At the break of dawn, Kim Byeol-ha stirred awake, the faint light of morning casting a soft glow through the window. He sat up, stretching his arms with a yawn, and glanced around the modest room. His two nephews, Kim Heechan and Kim Hwajin, lay sprawled on the floor, blankets tangled around them.
"Time to rise and shine," Byeol-ha whispered, nudging Heechan gently.
Heechan groaned, burying his face deeper into the pillow.
"Come on, Heechan. Adventure awaits!" Byeol-ha said with a grin.
Next, he turned to Hwajin, who was snoring softly. Byeol-ha tickled his feet, causing the boy to giggle and squirm.
"Uncle, stop!" Hwajin laughed, finally sitting up.
With the boys awake, Byeol-ha moved to the corner where Han Seo-jin, the 19-year-old stray he had taken in, was curled up. He gently shook Seo-jin's shoulder.
"Seo-jin, it's time."
Seo-jin blinked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Already? The sun's barely up."
"Exactly. The early bird catches the dungeon," Byeol-ha quipped.
He then proceeded to wake his sisters, Kim Bitna and Kim Eora. Bitna groaned as she sat up, her hair a tangled mess.
"Why are we up so early? Did the world end again?" she mumbled.
Eora, rubbing her eyes, added, "I was having a nice dream about a world without dungeons."
"Well, reality calls," Byeol-ha said, ushering everyone to get ready.
After a quick breakfast, the group set out, following Byeol-ha as he traced the energy line leading to the dungeon. Upon reaching the entrance, he gathered everyone close.
"Alright, time for a little trick," he said, performing a subtle gesture. A shimmer enveloped the group, rendering them invisible.
"Whoa, this is cool!" Hwajin exclaimed, his voice hushed.
"Stay close and quiet," Byeol-ha instructed.
They entered the dungeon undetected, the entrance sealing itself behind them.
Unbeknownst to them, Baek Ryeo-woon was perched in a nearby tree, observing the dungeon. He blinked in surprise as the entrance sealed itself.
"Strange... I didn't see anyone go in," he muttered, puzzled.
-
Kim Byeol-ha stood at the edge of the dungeon's entrance, observing his team with a keen eye.
The atmosphere was thick with tension, each member visibly anxious about the unknown challenges ahead. Sensing the need to alleviate their apprehension, Byeol-ha reached into his satchel and produced five distinct vials, each shimmering with a unique hue:
Pitch Black: A vial that seemed to absorb light, its contents swirling like a miniature void.
Bright White: Radiating a soft glow, this vial exuded a sense of purity and calm.
Sky Blue: Reminiscent of a clear summer sky, its contents sparkled with tiny bubbles.
Rose Pink: A gentle hue that evoked feelings of warmth and affection.
Deep Navy: Dark and mysterious, with occasional glimmers of silver light.
He handed them out with deliberate care.
Pitch Black to Kim Eora.
Bright White to Kim Bitna.
Sky Blue to Han Seo-jin.
Deep Navy to Kim Heechan.
Rose Pink to Kim Hwajin.
Curiosity piqued, Bitna inquired, "What's in these, oppa?"
Byeol-ha responded with a cryptic smile, "You'll find out soon enough."
Despite their reservations, each member consumed their assigned potion. The effects were immediate and varied:
Bitna: Her body went limp as she fainted, a serene expression on her face.
Eora: She screamed in agony, clutching her limbs as waves of pain coursed through her.
Heechan: He gasped for air, his face turning pale as if submerged underwater.
Seo-jin: He scratched at his skin, wincing from an intense itchiness that spread rapidly.
Hwajin: Tears streamed down his face as he cried out, overwhelmed by a splitting headache.
Observing their distress, Byeol-ha released a calming aura, a gentle wave of life energy that enveloped the group, easing their suffering without eliminating it. He knew they needed to endure this trial to grow stronger.
"Growth often comes through pain. These potions are catalysts, unlocking potential by confronting inner fears and weaknesses. They must face these challenges head-on to emerge stronger."
Kim Byeol-ha sat cross-legged on a moss-covered rock inside the dungeon chamber, dimly lit by the glowing veins of mana pulsing through the walls. His team was sprawled nearby, each of them in the throes of transformation — groaning, crying, twitching, or outright unconscious. He didn't look worried. He'd been through worse. Much worse. Instead, he stared at them with a calm gaze, chin resting on his hand, like a dad watching his kids fumble with a new toy that might explode.
"Humans," he muttered to himself with a half-smirk.
But as the moments stretched, his expression grew quieter. His hand slipped from under his chin, fingers now gently clasped together.
His mind wandered.Not to Earth. Not to this mana-dead, fractured planet that rejected his bloodline like an allergy.
But to them.
To his two fathers in the divine realm.
One was cold and brilliant — Azeres, the God of Boundless Law. Always with his crisp robes, tight jaw, and a terrifying sense of order that could make the universe shut up and behave.The other was chaos in motion — Lioren, the God of the Dying Star, who wore laughter like armor and made destruction look like performance art.
Somehow, they had both looked at a drifting soul like Byeol-ha and said:"Ours."
He scoffed. "Idiots."
Still, he missed them. That maddening divine palace where stars sang and monsters bowed. That stupid golden hall where Lioren once made a throne out of a dead leviathan's spine. Azeres scolded him for it for three weeks straight.
He didn't miss the endless war.He didn't miss being hunted by other gods.But he missed the moments in between —The silent breakfasts before a celestial council,The brutal training matches that ended with Lioren throwing him off a cliff "for fun,"The rare nod of approval from Azeres when Byeol-ha defied a prophecy and lived.
"They're probably fighting again," he thought with a sigh, tilting his head back to rest against the dungeon wall."Over whose parenting style gave me the more ridiculous personality defects."
A flicker of mana shifted near Bitna's body. He glanced over — the white aura of her potion was settling, her fingers twitching. Progress.
He stayed seated, silent.
He was not a healer.He was not their savior.
He was just… waiting.Patient.Sharp-eyed.
Like he once did at the edge of the Celestial War when he had to guard a realm while bleeding from ten wounds, just because Azeres told him, "Don't let it fall."
So here, in this broken dungeon inside a dying world, he waited again.Not as a divine heir.Not as a returnee.
Just as Kim Byeol-ha, big brother, silent watcher, reluctant guide.
He folded his arms across his chest, eyes softening."...Damn it. I really am becoming like them."
Then he looked at the kids again.
Heechan was coughing. Seo-jin had stopped scratching. Eora's breathing was steady now.
The pain was ending. The growth was beginning.
And Kim Byeol-ha, who had once cut down gods for fun and annoyed death itself just to escape it, allowed himself a small smile.
"Welcome to the real world," he whispered.