The morning dawned quietly, and the gentle breeze stirred the leaves around the spacious villa, a scene that suggested serene calmness hiding an invisible tension.
Inside the luxurious dining hall, Ryu Myung sat wearing a sharp formal suit, his back straight, gaze steady, yet he did not reach for the food before him.
Across the table, his father, Rin Myung, ate quietly, his movements slow and deliberate, as if accustomed to making important decisions without haste.
Ryu observed his father silently, his eyes tracking every movement, as if searching for the right moment to speak.
"What's on your mind, Ryu?" his father said without lifting his gaze from his plate.
Ryu took a deep breath before speaking, as if the words he was about to say carried weight beyond mere conversation.
"Father… I met a powerful person named Rico Kisaragi… and he has become my friend."
The father did not pause eating, his expression unchanged, as if the name meant nothing to him.
"And what of it?" he said, with clear coldness.
Ryu clenched his fist slightly on the table, then continued in a more serious tone.
"Father… may I let Rico help me cleanse the gates… so I can become the next head of your guild if something happens to you?"
The Myung family owned their own guild; their vast wealth allowed them to build special influence within the hunter world, yet the guild was still not widely known, and its members were few, most of them low-ranked hunters.
Earlier, the father had set a clear condition for Ryu; if he could cleanse five C-rank gates, he would be granted the position of guild director.
But that condition was far harder than it seemed, especially for someone of his current level.
Finally, the father lifted his eyes toward Ryu, staring long and intently, as if measuring his resolve through his gaze.
"Are you serious?" he said, his tone calm but carrying clear pressure.
"The guild leader must rely on himself… you must be worthy of the responsibility."
Ryu responded immediately, as if ready for this objection.
"Father… after all, I am a C-rank hunter… I cannot cleanse a C-rank gate alone."
"At least two C-rank hunters must accompany you… because the leader is far stronger."
Silence fell for a moment as the father slowly closed his eyes, seemingly pondering the decision deeply.
Heavy seconds passed before he reopened his eyes, this time his gaze was gentler.
"Fine… I will approve your request."
"After all… you are my son… and I must worry about you."
Ryu's expression relaxed, a clear smile forming, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Thank you so much, Father… I will never forget this as long as I live."
[Name: Rico Kisaragi]
[Rank: C]
[Title: Unknown]
[Level: 51]
Rico's eyes paused at a single word, as if it stood apart from the rest of the lines.
'Unknown?'
He sat on the edge of a high building in Seoul, cold winds passing around him, rustling his hair as the city lights below sparkled like a sea of stars.
He stared at his status window intently, as if those words held the key to something bigger than mere data.
One desire echoed constantly within him; to become stronger… as fast as possible.
He never felt comfortable being weak; that feeling pressed on his chest, as if danger approached him unseen.
'I want to raise my level as soon as possible.'
'I want to gain enough strength to protect my family… and my loved ones.'
'And my other goal… uncovering the system's secret… my power… and the secret behind these nightmares.'
The nightmares that had haunted him since birth: strange scenes, blood, people falling before him, without understanding why.
'Why… are all my dreams nightmares?'
Suddenly, he felt a strange heaviness in his heart, a sensation unfamiliar to him.
He remembered his father… and his image appeared in his mind for a moment, that presence that had vanished, leaving a void he had never understood.
'What is this feeling?'
It was different from anything he had ever experienced, not fear—he had never known fear—and not anger either.
For the first time since birth, he felt sadness creeping clearly into him.
The system… had not only changed his body but began altering something deep within him.
'Is this… the sadness people talk about?'
He slowly raised his head toward the moon, his eyes glowing a faint red amid the night's darkness.
Suddenly, a gate appeared—the name that had never left his mind.
'Final Test Gate…'
At that moment, the system window appeared before him.
[Player Mission Detected]
[Mission: Cleanse a B+ Rank Gate]
Rico's eyes widened immediately.
The wolf he fought before had been of the same rank… and had nearly killed him.
If a full B+ rank gate existed… it meant the normal monsters inside would be nearly the same level.
And the B+ rank… was very close to A rank.
Rico had never heard of ranks with a "+" sign; these ranks were not part of this world's system… only unique to him.
[Rewards]
(Player strength will double)
(Partial disclosure of stored data)
(Complete transformation of the player's body)
(Massive player level increase)
(Player will receive a temporary title)
[Note: The title will be removed once the player obtains their original title after cleansing the final test gate]
His heartbeat quickened slightly, shock mixing with clear excitement.
These rewards… were abnormally massive.
This was not just a mission… but an opportunity to leap his strength to an entirely new level.
[Note: The gate the player will enter is called "Initial Test Gate"]
Rico froze at the name.
'Gate… Initial Test?'
One thought began forming slowly in his mind.
'The next gate… Initial Test…'
'And then… the Final Test…'
'Does this mean… the system is testing me?'
His vision widened, as if the fog was clearing before him.
'This means… someone is behind this system.'
He suddenly realized he was not alone, that something had been observing him since the moment he obtained the system.
A creature… or entity… testing him step by step.
But one question lingered in his mind.
'What is this person's goal?'
'And why… choose me?'
Questions piled up in his head with no clear answers.
Then the system window appeared again.
[Player has taken the first step toward discovering my truth]
Rico's eyes narrowed slightly.
'So… my theory was correct.'
'But… who are you?'
He remained silent for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his face.
'Yet… I am grateful.'
'Because… you changed my life entirely.'
He raised his gaze to the bright moon, his red eyes reflecting its cold light.
'Thank you… truly.'
End of Chapter (22)