Kang Joon-seok had just entered a D-rank dungeon. As he cautiously moved forward, strange noises reached his ears, making him tense. He tightened his grip on his sword, thinking to himself that something dangerous was approaching and that he needed to stay alert. Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor, and dozens of tall, muscular orcs appeared before him.They wielded axes, clubs, and hammers, drool dripping from their mouths, and their red eyes glowed with a feral hunger as if they had been starving for centuries. Joon-seok felt a mix of shock and caution—there were so many of them. Can I really take them on? he wondered. He was only an E-rank hunter; he could barely handle a single goblin, let alone a group of D-rank dungeon orcs. Normally, it would take Nine or Ten D-rank hunters to defeat these monsters—how could he possibly fight them alone?
Taking a deep breath, Joon-seok muttered to himself, "Well, I came here by myself… so I'll face them on my own."
At that moment, one of the orcs lunged at him with its club. Joon seok Reacting instantly, Joon-seok... blocked the orc's club with his sword, hardly believing his own speed. When did I get this fast? he thought, still shocked. Not long ago, he could barely parry an attack from a goblin, and now he had deflected an orc's strike with ease. Maybe I really can clear a D-rank dungeon.
Before he could dwell on it, another orc charged him with a massive hammer. Joon-seok dodged the first orc's attack, leaping into the air just as the second hammer came crashing down. In a flash, he moved behind the hammer-wielding orc, and with a swift swing of his sword, sliced through its thick neck as smoothly as cutting butter.Joon-seok muttered to himself, "When did I get this fast? And is my sword really sharp enough to slice an orc's neck like butter?" He couldn't believe it. This must be the system at work…
Just then, an axe-wielding orc charged at him. Joon-seok blocked the swing with his sword, then countered with a powerful strike that sent the axe flying out of its hands. With a single, precise motion, he cut the orc in two.
The remaining orcs roared and charged, filling the dungeon with the stench of blood. Moving faster than they could react, Joon-seok closed the distance, decapitating two of them before they could even swing.
Another orc attacked from behind with a club, but Joon-seok parried, slicing through its leg and finishing it with a strike to the heart. The last three goblins, drenched in sweat and terrified, glanced at each other before letting out a roar and charging at Joon-seok. In a blur of movement, he closed the distance and decapitated all three, blood spraying into the air.
Joon-seok exhaled, "Finally… all the orcs are done." He grimaced, covering his nose. "Ugh, the stench of blood here… it's hard to even stand."
Moving a few steps forward, a system pop-up suddenly appeared:
Character Status: Kang Joon-seok
Level: 5 → 12
Health: 150 → 250
Strength: 25 → 50
Speed: 20 → 40
Endurance: 30 → 60
Reflexes: 22 → 45
Focus: 18 → 40
New Skill Unlocked: "Void Strike"
This Strike is extremely powerful. If used on an opponent, the chance of them evading it is very low. Its strength depends on the power you have—more power means a stronger Strike.
[Claim Rewards] [Accept] [Reject]
Joon-seok paused, thinking, Huh… this Void Strike sounds amazing. I'll accept it. As soon as he did, he felt a sudden difficulty breathing, sweat pouring down his body, and darkness creeping in around him.
"What's happening?" he muttered, recognizing the sensation from the last reward he had claimed. Moments later, everything settled back to normal, and the system confirmed: Reward claim accepted Joon-seok muttered to himself, "It seems this gate hasn't been cleared yet. If it had, the portal would have opened. As soon as I entered the dungeon, the gate closed. Looks like I'll have to clear it on my own."
Ever since entering the dungeon, he had felt an immense aura at its far end. That must be the dungeon boss, he thought. But from all the dungeon bosses he had faced so far, none had matched this presence But Even compared to hidden dungeon Monster this power felt like an ant in comparison—yet he couldn't underestimate it. The aura was undeniably strong. Let's see what kind of boss is waiting for me.
As Joon-seok advanced, the aura grew even more intense. Soon, he entered a massive cave, where a broken throne sat at the center. On it rested a towering, ten-meter-tall red orc. Joon-seok's eyes widened in shock. "How strong… there's no way I can defeat this."
At that moment, a system pop-up appeared:
Red Orc
Rank: C
Monster Type: Boss
Title: Red Guardian
The orc's gaze fell on Joon-seok as it rose from its throne The orc lifted its massive club and let out a thunderous roar. The entire dungeon trembled, large stones cracking and falling from the ceiling. Joon-seok muttered in disbelief, "Can I really defeat a monster like this?"
Despite its immense size, the orc suddenly closed the distance, swinging its club toward him. It's so strong… and fast, even after being this huge and tall! Joon-seok reacted instantly, blocking the club with his sword. The impact unleashed a shockwave so powerful that the entire dungeon shook.
The scene shifted outside the dungeon, where the shockwave rattled the surrounding area. Everyone nearby was in shock, wondering what kind of monsters were fighting inside—and whether the boy was even still alive. One of the army officers who had tried to stop Joon-seok from entering the dungeon thought anxiously about it.
At that moment, a black car arrived and stopped right at the dungeon. The officer shouted at the driver, "Don't park here! The gate's open—you can't see it?" A young woman stepped out of the car, opening the gate. Then, a tall, handsome, lean, muscular man emerged. The officer froze in surprise and immediately bowed, apologizing.
"Sir, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was your vehicle," he said.
The man, speaking in a cold, emotionless tone, replied, "It's fine. This isn't your fault."
"This is the gate the boy entered, the one who claimed to be C-rank," the officer continued.
"Yes," the man said. "But I know the truth. The issue isn't who entered—it's that the boy lied to you. Our research shows he's actually an E-rank hunter, recently declared dead in a hidden dungeon. but before anyone could reach him, Bastard Kim Tae-Jun had already encountered him. The mysterious man turned to the army officer and said in a cold, emotionless tone, "Go. Do your job. And don't make any mistakes."
"Yes, sir," the officer replied nervously, bowing before leaving.
The man's secretary, Yoon Ah-ri, spoke up. "Mr. Park Hyun-sik…"
"Yes, speak," he replied curtly.
Yoon Ah-ri frowned. "Why are you here? You shouldn't even be able to enter that gate until the E-rank boy clears the dungeon. Do you really think an E-rank hunter can clear a D-rank dungeon? It seems impossible to me."
Park Hyun-sik's voice remained cold and emotionless. "I don't know either. Let's wait and see if he can or not."
Back in the dungeon, Joon-seok's sword clashed against the Red Orc's club. Shockwaves rippled through the cavern with every strike, yet the Red Orc stood unscathed. Joon-seok, drenched in sweat and exhausted, thought, Can I really defeat this? My stamina is almost gone… if this continues, I won't even be able to stand. I need a powerful move.
Moving with incredible speed, he rushed behind the Red Orc, attempting to slice its leg. He swung with all his strength, but his sword barely left a scratch. The Red Orc remained solid and unmoving. Charging forward with its club, the beast prepared another strike, but Joon-seok leapt back to a safe distance, gathering his focus.
It's time, he thought. I didn't think I could pull this off… but now I can.
He raised his sword vertically, black aura swirling violently around his arm. The entire dungeon shook under the immense power. Darkness and energy coalesced on his blade, and in a cold, low voice, he whispered, "Void Strike
Then he unleashed it, hurling the strike directly toward the Red Orc.For the first time, the Red Orc seemed genuinely afraid. It swung its clubs to block Joon-seok's Void Strike with all its might—but the force of the strike shattered its clubs into two pieces. Joon-seok's attack alone could have cleaved the monster in half. The Red Orc roared with all its remaining strength, managing to halt the Strike, but it staggered, barely holding together. The dungeon trembled violently from the energy released, and Joon-seok collapsed to the ground, completely drained.
Panting and bloodied, he muttered, "What kind of monster is this? Even my strongest attack… it couldn't take it down." He looked at the Red Orc, almost dead, and thought, If I had just a little more stamina… I could have finished it.
Suddenly, the Red Orc, soaked in blood and fueled by rage, charged at him and landed a brutal punch. Joon-seok slammed against the wall, blood spilling from his mouth, ribs cracking with the impact. He screamed in pain, "Aaaah! Am I going to die again? I promised my family I wouldn't… that I'd give them a better life!"
A flashback hit him. He was seven years old, standing before his mother, who was crying, and his little sister Seo-Yeon, just five years old, clinging to him. A tall, muscular, handsome man stood before them—his father, Kang Min-jun. He lifted Joon-seok into his arms and said, "Son… always take care of your mother and little sister. Forget about me. I don't know when—or if—I'll return from that hell. Forget that I even exist in this world."
Min-jun gently set Joon-seok down and placed his hand on Seo-Yeon's head. "Take care of yourself, Seo-Yeon," he said.
Through her tears, she whispered, "Yes… but Dad, when will you come back?"
Min-jun said nothing, only gave them a peaceful smile before walking away. Han Soo-jin broke down, crying uncontrollably, while Joon-seok and Seo-Yeon clung to each other. "Don't worry," she said softly. "Your father will come back soon."
Seo-Yeon continued to weep, but Joon-seok remained expressionless, silent, and motionless.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He was still in the D-rank dungeon, facing the Red Orc, which slowly advanced toward him. In a low, pained voice, he muttered, "I promised my family I'd protect them… but maybe I can't…"
At that moment, a system notification appeared:
"Survivor of the Hidden Gate" Activated
Hidden threats and dangerous situations detected. All stats temporarily increased by 12%.
Greatly enhances mental resistance against fear, despair, and illusions.
Joon-seok felt his body heal on its own—cracks in his bones mending, stamina returning. A dense aura began to gather around him, and his sword darkened into a pitch-black blade Joon-seok stood up, his voice low and cold. "Looks like luck is on my side. Red Orc… today, I'll Defeat you and clear this dungeon."
The Red Orc roared in fury and charged at him, but Joon-seok easily blocked the attack and moved behind it. With a swift swing of his sword, he struck at the Orc's neck—its head separated cleanly from the body.
Joon-seok muttered in disbelief, "So much power… just moments ago I couldn't even scratch it, and now I've cut its head off."
Green blood sprayed through the air as the Orc's head flew away, landing some distance off. Its massive body collapsed to the ground.
A system notification appeared:
Congratulations! You have defeated the Red Guardian.
Character Status: Kang Joon-seok
Level: 12 → 20
Health: 250 → 400
Strength: 50 → 80
Speed: 40 → 70
Endurance: 60 → 80
Reflexes: 45 → 75
Focus: 40 → 90
New Skill Unlocked: "PERFECT HEALING– This skill allows you to heal any injury, no matter how severe. You can also use it to heal others."
Joon-seok smirked slightly. "Looks like I've grown stronger… and got a good skill as a reward. After all that effort to kill the Red Orc, this is a nice gift."
He moved toward the dungeon's portal, which opened as he approached. "Finally… I can clear this," he said.
As he stepped out, his eyes widened. Before him stood a powerful figure. Joon-seok felt a familiar aura—like he had sensed with Kim Tae-Jun—but colder and more mysterious.
The man approached and said, "Congratulations on clearing the D-rank dungeon, Kang Joon-seok."
Joon-seok's eyes narrowed, his expression serious. "Who are you? And how do you know about me?"
The man replied, his voice calm but cold, "My name is Park Hyun-sik. I want to talk to you."
To Be Countinue