Hehehehehe…
Dominic leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"They think it's already a bygone. Well…" he muttered under his breath, "…I can consider Annabel, maybe. But as for the king and his kingdom—" His voice dropped, cold and sharp. "A simple apology won't even suffice."
The air in his luxurious forest villa was calm, the faint hum of magic flowing through the walls like invisible streams. His mind, however, was anything but calm.
"Now… what's the next thing to do?" he murmured.
His gaze flicked to the empty space before him.
"Hey, System."
YESYESYES, the mechanical voice replied immediately.
"Can I see all the S-Rank dungeons in this world?"
LOCATION OF THE S-RANK DUNGEONS ARE MARKED ON THE WORLD'S MAP.
I ADVISE YOU TO CHECK THE SHOP, the System replied in its usual flat tone.
"Ugh… stingy system," Dominic scoffed.
He flicked open the shop interface, scrolling lazily until he found what he was looking for—World Map. But in the corner of his vision, another icon caught his attention.
[Multiversal Map] — Locked.
His brows knitted.
"…Multiversal? You're keeping secrets from me now?" He clicked on it instinctively, only to get a cold [LOCKED: ACCESS REQUIRES 50% SYNCHRONIZATION] notice.
"Tch. Figures."
He selected the World Map instead and purchased it for 1,500 G-Coin. Immediately, a shimmering holographic display unfolded before him in midair, projecting an intricate, glowing map of the continent.
Eighteen ominous red dots pulsed faintly across the lands, while hundreds of smaller dots littered the surface like scattered bloodstains.
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"…That's a lot of trouble spots."
Zooming in, he noticed the Kingdom of Avelion alone had over twenty dungeon markers. His lip curled into a thin smile.
"Yo, System," he said, still examining the map. "You said I can return to my world once I hit 100% synchronization, yeah?"
AFFIRMATIVE.
"So that means I can go home… finally live a peaceful life again."
A [NOTICE!!] alert blinked in front of his eyes.
"Huh?" Dominic frowned. "What now?"
THE EARTH YOU KNEW IS NO LONGER THE SAME.
THE DAY YOU WERE SUMMONED WAS THE DAY THE FALLEN ANGELS RELEASED MONSTERS ON PLANET EARTH.
His heart stopped for a beat. "…Wait. What are you saying?"
EARTH IS BEING OVERRUN WITH MONSTERS. DO NOT PANIC. THERE ARE AWAKENERS HANDLING THIS MATTER.
Dominic's voice tightened. "…My homeland… my people… and you're telling me they dragged me here just to treat me like an outcast?!"
Another notice flashed.
THE MENDEZ EMPIRE CITY-NATION IS NOT YET FALLEN. THERE ARE COUNTLESS AWAKENED THERE… INCLUDING YOUR SIBLINGS.
His hands clenched. "How long has it been on Earth since I went missing?"
THREE YEARS.
His jaw slackened. "…What? But it's barely been a month here—how—"
TIME FLOWS DIFFERENTLY IN THIS WORLD. SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THREE WEEKS, THAT MEANS ONE DAY HERE EQUALS FIFTY-FIVE DAYS ON EARTH.
Dominic went still, the calculation clicking in his head.
"…Dude. I need to get back to my family. Let's get this started. Let's clear every single S-Rank dungeon."
Where's the nearest S-RANK Dungeon AT THE CAPITALS 4TH MINE
A sudden blue flare of light shimmered in his irises. Dominic stood and went to change—he wasn't going into a dungeon looking like he just woke up. He opened the shop again, purchasing a crisp plain shirt, a long black coat, matching trousers, and polished black shoes. The outfit radiated quiet authority—corporate, sharp, intimidating.
Heading down to his autonomous carriage, he climbed inside and… realized he had no idea how to start it.
"…Right. About that."
"Hey, System, how do I make this thing move?"
THE VEHICLE REQUIRES A HIGH-GRADE MANA STONE. SAME AS THE ONE POWERING YOUR HOME.
"Oh, crap." He snapped his fingers and bought one instantly for 80 G-Coin. Slotting it into the glowing compartment beneath the driver's seat, the carriage purred to life, its runic wheels spinning silently.
"Good. Now… take me to the capital's 4th mine."
Palace – Royal Council Chamber
Far away in the golden halls of Avelion Palace, the king sat upon his gilded throne, his face a mask of barely contained irritation.
Reports from the knights had reached him—the abandoned hero now possessed power unseen in centuries. Not only had he survived exile… he was building something in the cursed forest. Something grand.
The court whispered nervously, but the king's mind was locked on one thing—the forest domain.
If Dominic refused to serve the kingdom, that power, that land… it would belong to the crown.
And if he resisted… well, the kingdom had ways.
"Your Majesty," a messenger bowed low, urgency in his voice, "the scouts have sighted… something unusual."
"Speak," the king ordered, his voice cold.
"A carriage… without horses. It moves on its own and is heading straight for the 4th mine."
The king's grip on the throne's armrest tightened. Without horses? His mind immediately went to one man.
"Send a detachment. Watch him closely. If he dares claim more land without my blessing… he will regret it."
Capital Outskirts – 4th Mine Road
The carriage glided effortlessly down the forest road, emerging into open plains. As it sped toward the capital gates, guards scrambled aside in alarm, some stumbling backward at the sight of the strange, rune-lit vehicle. The gates barely opened in time, and the carriage stormed through, drawing gasps and murmurs from the city's people.
Dominic, casually sitting inside, barely noticed. His attention was on his status window, scrolling through skill lists and dungeon markers.
"…If three years have passed, my family must've already proclaimed me dead," he murmured. Then, a bitter laugh escaped him. "And here I am, relaxing like nothing's wrong. But it's not going to stay that way."
The city's cobblestone streets blurred past, onlookers pointing in awe at the sleek carriage as it headed toward the mountain pass.
4th Mine – Dungeon Entrance
The air grew colder as Dominic approached the capital's 4th mine—an abandoned excavation site swallowed by jagged cliffs and dark pine trees. The once-bustling mining camp was now silent, half-collapsed tents and rusting carts littering the approach. Faint, unnatural growls echoed from within the black maw of the mountain.
The carriage rolled to a stop.
Dominic stepped out, his polished shoes crunching against the gravel. A biting wind swept through the pass, carrying the smell of damp stone and something far more sinister—blood.
As he took a step toward the yawning cave mouth, a sharp [SYSTEM QUEST ALERT] pulsed in his vision.
QUEST: S-RANK CLEARANCE – "The Hunger Below"
Dungeon Type: Abyssal Beast Nest
Danger Level: Catastrophic
Reward: 5% Synchronization, 100,000 G-Coin, Unknown Artifact
Failure: Death. Possible regional collapse.
OBJECTIVE:
– Enter the dungeon and eliminate the Abyssal Knight.
– Purify the corrupted mine core.
Dominic's lips curved into a slow grin.
"So this is how it starts, huh?"
Blue light flickered in his eyes again as he stepped forward.
In the shadows beyond, something huge stirred.