Chapter 4

“...!”

Suho was stunned.

The black magic beast that had suddenly appeared wore a jet-black exoskeleton like armor, black vapor boiling from its entire body. It took the form of a gigantic winged ant. The black smoke constantly shimmering around it resembled a shadow wavering in the light.

The moment Suho saw it, memories flashed through his mind.

'Could it be the one from my dreams...?'

He definitely knew this magic beast. Long ago, countless ant magic beasts had appeared in his dreams. The leader of those terrifying ants had looked exactly like this...!

But what was this?

The ant magic beast suddenly approached Suho and dropped smartly to one knee.

[“Young Monarch! I, Beru, have arrived! You may rest easy now!”]

“... What?”

Suho's eyes went wide. Just what on earth was happening now? The creature was so enormous that Suho had to look up at him even while he knelt.

But then...

He froze.

Before Suho could reply, the black magic beast's demeanor abruptly changed. He had noticed Suho's body—the battered state the giant wolf's attack had left him in.

At once, he raised his head, unleashing a storm of murderous intent from his entire body.

[“Y-you mangy vermin dare sink your teeth into his precious person?! I'll tear your jaws apart!”]

A horrifying roar erupted from his mouth, powerful enough to shake the entire building.

[“SKREEEEEE—!”]

At that moment, the world became hell.

KRRRROOOOM!

[“Grrrr...!”]

Terrible murderous intent coiled around every inch of the body.

The giant wolf pinned beneath the black magic beast desperately lifted its head and sank its teeth into his leg with a crunch.

The beast went still. Then his head turned stiffly downward.

[“How dare you! Know your place, you vermin!”]

Jet-black vapor boiled up. With blinding speed, the black magic beast kicked the giant wolf, then rammed straight into its body.

BOOM!

[“Kagh!”]

The giant wolf flew helplessly backward with a scream.

But the black magic beast moved even faster, overtaking it and slamming the enormous creature into the floor once more.

CRASH!

Then he seized two of the wolf's legs, one in each hand.

RRRIP!

Its body tore in two.

[“Krragh...!”]

Black blood sprayed in every direction amid a horrifying scream.

This was no longer a battle. It was nothing but one-sided slaughter. A predator's tyranny.

[“SKREEEEEEEE!”]

The overwhelmingly powerful predator trampled the wolf's carcass and let out another frenzied roar.

That savage murderous intent froze the hunters who had just entered the museum's first floor.

“Wh-what is this murderous intent?!”

“They said it was a D-rank dungeon! What the...!”

Shock and terror!

The building shook as though it might collapse at any moment.

... But why?

For some reason, Suho wasn't the least bit afraid of that savage magic beast. Instead, it stirred a deep longing... awakening the scent of memories preserved from long ago.

'What is this? I feel like I'm about to remember something...'

[“Anty... Anty...!”]

What was this memory?

From within a hazy memory came the delighted voice of a baby drawing ants in a sketchbook.

'Who...?'

ZZZT!

“Ugh!”

A splitting headache suddenly struck. He was terribly confused, but he could be certain of at least one thing.

'Anyway, looks like... I'm going to live.'

[HP : 1/140]

THUD.

All the tension finally drained out of Suho, and he collapsed to the floor.

[“Skree! Y-Young Monarch? Young Monarch! Stay with—!”]

At that moment, Suho thought how very, very warm the magic beast's embrace was as he abandoned everything to rush over and gather him urgently into his arms...

Even as he passed out, a smile crept across Suho's lips.

DING!

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

[Survivors rescued : 33]

[You have leveled up!]

* * *

Suho dreamed.

He dreamed of a baby riding piggyback on an ant. The baby in the dream giggled, utterly delighted by something. Whenever the baby laughed, the ant laughed too.

Wherever the baby went, there were always ants. An ant wearing an apron, feeding the baby a bottle. An ant helping the baby learn numbers. An ant tucking a little blanket over the baby and lying down together for a nap...

Whenever the ants were out of sight, the baby would burst into tears. Then ants would appear in an instant, shaking toys to soothe the little one. The baby would stop crying and grin again as though nothing had happened.

At that sight, the apron-clad ant approached the baby, eyes brimming as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

[“Young Monarch, when did you grow into such a fine young man? Your humble Beru is simply overwhelmed.”]

...!

Suddenly, the baby had grown up, and twenty-two-year-old Suho stood before the ant.

Beru.

Suho repeated the name silently. The ant Beru gazed at him proudly, wiping away the tears welling in his eyes.

[“I originally came to break your seal, Young Monarch. To think you had already broken it through your own will. That is just what I would expect of you.”]

SNIFF, SNIFF.

So moved was Beru that tears streamed from his eyes like water from a faucet.

[“Sniff. But the seal has not been completely broken. The most important things are stored here.”]

Beru rummaged about and pulled something from his bosom.

DING!

[You have acquired 'Item: Key to the Shadow Dungeon.']

'Shadow Dungeon? What's this?'

Suho felt puzzled by the message that suddenly appeared. But this was a dream. His voice could not reach Beru at all.

The ant pressed the key firmly into his hand and said,

[“Use this key whenever you feel ready. Within lies everything that should rightfully have been yours, Young Monarch.”]

As he spoke, Beru knelt on one knee and placed both hands on Suho's shoulders.

[“But please keep one thing in mind.”]

A solemn tone and a gentle touch. His eyes met Suho's, conveying both of those contrasting feelings in full.

[“Great power requires a great vessel. When someone whose vessel is not ready receives power beyond their capacity, the vessel may break, unable to bear its weight.”]

Great power. A great vessel.

Suho turned those words over in his mind.

[“In short, you must level up your vessel.”]

Beru's eyes narrowed in a mischievous smile.

“Heave-ho.”

Having finished speaking, Beru rose again and bowed respectfully.

[“Well then, Young Monarch. My task here is complete. I would dearly love to remain at your side a little longer, but even now my comrades are anxiously awaiting my return.”]

Then he winked.

[“Despite appearances, I am quite a capable healer.”]

'A healer? Did he say healer?'

It was the most absurd thing Suho had heard in quite some time.

[“Then I shall take my leave. Until the day we meet again, please...”]

Please stay well...

Beru's wistful voice echoed, growing ever more distant.

'Wait! I still have questions...!'

Suho called to him urgently, but no sound came from his mouth.

At that moment, Suho woke.

* * *

“Gasp! The ant?!”

Suho bolted upright and quickly scanned his surroundings. Stark white walls and the smell of disinfectant. A quiet atmosphere surrounded him.

“Oh. You're awake?”

A nurse changing his IV bag looked at Suho.

“Where am I...?”

“You're in the hospital. Don't you remember? A dungeon appeared at your university.”

'... Could it all have been a dream?'

Though awake, Suho remained dazed for a long while.

'Where did the dream start, and where did it end? The ant? The dungeon? Or everything, even leveling up?'

It was all so confusing.

Just then, the news was playing on the hospital room's television.

“The Gate that appeared at Hankuk University two days ago has now been almost completely cleared...”

“Despite a dungeon break occurring in the heart of the city, casualties were miraculously low. Experts...”

'It's been two whole days?'

Apparently, the events at the museum hadn't been a dream.

'Then were those childhood dreams real too?'

At last, Suho realized. Those memories of playing with giant ants as a child. How had he completely forgotten those happy moments until now?

Thinking of Beru, the ant he had seen in his dream, filled Suho with regret.

'He left before we could even have a proper conversation.'

Suho raised his head. The text that had been floating before his eyes for a while was waiting for him.

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

[Your quest completion rewards have arrived.]

[Would you like to check your rewards?] (Y/N)

'Confirm.'

Suho selected confirm without hesitation. He had nearly died several times. If only to make up for that, checking the rewards first was the right thing to do.

[The following rewards are available.]

Reward 1 : Stat points +5

Reward 2 : Strength stat points +3

'They're giving me eight whole stat points?'

Suho's eyes widened at the larger-than-expected reward. From what he could tell, each of his stats seemed to increase by one point every time he leveled up. Eight extra stat points, then, was far more than he would get from a single level-up.

'Risking my life to do a good deed really paid off.'

Suho immediately checked his status window.

[Status Window]

Name : Sung Suho

Level : 3

Class : None

Title : None

HP : 140/140

MP : 14/14

[Stats]

Strength : 15 Vitality : 12

Agility : 12 Intelligence : 12

Perception : 12

(Available stat points: 5)

[Skills]

Passive skills : None

Active skills : Ruler's Authority Lv.1

There were definitely many more features than in the dreams he'd had in high school. Back then, only his level had been displayed; there hadn't even been a detailed status window.

'Hmm. Which stat should I raise?'

The three Strength points had been applied automatically, and he wondered where best to invest the remaining points.

Rather than spending his remaining points blindly, Suho carefully examined the other stats. An information window appeared before him.

[Information]

Strength : Increases physical strength and speed. Raises attack power.

Agility : Improves dynamic vision and physical reaction speed. Raises reflexes and evasion rate.

Vitality : Increases maximum HP and HP recovery rate.

Intelligence : Increases maximum MP and MP recovery rate.

Perception : Enhances the five senses. Improves the ability to detect danger.

Looking at them this way, every stat seemed important.

'I'll think about it a little more and decide later.'

After closing the status window for now, Suho suddenly realized he was thirsty. Come to think of it, hadn't he been unconscious for two days without a single sip of water?

Looking for water, he opened the little refrigerator beside his bed.

CLUNK.

And inside...

“... Huh?”

Suho's eyes widened. Astonishingly, Beru was inside, reduced to the size of a fist and peeling an apple.

“Y-you...!”

[“Heh.”]

[Beru] Lv.1

Soldier Grade

For some reason, Beru's once-majestic body had become tiny and adorable. With a sheepish expression, he held out the apple.

It was cut into the shape of a rabbit.

[“I ran out of mana and could not leave.”]

“...”