The horses moved at a steady trot beneath the starry night sky, their breath steaming in the midnight chill. Cloaks drawn tight, the five riders rode single file along the uneven trail skirting the capital’s outer walls. They had left through the underground district, masked and quiet. Kana kept her eyes forward, one hand resting on the hilt of her blade.

  Weapons worn openly. She wasn’t about to flash something as rare as [Inventory] in front of strangers.

  Asha broke the silence first, her voice muffled under her mask. “Which mid-level dungeon?”

  “The one beneath the old mine site,” Kana answered curtly.

  A pause.

  Asha chuckled. “Low mid-level, then. Could be worse.”

  When they reached the site, the two guards from last time stood quickly, sharper now, not half-asleep like before. One of them squinted, his eyes flicking between them. “Back again? With more friends this time.”

  Kana didn’t reply. She tossed a small pouch—eighty silver. Not quite the fee from last time, but hoping it was enough.

  The guard caught it and weighed it lazily in one hand. He gave a shrug and waved them through. “Come back safe, yeah? We like regulars.”

  They descended into the mine. As the stone tunnel swallowed them, Asha and Opel stopped and began to peel off their cloaks, leaving them neatly folded near the entrance.

  The trio froze.

  Asha noticed their hesitation and smiled. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to hunt those fast Horn Direwolves while wearing cloaks? Might as well blindfold yourself.”

  Opel adjusted the strap of his shield. “No one likes dragging dead weight around.”

  After a moment of hesitation, Suri loosened her hood. “I guess… I was feeling stiff anyway.”

  She let the cloak fall. Boris followed, rolling his shoulders and stretching like a bear waking from hibernation.

  Then Kana pulled her cloth mask away, her eyes calm as ever, her jet-black hair falling around her shoulders.

  Asha stared at them blankly. Then her smile faded.

  “You’re… kids.”

  She stepped back, almost stumbling over her own cloak. “For god's sake, you’re practically my daughter’s age!”

  Opel blinked, taken aback. “They sounded older. Especially you,” he nodded toward Kana.

  Kana’s voice was flat. “I get that a lot.”

  Asha turned serious, tossing her cloak back on. “We need to retreat. This—this isn’t what I signed up for. I’m not letting children die beside me in this dungeon.”

  “The contract still stands,” Kana said. “You walk, you get nothing.”

  “I don’t care,” Asha snapped. “Coin’s not worth guilt—or a dagger from a grieving father or mother.”

  “Told you this might happen,” Boris muttered to Kana.

  Kana was well aware of how they looked—too young. If they took off their masks, they might back out of the contract entirely. That’s why they had a plan. Doing a raid for a dungeon boss with their cloak and masks on? She could already imagine. What if one of them accidentally damaged it and their young identity was exposed in the middle of the fight?

  So a plan. A simple one. Cruel, maybe—but it’s going to be worth it.

  If the adventurers refused to proceed, she’d threaten to withhold their pay. Most wouldn’t risk losing coin. And if they did—if they backed off—well then, maybe they were decent people.

  Maybe if they'd try to continue, they would get along together with additional conditions, or offer advice. It wouldn’t matter. Once they saw what their party could do, that would be enough.

  Kana was certain. They would change their mind.

  “We expected this,” Kana said, eyes level. “But we're going in. You’re welcome to follow. Or not.”

  Opel sighed and stepped beside his wife. “Asha. Look at them.”

  Asha crossed her arms. Looked. And swore under her breath.

  “Fine,” she said at last, her voice quieter. “We’ll go. But if I say retreat, we retreat. No heroics. No stubborn charges.”

  “Fair enough,” Kana said, nodding once.

  Asha looked away, cursing under her breath.

  But they stayed and that was enough.

  ….

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Kana checked her party status, curious what Asha and Opel chose when they entered the dungeon.

  Kana quickly checked her party window:

  [Party Status:]

  Kana – Lvl 19 HP: 58/58 | Mana: 80/80

  Suri – Lvl 18 HP: 23/23 | Mana: 470/505

  Boris – Lvl 16 HP: 79/79 | Mana: 57/57

  Asha - Lvl 9 HP: 19/19 | Mana: 290/290

  Opel - Lvl 9 HP: 61/61 | Mana: 67/67

  [Party: Cooperative link with another inhabitant of the world. Basic stats, experience, and loot will be shared.]

  [Party Bonus: EXP x7.5]

  The moment they crossed deeper into the dungeon, Kana’s eyes flicked to the corner of her vision. The party bonus increased from 6.5 to 7.5 while Asha and Opel now were on the list of their party.

  That caught her off guard.

  “You two...” Kana turned her head toward the couple, voice low, “Did you select the left side when the Text of God appeared?”

  Asha chuckled, brushing dust from her glove. “Always. It’s tradition.”

  Opel nodded beside her. “That’s how we were taught. Left for Yes. Right for No. Better to agree with the Gods.”

  Kana blinked. Impressed. She had underestimated them. Not their strength or professionalism—but the people’s literacy. They likely couldn’t read the Text of God at all. And yet, by trial and error passed down over generations, they had deciphered part of its function such as choosing left. Always left.

  Before she could dwell longer, Suri’s voice pulled her back.

  “It’s gone ahead,” she said, hand raised, eyes shimmering with focused mana. “Found a pack. Just six of them.”

  “Already?” Boris checked the steel tip of his spear. “Tch. Looks like it’s regenerated.”

  Kana nodded grimly. That wasn’t normal. They had cleared this section nearly a week ago. Dungeon creatures shouldn't return this quickly—not unless the core was absorbing something valuable. Or someone was feeding it.

  Opel turned, curious. “You kids can scout?”

  Suri raised her hand. A wave of colored water shimmered in the air like smoke caught in a prism. It snaked forward, flowing through the air toward the tunnel ahead changing its colours. Opel’s brows lifted. Asha leaned in, trying to touch the illusion. Her fingers passed through it like mist.

  “Well,” Asha muttered. “That’s useful.”

  “It's how we do things,” Kana said. “Observe for now. Let us show you how we operate.”

  Asha crossed her arms, visibly doubtful. “You really want to fight a pack of Horn Direwolves on your own?”

  Kana nodded. “Yes.”

  Opel and Asha exchanged a glance. Then a sigh from the mage. “Fine,” Asha said at last. “But if things go south, we’re stepping in.”

  ….

  Asha narrowed her eyes as she watched the red-haired girl kneel beside the stone, a small fresh meat in one hand. She pushed her mana into it—not just a touch, but a controlled infusion. The meat glowed faintly. Then, as if testing tension on a string, she gave it a tug. It bounced and pulled.

  Mana-conductive bait. Asha blinked.

  She’d seen bait traps used in many dungeon raids before. Meat soaked in blood. Shiny objects tied to tripwires. Lures laced with poison. But never this—never mana-bait. Too costly. Too unstable. Too… impractical. And yet, here was a teenager doing it as if it were basic protocol and it looked stable.

  She shifted beside her husband, Opel, who kept his eyes on the trio. “They’re going to die at this rate,” he muttered.

  Asha didn’t say anything but she agreed.

  Two or three years ago, she and Opel had been here—this exact dungeon. With twenty or so adventurers with proper supply and a noble lad desperate to prove himself before his Adventurer’s Guild examination. They had better armor and weapons. Better odds. And still lost three to the Horn Direwolves and to the boss. The boss, back then, had forced them to retreat.

  The children in front of her? They had no noble's budget. Just cloaks, borrowed blades, and probably a few months of training under their belts. Hired two dungeon scrappers with coin they probably scraped together.

  She still wasn’t sure if the tall one—was a kid. His size said no, but the look in his eyes... too sincere. Too young.

  Her thoughts snapped back to the present at the sound of howls. Low, guttural, echoing down the tunnel.

  “They’re coming,” she said, and readied a spell—just in case. “Stay sharp.”

  But what she saw next made her hesitate.

  The bait had worked. The Horn Direwolves rushed in, sleek shadows of muscle and fang. But the children—no, the team—moved with excellent coordination. The big man slammed his spear against the stone, drawing their attention. He held formation. Slow yet excellent footwork. He was leading the wolves toward a choke point in the bottleneck part of the cave, restricting their mobility.

  Kana loosed an arrow. Missed. But the movement was a feint or she expected it to be missed—she was already switching to a dagger. She met one of the wolves mid-leap, her blade slashing in a tight arc, redirecting the beast’s momentum into the stone, cornering it then finishing it with her blade landing to its head.

  Then there was Suri. The girl stood back, red hair illuminated by the torchlight. She did not attack, just watching them.

  “They don’t need us,” Opel said, dropping his shield and mace to the side. “Goodness, they really don’t.”

  Asha folded her arms, watching as Boris skewered another wolf, pivoted, and used a shoulder feint to herd two more into Kana’s trap. The fight ended quickly. Efficiently.

  She gave a low whistle. “Good work,” she muttered.

  They were better than most Dungeon Scrappers.. As if a seasoned adventurer. Young, yes. Reckless, maybe. But they fought as a unit with perfect teamwork.

  Then a chill slithered over their skin.

  [The Dungeon Boss has arrived!]

  Asha stiffened at the sight of the glowing text before her eyes.

  Already? She glanced at Opel. He was frowning, fingers curling near his weapon again.

  “It’s too early,” she whispered.

  She didn’t wait. “We’re done here,” she shouted. “Boss is out. We’re leaving.”

  Kana looked at her, confused, dagger still in hand. “What are you talking about?”

  “You hired us to support your team,” Asha replied. “Not die with it.”

  “We hired you to help us kill the boss,” Kana said, her tone colder now. Firmer. “That was the agreement.”

  She stared at her. No fear. No hesitation. Just that steady, steel-sharp voice. Their twenty members before didn’t win. They would certainly lose but she might be able to save them.

  She reminded her of herself. Long ago. Before the first death on her conscience. A bunch of kids the same age as her daughter? She might not be able to sleep at night if she would abandon them.

  Opel glanced sideways at her, waiting for her to say the word.

  But Asha just sighed. “We’ll stay,” she said quietly. “Again, if I say retreat, we retreat. No heroics. No bravado. Got it?”

  Kana nodded. “Fair enough.”

  Asha held her staff tighter.