"I was going to give this to grandma..." she tried to say, but...
"Drink it first."
Gulp. As the cold, sweet taste filled her mouth, her heart finally calmed down.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, thank you... Ah! I need to check the news."
She immediately went to the TV and turned it on.
Every channel was reporting on the dungeon in Suwon. The anchor, with a serious expression, was delivering the news of the dungeon's appearance from the studio, and soon the screen switched to the scene on the ground.
-We're connecting with a reporter in Suwon to check the damage. Reporter Choi Se-ra, how is the situation on the ground?
-Yes, as you can see, the impact of the dungeon's appearance is quite significant. It has mutated into an A-class dark dungeon, and the area has been completely devastated.
The scene beyond the screen was chaos.
Completely collapsed buildings, injured people, hunters urgently evacuating people, and... the entrance of the dungeon, which looked as if the space was distorted.
-We are currently sealing off the area and evacuating residents, but the irregular shockwaves have turned the situation into a complete pandemonium.
-According to the Dungeon Management Office, many civilians, including elementary school students, were caught in the crack. Reporter Choi Se-ra, what are the rescue plans?
-Yes, according to survivors, many elementary school students were caught in the crack when it appeared, and one hunter immediately entered to rescue them. The identity of the hunter is still unknown, but they are believed to be E-class.
-An emergency rescue party has been formed and is ready to enter as soon as the shockwaves subside. However, given the high risk of a dark dungeon, thorough preparation is necessary.
The screen then returned to the news studio. The anchor explained the dangers of a dark dungeon, but none of it registered in her mind.
She stared anxiously at the news screen for a while. The anchor then delivered the news with an urgent expression.
-Oh, right now! We have a breaking news update. We will connect directly to the scene. Reporter Choi Se-ra!
-Yes, from the scene of the dungeon's appearance in Suwon, we just received some surprising news... What? That's unbelievable.
-Please calm down and tell us. What is the situation on the ground?
Instead of an answer, the camera showed the entrance of the dungeon, emitting a blue light.
"......!"
Through the gap, she could see fine golden hair and a familiar blue tracksuit.
Thank goodness. Choi E-chan is safe.
Just as she was finally relieved, the reporter on the screen shouted excitedly.
-S-class! A new S-class hunter has been born.
...What?
* * *
While passing by, the moment the crack appeared in front of him, Choi E-chan did not hesitate to jump in. There was no time to think.
The moment he jumped into the gate, he was greeted by a damp and smoky air. Each breath filled his lungs with an unpleasant smell, and each exhale made his head throb.
He took out his only weapon, a dagger, but his hand felt weak. This unpleasant air was the cause. The black, sticky substance that mixed with his breath seemed to fill his lungs, making his body feel heavy.
"......Ha."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, he adjusted his grip on the dagger.
Squeak!
A beetle-like monster with a black, shiny shell appeared and attacked Choi E-chan.
Swish!
Choi E-chan rolled to the side. The grass where he had been standing was cut by the monster's sharp front legs.
If he had been a little slower, it would have been his ankle that was cut.
"Ugh......"
The sweat that dripped into his eyes stung.
He needed to focus. If he didn't, not only himself but also the children...
Swish!
The monster attacked again.
He narrowly avoided the attack and swung his arm wide.
With a sickening squelch, the monster's shell split open.
"Ugh......!"
He pressed the dagger down with all his might, his arm trembling. After a while, he finally destroyed the core.
"Ha, ha......"
After the intense battle, he had a wound on his arm. The blood that flowed from the wound turned black upon contact with the air, emitting a strange smell.
The headache that had been bothering him since the beginning was getting worse, making it difficult to keep his balance. If another monster appeared, he couldn't guarantee a victory.
He couldn't see where the children who had been caught in the crack were.
He needed to find them and escape quickly...
Dragging his heavy body, Choi E-chan muttered to himself.
'Why am I so weak?'
Choi E-chan wanted to be a hero.
In his childhood, he was caught in a crack that appeared near his house. Just when he thought he was doomed, a hunter jumped into the crack alone and saved him.
He wanted to save others like the hunter who saved him. He helped anyone in trouble without hesitation. However, as an ordinary human, there was little he could do.
So, he was happy when he awakened.
How many times had he dreamed of this moment? The moment when he could save children in the same situation as himself with his own power.
But he was still powerless.
Choi E-chan absentmindedly touched the pendant hanging around his neck. He had kept it on, as he was told not to take it off.
Even if it were a pebble from the road, he would have happily kept it as a gift from her.
He knew best that Lee Eul had no ulterior motives. Still, the words "a gift to commemorate our reunion" left a deep impression on him.
Choi E-chan thought of Lee Eul's cafe. It still needed a lot of work, but it was a cozy space. He had promised to help out there again.
So...
He needed to save the children and return. He wanted to go back and drink the sweet coffee she made for him again.
As he focused his mind, he suddenly felt hungry.
'Right, what did Lee Eul give me...?'
She said to eat it when he entered the dungeon.
Her repeated instructions made him keep it with him.
Choi E-chan opened the envelope he received from Lee Eul. Inside was a carefully wrapped black jelly and a spoon.
As he ate the jelly with the spoon, he felt a strong coffee flavor and sweetness. It was unique but delicious.
"Ugh......"
After finishing the jelly, his headache worsened, and his heart pounded.
Just as his trembling knees buckled and touched the ground, he heard a voice.
【Do you need power?】
'Where is this voice coming from?'
The surroundings were a desolate field, and there were no monsters or other survivors in sight.
Yet, the voice was clearly heard. No, it seemed to be speaking to him through a sense other than hearing.
"Who... who is it? Come out if you're hiding!"
Suddenly, Choi E-chan felt a hot sensation around his neck and reached out.
His fingertips grasped a small black stone. It was the pendant given to him by Lee Eul.
The pendant was glowing.
The black light whispered to him.
【Do you need power?】
The voice came again.
At first, he was surprised, then he became suspicious.
Why was he hearing such a strange voice? It had been quite a while since he was caught in the crack. Was he just hearing things due to the extreme tension?
However, the moment he held the pendant again, his senses recognized it before his thoughts did.
The pendant, containing dark ether, was connecting him to a divine entity in the universe.
【Correct. So, what is your answer? If you wish, I can give you the power to achieve your desires.】
Choi E-chan nodded as if drawn by the voice.
* * *
He didn't mishear.
The reporter on the news screen clearly said "S-class hunter" when referring to Choi E-chan.
Choi E-chan became an S-class hunter?
What happened in the dungeon that made him suddenly become an S-class hunter?
It's rare for a hunter's rank to increase after awakening. If it does, it usually only goes up by one level.
If my guess is correct, he must have obtained an S-class skill through the pendant and coffee jelly I gave him. But to go from E-class to S-class in one go?
Behind Choi E-chan, the children emerged from the gate. They were a bit injured but all safe.
Choi E-chan held the gate stone in his hand and inserted it into the entrance of the dungeon, which was emitting a blue light. The ominous blue light subsided, and the entrance, which seemed ready to spew out monsters, calmed down.
-Whoo!
At that moment, a tremendous cheer and applause erupted. The scene was festive, forgetting the tension of just a moment ago.
The cheers made it difficult to continue the live broadcast, so the screen quickly returned to the news studio, but there was little difference. The studio anchor was also standing and clapping, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank goodness."
"Yes, really... really."
This festive atmosphere was understandable. After all, it was almost impossible for there to be no casualties in an A-class dungeon.
Moreover, Choi E-chan somehow obtained the gate stone.
While often used interchangeably, "crack" and "gate" are technically different concepts.
First, a dungeon appears in the real world along with a "crack." This crack is very unstable, pulling in surrounding objects and spitting out monsters.
When the boss of the dungeon is defeated, an item called a "gate stone" can be obtained. Inserting this item into the crack transforms it into a gate, allowing free entry and exit without the risk of monsters appearing.
Therefore, when a dungeon appears, the strategy is typically divided into four stages:
1. Rescue victims who have been sucked into the crack.
2. Form a party to defeat the dungeon boss and obtain the gate stone.
3. Hunters enter the stabilized dungeon to farm items and conduct investigations.
4. Close the dungeon after sufficient investigation.
...as described in the book I borrowed from Jina.
The fact that Choi E-chan emerged with the gate stone means he completed stages 1 and 2 in one go. And that too, in an A-class dark dungeon.
This was nothing short of a miracle.
The news continued. Officials from the Dungeon Management Office rushed to Choi E-chan, and their excited, rapid speech was broadcast live.
After the situation calmed down, interviews began.
All the news and newspaper reporters, as well as guild officials on the scene, thrust microphones at Choi E-chan.
Click, click, click!
-Hunter, over here! Look this way!
-You've been here since the beginning. Don't cut in line.
-Did you pay for a spot here?
-<Hunter Scope>, move to the back!
The enthusiastic interview atmosphere caused a brief commotion. Everyone was focused on the first words of the newly born S-class hunter, the first in a long time.
Choi E-chan, facing dozens of cameras and microphones, looked bewildered. He seemed to still be trying to understand what had happened.
Ha ha, he's become a celebrity.
I'm already happy that he's alive, and now he's become an S-class hunter...