The cool night air wrapped around Kim Ju-Won as he walked through the dimly lit streets of Seoul, his footsteps echoing softly on the cracked pavement. The world seemed to move in slow motion, the distant hum of traffic blending with the occasional shout from a drunk passerby. He wasn't paying much attention to them, though. His gaze was fixed on the small screen of his phone, his thumb swiping absent-mindedly as he read through the latest chapter of his favorite manhwa.
His earpiece buzzed with the rhythmic beat of a song, the steady bass reverberating through his body, and for a brief moment, he found himself lost in the melody. Music was a welcome distraction. It helped him forget the constant pressure, the weight of responsibility that sat heavy on his chest every day. If it weren't for his sister's treatment, if it weren't for the looming rent due next week… he might've been able to relax for just one damn second.
But he couldn't.
The world had changed.
Dimensional gates were no longer a myth, nor were they confined to the realms of fiction. They were real. They appeared without warning, disrupting the fragile peace of the world. Through them came monsters—beasts of unimaginable size and power, a threat to humanity's very existence. The gates connected to worlds beyond comprehension, each more dangerous than the last. And while some of the more powerful beings—what they called S-rank hunters—ventured in to battle these monsters and earn fame and riches, others had more personal reasons. There were rumors that some just wanted to test themselves, that the gates were simply a means to seek out greater power.
Kim Ju-Won didn't care for any of that. He had a different purpose.
The chime of his phone broke through his thoughts. A notification blinked across the screen: Dimensional gate has appeared in District 14. Hunters being transferred to the area.
His thumb paused mid-scroll. A gate. Great. Another rift in the fabric of reality. Another hole in the world for monsters to crawl out of. He could almost feel the pulse of the gate from where he stood. It was always like that—the sudden spike of energy, the crackling tension in the air as the monsters on the other side stirred. Another batch of hunters would be sent in, mostly for the thrill of it, or maybe for money. The rich always wanted more power, and the weak… well, they just wanted to survive.
But Ju-Won wasn't like the others.
He kept walking, his phone sliding back into his pocket with a small, dismissive flick of his wrist. He didn't need to waste his time with this. He had enough of his own battles to fight.
The sound of clanking metal broke through the stillness of the night. Four hunters, clad in shining armor, ran past him, their movements swift and sure. Their faces were hidden behind helmets, but their body language spoke volumes—confidence, pride, an almost childish excitement that reminded him of the young kids playing in the streets, dreaming of heroism.
Ju-Won glanced at them as they passed, his eyes narrowing with an almost invisible scorn. He didn't hate them—not exactly—but he despised the way they thought of themselves as saviors. Like they were doing something noble. Sure, they fought monsters, but the truth was much darker than that.
The gates didn't just open randomly. They appeared for a reason. Some say it was the work of ancient powerful sorcerers to bring the end of the world, or maybe a higher force was at play. Ju-Won didn't care for the theories. What he did know was this: the gates were the key to power. Monsters, magic, and treasure—things that could make a person rich, or give them a chance to rewrite the rules of life. The people who entered the gates were no different from treasure hunters, going after whatever they could claim for themselves. Money. Glory. Power. But all of it came with a cost.
"Fools," he muttered under his breath, his gaze lingering on their retreating forms. They probably thought they'd make a name for themselves tonight. In reality, they'd be lucky to come back in one piece. If they came back at all.
But what really annoyed Ju-Won was how they acted like they were saving the world. When, in truth, they were just putting themselves in harm's way for a quick payout. Maybe a few of them genuinely wanted to protect people, but most? They were just in it for the fame. They didn't care that the gates brought destruction—they only cared that the destruction could be profitable.
In the distance, a crackling sound rang out, a telltale sign of a rift opening. He didn't need to look back to know what it was. He had grown used to this. The gates were becoming more frequent, and with each one, the world seemed to slip further into chaos. It was like watching a well-known manhwa unfold before his eyes, only this wasn't some fantasy world—this was real life, and real life wasn't kind to anyone who didn't have the strength to survive.
Ju-Won's hand slid into his pocket, brushing the cool metal of the pendant he wore—a simple, silver circle, almost too plain for anyone to notice. He had a lot to think about, and none of it had anything to do with these gates.
No, tonight wasn't about dimensional rifts or monster hunts. It wasn't about the absurd spectacle of people charging into the unknown. Tonight was personal.
His sister needed her treatment. It wasn't just a matter of convenience; it was a matter of life and death. She had been diagnosed with a rare, incurable illness, one that drained their family's savings faster than they could keep up. The constant hospital bills, the specialized treatments, the medications… it was all too much. Ju-Won had already been working part-time jobs, hustling from place to place, scraping by. But it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. Not unless he did something drastic.
And that was where his current thoughts drifted—toward the dark alleyway up ahead.
He hadn't intended to go down this path. But when desperate times called for desperate measures, even Ju-Won couldn't afford to be too proud.
The alley was shadowed, the streetlights flickering above him, casting eerie, broken patterns on the cracked ground. He turned into it without hesitation. This was where he had to be tonight.
Ju-Won was no fool. He knew what it was to survive in a world like this. His life wasn't about glory or fame, and it certainly wasn't about saving the world. It was about survival. He wasn't interested in being a hero, nor did he care about the outcome of the gates. All that mattered was getting his sister's treatment payment and the medicine she needed—and if that meant doing something unsavory, so be it.
He reached a rusted, old door at the end of the alley, his fingers pressing against the cold metal as he knocked twice. The door creaked open, revealing the dim interior of a pawn shop. Inside, there were all sorts of trinkets, relics, and ancient objects from worlds long past. The shopkeeper, a balding man with a thick mustache, glanced up from behind the counter and immediately scowled.
"You here to waste my time again, kid?" the man grunted, his voice gruff.
Ju-Won said nothing at first, his eyes scanning the shelves, but then he spoke in a low voice. "I need something that'll get me some quick cash."
The shopkeeper eyed him warily. "You know the deal. I don't take just anything. Not after the last time."
Ju-Won gave a slight nod. He had already sold a few items to this man in the past—small magical relics he had picked up from the black market, things he didn't need. But this time was different.
"I need to pay rent. And I need to get my sister her medicine," Ju-Won said, his voice tight with frustration. "I can't afford to waste time with bullshit anymore. I need something that will sell for a lot—fast."
The shopkeeper sighed. "Fine. I have something you might be interested in. But it's not cheap. You sure you can handle it?"
Ju-Won didn't hesitate. "I'll take it."
The shopkeeper led him to a back corner of the store where a glass display case sat. Inside, there was a small, intricately carved stone—dark as night and pulsing faintly with energy. Ju-Won felt a strange sensation at the back of his neck, like the stone was calling to him. The shopkeeper reached inside and pulled it out, placing it in Ju-Won's hands.
"It's an artifact. From one of the gates. Rare as hell, and people pay a lot for stuff like this. But use it carefully. It's got power you can't control."
Ju-Won stared at the stone in his hand, feeling the strange weight of it, and a wry smile tugged at his lips. Tonight wasn't about the gates. Tonight was about survival.
Ju-Won's footsteps echoed down the alleyway, the small artifact nestled in his palm like a cold weight, pulsing faintly against his skin. The stone was nothing more than a curious trinket to most people, but to those who understood the power behind the gates, it was something far more valuable. It was a relic from the other side—something that could draw attention, command a fortune if he found the right buyer. That was the plan.
The chill in the night air had grown thicker, the dampness seeping into his jacket as he walked back toward the main streets. The streetlights buzzed faintly overhead, casting long shadows that danced against the brick walls of the alleyway. For a brief moment, Ju-Won let himself relax, his thoughts drifting back to the reason he was here, on this path, doing things he hadn't wanted to do.
His sister's condition was worsening. He could feel it in every word she spoke, every breath she took when she came to visit him in the apartment they called home. She had been getting weaker every week, and the latest tests hadn't been promising. She'd asked him once, in the most fragile of voices, if they could afford a new treatment, one that might work.
He didn't have an answer. Not one that wouldn't break her heart.
But this… this was different. This artifact—this stone—wasn't just about the money. It wasn't just about a quick fix for their broken lives. It was his chance to ensure she got the help she needed before it was too late.
But that didn't mean the night was going to go smoothly. Nothing ever did.
As he reached the intersection, a faint glow appeared on the horizon, growing brighter with every passing second. It wasn't a streetlight or some strange trick of the eyes. No, it was something else. Something far more dangerous.
Another rift. Another dimensional gate opening somewhere nearby.
The pulse of energy that emanated from it rippled through the city, a powerful wave that even Ju-Won couldn't ignore. He had seen this many times before, felt it even more. But each time the gates appeared, it was the same. The anticipation, the tension. The promise of danger, of wealth, of power.
A tremor of something—excitement, perhaps?—flickered at the back of his mind, but he quickly buried it. Tonight was about survival, not heroism.
He pulled his coat tighter around himself and continued on his way, determined to leave the gates behind. After all, he wasn't interested in some fool's errand to chase power. Not when his sister's life was on the line.
But just as he was about to turn the corner, a voice called out to him.
"Hey, you! Got a minute?"