Modern Seoul - 7 years ago
The sky cracked with a thunder that shook the soul.
No one forgot that day. All around the world, unexplained black holes had appeared. They were later called "Dungeons." From them, monsters poured out. Police, soldiers... no force could stop them. Humanity was on the brink of extinction.
Then they appeared. "Hunters."
With awakened powers, a new class of people emerged who could fight back. Mages, Warriors, Healers, Tanks… They looked like fantasy, but they were real. And humanity was no longer alone.
Modern Seoul - Now
Park Jiho was a 19-year-old hunter. Or rather… he had long ceased to be "ordinary." His class was "Absorber." He could temporarily copy the abilities of monsters or humans he touched. And those abilities… were twice as powerful when used by him.
But there was a problem.
His mana pool was that of a regular human. No matter how powerful the skill he absorbed, without mana, he couldn't use it. He had learned swordsmanship. He survived low-level dungeons. But none of it was enough.
Because his mother… had fallen into the illness called Eternal Sleep.
Once one of the strongest hunters, she now lay motionless in a hospital bed. Whether she would ever wake up… no one knew. And the cure? Only a rare item found in high-level, system-related dungeons.
Jiho's only hope was to grow stronger.
And that day came...
"Jiho! A new dungeon's opened! Looks low-risk, but might be double-layered!"
That message started it all.
An 8-person raid team gathered. Everything was smooth at first. But then… the floor collapsed. Beneath them, another gate. A hidden layer... a double dungeon.
It was terrifying.
Something unseen whispered into their minds. Four died within minutes—ripped apart or driven insane. One fled in terror. Three remained, including Jiho. They found the exit gate.
Jiho clenched his teeth. "You two go. I'll hold it off."
"No! That's suicide!"
"Survive. For my mother… for my sister… survive!"
And then… a flash of light swallowed everything.
---
Hospital - Seoul
When he opened his eyes, a white light hovered above him. He couldn't move. A pale ceiling… silence.
[System Initializing…]
[User Approved. Unique System Access Granted.]
"…What?" Jiho whispered.
And a screen appeared before his eyes.
A system… just for him.
---
End of Chapter