The alleyway behind the 'CU' convenience store was damp, smelling of garbage and stale cigarette smoke. A flickering neon sign buzzed overhead, casting the wet pavement in a sickly purple light.
To anyone else, this was just a dead end.
To me, it was a gold mine.
I checked the time on my phone. 11:58 PM.
Two minutes left.
I held the box cutter in my right hand, testing the slide lock. Click. Click. It was a pathetic weapon. A rusty piece of plastic I used to open packages. Against a monster, it was like bringing a toothpick to a gunfight.
[God of War]: I still don't get it. You're going to fight a beast with stationery? You disrespect the art of combat.
[Goddess of Love]: Don't listen to him! You can do it! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
[God of Mischief]: 50 DP says he loses a finger. Any takers?
I ignored the floating text, focusing on the air in front of me.
"In my past life," I whispered to the empty air, knowing the microphone would pick it up, "this fissure wasn't discovered for three days. By then, the Goblin Scout inside had evolved into a Hobgoblin. It killed four people."
I stepped forward.
"Tonight, it dies as a Scout."
Whirrrrr.
The air distorted. It looked like heat haze rising from asphalt, but colder. A low-frequency hum vibrated in my teeth.
A Spatial Fracture.
It wasn't a full Gate yet—those were massive, swirling portals that required military intervention. A Fracture was a leak. A small crack in reality where low-tier monsters slipped through.
I stepped into the distortion.
The world twisted. The smell of garbage was replaced by the stench of sulfur and rotting meat. The purple neon light vanished, replaced by the bioluminescent glow of damp cave moss.
I was inside.
[You have entered the 'Damp Cavern' (Unranked).]
It was a narrow tunnel, barely wide enough for two men to walk abreast. Water dripped from the stalactites above.
Skreee…
A sound echoed from deeper in the darkness. The scratching of claws on stone.
My heart rate spiked. My body—this weak, untrained F-Rank body—wanted to run. My legs trembled. My palms sweat.
'Calm down,' I commanded myself. 'Muscle memory is gone, but the knowledge remains.'
I pressed my back against the cold stone wall, merging with the shadows. I held my breath.
[God of War]: His stance is amateurish. Too stiff.
[God of Mischief]: Shhh. It's coming.
A shadow detached itself from the darkness ahead.
It was about the size of a child, but hunched over. Green, leathery skin. Yellow eyes that darted nervously. It held a jagged, rusty dagger in one hand.
A Goblin Scout.
It sniffed the air, smelling the intruder.
'Now.'
I didn't charge. I didn't scream.
I picked up a loose stone from the floor and tossed it further down the tunnel, behind the goblin.
Clack.
The goblin spun around, shrieking at the noise.
In that split second, I moved.
I didn't run; I lunged. I put every ounce of my meager strength into my legs, closing the three-meter gap in a heartbeat.
The goblin heard me and began to turn back, but it was too late.
I wasn't aiming for a fight. I was aiming for an execution.
My left hand grabbed the goblin's greasy hair, yanking its head back. My right hand drove the box cutter into the soft spot under its jaw.
Snap.
The cheap blade broke inside the monster's neck.
"Die," I hissed.
The goblin thrashed, its claws raking across my forearm. Pain flared—hot and sharp—but I didn't let go. I drove the broken handle deeper, twisting it, severing the windpipe.
Black blood sprayed over my face.
The creature gurgled, its limbs flailing wildly, then went limp.
I shoved the corpse away and collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. My arm was bleeding. My chest felt like it was on fire.
I was weak. Pathetic. In my prime, I could have killed a thousand of these with a sneeze. Now, one scout almost took me out because my blade broke.
I wiped the blood from my eyes and looked at the System window.
[Target Neutralized.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level Up!]
[Quest Complete: The Pilot Episode]
[Rating: B+]
[Reasoning: Weapon choice was poor, but ruthlessness was high. Entertaining finish.]
[Reward Distributed: System Shop Unlocked.]
[Reward Distributed: 500 Divine Points (DP).]
The chat exploded.
[God of War]: ...Acceptable. The weapon broke, but he didn't hesitate. He used the handle. Brutal. I like it.
[God of Mischief]: LOST MY BET! DAMN IT! 🤬
[Goddess of Love]: Are you okay?? You're bleeding! (TnT)
[System Alert: 'God of War' has donated 100 DP.]
[Message]: Buy a real weapon, boy.
[System Alert: 'Goddess of Love' has donated 50 DP.]
[Message]: Buy a bandage!
I leaned my head back, letting the adrenaline fade. 650 DP total.
In the grand scheme of things, it was pocket change. But for a starter fund? It was huge.
"Thanks for the donation," I said to the air, ripping a strip of cloth from my shirt to bind my bleeding arm. "But I'm not buying a weapon yet."
[God of War]: ?
"Open Shop," I commanded.
A grid of items appeared. Most were grayed out—too expensive or level-locked.
Excalibur (Replica) – 50,000 DP
Dragon Heart Elixir – 1,000,000 DP
Basic Steel Sword – 200 DP
Healing Potion (Low) – 50 DP
I ignored the gear. Gear could be found. Gear could be stolen.
I navigated to the [Skills] tab.
My eyes scanned the list until I found what I needed.
[Skill: Mana Perception (F-Rank)]
Description: Allows the user to sense the flow of mana in the environment and within their own body.
Cost: 500 DP
In the academy, they taught that Mana Perception was a talent you were born with. You either had it, or you didn't. I had zero talent in my first life. I relied on brute force and items.
But I knew better now. If I wanted to survive the future—the Primordial Dungeons, the betrayal, the Gods themselves—I couldn't just be a tank. I needed to be a master.
"Purchase."
[Transaction Complete. Remaining DP: 150.]
WHOOSH.
A sensation like cool mint water poured into my brain. The headache from the adrenaline crash vanished.
I opened my eyes.
The world looked different. I could see faint blue particles floating in the damp air of the cave. I could see the residual energy fading from the goblin's corpse.
And I could see the pathetic, clogged mana circuits in my own body.
"Trash," I muttered, looking at my own veins. "My circuits are completely blocked. No wonder I'm F-Rank."
But now I could see the blockages. And if I could see them, I could clear them.
I stood up, wincing as my arm throbbed.
"Stream's over for tonight," I said, looking at the floating interface. "I have class in the morning. Professor Kim is teaching 'Basic Dungeon Theory'."
I smirked.
"I need to get some sleep so I can go correct him."
[God of Mischief]: He's going to face-slap a professor? SUBSCRIBED.
[System: Stream Ending in 3... 2... 1...]
The blue screen vanished.
I was alone in the dark cave with a dead goblin.
I quickly looted the small mana stone from the goblin's chest—worth maybe 50,000 won ($40) at a pawn shop—and limped toward the exit.
My second life had officially begun.
And this time, I wasn't going to be the shield.
I was going to be the one holding the sword.
[Status Window]
Name: Lee Jin-Woo
Age: 18
Rank: F
Class: None
Viewers: 3
Stats:
Strength: 6
Agility: 7
Stamina: 6
Mana: 4 (+1) -> 5
Luck: ???
Skills:
[Active] Mana Perception (F): Sense mana flow.
DP: 150