Kim Song-cheol donned his combat uniform and opened the veranda door.
In one corner of the veranda stood a board. It was the same kind of board hunters used to ride in dungeons.
In truth, he had received it quite a while ago but had never ridden it.
The Haetae Team always traveled on foot, and he felt it would be embarrassing to be the only one riding a board.
Even though no one would have said anything, he felt a prick of conscience.
‘Finally…’
Kim Song-cheol’s eyes sparkled for the first time in a long while as he picked up the board and left his house.
He arrived at the Center, but no hunters were waiting for him. Today, he was entering the dungeon alone.
He had expected such a day would come eventually, but now that he was actually by himself, he felt a bit lonely.
Kim Song-cheol stepped onto the Portal Tablet and set the dungeon destination before debating whether or not to do a countdown.
‘Maybe I’m overdoing it?’
With a simple shrug of his shoulders, he pressed the transfer button.
His vision shifted instantly, revealing the landscape of the dungeon he had last seen.
It was a wide meadow.
Standing next to the Portal Tablet was Cheon Hui-ryeong, her hands tucked into her jacket pockets.
Since the area was wide open, the wind blew quite strongly.
Her high ponytail whipped around wildly, but Cheon Hui-ryeong remained as steady as a stone statue.
The two stared at each other for a moment. Kim Song-cheol was the first to speak.
“How many of those training suits do you have?”
“I originally had five sets. Since you tore one, I have four sets now.”
“Want me to buy you one?”
“If you want.”
“I thought you’d refuse.”
“Collecting training suits is a hobby of mine.”
“Haha.”
Kim Song-cheol laughed as if he had heard a funny joke, but Cheon Hui-ryeong didn’t smile.
She merely looked at him as if wondering why he was laughing.
“…You were being serious.”
Kim Song-cheol scratched his head and placed the board he had been carrying under his arm onto the ground.
“Are you going to ride that?”
Cheon Hui-ryeong asked.
She looked skeptical.
“Of course.”
“Have you ridden it before?”
“A little bit in the yard?”
She narrowed her eyes slightly, stepped closer, and examined the board.
“It’s a cheap one.”
“Hey, it was a gift.”
Kim Song-cheol gave her a look, but Cheon Hui-ryeong didn’t care.
“I can practically see the financial situation of the person who gave it to you. It’s difficult to control, so it’s not suitable for a Mage to ride. Why don’t you just get a piggyback instead?”
At Cheon Hui-ryeong’s words, one of the Martial Artists standing behind her turned around and lowered his stance as if he had been waiting for the suggestion.
Currently, Kim Song-cheol lacked magic for long-distance travel.
The 4th Circle Fly magic was only good for short bursts of elevation.
To fly by force, one needed to be at the 5th Circle, and to fly properly, the 6th Circle.
“Just trust me for now.”
“Wait, aren’t there parts missing here? Did they give you something that was already broken?”
Cheon Hui-ryeong asked, pointing at the footplate.
It wasn’t obvious at a glance, but there were faint traces of something having been torn off.
“Oh, I took that off. The controller part was a bit uncomfortable.”
Kim Song-cheol stepped onto the platform and let his Mana flow.
The board floated up gently.
It looked incredibly stable, as if he were simply standing on the ground.
Cheon Hui-ryeong raised an eyebrow slightly while looking at him.
He was balancing much better than she had expected.
It wasn’t easy to be that steady during the initial ascent.
However, she soon noticed something strange about the bottom of the board.
“…What on earth are you doing?”
Normally, the two blue lights under the board would grow larger or smaller depending on the output.
They would also shift slightly depending on the direction of movement.
But on Kim Song-cheol’s board, the blue lights were flickering wildly in all directions.
“Oh, I’m controlling it directly.”
The board was cheap, just as Cheon Hui-ryeong had said.
The response time of the controller was slow, and its sensitivity was poor.
So, Kim Song-cheol had simply removed the controller and was operating it manually.
It was similar to pulling the wire out of a keyboard and sending electrical signals through the wire with his hand to type. In short, it was an absurd feat.
“So this is what it means to be a Mage…”
Cheon Hui-ryeong nodded without thinking much of it.
She didn’t know much about magic or Mana techniques.
She figured that was just something Mages could do.
“This should be enough to travel. Follow me.”
Cheon Hui-ryeong set off first, followed by Kim Song-cheol on his board.
A refreshing breeze rushed against his body.
He was about 2 meters high.
The sensation of speeding across the meadow felt incredibly liberating.
‘This is fun.’
The corners of Kim Song-cheol’s mouth lifted slightly.
Once they passed through the meadow and entered the forest, Kim Song-cheol sent a Magic Message to Cheon Hui-ryeong.
[Where is that person?]
“We’ll have to go for a bit.”
Cheon Hui-ryeong’s soft voice sounded as if she were speaking right next to him.
[How is he? You must have fought him, right?]
“…He’s just a kid.”
[That’s it?]
“It’s the most accurate description. You’ll see when you meet him.”
Kim Song-cheol and Cheon Hui-ryeong crossed the dungeon without resting.
After passing through exactly sixty-two terrains, they finally arrived at a Snowfield Terrain.
It was a place where flat land stretched long between high snowy mountains.
Cheon Hui-ryeong ran across the snow.
Every time she stepped on the soft, piled snow, her body propelled forward, but surprisingly, the footprints she left behind were barely there.
‘It’s starting to get cold.’
Kim Song-cheol, who was following her, covered his face with both hands.
It wasn’t a sub-zero gale, but flying on a board in the Snowfield Terrain made it feel like his cheeks were going to freeze.
That was when it happened.
A figure appeared in the sky.
The figure descended toward Kim Song-cheol and Cheon Hui-ryeong, gliding through the air like Peter Pan.
“Hello.”
It was a boy who looked to be about 16 years old.
He wore a thick hoodie, jeans, and had impressively shaggy hair.
The boy floated in the air as if standing on solid ground and gave a polite bow.
He looked a bit shy.
Kim Song-cheol got off his board and examined the boy.
He had imagined a wild, rambunctious child since she had called him a “kid,” but he really was just a boy.
He looked exactly like a shy, ordinary student you might find in any middle school — except for the fact that his clothes were quite grimy.
“Do you always travel alone?”
Kim Song-cheol asked instinctively.
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
“You look like you need a guardian…”
In the Republic of Korea, minors were not drafted as Hunters.
Judging by his attire, he seemed to be from a world similar to Earth, but Kim Song-cheol couldn’t even guess what circumstances had brought him here alone.
The answer came sooner than expected.
“The thing is… my world has already been destroyed…”
“…Because of the Gates?”
“Even before that… there was a war…”
Kim Song-cheol looked back at Cheon Hui-ryeong.
Perhaps his thoughts were showing on his face, because Cheon Hui-ryeong spoke as if making an excuse.
“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t force him to be here.”
“I can do a good job. I’m strong. Even though I lost to the big sister over there.”
The boy showed his enthusiasm. He seemed worried about being kicked out of the Field Boss raid party.
“Is there a reason you’re doing this?”
“There are some survivors left. My friends aren’t as strong as I am… so I want to expand the Safe Zone.”
A Safe Zone refers to an area where Gates do not appear and Monsters cannot enter.
One could designate a certain area as a Safe Zone by paying Points, and the price varied depending on the size of the area.
It was possible to designate the entire Republic of Korea as a Safe Zone, but the problem, as always, was the Points.
It was an impossible dream for now.
“So you’re doing this alone? How long have you been on your own?”
Kim Song-cheol asked a few more questions, and the boy answered as best as he could.
Surprisingly, the boy hadn’t suffered much.
In his world, some humans were born with supernatural powers, and the boy had awakened an incredibly powerful ability even among them.
That was why he had entered a D-rank Dungeon directly without going through F-rank or E-rank Dungeons.
Even in the D-rank Dungeon, there were no Hunters who could truly threaten him, and he had met Cheon Hui-ryeong while wandering around collecting Points and avoiding Field Bosses.
He was quite a unique case among Hunters.
“Oh, what’s your name? I’m just asking now.”
“It’s Setias Tsuperdia.”
“What was that?”
The name sounded like it was in a native pronunciation, so he couldn’t understand it at all.
“My friends call me Setsu.”
“…That’s a good nickname. But what exactly is your ability? I heard a rough explanation, but I’m not sure.”
“Um… I can create matter with mass and move it however I want.”
Setsu raised his hand slightly.
A green cube floated above his hand.
The cube slowly flew in front of Kim Song-cheol.
It was a small cube, about 10 cm long on each side.
Kim Song-cheol picked up the cube with one hand.
It was heavier than he expected.
He thought it would be around the weight of plastic, but it was surprisingly as heavy as a lump of iron.
“It’s heavy.”
“I can make it even heavier.”
A small smile played on Setsu’s lips, though it disappeared quickly.
“How’s the durability?”
“I’m not sure. If I put a lot of power into it, it’s hard, but if I put in less, it breaks easily.”
“If you put your mind to it, it’s stronger than iron, right?”
“Yes.”
Setsu nodded confidently.
“That’s a great ability.”
He meant it.
It was a highly versatile power.
Furthermore, it wasn’t something obtained through training, but through awakening.
It was no different from hitting the lottery.
“We have plenty of time. Let’s get started,” Cheon Hui-ryeong interrupted.
Their goal was the Field Boss.
First, they had to find it. The first boss they planned to hunt was the Reaper.
It was the only flying monster, had the widest range of activity, and was also the weakest of the three types of Field Bosses.
“Can you lift me up into the sky?”
Setsu created a green disc under Kim Song-cheol’s feet, and they rose into the air together.
It felt like being on an extremely fast elevator.
Kim Song-cheol soon reached an altitude of several hundred meters.
“What a grand sight.”
The view of the dungeon from up high was different.
Every area of the dungeon had different terrain.
The terrains, boasting different colors in irregular shapes, looked like a chaotic puzzle.
Kim Song-cheol stood on the green platform and cast Teleos magic.
A deep blue circle appeared before him.
The circle functioned like a telescope, showing a magnified image.
It was as Kim Song-cheol was slowly moving clockwise to scan the distant sky.
“That sister is really strong, isn’t she?”
Setsu asked. It seemed he was starting to feel a sense of camaraderie.
“She’s incredibly strong,” Kim Song-cheol replied, his lips being the only thing moving.
“How long did you last against her?”
“I won.”
Setsu’s mouth hung open, but Kim Song-cheol didn’t notice.
“Found it. There it is.”
He had spotted the Reaper.
Kim Song-cheol jumped straight off the platform.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, he neutralized his speed with Fly magic, summoned his board with Telekinesis, and landed right on it.
“Let’s go. I found it.”
Kim Song-cheol and Cheon Hui-ryeong dashed forward immediately.
Setsu also lowered his altitude and flew after them.
*Screeeech!*
After running for a long time, the Reaper’s piercing cry could be heard from a distance.
He had moved while considering the Reaper’s flight path, and fortunately, his calculations were correct.
The moment they entered the Wilderness Terrain, the Reaper appeared in the distance.
The Reaper was flying from right to left. Kim Song-cheol began to move diagonally to the left.
The angle gradually narrowed until they were finally within magic range.
The distance was about 300 meters. Flapping its two pairs of 30-meter wings, the Reaper’s majesty was quite imposing.
‘This might be doable.’
It felt different from the Reaper he had seen before.
“Let’s do this.”
When Kim Song-cheol nodded, Cheon Hui-ryeong called the boy’s name in a low, clear voice.
“Setsu.”
“Yes!”
Setsu immediately flew high into the air and raised his hand toward the sky.
A small green sphere generated from his hand and continued to soar upward.
The moment Setsu lowered his hand, a massive green cylinder pierced through the clouds and fell. Setsu couldn’t fully control the cylinder as it gained speed.
Relying on gravity for the most part, he only adjusted its direction slightly.
The cylinder, which was gaining acceleration, struck the Reaper’s head precisely.
*Thump!*
In an instant, the Reaper stopped flapping its wings and began to fall. It looked like it might crash straight into the ground.
*Screeeech!*
The Reaper let out a piercing cry and began to flap its wings again. However, its altitude had dropped significantly.
“Go first!”
As Kim Song-cheol waved his hand, a series of Shields appeared, creating a bridge that stretched from the ground toward the Reaper.
*Flash!*
Cheon Hui-ryeong kicked off the ground and sprinted across the bridge.
They had to stack as much damage as possible before phase two began. –