The massive body of the Red-Eye Hobgoblin lay still, its menacing red eyes finally dimming into a dull gray. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the ragged breathing of the party members.
"We... we actually did it," Seol-a whispered, lowering her staff. Her legs gave out, and she sat down hard on the dirt floor.
As the life completely faded from the boss monster, a low hum began to emanate from the back of the hut. The crude bone throne, where the Hobgoblin had sat as the ruler of this subterranean domain, began to glow with a soft, golden luminescence.
Wooooong.
Particles of light gathered above the seat, coalescing into a solid form. It was a large, ornate wooden box reinforced with iron bands.
"A Treasure Chest!" Woojin gasped, his eyes widening.
This was the absolute proof of conquest. In the physics of the Dungeon World,
whenever a Boss Monster was defeated, the 'Lord's Seat'—the anchor of the dungeon's existence—would generate a reward chest. It contained artifacts, equipment used by the boss, or items related to the dungeon's concept.
Seonwoon, suppressing his exhaustion, walked toward the chest. "Let's see what we risked our lives for."
He unlatched the heavy iron lock. Click.
The lid creaked open, revealing a pile of items resting on red velvet. The party gathered around, their fatigue momentarily forgotten in the face of loot.
Seonwoon picked them up one by one, identifying them tentatively.
"Five items," he announced.
Goblin's Dagger: A serrated blade dripping with a faint green liquid. Likely imbued with poison.
Lord's Necklace: A bone necklace with a pulsing red gem. An accessory item, which was rare for low-rank dungeons.
Lord's Greatsword: A heavy, crude iron sword. It looked like a smaller version of the club the Hobgoblin used, but sharpened.
Goblin Boots: Leather boots made from processed monster hide. Known for being lightweight.
Goblin Staff: A twisted wooden branch topped with a skull. Useful for lower-tier mages.
"Jackpot," Je-won muttered, eyeing the dagger. "For an E-Rank Dungeon, this is a heavy haul. That necklace alone could fetch a few million won at auction."
Seonwoon closed the chest and secured the items in his inventory bag. "We can't divide these here. We need an official Appraisal from the Hunter Association to determine the market value before we split the profits."
He turned to the bone throne. "Let's get out of here first. I'm sick of this smell."
Seonwoon raised his spear and struck the armrest of the Lord's Seat.
CRACK!
The bone structure shattered instantly. As the seat of power was destroyed, the dungeon began to tremble. The walls of the bone hut shimmered and started to dissolve into mist.
In the center of the room, space twisted and tore open, forming a swirling blue vortex—the Exit Gate.
"Let's move," Seonwoon commanded.
One by one, they stepped into the rift.
The sensation of exiting a dungeon was always disorienting—like being pulled through a straw.
Pop.
Han-wool stumbled slightly as his boots hit the pavement. The humid, mossy air of the goblin cave was instantly replaced by the dry, smoggy air of Seoul. They were back in the desolate park where they had started.
The blue vortex behind them shrank rapidly until it vanished with a soft fizz, leaving no trace that a monster's lair had ever existed.
"Haaah..." Seonwoon stretched his arms, his joints popping. "The air of the surface always tastes sweet after a raid."
He turned to the group. "Good work, everyone. Seriously. I didn't think we'd clear it that smoothly."
His eyes lingered on Han-wool for a second, a look of curiosity in them, before he addressed the whole team. "We should head straight to the Association Center in Gangnam. We can get the equipment appraised and then grab a celebratory dinner. My treat."
"Meat! I want grilled pork belly!" Seol-a cheered, regaining her energy instantly.
"I could use a drink," Je-won agreed, sheathing his dagger.
Han-wool checked the time on a nearby clock tower. It was getting late. If he stayed any longer, his family might notice his absence, or worse, Logan might have a heart attack from worry. Furthermore, he needed to distance himself from the "Sung Jin-Woo" persona. If he went to the Association, there would be cameras and records.
"Excuse me, Leader Seonwoon," Han-wool spoke up, his voice taking on a polite, apologetic tone.
"Hmm? What is it, Mr. Sung?"
"I apologize, but I cannot join you for the appraisal or the dinner," Han-wool lied smoothly. "I have another job scheduled for tonight. As you know... the pay for an F-Rank porter isn't exactly high, so I have to work double shifts."
Seonwoon looked surprised. "Ah, right. You mentioned you were freelancing."
It was a blatant lie. Han-wool was the son of a billionaire family. But to these people, he was just a desperate, low-ranked laborer trying to scrape by.
"Can you give me my payment right now?" Han-wool asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I really need to get going to the next site."
Seonwoon hesitated. Usually, the payment was settled after the loot was sold. However, porters often had a flat rate agreement separate from the loot split.
"Well, the loot split will take a few days," Seonwoon said. "But I can transfer your base pay and a small bonus for the luring job right now. Is that okay?"
"That would be perfect. Thank you for understanding."
"Alright. Give me your account details."
Han-wool pulled out his burner phone and displayed the QR code for the fake bank account Logan had set up under the name 'Sung Jin-Woo.'
Ding.
[Transfer Complete: 50,000 Won]
It was a pitiful amount compared to his allowance as a Young Master, but it was the first money he had earned with his own hands in this new timeline.
"Received," Han-wool bowed. "Thank you for the opportunity."
He turned to leave, but stopped in front of Baek Woojin. The young archer was staring at the ground, looking unsure of whether he should follow the team to the dinner or go home.
"Woojin," Han-wool said softly.
Woojin looked up, startled. "Y-Yes, brother?"
Han-wool leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper so the others couldn't hear.
"You did good today. Don't sell yourself short." He slipped a small piece of paper into Woojin's pocket. "I'll be in touch. Keep training your eyes."
Before Woojin could respond, Han-wool pulled away, gave a final wave to the group, and walked away briskly.
"Be safe, Mr. Sung!" Seol-a called out.
Han-wool didn't look back. He walked out of the park, blending into the crowd of evening commuters.
Han-wool walked for ten minutes until he was sure no one from the party was following him. He ducked into a quiet alleyway sandwiched between two convenience stores.
He leaned against the brick wall and exhaled a long breath.
'That went well.'
He checked his status window one last time.
[Name: Kim Han-wool]
[Class: Thief (Red Grade)]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 15]
[Stamina: 11]
[Mana: 14]
[Skills: Destiny Stealing, Steal, Darkness (Lv.1), Poison Resistance (Lv.1)]
His stats had nearly doubled from the morning. The Goblin Cores were effective, but their efficiency would drop the more he ate them. He would need higher-ranked cores soon.
'I missed out on the Hobgoblin core,' he thought with a twinge of regret. 'But eating it in front of them would have been suicide. I need to raid solo next time.'
He pulled out his real phone—the sleek, encrypted device of the Kim family—and dialed a number.
It rang once.
"Young Master?" Logan's anxious voice came through the speaker instantly. "Where are you? Are you safe? I've been staring at the GPS tracker for hours!"
"I'm fine, Logan," Han-wool said, his voice returning to the calm, authoritative tone of the Young Master. "The raid is over. I'm currently at the intersection of Mapo District, near the old convenience store."
"I am already in the area. I will be there in three minutes," Logan replied sharply. The sound of a car engine revving could be heard in the background.
"Logan, before you get here," Han-wool said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the neon signs of the city flicker. "I have a task for you."
"Anything, Young Master."
"Investigate the background of a Hunter named Baek Woojin."
There was a pause on the other end. "Baek Woojin? Is he a threat?"
"No," Han-wool smirked. "He's an investment. He was a porter in the team I just worked with. Find out everything. His family situation, his debts, his school records, and most importantly... find out if he has any sick relatives."
In the previous timeline, the Divine Archer Baek Woojin was known for being fiercely loyal to money. It was later revealed that he needed massive amounts of cash to pay for his mother's hospital bills. That desperation was what pushed him to evolve his eyes, but it was also what allowed corrupt guilds to exploit him for years.
'I won't let him be exploited by them,' Han-wool decided. 'I'll buy his loyalty before anyone else even knows his value.'
"I want the file on my desk by tomorrow morning," Han-wool ordered.
"Consider it done, sir."
A sleek black sedan pulled up to the curb a moment later. The window rolled down, revealing Logan's relieved face.
"Get in, Young Master. The Patriarch is expecting everyone for dinner. We must hurry to change your clothes."
Han-wool opened the door and slid into the leather interior. As the car pulled away, leaving the grimy alley behind, Han-wool closed his eyes.
The "failure" of the Kim family was returning home. But the Thief who would steal the future had just taken his first step.
'Four months,' he reminded himself. 'Four months until Amartya wakes up. I have to be ready.'