As I lay there, hooked up to all these damn wires, Kang Yeonhee seemed determined to get answers. She stood beside my bed, arms crossed, her expression shifting between curiosity and suspicion. I could tell she wasn’t going to let this go.

"So," she started, her tone light but probing, "you’re not exactly from around here. Mind elaborating on that?"

I glanced at her, then back at the ceiling, sighing dramatically. "Look, I’m just a simple guy who happened to stumble into a dungeon, fought a few golems, and took a nap. Nothing to write home about."

Yeonhee raised an eyebrow. "Right. Because simple guys usually refer to themselves as 'not exactly from around here.' You’re not very good at this whole lying thing, are you?"

I smirked, deciding to play along. "I guess I’m just too honest for my own good. My mom always said it would get me into trouble one day."

"Oh, really?" Yeonhee leaned in a little closer, her eyes narrowing. "And where exactly is this 'mom' of yours from? Heaven? Olympus? Narnia?"

I chuckled. "Nah, she’s more of an underworld kind of gal. Big fan of eternal flames and all that."

She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with my jokes. "You know, for a guy who just soloed an S-rank dungeon, you’re surprisingly nonchalant."

"Well," I replied, shrugging as best I could with all the wires attached to me, "what can I say? I’ve seen worse."

"Really? Like what? A dragon in your backyard? A god complex?"

I grinned. "Well, the dragon was a bit more of a pet than a problem, and as for the god complex… let's just say I had to keep it in check."

Yeonhee groaned, shaking her head. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

"Yeah, I get that a lot," I said, flashing her a mischievous smile. "But hey, you keep asking questions, and I’ll keep dodging them. We could do this all day."

For a moment, it seemed like she might laugh, but then her expression shifted. The lightheartedness drained from her face, replaced by something cold and deadly serious. I watched as she reached to her side, her hand gripping something beneath her coat.

In an instant, she unsheathed a golden sword, the blade shimmering with a dangerous glow as she pointed it directly at my throat. The edge was close enough that I could feel its sharpness in the air between us.

"Enough games," she said, her voice low and lethal. "Tell me who you really are. Are you the spy we’ve been tracking? Sent by a particular Asian country to infiltrate our ranks?"

The sudden shift in tone caught me off guard. I stared at the sword, then up at Yeonhee’s face, which was now devoid of any trace of humor.

"A spy?" I echoed, blinking as I tried to wrap my head around the accusation. "You think I’m some government agent sent to gather intel on… what, your dungeon tactics?"

She didn’t flinch, her grip on the sword steady as steel. "We’ve been on the lookout for someone with extraordinary abilities, someone who’s been causing disruptions in high-level operations. You show up out of nowhere, unregistered, with no records, and single-handedly clear a dungeon. You can see why I’m suspicious."

I sighed, my playful demeanor fading as I realized how serious she was. "Look, I’m not your spy. I’m not even from this world, technically. I’ve been… asleep, for lack of a better word, for a long time. Woke up in the middle of all this chaos. I’m just trying to figure out what the hell happened, same as you."

Yeonhee studied me, her eyes searching for any sign of deceit. I could feel the tension in the room, the air thick with uncertainty. Finally, she lowered the sword, though she didn’t sheath it just yet.

"Then tell me," she said, her voice softer but still firm. "If you’re not a spy, and you’re not from around here, what are you? And why should I believe you?"

I met her gaze, knowing that this was a moment of truth. If I wanted her to trust me—if I wanted to survive in this strange new world—I had to give her something real.

"I’m not sure what I am anymore," I admitted, my voice quieter now. "I used to be a god, once. The strongest of them all. But now… I’m just a man trying to find his place in a world that’s moved on without him. Believe me or don’t, but that’s the truth."

Yeonhee didn’t say anything for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she sheathed her sword, though I could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced.

"Alright," she said finally, her tone guarded. "I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt—for now. But if I find out you’re lying to me…"

"You won’t," I assured her, leaning back against the pillows. "Because I’m not."

She nodded, though the tension between us remained. As she turned to leave, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d just made a friend or an enemy. One thing was certain—Kang Yeonhee was not someone to be taken lightly. And if I wanted to survive in this world, I’d need to stay on her good side.

But deep down, I knew that wasn’t going to be easy.

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As I lay back on the hospital bed, trying to process everything that had happened, my mind kept drifting back to the word Yeonhee had used: “spy.” It gnawed at me, the thought that I was somehow being mistaken for someone embroiled in mortal affairs that I had no interest in. The idea of being tangled in some conspiracy was as absurd as it was irritating.

Just as I was about to dismiss it, Yeonhee, who had paused near the door, turned back to face me. I could see she was still on edge, her fingers lingering close to the hilt of her sword. She had lowered her weapon earlier, but I knew it wouldn’t take much to get her to draw it again.

“You keep mentioning this ‘spy’ thing,” I said, breaking the silence. “Care to elaborate? Because I’ve been asleep for a very long time, and I’ve got no clue what’s going on in your world these days.”

Yeonhee’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing whether or not to divulge more information. After a moment, she seemed to decide there was no harm in it. She walked back to the chair beside my bed and sat down, her posture still tense, ready for anything.

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“There’s an organization,” she began, her tone serious. “A network, really. It’s not just one group, but several, scattered across the globe. They operate in the shadows, moving between countries, conducting operations that governments either don’t know about or can’t stop. They’re involved in everything from smuggling rare dungeon artifacts to black-market sales of high-level weapons. Some call them criminals, others see them as rogue agents, but the truth is… no one knows exactly who’s in charge or what their ultimate goal is.”

I listened carefully, the pieces of a larger puzzle starting to fall into place. “And you think I’m connected to them somehow?”

Yeonhee sighed, leaning back slightly. “That’s the thing. We don’t know. But people with abilities like yours… they don’t just show up out of nowhere. Not without someone taking notice. The fact that you appeared here, unregistered, with no history or records… it raises red flags.”

“Unregistered?” I echoed, my confusion deepening. “So what, everyone with powers has to sign up for some sort of registry now?”

She nodded. “After the dungeons appeared and creatures started pouring out, it became necessary. Governments worldwide began creating registries to keep track of anyone with abilities. S-Rankers especially—like myself—are closely monitored. It’s not just for control; it’s a matter of global security. People with power can change the course of a battle, or even a war, and if they’re not accounted for… well, you can imagine the chaos.”

I frowned, the implications of what she was saying slowly sinking in. “And these organizations you mentioned… they’re not on the registry?”

“Exactly,” Yeonhee confirmed. “They operate outside the law, in the grey areas where governments can’t reach. In some countries, they’re considered terrorists. In others, they’re tolerated because they deal with things the authorities can’t—or won’t. It’s a mess, to put it mildly.”

“And you thought I was one of them?” I asked, a bit incredulously. “A rogue agent or a spy from one of these shadow organizations?”

She gave me a pointed look. “You have to admit, you fit the profile. A powerful individual with no ties, no records, and the ability to take down an S-rank dungeon solo? It’s not something we see every day. And trust me, in my line of work, we see a lot.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, though it was more out of disbelief than amusement. “I’ve been called a lot of things in my time, but a spy? That’s a first.”

Yeonhee didn’t smile. She was clearly still on high alert, trying to figure me out. “These organizations,” she continued, “they’ve been growing bolder lately. We’ve had reports of them infiltrating government facilities, raiding dungeons that are off-limits, and even kidnapping people with rare abilities. The situation is escalating, and everyone’s on edge.”

“So, you’re saying I’m a potential threat,” I said, summing up her concerns. “Because I’m unregistered and too strong to be left unchecked.”

“More or less,” she admitted. “I can’t afford to take any chances. Not when the stakes are this high.”

I nodded slowly, beginning to see where she was coming from. In her shoes, I might have reacted the same way. But still, it didn’t change the fact that I was being caught up in something I had no intention of being part of.

“You’ve got the wrong guy,” I said, meeting her gaze. “I’m not part of any organization, criminal or otherwise. Hell, I’ve only been awake for what, a few hours? I don’t know anything about your world, about these registries, or about these rogue groups. All I care about is figuring out why my powers are sealed and what the hell I’m supposed to do next.”

Yeonhee studied me, her expression softening just a fraction. “Maybe you’re telling the truth,” she said, though there was still doubt in her voice. “But until we know for sure, I’m going to keep an eye on you.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” I replied with a wry smile. “But trust me, you’re not going to find anything incriminating.”

She stood up, her posture relaxing just a little. “We’ll see. In the meantime, you should rest. If you’re really not part of any organization, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. But if you are… well, we’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

As she turned to leave, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of relief. At least now I had a better understanding of the world I’d woken up in, and why Yeonhee was so suspicious of me. But the thought of being mistaken for a spy still irked me. I was a god, once, not some mortal pawn in a human game of espionage.

Still, one thing was clear—I had to tread carefully. This world was dangerous, and the people in it even more so. And until I could regain my full strength, I’d need to navigate it with caution. Even if that meant playing along with Yeonhee’s suspicions for a while longer.

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In a dimly lit room adorned with luxurious furnishings, two men sat across from each other in plush leather chairs. The atmosphere was thick with tension, despite the opulence surrounding them. The first man, older with graying hair and a sharp gaze, leaned forward, his fingers steepled under his chin.

“The mission was a failure,” the older man began, his voice calm but laced with underlying menace. “We lost a significant asset, and now the gate has collapsed. Tell me, how does something like this happen under our watch?”

The second man, younger and more restless, shifted in his seat, clearly uneasy under the scrutiny. “I’ve been receiving reports, sir,” he started, his tone cautious. “There’s been an incident, something… unusual. Apparently, the dungeon wasn’t just breached—it was soloed.”

“Soloed?” The older man’s eyebrows arched in disbelief. “By whom? An S-Rank Hunter? One of ours?”

The younger man shook his head, his expression troubled. “That’s the thing. We don’t know. The information is still unverified. All we have is a vague report from an informant, and even he’s unsure. But… it seems an unknown individual entered the dungeon alone and cleared it.”

A long silence followed as the older man digested this piece of news. He reclined back in his chair, fingers drumming on the armrest as he considered the implications. “An unknown individual… in one of the most heavily monitored dungeons in Seoul? And you’re telling me we have no solid information on who or what they are?”

“Yes, sir,” the younger man replied, his voice wavering slightly. “We’re working on it, but right now, there’s nothing concrete. It’s like this person just appeared out of nowhere.”

The older man’s gaze turned cold, his eyes narrowing. “You know how I feel about uncertainty,” he said quietly, his tone deadly. “I want this situation resolved. And I want it done discreetly. Whoever this person is, they pose a threat to our operations, and I won’t tolerate any loose ends.”

The younger man nodded quickly, trying to keep his composure. “Of course, sir. We’ll verify the information immediately and take appropriate action. If it’s true that someone managed to solo an S-rank dungeon, we need to find out how they did it—and who they are.”

The older man’s lips curled into a predatory smile, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Yes… verify it. Use all our resources, all our informants. I want this person found. And when you do, bring them to me.”

The younger man hesitated, sensing something darker in his superior’s words. “And if the information turns out to be false? What if there is no mysterious individual?”

“Then,” the older man said, his voice dripping with malice, “we’ll have to ensure our informants understand the consequences of wasting my time. We can’t afford to have unreliable sources in this game.”

He leaned forward, his grin widening as a sinister thought crossed his mind. “But if the information is true… if someone really did clear that dungeon on their own… well, let’s just say things are about to get very interesting.”

With that, he stood up and walked to the side of the room, where a third man, who had been standing silently in the shadows, now stepped forward. The older man motioned him closer, and the younger man watched in tense silence, unsure of what was about to happen.

The older man placed a hand on the third man’s head, gripping it tightly. The younger man watched in horrified fascination as the older man’s smile grew even more twisted.

“Consider this a demonstration,” the older man said softly, almost to himself. Then, with a swift motion, he twisted and snapped the man’s neck, beheading him in one brutal, fluid movement.

The younger man flinched, his breath catching in his throat. The body crumpled to the floor, and the older man wiped his hands, unfazed by the blood now staining the carpet.

“Things are getting interesting indeed,” he murmured, his grin widening as he looked down at the lifeless body. “Now, go. Do your job. I expect results, not excuses.”

The younger man, pale and shaken, nodded quickly and bolted from the room, leaving the older man alone with his thoughts. He stared down at the headless corpse, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

“Yes… very interesting indeed,” he whispered, before turning his attention back to the shadows, where another figure awaited his orders.