The area stretched wide and silent, like a city gutted from the inside out.

Buildings rose on both sides, tall and uneven, walls cracked and half-collapsed. Some leaned dangerously, as if one more breeze would finish the job. Steel beams stuck out like bones, and the air stank faintly of rust and something burnt.

When the hunters stepped inside, everyone stopped. No one said a word.

It was a complete carnage.

Concrete chunks, shattered glass, and the mangled remains of massive insects covered the ground. Dried fluids had bled into the cracks, staining them dark. Segments of armor-like chitin glinted faintly through the mist that rolled over the floor. Torn limbs hung from broken cables overhead. It was quiet enough that even their footsteps sounded too loud.

Uno took in the devastation, his jaw tightening. The more he looked, the darker his expression grew. This wasn’t something humans could’ve done.

If the monsters had turned on each other, like Professor Grish suggested, there should’ve been signs of life left behind.

But the place was empty. Silent. Stripped bare.

While the others stared in disbelief, Lev just stood there with his hands in his pockets, a faint glint of amusement in his eyes.

His gaze drifted over the claw marks, the collapsed buildings, and the melted ground. Like he was inspecting an art piece he didn’t remember signing.

He bit back a grin. Honestly, who else could’ve done this kind of masterpiece if not him?

He almost raised a hand just to admit it was him, just to see Uno’s reaction.

“What are we doing here?” Lev asked lightly, feigning confusion. His tone was casual, almost bored, but the glint in his eyes gave him away.

Uno glanced back at him. “This dungeon closed on its own,” he said evenly. “That only happens when a floor’s been completely cleared.”

Lev tilted his head, pretending to think. “So someone cleared it for you.” His lips curved into a faint smile. “Isn’t that… good news?”

Uno frowned, gaze sweeping over the wreckage again. “It would be if we knew who did it.” His voice dropped a notch, colder now. “Whoever cleared this wasn’t doing us a favor. They might be something worse.”

Lev raised his brows, his tone soft, teasing. “Worse?”

Uno’s gaze hardened. “Something strong enough to wipe a dungeon… alone.”

Lev bit back a laugh, trying hard to look clueless. Unfortunately, his face had the kind of smugness that screamed I did it.

Thud.

A massive leg of a colossal bug which was previously hanging from a web of thick cables, fell to the ground with a dull crash.

Several hunters flinched.

“They’re everywhere,” Lev commented, his tone edged with mockery.

Uno, completely unfazed, simply nodded and called out to one of the hunters.

“Collect the remains and send them to the lab for inspection,” he ordered.

The hunter nodded stiffly, opening a large black container.

Lev glanced around. The hunters were so stiff he half-expected someone to crack if they moved too fast.

He smirked. So this is how they act around him, huh? They looked so scared of him.

His gaze drifted to Uno. Hmm…

“So,” he began, loudly enough for everyone to hear, “if the monsters’ essence still lingers in the air, does that mean it’s… haunted?”

The question was so random, half the team froze mid-motion. A few hunters blinked.

Uno’s brow twitched. “No.”

Lev wasn’t done. “Then what if the residue sticks to our boots?….will the monsters follow us home?”

Several hunters broke. They tried to cover their laughter, shoulders shaking. Others just looked horrified at Lev’s audacity.

“Lev,” Uno warned.

“Yes?”

“Stop talking.”

The hunters were speechless. Uno never used that tone unless someone had just made a fatal mistake yet somehow, this stranger got away with it.

If anything, that only encouraged Lev.

When Uno crouched down to inspect a shattered shell, Lev crouched beside him….way too close…and poked the chitin fragment with a stick.

“Is it edible?” he asked innocently.

Uno slowly turned his head, face blank. “No.”

The air went dead quiet. No one dared speak. Even Marlow, who had been trying to position herself near Uno, froze mid-step. She watched the two in disbelief that Uno was actually indulging this nonsense instead of yelling.

“I can explain everything to him, Uno,” she offered quickly, stepping forward. “Excuse me, Lev–”

Uno cut her off before she could finish. “There’s no need. He’s my responsibility.” His tone was flat but final.

“Oh, but–”

He wasn’t listening anymore. His attention had already returned to Lev.

Marlow followed his gaze and caught Lev smiling back at her. His eyes curved, polite and almost apologetic as if to comfort her embarrassment. But somehow, it only made her blood boil.

She clenched her fists and smiled back.

There wasn’t much left to see. Only the carnage of colossal bugs torn apart and scattered like discarded scraps of armor.

Lev’s eyes flicked toward the spot where the van had vanished before. Now it was spotless. Not a single trace of what had been there. Even the dismembered human corpses were gone. He blinked once, then smirked faintly.

Lev tilted his head, his tone mild. “Are we the only ones who’ve been here?”

Uno didn’t even glance at him. “Yes. There are no other records of entry aside from us.”

Lev hummed softly, pretending to accept the answer, but his eyes glinted with something close to mirth.

So the great hunter had no idea.

Someone had been here before them.

A quiet laugh almost slipped from his throat. Humans really are interesting.

They called monsters deceitful, dangerous, and vile but here they were, doing the very same things behind each other’s backs.

How funny.

He wanted to explore the dungeon further, but Uno’s focus was a heavy, possessive blanket draped entirely over him. Lev couldn’t distance himself even a fraction.

Aren’t you being a little too possessive, human? He snorted internally at the thought.

“We’re moving in,” Uno ordered, signaling the hunters forward.

They stepped into a long, narrow hallway that stretched endlessly into darkness. The walls were cracked, paint flaking off in curled strips. The air smelled of dust, dampness, and something faintly metallic like forgotten blood. The ground was uneven, littered with broken glass and chunks of concrete that ground softly under their boots.

There were doors on either side, all half-open, some ripped from their hinges entirely. Shadows spilled out of the rooms like something had clawed its way out long ago. The only sounds were their crisp and rhythmic steps. It was too loud against the heavy silence.

Light flickered to life as the hunters activated their runes, pale gold circles glowing faintly on their wrists. Lev, on the other hand, didn’t bother. His eyes were clear even in the dark, the black gleam of his pupils reflecting faint light.

“Ugh! Fuck!” someone swore. A loud crash followed from the next corridor.

Lev perked up immediately, curiosity flashing across his face. Without hesitation, he started toward the sound…

…but then something solid caught him. An arm slid firmly around his waist, halting him mid-step.

Lev blinked, then glanced up. Uno’s expression was cold, his gaze fixed on the source of the noise.

For a moment, Lev didn’t move, just stood there in that quiet, charged space. Uno’s hand still at his waist, his body close enough that Lev could feel the faint rise and fall of his breath.

Lev raised a brow, voice low.

“…I was just going to look.”

But Uno ignored him completely.

“Everyone, don’t panic,” he said, voice even and calm. “What happened?”

“Nothing major,” Junha reported quickly. “It’s just the head of a colossal bug blocking the door.”

“It moved a bit, so I got startled,” another hunter admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

“Probably just your imagination,” One hunter replied. “Stop drinking coffee before missions.”

A few of the hunters laughed under their breath, tension easing for a moment.

“Pfft.” Lev leaned in closer, his voice a teasing whisper near Uno’s ear. “Your hunters got scared for nothing.”

Uno arched a brow, unimpressed. “And you aren’t?” His tone was quiet, but there was a challenge hidden in it.

Lev’s lips curled. He ran his tongue briefly across his upper lip, eyes glinting with amusement. “Try me.”

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Uno’s cool and unreadable gaze locked with his, but something flickered there. It was faint and sharp, like he was trying to read a language Lev wasn’t supposed to know.

In the end, Uno was the one to look away. He drew his arm back, releasing Lev from his hold.

The warmth stayed, a phantom weight that made Lev’s skin prickle. He let out a small laugh under his breath.

“If you’ve noticed,” Uno said after a short while, brusquely changing the subject to a dry lecture, “dungeons tend to mimic the human world. Cities, buildings… sometimes even homes. Although they always look ruined.”

Boring.

Lev almost yawned. He’d rather go back to riling Uno up. It was far more entertaining than listening to things he already knew better than anyone else.

As Uno continued, Lev’s attention drifted elsewhere, eyes wandering across the wreckage with detached amusement.

When Uno noticed, he cleared his throat pointedly. “Anyway,” he said, tone firm, “don’t leave my side.”

“And if I do?” Lev asked, his own eyes narrowing, a spark of pure challenge back in his voice.

Uno stared back, the silence lengthening between them. This person, Uno realized with a jolt of both frustration and reluctant intrigue, really loved to provoke him in every way possible.

Uno cursed under his breath. “Then I’ll make sure you don’t.”

Lev tilted his head, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

*****

Author’s Note:

This will be updated every Sunday.