Chapter 4

Level Up Alone: Ragnarok Chapter 3

The blue mist that flows from the Erosion Gate pollutes the surroundings.

Areas contaminated by the mana of the other world become environments suitable for monsters to live in.

If the area beyond the gate is called a 'dungeon,' then the contaminated area around the gate is called a 'field-type dungeon.'

Once a place is contaminated like this, it becomes no different from a dungeon, and considering this, the art museum of the Korean university was no different from a land of death.

"Looks like that student... "

The hunter trailed off.

But everyone could guess what he meant.

* * *

Meanwhile, Seongho...

[Your level has increased!]

'Is this... really it?'

An unbelievable event occurred.

Floating letters in the air.

The level-up system, which could only be seen in dreams long ago, had appeared in reality.

'Oh my God. Could this be a dream again?'

No.

This time, it was definitely not a dream!

The vivid reality that touched his skin proved it.

Moreover, the moment the level-up message appeared, the fatigue that had accumulated disappeared.

Even the minor burns caused by the Mist Burn were completely healed.

But what is this?

[Secret Quest: Courage of the Weak has been completed.]

[You have an unread message.]

The level-up system in the dream only displayed the level, and there were no such messages.

It felt more genuine.

As Seongho looked at the message, the message box automatically unfolded.

[You have two unread messages.]

[Welcome to becoming a 'Player' in reality.] (Unread)

[A quest has occurred.] (Unread)

'In reality... a Player?'

He first checked the first message.

[Secret Quest: Courage of the Weak]

You have gained experience in the unawakened state and proven your worth.

You have awakened from level 0 to level 1, and the status window can now be checked.

[Information]

This system supports the growth of a 'Player.'

This is not a 'tutorial mode.' In reality, you only have one life, so be careful.

'Tutorial mode? Could it be talking about that dream?'

Seongho instinctively realized.

The dreams he had during his adolescence were all practice games, and now the real game had begun.

And like a real game, features that were not supported in the tutorial were added.

For example, this 'status window.'

[Status Window]

Name: Seongho

Level: 1

Job: None

Title: None

HP: 100/100

MP: 10/10

[Stats]

Strength: 10 Health: 10

Agility: 10 Intelligence: 10

Senses: 10

(Available stat points: 0)

[Skills]

Passive Skills: None

Active Skills: Dominion Power Lv.1

The status window briefly displayed information about Seongho.

Just like in a game.

Seongho immediately checked the next message.

[Quest: Rescue the Survivors]

There are people nearby waiting for your rescue.

Rescue as many of them as possible.

The reward varies depending on the number of people rescued.

-Current number of survivors: 52

-Current number rescued: 0

The second message was the quest window.

This quest system was also something he had never experienced in his dreams.

'The reward varies depending on the number rescued?'

This made it feel like a real game.

But this was a harsh reality.

People were dying in real-time at this very moment.

[Current number of survivors: 52 → 51]

[Current number of survivors: 51 → 50]

Seongho snapped back to reality when he saw the status board.

Just then,

[Roar!]

'Oh no!'

He must have been too focused on the status window.

A Mist Burn had approached and was attacking him.

"Ah!"

Seongho swung his arm instinctively.

Thud!

But something incredible happened.

[Roar!]

The Mist Burn, hit by Seongho's fist, recoiled in pain.

"…Huh?"

Seongho was more surprised and looked at his hand.

He had hit the burning blue smoke with his bare hands, but it wasn't hot.

Then another Mist Burn attacked from behind.

Seongho immediately punched without hesitation.

Thud!

[Roar!]

It was the same again.

The Mist Burn was sent flying by Seongho's ordinary punch.

[Roar?]

By this point, the Mist Burn seemed confused.

It was clearly a weak human, but it hurt a lot when hit.

But the Mist Burn is a creature that acts purely on instinct.

[Roar!]

The roar of the Mist Burn made all the nearby Mist Burns rush towards Seongho.

But Seongho was not shaken by the intimidating scene.

He had realized something.

The current him was not threatened by them.

Now was the time to counterattack.

Thud!

Seongho immediately charged at them.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

[Roar!]

[Roar!]

A completely different scenario unfolded from a typical raid.

Normally, one would calmly assess the monster's strength, with the tank blocking in front and the damage dealers attacking.

But Seongho ignored all that and swung his fists, engaging in a melee with the monsters.

But the effect was clear.

[Mist Burn defeated!]

[Mist Burn defeated!]

[Mist Burn defeated!]

...

Seongho continued to move, defeating them one by one.

[Current number of survivors: 37 → 36]

Even as he did this, the number of survivors continued to decrease.

This meant that the number of Mist Burns was increasing.

'The more their numbers increase, the faster people will die.'

He had to hurry.

Seongho thoroughly searched the art museum to find survivors.

"Quick, get out!"

He sent them out of the museum as soon as he found them.

[Current number rescued: 12]

* * *

"What? How are they all escaping?"

The hunters outside the museum were surprised.

They were just about to check their equipment and enter, but people kept coming out on their own.

"Someone inside is helping us."

"A student is helping us!"

The hunters were even more surprised when they heard this.

"Someone is fighting the monsters inside?"

"Is there already another hunter inside?"

Assistant Professor Lim shook her head.

"That's unlikely. There are no hunters among the students, and other hunters haven't arrived yet."

Daehyun, who was listening, said hopefully,

"Could it be Seongho?"

"Seongho?"

The hunters and Assistant Professor Lim exchanged glances.

The chances of a regular person surviving in a field-type dungeon were extremely rare. But they couldn't tell Daehyun that his friend was probably dead.

But one of the survivors who had just escaped knew Seongho.

"Right! Senior Seongho saved us!"

"What?!"

"Seongho? How?"

"He was punching the monsters with his bare hands?"

"…Bare hands?"

The hunters looked sympathetic.

The survivors must have been so scared that they saw something wrong.

Fighting Mist Burns with bare hands was extremely dangerous.

'Their hands must be burned.'

'It's suicidal.'

Unless a hunter could overlay mana on their fists, they needed to protect their hands with gauntlets to avoid burns.

In any case, it seemed clear that a student named Seongho was alive and saving people.

The hunters muttered seriously,

"Perhaps that student... has awakened."

"Seongho has awakened?"

Assistant Professor Lim's gaze returned to the museum.

Survivors were still escaping, saved by Seongho.

The hunters had just finished preparing to enter the museum.

"Team leader, the mana measurement is complete. It seems to be a D-class dungeon."

"Understood. We need to hurry."

The mention of a D-class dungeon made the hunters' eyes shine with determination.

A D-class dungeon would have much stronger monsters than Mist Burns.

Even if Seongho had just awakened, as a novice with no dungeon experience, no one could guarantee how long he could survive inside.

* * *

Swoosh...

[Mist Burn defeated.]

Seongho, who had defeated all the visible Mist Burns, panted heavily.

'Almost done.'

He was extremely tired, but his mind was clear.

But then,

Ding!

[Your level has increased!]

Seongho's body was enveloped in a transparent light, and vitality surged through him.

'With this, I can keep going!'

Just as Seongho was about to move to find the remaining people,

Boom!

"…!"

Suddenly, the ceiling above him exploded.

Huge chunks of stone scattered in all directions.

Seongho rolled on the ground in surprise but couldn't avoid everything.

Red blood trickled down his forehead, which had just healed from the level-up.

But that wasn't the problem.

A giant wolf descended from the hole in the ceiling.

[Growl!]

Seongho's mind snapped to attention at the sight of its immense presence.

'There's no way I can win this.'

He realized it immediately.

The survival instinct that every living being possesses.

He felt an instinctive fear that was on a different level from the Mist Burns.

[Growl.]

The giant wolf looked down at Seongho arrogantly.

The eyes of a predator looking at a wounded prey with no place to run.

At the same time, an overwhelming pressure pressed down on Seongho.

"Grunt."

Seongho gritted his teeth.

He wasn't going to be crushed by fear after coming this far.

He would just take the best action possible.

'If I can't run, I'll attack first!'

Thud!

Seongho picked up a rock and threw it at the creature.

But the giant wolf disdainfully swatted the attack away with its paw.

'This is my chance!'

Seongho lunged at the creature.

He swung the fist that had killed dozens of Mist Burns.

But it was no match.

[Growl!]

Crunch!

The giant wolf's jaws clamped down on Seongho's shoulder.

"Ugh!"

Seongho gritted his teeth and hit the wolf's head with all his might.

But it was no match.

Crash!

Seongho was thrown to the ground in a miserable state.

The giant wolf's paw arrogantly pinned him down.

It was a fight he couldn't win.

The wolf savored its victory as if it were a given.

And just as the wolf's vicious fangs were about to tear into Seongho's neck,

Right then,

A miracle happened.

[Screech!]

[Screech!]

From the distant universe.

From the vast sky, a bolt of black lightning suddenly struck vertically.

Boom!

[...!]

The ceiling exploded, and the space between the giant wolf and Seongho split into two.

As the dust cleared, a figure appeared, enveloped in black steam.

[Ber, Level Max]

Enemy Rank

Ber, with one hand, pressed down on the wolf's jaws and looked down at Seongho proudly.