On the twelfth day of their visit, the three stood before the once-lifeless clearing—and saw it.

  A familiar glow shimmered in the air, the telltale blue light of an active dungeon entrance.

  “Hey! Finally!” Kana exclaimed, leaping forward in joy. Her sudden burst of excitement surprised even Suri and Boris, who only now realized just how much Kana loved fighting monsters.

  In the weeks leading up to this moment, Kana hadn’t just sharpened her physical skills. She had explored the complexity of her status screen—testing, experimenting, learning. One surprising discovery: her inventory had more capacity than she’d ever expected. Now, all their gear was neatly stored inside, along with rations and piles of food—most of it, of course, Suri’s favorite snacks.

  They equipped themselves quickly.

  Suri adjusted her small round shield, Boris checked the straps on his spear and light armor, and Kana tightened the belt at her waist, where her dagger hung. Her large bow rested diagonally across her back, the string taut and ready.

  Then, without a word, they stepped into the dungeon.

  The inside… wasn’t what they expected.

  Gone was the empty, echoing cavern of rock and shadow. In its place was something new.

  A jungle.

  Thick, wild greenery surrounded them—tall trees, massive ferns, moss-covered stones. Sunlight filtered through a leafy canopy, casting everything in a golden hue. Yet… there was no sun in the sky. Only a false, glowing sky-dome above them.

  All three froze, exchanging wary glances.

  “Is this the same dungeon?” Boris muttered.

  “I think it changed,” Suri whispered.

  They crouched instinctively, falling into their practiced formation.

  Kana's sharp eyes scanned their surroundings. After a long moment, she spoke.

  “No monsters. No animals. At least not in this area.” She narrowed her eyes. “We'll push forward, scout the nearby zones. No fights today. We'll return and plan the raid properly tomorrow. Got it?”

  Suri and Boris nodded, their earlier excitement fading into serious focus.

  For now, the dungeon felt calm.

  But all three of them sensed the same thing.

  It wouldn't stay that way for long.

  ………

  Suri's summon shifted shape—this time into a small bird, though it didn’t flap its wings like a real one. Instead, it floated through the air, mimicking avian movements as if like a normal bird.

  “I see something. Twice the size of a goblin. It's… collecting firewood?” Suri reported, her eyes distant as she focused through her summon.

  “An Orc?” Kana muttered, startled. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “South. Forty meters,” Suri added.

  Kana frowned. Orcs didn’t belong here. They were mid to high-tier monsters—out of place in a low-level dungeon unless… it was the boss? But that didn’t explain the firewood.

  “Anything else nearby?” Kana asked quickly.

  “Nope. It’s alone.”

  “Weird,” Boris grunted. “Why would an Orc need firewood?”

  “Let’s tail it. We won’t engage unless we have to,” Kana said, and the other two nodded without hesitation.

  They crept closer through the dense undergrowth, keeping low.

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  But then—the Orc stopped.

  Its ears twitched.

  And slowly, it turned its head.

  “Shit! It sensed us!” Kana hissed. “Fall back. To the entrance—now!”

  The trio bolted through the trees, crashing through vines and brush. They were fast, faster than the orc, but it was close—and clearly pursuing them now. Still, it didn’t shout or call for allies. Maybe it hadn’t seen them clearly. Or maybe it feared calling for backup without proof. Either way, they couldn’t risk fighting there, not without knowing the terrain.

  Back near the dungeon’s entrance, the trio regrouped and took position.

  “Let’s injure it—then retreat,” Kana said, already nocking an arrow to her bowstring. Her eyes flicked to Suri’s summon. It blinked twice, a signal they had practiced.

  Target acquired. Twenty meters. Hidden.

  Kana exhaled and loosed the arrow.

  A beat passed.

  Then it came—the soundless pulse of a system message, felt rather than heard.

  [You have leveled up.]

  “It died?” Kana said, surprised. She hadn’t even seen it.

  “I heard it too,” Suri said after hearing the voice of god.

  “Same here,” Boris confirmed.

  “My summon,” Suri added. “Arrow hit straight through the skull.”

  The three approached cautiously, weapons ready. But there was no ambush.

  Only the faint outline where the orc’s body had vanished—and Kana’s arrow still embedded in the ground, slick with Orc’s blood.

  …..

  The three of them decided to call it a night after accidentally killing the orc. As odd as the encounter had been, they agreed not to push their luck further that day.

  The next morning, Kana stopped by Suri’s house to join her for breakfast. Suri’s mother welcomed her warmly, serving them both a hearty meal before heading out to run errands.

  During the meal, Kana learned that Suri’s father had already left for work in the cities. What kind of job he had, Kana wasn’t sure—Suri rarely talked about him, and Kana had learned not to pry.

  Once they were alone, Kana leaned forward with a glimmer of excitement. “Alright, show me your status. You leveled up last night—level ten. That means a new skill and a skill point.”

  Suri nodded eagerly and pulled out a scroll. Following Kana’s instructions, she carefully copied the contents of her status screen by hand:

  [Select 1 New Illusionist Skill to Acquire:]

  Hypnotized

  Swords Illusion

  Thousand Face

  Mental Shield

  Illusion Zone

  Doppelganger

  Dazzling Light

  Kana squinted at the list and began translating the names aloud using her well-worn English dictionary. She gave her thoughts on each option, pausing longer on a few.

  “Doppelganger could be useful for fooling people and sneaking away… but Illusion Zone might be stronger for team fights,” she said thoughtfully.

  But Suri had already made her choice.

  “I picked Doppelganger,” she said with a proud grin. “This way, I can sneak out for longer without my mom catching me.”

  Kana sighed, but smiled. “Well, that’s… one way to use it. At least it has utility.”

  As for the bonus skill point, they agreed without much debate to invest it in [Illusion Call], Suri’s core summoning ability. Strengthening it would give them more flexibility in the field—and maybe even allow new forms for her summon and less mana consumption.

  ……

  Boris had leveled up twice from their orc encounter, reaching level 8—slowly catching up to Kana and Suri. When they met up later that day, Kana and Suri eagerly explained Suri’s new skill: [Doppelganger].

  With a curious grin, Suri activated the skill.

  A second version of Boris shimmered into view beside them—identical in every way, from his armor to the way he held his spear. Boris blinked at his duplicate, then leaned closer with narrowed eyes.

  “Huh… I look more handsome than I thought.”

  Kana and Suri both chuckled but didn’t comment, letting the moment linger.

  Suri, ever curious, began experimenting with her new skill: [Doppelganger].

  She quickly discovered a few things: It only had 1/1 Health—even the smallest hit would make it vanish in a puff of smoke, the doppelganger lasted 24 hours once summoned and lastly, It cost 50 mana per use—manageable, but not negligible.

  Luckily, Suri’s mana pool could handle a few uses, especially if she was careful. Still, it made her think.

  “I should start using my skills before we reach the dungeon,” she muttered to herself. “That way, I can recover mana while we walk.”

  Kana agreed when she heard the plan.

  “Smart. Use it to recharge. You’re finally acting like a real adventurer,” she teased, giving Suri a light tap on the forehead.

  They both laughed. But the truth was clear—Suri wasn’t just tagging along anymore. She was thinking ahead, planning like a strategist.

  The mood had changed lately. With new skills, better coordination, and Boris quickly improving, they felt like an actual team now. They were even starting to consider tackling the low-mid-level dungeons nearby—maybe not today, but soon.