---
When the second day began in the endless realm, Jung Ha-Joon woke with stiff limbs and a gnawing ache in his stomach. He hadn't eaten in nearly 36 hours.
The system had dulled his pain, but it hadn't removed hunger. His belly growled loudly as he crawled out of the narrow cave he had found the night before.
The air was as thick and unnatural as ever. Purple clouds drifted in slow motion overhead. The cracked red sky offered no sense of time.
There was no sun. No moon. No stars.
And yet, somehow, time continued.
---
> [Survival Duration: 1 Day, 6 Hours]
Current Quest: "Find a Safe Zone"
Reward: Random Skill Book
He squinted at the words floating in front of his eyes.
"A safe zone… where would I even start looking?"
His arm was still sore from the claw slash. The makeshift bandage he made from his shirt sleeve had dried overnight. But his HP had risen slightly after absorbing the beast core. That was something.
Ha-Joon looked down at his hands.
They were still trembling.
Still the hands of a high school boy.
But now… there was blood under his nails. Scars on his palms.
And a new instinct lurking just beneath his skin.
---
He began walking.
There were no roads. No trails. Only jagged terrain, gnarled trees, and alien sounds that echoed through the vast, empty landscape.
He passed a black lake with ripples that moved without wind.
He saw floating rocks orbiting slowly around a massive stone pillar, as if gravity itself was broken here.
Occasionally, glowing blue butterflies fluttered past—until one landed on a tree and was immediately devoured by the tree's teeth-lined bark.
Everything here was dangerous.
Everything wanted to eat.
---
Hours passed.
His legs ached. His breath came in shallow gasps.
Just as he began to feel dizzy from thirst, a strange shimmer appeared in the distance.
It was faint—like heat rising from asphalt—but brighter.
He squinted.
Something… circular?
He moved toward it, cautious.
As he climbed a steep ridge, he finally saw it clearly.
A massive dome of translucent blue energy surrounded a clearing—unlike anything else in this chaotic realm. Trees inside looked healthy. The ground was smooth. The air shimmered gently, warm and inviting.
> [Safe Zone Detected]
Status Effects Suspended Inside
Danger Level: 0
Ha-Joon nearly fell to his knees.
He rushed toward the edge—and stepped through the barrier.
Immediately, his fatigue lessened.
The pressure in the air vanished.
Warmth soaked into his skin.
> [You have entered Safe Zone #1]
Recovery Rate Increased
Daily Rest Bonus Available
System Gift Unlocked: [Skill Book – Basic Foraging Lv.1]
---
A small scroll appeared in front of him, glowing gently.
With a trembling hand, Ha-Joon touched it.
It dissolved into light—and knowledge flowed into his brain.
Names of fruits. Edible moss types. Warning signs of poisonous bark. Instructions for squeezing moisture from root stems.
"…I can eat," he whispered.
Then, for the first time in two days, he smiled.
---
There were only a few fruit trees inside the safe zone. Using the new skill, he identified three that were safe. The fruit was green, oval-shaped, and tasted bitter—but it filled his stomach.
He ate four, drank water from a shallow stream, and collapsed onto the soft grass.
As he lay there, looking at the blue dome above him, Ha-Joon finally allowed himself to breathe.
Just for a moment.
---
> [Survival Duration: 1 Day, 19 Hours]
Trait Activation: "Endurance of the Damned"
You recover 10% more while resting in safe zones.
Passive Skill Upgrade Available:
[Pain Resistance Lv.2 → Lv.3]
[Energy Absorption Lv.1 → Lv.2]
"...I'm getting stronger?" he whispered.
Bit by bit.
Like leveling up in an RPG—but with real blood, real pain.
He didn't know what would come next.
But now, he had shelter, food, and purpose.
---
That night, the dreams came.
Memories.
Faces.
His mother, scolding him gently for leaving his socks everywhere.
His father, falling asleep during dinner.
Ha-Rin, pinching his cheek after handing him a riceball at the shop.
Their voices echoed in his dreams like whispers in the wind.
He opened his eyes with tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I'll come back to you," he murmured. "No matter what this place is… I'll survive."
---
> [Survival Milestone Reached: 2 Days]
Bonus Reward: Skill Book – "Sprint Lv.1"
You are beginning to adapt.
---
The next morning, he woke up with fresh strength in his legs. The system's bonus kicked in—his stamina rose, and the skill "Sprint" gave him faster movement when fleeing or attacking.
He looked at his status screen.
---
[Status Screen – Jung Ha-Joon]
Level: 2
HP: 60/100
Stamina: 88/100
Experience: 10/200
Skills:
• Improvised Weapon Handling Lv.1
• Pain Resistance Lv.3
• Danger Sense Lv.1
• Energy Absorption Lv.2
• Basic Foraging Lv.1
• Sprint Lv.1
Trait: Endurance of the Damned (Passive)
---
Still far too weak to fight anything serious. But now…
He could move faster.
Eat smarter.
Heal better.
It wasn't enough.
But it was a start.
---
Back in the real world…
On the 34th day of Ha-Joon's disappearance, a rift opened in Busan.
This one was different. Huge. Violent.
A team of newly registered C-Rank hunters was sent in.
They didn't return.
What did emerge—briefly—was a creature no one had ever seen. A four-armed beast with molten skin and horns.
It was shot down by snipers.
But whispers began.
That there were gates within gates.
That somewhere inside… there was a deeper level.
One that no hunter had ever returned from.
---
And inside that deeper level, far beyond the gates and realms known to humans—
Ha-Joon opened his eyes on Day 3, fully aware of one truth.
This wasn't just a dungeon.
This was a prison of time.
An eternal world.
And he had no choice but to climb its ladder alone.
---
---