Chapter 4 — The Smile Before the End
Lucas was halfway through his meal when he noticed something.
Footsteps.
Soft.
Measured.
The kind that didn't rush because the person walking knew everyone else would move for them.
The murmurs in the rest chamber faded slightly.
Hunters subtly straightened their backs.
Lucas didn't look up immediately.
But the shadow that fell over him was hard to ignore.
He raised his eyes.
Standing in front of him was Elvanor August.
The Ice Saint.
Up close, she looked even taller than before.
Lucas quickly estimated it.
Six foot… maybe six one.
Which made the situation slightly awkward considering Lucas was only five foot six.
And currently sitting.
Which meant she was basically looking down at him like a skyscraper judging a mailbox.
For a few seconds she simply stared at him.
Lucas stared back.
Not challengingly.
Just confused.
Then—
She knelt.
The motion was smooth and controlled as she lowered herself to match his eye level.
The surrounding hunters immediately fell silent again.
An S-rank kneeling in front of an E-rank was not something people saw every day.
Grancier's eyebrow slowly rose.
Lucas blinked.
"…Hi?"
Elvanor didn't respond.
Instead, she slowly reached forward.
Her hand touched his face.
She held his chin between her fingers and turned his head slightly, examining him like a curious scientist inspecting an unusual specimen.
Lucas's expression remained completely neutral.
No blush.
No panic.
Just mild irritation.
"…Why are you touching me?"
A few hunters nearby choked on their drinks.
Grancier nearly laughed.
Elvanor's fingers paused.
Then her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Who," she said calmly, "gave you permission to speak?"
At the same time—
Her aura flared.
Cold mana exploded outward like a sudden winter storm.
The air temperature dropped instantly.
Frost spread across the stone beneath her feet.
Even nearby A-rank hunters felt their shoulders tense.
Grancier herself blinked in surprise.
Damn…
The Ice Saint rarely released her aura so openly.
Lucas felt the pressure press against his body.
Heavy.
Cold.
Crushing.
But his expression didn't change much.
Mostly because he had no idea what he was supposed to do about it.
Before the situation could escalate further—
A hand grabbed Elvanor's arm.
Grancier.
She had stood up smoothly and placed her hand on the Ice Saint's wrist.
Her tone was calm.
Almost friendly.
"…Why are you touching my property?"
Silence spread through the chamber again.
A-rank.
S-rank.
Two powerful hunters staring at each other.
Several nearby hunters subtly backed away.
Just in case.
For a few seconds, neither woman spoke.
Lucas, still sitting between them, slowly took another bite of food.
This dungeon raid is getting weird.
Then—
Elvanor smiled.
It wasn't a mocking smile.
Or an angry one.
Just… small.
Curious.
She released Lucas's face.
Stood up.
Brushed a speck of dust from her uniform.
Then simply walked away.
Without another word.
The tension vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Hunters immediately began whispering.
"What the hell was that?"
"Why was she examining him?"
"Did he do something?"
Grancier exhaled and sat back down beside Lucas.
She rubbed her forehead.
"…You interesting bastard."
Lucas glanced at her.
"Why?"
"In one day," she said, pointing at him, "you've attracted the attention of two powerhouses."
Lucas shrugged.
"I didn't do anything."
Grancier smirked.
"That's exactly the weird part."
Lucas returned to eating quietly.
Inside his head, however—
Why did she touch my face…
He pushed the thought away.
Didn't matter.
He had a job.
Survive the raid.
Get paid.
Go home.
Simple.
---
An hour later, the mining team returned.
Large carts filled with glowing crystals and dungeon metals rolled into the chamber.
Raid leaders confirmed the extraction.
Then the order came.
"Second floor!"
Hunters regrouped.
The massive stone door at the end of the chamber opened slowly.
The raid advanced.
The second floor was harder.
Stronger monsters appeared.
B-rank creatures this time.
But with the number of hunters present, the fights were still manageable.
Lucas stayed close to Grancier the entire time.
Carry.
Walk.
Observe.
Repeat.
Eventually they reached the second rest zone.
Another break.
Then the final advance.
The third floor.
The boss chamber.
The battle was intense.
The dungeon boss towered nearly five meters tall.
A monstrous armored beast with massive horns and skin like black iron.
Even A-rank hunters had to coordinate carefully.
Magic burst through the air.
Weapons clashed against hardened scales.
Ice spears from Elvanor pierced deep into the monster's joints.
Grancier lunged forward repeatedly with brutal spear strikes.
After nearly twenty minutes—
The beast finally collapsed.
The chamber filled with exhausted cheers.
"Boss down!"
"Good work!"
Lucas exhaled quietly.
Nice.
Raid successful.
Which meant payment.
Which meant Sarah might finally get a break from double shifts.
Grancier wiped monster blood from her spear and turned toward him with a satisfied grin.
"Looks like we—"
Her head disappeared.
Not exploded.
Not crushed.
Just…
Gone.
One moment her smiling face existed.
The next moment—
There was nothing above her shoulders.
Blood sprayed across the stone.
Lucas blinked.
His brain took a second to process what he was seeing.
Grancier's body collapsed.
Her spear clattered across the floor.
Silence spread through the chamber.
Then—
A new roar echoed from the darkness.
Hunters turned slowly.
Another monster stepped forward.
It looked almost identical to the boss they had just killed.
Same size.
Same armor.
Same horns.
Someone whispered in horror.
"…That's impossible."
Then another monster appeared.
And another.
And another.
Dozens.
Boss-level beasts.
Regular enemies.
Realization spread through the raid group like a virus.
A higher-level dungeon.
A double dungeon.
And one far above what they were prepared for.
Elvanor's voice cut through the chaos instantly.
"RETREAT!"
No hesitation.
No debate.
Hunters turned and ran.
The monsters charged.
The sound of claws against stone echoed like thunder.
The battlefield collapsed into pure chaos.
People screamed.
Magic exploded.
Blood splashed across the chamber walls.
Lucas remained standing.
Frozen.
Grancier's body lay at his feet.
Her smile still fresh in his mind.
Just minutes ago she had been laughing beside him.
Now—
Gone.
Lucas pressed his hand against his chest.
His heart felt… heavy.
Why?
She was just an employer.
A potential contract.
Someone useful.
That was all.
Right?
Then why did it feel like something was squeezing his chest?
Why did he feel—
Angry?
Before he could figure it out—
A hand grabbed his collar violently.
He was yanked backward.
"Move, idiot!"
Elvanor August dragged him across the battlefield.
She glared at him.
"What are you doing standing there?!"
Lucas stumbled as she pulled him.
"I—"
"Do you want to die?!"
He looked back once.
The battlefield had become a slaughterhouse.
Hunters were being torn apart.
Boss monsters poured into the chamber like a tidal wave.
Lucas's mind finally snapped back into focus.
His sisters.
Sarah.
Anya.
He had to get home.
The luggage on his shoulders suddenly felt meaningless.
Lucas let it drop.
The bags hit the ground.
Then he ran.
Elvanor slowed slightly.
Matching his speed.
For some reason…
She kept him beside her.
Her eyes flickered toward him once.
That strange curiosity from earlier still lingered.
Lucas Dilihavia…
Something about this boy felt different.
Even now.
Even in the middle of disaster.
He didn't panic like the others.
He simply…
Ran.
And Elvanor found herself strangely interested in seeing whether he would survive what came next.
The end.....