Saturday Morning - 6:55 AM - West Gate
I arrived five minutes early.
Jung Hye-jin was already there, leaning against the gate pillar. She wore practical dungeon gear—reinforced combat pants, a fitted tactical jacket, sturdy boots. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and she had a proper adventurer's backpack that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.
She looked professional. Ready.
I looked... less so.
My outfit consisted of Suho's old combat boots, cheap athletic pants, a plain black t-shirt, and a worn backpack containing water, energy bars, and a first aid kit.
No armor. No proper weapons. No potions.
Just me and my skills.
Hye-jin's eyes swept over me, and I saw her expression shift. "That's all you brought?"
"It's all I have."
She sighed. "You should have told me. I would've lent you equipment."
"I didn't want to impose."
"Suho, we're going into a C-rank dungeon." She opened her backpack and pulled out two small vials—minor health potions. "Take these at least. If things go wrong, they might save your life."
I accepted them, storing them in my inventory. "Thanks."
"You don't have to thank me." She shouldered her pack. "Ready?"
"Ready."
We walked toward the dungeon gate pickup point. A van was waiting—the academy contracted with a dungeon transport service for students with provisional licenses.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the Stone Labyrinth gate.
The dungeon entrance stood in an empty lot on the city's outskirts. A shimmering portal, about three meters tall, pulsing with faint gray light. A small building beside it served as the registration office.
Hye-jin handled check-in, showing her provisional license and registering me as her party member. The clerk—a bored-looking man in his forties—barely glanced at us.
"C-rank dungeon, two-person party. Estimated clear time?"
"Four hours," Hye-jin said confidently.
"Emergency beacon if needed. Don't do anything stupid." He handed her a small device. "Good luck."
We stood before the gate.
Up close, it was mesmerizing. The portal's surface rippled like water, and I could feel mana radiating from it—dense, ancient, alien.
"Before we go in," Hye-jin said, " Oh I forgot to ask. I need to know your awakening class."
I thought about it. What was my class, really?
I had Fire Lance and Mana Lance—both ranged mana based attacks. Basic Fire Manipulation gave me some elemental control. But no sword skills, no close combat techniques beyond basic hand-to-hand from Jin-woo's military training.
"Mage," I said. "Ranged combat specialist."
She nodded. "Good. I'm an attack buffer (a buffer who can fight on the frontline). I'll take point, you provide ranged support. Stay behind me, focus on targets I can't reach quickly."
"Understood."
"And Suho?" Her expression was serious. "This is a real dungeon. Not academy sparring or simulation. Monsters don't pull punches. If I tell you to run, you run."
"Okay." She took a breath. "Let's do this."
But before we entered, she raised her hand. It glowed with golden light.
"You're under-equipped, so I'm giving you protection." Her voice took on a strange resonance, formal and ancient. "[Protection of Vishnu]."
The golden light flowed from her hand and settled over me like a warm blanket. I felt it sink into my skin, forming an invisible barrier.
[BUFF RECEIVED]
Protection of Vishnu (A-Rank)
Source: Jung Hye-jin
Duration: Until dismissed or mana depleted
Effect: Automatically protects user from lethal surprise attacks
Activation: When lethal damage detected
Cost: 1000 mana per activation (uses caster's mana pool)
Result: Forcefully repels attacker with extreme force
Note: This is an EXTREMELY powerful defensive buff
A thousand mana per use!!!. That was... too much. Way too much for my small mana pool.
But Hye-jin had cast it without hesitation.
I activated [Isolation] instinctively, looking at her properly for the first time.
And my jaw nearly dropped.
[TARGET: Jung Hye-jin - A Rank]
CLASS: Attack Buffer
BASE STATS:
├─ Strength: 215
├─ Agility: 198
├─ Endurance: 207
├─ Mana: 120,000/120,000
├─ Intelligence: 156
└─ Luck: 89
ACTIVE BUFFS (SELF-APPLIED):
├─ Intermediate Strength Enhancement (C) - +150 Strength
├─ Intermediate Speed Enhancement (C) - +120 Agility
├─ Intermediate Defense Enhancement (D) - +80 Endurance
├─ Intermediate Mana Circulation boost (C) - +50% Mana Recovery per minute
├─ Battle Focus (D) - +40 Intelligence
├─ Lightweight (E) - Reduced weight by 20%
└─ [12 MORE BUFFS DETECTED - ISOLATION LEVEL INSUFFICIENT TO VIEW ALL] CURRENT STATS (WITH BUFFS):
├─ Strength: ~365
├─ Agility: ~318
├─ Endurance: ~287
├─ Mana: 120,000/120,000
└─ [Additional calculations impossible - too many variables]
MANA POOL: 120,000 Active drain from maintained buffs: ~150 mana/minute Estimated sustainable duration: 13+ hours WARNING: Target's capabilities far exceed user's current level WARNING: Cannot fully analyze all active effects.
One hundred twenty thousand mana.
My mana pool was 140. Hers was nearly a thousand times larger.
Her base stats were all above 200. With buffs active, some were approaching 400-500.
She was maintaining at least twelve buffs simultaneously, and it was barely a drain on her mana pool.
How is she just A-rank, I thought, stunned. She's not just strong—she's a walking fortress.
"You okay?" Hye-jin asked, noticing my expression.
"Fine. Just... surprised by that buff."
"Protection of Vishnu is my strongest defensive buff. It'll keep you safe if something gets past me." She smiled slightly. "Don't waste it though. Each activation costs me mana, and I'd rather not run dry."
FAthousand mana was nothing to her. A drop in an ocean.
But she didn't know I could see her stats. Didn't know I'd just witnessed the absurd gap between A-rank and D-rank.
I have a long way to go.
"Thank you," I said sincerely. "For the protection. And for bringing me here."
"Don't get sentimental yet. We haven't even entered." She turned toward the gate. "Let's go."
We stepped through together.
The world inverted.
Sensation rushed through me—cold, then hot, then nothing. My stomach lurched. Colors bled together.
Then solid ground.
I stumbled slightly but caught myself.
That sensation annoyed me as Jin-woo. I had to go through it five, maybe even 8 times everyday to clean dungeons.
We stood in a stone corridor. Walls of rough granite, ceiling about three meters high, dim light from glowing moss growing in patches. The air smelled of dust and something vaguely metallic.
The Stone Labyrinth.
[DUNGEON ENTERED]
Location: Stone Labyrinth (C-Rank)
Estimated Monsters: Goblin variants, Stone Golems, Dungeon Rats
Boss: Stone Minotaur (C+ Rank)
Party Status:
├─ Jung Hye-jin (A Rank) - Party Leader
└─ Park Su-ho (D+ Rank) - Party Member
Objective: Clear dungeon or retreat safely
Time Limit: None (dungeon is stable)
"Stay close," Hye-jin said quietly. "Goblins hunt in packs here."
We moved forward, her in front, me three steps behind.
The corridor branched after fifty meters. She chose left without hesitation—clearly she'd been here before.
The first goblins appeared two minutes later.
Four of them. Small, green-skinned, armed with crude clubs and rusty daggers. They spotted us and shrieked.
Hye-jin moved.
I barely saw it. One moment she was beside me. The next, she was among them.
Her fist caught the first goblin in the chest. It flew backward and hit the wall with a sickening crunch.
She spun, kicked the second. Its head snapped to the side at an unnatural angle.
The third tried to stab her. Her hand caught its wrist mid-thrust, twisted. Bone broke audibly. She finished it with an elbow to the skull.
The fourth tried to run.
I activated [Fire Lance].
The flaming projectile shot past Hye-jin and caught the fleeing goblin in the back. It collapsed, smoking.
[FIRE LANCE]
Mana: 68/140 → 63/140
Target: Eliminated
Hye-jin looked back at me. "Nice shot."
"Thanks."
She examined the bodies. "We should move quickly. More will come if they heard the noise."
But I was already kneeling beside the nearest goblin corpse.
"What are you doing?" Hye-jin asked.
I activated [Isolation], analyzing the body's structure.
[TARGET: Goblin Corpse]
Species: Cave Goblin (C-Rank Monster)
Components:
├─ Skin (Tough, slight mana resistance)
├─ Bones (Lightweight, good for crafting basic weapons)
├─ Muscle Tissue (High protein, edible if prepared)
├─ Mana Core (Small, E-rank value)
├─ Blood (Coagulated, minor alchemical value)
└─ Organs (Various uses)
Jin-woo's memories guided my hands. Seven years as a dungeon cleaner meant I knew exactly how to process monster corpses.
I pulled out a small knife from my pack—technically a kitchen knife, but sharp enough.
Made a careful incision along the goblin's chest. Peeled back the skin—it came away cleanly, tougher than it looked.
Found the mana core. Small crystal, glowing faintly green. Pulled it out and stored it in my inventory.
Used the knife to separate major bone groups from the tissue. Quick, efficient cuts at the joints.
The unusable parts—organs, blood, damaged tissue—I gathered together.
Activated [Basic Fire Manipulation].
[BASIC FIRE MANIPULATION] Mana: 63/140 → 55/140 Purpose: Waste disposal
Small flames consumed the unusable remains, reducing them to ash in seconds.
What was left: neatly separated skin, bones, and one mana core.
The skin and bones I stored in my inventory. The core I kept separate—those sold for decent money.
Total time: Three minutes per corpse.
I moved to the next one.
Hye-jin was staring at me.
"Suho... what are you doing?"
"Processing," I said simply, making another incision. "Skin, bones, and cores all have value. Waste nothing."
"You said you were a mage."
"I am."
"Mages don't usually... do that." She gestured at my bloody hands. "That's cleaner work. Or butcher work."
I extracted the second core. "Why leave valuable materials behind?"
"Most hunters don't bother with C-rank goblin parts. The cores sell for maybe five thousand won each. The skin and bones even less."
"Five thousand won per core, times four, is twenty thousand won. That's food for a week." I moved to the third corpse. "And cleaner teams get paid poorly to process corpses after hunters leave. Why make their jobs harder?"
She watched me work in silence.
By the time I finished all four goblins, I had:
4 goblin cores (E-rank) 4 sets of goblin skin (mostly intact) Assorted bones (small but useful for crafting)
Everything neatly organized. The unusable parts burned away. The remains arranged against the dungeon wall, out of the walking path.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Hye-jin asked quietly.
I stood, wiping my hands on a cloth. "Do what?"
"Process monsters like that. So efficiently. Like you've done it thousands of times."
Because I have, I thought. Seven years as Jin-woo. Thousands of corpses. Countless dungeons.
But I couldn't say that.
"I read a lot," I said instead. "Dungeon theory. Monster biology. Seemed like useful knowledge."
"That's not something you learn from books. You seem like you have experience."
I didn't answer, just shouldered my pack and gestured forward. "We should keep moving."
She didn't move. "Suho."
"Yes?"
"Where did you really learn that?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes." Her eyes were serious. "Because either you've been dungeon diving illegally, or you learned it some other way. And I need to know which."
I met her gaze. "I can't explain it in a way that would make sense."
"Try."
"I just... know....stuff." I looked away. "I can't explain it better than that."
She studied me for a long moment, then she chuckled. "Stuff? Top tier excuse right there."
She didn't press further than that.
We continued deeper into the labyrinth.
Thirty Minutes Later
We'd encountered three more goblin packs.
Each time, Hye-jin handled the frontline work with brutal efficiency. Her buffed stats made her a one-woman army—goblins couldn't even do her any damage.
I provided ranged support when needed, took out runners and flankers with Fire Lance.
And after each fight, I processed the corpses.
By now, Hye-jin had stopped commenting. Just watched with that same curious, slightly disturbed expression.
My inventory was filling up:
[INVENTORY]
Slot 1: Goblin Cores (x14)
Slot 2: Goblin Skin (intact) (x12)
Slot 3: Goblin Bones (processed) (x8 sets)
Slot 4: Minor Health Potion (x2)
Slot 5: Empty
Slot 6: Empty Slot
7: Empty Slot
8: Empty Slot
9: Empty Slot
10: Empty
Note: Maximum 10 different item types Note: Can stack up to 64 of same item.
This inventory setup is kind of like a game I know.
The materials would sell. Not for much, but enough to keep me fed for a few weeks.
More importantly, I was learning.
Each goblin I processed, I understood their anatomy better. Saw weak points, structural vulnerabilities.
[Isolation] was building a database in my mind. How goblins moved. Where their cores were located. Which bones broke easiest.
Knowledge that would help me fight more efficiently.
We reached a fork in the corridor.
"Left leads to the boss chamber," Hye-jin said. "Right leads to a side area with stone golems. More dangerous but better loot."
"Your call. You're the party leader."
She thought about it. "Boss chamber. We're here for experience, not treasure."
"Fair enough."
We went left.
The corridor widened gradually. The glowing moss became more abundant, casting everything in eerie greenish light.
After five minutes, we encountered our first goblin warrior.
Bigger than the others. Maybe five feet tall, muscular for a goblin. Wearing scrap metal armor and wielding an actual sword—rusty but real.
[TARGET: Goblin Warrior - C Rank] Enhanced strength and durability
Armed: Iron Shortsword (damaged)
Armored: Scrap Metal Plates
It roared and charged Hye-jin.
She met it head-on. Blocked its sword strike with her forearm—the blade skittered off her buffed defense like hitting steel.
Her counter-punch caved in its chest armor.
It staggered back. I fired a Fire Lance at its exposed head.
Direct hit. The goblin warrior collapsed, smoking.
I moved to process it immediately, whistling as I dismembered the dead monster.
"Suho," Hye-jin said, exasperated. "Could you stop doing that for like five minutes?"
"Why?"
"Because it's creepy watching you whistle while ripping apart monster corpses so casually!"
"Would you prefer I leave them for the cleaners to deal with?"
She opened her mouth. Closed it. "That's... actually pretty considerate."
"Cleaner teams are overworked and underpaid. If I can make their jobs easier, why wouldn't I?" I extracted the goblin warrior's core—slightly larger than the others. "Plus they can sell these processed materials and keep the money. Supplements their terrible wages."
"You sound like you've thought about this a lot."
Because I was one of them, I thought. I know exactly how hard that job is.
"Just seems fair," I said aloud.
She shook her head but smiled slightly. "You seem like a diabolical villain from afar, but up close you're more of a cinnamon roll."
"Cinnamon roll?."
I finished processing. Added one C-rank core and the warrior's scrap armor to my inventory—might be worth something to a blacksmith.
We continued forward.
The corridor opened into a massive chamber.
Circular. Maybe fifty meters across. High ceiling lost in darkness. Stone pillars scattered throughout. And at the far end—
A door.
Massive. Stone. Covered in glowing runes.
The boss chamber entrance.
"That's it," Hye-jin said quietly. "Stone Minotaur is behind that door."
I could feel it. Pressure in the air. Dense mana radiating from beyond the threshold.
[BOSS CHAMBER DETECTED]
Recommended Rank: C+ Rank
Party Size: 2-4 hunters
Boss: Stone Minotaur
WARNING: High difficulty encounter
WARNING: Retreat option available Proceed? [YES] / [NO]
Hye-jin looked at me. "Ready?"
I checked my status.
[CURRENT STATUS]
Mana: 55/140
Stamina: 72%
Health: 100%
Active Buffs: Protection of Vishnu
Available Skills: - Fire Lance - Mana Lance - Basic Fire Manipulation (variable) - Fission, Fusion, Isolation (situational)
Not full resources. But enough.
"Ready," I said.
Hye-jin rolled her shoulders. Her aura flared for a moment—she was probably adding one or two extra buffs just to be safe.
"Stay behind me. Attack from range." She looked at me seriously. "This thing can kill YOU if we're careless."
We walked toward the massive door together.
It began to open as we approached. Stone grinding against stone. Dust falling from the ceiling.
Beyond it: darkness.
And in that darkness, something moved.
Something big