Go Byeonggap blacked out for a very brief moment.

Five or six seconds later. When the pitch-black vision returned to normal, he wanted to deny reality.

“Fuck…”

This was a dark, subterranean maze. Torches placed sparsely along the walls cast feeble light. Ahead and behind, endless corridors stretched into the unknown.

No matter how he looked at it, this was no ordinary hidden world.

‘A dungeon…’

Yes. This was a special rift called a dungeon.

‘Goddammit!’

Byeonggap bit his lip hard. Fragments of that hellish memory flickered through his mind.

He reflexively turned around. There was no escape portal. Of course not. The only way out of a dungeon is to kill the boss monster.

The hunters who came in before Byeonggap also looked shaken. Unease filled their eyes, and their hands gripping their weapons trembled pitifully.

“Shh!”

A woman equipped with a bladed ring grabbed Byeonggap’s shoulder and signaled. It meant /quiet./

She whispered.

“Don’t make a sound.”

A nod.

Byeonggap answered with a tilt of his head.

The woman gestured, gathering the people.

Five heads pressed close together. So close that their breath would touch if they spoke.

“It’s a dungeon.”

“Goddamn it. I know.”

The woman’s tone was calm. In contrast, the middle-aged man with a scraggly beard had a tremor in his voice.

“A d-dungeon?”

A young man with a fresh face asked, flustered.

Byeonggap glanced sidelong at the young man. His gear was stiff and new, barely broken in. His eyes were hazy and unfocused—far from having any real edge.

‘A rookie.’

The assessment came quick. Somebody who hadn’t been a hunter for long.

“To put it simply, it’s a type of mutant rift. Most call it a dungeon; some people call it a black rift.”

“A black rift?”

“It got that name because it looks black, unlike ordinary rifts.”

“B-but it wasn’t black, was it? It was clearly blue…”

“That probably means it hasn’t matured yet.”

Go Byeonggap cut the young man off. The others’ attention naturally turned to him.

He continued in a low voice.

“We were deployed less than an hour after the rift opened. For it to show visible signs, it’d take at least two or three hours.”

“That man’s explanation is correct. Dungeons look exactly like normal rifts in their early stages. That’s what makes them even more dangerous.”

“H-how dangerous are we talking? Is it really that bad?”

The woman paused for a moment before answering.

“Dungeons are on a different scale from ordinary rifts. We can’t even guess how many monsters are positioned inside. Could be a thousand, could be two thousand — nobody knows.”

“A-a-a thousand!?”

The young man’s jaw dropped.

“But that doesn’t make sense, does it? I’ve never in my life heard of a D-rank dungeon. Aren’t dungeons a phenomenon that typically appears in B-rank or higher rifts?”

The bearded middle-aged man’s point was spot-on.

Special rifts classified as dungeons were a phenomenon exclusive to higher ranks. There had never been a precedent of a dungeon appearing in a lower-rank rift.

“That’s correct. Dungeons don’t occur in lower ranks — at least, not as far as I know.”

“Well then, what the hell is going on here?”

“That…”

The woman trailed off, a troubled look on her face.

The other hunters, except for Go Byeonggap, waited tensely for her answer.

“Come on, stop dragging it out and just tell us already!”

The bearded middle-aged man urged.

Then Go Byeonggap spoke in the woman’s stead.

“There are two possibilities.”

“What?”

“Either the Association measured the rift’s rank wrong, or the dungeon’s mutation is still in progress.”

Go Byeonggap habitually reached for a cigarette. But he didn’t light it. Blowing smoke in this situation would be suicidal, no matter how you looked at it.

He let out a small sigh before continuing.

“There have been a few cases where the Association misjudged the rank, but that’s doubtful. It’s probably that the rift is still mutating.”

“What does that mean?”

“Didn’t I just say? The rift hasn’t ripened yet. In simple terms, this dungeon is an unfinished work. Its rank is climbing higher even as we speak.”

“Damn it! Finished or not, a dungeon’s still a dungeon, isn’t it?”

“That’s true enough. The silver lining is that outsiders should detect the anomaly within a few hours.”

“Whoa!”

The young man’s face brightened considerably.

“T-then we just need to hold out a few hours until the rescue team gets here, right?”

“…”

No one answered the young man.

The woman, the bearded middle-aged man, even the gaunt, cold-faced fellow — they all wore the same grim, hollow look.

The young man caught the shift in the air.

“W-why is everyone like this? S-somebody, say something!”

“Haah.”

Go Byeonggap let out a heavy breath before speaking.

“We’ll be trapped in here for at least two, maybe three days.”

“What? But—you said a few hours just now!”

“Time in the dungeon flows twenty-four times slower than outside. Or don’t you know even that basic fact?”

The young man went silent as if his tongue had been sealed with honey. His face was a mask of disbelief.

“One hour outside is a day in here. Even if they grasp the situation and dispatch A-rank or higher senior hunters, it’ll take at least two to three hours on their end. Two to three hours out there means fifty to sixty hours in here.”

“F-fifty to sixty hours?”

“That’s if things go smoothly—fifty, sixty hours at best. We could be drifting out there for five days or more.”

“Ah… A-ah…”

The young man staggered, then crumpled to the ground.

A gaunt man with sharp features stayed silent for a moment, then turned to the woman.

“What do you intend to do? You’re our leader. Make the call.”

“Hmm…”

The woman bit her lower lip, lost in thought.

The young man had fallen into despair, while the bearded middle-aged man bristled, his aim fixed on the passageway.

Go Byeonggap stepped back, taking in the four of them at a single glance.

‘If I take them and flee into Asvillam, at least they’ll survive.’

Leading everyone into Asvillam would buy them a reprieve from immediate death. And since time there flows the same as outside, he only needed to hold out a few hours.

‘The problem is—’

Still, one thing nagged at him.

Was he even allowed to reveal Asvillam’s existence to others?

Go Byeonggap would rather not.

There were multiple reasons for it. To be honest, childish emotions like possessiveness and exclusivity played a part too.

But before all that, worry took the lead.

Asvillam, the Goblin Lord, the Ancient Shop.

What would happen if a massive organization like the government caught wind of these things? They’d try to exploit them by any means necessary.

With a little exaggeration, they might even grab Go Byeonggap and run experiments on him.

And there was no guarantee those people would keep their mouths shut, was there?

‘I have to keep the secret until I can at least protect my own hide.’

Even if a huge organization learned of Byeonggap’s abilities and approached him, he had to be in a position of absolute advantage.

To pull that off, he’d need power at least A-rank… no, S-rank or above.

‘Fleeing into Asvillam is a last resort. For now, let’s find another way.’

Go Byeonggap steeled his resolve. Worst case, he could just abandon everyone and escape alone.

“Everyone, gather around.”

The woman called the people together.

The fresh-faced young man reacted as if a rope had dropped from heaven, scrambling breathlessly. The bearded middle-aged man stared into the distance for a long moment before trudging over slowly.

“I think we should start with introductions. I’m Yeom Jeonghwa, a B-rank hunter.”

“Park Sutae. C-rank.”

“C-Choi Minyeong. Grade C.”

“Jo Yeonghun. C-rank.”

‘Same guild, but they’re meeting for the first time?’

The four of them didn’t exactly look like friends.

“Are you all from the same guild?”

“Yeah. We’re all Pros.”

‘Well. In a big guild, that happens.’

A big guild could have hundreds of hunters on its roster. It wasn’t strange that they didn’t know each other.

Go Byeonggap dipped his chin in a nod and offered his introduction.

“I’m Go Byeonggap, a D-rank hunter.”

“Is that all the gear you brought?”

Jo Yeonghun fired the question without pause. His cold features made his tone feel just as hard.

Go Byeonggap caught Jo Yeonghun’s intent in an instant. He was asking whether a lower-rank hunter had entered the rift unarmed—not a single gun in hand.

“Yes. This is my answer.”

“…….”

“Son of a bitch. A bloodsucker, huh…….”

Park Sutae muttered under his breath.

Byeonggap heard him, but deliberately played ignorant. He didn’t feel like picking a fight.

“So, B-rank sir. What’s your plan?”

“First, we move. I’ll take point and——”

“Move!?”

Choi Minyeong yelped, startled.

Yeom Jeonghwa clapped a hand over Minyeong’s mouth in a hurry.

“Please keep your voice down. I told you not to make loud noises.”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Minyeong barely managed a nod.

Jeonghwa didn’t lose her composure, continuing in an even tone.

“First, we need to find a place to take cover and hide. Even if we plan to fort up, we do it there. Out in the open like this, we’re begging to be surrounded.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Their current position was the dead center of the long corridor. Open at both ends—if enemies pushed in from either side, there’d be no escape.

“Mr. Sutae and Mr. Yeonghun, cover me from behind. Mr. Byeonggap and Mr. Minyeong, take the rear and watch our backs.”

She drew her sword, then added like a warning:

“Don’t fire your guns unless it’s absolutely urgent. I’ll handle most of it. Follow me at a ten-pace distance.”

Yeom Jeonghwa strode ahead, her presence fierce and resolved.

* * *

“KYAAAAAAH!”

“KEEKI-GEEK! KEEKI-GEEK-GEEK!”

“Goddammit!”

There’s a saying: ‘Cruel reality.’ That phrase is grammatically wrong.

Reality is always cruel. So ‘cruel reality’ is just a tautology.

“Ughh… ughh!”

—RATATATAT-TANG!

Choi Minyeong opened fire wildly. His eyes were already unfocused, glazed over.

“I said no shooting, you son of a bitch!”

Byeonggap kicked Minyeong square in the gut, rage twisting his movements.

Choi Minyeong crumpled to the floor, clutching his stomach.

“Ke-hack! Cough! Cough! Kkeo-heok!”

“Goddammit! Where the hell did this worthless piece of shit crawl in from?”

This was how it all started.

The subjugation team, led by Yeom Jeonghwa, had been moving in stealth.

They ran into a few monsters as they passed through the deep corridor. Each time, Yeom Jeonghwa dispatched them without a sound.

It was going smoothly.

Past the corridor, a vast, enormous space opened up. It was like an underground palace.

The subjugation team advanced slowly and steadily. Then they clashed with a group of monsters.

It wasn’t a large group. Yeom Jeonghwa could handle it alone.

She signaled the others to stop and quietly took out the monsters.

But with Yeom Jeonghwa separated from the formation, an ambush came from the rear.

Go Byeonggap reacted instantly, swinging his sword.

– Stay still! I’ll handle it!

He’d even told them. And yet…

Frightened out of his wits, Choi Minyeong fired his gun anyway.

Not just one shot—but over a dozen!

Hearing the gunfire, a horde of monsters swarmed in.

Fifty or sixty of them.

Park Sutae and Jo Yeonghun fought the creatures off with their sidearms as best they could.

They weren’t on Yeom Jeonghwa or Go Byeonggap’s level, but they could at least hold their own.

Go Byeonggap moved without pause, cutting down the surging horde. Though numerous, they were only F- to D-rank—manageable.

‘Did that guy fake his rank?’

‘Th-that’s a D-rank? Bullshit!’

Jo Yeonghun and Park Sutae stared, mouths agape, at Go Byeonggap’s sword dance.

He didn’t fall short even compared to Yeom Jeonghwa. In fact, while his destructive power might be slightly lower, his footwork was even better.

Even Yeom Jeonghwa, mid-fight, stole glances at Go Byeonggap in admiration.

‘What’s going on? His karma was unremarkable, wasn’t it?’

Curiosity itched at her, but she shelved it for now. There were still enemies to deal with, piled high.

Everyone except Choi Minyeong fought tooth and nail against the monsters. Not long after, they’d taken them all down.

Of course, Yeom Jeonghwa and Go Byeonggap accounted for over ninety percent of the work.

“Kkeu-heuk! Son of a bitch!”

Park Sutae groaned, clutching his bloodied arm. Jo Yeonghun wasn’t in much better shape.

Yeom Jeonghwa pulled potions from her backpack and treated them both.

Choi Minyeong, on the other hand, was spotless. He’d been curled up, hiding in the back.

‘That bastard!’

Go Byeonggap strode over and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

“Hey, you miserable fuck! If you want to die, bite your own tongue off and do it alone! How dare you drag everyone else to the brink?”

“Huk! Hweeuk!”

Choi Minyeong just kept crying.

Yeom Jeonghwa rushed over and held him back.

“Mr. Byeonggap. Please hold yourself. This person—he’s already in a panic.”

“Damn it!”

Go Byeonggap let go of Choi Minyeong’s collar with a jerk of irritation. That a coward like this could even get a hunter’s license—what a goddamn country this was.

“Mr. Byeonggap, you should get treatment too…”

“I’m fine.”

Go Byeonggap’s body was spotless. Thanks to breathing circulation, he’d already recovered long ago.

Yeom Jeonghwa’s eyes widened as she scanned his frame.

‘He took on that many monsters and doesn’t have a single scratch? Could he really not be a low-tier awakener?’

Go Byeonggap focused his senses and swept his gaze around the area. No monsters in immediate sight, but turbulent movement trembled not far off.

The monsters had noticed the intruder.

‘If we stay here, more monsters will pour in. Every single one in this labyrinth must already be stirring.’

Go Byeonggap flicked the blood off his blade and spoke.

“No time to lie around. Everyone get up. We’re going to kill this dungeon’s boss monster.”