Chapter 4: Black Priestess

Rustle, rustle—

A room where the light is off, and the curtains are drawn tightly shut, a space fit for children of darkness.

Inside, I was sewing—a task I never thought would be part of my life.

“I never imagined I’d end up making clothes myself…”

This thought struck me after a surprise identity check that made my heart drop.

A realization dawned on me:

‘Time to disguise myself.’

Although I had virtually no human connections, officials or others could come at any moment for inspections. 

While I managed to get through this time with quick thinking, suspicion would inevitably arise if I kept receiving visitors in this dimly lit room.

‘Besides, I can’t stay indoors forever.’

I could cover my face with a mask, but wearing the same gothic lolita outfit from the game would look suspicious. 

So, I decided to make new clothes.

As much as I wanted to wear the clothes already in the house, my smaller body made them a poor fit.

Of course, I had never made clothes before…

‘Who even makes their clothes instead of buying them these days?’

But due to the recent chaos, no clothing stores were open.

[Dark Manipulation (EX)]

Using the darkness in the room as fabric and shadows as tools, I tailored my outfit.

The inky blackness moved at my fingertips. 

A skill that used to halve players’ HP in the game now felt oddly mundane when applied to sewing.

‘Is this really okay?’

It felt like such a waste.

‘Well, skills are meant to be used.’

I convinced myself of this as my fingers mechanically worked on the task.

Out of boredom, I opened a gallery.

[Busan Dungeon Open]

Come one, come all~ We’re counting on your attention!

(A picture of a dungeon entrance)

(A recording of monsters growling at the dungeon entrance)

Please, please, please show some interest!

A dungeon popped up in front of my house! 

Hunters, please hurry over!

-Wow

-Congrats on the opening. Lol

-How much is the entrance fee? Seems like you should be paid instead.

-It’s like VR games becoming reality, with dungeons included.

Don’t analyze it, just come help already!

-Report it to the association first.

-Aren’t you awakened too?

-I’m low-level.

As soon as the meteorite crisis subsided, dungeons began to appear everywhere. 

Unlike in games, their level couldn’t be predetermined, and there was a risk of monsters escaping into the open. 

This heightened public anxiety.

In response, the association started dispatching hunters.

‘Or should I call them the Hunter Association now?’

People worldwide had become VR characters, also known as Awakened. 

However, not everyone was willing to fight monsters, especially low-level ones.

Thus, top-ranking players formed the Hunter Association.

For context, it’s called the Hero Association in the U.S., and in Japan, they’re called Braves. 

In China, there’s no association; it’s a government-run operation.

These hunters travel across the country resolving dungeon-related issues.

“Of course, that has nothing to do with me.”

Unless a fire was literally at my feet, I wouldn’t set foot in a dungeon.

If my masked face was revealed mid-battle, the focus would shift from monsters to me.

I have no interest in hobbies that suit others.

[Hello? This is Lee Minhyuk from before. Would you be interested in joining a dungeon raid? I promise the payment will be generous…]

Thus, this is ignored.

Pretending to casually leave it on read, I grabbed the costume I had made.

A skirt that reached the tips of my legs and a blouse designed to be as wide as possible. 

Finally, a black veil to cover my lower face.

I based it on a dancer’s outfit I saw online, ensuring it wouldn’t reveal my figure, just in case some crazy person identified me as the boss from my physique.

“Little brother, why didn’t you pick sci-fi tech over martial arts?”

Honestly, I wanted to wrap myself up like an astronaut, but since I was already posing as the younger sister, that wasn’t an option.

After deliberating over what martial arts outfit could naturally conceal my body, I settled on a dancer’s costume.

I held it up against my reflection in the mirror.

“…Should I remake this?”

It felt awkward to wear, and I could already feel my face heating up.

I designed it like I was customizing a female character, but—ah, that was the problem.

I’m the one wearing it; 

I shouldn’t have designed it like a female character. 

How dumb of me.

“Let’s remake it.”

I tossed the outfit aside and headed back into my room.

And at that moment—

Thud!

A loud noise reverberated, and the ground tilted.

Furniture toppled as if an earthquake had struck.

“Huh?”

Reacting instantly, I manipulated the darkness in my room.

I closed the curtains, plunging the space into complete darkness.

The intangible shadows took form, gaining physical power.

With a flick of my finger, I secured the furniture to prevent it from falling.

I also suspended objects mid-air to stop them from crashing down and let them float toward the window.

Murmurs.

I heard voices outside the window.

Peeking out with only my eyes visible, I scanned the scene.

“First, confirm the monster type before going out. Check the dungeon grade! Everyone, prepare!”

A familiar man’s face appeared, lamenting how his high-ranking government job involved running around dungeons.

Our eyes met.

“Huh? Hunter?”

Who’s a hunter?

I never said I’d be one.

What the heck.

“Thank you so much. We’re severely understaffed and only brought mid-rank hunters, so I was extremely worried. Thanks to you, I feel relieved.”

In the end, I got dragged outside.

The moment he saw my eyes, he rushed up, begging me to help and promising ample compensation. 

He even looked ready to barge into my home if I refused.

Since I couldn’t risk him seeing the shadows I had used to hold everything in place, I reluctantly agreed.

Sure, I could deactivate the skill, but that would make a mess of my room.

Besides, since this dungeon appeared right under my house, I figured the unstable raid team might end up collapsing my home.

Thus, I donned the discarded outfit and black veil to cover my lower face and arrived at the entrance.

All eyes turned to me.

“Wow… she’s gorgeous.”

“Judging by her outfit, is she a dancer?”

“I heard she’s a martial artist ranked higher than Minhyuk. I’d love to ask her for a lesson.”

“She’s not affiliated with the association, right? I heard she rejects them because none match her level.”

That’s all wrong. 

None of it is true.

The stares were overwhelming.

Too embarrassed to approach, I stood awkwardly, stewing in my thoughts when the person responsible for dragging me out came over.

His face still radiated gratitude and innocence, which only made me angrier.

“Oh, by the way, your name is… Kang Sora, right?”

“Yes.”

It’s my younger sister’s name.

“I didn’t realize last time since I didn’t have the capacity to notice, but judging by your attire, your class must be a dancer. I’m sorry for not recognizing that earlier—I’m usually not very attentive to others.”

Minhyuk scratched his head and apologized. 

In response, I smiled gently, as if to say it was fine.

“Wasn’t your sister’s job something other than a dancer?”

I’m glad the person in charge has no interest in rankings.

“Alright then, let’s begin.”

Minhyuk and I took the lead, and soon the dungeon door opened.

A vast, green field.

The sky was clear and blue, and the crisp breeze softly rustled the blades of grass.

It felt like stepping into a fairytale meadow.

And there they were, several cows leisurely roaming the field, holding axes.

***

“Uwooooooo!”

A sound like a train whistle echoed from their mouths.

Drool dripped endlessly from their lips.

They must be carnivorous cows.

At the center of them was the dungeon core.

I pulled out the sword I had forged at home, blending darkness into its form.

“This outfit… maybe I made it too long?”

The long skirt and sleeves, designed for modesty, fluttered in the wind, brushing against my skin.

It wasn’t a hindrance in combat, but it gave an odd, distracting sensation.

While waiting for the signal to attack, a startled voice came from beside me.

“Sora Hunter-nim, wouldn’t it be better to retreat for now?”

“What?”

Minhyuk gestured toward the other hunters who had followed us in.

An orc wielding a sword, an elf holding a staff.

The races varied, but they were all hunters, and their trembling eyes told the story.

Mid-tier monsters, Minotaurs.

However, monster levels are based on raid standards.

To defeat mid-tier monsters like Minotaurs, you’d typically need dozens of mid-tier players.

And now, there were only about twenty mid-tier hunters here.

Just Minhyuk, a top-ranked player, and me.

The total number of Minotaurs: ten.

Even if Minhyuk and I managed to each take three, four would remain.

The remaining hunters would likely be slaughtered by those four.

In that case, it might be better to risk a dungeon break and bring in reinforcements.

That’s how Minhyuk explained it.

But I couldn’t agree.

“My home…”

A dungeon that could explode at any moment had appeared beneath my house, and I was supposed to just wait?

Why else would I come here in these fluttering clothes?

“If you’ve picked up a knife, at least cut a radish with it.”

It’s time to fulfill the old proverb of our ancestors.

I looked at the hunters.

They stood near the dungeon entrance, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

Good, no chance of anyone getting accidentally hurt.

“Hunter-nim?”

“I’ll handle all of them. Minhyuk-nim, you and the other hunters just provide support fire.”

With those words, I dashed toward the Minotaur horde.

Hearing the sound of my footsteps, the Minotaurs turned their heads.

Looking at them, I smiled.

“Wait for me, my dear sweet home.

Dad’s coming to save you.”

The black sword in my hand grew even darker.

And then—

A dance of pure darkness unfolded.

***

“Uwooooooo!”

A cry filled with pain erupts from the Minotaur.

Kang Minsu, an Orc Hunter, couldn’t believe his eyes.

The formidable Minotaur was being mercilessly slaughtered by a single woman.

Flesh scattered, and blood splattered everywhere.

At the center of it all was a beautiful dancer, her body tightly wrapped in black clothing.

Her mesmerizing dance seemed to captivate all who watched.

The hem of her skirt fluttered as a crimson spectacle unfolded.

The source of this artistry: the Minotaur’s blood.

Her jet-black hair swayed as she smiled with a gleam in her eyes.

At that moment, another Minotaur drew its last breath.

“Uwooooo!”

A Minotaur roared ferociously, swinging its axe.

Known to deal fatal blows even to high-ranking monsters, the Minotaur’s attack was devastating.

But the dancer didn’t even spare it a glance, continuing her entrancing performance.

Her light blade clashed with the Minotaur’s heavy axe.

“Hunter!”

The clash of light and weight.

Yet, the conclusion was shocking.

The axe was cleanly severed by the blade and snapped in two.

The Minotaur’s head was swiftly severed, and it collapsed.

“Uwooo…”

Two remained.

The beasts, feared even by dragons, retreated in terror.

The dance continued.

The performance would not end until every Minotaur was dead.

Realizing its fate, one Minotaur threw away its axe.

It turned and charged in the opposite direction of the dancer.

“Huh? It’s running away!”

“Catch it!”

Even if the dungeon’s core was destroyed, if monsters remained, they could escape into the real world.

Before the dancer in black could act, the hunters, who had been standing idly, rushed forward.

“Got it! Quickly!”

An elf mage nearby used wind magic to bind the Minotaur’s ankles.

Kang Minsu used his Orc strength to pin the Minotaur down with his sword.

The rest of the hunters joined in.

“Everyone, attack!”

“Uwooo!”

The twenty hunters subdued the two fleeing Minotaurs.

With a final death cry, the last Minotaur fell.

The dungeon was cleared successfully.

The only damage was a single house above the dungeon.

No injuries.

It was a feat that would be remembered as a monumental

success in upper-tier dungeon raids.

And it was all thanks to one person.

The dancer in black, the Black Shaman.

The hunters etched her name deeply into their hearts.

The Black Shaman gazed at the ruined house with sunken eyes, as if reminiscing about the dance she had just performed.