[14th Everdusk, 2103] – CGA Branch, Dyna Crest Country
In front of the dungeon Evan had just raided, three people stood, faces tense and eyes fixed on the portal.
The first was Lilia, calm in appearance but barely hiding the storm of anxiety brewing inside her. The second was the Junior Officer, nervously monitoring the mana-reading machine. The third was the Field Agent, drenched in cold sweat, his legs stiff as he regretted ever suggesting this dungeon test.
The tension in the air was stifling. Lilia’s gaze alone was enough to make the agent feel like he'd be buried on the spot.
“Ma’am, the mana readings are returning to normal,” the junior officer finally reported.
Lilia and the agent immediately rushed toward the portal, eyes straining to catch a glimpse of any silhouette.
A long moment of silence followed. Was he dead? Or just taking his time?
"If that kid died in there, Agent, I swear you'll be behind bars by sunset," Lilia warned, her voice ice-cold. The agent gulped, eyes locked onto the portal, as if sheer willpower could bring Evan out alive.
Minutes passed. The air grew heavier.
Then—The portal fluctuated.
A figure slowly came into view. Fınd the newest release on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽
Sword resting on his shoulder, Evan stepped out, calm, composed, alive—and very much carrying the boss's knight sword like a trophy.
The first to react was the agent, nearly collapsing in relief.
Lilia, on the other hand, let out a soft exhale—thankful that the boy hadn’t died in what was supposed to be an unstable dungeon.
“Kid! Thank you for coming out!” the field agent ran up and gave Evan a bone-crushing hug, face nearly in tears.
“Oi, what the hell? What are you doing?! Get off me—I don’t swing that way.”
“N-No! Neither do I!” the agent pulled back, waving his arms in panic.
“Sure, sir. Even if you do, we’re not demoting you for it,” the junior officer chimed in, smirking as he clapped the agent’s shoulder.
“Shut it! You’re doing ten raids with me as punishment for that comment!” the agent shouted, and the officer bolted away.
Lilia chuckled softly at the scene, her eyes now relaxed as she looked at Evan, who himself let out a laugh.
“So, Evan, right?” she said, stepping forward. “I’m Lilia, as you may know. I wanted to ask about what happened inside the dungeon. For investigation purposes, I also need the estimated level of the boss—”
The dungeon behind Evan suddenly began to shake.
Before anyone could react, Evan was yanked back behind a pillar—
—by Lilia, who held him protectively in her arms, eyes locked on the now-fluctuating dungeon gate.
The structure started to crack, energy surging wildly before the entire thing exploded, releasing a storm of mana into the room.
Lilia raised her hand instinctively.
A shimmering shield formed around the two of them just in time as a torrent of destructive mana slammed into it. The underground space trembled violently, alarms began to wail, and footsteps echoed as agents and hunters scrambled.
Evan was too stunned to move. The sheer pressure of that mana… If Lilia hadn’t acted… He would’ve been dead.
Moments later, the tremors stopped. Lilia dropped her shield, panting heavily, sweat trailing down her temple.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Evan said sincerely, passing her his water bottle.
Before she could respond, a squad of CGA officers burst in.
“Manager! Are you alright?” It was Darian, eyes wide as he rushed toward her, seeing her in such a state.
“What happened here? Was there a monster? A rogue hunter?”
His gaze quickly shifted to Evan—standing beside her, holding the bottle, looking way too calm for a kid who just survived a dungeon explosion.
“You—who are you?! Why are you in an underground zone restricted to Tier 1 hunters?!”
Before Evan could speak, Lilia raised a hand and interrupted.
“Ahem~! Everyone, relax. There was a minor malfunction during a research experiment. It caused the explosion, nothing else. Please return to your posts.”
She gave Darian a meaningful look.
“Darian, stay. We’ll debrief this young hunter.”
With a nod, Darian glanced once more at Evan before exiting with the rest of the group.
Once they were alone, Lilia turned toward Evan, her expression serious.
“Now then, Evan. Come with me. You’re going to explain everything that happened in there. If you lie to me—even once—you won't live to see tomorrow's sunrise. Got it?”
Evan nodded like a good little soldier and walked beside her. He couldn’t help but glance back at the crater—the remnants of the dungeon gate now completely gone, replaced by a ten-meter-wide corroded pit.
‘So that’s what he meant by it being the last time he fought…’ The boss had left behind more than just a memory.
“So, where are we going now, ma’am?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
She looked back with a small smile that made the hairs on his neck stand up.
“Oh, don’t worry~ Just a simple interrogation. Nothing to be scared of. Now come along.”