Chapter 5: Solo S-Rank Summoner

Unidentified Dungeon

Jin Do-yun, having given up on asking Lee Hye-yeon for help, left the building and the first place he went to was the bank.

Just before leaving for the Final Labyrinth.

He had organized all his assets and deposited them in the bank.

He thought it was the safest option, given the uncertain time it might take to clear it.

"Welcome, customer. How may I assist you?"

"Check my account balance."

The employee, who had been smiling kindly, seemed slightly taken aback by the abrupt informal speech but quickly regained composure.

There were quite a few summoners like that.

"Yes, I'll need to verify your identity."

After going through various identity verification procedures, the employee soon showed him the statement.

'Still there, huh?'

It was quite substantial.

The money he had earned at the time, the remaining balance from selling his house, and the interest accumulated over five years added up to a total of 128 billion won.

That was a huge sum, enough to live comfortably in South Korea for a lifetime.

'Actually, it was more than that...'

He had been the world's best summoner.

With basic commission fees in the tens of billions, 128 billion wouldn't have seemed like much.

However, the more he earned, the more he spent.

He consistently donated to victims of monster attacks, and especially—

'Phoenix...'

The A-rank summon, a signature of a summoner master.

He must have spent about 500 billion won just to buy the Phoenix egg.

'Let's make do with this for now.'

Since he had returned, he needed to find a place to live again.

He also needed to buy essential items like clothes and a phone.

He couldn't keep relying on the Wind Guild.

"Do you have a C-rank summoner credit card? Your card has been suspended for over five years. Would you like to get a new one?"

"Credit card?"

"Yes, C-rank and above get a credit card with a 5% tax benefit..."

"Just give me any one."

"Ah, yes, I understand, customer!"

After a brief wait, a card with a clean design was handed to him.

The C grade, beautifully engraved.

It was a card provided only to C-rank summoners.

And in the system, Jin Do-yun was registered as a C-rank summoner.

Why not A-rank?

There was a simple reason.

'A-rank is too much trouble.'

To raise his rank, he would have to reveal and verify his real name.

He had always avoided using his real name, so he operated as a C-rank under his real name and an A-rank under a pseudonym.

In South Korea, only the guildmaster knew his true identity.

'Good enough~'

C-rank was the best, just enough to get the tax benefits.

After looking at the card with satisfaction, he stood up.

He had confirmed the existence of his substantial funds.

Now it was time to find a real dungeon.

The next place he went to was the guild.

* * *

"Huh? It can't be renewed?"

"Yes, Summoner... According to guild policy, if you haven't been active for over three years, your qualification is suspended."

"Damn."

The first step had already gone wrong.

He hadn't expected such a policy.

Jin Do-yun, feeling annoyed, asked the guild employee.

"You have a C-rank summoner credit card here. Can't you just renew it?"

"It can't be done. The bank and the guild have different regulations. Didn't you read the terms? If you don't take commissions for three years, you have to re-register."

"How do I re-register?"

"Um? You registered eight years ago. Don't you remember?"

"Yeah, I forgot."

"Well, a lot has changed since then. You'll have to take exams and complete training. Summoners are common, but it's a job that ensures national safety. The competition is fierce."

"Ah."

"And if you have a summon, you absolutely cannot operate without registering. You know it's illegal, right?"

"Ugh..."

Jin Do-yun clicked his tongue at the employee's advice.

It seemed this was always a problem.

The unnecessary procedures.

They claimed it was to manage summoners safely to prevent the loss of national power.

But to him, it was unnecessary control.

'There weren't such things in my time.'

He was busy dealing with the sudden appearance of dungeons.

You needed a registration card to enter a dungeon?

They would have been grateful and hailed as heroes if anyone just went in.

To become stronger, you couldn't be complacent.

You had to fight for your life.

Like weeds being tougher than greenhouse flowers.

Sensitivity was increased through endless battles and experience.

"Still, if you were a C-rank, you should be able to get it quickly. Do you have a summon?"

"It's dead."

The bitterness in Jin Do-yun's voice was evident.

"Oh, that must be painful. Then, how about it? Can I tell you the next exam schedule?"

"...No, it's okay."

He decided he needed to visit that old man.

He had to ask for some favors.

After all the effort he had put in for humanity.

Wouldn't he do at least that much?

Leaving the guild branch, Jin Do-yun flagged down a taxi on the road.

Unlike this branch, the main office was in Gangnam.

Sitting in the back seat, he closed his eyes and thought.

He recalled the face of the guildmaster.

Name: Yoo Jun-tae.

He had been active in politics and rose to a B-rank summoner after the world changed.

He was known for his integrity and humility, which led to his appointment as guildmaster.

He was also a key figure in South Korea's rise as a summoner powerhouse.

'He begged me to challenge the labyrinth.'

Because of that, he suffered for 100 years.

What would be the guildmaster's reaction if he told him Jin Do-yun had come to the main office?

'Now I'm probably older than that old man, right?'

While he was having these thoughts—

Wooh!

Suddenly, his sensitivity reacted from his heart.

A sprouting energy pricked his heart.

"Huh?"

This feeling...

A familiar feeling.

Yes, there was definitely a dungeon nearby.

A fresh, newly formed dungeon.

Once his sensitivity exceeded 100, he could detect nearby dungeons like this.

'Wait, then?'

It meant the dungeon was still uncontrolled.

The guild employees hadn't blocked it yet.

'Should I just go in and clear it quickly?'

He was conflicted.

He needed to prioritize.

Meeting the guildmaster.

Or, meeting Demolition.

'Of course, Demolition comes first.'

It was absurd that he hadn't summoned his summon yet.

'Actually, I could summon it right now.'

If it appeared in its former state, it would cause a huge commotion.

It was that large and intimidating.

People would be curious about the owner of such a summon.

'No, I can't do that.'

As always, he hated attention.

"Sir, can you change direction?"

Ultimately, Jin Do-yun made his decision.

To break the law.

* * *

Guryong Mountain in Gangnam's Gaepo-dong is a relatively uninhabited area.

Especially since unidentified dungeons started appearing.

There's nothing more dangerous than encountering an unidentified dungeon in an uninhabited area.

Thud!

A muscular man with deep scars closed the taxi door and stepped out.

Just by looking at his appearance, one could tell he had lived a hard life.

"Luckily, it's in a less crowded area. It would have been a hassle if it appeared in a busy place."

Jin Do-yun smiled.

At this location, he could clear the dungeon without anyone noticing.

"Let's go."

He followed the path where he felt the sensitivity.

After a short while, he found a large hole in a tree trunk.

Dungeons can take various forms.

They can be under a large rock or beneath a lake.

If not dealt with quickly, the monsters inside can escape and wreak havoc in the real world.

That's why the guild regularly commissions summoners to find and clear dungeons.

'Even if it's illegal, this is for the benefit of humanity.'

The reason it's illegal is obvious.

To ensure the safety of summoners.

They could lose valuable forces if they entered without proper analysis by specialized summoners.

But who would worry about a summoner master?

A person who survived the Final Labyrinth.

To him, dungeon life was like breathing.

Or even more comfortable.

Thud, thud.

Jin Do-yun fearlessly descended the eerie underground stairs.

After descending for a while—

A message appeared in his field of vision.

"A fresh dungeon, huh?"

Time remaining: 535 days.

It meant the monsters inside had 535 days before they could escape into the real world.

"Phew, at least the space is wide."

Unlike the narrow entrance, the underground area was vast.

Wide enough to barely contain the Demolition he had seen before?

"What's the mission?"

Jin Do-yun continued walking.

He walked lightly, but his body was on high alert.

He couldn't afford to be careless.

The labyrinth was a place where a moment's lapse in attention could cost you your life.

After rotting for 100 years in such a place, anyone would be like this.

Goo... Goo...

A chilling roar echoed from ahead.

Alone, without any summons.

Yet, he remained calm.

He didn't stop walking.

In the atmosphere that intensified fear, a message finally appeared.

"It's a tree spirit."

A relatively simple D-rank monster.

He had killed countless of them before entering the labyrinth.

But he couldn't be careless.

He only had a level 1 summon.

The problem was that it was an S-rank summon.

"Well, that's not the most important thing right now."

Clearing the dungeon was a secondary goal.

The real objective was to face the first-ever S-rank monster, the Demolition.

"What will it look like?"

Thump, thump— The sound of his heartbeat.

He felt tense.

Stopping at a safe distance, Jin Do-yun prepared himself.

"Whoosh, whoosh."

After a few deep breaths, he raised his arm.

Finally, the time to summon had arrived.