While Ryo was inspecting the hidden reward he had obtained, he felt a faint tremor rising from the ground.
"It seems the dungeon is about to disappear... well, that's natural—I did kill the dungeon boss after all," he muttered, cautiously glancing around.
In this world, major forces like the Awakened Association and the big guilds are responsible for clearing dungeons. But when a high-value dungeon is discovered, an elite team raids it once, keeping the boss alive, since it represents the dungeon's core. This allows for periodic cleanup campaigns to help raise the level of new or low-ranked members.
But what if a dungeon isn't cleared in time? It's simple... what's known as a "Dungeon Break" occurs—its energy overflows, and monsters spill into the real world, spreading destruction and slaughter. Although Awakened ones are stronger now than ever before, they still can't save everyone.
They call it "losing some lives for a lot of money and fame." But as long as dungeons exist, the threat will always loom over everyone like a sword hanging by a thread. What if an S-rank dungeon breaks? The losses would be severe, but still containable. But what if three S-rank dungeons broke at once...?
Ryo tilted his head up slightly, a sarcastic smile forming on his lips.
"Honestly... if anyone could hear my thoughts right now, they'd say: 'As expected of the greatest disgrace among the Awakened—just as foolish as ever.'"
As for how a Dungeon Break happens, the idea is simple. Imagine a cup being filled with water until it overflows... dungeons are the same. When they reach the limit of monster and magical energy capacity, that energy starts leaking through gates into Earth.
However, if the dungeon boss is killed, the dungeon vanishes automatically, expelling anything foreign to this world—just like what happened to Ryo. After storing everything in his storage ring, his body suddenly began to vanish from inside the dungeon, which cracked and collapsed before fading into nothingness.
---
Ryo appeared in a narrow alley—the same one he had entered when he first accessed the dungeon. He quickly looked around... there was no one. He sighed in relief, changed his clothes quickly, and took out his phone to check the time.
"2:25 AM?… Really, just like they say—time inside the dungeon flows differently than on Earth."
No more than 12 hours had passed in the real world, but it felt like he'd spent at least three days in the dungeon.
"I guess that's one of the rules too, right, Eva?"
Eva—the glowing, floating orb beside him—appeared, gently bobbing in the air as if smiling.
[Yes, Host. This is known as the "Law of Time," where the flow of time varies from one world to another.]
Ryo's eyes widened in shock—not from the Law of Time, but from what she said: "from one world to another."
"Eva... wait a second. Are you saying… worlds?"
[Yes, Host. What's strange about that?]
Ryo took a deep breath and tapped his chest, trying to process the shock flooding his being.
"That makes sense... I thought about that before, especially when you told me I received the blessing of the True Universe."
If there's something called the True Universe, then there must be other universes. He never imagined all his thoughts about Earth being invaded by other worlds would turn out to be real!
"Eva, if my guess is right... then the True Universe must be the center, or something like an origin, right?"
Eva paused in mid-air, as if genuinely surprised by his words.
[Host… your intelligence exceeds my expectations.]
[Yes, just as you suspected. But I cannot tell you too much.]
[The True Universe is the origin universe.]
[And the dungeons that appear on Earth… are gates to other worlds.]
Ryo's heartbeat quickened, but his expression remained calm—as if an icy serenity had settled deep within.
"So... we're being invaded?"
[Yes… but I don't know why there's so much focus on this world, despite it only being third-class.]
"A third-class world?… What does that mean?"
[Well, worlds are divided into three classes: first-class, second-class, and third-class.]
"And what about the True Universe, what's its classification?"
[I can't tell you... your level is too low.]
Ryo smirked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
"So we're back to the original problem... my weakness."
[But Host, you'll learn everything once you rise higher.]
"You're right… best to take things slowly. Now, I need to deal with these corpses and sell them."
---
Ryo stepped out of the dark alley with steady steps. Just as he was about to exit, he noticed a familiar firebike—one that belonged to the man who had been tailing him earlier. Three kids, no older than sixteen or seventeen, were trying to steal it.
He furrowed his brows, but then an idea flashed in his mind.
He took out the "Ring of Deception" from his inventory, slid it onto his finger, and infused it with mana. Instantly, the ring recognized him as its master. His appearance changed—now wearing a black mask that covered his entire face. He then pulled out the firebike key he had found in that man's pocket.
His idea was simple: these kids wanted to steal a firebike, which meant they probably knew where to find illegal markets. And as luck would have it, he had fifty corpses of "Common Dire Wolves" and one "Storm Wolf" corpse to sell.
He would exchange the key for guidance.
Ryo stepped forward slowly, his footsteps echoing clearly in the alley.
The three kids quickly turned to face him, backing up three steps cautiously, daggers drawn and ready to fight.
Ryo smiled under his mask and said with a mocking tone:
"Well, how exciting… drawing your weapons, but are you prepared to put your lives on the line? Is this courage… or foolishness?"
He stepped out of the darkness, standing before them as his aura slowly leaked out, weighing down on them, choking their breath until it became irregular and broken.
"Come on… why so quiet? Didn't you want a fight when you drew your blades?"
One of them gathered his courage and stepped forward.
"I'm sorry… we didn't mean to steal from you."
Ryo raised an eyebrow in surprise. He thought the youth would attack, but he apologized… he must be their leader.
"Well then… I won't kill you, but…"
They sighed in relief, only to freeze as Ryo didn't finish his sentence—it was clear he wanted something from them.
"As long as you lead me to someone who buys monster corpses… this firebike will be yours."
Ryo pulled out the key and twirled it lightly between his fingers, the smile still hidden behind his black mask.
The three were stunned by Ryo's offer—the very key they planned to steal was being handed to them.
"I… Is this real, sir?" their leader asked in a trembling voice, clear fear showing on his face, his hand slightly shaking.
Ryo looked at him coldly, his eyes void of mercy, and said in a voice as chilling as ice:
"Do you think I'm joking?"
The three exchanged nervous glances before kneeling respectfully, heads lowered. They then led Ryo to an abandoned spot behind the black market, where one of the most infamous monster traders resided.
The place was dimly lit, reeking of iron and blood, with the distant clinking of monster chains echoing like a whisper from hell. As promised, Ryo handed them the key. They vanished quickly after receiving it—as if scared that staying longer might cost them their lives.
The trader, a bald man with one eye, stood smoking a thick cigar, the smoke curling around his face like a veil of mystery.
Rio pulled all the corpses out of his storage ring with a simple wave of his hand, filling the place with a faint scent of blood.
The merchant's eyes widened with eagerness as he stared at the piled bodies before him.
"Well, what do we have here?" he said, his voice dripping with greed as he approached slowly.
Rio began negotiating without hesitation, his calm gaze hiding a silent threat beneath.
He offered fifty regular wolf corpses, transported on carts covered with cloth. They were quickly inspected by the merchant's assistant, and a deal was struck for fifty million dollars.
Then, he revealed a different kind of wolf corpse—massive in size, bearing marks of a fierce battle, its eyes still frozen in an expression of anger and defiance.
"Storm Wolf…" the merchant murmured in astonishment, running his fingers over a deep wound in the wolf's neck.
"An F-rank leader, but rare... I'll pay a hundred million for this one."
Rio nodded silently, as if the money meant nothing to him, while a greedy smile crept across the merchant's face.
But despite his greed, he didn't dare offend Rio. He was a seasoned merchant and could recognize the difference between ordinary customers and exceptional ones.
And this man before him… with a mask concealing his face, an ominous aura wrapping around his body, and a rare storage ring—everything pointed to a dangerous identity.
In the end, Rio left the market with a profit of 150 million dollars, without uttering a single word. His steps were steady and composed, showing no sign of tension.
He left the outskirts of the city and headed deeper in, where no taxis roamed at this late hour.
The night was cold, and the city lights faded the farther he went.
"To be honest, the amount of money I have doesn't support my plans. I need to find a solution…" he muttered to himself, scanning the empty alleys with sharp eyes.
As he walked, he clasped his hands behind his back, wracking his brain for a quick way to earn money.
Suddenly, a spark of realization lit up his eyes, and his steps halted for a moment.
"Yes... I can earn money through gambling… and by joining illegal fights in the black market."
He chose gambling because of his insight skill, and the fights weren't just for money—they were also a way to gain combat experience.
And so, Rio's plan for the next phase began to take shape in his mind.
"I have less than a week before the special dungeon appears… and two weeks to break into a B-rank dungeon."
Time was running out, especially after Eva confirmed that the dungeons were actually gateways to other worlds. He needed to grow stronger—fast.
"Status."
A screen appeared in front of him, showing his current condition—something he hadn't checked since leaving the dungeon.
[Name: Rio Kim
Title: None
Level: 14
Strength: 41 + 36 (weapons )
Mana: 36
Trait: Superhuman Strength – SSS Rank (from Heracles – Progress: 5%)
Potential: Unlimited
Skills: True Eye_Insight (S)]
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