“Agh, my butt. My butt.”
Not a single ray of light seemed to penetrate the dungeon’s interior; it was pitch black everywhere.
In the silent darkness, groaning moans echoed.
“Why the hell…!”
Rokhui swallowed her dry tears.
This was the second time she had ever entered a dungeon.
The first time had been born of simple curiosity.
After enduring every hardship imaginable, she had declared that day to be the first and last dungeon entry of her life.
‘I thought I’d never step foot in a dungeon again….’
Lying still on the dungeon floor, Rokhui recited thousands of curses in her mind.
There had been hunters, even movement ability users, yet she had fallen into the dungeon.
And she alone.
She couldn’t forget the last scene she saw before falling.
In the distance, people evacuated to the safe zone were staring with surprised eyes at Rokhui, left behind and falling into the gate alone.
‘It was like… [ㅇㅂㅇ…?] emoticon-like expressions.’
【Dungeon rank assessment complete.
>>> ⌜D-Rank⌟】
“So damn slow.”
It had been quite a while since the gate formed and she entered the dungeon, yet the rank was only now being measured.
It was impressive that Earth had endured ten years in this state.
Of course, it had been even more of a mess in the early days.
But for Rokhui, who knew about the system update in advance, it was nothing short of suffocating.
This update was the real deal.
[Final_of_the_Final_Absolute_Final_Final_Final.update]
“Old man. How much longer until the new version synchronizes?”
Rokhui shouted into the air.
As mentioned earlier, the system’s “gate occurrence detection” feature had good intentions, but the system itself was so slow that it was effectively useless.
Because tragedies like today happened often—where victims occurred due to failing to evacuate in time despite knowing a gate was forming.
Rokhui had always tried to fix this, but increasing the system’s speed was no easy task.
So this time, she had torn it apart.
Uprooted it entirely and rebuilt it from scratch.
If this version synchronized safely, everything from the system’s speed to Rokhui’s quality of life would improve drastically.
“The fruit needs to take root quickly.”
The most important aspect of this update was consuming the ⌜Fruit of Unconsciousness⌟.
Rokhui’s ability, ⌜System⌟, was currently the very source that kept the Second World running.
Warning of dungeons, providing information, awakening latent ability users, nurturing the awakened and hunters—all of it was made possible by the System.
However, there were limits to controlling the system to her heart’s content. No matter how much she maximized the system’s efficiency, speed was ultimately the problem.
Just as a computer with insufficient specs would lag when running too many programs, the system was the same.
Rokhui’s system needed a hardware upgrade.
Rokhui was already utilizing 100% of her latent potential. It meant there was no path left for further growth.
She needed something to push her ability beyond its current limits.
Then one day, a constellation spoke to Rokhui about the ⌜Fruit of Unconsciousness⌟.
An effect that enhances the consumer’s unique ability “limitlessly by 1,000 times.”
Side effects didn’t matter in the slightest. The fruit was the item she needed most right now.
【The contracted constellation ‘The Wing That Commands Authority’ clicks its tongue, stating that 62 hours, 36 minutes, and 40 seconds remain until the new version update.】
“When did this start, that there’s still three days left? Even Windows 98 would be faster than this, seriously.”
It was exactly the sixth day since she had eaten the ⌜Fruit of Unconsciousness⌟.
The fruit required a week to take root.
But now that she had fallen into such an emergency situation, she regretted not finding a way to force the fruit to take root and finish the system update sooner.
“If this thing’s a fake, just you wait.”
Rokhui grumbled, her annoyance rising for no reason.
“Ugh… It’s cold, though.”
Having sat on the dungeon floor for so long, the chill of the stone floor seeped through her padded coat.
Rokhui shivered and huddled smaller.
She must have bruised herself when she fell—her butt ached every time she moved.
“Old man, don’t you have movement abilities or healing abilities or something?”
She muttered with a sigh.
“I’ve been grinding for a pittance for ten years, so do I really look like a machine that just runs the system?”
Stung by the remark, the system window fell silent.
“Huh? Hmm? At this point, aren’t I the weakest in the world? No money, no strength, just being pushed around. Am I really not upset?”
【The contracted constellation ‘The Wing That Commands Authority’ sniffles with grievance, asking if it doesn’t provide potions infinitely.】
At the belated response, Rokhui snorted.
“Hey, I’m the one who wants to cry.”
【The contracted constellation ‘The Wing That Commands Authority’ argues that since you’re going to regress anyway, it asks who was the one throwing away stamina and ruining their health, complaining that you bully only this constellation too much.】
“You definitely wanted me to fall into a dungeon, old man.”
Rokhui shot a glare into the air.
Her butt hurt, but she could still move.
Since she was in the dungeon anyway, she thought it was about time to look around.
Rokhui took her phone from her pocket and illuminated her surroundings.
She had suspected it since immediately after falling into the dungeon, but this place was a cave.
Fortunately, for the moment, there didn’t seem to be any traces of monsters, nor any disgusting or dangerous devices.
【The contracted constellation ‘The Wing That Commands Authority’ shares ‘The Secret of a Certain Cave,’ saying this is all it can give.】
【⌜The Secret of a Certain Cave⌟
- Rank: D
- Attributes: Rock, Lava, Skeleton
A very long time ago, someone consumed by greed hid a fortune in gold and silver (estimated at approximately one billion won) in this cave.】
One billion.
Rokhui’s eyes sparkled.
Her constellation had brought her happy news for the first time in a while.
“You should’ve brought this up earlier, old man!!”
【The contracted constellation ‘The Wing That Commands Authority’ complains aggrievedly that if she had been clearing dungeons from the start, she could have raised her wealth, stamina, and abilities.】
“Since I’ve come in, it’s only right to gobble down a billion won.”
Fortunately, the floor was a dry stone floor, so the long white padded coat she had saved up penny by penny to buy wouldn’t get dirty.
Rokhui’s mood, which had been on the decline ever since entering the dungeon, skyrocketed at the thought of a billion won.
“[Path Guide]”
【MASTER MODE : Path Guide initiating.】
A map of the cave appeared on the transparent window, and a point flickering yellow appeared in the north.
There were many forked paths; without the map, it was a structure tailor-made for getting lost.
Rokhui confirmed her own location marked with a red dot.
The treasure was a short distance away from where she stood.
“Huh.”
Beyond the area marked as the exit, several blue dots were flickering.
“As expected, since there are hunters nearby, it looks like rescue operations will be quick.”
She had to get her hands on the billion won before they arrived.
“[Observe]”
When she spoke the command, another transparent screen rose before her eyes.
The screen showed the gate entrance at the intersection in front of City Hall where she had been.
About five or six hunters were gathered.
Judging by the familiar faces, they were guild members from Eclipse who often ran raids.
But there was an unexpected face among them.
Cha Yuno, the guild master of Eclipse.
“Damn.”
She zoomed in on the screen, and a handsome face filled the frame.
He must have been returning from an important meeting, as he was wearing a suit instead of combat gear.
His hair, neatly slicked back with pomade, contributed greatly to his overwhelming presence.
SS-rank Cha Yuno, two A-ranks, and three B-ranks.
There was no healer, only damage dealers, but it was more than enough to clear a D-rank dungeon.
No, it was overkill.
【The contracted constellation ‘The Wing That Commands Authority’ advises you to wipe your drool and come to your senses, saying something is coming.】
“No, that’s not it, ahem.”
Rokhui cleared her throat and lowered the screen.
Even so, the thought of meeting Cha Yuno kept making the corners of her mouth rise.
Clatter, clatter, clack—
From somewhere came a friction sound like a tin can.
Rokhui held her breath, phone in hand, and huddled against a rock.
According to the information her constellation had shown, the monsters were related to “rock, lava, skeleton.”
Whatever it was, she was fortunate it wasn’t disgusting bugs or zombie-type monsters.
Clatter, clatter, clack—
Clatter, clatter, clack—
The rhythmic sound drew closer.
Rokhui held her breath in the darkness.
‘Just pass by, please.’
Though she inwardly shouted for it to go away at least a dozen times, the clattering stopped right in front of her nose.
If it had found her in the darkness, it wasn’t a monster that relied on light.
Rokhui quickly turned on her phone flash to secure her vision before being attacked first.
“A-ah, s-surprise.”
A skeleton was shoving its face right up against Rokhui’s nose.
Click—
Click—
Every time its jaw moved, its upper and lower teeth clashed, making sounds.
With its hollow eye sockets, who knew what it could see, but it seemed to stare at her, stopped still with only its jaw clicking.
Usually, cave-type monsters were sensitive to light, but eyeless skeletons were the exception.
They were sensitive to vibrations, waves—that is, sound.
Rustle—
When Rokhui’s long hair flowed down her shoulder, it made a sound brushing against her padded coat.
The skeleton trembled as if it would attack at any moment.
“Can you see by staring like that?”
As she spoke, Rokhui pulled her upper body back to widen the distance.
However, the skeleton’s arm bone aiming for her heart was faster.
With her non-agile body, Rokhui squeezed her eyes shut and curled up defensively.
Smack—!
“Ack!”
She screamed, but strangely, she felt no pain whatsoever.
Tentatively opening her eyes, the skeleton’s arm had struck the rock she was leaning against and broken.
【MASTER MODE : D-rank dungeon monsters cannot attack the System Administrator.】
“……Right, I was the administrator.”
Having not entered a dungeon for so long, she had forgotten.
That she had a buff.
‘Administrator buff.’
【Title ⌜System Administrator⌟
>>> Effect : ...(omitted).... Protects the title holder from all attacks. Repels most attacks. Unrelated to defense.】
Most dungeon monsters couldn’t harm her.
Rokhui, now brimming with confidence, swept her hair back and forcefully kicked the skeleton away with her foot before standing up.
It was an ambitiously launched kick, trusting in the principle that anything touching her would bounce off.
“Ah, this is annoying. I was scared for nothing.”
Enraged by her attack, the skeleton threw its body at her, but the result was the same.
Rokhui snorted and watched with arms crossed as the skeleton lunged.
Its attacks slipped and bounced off before even touching her body.
【MASTER MODE : D-rank dungeon monsters cannot attack the System Administrator.】
【MASTER MODE : D-rank dungeon monsters cannot attack the System Administrator.】
【MASTER MODE : D-rank dungeon monsters cannot attack the System Administrator.】
Every time the skeleton attacked, it crashed into the cave walls and floor until it eventually shattered into pieces.
“You should’ve just passed by.”
The clicking skeleton’s head rolled away with a clunking sound.
“Tch.”
Having dealt with the first skeleton, Rokhui moved to find the treasure.
The cave had nothing but skeleton monsters that kept appearing continuously.
Only cold air circulated.
“Sniff.”
Rokhui sniffled.
Pulling the hood of her padded coat snugly down and zipping it up to her neck made it somewhat bearable.
“Ah, my legs hurt. It’s quite far.”
Rokhui kicked away the skeletons rushing at her and checked the locations of the Eclipse members marked as blue dots on the system map.
She intended to seize the treasure before they arrived.
So she had to move, mustering even the stamina she didn’t have.
Rokhui’s head was full of things she wanted to do if she got a billion won.
“The more money, the better.”
Rokhui’s eyes blazed with desire.
The skeletons kept crawling out from who-knew-where and attacking her ceaselessly.
Thanks to that, the path she had walked was like Hansel and Gretel’s trail, but instead of breadcrumbs, bone fragments marked her way.
When she had walked for what seemed like a while, an entrance appeared.
This was it.
The space where a billion won was hidden was right before her eyes.