Gulp. Jin-Woo's Adam's apple bobbed. Not knowing what kind of quest might pop up was still a scary thing. But his anticipation was greater. While looking for a suitable spot, he had done a quick search on his phone about the job change.
- New skills. - Growth benefits. - Exclusive weapons for the corresponding class. - Linked quests. ...and so on.
They were all about games, of course, but the general consensus was that a job change came with plenty of rewards.
'I was at level 40 for the job change requirement.'
Naturally, it wasn't all good news. There were plenty of ominous posts that caught his eye.
- I'm struggling because I picked the wrong job. - I should've gone with a different class from the start, dammit. - One bad choice and I'm quitting the game I loved, back to real life. - Should I just delete my character?
...Well, that was all just about games. Besides, there was no need to worry—up until now, he had used almost nothing but daggers for weapons. And every skill he had obtained was of the assassin type.
'Dagger skills and Stealth, things like that.'
On top of that, he had poured all his stat points into Agility and Strength, so it was hard to imagine any class other than assassin. While he was at it, Jin-Woo recalled the dagger "Kasaka's Venom Fang" from his inventory. Shk. It settled into his grip with a comfortable feel.
'This is what suits me.'
His head nodded of its own accord. With the dagger still in hand, Jin-Woo shifted his gaze to the message floating in midair.
'Alright, then...'
Having prepared himself for any contingency, Jin-Woo steeled his resolve and responded to the message.
[Will you accept the Job Change Quest?] (Y/N)
'Accept.'
The moment he decided to accept the quest, a message appeared. Ding.
[You have accepted the Job Change Quest.] [Generating a Dungeon for the Job Change Quest.]
'A... generating a Dungeon?'
Before he could even parse the meaning of the message, the change happened in an instant. Vrrrm— A black hole appeared before his eyes. That was the beginning. Vrrrm, vrrrm— The tiny hole, no bigger than a bean at first, quickly grew to the size of a coin, then a volleyball, and before long it became large enough for a person to pass through.
'This is...?'
Jin-Woo's eyes widened. He had expected that accepting the quest might prompt another message containing the quest details, but what appeared before him was nothing other than a Gate.
'A Gate is being created...'
It was no different from the Gates he had seen before. It was simply a bit smaller than the usual ones. The System sent another message, as if urging him to enter.
[Enter the Dungeon through the Gate.]
'Stay calm.'
Jin-Woo settled his nerves. Right. When it came down to it, whether he entered through a key or through a Gate, the fact that there was a Dungeon inside didn't change much. He had simply been startled by witnessing a Gate being artificially created. He had entered Gates before, but he had never seen one form before his eyes. Once his thoughts reached that point, a sudden question crossed his mind.
'Wait... could other Hunters enter a Gate created like this?'
But there was no way to test it. There was no Hunter nearby to ask for help, and not that there wouldn't be one who'd rush over if called... right? For a brief moment Yoo Jin-Ho's face flashed in his mind, but he quickly shook his head.
'If something went wrong, who'd deal with the fallout?'
Right then, as if to hurry him along, the message blinked again. Ding.
[Please enter the Dungeon through the Gate.]
The mechanical voice snapped him back to his senses. Jin-Woo slapped both cheeks with his hands to focus.
'Now's not the time to get distracted.'
Success meant a job change and the rewards that came with it. Failure meant the outcome was anyone's guess. This was the time to concentrate.
"Whew—."
After a short, deep breath, Jin-Woo gripped "Kasaka's Venom Fang" in a reverse hold and leaped into the Gate.
***
[You have entered the Dungeon.]
'Huh?'
He had entered bracing for the worst, but surprisingly, there was nothing. It was an ordinary cave-type Dungeon.
"It looks exactly the same...?"
He had heard that entering high-rank Dungeons sometimes connected to another world, and he had worried this might be one of those cases, but thankfully his fears were unfounded. Instead, a peculiar message appeared. Ding.
[In this area, potions and the shop are disabled. Even if your level increases, your status will not recover.]
Jin-Woo confirmed there were no signs of magical beasts nearby, then tucked the dagger back into his inventory with a tilt of his head.
'...This isn't going to be easy.'
The restrictions made sense, given this was a place for a job change. The biggest issue was that the HP he had already lost couldn't be restored through potions or a Level Up.
'That means damage accumulates.'
If he took an injury, that was it. There was no way to recover, so he had no choice but to exercise caution with every move.
'So it's telling me to keep my wits about me.'
Jin-Woo closed the message window. Then, as he always did upon entering a Dungeon, he checked for an exit first.
[You cannot leave until the job change process is complete.]
A message appeared the instant his hand touched the surface of the Gate. He pushed, but it wouldn't budge.
"..."
Jin-Woo withdrew his outstretched hand.
'The entrance is blocked too.'
Unranked, no recovery, no escape. This Dungeon carried an enormous risk. Even a reasonably bold Hunter wouldn't roam around in a place like this.
'But a high risk doesn't always mean it's a bad thing.'
The greater the danger, the greater the reward. He had learned that from experience. If the restrictions made it tough to clear, perhaps an equally great opportunity was waiting? There was only one way to find out.
'I'll find out when I get there.'
Jin-Woo took a step forward. He looked ahead and took in a long, animal-burrow-like corridor that stretched so far he couldn't see the end. There didn't seem to be any magical beasts nearby.
'Or rather, since I'm inside the System's domain, should I call them monsters?'
They were both creatures, so it amounted to the same thing. Anyway, there was one other difference. Torches hung in a dense row along the cave walls.
'Torches instead of luminescent stones.'
But torches weren't the most efficient lighting. No matter how many there were, they couldn't fully illuminate the surroundings. As a result, patches of shadow remained here and there. Grooo— The blend of shadow and silence created a far gloomier atmosphere than a regular Dungeon.
'Visibility isn't affected at all, though...'
It was more of a matter of feeling. Jin-Woo pulled the nearest torch from the wall and held it out. The area ahead brightened a bit.
'That's definitely better.'
Jin-Woo smiled with satisfaction. After a brief glance behind him, he held the torch forward and moved on slowly.
***
How long had he been walking? After going some distance, he came to a turn. He could feel several presences on the other side of the corner.
'Here they come.'
Jin-Woo carefully set the torch on the ground and stood up. Shk. The dagger had already replaced the torch in his right hand. He briefly considered using Stealth to dispatch them quickly, but the thought of how much mana it consumed stopped him. He couldn't replenish lost mana with potions here. If he burned through his mana carelessly, he might not be able to use a skill when he truly needed it.
'...They're coming this way.'
Jin-Woo pressed his back flat against the wall and waited for the enemy around the corner to approach. Clank, clank. The metallic sound rang out with each of the creature's steps, growing closer. Clank, clank. The unfamiliar noise made Jin-Woo tilt his head.
'Is it carrying a chained weapon?'
He was curious, but there was no need to rush. He would find out soon enough.
'5, 4, 3.'
Jin-Woo gripped the dagger in a reverse hold and held his breath. He wanted to make sure not even a sound escaped.
'2, 1.'
Clank, clank. Finally, the creature's shadow appeared.
'...0.'
The moment the countdown ended, the creature fully revealed itself. Jin-Woo aimed for the side of its neck. Klang! The ring of metal striking metal. The blade didn't pierce through.
'Armor?'
Jin-Woo's eyes widened. Once he confirmed the creature's true nature, he quickly retreated.
"A person?"
It was a knight clad head to toe in armor. Its face was hidden behind a helmet. Hoping against hope, Jin-Woo called out.
"Hey!"
But the knight didn't say a word—it charged straight toward Jin-Woo. Thud, thud, thud! The knight's furious charge culminated in a shoulder attack, but Jin-Woo twisted his body lightly and let the blow slide past. The knight couldn't overcome its own momentum and ran a considerable distance behind Jin-Woo before it barely came to a stop.
'Not a person, then?'
Seeing it up close confirmed it. There was no heartbeat—the kind any normal person should have. It didn't seem to be human. It was a type of magical beast, no, monster, that he had never seen anywhere before. A monster armored from head to toe.
'This is...'
It was like fighting a person, wasn't it? Shrring! The knight turned and drew the sword hanging at its side. Just like Jin-Woo, the knight didn't seem to have any intention of letting him walk away alive. Having confirmed each other's hostility, Jin-Woo's gaze sharpened even further.
'Sprint!'
[Movement speed increases by 40%.]
Strike first! Before the knight could charge, Jin-Woo lunged forward. Vwoom! Jin-Woo dodged the longsword the knight swung in a panic and stabbed at various points of its armor with the dagger. Klang! Klang! But no damage got through.
'The armor's too thick.'
Not only was it thick, but the surface was slick—every time he landed a clean hit, the blade would slide off instead of biting in. The knight then swung its sword in a wide, horizontal arc. Vwoom! Jin-Woo ducked to avoid it. The blade passed dangerously close over the top of his head. Such a wide movement meant a wide opening. A second chance! Jin-Woo closed in on the knight and put all his strength into the dagger held in reverse.
'Vital Strike!'
Chk! The tip of the dagger pierced through the armor.
'Did it work?'
But it didn't seem to do much damage—the knight, dagger and all still embedded in its side, swung its sword straight down. Whoosh! Jin-Woo leaped backward. Klang! The sword struck the stone floor, sending sparks flying.
"..."
Jin-Woo took several steps back and recomposed himself. His dagger was still lodged in the creature's side. Tsk. Jin-Woo clicked his tongue.
'Not that tough, honestly.'
That was his candid assessment. Whether because of the armor, the knight was sluggish, and its attack pattern was extremely simple. The only exceptional thing about it was its strong resistance to bladed weapons. Jin-Woo rolled up his sleeve.
'I've already dealt with an enemy like this—armor too thick for bladed weapons to work.'
Confidence came from experience. The boss monster "Venom Fiend Kasaka," whose steel blade he had shattered in a single headbutt. He had subdued that massive serpent.
'Compared to Kasaka, that thing is...'
The memory wasn't a bad one, so a faint smile crossed Jin-Woo's lips. Thud, thud, thud! The knight came charging in again, trusting its armor to see it through.
'See? Told you it's simple.'
Jin-Woo easily dodged the knight's shoulder charge, circled behind it, and wrapped his forearm around its neck. Crrrk! Of course, the neck was protected by armor too, so it wasn't as if it was being suffocated. Crrrrk! Jin-Woo's forearm bulged and veins popped out. Jin-Woo wasn't trying to choke the knight. He gritted his teeth and widened his eyes. Then— Chk! With a terrible sound, the helmet was ripped clean off. The moment his Strength stat, which had surpassed 100, truly shone.
'Done!'
The knight, its head and neck now separated, collapsed to its knees without a word. Thud!
[You have slain a Knight.]
A clean, simple message announced the end of the fight. A glimmer of light representing an item shone from the knight's armor, but Jin-Woo's interest lay elsewhere.
'What? There's nothing inside?'
The helmet in his hand was empty. He checked the armor just in case, but it was the same—the armor was hollow too.
'So I was fighting self-moving armor all along?'
Just as he reached that conclusion, two more knights burst out from around the far corner. They must have realized a fight had broken out. Clank, clank. The knights—or rather, the armors—spotted Jin-Woo and, as if by agreement, simultaneously drew the swords at their sides. Shrring— Shrring— Jin-Woo tossed the helmet behind him and loosened his neck and shoulders. He already knew how to fight these things.
'So this is where it really begins?'
Thud, thud, thud, thud! Jin-Woo faced the charging knights with a light smile. The first step of clearing the Dungeon had gone off without a hitch.