Alex and Alexa stood outside the mall with their guild, looking at the building. It was a large, modern mall in the middle of the city, but sothing had changed. A dungeon had appeared on the first floor, turning the whole mall into a dangerous place filled with monsters.
"The dungeon energy is strong. It's definitely on the first floor." Alex spoke,
Alexa stepped forward. "We need to clear the dungeon quickly before it spreads further."
They walked up to the entrance of the mall. The glass doors were still intact, but sothing felt different. The air around them was heavy, and the sky above looked darker than usual. It was as if the dungeon's presence had started to affect the entire area.
"Be careful. Once we're inside, anything can happen," Alex warned as he pushed open the door.
The guild stepped inside the mall. The first thing they noticed was how cold it was. Even though the building was new, the temperature felt like a freezer. The lights were dim, but they could still see the outlines of stores and hallways. It was quiet, too quiet.
"The dungeon is definitely in here," Alexa muttered. "Let's find it fast."
The guild moved carefully through the aisles of the first floor. It looked like a normal mall, but they knew monsters could appear at any mont. One of the guildmamber closed his eyes for a second, trying to sense the location of the dungeon core.
"It's deeper inside," he said, pointing toward the back of the mall. "We need to get through the main area."
Alex nodded. "Stay in formation. We'll clear any monsters that co at us."
They continued walking, the cold air biting at their skin. The mall was quiet, but they could feel sothing was watching them. Every step they took felt heavier, as if the dungeon was pulling them in.
"What is that?" one of the mbers asked nervously.
Before anyone could answer, large mantis-like monsters suddenly appeared from behind the store shelves. Their long, serrated legs clicked against the floor as they moved toward the group with terrifying speed.
"There's too many of them!" shouted one of the guild mbers as the mantises charged.
The guild tried to fight back, but the mantises were faster and more coordinated than they expected. One by one, mbers of the team were knocked down, barely able to block the swift strikes of the monsters' razor-sharp legs. Their mage tried to cast a spell, but a mantis lunged at him, and he had to scramble back to avoid being sliced apart.
"We're getting overwheld!" yelled one of the fighters, barely fending off two mantises at once. His sword clanged against the monsters' legs, but he was clearly losing ground.
"Focus! Don't let them surround us!" Alex shouted, his spear already in hand. He leaped forward, spinning his spear in a wide arc and slashing through a mantis that had cornered one of the guild mbers.
Alexa was right behind him, her dual swords flashing in the dim light as she danced between the monsters. She struck quickly and precisely, slicing through their legs and disabling their mobility.
But the mantises kept coming. For every one they killed, two more seed to appear from the shadows, their numbers endless. The guild was being pushed back, barely holding on. One mantis managed to get close to Jin-soo again, knocking him to the ground as he scread for help.
"We can't hold them off!" shouted another guild mber, struggling against two mantises at once. His shield arm shook under the force of their strikes, and cracks started to appear in his defense.
Seeing his team on the verge of collapse, Alex narrowed his eyes and gripped his spear tightly.
Alex spun his spear with expert precision, stabbing and sweeping through the mantises like a storm. His long reach allowed him to keep several monsters at bay at once, pushing them back.
Alexa moved in perfect sync with him, her dual swords flashing as she sliced through the mantises' legs and bodies. Her speed was unmatched, and the monsters could barely keep up with her rapid movents.
As they fought, the other guild mbers rallied behind them, encouraged by the duo's powerful attacks. Their mage finally free from the mantises' claws, cast a barrier to protect the team, giving them a mont to breathe.
Together, Alex and Alexa tore through the remaining monsters, cutting down the mantises one by one. Their teamwork was flawless—Alex's spear kept the monsters at a distance while Alexa's dual swords finished them off with lethal strikes.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the last mantis fell, its body twitching before going still.
"Wow, just like an A-Rank awakener!" one of the guild mbers said, watching as Alex lowered his spear.
"These mantises are so strong! Only A-Ranks can beat them," another guild mber added.
Alex overheard his team's murmurs, and so of them were feeling down. "It's been five months, and we're still stuck at C-Rank," one of them whispered, looking discouraged. Others nodded, clearly frustrated with their lack of progress. So looked like they were starting to lose confidence.
Alex turned around and spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "Hey, don't feel sorry for yourselves. I know it's been tough, but you're all doing great. You just need a few more pushes, and you'll get there. You will beco A-Rank too—it just takes ti and hard work."
His words made so of the mbers stand up straighter, their eyes brightening a little.
Alexa stepped forward and crossed her arms, adding her own advice. "Being jealous or envious won't get you anywhere," she said bluntly. "Get that out of your brain. Focus on yourselves and your own growth. You're all strong, but you need to believe it."
The guild mbers glanced at each other, so of them realizing that their self-doubt was holding them back.
One fighter lifted his weapon. "We'll keep pushing!" he shouted.
"Yeah, we'll reach A-Rank too!" another mber added, his voice growing stronger.
Soon, all of them were shouting together. "We'll get stronger! We won't give up!"
Alex smiled, feeling proud of his team. He glanced at Alexa, who gave him a small nod of approval.
"Alright," Alex said, gripping his spear tightly. "Let's finish this dungeon and Pay attention. there probably so people that survive."
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