Wang Su-Jin lay motionless on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. At least, that's what it looked like.
In reality, his eyes were locked onto something impossible.
A glowing blue interface hovered just above him, its translucent light casting eerie reflections across the small, dimly lit apartment. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, but his mind was racing. His thoughts churned with disbelief, confusion… and the faintest trace of something else.
Curiosity.
Then, the text on the screen shifted.
[System Notification]
You have met the requirements to become a Player.
Do you accept?
[Y/N]
Su-Jin blinked.
A Player?
Su-Jin opened his mouth, but no words came. Only silence—and a creeping sense of inevitability. His first instinct was that this was a prank—some kind of augmented reality projection or a hidden camera show. But there was no device, no headset, no source for the illusion. The blue text simply existed, detached from anything physical.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
"This is just like those games Jihoon and I used to play…" he muttered under his breath.
But hallucinations didn't come with choices.
His gaze flicked back to the glowing prompt.
[Y/N]
A choice.
Su-Jin hesitated, then exhaled slowly. His fingers twitched as he reached forward, though there was nothing to actually touch.
"Well… if this makes me a better hunter, I don't see a reason to refuse."
With a deep breath, he willed it.
[YES]
[System Alert]
Congratulations. You are now a Player.
[Initializing Player Status…]
[Player: Wang Su-Jin]
[Level: 1]
A new panel materialized before him. His eyes darted across the numbers.
[PLAYER STATUS]
Name: Wang Su-Jin
Level: 1
Strength: 10
Speed: 10
Agility: 9
Endurance: 10
Perception: 8
Mana: 3
Su-Jin exhaled through his nose.
"Damn… I'm weak?."
He expected something more. Some kind of supernatural boost, an overwhelming surge of power, or at least a stat screen that made him feel special. But these were just normal human stats. His hand instinctively curled into a fist.
No divine revelation. No sudden enlightenment. Just… numbers.
He scrolled through the interface, trying to make sense of it.
"I didn't get transported into a game world… No mysterious voice explaining everything…" He tapped his temple. "Honestly, I thought something big would happen. Maybe a dramatic transformation… at least a cool effect or something."
Then, his expression darkened.
His last memory—
"The dungeon."
His jaw clenched.
Something happened in that dungeon. He knew it. He could feel it in the hollow space where his memories should have been.
His last clear recollection was the moment the darkness closed in—the echoing growls, the scent of blood, the sheer helplessness as something beyond human comprehension devoured his team.
And then—nothing.
A void.
A missing piece of time.
Su-Jin's breathing slowed. He could feel the truth clawing at the edge of his thoughts, yet his mind refused to grasp it. It wasn't just a gap in memory—it was as if something had forcibly erased it.
"I died."
He whispered it, but there was no fear in his voice. No panic. Just cold, analytical realization.
He should be dead.
So why was he here?
Just then, his phone buzzed on the nightstand.
BEEP!
A notification flashed across the screen.
[Breaking News]
New Gate Alert – Seoul District
Su-Jin ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.
"Guess reality doesn't stop just because I have a floating screen in front of me."
Korea Hunter association - Inside a high-security conference room, a long table sat at the center, surrounded by high-ranking officials of South Korea's Hunter Association. The room hummed with tension, the soft glow of multiple monitors displaying real-time gate readings, casualty reports, and ongoing raid updates.
At the head of the table sat Chairman Go Sang-Min, a stern-faced man in his early fifties. His hands were clasped together as he listened to the woman standing beside him.
Yoon Seo-Ra, his assistant, flipped through a report on her tablet before speaking.
"Chairman, we have an update on last night's incident."
Go Sang-Min's sharp eyes didn't waver. "Ironclaw Guild?"
"Yes, sir." Seo-Ra's voice was composed, but there was an edge to it. "Multiple casualties. Seonghwa Guild dispatched a retrieval team to locate survivors."
"And?"
"They only found one."
Silence fell across the room.
The chairman's expression darkened. "Who?"
Seo-Ra tapped her tablet. A grainy security image of a young man appeared on the monitor.
Wang Su-Jin.
"A miner?" one of the officials muttered.
Seo-Ra nodded. "Yes. Affiliated with Ironclaw as a low-level dungeon miner. He was found in the dungeon—completely unharmed."
Go Sang-Min's fingers drummed against the table. "Did he say what happened?"
"He was shaking too much to speak." Seo-Ra's lips pressed into a thin line. "It's clear he saw something. Something terrifying. But either he's too scared to recall it… or his mind is blocking the memory."
The chairman leaned back.
"And the dungeon itself?"
Seo-Ra hesitated. "It was labeled as D-rank. But the mana readings… they tell a different story."
Go Sang-Min's jaw tightened. "Then we're lucky he made it out."
She glanced at her tablet again.
"There's something else."
The chairman raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Seo-Ra's gaze flicked back to the young man's profile.
"His vitals came back normal. No injuries, no trauma. But mentally… we already know he saw something. Something that should have killed him."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And yet… he survived."
The chairman was silent for a long moment.
Then, in a quiet voice, he asked,
"Did he say anything at all?"
Seo-Ra shook her head.
"Nothing. Just silence and fear."
BEEP.
Su-Jin flinched at the sudden alert. The blue interface flickered back into view.
[System Notice]
[What is a Player?]
A Player is an individual selected by the System. Unlike normal hunters, Players possess a unique ability:
[The Power to Evolve.]
Through combat, hardship, and survival, a Player can grow indefinitely.
Su-Jin's lips parted.
(So… I can level up?)
His grip on the bedsheet tightened.
[Reaching Level 10]
Once a Player reaches Level 10, they will be assigned their Job Class.
However, only those who survive will reach that point.
Su-Jin exhaled sharply.
(If I survive… This is some kind of test.)
His eyes flicked toward his stat window again.
(If this is real… then I need to get stronger.)
Just as he was about to process everything—
BANG!
The front door burst open.
"Oppa!"
A familiar voice echoed through the apartment.
Su-Jin's heart dropped.
(Shit—!)
In an instant, the system screen vanished.
His little sister, Wang Soo-Ah, stood there, grinning.
"Why do you look like you saw a ghost?" She said as she headed upstairs.
Su-Jin forced a smile.
(If only you knew.)
Another system interface popped up.
[New Quest Assigned]
[The Player's First Quest]
Objective: Complete the Quest.
Failure Penalty: Death.
Su-Jin's breath caught. (No. That can't be—) The world shattered.
And in the blink of an eye—
He was somewhere else.