Chapter 1: The Forgotten Employee
Rain fell over Seoul, washing the city in dull silver light. Inside the towering headquarters of Daewon Corporation, hundreds of Hunters and staff moved with precision and confidence. But hidden among them was one man who never stood out — Kang Cheon, a lowly assistant in a cheap uniform, clutching a folder full of papers.
He wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't powerful. He wasn't anyone important. Just another nameless worker doing menial tasks so his family could eat. Every day, he endured insults from his superiors, exhaustion from endless overtime, and the crushing pressure of poverty.
"Cheon! Coffee, now!"
"Yes, sir…"
He obeyed every order without complaint. His mother was sick, his sister still studying, and their rent overdue. Survival was his only dream.
Daewon Corporation was no ordinary company. It was one of Korea's elite organizations — the first to study Dimensional Gates, mysterious rifts that connected Earth to monster-infested worlds. Hunters entered these Gates to slay monsters and retrieve valuable relics, keeping humanity safe and the economy alive.
Kang Cheon had always watched them with quiet envy. He admired their strength, their courage, and the power that allowed them to rise above ordinary men like him. Sometimes, as he mopped bloodstains off a Hunter's armor, he'd catch his reflection and whisper,
"If I were stronger… maybe life would be different."
------
One morning, his supervisor called him in.
"Cheon, we're short on support crew. You're assigned to a C-Rank Gate tomorrow. Administrative duty only — just record data."
He froze. "M-Me? Inside a Gate?"
"Don't worry. You'll just observe."
That night, Kang Cheon couldn't sleep. He stared at the cracked ceiling of his small apartment, the hum of the city outside echoing faintly. Fear and excitement twisted in his chest. For once, he'd step into the world he'd only ever watched from afar.
---
The next morning, the C-Rank Gate shimmered before him like a living storm. Hunters in sleek armor gathered, their weapons glowing faintly with mana. Kang Cheon stood at the back, holding a tablet and trying to look composed.
The raid leader, Sera Young, was a B-Rank Hunter and a disciple of the Sword Saint. She radiated confidence and power.
"We're expecting fifty monsters. Move in teams of three," she ordered. "Let's clear this fast."
They entered the Gate.
Inside, darkness swallowed them. The walls glowed faintly with blue runes. Shadows shifted along the ground. The Hunters moved with practiced ease, cutting through goblins and ogres without trouble.
But after half an hour, one of the scouts spoke nervously.
"We've only killed ten monsters so far…"
"What?"
"The report said fifty to sixty."
Sera frowned. "Stay alert. The rest might be deeper in."
The tension grew as they approached the Boss chamber. The massive gate creaked open — and everyone froze.
The Boss monster was already dead.
Its body lay perfectly sliced in half. No signs of battle. No scorch marks. Just a clean cut — almost surgical.
And in the center of the chamber was a single glowing chest.
"What the hell happened here?"
"Did another team clear it first?"
Kang Cheon felt a strange heaviness in his chest. The air itself seemed to vibrate. Something inside him whispered, Don't go near it.
He stepped forward hesitantly.
"W-Wait… don't touch the chest."
But one of the Hunters laughed and ignored him.
"Relax, it's probably a bugged dungeon. Free loot!"
Kang Cheon's eyes widened. "No—!"
The man's hand reached the chest.
The light flickered.
The air twisted—
And then everything went black.