Joon-seok stepped out after clearing the D-rank dungeon, but the moment he came out, he froze.
A man with an overwhelming aura was standing right in front of him.
Who is this…? Joon-seok wondered in shock. Just standing near him made it hard to breathe, as if the air
itself had disappeared.
The mysterious man walked toward
him and said in a cold tone, "Congratulations on clearing the D-rank dungeon, Kang Joon-seok."
Joon-seok's eyes widened. How does he know about me?
"S-so… who are you?" Joon-seok asked, stuttering slightly. "And how do you know about me?"
The mysterious man replied…My name is Park Hyun-sik. I was sent
by the Black Tiger Guild. I want to know about that hidden dungeon. But before that… are you really
strong enough to clear a D-rank dungeon and survive a hidden
dungeon as well?"
As he spoke, a terrifying aura suddenly burst out from him. The
pressure became so intense that Joon-seok dropped to his knees.
What… who is this guy? Joon-seok thought, struggling to breathe. The overwhelming aura reminded him
of the monster general he had faced in hidden dungeon. Sweat
poured down his body as he gasped for air.
I just defeated a D-rank boss… but I
can't even stand properly in front of him? Have I really become
stronger?
Suddenly, the pressure vanished.
Park Hyun-sik looked at him calmly
and said, "Impressive, Kang Joon-seok. Most people collapse
completely under my aura… but you didn't."Joon-seok steadied his breathing and said, "Why are you
here?"
Park Hyun-sik replied in a cold tone,
"Like I said, I came to talk about what happened in that hidden dungeon."
Still catching his breath, Joon-seok said, "I already told everything to
Mr. Kim Tae-Jun. Why is your guild asking me the same questions again?"
Park Hyun-sik looked at him and said, "Kim Tae-Jun is part of the
Association, not a guild. That means the Black Tiger Guild—and other guilds—don't know what you
told him. That's why I'm here."
Joon-seok hesitated for a moment
before answering, "Look… I was about to die in that hidden dungeon. When I woke up, I was
already in the hospital. That's all I know. I told the same thing to Mr.
Kim Tae-Jun."
Park Hyun-sik remained calm. That's fine. But let me tell you what
really happened there."
His voice stayed cold as he
continued, "The dungeon your party entered was originally an E-rank
dungeon. But according to Park
Min-ho's report, it suddenly changed into a hidden dungeon…
and not just any hidden dungeon—it became an SSS-rank hidden dungeon."
He paused slightly before continuing, "After that, Park Min-ho
went to a nearby guild to report it In other words, Park Min-ho and the other survivors reached the Tae-jin
Guild and explained everything. After hearing their report, some
guild members went to the location they mentioned—the place where the hidden dungeon was supposed
to be. But when they arrived, all they found was your body. They
declared you dead."
Park Hyun-sik continued calmly, "Even so, they still took you to the
hospital. The doctors said the chances of survival were very low…
but not zero. So you were kept hospitalized. Then, after seven weeks, you finally woke up. After
that, Kim Tae-Jun came to meet you."
Joon-seok listened quietly and said, "So that's what happened… but I really don't know how I survived."
Park Hyun-sik stared at him for a long moment, then nodded once.
Fine." He pulled out a sleek black card and handed it to Joon-seok. "If you remember anything else… or if
you need anything, call this number. My secretary will answer."
He turned to leave, but paused.
One more thing. Be careful. The other guilds have already started
taking an interest in you. Watch your back."
Park Hyun-sik got into a waiting black car with his secretary and drove away.
Joon-seok stood there for a while, staring at the card in his hand.
Black Tiger Guild… one of the top guilds in Korea… and their man came personally to meet someone
like me?
Joon-seok started walking toward
his home and said to himself, Finally… I'm going to home."
As he walked, he kept thinking, I still
don't understand what this system is… but I'll use it to become
stronger. I have to protect my mom and my little sister. And those humanoid creatures… that monster
general… I will defeat them someday.
He clenched his fist slightly. But it won't be easy. I've seen how overwhelming their power is. If I
want to take them down, I'll have to work much harder.
After some time, Joon-seok reached his house and rang the doorbell.A voice came from inside,
and Joon-seok's mom opened the door, and tears streaming down her
face. "Joon-seok… you've been discharged from the hospital? Why didn't they tell us?"
Behind her, his little sister Seo-Yeon was sitting, watching TV. She
jumped up in shock, ran to her brother, and hugged him tightly. Joon-seok! Are you okay? When did
you get discharged?
Joon-seok replied calmly, "Just
now."
Seo-Yeon's expression faltered. Joon-seok… are you going to leave
us, just like Dad did? We thought
you had… gone away, leaving us
behind."
Joon-seok shook his head firmly. No. I'm not going anywhere. I'll
protect both of you for the rest of My lives, and I'll make sure you
have a bright future. But… please get off me, it hurts."
She let go and gave a small, shy
smile.
Han Soo-jin, his mom, spoke gently,
Joon-seok, come inside. Have
some dinner. You haven't eaten properly for so many days."
Joon-seok thought to himself, Yeah… I haven't eaten in a long
time. After clearing a D-rank dungeon and fighting the boss, it's time to eat something.
He entered the house and glanced at the TV. A news broadcast caught
his attention, and his eyes locked on the screen.
And now experts are saying that the
Great Awakening, which happened twelve years ago, was just the
beginning."
A middle-aged professor spoke into the microphone, while graphics
behind him showed cracks in the sky. "Twelve years ago, when the
first Gate opened in Seoul's Gangnam district, the world changed. Millions of people
suddenly developed supernatural powers, and terrifying monsters
began to appear. Scientists still don't fully understand the cause. Some claim it was a natural mana
surge, others say an ancient barrier was broken…"
Another expert interrupted, shaking his head. "Barrier? That's pure conspiracy theory! The truth is, we
disturbed the dimensional walls ourselves. Look—over the past few
months, the frequency of Gates has been increasing. If this continues, we could face another Cataclysm!"
Joon-seok's eyes narrowed. The frequency of Gates has increased
over the last few months…
In a cold, determined tone, he muttered, "Looks like the real game
is about to begin."
After dinner, Joon-seok went up to
his room and turned on his PC. His mind immediately went to money—he was glad that Mr. Tae-jun had
covered his hospital bills; otherwise, he would have been
completely broke. Alright, time to find a mission, he thought.
He opened the guild website,
scanning through the many available missions. One in
particular caught his eye: becoming a porter for a C-rank party. The work seems easy, and the pay is
decent, he thought. Without hesitation, he accepted the
mission.
Just then, an email notification popped up. He opened it. The
message read:
"Mr. Kang Joon-seok, please arrive
at this location tomorrow at 10:00 AM. The party will be ready to clear the Gate."
Joon-seok nodded to himself. "10 AM… got it." He closed his laptop
and went to sleep.
The next morning, he had breakfast and told his mom, "I'm heading out
to the Gate."
Han Soo-jin replied, "Take care of
yourself, and come back early. Seo-Yeon has a parent-teacher conference tomorrow, and I'll be
busy, so I can't go. Make sure you're back on time."
Alright, I will," Joon-seok said.
He arrived at the location the next morning. Nine people were already
gathered. A tall, lean man approached him and asked, "Are
you Kang Joon-seok?"
Yes, that's me," Joon-seok replied.
I'm Kwon Tae-woo, the leader of
this party. I'm a C-rank hunter," the man said. "The Gate is about to
close, so let's hurry."
Joon-seok lifted his large bag and followed the group as they entered the Gate
To be Countinue