The Unawakened Porter's Divine System

Surrounded

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The moment Xavier stepped into the dungeon, he was greeted by the green scenery.

The smell of rain and plants hit him hard.

Trees stretched high above them, their branches spreading across the sky. Thick bushes covered the ground, while vines hung from the trees.

The air was cool and damp.

Xavier took a deep breath.

His chest was still rising heavily from the anxiety he'd felt before entering, but he forced himself to calm down.

They had barely taken a few steps when the hunters began spreading out.

Weapons were drawn.

Some held swords.

Others carried spears, bows, or weapons Xavier couldn't identify.

Everyone was watching their surroundings.

Xavier followed their example.

One thing he had learned from his previous dungeon experiences was simple.

Never let your guard down.

A dungeon wasn't like the outside world.

Danger could come from anywhere.

Above.

Behind.

Even beneath your feet.

He glanced at the trees.

Then the bushes.

Nothing.

At least, nothing he could see.

‘System.’

[Yes?]

‘Can you detect living creatures even if I can't see them?’

There was a brief pause.

[Yes.]

Xavier's eyes narrowed.

‘You can?’

[The System can scan the surrounding area and identify living organisms.]

Xavier smiled faintly.

‘Good.’

He looked ahead.

‘Continuously scan everything within a thirty meters radius from me.’

[Scanning...]

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then...

[One.]

‘One?’

[Two.]

His eyebrows lifted.

[Three.]

[Four.]

[Five.]

[Six.]

Xavier halted in his steps.

Six?

He glanced around.

There was a tracking mage among the hunters. Someone whose entire job was to detect enemies before they could get close.

Yet the man hadn't said anything.

Xavier looked toward the trees.

Nothing.

Then the bushes.

Still nothing.

‘System?’

[There are six Kobolds within twenty one meters of the Host.]

Xavier's expression changed.

‘Where?’

[Three are positioned within the trees.]

[Three are concealed within the bushes.]

Xavier immediately looked up.

His eyes strained against the leaves.

There.

For a brief moment, he saw something.

A shape.

Small.

Humanoid.

It disappeared almost immediately.

Xavier's heartbeat quickened.

He turned towards the leader.

The man was walking near the front of the group.

Xavier hurried over.

"Wait." He called out.

The leader turned.

"What?"

"We need to be more careful."

The man's brows furrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

"We are kinda surrounded right now." Xavier said.

The words immediately caught the attention of several hunters nearby.

"What?"

"Surrounded?"

Xavier nodded.

"There are creatures around us." He stated.

The hunters tightened their grips on their weapons.

But the tracking mage stepped forward.

"Creatures?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I haven't detected anything."

Xavier looked at him.

"There are six." He said.

The man's expression darkened.

"Six?" The mage asked.

"Three in the trees. Three in the bushes."

The tracking mage stared at him.

Then he looked around.

Nothing.

He closed his eyes briefly, focusing.

Still nothing.

His expression became increasingly irritated.

"Who exactly are you?"

Xavier hesitated.

"I'm just trying to warn you."

"Warn us?"

The man's voice carried enough irritation for everyone nearby to hear.

"In a dungeon raid, you don't suddenly make claims like that without evidence."

"I know."

"Do you?"

The man stepped closer.

"You realize what happens when people start panicking over things that aren't there?"

Xavier frowned.

"I'm not trying to make anyone panic."

"Then how did you find out?"

Xavier fell silent.

He couldn't exactly say the System had told him.

The tracking mage waited.

When Xavier didn't answer, a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Let me guess."

His eyes moved toward Xavier's crimson eyes.

"Your demonic eyes told you?"

A few hunters snickered.

The tracking mage laughed.

Xavier's expression stiffened.

Then the mage glanced toward the Holy Maiden.

She wasn't laughing.

Her expression had become noticeably colder.

The man's laughter immediately died.

He cleared his throat.

"Anyway..."

He turned back to Xavier.

"Look, boy. I've been a tracking mage for years."

He folded his arms.

"If there were monsters nearby, I would've..."

[Duck.]

Xavier moved before he even understood the command.

He dropped.

Something whistled over his head.

A crude dagger flew past him.

The tracking mage's eyes widened.

The weapon buried itself directly into his chest.

"Ugh!"

Blood sprayed.

The man staggered backward before collapsing to the ground.

The leader shouted.

"Everyone on guard!"

The entire group snapped into action.

Weapons were raised.

The hunters moved closer together, their backs gradually meeting as they formed a defensive circle with the injured mage in the middle.

The healer rushed toward the fallen mage.

"Stay with me!"

She dropped to her knees and immediately placed her hands over the wound.

A faint glow appeared beneath her palms.

Xavier glanced at the dagger sticking out of the man's chest.

Then he looked toward the trees.

"I told you."

His voice was louder this time.

"There are six Kobolds around us."

[Correction.]

Xavier froze.

[There are now thirteen.]

His eyes widened.

"Thirteen?" He exclaimed out loud.

The leader immediately looked at him.

"What do you mean, thirteen?"

Xavier swallowed.

"Thirteen Kobolds."

The hunters exchanged uneasy glances.

"Where?"

"I don't know exactly."

Xavier looked around.

He couldn't see them.

Not clearly.

[Six are positioned within the trees.]

[Seven are concealed within the bushes.]

Xavier relayed the information.

"Six in the trees. Seven in the bushes."

The hunters looked around.

"Where the hell are they?"

"I can't see anything!"

The leader raised his weapon.

"Stay together!"

The hunters pressed closer.

Their weapons pointed outward.

Nobody moved.

Xavier's eyes darted across the forest.

Trees.

Leaves.

Bushes.

Nothing.

He could barely make out the one he'd spotted earlier.

And that was only because he had been specifically looking for it.

If one of them attacked right now, he wouldn't see it coming.

‘How am I supposed to fight something I can't even see?’

His grip tightened around the sword.

The System could tell him where they were.

But that didn't mean his eyes could follow them.

Knowing where an enemy was and actually being able to react to it were two very different things.

A rustling sound came from somewhere above.

Everyone looked up.

Nothing.

Another sound came from the bushes.

The hunters turned.

Nothing again.

The tension continued to rise.

The healer remained beside the injured tracking mage, desperately trying to heal him.

A short distance away, the Holy Maiden stood calmly.

Alexandria was beside her, one hand resting on the hilt of her sheathed sword.

Neither woman had joined the hunters' formation.

Xavier noticed.

Then...

Whoosh!

Another crude dagger shot through the trees.

It wasn't aimed at the hunters.

It was aimed directly at the Holy Maiden.

Alexandria moved.

Clang!

Her sword flashed from its sheath.

Her blade split the dagger in two as it dropped to the ground.

The hunters stared.

The Holy Maiden didn't even flinch.

She simply looked at the fallen dagger.

Then at the forest.

"Don't worry about me."

Her voice was calm.

"Go on."

The hunters exchanged glances.

The meaning was obvious.

She wasn't going to fight for them.

They were expected to handle this themselves.

The leader tightened his grip around his weapon.

"Everyone, stay together, remain observant and do not make any unnecessary move."

No one argued.

Xavier slowly raised his sword.

His heart was pounding again.

This was only his first D-rank dungeon.

They had barely entered.

And already, one of their hunters was bleeding on the ground while thirteen hidden Kobolds surrounded them.

Xavier stared into the forest.

He couldn't see them.

But they could see him.

And they were waiting.

Now, Xavier wondered if simply being stronger would be enough to survive.

The forest suddenly fell silent.

Too silent.

Suddenly, laughter echoed through the forest.

High-pitched.

Raspy.

Almost like the cackling of hyenas.

It came from everywhere.

The bushes.

The trees.

The darkness between them.

The Kobolds were laughing.

They were mocking them.

Xavier's eyes narrowed.

Something was coming.

[Host.]

The System's voice was unusually direct.

[Prepare yourself.]

Xavier tightened his grip.

A branch above him moved.

Then another.

The laughter continued.

The kobolds were watching them.

And there was nowhere to run.