Lee Seung's eyes flared with a fierce, almost feral light as he gripped Jinhu's fist with an ironclad hold. Jinhu's muscles bulged as he tried to wrench his hand free, but it was like trying to pry loose a steel vice.
Seung's voice was calm, but there was a cold edge to it. "I didn't know you really wanted to fight," he said, his gaze unwavering. "If you give me the go-ahead, I'll do you the favor of breaking your arms."
He watched Jinhu intently, waiting for his reaction, his grip tightening just enough to make his point. Jinhu cursed under his breath as pain shot through his arm. "Aish, d*mn it! Let go of me, you jerk!"
Seung's expression didn't change. With a quick twist of Jinhu's arm, a cry of pain escaped his lips. Seung then shoved him backward with a force that sent him sprawling onto the ground.
Jinhu glared up at Seung, fury contorting his face. "Take him down," he barked at his lackeys, anger dripping from every word.
In an instant, Seung moved, a blur of motion. He kicked the first two attackers away as if they were weightless, then ducked under the clumsy swing of another, using his momentum to bring down three more in a matter of seconds. Each movement was precise, economical, and devastatingly effective.
Jinhu, still on the ground, watched in disbelief as his followers crumpled one after another. 'Is it possible that the dungeon guy is him? Is that even possible?'
The thought hit him like a sledgehammer, his eyes widening in shock as the realization settled in.
Thunk!
The last of Jinhu's lackeys hit the ground with a resounding thud. The entire group lay groaning in pain, nursing broken limbs and bruised egos.
"Ahh! My arm... it seems to be broken," one of them muttered, cradling his injured limb.
"D*mn it, how did he get this strong? We couldn't lay a hand on him," another groaned in disbelief.
Seung walked slowly toward Jinhu, each step deliberate and unhurried. When he reached him, he bent down until they were eye-level, his voice low but firm. "I know it's been fun for you, bullying me all this time. But that ends now."
He straightened up, adjusting his backpack as he did so. For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of lightness, a burden lifted from his shoulders. He'd always wanted to say this.
"I'm still weak compared to a lot of people out there," he continued, "but I'm strong enough to make you pay for taunting me all this while. See you around."
With a faint smile, he turned and walked away, heading toward the school gate. Jinhu watched him go, seething. How could someone like Lee Seung—someone he had always considered beneath him—finally overpower him?
But then, as Seung disappeared from view, Jinhu smirked. 'He must have won because none of us took him seriously. Next time, I won't let him get a chance. Ptt, I got myself worried for nothing.'
---
Inside the school, Seung entered the examination room along with the other students. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone prepared for the exam. Seung took his seat and pulled out his notes, quickly reviewing the key points.
He hadn't studied the night before; there was no need. His memory retention was excellent—anything he read once stayed with him for months. He ran through the facts in his mind:
'Sulfur is used in the vulcanization of rubber to...'
The door to the examination room creaked open, interrupting his thoughts. A man in a black suit walked in, his shoes making a soft, authoritative tap on the floor. He was one of the teachers and today's exam invigilator.
Seung glanced at him briefly, then back to his notes. 'Well, I don't think I forgot anything,' he thought, shrugging off the slight tension in his chest.
The invigilator, Yoo Hyunjae, stepped to the front of the room and addressed the students with a friendly, yet firm tone. "Hello everyone, I am Yoo Hyunjae, and I will be your invigilator for today's exam. Let's get started, please."
Seung took a deep breath and sat up straighter, ready to do his best. As he glanced around the room, he noticed Jinhu glaring at him from across the room, but he ignored him.
'I don't have time for a staring contest right now,' he thought, focusing on the exam ahead.
---
Meanwhile, in the meeting room of the World Hunter Association, the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation. The President sat at the head of the table, facing a dozen Guildmasters, each representing a different guild. The silence was thick as they awaited the reason for this sudden meeting.
The President finally broke the silence, his voice grave. "Good morning, everyone. I've called this meeting to inform you of a problem that could have far-reaching consequences if not addressed properly."
The Guildmasters exchanged curious glances, each wondering what could be so urgent. A man with long bluish hair and earrings leaned forward, his voice tinged with skepticism. "A problem? Is there anything more dangerous than the monster invasion we've already contained?"
"It could become more dangerous very soon," the President replied, his tone leaving no room for doubt. The tension in the room escalated as each Guildmaster contemplated the implications.
Kim Seijin, who had been seated beside the President, stood up and walked slowly to the front of the room, his every movement commanding attention.
Step… Step…
When he reached the front, he faced the long table, ensuring every Guildmaster could see him clearly.
"A few weeks ago," he began, "an alien ship crashed, and I had one of my men investigate the accident. Their mission was to retrieve an advanced piece of war technology and deliver it to our headquarters. However, it got lost during the crash."
A ripple of unease spread through the room. The blue-haired Guildmaster spoke up again, this time with urgency. "What kind of tech are we talking about?"
"It's a Power System tech," Kim Seijin said. "This technology has the potential to grant immense power to billions of people. From what I've gathered, it's already in someone's possession."
Murmurs erupted around the table. The idea of a single individual holding the strength of billions was terrifying. How powerful would such a person become?
"This is bad! What if the person who found it turns out to be evil?" Guildmaster Hwang exclaimed, his eyes wide with alarm.
"Exactly my point," the President said. "What do you think we can do about it?"
Silence fell as the Guildmasters considered the question. Finally, one of them raised his hand.
"Uh, Mr. Gu, please go ahead," Kim Seijin said, nodding toward the Guildmaster.
Mr. Gu adjusted his tie and cleared his throat before speaking. "The person who found it is likely a Hunter. I suggest we conduct a thorough stats check of all the Hunters in our guilds. Anyone with irregular or extraordinary strength should be flagged..."
"...as a potential suspect," another Guildmaster interjected, completing the thought.
Mr. Gu nodded in agreement. "Yes, exactly. That's what I propose."
The President looked around the room. "Are there any other suggestions?" he asked, but the room remained silent.
"Then we will proceed with Mr. Gu's suggestion. This meeting is adjourned."
---
Yawn...
Seung stretched as he exited the examination room, feeling a mix of relief and fatigue. As he made his way to the school gate, a familiar voice called out his name.
"Who...?" he muttered, turning around to see Mr. Song's granddaughter approaching him. He was surprised but managed to hide it. 'What's her name again? Uhm... I don't remember.'
"Hello," Jiwon greeted him with a warm smile.
"Hey," Seung replied with a wry smile of his own. "Uh, how was the exam?"
"Gosh, it was a bit horrible," Jiwon admitted, her expression a mix of frustration and exhaustion.
Seung nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it wasn't... no, it was... horrible, like you said." He hesitated, not wanting to come off as arrogant. 'I can't tell her I left no question unsolved. That'll just sound like showing off.'
Jiwon invited him to join her for noodles, and though Seung was initially hesitant, he couldn't refuse. As they sat down to eat, he found himself staring at the untouched food in front of him, while Jiwon had already begun eating.
"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked, her words slightly muffled by a mouthful of noodles.
"Don't mind me," Seung replied with a polite smile, still feeling out of place. His eyes wandered around the restaurant, and then he saw it—a bluish platform hovering just within his line of sight. It was unmistakably the system screen.
'What is it now?'
[Subject's clones have leveled up.]
[.....]
Seung's eyes widened, shock freezing him in place. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face as he read the message.
"Yahoo! I am—!" he began to shout in excitement, but quickly stopped himself when he noticed the startled stares from other diners. Embarrassed, he grabbed his bag and bolted out of the restaurant, leaving Jiwon behind with her meal.
He hailed a taxi and rushed home, where he found his clones waiting in the living room. As soon as he entered, they stood up in unison.
"Welcome, Master."
Seung was panting slightly from the rush, but the grin never left his face. "Finally, I've gained the ability to keep you from disappearing. I... I now have full control over your existence. I can decide when you live or... not."
His voice trembled slightly with a mix of excitement and awe. This power, this ability—it was his key to saving his sister and avenging his parents' deaths.
The system screen reappeared before him, displaying the latest stats and new abilities.
[Lee Seung]
[Your clones have leveled up and you have received bonus points.]
[All stats have increased by five points each.]
[Strength: 5.12]
[Reflex: 5.10]
[Mana content: 7.03]
[Endurance: 5.06]
[Stamina: 5.01]
[New skill: Mana Reservoir Fusion]
[This skill allows the Subject to absorb external mana into his clones to prevent them from running out of energy.]
Seung clenched his fists, feeling the surge of power coursing through him. He looked at his clones, pride swelling in his chest. "Good work, First and Second. You guys make me stronger."
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Lee Seung moved swiftly between his clones, his hands tightening around their arms, surprising them with his unexpected grip. A wide grin spread across his face as he asked,
"Have you ever tried pizza?"
He knew it was a rhetorical question—he himself had only tasted pizza once in the past two years. The query was more about his excitement than any genuine curiosity.
Straightening his back, he looked at the two astonished clones standing before him. With a calm demeanor, he pulled out his phone and placed an order at a nearby pizzeria.
"When the delivery guy arrives, you can grab the order," he said, a playful smile lingering on his lips. "And make sure to enjoy yourselves. I'm going to take a rest in my room."
As he turned and walked toward his bedroom, his clones bowed their heads in unison and chorused, "Have a nice rest, master!"
Seung entered his room and immediately settled in front of his monitor. With a flicker of anticipation, he navigated to his favorite game, Bloodline Avenger, a ritual he cherished after school.
"Let's see how many golds I've saved up for a new character," he muttered, fingers dancing across the keyboard. But as he delved into the game, the allure of stronger weapons proved too tempting. Deciding that power would grant him victory in every match, he spent his gold on weaponry instead.
Hours slipped by unnoticed. When Seung finally checked his wristwatch, he realized he had been playing for five hours straight. He should have been exhausted, yet he felt as energized as when he first started.
"That's strange," he murmured, brows furrowing. The lack of fatigue was unnatural, unsettling even. He quickly theorized that it might be the game's AI or something in the screen itself that was behind this.
'Why don't I get tired?' he thought, and as if in response, the screen displayed a message:
[You have reached an advanced level, granting you the ability to maintain full concentration on any task for as long as you desire, without experiencing fatigue.]
Seung's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh... really?" he muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. 'There's still so much I don't know about this screen, about my abilities. Could my cloning powers have limits? What else is hidden from me?'
Resolving to dive deeper, he began exploring the screen's functions, starting with the Inventory, where he delved into the details of his new skill—Mana Reservoir Fusion.
Next, he navigated to the 'Missions' interface, where he was taken aback to find that the mission from the dungeon remained active. "It should have been cancelled after I failed to kill the Hunters," he mused. But then, another thought crossed his mind: 'Maybe the mission has no time constraints.'
The memory of sparing the Hunters surfaced, filling him with a mix of regret and frustration. 'Was I an idiot? Why show mercy to those who tried to kill me?' He shook his head, slumping back into his chair as he pondered his actions in the dungeon.
Lee Seung spent the rest of the night scrutinizing every icon on the screen, his curiosity keeping him awake. The following day, he awoke still slumped in his chair, a sharp pain stabbing through his neck as he tried to move.
"Argh!" he grimaced, forcing himself to stand. As he made his way out of the bedroom, he was greeted by the sight of pizza leftovers scattered across the floor.
He sighed loudly, shaking his head in disappointment. 'Seriously, those guys need to learn some hygiene.' After cleaning up the mess, he called Mr. Choi to pick up the clones. Once the clones were reassembled, the three of them waited outside the house.
As they stood there, Seung spotted a familiar red car approaching. He grinned. "Here he comes. Let's go, little guys."
As Mr. Choi parked the car, Seung and his clones hopped in, the engine's hum filling the quiet street. As they drove, Seung turned to Mr. Choi and said, "I've decided I won't be tackling F-rank dungeons anymore. I can handle E-rank monsters now, with these little guys by my side."
Mr. Choi glanced at him, his expression a mix of surprise and concern. "Are you sure about this? Moving up that quickly could be dangerous. Aside from that monster at the train station, you have no experience with E-rank beasts..."
"Don't worry, Mr. Choi. I'll be fine," Seung reassured him with a calm smile. 'If only he knew how I handled those Hunters back then,' Seung thought, stifling a chuckle. He didn't want to show off.
The car sped along the empty road, eventually arriving at the dungeon's entrance, guarded by military officers. One of the officers, gripping an M16 tightly, approached them. "Can you show us some ID?"
Mr. Choi handed over his card, and after a brief inspection, the officer nodded. "The Hunters may proceed into the dungeon."
Seung exchanged a brief smile with Mr. Choi before leading his clones toward the entrance. However, what greeted him was far from what he expected. The building he believed housed the entrance was blocked by a solid wall of bricks, stacked meticulously on top of each other.
Confused, he scanned his surroundings. 'This can't be the only entrance...' he thought, but his musings were interrupted by a loud hiss, followed by a sudden flash of lightning. His gaze snapped to the front, where a portal crackling with electricity had materialized. His eyes widened in disbelief. From his research, he knew monsters emerged from such portals, often establishing territories that became known as dungeons.
'Well, I'm not afraid of going through this,' Seung resolved, clenching his fist. He turned to his clones. "Let's proceed."
The trio stepped into the swirling vortex and found themselves inside the dungeon. The air was thick with the stench of decay, but there was something else—something metallic.
"That's the smell of fresh blood," Seung whispered, his senses heightened. 'Someone was killed here, and not too long ago.'
Just as he processed the thought, a deafening roar echoed through the chamber. "Watch out, master!" one of the clones shouted, yanking Seung out of harm's way as a massive, scaly tail crashed into the spot where he had just been standing, reducing it to rubble.
Seung rolled across the ground, his heart pounding. His clone, now alone, brandished a dagger, his eyes locked on the source of the attack. A colossal serpent, towering at least fifteen meters high, loomed above them. Its head, shrouded in darkness, nearly touched the ceiling, its tail sweeping the perimeter with lethal intent.
Seung's pulse quickened as he summoned his 'Shadow Blade.' Thunder crackled in his hand before a silvery dagger materialized. "Let's go!" he shouted, leaping into the air, aiming for the serpent's eyes. But the beast was quick, and Seung had to retreat as it launched a counterattack.
His clones, undeterred, scaled the serpent's body, but the creature thrashed violently, sending them tumbling to the ground before slamming its head down with bone-crushing force.
"Argh!" they cried out, their voices echoing through the chamber. Seung's eyes widened in horror at the serpent's strength. 'Damn it! An E-rank monster shouldn't be giving me this much trouble! If I die here, I'll disappoint everyone! I just need to find its weak spot!'
[Light Speed activated]
Seung's body blurred as he dashed across the serpent's length, his movements a blur. Despite the serpent's attempts to shake him off, he remained focused. Just as he was about to strike its eye, the serpent spewed a greenish liquid, forcing Seung to retreat.
'Damn it! Acidic venom!' he cursed, barely avoiding the deadly spray. But he refused to back down. Mid-air, he twisted and landed back on the serpent, driving his blade deep into its eye.
The serpent roared in agony, thrashing wildly as it tried to dislodge him. Seung was thrown into a nearby pool of water, the impact sending a splash of murky green liquid everywhere. The pool, stagnant and foul, swallowed him whole, leaving no trace on the surface.
"Yah!" one of the clones shouted, stabbing at the serpent's tail, but the dagger barely scratched its scales, as if the creature were made of solid metal. The serpent retaliated, smashing the ground and sending the clone flying.
Silence fell over the battlefield. The clones were down, possibly defeated, and Seung was nowhere in sight. The serpent, sensing victory, began to turn away when a sudden splash caught its attention.
Seung emerged from the pool, water cascading off him as he charged forward, determination etched into his features.
'Activate Shadow Manipulation!'
The Shadow Blade in his hand pulsed with a milky blue light as Seung pointed it at the beast. A dark, shadowy form—an exact replica of the serpent—materialized from its body, only to vanish in the blink of an eye.
The real serpent was suddenly flung across the chamber, crashing into a wall with enough force to shatter it.
The serpent rose, disoriented and enraged. It snarled, but before it could retaliate, Seung was upon it, his blade glowing with lethal intent.
"AHHH!!!" he screamed, plunging the Shadow Blade into the serpent's flesh. The creature's body convulsed before collapsing with a final, resounding thud.
Seung stood over the fallen serpent, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The adrenaline coursing through his veins began to ebb, leaving behind a profound exhaustion. He looked down at the lifeless body of the beast, its scales now dull and lifeless, the enormous wound where he had struck still smoking faintly from the power of his blade.
"This fight was unlike any other," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. His eyes flickered toward his clones, who were slowly dissolving into wisps of shadow. They had fought bravely, but they were spent—he could see it in the way their forms wavered, struggling to maintain solidity.
"My clones must be about to vanish," he realized. Moving quickly, Seung approached the serpent's corpse and pressed his hands against it. He focused, channeling his remaining energy into absorbing the creature's mana.
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