A week later, the hospital's automatic doors slid open with a quiet hiss.
Sung Jinwoo stepped outside, the late-morning sunlight spilling over his shoulders.
The wind felt different — crisp, warm, alive.
For the first time in years, his body didn't ache when he moved. His steps were steady, his breathing calm, his heartbeat strong.
"Mr. Sung, please remember to take it easy for a few days," the nurse reminded him at the entrance, holding a clipboard.
Jinwoo smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I will."
He turned and walked away, carrying the small bag of his belongings — though in truth, the man who had entered this hospital wasn't the same one walking out.
---
When Jinwoo reached home, the door was unlocked, and a familiar voice called out from inside.
"Oppa? Is that you?"
Sung Jinah peeked from the kitchen doorway, her hair tied loosely, her face brightening when she saw him — only for her expression to freeze.
Her eyes widened.
"Wait… what happened to you!?"
Jinwoo blinked. "Huh?"
She rushed over, circling him in disbelief. "Oppa! You were like a stick before! Now—" she stopped, patting his shoulder and arm, "—you're solid! And your face… you even look taller!"
Jinwoo chuckled awkwardly. "It's just the hospital food, maybe?"
Jinah puffed her cheeks, glaring playfully. "Hospital food doesn't make people look like this!"
She folded her arms and squinted at him, studying the lean lines of his frame. The once thin, pale brother she used to nag to eat properly now looked sharp, healthy — his posture straight, his movements confident. There was a quiet, commanding presence in him now, something that made him look… older.
"If I didn't know better," Jinah said, half-joking, "I'd think a magazine model just walked into our house."
Jinwoo laughed softly. "I wish. But I've just been… training a little."
Jinah tilted her head. "Training? You nearly died, Oppa."
"I know," he said quietly, eyes distant for a moment. "That's why I can't waste this second chance."
For a second, she saw something flicker behind his calm gaze — a depth of resolve she didn't understand, something that made her chest tighten.
She forced a smile, grabbing his arm. "Fine, fine! But you better eat properly tonight. I'll cook your favorite stew."
Jinwoo smiled. "Sounds perfect."
As she ran off to the kitchen humming, Jinwoo exhaled softly and looked around the small apartment.
Nothing had changed.
The same sofa, the same framed photo of their family before the tragedy — yet everything felt… new.
He touched his chest, feeling the faint thrum of energy pulsing within.
The System window appeared before his eyes in faint blue light.
> [Daily Quest: Train to Become Stronger] — Completed.
Rewards Ready to Claim.
A faint grin touched his lips.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's keep moving forward."
...
That night, after dinner, Jinwoo sat on the edge of his bed.
His sister had already gone to sleep, her soft breathing filling the small apartment. The city lights outside painted the room in a faint glow, and in that quiet moment, Jinwoo opened his System window once again.
[Daily Quest Reward: Random Box – Claimed]
[Item Acquired: Dungeon Key (E-Rank)]
A small flash of light shimmered in front of him, and a metallic key appeared, dropping gently into his palm.
It was black, shaped like no key he'd ever seen — jagged edges, faint glowing runes running along its length. The air around it seemed heavier, almost humming with energy.
Jinwoo frowned. "A… dungeon key?"
He tapped on the description.
[Item: Dungeon Key (E-Rank)]
Type: Consumable
Use: Opens an Instant Dungeon Gate.
Location: Abandoned Underground Railway Station, Line 3.
Time Remaining: 23 hours 59 minutes.
His eyes widened slightly.
"A dungeon? In an abandoned subway…?"
He'd heard of instant dungeons before — rumors, stories from other hunters who claimed to have stumbled into strange, system-like gates that didn't match the Association's records. But most of those stories ended in disaster.
Still, his heart thumped faster.
An E-rank dungeon… could it be something I can handle?
He glanced at his reflection in the window — the determined eyes, the steady breath. The fear that once haunted him was fading.
He clenched the key tightly. "If the System gave it to me… then it's meant to be my next step."
The next day, after making sure his sister was at school, Jinwoo left home early, wearing simple black clothes and a thin jacket.
The city was busy as always — people rushing to work, the sound of buses and chatter echoing down the streets.
He followed the directions the System had marked, his steps taking him deeper into the quieter part of town until he reached a shuttered subway entrance, long since sealed off by rusted chains and faded warning signs.
The air inside was cold and still. Broken lights flickered dimly as he descended the stairs.
When he reached the underground platform, he took a deep breath and pulled the black key from his pocket.
The runes along its surface began to glow faintly, reacting to his presence.
A soft click echoed in the air — followed by a ripple, like space itself had twisted.
[The Key Resonates with the Surroundings.]
[An Instant Dungeon Has Been Created.]
Before his eyes, a dark gate bloomed into existence, swirling like liquid shadow, its edges crackling with faint light.
Jinwoo's pulse quickened.
"So this… is my first dungeon."
He hesitated for just a moment — then stepped forward.
The world twisted, light bending and vanishing around him.
When it cleared, he found himself standing in a cavern lit by dim blue crystals.
The scent of damp air and moss filled his lungs, and distant growls echoed from deeper within.
Jinwoo smiled faintly, eyes sharp.
"This time," he whispered, summoning the rusty dagger from his inventory, "I'm not the weak one anymore."