Chapter 04

"…!"

Suho was greatly shocked.

The monster that suddenly appeared was wrapped in a pitch-black exoskeleton-like armor, and black haze flowed from its entire body.

It formed into a giant ant with wings.

The black smoke billowing nonstop from his body was like a shadow swaying in the light.

The moment Suho saw it, certain memories passed through his mind.

'Was it ever in my dreams…?'

He was so sure it was some sort of witchcraft.

All kinds of ant creatures appeared in his dreams for a long time.

So that's what their master looked like…!

But, what is this?

The ant king suddenly approached Suho and knelt down on one knee.

[Young Master! I, Beru, have arrived now! You are now safe!]

"…Who?"

Suho's eyes widened.

What does that mean?

It was so huge that Suho had to look up even if it was on its knees.

But…

Suho stood up.

Before Suho could say anything, the black monster's expression changed.

He discovered Suho's body, in a state of ruins after being attacked by a giant wolf.

The black monster raised its head, bursting into a storm of flesh from its entire body.

[How dare you bite this precious noble body?! I'll rip your mouth open!]

A loud roar came out of its mouth enough to shake the whole building.

[KHHIIIIIIKKKK-!]

At that moment.

The world turned into hell.

Kwakwakwakwak!

[Grrrrr…!]

A horrible prowess that engulfed the wolf's body.

The giant wolf that had been trampled on by the black monster raised its head with courage.

Then, it bit off the black monster's leg.

Doom.

The monster then looked over to the giant wolf.

[You dare try to overcome me?!]

It boiled in rage.

The black monster kicked the giant wolf quick enough and hit the latter's torso.

BLAG!

[Ack!]

The giant wolf bounces back helplessly as it screams.

The monster again outpaced the wolf and slammed the huge one to the ground.

BLAG-!

It then grabbed the wolf's legs with both hands.

Rip!

And, torn its body into two.

[Krrrkk!]

Black blood splattered in all directions along with a desperate scream.

It was no longer a battle.

Just one-sided slaughter.

The tyranny of a predator.

[KHHIIIKKKK!]

The overpowering predator let out another maddening roar as it trampled the wolf's carcass.

That brutal murder stiffened the entire body of the hunters who had just entered the first floor of the art museum.

"W-What the hell was that?!"

"They said it was a D-Class dungeon, but what is this?!"

Shock and awe!

The building was shaking as if it would collapse at any moment.

…What is this?

For some reason, Suho wasn't afraid of that cruel monster.

Instead, it seemed like he was longing for its presence…

It gave him a nostalgic feeling digging deep into his hazy memory.

'What's this? I feel like I remember something…'

-Annnt… Annnt…!

What is this memory?

In a faint memory, he could hear the voice of a child who liked to draw ants on a sketchbook.

'Who was…'

Tiiing!

"Ack!"

A sudden excruciating headache struck him.

In the midst of this confusion, he was sure of one thing.

'I guess, I'm still alive…'

[Body Strength: 1/140]

Slump.

As all the tension was released from his body, Suho collapsed on the floor.

[Khiikk! Y-Young Master? Young Master! Please wake up!]

Suho felt then.

The embrace of the monster, who puts everything aside and runs to hug him urgently, is so warm….

A smile formed across Suho's lips as he passed out.

Ring.

[You have completed 'Quest: Rescue the Victims'.]

[Number of rescued victims: 33]

[Your level increased!]

* * *

Suho had a dream.

It was a dream about a newborn baby being carried on the back of an ant.

The baby in the dream was laughing so much that no one knew what was making him that happy.

When the baby laughed, the ant laughed too.

There were always ants wherever the baby went.

The ant was wearing an apron, holding the baby bottle, and feeding the baby.

It was also helping the baby learn the numbers.

There was also a part where the ant was taking a nap with the baby covered in a small blanket…

If the ant was nowhere to be seen, the baby cried.

Quickly, the ant appeared and rocked the crib to soothe the baby.

Then, the baby stopped crying and smiled again as if nothing had happened.

The ant, wearing an apron, approached the baby with wide eyes as if it could shed tears at any moment.

[Young Master, when did you grow so wonderfully? Beru can't help but feel emotional.]

…!

Then, the baby suddenly grew up and stood in front of the ant in the form of a 22-year-old Suho.

Beru.

Beru looked at him proudly and wiped the tears.

[My main goal in coming here was to unseal your skills. I didn't know you'd be able to do it yourself.]

Whimper.

He was so emotional that tears couldn't stop falling.

[Sniff. But, that's not everything. The most important one is kept here.]

Beru took out something and held it in his hands.

Ring.

['ITEM: Shadow Dungeon Key' has been obtained.]

'Shadow Dungeon? What is that?'

Suho felt a strange feeling at the sudden message.

But, this is a dream.

Beru couldn't hear him at all.

The ant squeezed the key into his hand and said.

[Please use this key whenever you are ready. It contains everything that should have originally belonged to you, Young Master.]

Saying that Beru got down on one knee and grabbed Suho's shoulder with both hands.

[Just keep in mind this one thing.]

He said in a solemn tone and friendly touch.

The two eyes that felt the conflicting emotions were facing Suho.

[Great power requires a large vessel. When a person who is not prepared is given strength that he cannot handle, his vessel may break without enduring the weight of that force.]

Great power. Large vessel.

Suho repeated those words in his mind.

[It only means, you would need a bigger vessel.]

Beru's eyes narrowed and then he painted a mischievous smile on his face

Oops.

After speaking, Beru stood up again and bowed his head respectfully.

[Then, Young Master. My mission ends here. I want to protect you more, but even at this moment, there are others who are waiting for me.]

Then he winked his one eye.

[Even if I look like this, I have great skills similar to that of a Healer.]

'What? Healer?'

It was the most absurd thing Suho had heard recently.

[I will leave now, Young Master. Until the day we meet again, please…]

Please stay healthy…

Beru's faint voice gradually echoed.

'Wait! There's more I need to ask…!'

Suho hurriedly called him, but no voice came out of his mouth.

At that moment, he woke up.

* * *

"Huh! Ant?!"

Suho jumped up and quickly looked around.

White walls and the smell of disinfectant.

A calm air surrounded him.

"Oh, dear. You're awake now?"

The nurse who was adjusting the IV drop looked at Suho.

"Where…"

"You're in the hospital. Don't you remember? A dungeon appeared in your school."

'…Weren't all those just a dream?'

Suho got up, but he had a blank expression for a while.

'From where did I start dreaming? Ant? Dungeon? Or, was it leveling up?'

Everything was unclear to him.

Just in time, the news was playing on the TV in the hospital room.

-Two days ago, the gate that suddenly appeared at Korea University was almost closed down…

-Despite the occurrence of a dungeon break in the middle of the city, experts say that the number of casualties is miraculously small…

'It's been 2 days?'

Everything that happened in the art museum must have not been a dream.

'Were my dreams before real, too?'

Suho finally remembered.

His childhood memories of playing with large ants.

How could he have forgotten those happy moments until now?

When Suho recalled 'Beru', whom he had seen in his dream, he felt bummed out.

'We couldn't even have a proper conversation, yet he left like that.'

Suho raised his head.

The words floating in front of him had been there all along.

['Quest: Rescue the Victims' has been accomplished.]

[The quest completion reward has arrived.]

[Do you want to check the reward?]

(Y/N)

'Yes.'

Suho confirmed without hesitation.

He almost died several times, which he felt was unfair, but it's still right to check on it.

[These are the rewards that were prepared.]

Reward 1: Ability Points +5

Reward 2: Muscle Strength Stat Points +3

'They're giving me 8 points?'

It was more than what he expected so he was surprised.

Apparently, every time he levels up, his stats seem to go up by 1 point.

So, the additional stats of 8 points were much more than leveling up once.

'It was worth risking my life doing good deeds after all.'

Suho checked the status window right away.

[STATUS WINDOW]

Name: Sung Suho

Level : 3

Occupation: None

Title: None

HP: 140/140

MP: 14/14 

[STATS]

Strength: 15

Vitality: 12

Agility: 12

Intellect: 12

Senses: 12

(Divisive Ability Point: 5)

[SKILLS]

Passive Skill: None

Active Skill: Ruler's Power Lv.1

Certainly, many features have been added compared to the ones in the dreams he had in high school.

Back then, only the level was displayed, and there was no status window of some sort.

'Hmmm. Which stat do I need to level up?'

Muscle Strength Stat of 3 points was applied automatically, but he was wondering where to allocate the remaining ability stats.

He did not choose right away and studied the stats carefully first.

An information window then popped up in front of him.

[INFORMATION]

Strength: A stat that increases strength and speed. Attack power increases.

Agility: A stat that increases body vision and reaction speed. Increases reflexes and defensive rate.

Vitality: A stat that increases maximum HP and recovery speed.

Intellect: A stat that increases maximum MP and recovery speed.

Senses: A stat that increases the sensibility of the five senses. Crisis detection ability increases.

Looking at all this, Suho finds them equally significant.

'I'll think about it some more and make a decision later.'

After turning off the status window, Suho suddenly felt that he was thirsty.

He hasn't drank water for two days since he passed out.

Suho opened the door of the small fridge next to his bed to get some water.

Clack.

There was something.

"…Huh?"

Suho's eyes widened.

Surprisingly, Beru, who had shrunk to the size of a fist, was slicing an apple inside.

"Y-You!"

[Kehehe.]

[Beru] Lv.1

Pawn Class

Beru, whose enormous body had become very small and cute, held out an apple with a shy expression.

It was shaped like a rabbit.

[I couldn't go back because I ran out of mana.]

"…."