Kyungho sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands. They were trembling, but not from fear. No, it was something else. Power.
It had been two weeks since the dungeon had appeared in the heart of Seoul. The government had tried everything they could to control it, but there was no stopping the monsters that emerged from it. They were far from the type you could handle with guns or military force. These were creatures of nightmare, forged from magic itself.
Kyungho wasn't a hunter. He wasn't even close. He was just an ordinary guy with an ordinary job. He had bills, a barely functioning social life, and a habit of avoiding conflict at all costs. But one fateful day, when the dungeons erupted and chaos descended upon the city, he found himself drawn into something much bigger.
He had stepped into a dungeon. Not on purpose, but by mistake. And it changed everything.
Kyungho felt the shift that day, a burning sensation creeping through his veins. The moment his foot had crossed the threshold of that darkened gate, it had hit him. The world had turned upside down.
Suddenly, a glowing prompt appeared in front of his eyes.
System Alert:
Welcome, Player Kyungho.
Level: 1
Class: Awakening Mage
Abilities: Firebolt (Lv. 1), Arcane Shield (Lv. 1), Mana Surge (Lv. 1)
He blinked, his mind struggling to make sense of it. Was this a dream? Was he hallucinating from the chaos outside? He tried to swipe at the message in the air, but it didn't disappear. It was real.
Kyungho gripped his head. He had heard stories about the System, about the hunters who had powers, and the dangers they faced in the dungeons. But he wasn't a hunter. He wasn't prepared for this.
He stared at the prompt again, his heart pounding in his chest. Awakening Mage? Was he supposed to be some kind of magic user now? His gaze shifted to his hands once more. His palms were glowing faintly, as if the magic inside him was just waiting to burst out.
For a moment, he almost felt like a kid playing pretend in a fantasy story. But this wasn't pretend. This was real. The world was shifting, changing in ways no one could understand. And now, Kyungho was part of that shift.
He had no choice but to figure it out.
Kyungho spent the next few days getting accustomed to his new abilities. He was surprised at how naturally they came to him. Firebolt was simple enoughâa small burst of flame that shot from his hand with the flick of a wrist. Arcane Shield, though, was a little trickier. It created a translucent barrier around him, one that could block most attacks but drained his mana fast. But Mana Surgeâthat was the real game-changer. It replenished his mana at a rate he could hardly keep up with, fueling his magic like a never-ending battery.
Still, that didn't make him a professional by any means. He was just a guy with a bit of magic and no clue how to properly use it. He had no idea how powerful these dungeons were, or what else might be out there waiting for him.
It wasn't until he ventured into the city's outskirts, where the entrance to the dungeon was located, that he began to feel the weight of the danger. He had never been a fan of the idea of dungeons. From what he'd heard, they were a mess of monsters, traps, and magic. It was enough to make anyone reconsider their life choices.
But the world had changed, and he had no choice but to adapt.
The air around the dungeon entrance was thick with tension. Kyungho could feel it in his bones, a primal pull to step closer, to face whatever was waiting inside. Something about the place felt aliveâthe ground hummed beneath his feet, and the walls shimmered faintly in the distance.
He swallowed hard. Was he ready for this?
"Are you going in or what?" a voice called out from behind him.
Kyungho turned to find a tall man with a giant sword slung over his shoulder, grinning at him. His face was rough, hardened by battle, but there was a spark of humor in his eyes.
"You look lost," the man said, stepping forward. "Name's Seokjin. You planning to just stare at it all day or actually enter?"
Kyungho hesitated. He wasn't sure if this guy was a friend, a foe, or just some random guy with an oversized sword. But there was something in Seokjin's grin that made Kyungho feel like he should take the plunge.
"I... think so," Kyungho mumbled, his voice unsure. "But I'm new to this."
"New, huh?" Seokjin raised an eyebrow. "You've got the look of someone who just found out they've got a magical ability. You sure you want to step in there? Not everyone survives."
Kyungho clenched his fists. He had no choice. There was only one way forward.
"I'm in," Kyungho said, his voice gaining strength. "I have to be."
Seokjin nodded approvingly. "Well, then, let's see if you're as ready as you think."
With that, they both stepped into the dungeon, the heavy air swallowing them whole as the entrance sealed behind them.
And with that, Kyungho's new reality began.