The silence in the corridor hung in the air like a guillotine blade. The eyes of two legendary hunters, Level 78 Seo-Jun and Level 56 Seo-Ah, were locked directly onto Haruki.
Seo-Ah's question bounced off the cold walls of the hallway and echoed in Haruki's mind: "Which dungeon were you in today?"
Haruki's mind whirred like a computer processor. He knew Seo-Ah had caught that minute fluctuation in his heartbeat. Lying completely was suicide. Therefore, he chose the most dangerous type of lie: the half-truth.
After a few seconds of silence, acting as if he were struggling to recall a traumatic memory, Haruki took a deep breath.
"An E-Rank wolf dungeon just outside the city," Haruki said, keeping his voice flat but slightly exhausted. "I didn't enter the Boss room, but the packs inside were larger than I expected. I was ambushed."
It wasn't a lie. He really had fought wolves. He was simply omitting the fact that the 'wolf' in that unregistered dungeon was a Level 30 Alpha Boss capable of swallowing him whole, and that he hadn't gone there willingly, but was thrown in by Liam.
Seo-Ah's ice-blue eyes narrowed slightly. Her razor-sharp instincts were blaring alarms. The blood of ordinary wolves in an E-Rank dungeon wouldn't leave such a heavy, throat-burning scent of rust. That scent could only course through the veins of an "Alpha." But she had no proof. Dungeon blood was, ultimately, just dungeon blood.
At Haruki's explanation, Seo-Jun crossed his massive arms and frowned with a displeased expression.
"Madness," the giant Knight grunted. "It's too risky for a Level 13 Assassin to try and clear an unregistered dungeon all alone. The Association encourages hunters to push their limits, not their stupidity. You're incredibly lucky to be alive today."
"I know," Haruki said quietly. "It won't happen again."
Adjusting the scabbard of her sword slightly, Seo-Ah moved to walk past Haruki. Right as she reached his shoulder level, she slowed her steps. For the last time, her eyes drifted to that flawless, blue suture mark peeking through the collar of Haruki's torn t-shirt.
"Be more careful next time, Haruki," Seo-Ah said, her voice spreading through the corridor like a silky but dangerous whisper.
Her face was entirely devoid of expression, but the thoughts swirling in her mind were a different story entirely: 'This wound... It's not normal. There isn't a single drop of Healer mana in it. It's as if the muscle fibers were stitched together with a microscopic net. This kid is a vault of secrets.'
As Seo-Ah pivoted on her heels and walked toward the elevators at the end of the hall, Haruki let out a deep breath internally. He had escaped. For now.
Seo-Jun escorted Haruki all the way to the massive glass doors of the Association Headquarters. As the cool night air of the city hit Haruki's face, the Knight stopped one last time. His authoritative aura had shifted to a slightly more warning, almost protective tone.
"Stay away from Liam," Seo-Jun said sternly. "That man is nothing but trouble. With Kenji in jail, he's lost all his connections and cash flow within the Association. He's like a cornered rat, looking for a place to spit his venom. If you cross paths with him on the street again, notify us immediately."
"Understood. Thank you," Haruki said, giving a slight nod before descending the stairs toward the crowded avenue.
Seo-Jun's words were true, but Haruki wasn't a civilian running to the police. He knew Liam was a threat, and the System was training him to eliminate these threats on his own. Sooner or later, Liam would stand in his way again.
As he walked along the sidewalk illuminated by streetlights, the phone in his pocket buzzed.
Hana's name flashed on the screen.
Hana:"Are you okay? Did something go wrong at the Association? Please let me know."
That cold, calculating mask on Haruki's face softened by just a millimeter in the glow of the screen. Even when the whole world saw him as nothing but 'bait,' Hana was the only one who always treated him like a human being. He tapped the screen and typed a short reply:
Haruki:"I'm fine. It was just a routine statement. Don't worry, I'm heading home."
After sending the message, he shoved the phone back into his pocket and quickened his pace. He needed the silence and safety of his room.
It was well past midnight when he unlocked the door to his small 1+0 apartment and stepped inside. The room was pitch-black, silent, and smelled of dust as usual. He kicked off his muddy boots into the corner and trudged heavily toward the bed.
He was experiencing a mental exhaustion far greater than his physical fatigue.
Just as he sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath... The darkness of the room violently tore open.
Haruki's eyes widened in shock. The System panel usually opened with a pale, comforting blue light. But right now, the edges of the hovering screen were pulsating with blood-red and deep purple hues. The temperature in the room felt as if it had dropped several degrees in an instant.
[SYSTEM ALERT: NEW MAIN QUEST GENERATED]
The System has decided to push the User's potential to the next stage.
Quest: Clear the Demon Dungeon. Target Location: [Locked - Will be revealed when the timer starts] Time Limit: 1 Month (30 Days)
Penalty for Failure: Death. Reward: To be calculated by the System !?1:. [UNKNOWN ERROR / HIDDEN REWARD]
Haruki's breath caught in his throat. Staring at the glowing red text on the screen, he felt his blood run cold.
"A Demon Dungeon?" he whispered, his voice cracking.
It was one of the most fundamental rules taught in hunter academies. Demon Dungeons were places where the laws of nature were warped, inhabited not by ordinary monsters, but by entities born of pure chaos. According to Association regulations, the minimum requirement to enter a Demon Dungeon was to be a B-Rank (At least Level 40) hunter, accompanied by a fully equipped raid team of no less than ten people.
Haruki was currently only Level 13. And the System wanted him to do it alone.
He stared at the bizarre, glitched "!?1:." symbols flashing on the screen. For the first time, the System wasn't clearly stating a reward; it was throwing an error code, as if it were trying to calculate something that exceeded its own limits.
Haruki buried his face in his hands. Then, slowly, in the dark and silent room, he began to let out a nerve-wracking laugh.
"One month," he said to himself, a sharp determination bordering on madness gleaming in his eyes. "So you're giving me just one month to transform from a Level 13 into a B-Rank monster."
He stood up, pulled that incredibly thin, magical needle from his pocket, and twirled it between his fingers. The game had completely changed.