Through the center of New York, I pedaled like crazy while a bag full of food on my back kept swinging nonstop, messing up all the food inside. But I didn't care—I just wanted to finish this job as soon as possible.
I rushed through the streets, being careful with cars and pedestrians.
Soon I arrived at the entrance of a hotel.
"Who the hell orders McDonald's while staying in a hotel like this!?" I clicked my tongue and talked to the security guard. After that, I was allowed inside and spoke with the hotel receptionist.
"Order for Jake Smith."
"Jake Smith. Room number?"
"He didn't put that information here." I sighed, impatient with the woman.
Fortunately, after a few minutes, the woman called the man's room and I was able to leave the hotel without meeting that idiot. However, as soon as I left the hotel, my bicycle was gone.
"Shit, shit! Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch!" I shouted, kicking a nearby trash can.
"Hey, stop making a scene here. If you want to scream, go somewhere else." The hotel security guard approached and said.
"You bastard, can't you see someone stole my bike!? You were standing here, weren't you? Why didn't you do anything?"
The man looked at me with disgust and spat on the ground in front of me.
"I'm paid to protect the hotel, not your bicycle." He smiled mockingly.
This bastard.
I felt like killing him, but if I attacked him, I'd be the one who ended up dead.
I have no knowledge of fighting whatsoever. I'd get beaten to death. Besides, the only muscles I have are in my legs from pedaling so much, while that guy looks like some kind of mutant.
So I turned around to leave.
I looked at my phone and saw that the delivery had been completed.
I had received only one dollar in tips.
"You stay in a hotel like that and give me a one-dollar tip!? You bastard!"
"Hey, I already told you to get out of here!"
"Alright, alright, I got it."
I walked away from the hotel and saw a police car approaching. Since I knew it would be useless to ask them to look for my bicycle, I decided to go back home.
But suddenly it started raining.
"What did I do to deserve this?"
I sighed and looked at my old phone that wasn't waterproof.
I was so discouraged that I didn't even bother trying to save it.
What a shitty life. It would be better to just die if I have to keep living like this for the rest of my life.
Late rent.
Delivering food by bicycle just to survive.
Completely screwed.
'Screw you, God.'
Why did you have to give me a life like this?
'Trash.'
I raised my middle finger toward the sky.
That's when I noticed some scaffolding high above my head.
But it was getting closer. Fast.
'You really are a bitch, God.'
####
After feeling my body being crushed, my eyes suddenly opened. I quickly sat up, gasping for air. I looked at my body and noticed my clothes were soaked with sweat.
'Where is this place?'
I looked around.
The place I was in was luxurious… and old. There was even a chandelier above my head. The bed I was lying on was of a quality I had never felt before.
The old appearance of the room frightened me.
There's no place in downtown New York that looks like this. And it's definitely not a hospital.
"Argh, what a terrible headache."
I grabbed my head and pulled at my hair. It was longer than usual.
It was as if I had been in a coma for several months.
I was also thinner and very weak.
'But if this place isn't a hospital, where am I? This doesn't make any sense. I can still feel that heavy thing crushing my body.'
People think a death that "instant" doesn't hurt.
They're completely wrong.
I will never forget the pain I felt.
I dragged myself out of bed and looked at the door, which seemed very heavy. Instead of going straight to it, I looked at a desk in the room.
There were some paintings there.
One of them showed a woman with red hair and a serious expression.
'Haven't I seen that face before?'
Before I could reach a conclusion, something strange happened.
Messages began appearing in front of my eyes.
It was a blue, translucent screen, like something from a high-quality VR game.
Actually… this looks more like a projector. Where is this light coming from?
Then I realized the light was coming from my eye.
"My eye turned into a projector or something? What the hell is this?"
I tried covering my eye, but the translucent window remained.
'What is this? I can't read it?'
What was written there was in Korean… or Japanese.
But I couldn't understand it.
Even though my mother was Korean, I never learned the language.
Then I heard a voice in my head.
[Detecting linguistic incompatibility.]
[System display language: Korean]
[Languages understood by host: English]
[Analyzing neural activity…]
[Scanning brain language centers…]
[Integrating linguistic database…]
[Neural modification authorized.]
[Reconstructing Broca's area…]
[Reconstructing Wernicke's area…]
[Adaptation process complete.]
[The host's brain has been adjusted to interpret the language used by the system and by the world.]
[From now on, the host will be able to]
• Understand Korean and Japanese
• Read Korean and Japanese
[Language synchronization: complete]
When the voice finished speaking, I froze for a few moments.
When I recovered from the shock, I looked at the messages that kept appearing one after another.
This time there was no voice—only words.
[Initializing System…]
[Nanomachine – Integrated Medical Unit]
Detecting host condition…
Analyzing vital signs…
Scanning bone structure…
Checking muscle tissues…
Evaluating brain activity…
Analysis result:
The host's body had suffered severe damage.
Identified damage:
• Multiple bone fractures
• Internal bleeding
• Extensive muscle rupture
• Puncture wounds caused by claws and fangs
• Critical blood loss
• Extreme physical exhaustion
Probable cause:
Prolonged combat against monsters inside the Dungeon.
Without immediate intervention, the host's probability of death is 97.4%.
Initiating emergency protocol.
Releasing medical nanomachines.
Repairing damaged tissues.
Regenerating muscle fibers.
Sealing blood vessels.
Realigning bone structure.
Repair process complete.
Current host condition:
Vital functions: Stable
Body structure: Restored
Critical injuries: Completely treated
The host's body has been fully restored.
Seeing all those messages from the supposed system I had received, my headache got worse. I felt like I was about to faint. I gave up on leaving the room and sat down on the bed.
Some time later, the door to the room opened.
An unfamiliar woman entered.
She was wearing a maid outfit.
'Who?'
The woman looked shocked when she saw me sitting at the edge of the bed. Before I could even open my mouth, she ran out of the room, and I didn't get the chance to ask anything.
"What the hell was that?" I said before lying back down on the bed.
I stared at the chandelier on the ceiling while taking a deep breath.
'What was that? What did that thing mean by Nanomachine?'
As if it knew about my doubts, a voice began speaking in my mind while my eye projected the same information in front of me.
[System Active]
Detecting host question…
Processing request…
Response initiated.
[User, the Nanomachine unit is a system composed of billions of microscopic machines currently integrated into your body.]
[These units were designed to monitor, protect, and enhance the host.]
1 — Medical Support
The nanomachines continuously analyze your body and can:
Treat injuries
Stop bleeding
Repair muscles and bones
Accelerate regeneration
During your arrival in this world, your body presented critical damage caused by monsters.
All anomalies have been successfully corrected.
2 — Combat Assistance
The nanomachines can:
Analyze enemies
Predict hostile movements
Optimize your reflexes and muscle control
This will significantly increase your chances of survival inside the Dungeon.
3 — Information Interface
This unit projects information directly into your right eye, allowing you to:
Display status
Analyze creatures
Process environmental data
4 — Physical Enhancement
The nanomachines can gradually improve:
Strength
Speed
Endurance
Coordination
These improvements will occur as the host develops.
These are not all the functions. They are only the basic functionalities.
Please inform any further questions.
[Nanomachine awaiting the User's next command.]
After that thing finished speaking, I thought:
'Alright, I understand. Just stay quiet.'
What the hell is this? Did I really end up in some kind of fantasy world or something?
But that woman… I remember her.
I got up and ran to the painting I had seen earlier.
Red hair. Half-closed eyes. Those clothes.
"I know this woman."
Isn't she that character from that series called Dungeon ni Deai?
Just as I reached that conclusion, the door opened.
A woman with red hair tied in a ponytail appeared.
The look she gave me was unpleasant.
[Analyzing target…]
Detected Race: Divinity
Identified Name: Loki
Category: God of the Celestial Realm (Tenkai)
Estimated Threat Level: Extremely High
[Analysis Result]
The entity before you is a true goddess.
Gods in this world possess the following characteristics:
Originally immeasurable divine power
Authority over Falna (the blessing system granted to adventurers)
A spiritual existence superior to mortal races
However, when descending to the Lower World (Genkai), gods voluntarily seal their divine power.
[Current Entity Status]
Divine Power: Sealed
Current Body: Limited Form
Physical Capability: Equivalent to an ordinary human
I didn't ask for that, you idiot!
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"..." I stayed silent and didn't respond.
Loki stared at me for a few seconds before asking again.
"How are you feeling?"
Her half-closed eyes opened slightly, and I felt extremely threatened.
Instinctively, I answered.
"I'm feeling fine," I said, stepping away from the desk.
"Good to know. When you're fully recovered, come see me. I have something very important to discuss with you. I need to know what happened inside the Dungeon, understood?"
"..."
"I asked if you understood."
"Yes, I understood."
Even though I didn't remember anything about the past, I answered.
Loki seemed satisfied and walked toward the door.
Before leaving, she turned back to me and said,
"Eat well and recover quickly. I'm running out of patience."
Her tone was cold and unpleasant.
It gave me chills.
She seems very irritated. Did something happen? Hey, Nanomachine, do you know what happened?
[I do not possess information about the past.]
"Great, great. The moment I decide to use you, you can't help me."
I lay down on the bed again, and shortly after, the same maid from earlier entered the room.
"Excuse me. I'll leave the food here."
She brought a tray with food that looked delicious and then left the room.
I walked over to the tray she had placed on the desk and started eating while standing.
Sausage. Bread. Meat. Potatoes.
Everything tasted extremely good.
After finishing, I rubbed my stomach.
I'm ridiculously skinny. What the hell.
[I can create a training routine and assist with your physical development.]
That same female voice spoke again.
'Stay quiet for now, Nano. Let me think about what's going on before I start worrying about getting stronger or something.'
If I received this thing, it must be to get stronger, right?
Since Loki is here, this must be the world of Dungeon ni Deai. I have no doubt about it.
Even though my old life was terrible, I didn't want to die and end up in a place like this.
What should I do now?
Huff…
I let out a long sigh while staring at the ceiling.