[Public Restroom – Gangnam Station] [20 Minutes Later]
I looked in the cracked mirror and screamed.
Well, internally. Externally, I just whimpered like a kicked puppy.
"System," I hissed, touching my face. "You said it would hurt like a blender. You didn't say the blender would be on fire."
[System: Beauty is pain, darling. Stop whining. Your bone structure was asymmetrical. I fixed your deviated septum and sharpened your jawline. You no longer look like a malnourished potato. You look like a slightly more attractive malnourished potato.]
I leaned in closer. The bruising was already fading thanks to the accelerated metabolism from the Level Up.
The System wasn't wrong. I didn't look like a different person—I couldn't risk that yet—but I looked... better. My nose, which had been broken three times by bullies and once by my own mana explosion, was now perfectly straight. The dark circles under my eyes were gone. My jaw was sharper, giving me a look that was less "please don't hit me" and more "I might bite you."
"Okay," I muttered, splashing cold water on my face. "It's subtle. Good. Nobody will notice Ash the Porter got a glow-up. They'll just think I finally ate a vegetable."
I checked the Quest window again.
[Quest Item: Sun-Fire Lotus] [Location: D-Rank Dungeon 'The Burning Garden']
I needed access to that dungeon. And I knew exactly who had the permit for it today.
I pulled out my cracked smartphone and opened the 'Hunter Freelancer' app. I scrolled past the reputable guilds—The White Tigers, The Iron shield—and went straight to the bottom of the barrel.
[Post: Red Viper Guild] [Raid Target: The Burning Garden (D-Rank)] [Looking For: Meat shields... uh, Porters. Must be D-Rank or lower. Pay: 200,000 Won + Tips (maybe).]
"The Red Vipers," I sneered.
They were bottom-feeders. They were known for two things: high casualty rates among their porters and hoarding loot. They were scum.
"Perfect," I grinned, checking my reflection one last time. "I won't feel bad when I rob them blind."
[Dungeon Gate Entrance – Sector 4 Park] [1 Hour Later]
The entrance to 'The Burning Garden' was located in the middle of a children's playground, which was equal parts hilarious and depressing. The Association had cordoned off the sandbox where the swirling red vortex spun silently.
A group of Hunters was already gathering by the swing set.
I recognized the Red Viper colors immediately: tacky crimson armor with snake decals that looked like they were bought at a discount Halloween store.
"Name?" the recruiter grunted. He was a beefy guy chewing on a toothpick, holding a clipboard.
"Ash," I said, adjusting my backpack.
The recruiter paused. He looked up, squinting. "Ash? The 'Wasted Potential' Ash?"
"The one and only."
The recruiter snorted, spitting the toothpick out. "Holy shit. You're still alive? I heard you died in the Weeping Caverns yesterday. Something about a horseman eating your ass?"
"It was a structural failure," I recited the lie smoothly. "And I have bills to pay. You hiring or not?"
"Yeah, we're hiring," he laughed, waving me toward the group of terrified-looking porters. "Get in line, fodder. Just don't faint when you see a flower, okay?"
I walked over to the porter group. There were three others—teenagers, mostly, shaking in their boots. They looked at me like I was a celebrity leper.
"Is that him?" one whispered. "The guy with the EX-Rank text but F-Rank body?"
"Yeah," another whispered back. "Don't stand too close. Bad luck rubs off."
I ignored them and focused on the main strike team.
There were ten Vipers. They were loud, rude, and checking their weapons with sloppy discipline. But then, the crowd parted, and silence fell over the playground.
A black limousine pulled up to the curb.
[System: Ooh, fancy. I bet 10 credits whoever steps out is an arrogant prick.]
The door opened. A woman stepped out.
The air temperature seemed to drop ten degrees instantly. She was tall, with hair like spun silver cascading down her back. Her eyes were a piercing, icy blue that looked like they could cut glass. She wore pristine white mage robes that shimmered with high-tier enchantments, contrasting sharply with the dirty playground.
She didn't walk; she glided.
[Target Identified: Seraphina Frost] [Rank: A- (High Mage)] [Affiliation: Freelance / The Frost Monarch's Disciple] [Danger Level: High. Do not annoy.]
"Seraphina!" The Guild Leader of the Red Vipers, a man named Viper Kim, rushed forward. He was greasier than a fast-food fryer and wore too much gold jewelry. "We are honored! Truly! I didn't think the 'Ice Queen' would accept a commission for a D-Rank dungeon!"
Seraphina stopped. She looked at Viper Kim like he was a stain on her boot.
"I need a specific reagent from this dungeon," she said. Her voice was melodic but utterly devoid of warmth. "And your guild was the only one with the permit. Let's make one thing clear, Kim."
She glanced at the ragtag group of Vipers.
"I am here to kill the Boss and take my item. I am not here to babysit your incompetent crew. If you get in my way, I will freeze you."
Viper Kim sweated visibly. "Of course! We'll stay out of your line of fire! We're just here for the scraps!"
Seraphina turned her gaze toward the porters. For a split second, her ice-blue eyes met mine.
I expected recognition. Or maybe curiosity.
Instead, her eyes slid past me as if I were part of the scenery. To her, I wasn't even a person. I was just luggage with a pulse.
[System: Emotional Damage! She looked at you like you were a traffic cone. I like her.]
She's arrogant, I thought, but I couldn't deny the aura radiating off her. She was strong. Probably the strongest person I'd seen in years.
"Alright, maggots!" Viper Kim shouted, trying to regain his dignity. "Formation! Tank in front, Seraphina in the middle, trash... I mean, porters in the back! Move out!"
We marched into the sandbox.
I stepped into the red swirl. The sensation of teleportation hit me—that familiar feeling of being squeezed through a straw.
[Dungeon: The Burning Garden] [Rank: D] [Environment: Volcanic Jungle]
We stepped out into hell.
The sky was a churning mass of dark smoke. The ground was black volcanic soil, hot enough to melt cheap rubber soles. And everywhere, there were plants.
But not normal plants.
Massive, carnivorous vines writhed like snakes. Flowers the size of cars spat globs of acid. Trees with bark like iron had leaves that burned with literal fire.
"Hot," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead instantly.
[System: Ambient temperature: 45°C. Warning: Hydration levels dropping. Suggestion: Don't die of heatstroke, it's embarrassing.]
"Shields up!" Viper Kim barked.
The Vipers moved forward. A group of Magma Hounds—dogs made of molten rock—burst from the brush, snarling.
"Attac—" Kim started to shout.
CRACK-BOOM.
He was cut off by the sound of thunder.
Seraphina raised one hand. She didn't chant. She didn't wave a staff. She just snapped her fingers.
A blizzard erupted in the middle of the jungle.
Hundreds of jagged ice spears materialized from thin air and slammed into the Magma Hounds. Steam hissed violently as the monsters were skewered, their molten bodies cooling instantly into grey rock.
In three seconds, the pack was dead.
"Move," Seraphina said, walking past the frozen statues without glancing at them.
The Vipers cheered. "Whoa! That's an A-Rank Mage for you!"
I walked past the statues, studying them.
Precision, I noted. She hit every vital point. No wasted mana. But...
[System: But?]
She's overcompensating, I thought, watching her stiff posture. She's using Tier 2 Ice Magic in a volcanic environment. The mana cost is double because of the elemental clash. She's strong, but she's brute-forcing the laws of physics instead of working with them.
If I were her, I wouldn't fight the heat. I'd remove the oxygen feeding the fire.
"Hey, Wasted Potential!"
I snapped out of my analysis. A Viper grunt shoved a heavy crate of potions into my chest.
"Carry this too. The Tank is tired."
"The Tank hasn't done anything yet," I pointed out.
"Do you want to get paid, or do you want a beating?" the grunt sneered, tapping the hilt of his dagger.
I looked at the dagger. Then I looked at the grunt's neck.
[Target: Viper Grunt] [Defense: Low] [Kill Opportunity: 98%] [Method: Use 'Vector Charge' to drive his own dagger into his throat.]
The intrusion of violent thoughts was sudden and sweet. My fingers twitched.
No, I told myself. Not yet. Wait for the chaos.
"I'll carry it," I said meekly, taking the crate.
"Good dog," the grunt laughed, shoving me back.
I stumbled, catching my balance. As I adjusted the crate, I scanned the jungle. My eyes weren't looking for monsters. I was looking for gold.
Sun-Fire Lotus... Sun-Fire Lotus...
We trekked deeper. The heat was becoming unbearable. The other porters were panting, their faces red. Even the Vipers were slowing down.
Only Seraphina looked unaffected, a faint blue aura of cold air surrounding her like a personal air conditioner.
"Halt!" Viper Kim shouted. "We're at the midpoint. Rest break! Porters, hand out the water!"
I started passing out water bottles. As I reached Seraphina, she was staring at a map holographic, her brow furrowed.
"Water?" I offered.
She didn't look at me. She just waved a hand dismissively. "I have my own."
"Suit yourself," I shrugged.
"Wait," she said.
I stopped. Did she notice me?
She pointed a gloved finger at the jungle canopy to the east. "You. Porter. What do you see over there?"
I looked. It was just dense, burning foliage.
"Uh... trees?" I said, playing dumb.
"Useless," she scoffed. "There is a mana disturbance. A high concentration of Fire Ether."
My heart skipped a beat. High concentration of Fire Ether. That was the Lotus.
"Leader Kim!" Seraphina called out. "Detour. We're going East."
"East?" Kim frowned. "The Boss is North. Why East?"
"Because there is a rare herb there," Seraphina said coolly. "A Sun-Fire Lotus. It's worth fifty million won."
The Vipers' eyes lit up with greed. "Fifty million?!"
"We split it," Seraphina said. "I take the flower petals. You can have the stem and roots. Deal?"
"Deal!" Kim grinned. "Alright boys, change of plans! We're going flower picking!"
I lowered my head to hide my grin.
Thanks for the GPS, Ice Queen.
But I also knew something they didn't.
[System: Warning. High-Value items in Dungeons are never unguarded. Detecting Guardian Entity.] [Entity: Pyro-Viper King (Elite).] [Status: Ambushing.]
I looked at the canopy. The leaves weren't moving in the wind. They were slithering.
"This is going to be fun," I whispered.
We hacked through the jungle for ten minutes until we reached a clearing. And there it was.
In the center of a pool of bubbling lava, a single flower bloomed. It was magnificent. The petals were made of solid flame, swirling in a mesmerizing dance. The Sun-Fire Lotus.
"Jackpot!" Viper Kim whooped. "Go get it, Thief!"
The Guild's thief, a skinny guy named Rat, stepped forward. "Easy peasy."
He activated his Light Step and hopped across the cooled lava stones toward the flower.
"Wait," Seraphina said, her eyes narrowing. "Something is wrong. It's too quiet."
Rat reached the flower. He reached out his hand.
"Gotcha!"
SNAP.
The lava pool exploded.
It wasn't a pool. It was a mouth.
A massive snake, scales glowing like molten iron, erupted from the magma. Its jaws were big enough to swallow a van.
Rat didn't even have time to scream.
CHOMP.
The snake clamped its jaws shut. Rat vanished. A puff of smoke and a single boot were all that remained.
"AMBUSH!" Kim screamed, wetting his pants.
The Pyro-Viper King roared, spraying globs of lava everywhere.
"Protect the Healer!"
Chaos broke out. The Vipers scattered like roaches.
Seraphina stood her ground, her face pale but determined. She began chanting a massive spell, a giant circle of ice forming above her head.
But I wasn't watching the fight.
I was watching the flower.
The explosion had knocked the Sun-Fire Lotus off its stem. It was currently flying through the air, arching over the battlefield.
Physics. It was all just physics.
I calculated the trajectory. Wind speed: 10mph South. Gravity: 9.8 m/s. Parabola apex: Reached.
It was going to land in the lava and be destroyed.
Unless...
I looked around. Nobody was watching me. They were all looking at the giant snake.
I dropped the supply crate.
[Skill Activated: Vector Charge]
I didn't run. I launched.
My body blurred. I shot forward like a cannonball, intercepting the falling flower in mid-air. I grabbed it, tucked it into my jacket, and used the momentum to roll violently into a patch of ferns.
[Item Acquired: Sun-Fire Lotus] [Quest Objective 2/3 Complete.]
I lay in the ferns, covered in ash, my heart pounding.
"Ash!" the Viper grunt shouted, looking around wildly. "Where is the bait? I mean, the Porter!"
I stayed hidden, peeking through the leaves.
Seraphina released her spell. "Glacial Coffins!"
Giant shards of ice slammed into the snake, pinning it to the ground. It hissed, steam billowing, but it wasn't dead. It was thrashing, breaking the ice.
"It's resistant to magic!" Seraphina grit her teeth. "I need a tank to hold its head still!"
"Screw that!" Viper Kim yelled, running away. "We're leaving! Retreat!"
"You cowards!" Seraphina shouted.
She was alone. The Vipers were fleeing. The Snake broke free of the ice, its burning eyes locking onto the only threat left.
The Ice Queen.
She was out of mana. She sank to her knees, panting.
The Snake reared back to strike.
I looked at the Lotus in my pocket. I had what I came for. I could just use my stealth and crawl away. Let her die. She was arrogant. She was rude.
[System: True. But she's also your ticket out of here. If she dies, the Boss wakes up fully, and the dungeon goes into lockdown. You can't solo a Dungeon Break yet, genius.]
"Damn it," I sighed.
I stood up from the ferns. I grabbed a fistful of rocks from the ground.
"Hey! Overgrown worm!"
I stepped out into the clearing.
The Snake paused. Seraphina looked up, her eyes wide with shock.
"You?" she gasped. "Run, you idiot!"
I didn't run. I grinned.
"Hey, System," I whispered. "Let's test out that Friction control."
I looked at the ground beneath the Snake.
[Target: Volcanic Rock Surface] [Action: Reduce Friction to Zero.]
The Snake lunged at Seraphina.
But as it pushed off the ground to strike, its massive body found no purchase. It was like trying to sprint on wet ice.
Slip.
The Snake's head slammed comically into the ground, sliding past Seraphina and crashing face-first into a boulder.
BONK.
The massive beast lay there, stunned.
I looked at Seraphina.
"Now would be a good time to shoot it in the eye," I suggested.
She stared at me, then at the snake, then back at me. She didn't understand what just happened.
But she didn't hesitate. She summoned her last dregs of mana. An ice spear formed.
THUNK.
Right through the eye socket. The Snake went limp.
Silence returned to the Burning Garden.
Seraphina collapsed, breathing hard. I walked over, casually kicking a rock.
"Are you..." she wheezed, looking up at me with a mix of confusion and suspicion. "Who are you?"
I put on my best dumb-porter face.
"I'm Ash," I said, offering her a hand. "I think the snake tripped. Clumsy thing, huh?".
[End of chapter 5]