My palm was itching again.
Not the normal kind.
It was sharp. Persistent.
The kind that made my fingers dig into my skin without thinking.
I tried to ignore it.
I always do.
But it never works.
The sensation crawled deeper the longer I resisted, like something was clawing its way out from under my skin.
…Yeah. I hated this feeling.
And yet—
I already knew what it meant.
I looked down at my hand.
Then I laughed quietly.
"Right on time."
Because whenever this happens—
I win.
There's probably a scientific explanation for it. Dry skin. Nerves. Something boring like that.
But the results speak for themselves.
Nine times out of ten, I walk away with money.
So instead of questioning it…
I rely on it.
I stood in front of a convenience store for a while, thinking about groceries.
Then my hand twitched.
The itching got worse.
…That settled it.
I turned around.
A few minutes later, I was sitting at a gambling table.
And as expected—
I won.
That should've been enough.
But it never is.
—Ding.
"…Haa."
I let out a quiet sigh.
I shouldn't have bet everything.
But it had been a while since my last jackpot.
My hands moved before I could think.
Now, I was broke.
Which meant there was no reason to stay.
I turned toward the exit—
—and the doors burst open.
Cold night air rushed in.
The clatter of chips, the laughter, the noise—
all of it stopped at once.
"…Police."
Someone whispered it like a death sentence.
I wasn't surprised.
A place like this was bound to get raided eventually.
Still… the timing was terrible.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the floor.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
A man in uniform stepped inside.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Built like he walked straight out of a fitness ad.
Even through the fabric, the outline of his body was obvious.
…Unfair.
If he posted a single picture online, it would probably go viral.
That was my first thought.
The second—
He was pointing a gun at us.
"No one move. You're all under arrest."
He paused.
"…State your crimes."
…?
I frowned.
Was that how arrests worked?
Shouldn't he be securing the scene first?
Or was I the weird one for questioning it?
"Me~"
A woman stepped forward, raising her hand.
"Arrest me. I'll tell you everything… in private."
…
That worked?
The officer glanced at her.
"…Arrest her."
Two officers moved immediately, cuffing her.
"Hey! Careful! I just did my skincare—!"
She was loud.
Too loud for someone who just got arrested.
I took a step back.
I needed to leave.
Quietly.
Thud.
The sound echoed.
"…You."
The officer's voice cut through the silence.
"Didn't I say not to move?"
…Damn it.
I raised my hands slowly.
"Name?"
"I'm—"
The ground shook.
—Rumble.
Screams filled the room.
The floor trembled violently as people rushed toward the exit.
Someone slammed into the officers by the door.
They fell.
Crack—
The ceiling split open.
Debris fell.
People didn't make it out in time.
I looked for another way out.
There wasn't one.
The exit was already buried.
So this is how it ends.
—Boom.
Something pierced through my stomach.
"…Haha… shit…"
It hurt.
My vision blurred.
Warm liquid filled my mouth.
I coughed.
Blood spilled onto the floor.
Am I dying?
I looked up.
More debris was falling.
I closed my eyes.
At least… I don't have to pay him anymore.
—
It never came.
I opened my eyes.
The debris had stopped midair.
〔The constellation 'Nurturer who guides beginners' has protected you〕
…What?
A translucent screen appeared before me.
「Congratulations, Kim Yoojin. You have successfully awakened.」
"…What?"
The pain was still there.
The blood was still real.
So this wasn't a hallucination.
Around me, the casino had turned into a ruin.
Bodies. Blood. Silence.
And yet—
some of the debris were still floating.
No one moved.
No one understood what was happening.
"Ahem."
A voice echoed from above.
I looked up.
A man was floating in the air.
Of course he is.
He had horns.
His face was… strange.
Not quite human. Not quite something else.
Behind him—
pillars rose.
Walls formed.
A massive colosseum emerged from the ground.
"…Yeah."
I exhaled weakly.
I'm definitely dying.
[Ahem.]
The man cleared his throat, as if he were standing in front of a classroom instead of a pile of corpses.
[Is everyone alright?]
No one answered.
He paused, then nodded to himself.
[Well… that's what I wanted to say.]
His gaze swept across the ruined casino.
[It seems the dungeon's opening caused more casualties than expected.]
…Dungeon.
Right.
That word alone was enough to confirm it.
I wasn't hallucinating.
This is real.
[Ah, I suppose introductions are in order.]
The man placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow midair.
[My name is Hadi. I will be your guide for this dungeon.]
Behind him, the colosseum continued to rise, stone grinding against stone as if the world itself was being rewritten.
[If you successfully conquer it, you will be rewarded accordingly.]
A reward.
Someone nearby let out a weak laugh.
"Reward…? Look at us."
Another person groaned in pain, clutching their bleeding side.
"Screw the reward… call an ambulance first…"
I agreed.
Unfortunately, Hadi didn't seem interested.
[Now then,] he continued smoothly, ignoring the chaos below, [allow me to explain the basics.]
Of course he would.
Even at a time like this.
[Dungeons, as you may already know, contain specific conditions for completion.]
He raised a finger, like a lecturer emphasizing an important point.
[Once those conditions are fulfilled, you will be returned to your original world.]
"Original world…?"
Someone repeated the words weakly, as if trying to process them.
[For example,] Hadi continued, [if the objective is to eliminate all monsters, then doing so will complete the dungeon.]
Monsters.
I let out a quiet breath.
"Right," someone muttered nearby. "Because this day wasn't strange enough already."
[Additionally, certain dungeons may assign tasks based on your abilities.]
He smiled faintly.
[A gardener, for instance, may be placed in an environment suited to their skills.]
…That didn't make it sound any better.
Around me, people were still bleeding.
Some couldn't even move.
And yet—
he kept talking.
Calmly.
Casually.
As if none of this mattered.
My vision began to blur again.
The pain in my stomach was getting worse.
So this is how it ends.
[Oh.]
Hadi suddenly snapped his fingers, as if remembering something trivial.
[It seems I've taken too long.]
His gaze lowered toward us.
[Everyone here—excluding the deceased—will now enter the dungeon.]
Silence fell.
Then—
"Are you insane?!"
The shout broke through the air.
"Look at us! We're dying!"
"Please… just call for help…"
Hadi laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough to make it worse.
[Don't worry.]
He waved his hand dismissively.
[I will send all of you directly inside.]
Murmurs spread across the survivors.
Fear.
Confusion.
Hope.
[Ah, and one more thing.]
He pointed downward.
[Your wounds will be healed upon entry.]
That—
made everyone freeze.
"…Healed?"
The man trapped under the rubble lifted his head with difficulty, his voice trembling.
"My legs… will they really be healed?"
A woman nearby clutched her arm, her eyes shaking.
"T-Then… we can survive…?"
For the first time since all of this started, something other than fear spread through the room.
Hope.
Hadi smiled.
[Of course.]
His tone was light. Almost reassuring.
Then—
it changed.
[However…]
The smile remained, but something about it felt… off.
[If you die inside the dungeon—]
He paused, letting the silence settle.
[—you will truly die.]
The hope shattered instantly.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
…As expected.
There was no such thing as a free miracle.
[Now then.]
Hadi raised his hand.
[Shall we begin?]
Snap.
It started from my feet.
My body began to dissolve.
Not fade—
break apart.
White particles peeled away from my skin, scattering into the air like dust.
"…What—"
Someone screamed.
"H-Help! My body—!"
Another voice shouted, panicked and desperate.
"What did you do to us?!"
Hadi only chuckled.
[Don't worry.]
He waved his hand casually, as if this were nothing more than a routine process.
[It's part of the transfer.]
Transfer.
Right.
Because being torn apart piece by piece was apparently normal now.
My legs were already gone.
Then my torso.
The pain in my stomach disappeared along with it.
So this is how it feels.
Not dying—
but being erased.
I let out a slow breath.
Around me, everyone was vanishing the same way.
Some screamed.
Some prayed.
Others just stared, unable to react.
As for me—
I didn't have the energy to do any of that.
I really got dragged into something insane.
[Ah.]
Hadi spoke again, as if he had almost forgotten.
[A parting blessing.]
He placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow.
[May the gods and goddesses watch over your journey.]
His gaze shifted.
For a brief moment—
it met mine.
And he smiled.
〔The constellation 'Nurturer who guides beginners' wishes you luck〕
…That didn't feel reassuring at all.
My vision turned white.
Completely.
The noise disappeared.
The pain disappeared.
Everything—
disappeared.
—
When I opened my eyes again, something was floating in front of me.
A translucent screen.
Clean.
Simple.
Unfamiliar.
『Welcome, traveler.』
I stared at it silently.
Then more words appeared.
『Would you like to view your status?』
〈YES〉 〈NO〉
…
I let out a quiet breath.
Yeah.
There was no going back now.