this?"
She remained impassive. "Miss Connie assigned me to accompany you. That includes transporting you."
Seth sighed and got into the car. As soon as he settled in, Kaguya closed the door, walked around the vehicle with firm steps, and got into the driver's seat.
The interior of the SUV was just as luxurious as Seth had expected—premium leather seats, a state-of-the-art digital dashboard, and that distinct scent of something new and expensive.
Kaguya adjusted the mirrors without looking at him and started the engine smoothly. "Destination?"
Seth pulled out his phone and showed her the dungeon's address. "Here."
She took a quick glance and began driving without another word.
Seth leaned back in his seat, watching the city pass by through the window. The silence in the car was thick, and he wondered if Kaguya was always like this or if she simply didn't like talking.
After a few minutes, he decided to break the ice.
"So… how long have you been working for Connie?"
Kaguya kept her eyes on the road. "Six years."
"And what exactly do you do for her? Just a secretary?"
This time, Kaguya cast a brief glance at him through the rearview mirror. "Secretary. Bodyguard. Financial manager. External operations coordinator. Whatever is necessary."
Seth blinked. "That sounds… exhausting."
"It's rewarding." She replied without hesitation.
He smirked. "You like her, don't you?"
Kaguya paused before responding. "Miss Connie is an exceptional leader."
Seth noticed she avoided giving a direct answer.
He stretched. "Well, she's definitely unique… and intense."
The black SUV came to a smooth stop near the abandoned building where the Rank-D portal was located. Seth looked out the window and saw a group of seven people gathered near the dungeon entrance. Some looked anxious, others bored.
Kaguya turned off the engine and looked at him. "We've arrived."
Seth let out a sigh and opened the door, stepping out. As he closed the door behind him, he could still feel Kaguya's attentive gaze on him.
"No need to wait for me." He said.
"I'm simply following my assignment." She responded emotionlessly.
He rolled his eyes and walked toward the group.
A tall, muscular man wearing light armor and carrying a two-handed axe noticed his approach and raised an eyebrow.
"You the one who took the last spot?" The man asked in a firm voice.
Seth nodded. "That's right."
The man crossed his arms, sizing him up. "I'm Logan, the leader of this team." He introduced himself. "We were missing one to complete the group, so you got lucky."
Logan had short brown hair and a light beard. His expression was stern but not hostile—he seemed like the kind of guy who took his job seriously.
Seth looked around and saw the other members of the group. Logan pointed to each one as he introduced them.
"This here is Owen, our tank."
Owen was a burly man, wearing heavy armor and holding a large shield. He gave a curt nod in greeting.
"Next to him, we have Lila and Sam. The team's DPS."
Lila was a sharp-eyed woman with red hair, holding a pair of daggers. Sam, standing beside her, had a bow and a lazy smirk on his face.
"In the back, those two are Kevin and Josh, our secondary combatants."
Kevin carried a staff and wore light robes, clearly a support mage. Josh held a short sword and wore medium armor.
"And lastly, we have Maria, our healer."
Maria had a calm demeanor, with long black hair tied into a ponytail. She held a small magic staff, typical of someone specializing in healing.
Logan turned back to Seth. "And you? What's your role?"
Seth shrugged. "I'm a melee fighter."
Logan let out a sigh. "Great. We already have a plan, so just follow our instructions, and we'll all make it out alive."
Seth smirked. "Alright…"
'They're being friendly with a Rank-E… hahaha… something's off here.'
[Main Mission Activated! Complete a Rank-D Dungeon!]
[Reward: +3 to all stats]
'Oh… that's nice.'
From the driver's seat, Kaguya watched as Seth and the other hunters stepped into the portal. Her sharp eyes followed each one until the blue light of the passage swallowed them completely. She let out a small sigh, crossing her arms.
"Well, this should be quick…" she murmured to herself.
But then, a sudden shift in the portal's energy made her eyes widen. The shimmering blue glow flickered, and within seconds, it turned into a deep, menacing red.
"…What?"
Her body tensed as her gaze locked onto the phenomenon before her. The portal had changed. That only meant one thing.
Dungeon Lock.
No one could leave. No one could enter.
Realization struck her like lightning. Seth was trapped inside.
A chill ran down her spine, and her usual composed expression shattered in seconds.
"Shit…" She shoved the car door open and stepped out, staring at the red portal as if it were a ghost. "No… no… no… he's dead! That bastard is dead!"
Her hands trembled slightly.
"Miss Connie… fuck!"
She ran a hand through her face, exhaling sharply, trying to pull herself together. But the reality was clear. The portal was now a Dead Lock, a sealed dungeon that couldn't be breached from the outside. The hunters inside had only one way out: kill the Boss or wait for the dungeon to collapse… but… 99% of the time… everyone died.
She looked at her phone, her fingers dialing a number with swift precision. The call barely rang for three seconds before it was answered.
"Miss, we have a problem."
Behind her, the red portal pulsed like an open wound in the fabric of reality.