Beom Seok stumbled back from the window, his pulse hammering in his ears.
The shutters clicked relentlessly, flashes stabbing at his eyes like tiny, relentless suns. Voices shouted in all directions—questions, demands, disbelief. This… this is all for me? He shook his head, trying to convince himself it was a dream. But the reality of the crowd outside pressed against the glass like a tidal wave.
"Are they… are they really here for me?" he muttered, voice low and incredulous. He pressed his palms to his face, feeling the tremor in his fingers.
The hospital grounds had transformed overnight into a battlefield of lenses and microphones. People had even brought tents. Tents. For him.
Sun Hee and Haneul, standing a few feet away from the entrance, were now the center of a whirlwind of cameras.
They tried to answer questions as best they could, explaining—again and again—that it was Beom Seok who had done the impossible. "We don't know how it happened," Haneul said coolly. "It just… happened."
Beom Seok's lips twitched into a half-smile. I didn't even leave my bed, he thought, feeling absurdly small yet uncomfortably powerful. And yet, the thought that the world had already judged him, celebrated him, feared him—it was intoxicating. He didn't know whether to feel proud or terrified.
He sank onto the edge of his hospital bed, pulling the system window back up. Distribution points glimmered in the interface, teasing him. Four points… I can finally strengthen something, but where do I even start? His fingers hovered over Strength, Agility, and Sense. Every option seemed simultaneously trivial and crucial.
Curiosity won over. He tapped on
Eye of Truth—Level 1.
Immediately, the room sharpened. Hidden details revealed themselves: the tiny scar on a nurse's hand, the faint hum of the hospital's security system, the weak pulse of the ventilation fans. Beom Seok blinked, amazed. A simple skill, but seeing the hidden world beneath reality sent a thrill racing through him.
Next, he tried
Summoning—Level 1.
A faint shimmer appeared above his palm, slowly coalescing into a small, bird-like creature. It chirped once, as if assessing him, before hopping onto the bed. He laughed quietly, feeling the first spark of joy in days. This… this is my life now. I guess I'll have to learn fast.
Outside, the chaos had reached its peak. A news chopper hovered, cameras zooming in, catching Beom Seok's hospital room from above. "F-Ranked Hunter Clears S-Rank Dungeon Solo," the reporters shouted. "Who is this boy?"
A part of him felt a pang of anxiety. He wasn't ready for fame. Not this fame. Not when he didn't even fully understand his own power. And yet… he couldn't deny the pull of it. The world had noticed him. And the world never forgets those who survive where others die.
Just then, the hospital doors burst open. A tall figure in a sharply tailored suit strode inside, eyes hidden behind dark glasses. Beom Seok tensed. The figure stopped at the foot of his bed, voice calm but commanding.
"You are Beom Seok," the man said. "The Hunters Association has taken note of your… performance. We have a proposal. Follow me, and your life will change forever."
Beom Seok's heart thumped. He glanced out the window again, at the swarm of cameras and tents. Fame. Danger. Power. Everything had just shifted in a single night. And now, the first real choice of his new life had arrived.
He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. "So… this is just the beginning," he whispered.
And deep down, he knew—he had to survive, grow, and master this world before the world mastered him.