A week after the "Mystery Dungeon" incident, I walked out of the hospital with a new Hunter IDin my pocket. Kang Deok hadn't just cleared my medical bills; he had manually updated my status. Finally, I could start earning real money and live the life I had always dreamed of. Being a C-Rank wasn't the pinnacle of the world, but it was a massive leap from being a lowly E-Rank. In this world, E-Rank was the average person, and D-Rank was simply a high-athletic level, but a C-Rank was powerful enough to level a small building with a single strike. Usually, C-Ranks were Level 15-20, yet here I was at Level 5, promoted solely due to Kang Deok's intervention for reasons I still didn't fully grasp.Sitting in a small ramen shop, I browsed the Hunter Commission App. Most C-Rank gates were locked behind Guild requirements, but one caught my eye:[RAID RECRUITMENT: B-Rank Gate – Gyeonggi Sector]Host: Solaris Guild (3rd Division)Requirements: C-Rank or higher.Pay: 10,000,000 Won + partial loot rights.That 10 million won was hard to ignore, especially with the inflation caused by the dungeons. Plus, the name Solaris carried weight. They were one of Korea's "Great Five," led by the rising star S-Rank Han Ji-Hoo, the man rumored to be the next "Great Sword" of the nation. I clicked "Apply," and my new rank was verified instantly.When I arrived at the gate, the atmosphere was professional and cold. The 20-man team was a mix of Solaris elites in gleaming armor and seasoned mercenaries. Han Ji-Hoo stood at the front, his S-Rank aura vibrating through the air. "Listen up. This is a standard B-Rank Insect Nest. We go in, clear the Queen, and get out. Mercenaries, stay on the flanks. Don't get greedy."The core Solaris team consisted of five members: Lee Seol-Ah (A-Rank), a kind healer with a cute, average look; Park Sang-Min (S-Rank Tank), a seven-foot mountain of a man with a skill that doubled his size, strength, and endurance; Yoon Ha-Neul (A-Rank Buffer), an 18-year-old girl who was clearly nervous for her first big raid; Choi Jin-Woo (A-Rank Scout), a man with a scarred face and a bold look; and finally, Han Ji-Hoo himself.We entered the gate, but the portal didn't stabilize. Instead, it turned a violent, pulsing crimson. First a Mystery Dungeon, and now a Shapeshifter Gate? My life was certainly finding new ways to "entertain" me.[SYSTEM WARNING: GATE RESONANCE DETECTED]
[RANK RE-EVALUATION: B -> S-Rank (Catastrophe Level)]The "Insect Nest" transformed into a Wyvern Nest. The atmosphere turned heavy with despair; clearing a shapeshifting gate without casualties was nearly impossible. Ji-Hoo took a firm stand, his voice booming to motivate the panicked crowd. Suddenly, a swarm of Wyvernsblotted out the dungeon sky."Aura Sword!" Han Ji-Hoo shouted. His blade ignited with a sharp blue glow, extending its range and power. He leaped into the air, screaming "Aura Slash!" as he tore through the S-Rank monsters single-handedly. Everyone felt a wave of relief; it wasn't normal for an S-Rank to slaughter so many wyverns so easily.As night fell, the scout Choi Jin-Woo found a defensible area to set up camp. Fear still lingered—the boss of an S-Rank dungeon would likely be an SS-Class monster around Level 60. When it came time for the night watch, I was paired with the giant, Park Sang-Min.Seeing the tank occupied, I realized this was my chance. I needed to grow if I wanted to survive the boss. I quietly slipped away from the camp into the dark, hunting for Wyverns to level up in secret.