The key glinted slightly in my hand, I had carried this key in my inventory for six years, six damn years. I originally wanted to enter immediately, but I had zero combat experience, I was weak, and I didn't know how to control my abilities.
Then I got another key.
Then another.
And in the end I put those off too. Because I didn't want to die, a very sensible decision, huh?
"Agronomist."
"Yes, my lord?"
"If we die there, it will be your fault."
Agrona thought. "That doesn't make logical sense."
"I know."
"Then I don't understand the statement."
"That's okay."
I must have just broken his brain. I reached up as if there were a keyhole and turned the key, and it shattered into tiny particles of light. The space in front of me rippled like the surface of water. Then the gate opened. Agrona stood behind me. "Okay." I sighed. "Let's go inside." We took the first step and the world disappeared.
Before I opened my eyes, Agrona had commented, "Mana is noticeably dense here." After which I opened my eyes and commented, "Maybe not."
The platform spread out before me, the actual platform, the tracks, the vending machines, the benches, even the subway maps, everything was covered in a layer of dirt and dust, but it was still recognizable.
I knew the place. And the longer I looked around, the more certain I became. This wasn't just similar. This was the same. The first instant dungeon, the one the system gave to Sung Jin-Woo.
"My lord?" Agrona said next to me.
"What?"
"You seem to recognize this place."
"Because."
"And that's a problem?" I thought for a moment. Then I shrugged. "Not for us." That was true.
For Sung Jin-Woo, it was a fight for his life. For me? Well… Let's just say I had a slightly better starting position.
At that moment the fox stopped, its ears pricked up. My body stiffened, I immediately became alert. Over the years I had learned its language quite well. And this meant only one thing was approaching. A few seconds later I heard it too, a growl, soft but deep and definitely not human. Red eyes began to appear from the darkness of the tunnel.
One then another then a third and then dozens of them. Steel-Fanged Lycans. Just as I remembered, except when I saw them in person… They were much bigger than in the manhwa. The first one came out of the shadows, almost as big as a horse. Its fangs were like knives and its claws left grooves in the concrete. It would probably scare a normal person to death.
I smiled, finally something interesting. The first Lycan charged forward.
He was fast.
Absurdly fast for an ordinary person. But my perception was completely different after years of training. I saw every movement. Every muscle tension. Every step. When he got to me, I simply created a shadow dagger.
A single movement.
A single sec.
And the Lycan's head hit the ground, the body took two more steps. Then it collapsed. Silence. The rest of the pack stopped, as if it took them a moment to understand what had just happened.
"So." I rolled the dagger between my fingers. "Who's next?"