EPISODE 2: Stealing the First Hidden Piece (Part 1)
In your early twenties, it’s typically a time when you’re enjoying college life.
Students often referred to as “outsiders” would walk alone with their earphones in, while groups of students entered the university buildings, noisily chatting among themselves.
“I heard a gate appeared at an apartment complex this time.”
“What? So what happened?”
“Nearly 20 people died. It’s seriously terrifying.”
“When is this going to end?”
“I don’t know, but if they keep clearing the gates, it should end soon, right?”
Each student talked about gates and monsters.
“They say the one who resolved the apartment incident was the Monarch of Frost!”
“Really? Jin-hyuk was there?”
“Yeah, apparently! He’s even clearing all the gates in the area!”
“Wow! That’s just like Jin-hyuk. Even though he’s in such a high position, he still takes responsibility for people’s safety.”
Hearts practically formed in the eyes of the students as they talked.
His idol-worthy good looks, combined with a cold and dignified aura, made many women’s hearts flutter.
However, not everyone was looking at him favorably.
One person, in particular, was watching from a distance with a sharp gaze—Jin-woo.
The Monarch of Frost.
One of the people who had contributed to Jin-woo’s death in his previous life.
That icy figure glaring at him from the shadows.
If only he could move his body, Jin-woo would have killed him first.
“He showed up and cleared the gate himself?”
It wasn’t handled by a guild or the management bureau; he personally stepped in?
He’s really going all out. The reason that bastard, Lee Jin-hyuk, is moving is none other than for a hidden piece.
Normally, rare opportunities appear in gates, so he’s starting his search there.
There’s no way a guy like him would be out there pretending to care about people’s safety, right?
All monarchs are driven by self-interest; they never move unless there’s something in it for them.
But no matter how hard you try, you’ll never get your hands on this one.
Jin-woo’s lips curled into a slight smile.
That’s because Lee Jin-hyuk would only begin looking for the hidden piece a day later.
And Jin-woo already knew the exact location.
Returning to the past put him a full day ahead of the search for the hidden piece.
Lucky timing.
“The compass is still here,” Jin-woo thought.
The compass he had brought with him before his regression—it was still there, twitching in his status window.
[The compass is reacting.]
[The target is 500 meters north, straight ahead.]
Hidden Piece.
A skill that allows him to track the location of a set item.
While monarchs possess a unique resonance ability, the compass had an even higher-level function.
Jin-woo had set the compass to steal hidden pieces that would elevate monarchs to the pinnacle of power.
As a result, the compass now pointed precisely to a newly emerging hidden piece.
That’s why he had meticulously planned out how to steal it before coming here.
“This time, I won’t be caught off guard like an idiot.”
Just then, someone walked up and playfully slapped Jin-woo’s shoulder.
“Hey! Long time no see, and you’re not even going to say hello?”
“Song Ye-rin…?”
She was none other than Jin-woo’s childhood friend, Song Ye-rin.
She had awakened at 16, got scouted by a guild, and was now leading raids as a captain.
In the future, she would rise to the position of vice guild master, but at the age of 28, she would lose her life while trying to save people trapped in a gate, falling to the boss in the process.
“What’s with that reaction? You’re too much.”
At her playful smile, Jin-woo gave a bitter laugh.
It had been a long time since he’d seen her.
In his previous life, Jin-woo had been able to awaken and experience explosive growth early on thanks to her unwavering support.
“Is it really okay for a celebrity like you to just show up? What about the raid?”
Song Ye-rin was so well-known among hunters that it was impossible not to recognize her.
At 20, she was an S-rank player representing South Korea, so her fame was well-deserved.
There were high expectations that she might one day become a monarch, but unfortunately, the barrier to becoming a superhuman was too great.
She flashed a cheerful V-sign with her fingers and smiled brightly.
“Hehe. Just on vacation!”
“Oh, you’re on vacation. Well, I’m a bit busy right now, so how about we catch up later?”
Jin-woo, assuming she had come specifically to see him, politely declined.
Unfortunately, his priority was the Hidden Piece—the thing that had made the Monarch of Frost even stronger.
“Just kidding. I’m not actually on vacation; I came because I have some work to do. But wasn’t that rejection a bit too cold?”
Song Ye-rin puffed out her cheeks and pouted.
Seeing her like this, Jin-woo couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Wait, are you laughing at me?”
“Just finding you cute.”
When she had left early in their childhood, Jin-woo had been deeply saddened by the loss of his friend.
She had been the one who cared for him more than anyone else.
He had visited her twice a year out of longing.
Now, seeing her as a young woman who had just barely shed her teenage years, he felt a mix of happiness and affection.
Maybe it was because of the significant mental age gap.
“What, what are you saying all of a sudden?”
She hurriedly covered her face with her hands, not wanting to show her reddened cheeks to Jin-woo.
Not noticing her discomfort, Jin-woo scratched his head and changed the subject.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much. Just a small issue with the guild.”
Song Ye-rin awkwardly smiled and shook her head.
“Really? Got it. Well, good luck with that.”
“Thanks, I’ll be in touch.”
After parting ways with her and entering the university, Jin-woo narrowed his eyes.
It seemed she had been tasked with investigating the Hidden Dungeon.
If there were no Hidden Pieces visible in the nearby gates, she must have concluded that a Hidden Dungeon existed somewhere.
‘Lee Jin-hyuk.’
He was certainly a sharp one. Jin-woo hadn’t anticipated that his cousin would request assistance from a guild where his relative was the master.
However, they would never find it.
Jin-woo headed to the library and descended into the basement.
The basement had an auditorium that had been repurposed into a library and study rooms, leaving the auditorium unused and abandoned.
Jin-woo avoided the gaze of others and went around to the back door since the auditorium was securely locked.
However, the back door was usually left unlocked.
Jin-woo grasped the dusty handle and pushed the door open.
Creeeak.
As expected, it wasn’t locked, and the door creaked open to reveal the auditorium, thick with dust.
It was extremely dark, but due to his awakening, Jin-woo’s vision was significantly enhanced, allowing him to see clearly despite the darkness.
His gaze shifted toward the waiting room on the left.
Activating his senses, he detected the faint energy emanating from the waiting room, a low, continuous hum of power.
Hummmm—
Even at this close distance, a very subtle flow of energy could be sensed.
This was why the Monarch of Frost had been unable to find it.
Jin-woo walked slowly and opened the door to the waiting room. Inside was a gate large enough for just one person to enter.
“Who would have thought a Hidden Dungeon would be here?”
Unlike regular gates, monsters never escape from these, and dungeons hiding in such obscurity are called Hidden Dungeons.
Moreover, such dungeons offer special rewards that cannot be obtained from regular encounters.
[Hidden Dungeon: Do you wish to enter Rex’s Basement?]
Jin-woo nodded.
At the same time, his body was pulled into the gate.
***
Jin-woo’s current rank was F.
The reason was simple: his abilities were limited to significantly enhancing weapon proficiency.
Although he fought using mana, his skills were still no match for awakening individuals who possessed explosive long-range attacks like telekinesis, magic, or summoning.
Compared to awakened individuals who boasted powerful durability with steel-like bodies and fought with shields and swords, Jin-woo’s abilities fell short.
On a comparison scale, any scale placed Jin-woo would undoubtedly fall to the lower end.
However, instead of succumbing to despair, Jin-woo was someone who focused on how to maximize his abilities.
As a result, he realized that he needed extensive external support. This didn’t mean material support from people.
With the Great Cataclysm that transformed the world, mana-infused opportunities emerged.
Just as people awakened and demonstrated various abilities through mana, weapons, and elixirs also acquired such abilities.
Even though the monarchs had reached a superhuman level, they also required these opportunities, particularly those that were created during their awakening period.
The power was beyond imagination.
The reason Jin-woo sought out opportunities as soon as he returned was precisely this: to weaken the monarchs’ power as much as possible and to further enhance his own abilities.
His ultimate goal was to prevent their ambition to dominate humanity and to end the gate crisis.
Upon entering the Hidden Dungeon, Jin-woo covered his nose with his hand.
The basement was filled with a foul stench of sewage.
Clank. Clank.
As he moved forward, he stepped into the muck on the floor.
Nevertheless, Jin-woo pressed on as if undeterred.
He activated his senses to stay alert.
The monster known as Rex thrived in environments akin to sewers.
Squish. Squish. Squish.
The sound of stepping in the muck, which was irritating to the ears, made Jin-woo heighten his senses.
He took out a dagger from his inventory and gripped it in his hand.
[Weapon Mastery]
– Proficiency with all weapons is adjusted to 100%.
– The “Blessing of the God of Weapons, Gragas” buff is automatically applied.
– Attack power is increased by 10%.
– For the initial awakening, a weapon of your choice will be provided (up to 3 options available).
This was the only ability granted to Jin-woo.
He chose a dagger as his first weapon.
As a result, a dagger was provided to him in his inventory.
He took a few steps back while holding the dagger.
From the sounds of footsteps alone, it seemed about 30 Rex monsters were roaming the first floor of the basement.
With their fangs laced with venom, approaching recklessly could result in disaster.
“I need to wait for an opportunity when they disperse.”
Being outnumbered in a fight is overwhelmingly disadvantageous.
-Awakened Status-
[Name: Kang Jin-woo]
[Level: 1/No Limit]
[Title: Weapon Mastery]
[Attributes]
– Strength: 5
– Agility: 5
– Endurance: 5
– Intelligence: 5
– Mana: 5
[Passive Skills]
– Blessing of Gragas Lv. 1
– Compass Lv. Max
[Active Skills]
– None
This is Jin-woo’s current status.
Since he’s returned to the past, he has no choice but to start from the beginning.
Despite his level and attributes making it challenging to hunt even a single Rex, Jin-woo’s seasoned experience as a warrior was evident.
The title of “War God” was not earned without reason.
With a focused gaze, Jin-woo spotted a leaping Rex and quickly beheaded it with his dagger.
[Your level has increased.]
With this, his level went up.
Shriek!
The death of its ally heightened the Tex’s agitation to the extreme.
Jin-woo halted all movement, waiting for the Tex to scatter from the group.
Relying solely on his hearing, as Tex lacked good vision and smell, Jin-woo was exploiting their weaknesses with precision.
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