Munch munch.

“Hae….. Haesun. Eat slowly. It’s not like someone’s going to eat your food if you slow down.”

During dinner time with my sister for the first time in a while.

I ate three times more than usual.

Ever since my awakening, my digestive system had started functioning properly again, but more than anything, being free from canned food and facing a proper meal made it hard to control my appetite.

“Meat stir-fry made by you is still the best, no doubt about it.”

“Liar… You haven’t even tried anything else.”

“Oh. Is that so?”

I joked, and my sister laughed softly, ‘Hoho’.

I can't remember the last time we had such a warm and happy dinner together.

Even while eating, it was my sister’s habit to constantly check my complexion, and I, in turn, felt a sense of guilt watching her do that.

But things are different now.

My body has recovered enough that there was no need to worry about my health anymore, and it seemed my sister could sense that to some extent.

“The color of the blotches… seems a bit lighter.”

Dr. Jin was right.

I didn’t really notice it myself since I see it every day, but my sister had sensed the change too.

Was it time?

It felt like the right moment to bring it up.

“You remember when I said I met a Hunter who helped us?”

“Yeah.”

“Well… I think I’ve developed healing abilities.”

My sister’s gentle eyes widened in surprise.

“Then… in other words… you mean you’ve awakened, like people say?”

“Yeah. They said the blotches are fading because of that. Eventually, they might disappear completely.”

“Wow!”

“So, about that…”

Being a Hunter is a dangerous profession.

And my sister is the type of person who would jump out of bed at the slightest concern for my health.

How would someone like her react to hearing that I want to become a Hunter?

Still, as dangerous as it is, it also pays much more than most other professions.

We had struggled with poverty since we were kids, and after the Dual Gate incident, even the factories had shut down, there couldn't have been a better opportunity than this.

When I said I wanted to become a Hunter, my sister’s face lit up with joy.

“This is really great!!”

She must have had a really hard time all this while.

I, who have been battling with illness, can finally go out and earn money like this…

“Now Haesun won’t have to hide that handsome face anymore, right?”

"??"

Huh.

Is that so?

My sister didn’t seem to be hearing anything but talking about my skin right now.

Goofball.

She has been caring for me her whole life.

“...Sister.”

"Hmm?"

“...From now on, I’ll take care of everything.”

Earning money.

Protecting my family.

Bringing happiness.

Now, it was time to pass the baton to me.

* * *

I needed to make money.

There were two main reasons why.

The first was for my family.

The second was for the Hunter Qualification Test.

Taking the test cost over fifty million won.

Machines that detect whether the applicant has the Awakening Energy (Aether) in their body, and examiners who determine the Hunter’s type and assign their rank.

None of this was for free.

The problem is, even knowing that, the cost was outrageously high.

Because of that, there were people who awakened but still couldn't become Hunters simply because they didn't have the money.

Isn’t that ridiculous?

Becoming a Hunter isn’t just about personal gain but saving lives.

Even with government support, it was barely enough. And yet, just taking the test costs tens of millions of won.

Failing to meet the Ether requirement means you can't even register as a Hunter.

That’s why some people, after betting their entire lives on the test and failing, end up at the Han River.

I heard two applicants jumped in after the most recent quarterly qualification test.

Anyway, first thing first, I need to earn money.

- Kkuwang!

As we arrived at our destination, Brie let out a roar.

It sounded oddly cheerful.

And there was a good reason for that.

The dungeon before us was marked as a ‘Caution Zone’, and all the monsters inside were of ‘Poison Type’.

A Poison Dungeon, shunned by Hunters.

To Brie, this dungeon probably smelled like home.

“Oh, right. I’ll be taking down your own kind from now on. You okay with that?”

- Kku-hung.

Well, well.

Was that a snort?

The creature wore an arrogant expression, as if to say, ‘Those things and I aren’t even the same breed’.

“Well. I guess that’s a good thing.”

There was no denying it, ever since Brie was by my side, I’ve been feeling a lot better.

I suppose it would be best to maintain a friendly relationship with this pet (?).

Luckily, the creature didn’t seem all that interested in what I was about to do.

Fwoosh!

The label ‘Caution Zone’ seemed meaningless here, as there wasn’t a single guard in sight ahead.

Not even the security contractors who were there when the Gaebang Neighborhood was locked down.

Well, I could kind of understand why.

Even from a distance, a chilling aura was seeping out from the dungeon’s entrance.

If an ordinary person stood guard here, they’d be poisoned in no time.

Poison-type dungeons are considered high-risk areas, requiring special permission even for hunters to pass.

Anyone with a sane mind would have no reason to come here, so the security was understandably lax.

“Whew.”

Seeing the dungeon’s entrance, my heart rate quickened.

Dr. Jin’s device implanted in my eye displayed the information about this dungeon.

[Dungeon 808 (Poison-type):

Overall Difficulty: 3-Star

Physical Level: 'E-rank'

Other Level: 'A-rank'

Special Note: Caution Required

Poison-Type Monster Dungeon, Special Permit Required for Entry]

It was a three-star difficulty dungeon.

At this level, you’d need at least five B~C-rank Hunters working together to clear it.

Even an A-rank Hunter would find it tough to handle alone.

Why did it have three stars even though the physical level was only ‘E’?

That was because of the ‘A’ rating in the other level category.

The ‘Other’ level refers to non-physical attack types, including psychokinesis.

The dungeon’s ‘Other’ level being rated ‘A,’ and its overall difficulty reaching three stars despite the low physical level, were because the monsters here were poison-type.

"Shall we go in?"

- Kkwang!

And this dungeon was absolutely perfect for me.

Using the V1 device implanted in my eye, I searched for a few conditions:

Close to home, poison attribute dungeon, and physical level had to be relatively low.

Compared to when the Dual Gate opened, my physical abilities have improved drastically, but I was still only at the level of an 'E' rank knight.

For now, the most important thing was to maintain a stable level of ability without getting hurt.

There was no need to take down the boss monster.

Defeating the boss monster within a dungeon would cause the dungeon to close within a few hours, so anyone who wasn't a Hunter would inevitably be suspicious.

The task would likely be more like grinding, but my primary goal was to absorb Black Cores while clearing out trash mobs.

Swish.

"Oh, damn....."

The moment I stepped inside, the dungeon unleashed its true nature without holding back.

The pungent stench made me wrinkle my nose instinctively.

- Kkuwang!!!

But Brie seemed to really like this place, fluttering its wings as it wandered around.

“...You like it?”

- Kkuwang!

“Don’t go too far. You might get eaten.”

Trees tinted deep purple and violet, with huge leaves.

It felt like stepping into a forest painted with watercolors.

Threatening hisses filled the air, thick and heavy.

Even the air itself probably contained deadly toxins for ordinary people.

My first dungeon raid.

I entered this dungeon before even taking the Hunter Qualification Test.

There were some reasonable justifications for that, but still, a drop of sweat trickled down my temple.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

I pulled an object from my pocket.

A cube the size of my palm.

Its dark crimson surface was engraved with intricate designs.

This cube was called Exa.

It was the second device Dr. Jin had gifted me.

“Activate.”

Exa responded immediately to my command.

Whirrrr.

A motor-like hum sounded, followed by a series of click-clack noises as the cube began to transform.

Soon, it shifted into the shape of a sword hilt, perfectly sized to grip.

A hilt with no blade, left bare and incomplete.

It might seem strange, but the blade was something I would create by myself now.

“Hup.”

I channeled the flow of Black Aether coursing through my body into Exa.

Whiiir—

From the tip of Exa, a black blade began to emerge.

Just about the length of one finger segment.

It was a bit embarrassing to call it a blade.

But I was glad it was at least this long.

When I first received it from Dr. Jin, the blade was barely the size of a fingernail.

In that utterly embarrassing moment, Dr. Jin let out the heartiest laugh I’d ever heard from him.

“Hahaha! Might as well just turn it back to cube form and smash the monster’s head with it!”

“…Is this funny to you?”

I shook my head vigorously, trying to shake off the sheer embarrassment.

It wasn’t quite a longsword, but it had grown to the size of a decent dagger.

And this wasn’t just any ordinary blade.

It was a one-of-a-kind weapon, born from the fusion of the Black Aether within my body and Dr. Jin’s cutting-edge technology.

Shhhk.

Once Exa’s transformation was complete.

Between the purple trees, two monsters began approaching me.

Two lizard-like creatures, flicking their long, slender tongues as they crept closer.

Poison aside, I wondered what does the physical level of ‘E’ really mean?

The monsters were about the same size as the toad I encountered when the Dual Gate opened.

If their physical power was on that level too, that’d be ideal.

Just then, one of the two slowly approaching creatures suddenly rushed forward, its tongue extending rapidly.

Swish-

The extended tongue whipped toward me like a lash.

Was it fast?

No, it was slow.

Its speed was similar to the toad’s spit from before, but now, with my enhanced body and sharpened senses, I could clearly tell this thing wasn’t fast at all.

Swish!

Nevertheless, instead of dodging its tongue, I raised my left arm to block it.

The creature’s tongue wrapped tightly around it with a squelch.

Its rough surface left thin cuts across my skin.

Hisss—

At this level, even a Hunter would suffer serious internal injuries.

The lizard with the extended tongue let out a satisfied cry.

Guess it was waiting for me to collapse just like this.

“You feeling good?”

- Ssssiii?

How would it feel if the target it expected to fall was standing there smiling?

I swung Exa in my other hand.

Slash!

Hissss!

The creature writhed violently, flipping its body over.

Losing its tongue must have caused it unbearable pain.

But the real problem came right after that.

The crimson aura clinging to the severed tongue slithered along its length, seeping straight into the lizard’s maw.

- Hssssk…

Before its pained cry could even finish, the creature was already dead.

The Black Aether within Exa’s blade poisoned the creature to death in an instant.

The venom contained in the Black Aether was on a whole different level, deadly enough to kill a poison monster with a single cut.

- Sssssi?

Seeing its companion stiffen up, the other monster raised its guard, eyes sharp and alert.

But by then, I was no longer where it was looking.

Wham! Bam!

‘Poison Steps.’

The poison technique Kiril taught me allowed not even a shadow for an ‘E’-rank monster.

Thud.

I slipped behind the creature and struck the back of its neck with Exa.

- Sssii...!!

This guy was no different.

Without even managing a proper scream, it trembled violently before dying.

“Phew!”

Once I confirmed it was dead, I finally exhaled a rough breath.

The job was straightforward, and nothing deviated from my expectations.

Even so.

That was the very first ‘hunt’ in my life.

Judging by the slight stiffness in my neck, I must have exerted quite a bit of force.

After lightly stretching, I cut open the dead creature’s belly and extracted a small Black Core.

“Haha. This reminds me of when I used to play marbles alone at home.”

Compared to the massive core Kiril handed me after taking down a giant monster, this one was downright cute.

But these little guys would no doubt fuel my growth.

Srrrk.

I immediately converted the two Black Cores into Ether and absorbed them into my body.

As if waiting for this moment, the V1 device confirmed my growth.

[Internal Black Aether increased. 20BA has been gained.

Current user's Black Aether level: 1597BA.]

"Good."

It wasn't just the device that sensed the change.

Despite using the Poison Steps, I didn't feel tired at all, and I even felt like my condition was better than before I entered this dungeon.

Whenever my energy was low, I could just absorb more Black Aether to restore my stamina.

In theory, I could live forever inside this Poison Dungeon.

Well, if I did, my sister would scold me for staying out all night again.

"I understand. This place is a golden opportunity for me."

- Kkuwang.

To others, this zone might be nothing short of a disaster. But to me, it was a place of great opportunity.

Now that I’ve confirmed the monsters’ level, it was time to check on my other objective.

Pushing aside the waist-high grass, I moved forward, making my way through the towering purple trees.