"I don't like this," Jero whispered.
We were halfway through our patrol in Sector 1-B, and things had been quiet. Too quiet.
No screeching slimes. No wall spiders. No screaming bone-bats. Just a heavy silence that made every step echo more than it should. Even the usual dripping water from the stone ceiling had gone silent, as if the dungeon itself were holding its breath.
"Nothing's happened yet," I replied, trying to sound calm.
"Exactly!" he squeaked. "That's what's wrong!"
Trixia, perched on my shoulder, flicked her tail. "He's not wrong. Something's off."
I tightened my grip on the chipped spear Karen had reluctantly assigned me. It was more stick than weapon, but hey—progress.
The corridor opened into a wider chamber. Torches flickered blue against damp stone. A shattered trap lay at the far wall—its runes cracked, wires dangling like guts. A smear of blood led out of the chamber and into the next tunnel.
"Okay," I muttered. "Not creepy at all."
[System Alert: Raid Presence Detected][Threat Level: Moderate.][Recommendation: Retreat.]
Yeah. That was the plan.
Until we heard voices.
"—told you I saw a human!""You were hallucinating from that mana burn!""Well, hallucination or not, he's standing right there!"
Three figures stepped into view at the far end of the corridor.
I recognized them instantly.
The same three who'd nearly killed me on my first day.
The warrior, still as wide as a doorframe and twice as loud.The mage, still adjusting his glasses with that smug, punchable face.And the archer, who locked eyes with me like she never forgot a face.
Which, apparently, she didn't.
"I'm not crazy! I told you!"
I froze. Jero made a sound like a boiling kettle and ducked behind me. Trixia hissed and dropped down from my shoulder, fur standing on end.
The mage pointed at me.
"What is a human doing down here? In uniform?!"
"Wait—he's not armored," the warrior mumbled. "He's just... wearing Dungeon colors?"
"That's a minion tag on his belt!" the archer snapped. "He's one of them."
[System Alert: Social anomaly detected. Prepare for impact.]
My heart pounded. I wasn't ready for this. Not even close.
"Orders?" Jero whispered from behind me, trembling.
"Yeah," I muttered. "Don't die."
The humans raised their weapons. Magic crackled in the mage's hands. The archer nocked an arrow. The warrior stepped forward like a walking mountain.
And I… panicked.
But not in the traditional sense.
Something lit up in my brain. Desperation + adrenaline + absolute idiocy = genius?
I took a deep breath, spread my arms wide, and screamed:
"YOU DARE ENTER MY SECTOR?!"
Everyone paused.
Trixia slowly turned her head toward me. "Oh no."
[Skill Used: Bluff (Lv. 1)]
"You think I'm alone?" I continued, striding toward them with the worst confidence imaginable. "This entire hall is rigged with countermeasures! Reinforcements are already en route!"
I stomped hard—just enough to dislodge a loose chunk of ceiling stone.
It fell. Crashed loudly.
Dust exploded.
The humans flinched.
I pointed behind them.
"Too late to run now," I growled. "The traps are already locked."
The mage looked around, anxious. "I—I don't detect anything—"
"Exactly," I said, lowering my voice. "The best traps don't want to be found."
The archer narrowed her eyes. "Something's wrong. He's bluffing."
"Maybe," said the warrior, now visibly sweating. "But what if he's not?"
"He's a human," she muttered. "We need to tell the Order."
"No one's ever become a minion," the mage hissed. "That's not supposed to be possible."
"I'm telling you," the mage added, almost to himself. "The Overlord's up to something. This is a test."
They backed away. Slowly. Weapons raised, steps cautious.
Then—they ran.
Down the corridor. Away from me. From us.
Gone.
Silence.
The kind of silence you only hear after something impossible just happened.
Jero peeked over my shoulder.
"…Did… did we win?"
Trixia blinked. "How… how the hell did that work?"
[You gained 35 EXP for repelling intruders.][Skill Upgraded: Bluff (Lv. 1 → Lv. 2)]
My legs finally gave out. I dropped to my knees, gasping.
"That was… that was the dumbest thing I've ever done."
"You're a genius," Jero whispered, eyes wide and sparkling with something dangerously close to reverence.
"No," I groaned. "I'm an idiot with good timing."
"Same difference!"
Trixia padded forward and sat beside me. "For what it's worth… that was impressive."
I gave her a weak thumbs-up. "Thanks. Remind me to never do that again."
Jero crouched beside me and patted my arm. "Master… from this day on, I'll follow your strategies to the end!"
"…Please don't."
---
Far above, in a cleaner tunnel lined with torchlight and polished stone, the three adventurers regrouped.
They moved quickly, their weapons still drawn.
"He was definitely human," said the archer. Her voice was tight, sharp. "There was no illusion. I saw his face clearly."
"Agreed," said the mage. "But something's wrong with him. Either he's brainwashed… or worse."
The warrior, now breathing heavily, looked behind them. "He didn't even follow us. That's a good sign, right?"
"No," the mage muttered. "That's strategy. He wanted us to leave."
The archer pulled a scroll from her pack and began scribbling.
"We need to inform the Order. Now."
"And if he's a threat?" asked the warrior.
The mage's face darkened.
"If the Dungeon is producing humans now... then this war just changed."