At first, Uhyon thought the sound came from outside—the store. But after thinking carefully, he realized it had been louder than that. He tried to figure out what it was. He looked around everywhere. Then, his eyes caught his reflection in the mirror. The crack-shaped scar on his forehead had grown longer and seemed to have deepened. He wanted to touch it but decided not to, guessing it would hurt badly.
His long hair worked to his advantage, though a bit of the scar still peeked through. It was also lucky that his hair was black. Then Uhyon thought, "It doesn't do me any harm, but it hurts a lot, and it's getting bigger... and I don't really like it. Well, luckily, I get salary today. I should schedule a check-up for tomorrow."
Acting like nothing had happened, Uhyon exited the bathroom and took his place at work. Mr. Baek, noticing he had taken longer than usual, asked:
— "Something wrong? You took a while. Was there a problem?"
— "Oh, no, nothing. My stomach just started hurting a bit," Uhyon replied, hoping Mr. Baek wouldn't notice he was lying—though it was clear on his face.
— "Alright then. You know today's payday. Once your shift ends, go to the main cashier's desk." Mr. Baek then walked out of the shop.
Uhyon always felt proud and grateful to work for such an honest man. Mr. Baek owned several large businesses and stores across Seoul and was known for his unconventional yet effective management style. In his stores, anyone over the age of sixteen could work, and they were issued an electronic card that tracked their working hours—paying 10,000₩ per hour. Once a month, workers would visit the main store to receive their wages.
What made his system stand out was the fact that payments were always prompt, with no disputes or delays. Uhyon's workplace being close to the main store was another benefit.
Nothing particularly interesting happened after that. As usual, his shift ended at 8:30 PM. After changing out of his work clothes, he headed to the main store to receive his pay. Not wanting to waste time, he listened to an audiobook on the way. The story was a medieval fantasy about a hero helping a friend escape slavery. At one point, the hero said:
"If you truly want to do something, just do it. If you don't like something, then don't. Never let anyone else control your life!"
"Hmph... sure. But what if it's your own power controlling you, and you're too weak to resist? What then, oh great hero?" Uhyon muttered to himself. "I hate those kinds of shallow quotes. They sound cool but aren't really thought through."
He then began analyzing the quote more deeply, enjoying the process so much that he didn't realize he had arrived at the cashier's desk. He handed his work card to the clerk, who examined it carefully before asking:
— "How would you like your pay? Cash or transfer?"
— "Transfer."
— "Alright... Hmm, it shows you worked 40.5 hours less than scheduled. Can you explain?"
— "I was hospitalized for ten days."
— "Ah, I see. I hope you've recovered. Okay, your account has been credited with 855,000₩."
If he had worked those ten days, everything would have gone smoothly this month too. But now, this amount wouldn't even cover rent, taxes, and a doctor's appointment. As he walked home, worried he might go hungry this month, he saw a flyer on a street stand:
"We're hiring people with basic education for dungeon clean-up work. Pay: 450,000₩. Employer: Wrath Guild. Location: Seoul Central Square. Phone: XXXX-XXX-XXX."
The pay was tempting, though the job sounded extremely dangerous for someone without magical abilities. Still, he took a flyer to consider it later at home.
Once home, he paid his rent and taxes. He hated owing money and avoided debt whenever possible. He thought: "If I don't go, I might not afford a doctor visit... and this won't last me till next payday anyway. But it's risky... and my education probably isn't enough."
But from what he'd heard, gatherers only collected things like bones, teeth, mana crystals—anything of value from dungeon creatures. Not too difficult. So why the high pay? Were people scared? That made no sense—there were plenty of low-rank hunters out there who could use that jackpot. Maybe the dungeon was especially dangerous? No, only well developed guilds can enter high-level dungeons. So, i can call.
He decided to call the number.
— "This is Suho, manager of the Wrath Guild. How can I help you?"
— "I'm calling about the job listed on the flyer."
— "Really? Are you interested in applying?"
— "Yes. Is that a problem?"
— "No, just... we've had that position open for a while, and no one's called."
— "So will you hire me?"
— "Of course, but you'll need to fill out some forms. What's your name?"
— "Uhyon."
— "Okay, Mr. Uhyon. How old are you?"
— "Sixteen."
— "Wow, great. Have you worked in this field before?"
— "No, but I've finished middle school."
— "So you'll need some basic training. What's your rank?"
— "I have no magical power."
— "WHAAAT? Are you joking? Do your parents know? Do you realize how dangerous this is?"
— "I don't have parents, sir. And I know the risks. I'm fully conscious. And there's no rule saying non-magic users can't enter dungeons—only that they shouldn't."
— "True, but you've never seen it. It's deadly."
— "I don't care. Worst case, I'll just run away. If so, you won't even need to pay me."
— "Alright, suit yourself. But you'll need to sign some documents when you arrive. When are you available?"
"I have school, then work. If I leave work early, I might have 3-4 hours." Uhyon thought.
— "Sir, can I go between 7:00 and 7:30 PM tomorrow?"
— "That's tricky. One of our guild members doesn't like working evenings... but I'll try to convince him."
— "Thanks, sir. I appreciate it."
— "How many times are you planning to work this job?"
— "Just until one dungeon is cleared. I don't need much, just a bit of cash."
— "Too bad... Alright, see you tomorrow."
Uhyon hung up and looked at the time. 10:30 — time to sleep. He got undressed and lay in bed. Normally, he had trouble falling asleep. But this time, he drifted off almost instantly. That night, he had a strange dream...