Suwon – Morning
It was the third day since Ha-Joon returned home.
Life settled into a rhythm again—almost too easily.
His mother hummed while hanging laundry.
His sister joked about bills and customers.
His father handed him pocket money like he used to, as if no year had passed.
Ha-Joon walked to school each morning, slipping into class quietly.
No one questioned much.
Some whispered behind his back, sure—but no one knew anything. He made sure of it.
Because Ha-Joon had returned…
…but not as a boy.
As something far beyond understanding.
---
But he still chose peace.
He helped his sister mop the floor of her store.
He carried groceries home.
He listened to the radio with his father after dinner.
It felt good.
Almost normal.
---
Meanwhile – Seoul, Korean Hunter Association HQ
Director Kim Do-Hwan stared at the latest reports.
> "You're sure this rift opened and closed in 0.01 seconds?"
"Yes, sir," the researcher nodded. "No fluctuation. No monster signatures. Just… raw dimensional pressure."
"And it happened… in Suwon?"
"Yes."
Do-Hwan leaned back.
"Place a surveillance net over Suwon. Quietly. No patrols. Just passive detection."
He didn't know what had returned there—
But he had a feeling it wasn't human.
---
Back in Suwon – Suwon High School
After lunch, Ha-Joon was walking through the hallway when a voice called out.
> "Hey, Jung Ha-Joon!"
He turned.
A tall boy with dyed red hair approached, flanked by two others.
He recognized him—Yoo Min-Kyu, self-proclaimed "future A-rank hunter" and school bully turned minor celebrity ever since his fire awakening last semester.
"Didn't you go missing or something?" Min-Kyu said, smirking.
Ha-Joon stayed quiet.
"No answer?" Min-Kyu chuckled. "What's with your eyes? Trying too hard to look cool?"
The hall grew tense. Students peeked from the corners.
Ha-Joon's eyes remained calm.
> "Walk away," he said softly.
Something in his voice made the temperature drop—not literally, but spiritually.
Min-Kyu's smirk wavered.
He took a step back without knowing why.
"Whatever. Freak," he muttered, and turned away.
Ha-Joon watched him go, then continued walking.
There was no need for conflict.
Not yet.
---
That Evening – News Broadcast
"…in breaking news, a high-stability Class B dungeon has unexpectedly upgraded to S-Class overnight near Busan…"
"…top-ranked hunters from Seoul have been dispatched…"
"…the portal gate reportedly emitted a strange crimson pulse before surging…"
Ha-Joon, watching the news beside his father, lowered the volume.
Crimson?
A coincidence?
Or…
> "This world… it's starting," he murmured under his breath.
The power he once fought to survive…
…was now leaking into this reality.
---
Later That Night – In His Room
Ha-Joon sat on the rooftop, staring at the stars.
A breeze passed over the city.
The world had no idea what was coming.
The dungeons were mutating.
The rules were changing.
And for some reason—his return might have been the trigger.
But even then, he didn't panic.
He didn't prepare weapons.
He didn't contact the association.
He simply looked at his hands—hands that had fought gods, built civilizations, erased galaxies—and whispered:
> "Let them come."
> "I won't let this world break like the last one."
> "Because this time, I'm not trapped inside it."
---
System Notice – Permanently Disabled
(No access. No interface. No restrictions.)
Ha-Joon's invincibility was no longer managed.
It was simply part of him.
Not detectable.
Not trackable.
Not explainable.
---
Sometime Before Dawn – Ha-Rin's Shop
Ha-Rin yawned as she closed the metal shutter.
Someone stood across the street, watching quietly.
A girl in black.
Short white hair. A hunter uniform.
Eyes faintly glowing.
She didn't speak.
Just observed.
Then vanished.
She had sensed something.
And it terrified her.
---