Shun POV:

Hundreds of people packed the plaza. They all turned their heads toward me, staring with shock and awe once I reached the middle of the dungeon platform.

‘The time flow.’

I had entered the dungeon before midday, yet the sky was now dark. The thought came to me when the Dungeon System was able to recognise I was from another world. If it could do that, then it was obvious that dungeons also possessed their own rates of time, so I prepared some countermeasures just in case.

The Troll Guardian.

This was the reason I cut the monster’s clothes into something wearable. The open fur hoodie concealed my bloodied rags, and the large hood hid most of my face. The only people who knew I entered the dungeon were the soldiers rushing toward me and Atwood.

“Young man, are you injured anywhere? Troll Guardians are usually at the Monzen Ki Stage...”

“Remarkable... It reminds me of that story from Efros 30 years ago.”

“Ah, that one! I heard there were quite a few similar stories across the Empire that day.”

“I’m fine.”

I tried to walk past them, but the oldest guard blocked my way with his toned arm.

“There are no Ki Artifacts in this dungeon, so I don’t know why you took such a reckless approach, but value your life before you lose it early.”

“...”

I peered deep into his eyes, grasping the genuine care he had for others. The slight smell of a rose in his pocket drifted into my nose. He had plans to give it to his wife that was no doubt framed in the small locket around his neck, hidden by the chest armour he wore.

I cocked my head to the side.

A faint burn over his left ear appeared to be self-inflicted. Someone of his age would be ranked higher in the army than a soldier guarding the entrance to a dungeon. Unless he joined late, had a traumatic experience, or wasn’t skilled enough for a higher position. Judging by the way he addressed me and his concealed well-built frame, the answer was clear.

Perhaps the trauma stemmed from the dungeons themselves. Thus, he took the liberty to aid and support those brave enough to challenge them: Adventurers.

Or... stop those chasing after a fleeting dream.

He began to sweat till he avoided eye contact with me altogether. He had someone to care for, to love for, to protect, but what did I have?

Nothing.

No one.

I walked past the soldier and flickered out of view. Once I reached the guild, I landed on the clean pavement from the rooftops and headed inside.

“Atwood, update my ranking.”

His eyes scanned the fur hoodie I wore. They stopped on the bloodied rags visible from the side before staring at the license I placed on the front desk.

“...I take it you went in alone?”

“Yeah.”

“And the party penalty?...”

“Useless.”

Another blank expression swept over his face for a few seconds. A dungeon of that level wasn’t enough for me to grow strong. I needed more.

“...One moment, please.”

Atwood dipped his head and took the license with him through a back door. I could feel the number of eyes resting on me begin to increase with time.

‘...’

Had they overheard my brief conversation? Or did the situation at the plaza spread amongst the people well before I cleared the dungeon?

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Either way, this wasn’t good.

Beads of sweat ran down my forehead. The weight of the air multiplied, disturbing the rhythmic breathing I had developed in the mountains. I gripped my trembling arm, forcing it to stop.

But the seconds dragged on. It reminded me of a time when all I could do was wait for the inevitable.

Atwood reappeared four minutes later and placed a small brown pouch of silver on the front desk. His cheeks rose while he pointed toward the upgraded license.

“I apologise for the wait, Shun. But congratulations! You are now a D+ Ran—“

I snatched the adventurer license out of his hand, grabbed the brown pouch, and shot out of the guild. Currents of air wrapped around me as I sped across the rooftops.

‘Damn it!’

A group of soldiers waiting at one of the city’s exits cut my escape short. Rather than make a scene, I joined the growing line and waited for my turn to come.

When I first arrived in Patari, the soldiers didn’t bat an eye at my haggard appearance, nor did they try to stop me from entering the city. In other words, my actions in the dungeon had inadvertently raised the security level.

It was a mistake. A mistake caused by my own eagerness to verify the three months I spent training in the mountains.

“Don’t worry. We’re just taking safety precautions.”

A mature woman handed me back my adventurer license but didn’t step aside. She had a light tan and brunette hair braided into a ponytail that rested over the front of her large breastplate.

Throughout my time in the queue, she never raised her voice. She acted in a rational and composed manner. However, she was stern when she needed to be. Those that tried to flirt with her during the inspections were pulled to the side and given a firm warning for disrupting military work.

The soldiers addressed her as Lady Blaire or Knight Blaire. They looked at her with respect and admiration; an example that they should follow.

“When did you become an adventurer?”

“9 hours ago.”

“...”

Her stiff expression warped into one of bewilderment before settling down.

“So you're the cause of the Cryptic Soldier incident. I appreciate you not trying to lie your way out of this, so I’ll do you a favour and keep quiet. With strength like yours, you’ll be a powerful asset to Sharir.”

It was as I expected.

I observed her actions, mannerisms, and demeanour. Everything she said, how she spoke; I separated all of that information into the appropriate categories under her profile.

Blaire was a lenient person in matters that worked for the greater good of her country. As long as it didn’t conflict with her own moral standing, there would be room for negotiation.

Her approach to the situation verified this. Not only had Blaire lowered her voice, but she also took me aside—out of earshot from anyone nearby.

“...”

Blaire placed a hand on her hip and let out a soft sigh at my silence.

“My husband mentioned there was a young man underestimating dungeons. He isn’t one to divulge private information, so he withheld from telling me that individual’s name during our lunch break. I take it... that man was you?”

“Yeah.”

Atwood didn’t look much older than his early 20s. Neither did Blaire’s maturity show any signs of excessive ageing on her face. But personally,

I didn’t care.

“You seem to be in a hurry, so I won’t take anymore of your time. Safe travels.”

Blaire made her way back to the other soldiers and said a few words. They nodded their heads in unison and let me pass without any issue.

I continued to manipulate the currents of air around me as I dashed across the vast fields.

[You have cleared the mission: ‘Extreme Body Test.’]

“Atlas.”

A dark brown object whizzed by my side, projecting a map in front of my vision. Only small objects could be directly summoned from the Inventory, and Atlas V3 met that criteria.

My gaze rested on a city at the very edge of the map. I stared at its name for some time before parting my lips.

“Chunhae Village.”

That was my next destination.

***

I stepped inside a lively inn called Yeongyeol. The bloodied rags I once wore now remained inside my inventory.

Sharir’s ecosystem shared many similarities with Earth’s, yet was far more diverse. This made sense considering monsters roamed free within their own habitats the same way animals did.

Within that ecosystem, I had amassed a lot of knowledge on plant ecology.

Saponins: a natural plant compound that latches onto oil after it has dissolved in water. The compound is then washed away, taking the oil and dirt with it.

According to Herb, the common tree that contained a high saponin content in Sharir was called Green Ash. By crushing a bunch of leaves and rubbing them together, you could extract a foamy soap substance.

Herb explained that it was an ‘old school’ method of using soap. It had the potential to kill fish and harm marine life, so I used it in a bucket of wood I made from a tree stump.

That was the reason why my fur clothes were clean, and why I didn’t stink right now. The last thing I needed was for people to lodge complaints, nor did I want to catch any diseases in an unknown world.

“How much for a night?”

A young woman with pink hair tied back into a ponytail sat behind the front desk. She had vibrant amber eyes that gazed into mine. Her cheek rested in the palm of her hand, forming a somewhat bored face.

“3 gold.”

“...”

That was another reason I didn’t buy soap.

I had sold all of the Troll Guardian’s jewellery at a pawnshop for a total of 5 gold. The Troll’s bones sold for 10, and its hair for 15 gold. It seemed common jewellery was less valuable in Ayadell, which meant that there was something of more value in its place besides Ki Artifacts.

“Get me a room.”

I dashed three gold coins on the counter while the receptionist’s eyebrows twitched in response. A sigh escaped her mouth before she took the money.

“One moment please, dear customer.”

I shifted my gaze toward the people talking amongst themselves. Many of them would be classed as Korean in my original world, but other nationalities were also present. A key slid forward, bringing my focus back to the receptionist.

“5th floor, room 35. Please enjoy your stay.”

I ignored her smile, snatched the key off the desk, and walked off.