Knock, knock—
A gentle voice came through the door.
"Sir, your food has arrived."
Airen blinked, his gaze still fixed on the glowing countdown. He exhaled slowly.
Food's here… I'll deal with this dungeon talk later.
He stood, pushing away the heavy thoughts swirling in his mind, and opened the door.
A young waitress bowed politely. "Where should I put the food, sir?"
"On the table," Airen replied.
One by one, the trays were neatly arranged on the small hotel table. The aroma of fried chicken filled the room, mixing with the faint scent of citrus from the juice bottles.
The waitress straightened herself and handed over a small slip. "Here is your bill."
Airen glanced at it.
₩677,000.
Without hesitation, he pulled cash from the envelope and handed it over. "Here."
The waitress counted quickly, then froze when he added another ₩20,000 to her palm.
Her eyes widened. "Th–thank you so much, sir!"
Her voice carried genuine delight as she bowed again, her smile brighter than before. Then she slipped out of the room, leaving Airen alone with the mountain of food.
The door clicked shut. Silence returned.
From the system came a flat, mechanical tone:
[ Strange. I thought you were insane when it came to spending money. And yet, you gave her a tip. ]
Airen shrugged, pulling out a chair. "It's just a small amount. I'll earn more anyway."
He sat, folding his arms on the table. "Now… where were we?"
The countdown still hovered faintly in the corner of his vision.
"…Right. Why me? Why do I have to save the world?"
[ Why ask such a thing? You should be grateful. You're being given the chance to save the world and become a hero. ]
Airen's lips twisted into a half-smile. He leaned back in his chair, unimpressed.
"Become a hero, huh? I never wanted to be—"
But then, a dangerous thought crept into his head.
Wait… if I say I don't want to be a hero… would the System just abandon me? Would it choose someone else?
If that happens… I'll lose the Cubic World. I'll lose the points. I'll lose my only way to make money…
Airen's expression shifted instantly. He straightened, voice suddenly filled with energy.
"Don't worry, System! This hero will save the world!"
[ … ]
Inside, Airen smirked.
Hah. Like I care about being a hero. But if the world's destroyed, I won't have a place to live anyway. So I'll save it. For myself.
Just then—
Ding!
Another panel appeared before his eyes.
[ Special Event ]
[ Status: Locked ]
Airen tilted his head. "Special event? Locked?"
The System answered calmly.
[ It is locked because it has not yet been unlocked. ]
Airen raised an eyebrow. "Obviously. Then when does it unlock?"
[ If you continue creating dungeons, the Special Event will activate. ]
"…Mm."
Airen rubbed his chin, expression thoughtful, eyes narrowing as possibilities spun through his head.
The words Special Event burned faintly in his vision—like a mystery waiting to be pried open.
Gr—gr—gr.
His stomach growled loudly, breaking the tension.
"…Tch. I even forgot I was hungry because of this dungeon talk."
He dragged a chair closer and began devouring the food. Two whole chickens disappeared like nothing, his appetite monstrous.
"Ahh… I'm full now."
Leaning back, he patted his stomach. "Alright. Time to head back to the Cubic World."
One by one, he stored the untouched food into his inventory, watching it vanish in flashes of light. Then he walked over to the bed, letting himself fall into the soft sheets.
Sleep didn't come immediately, but within minutes his consciousness faded—
And when he opened his eyes again, the world had shifted.
"…!"
The same wooden house greeted him. Roofless, doorless, built from crude blocks. And on the floor, the corpse of the woman he had slain still lay untouched.
Airen exhaled slowly.
"The System was right… I returned like I never left."
He quickly opened his inventory. The fried chicken, bottles of juice, and water sat neatly inside, untouched by time.
"Good. The food's safe too."
But then, his gaze lifted to the horizon.
The sun was sinking. Shadows stretched long across the Cubic World. Evening was falling.
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
"…It's going to be night soon."
"System," Airen muttered, eyes sharp, "is there danger at night?"
[ In this world, danger is constant. It does not matter whether it is day or night. ]
Airen clicked his tongue. "Well… you're not wrong. I saw a dragon flying overhead my first day here."
[ You don't have to worry too much. For now, you are in a less dangerous region. ]
"…Mhm."
Still, unease lingered. Airen pulled the map from his inventory, spreading it before him.
"Should I start my journey now…?" He hesitated. His instincts screamed at him.
"…No. I've got a bad feeling. Night is coming soon—I shouldn't move yet."
The sky darkened by the minute, and with it, the air grew heavy with unseen threat.
Airen folded the map and sat back, jaw tight. For now, he would wait.
But then he noticed a sheep wandering near the empty space where he had meant to build a door. Curious, he stepped outside.
The creature looked… odd. Its body was square, its wool puffed up like a cube of soft cotton, its legs stubby and stiff. With its blank black eyes, it calmly chewed at the grass as though nothing else in the world existed.
"System," Airen asked, narrowing his gaze, "if I kill that sheep, will I get experience?"
[You will, but it will be a small amount.]
"Even if it's little, it's better than nothing. And I'll get wool too, right?"
[Correct.]
A faint smirk spread across Airen's lips. He reached into his inventory and pulled out the sword he had brought from his own world—its weight familiar and reassuring in his grip.
Step by step, he approached, careful not to startle the oblivious sheep. His fingers tightened around the hilt, breath steady.
The sheep lifted its head, grass still dangling from its square mouth.
Airen raised his blade.
And just as the edge gleamed under the dimming sky—he struck.