My daily life in reality isn't particularly special.
I wake up in the morning, wash up roughly, and eat. These days, I don't cook for myself but instead enter the "Baekhwan" world to bring Yuria's food back to reality to eat.
Since the food doesn't have any special powers, the taste doesn't degrade.
Then, I head to school. On days I really don't feel like going or if I get bored or irritated during class, I just leave.
After class, I go to the Yeongcheon Sword Hall. I train intensely with Jin Se-young.
I've been consistently working on my physique. The problem is that it doesn't show as much improvement as before. In the beginning, intense training would increase my strength, stamina, and agility stats, but now, no matter how hard I train all day, they don't budge.
Because of that, my motivation for physical training has waned. Lately, I've been spending only about two hours at the Yeongcheon Sword Hall.
The rest of the time, I hunt monsters in dungeons. Despite how I may seem, I'm an E-rank Hunter. And I have the desire to rise to a higher rank.
To become a high-rank Hunter, the most important thing is skill, followed by achievements, so I've been consistently commuting to dungeons.
There are no days off.
If I feel like resting, I can just go to the "Vampire Detective" world or the "Baekhwan" world. I can take a break there.
Physical fatigue in reality? Using Complete Recovery makes it disappear in an instant. Since I can use it once every 12 hours, I've been actively utilizing it this way.
'Na Ah-yeon hasn't contacted me at all…'
It's been about a month since I blackmailed the actress Na Ah-yeon with videos and photos to sleep with her, but there's been no contact. I was expecting her to reach out, unable to forget the taste of my dick, but it seems she has more self-control than I thought.
'Well, it doesn't matter.'
I won't be the one to reach out first. She's an actress, but her looks aren't stunning enough to force a relationship. Objectively speaking, she's slightly less attractive than Jin Se-young.
'And most importantly, Na Ah-yeon can be taken in the "Vampire Detective" world.'
Raika from "Vampire Detective" and Na Ah-yeon are the same person. Their pussies taste the same. If I want to hold Na Ah-yeon, I can just hold Raika. Well, the real one is a bit more exciting, but the difference isn't huge.
Right now, class was in session.
Sitting in the corner of the classroom, Oh Jun-hyuk and I were completely distracted. I was zoning out, lost in thought, while Oh Jun-hyuk was glued to his smartphone.
The professor didn't say anything even though he saw us. He knew. Even if we were expelled for being Hunters, it wouldn't matter. And it's not just us who aren't paying attention. It's a common sight in the Hunter Department.
"Hey. Hey. Look at this. This is the girl I'm seeing right now. She's a year younger than me, but her looks are no joke, right?"
"Let me see."
I craned my neck to look at the photo Oh Jun-hyuk showed me. It was a selfie of him with a short-haired girl, taken at what looked like a restaurant. The girl's face was plain.
"She's average."
"Huh? Hey. How is this average? She's way above average!"
Oh Jun-hyuk was right. Objectively, the girl's looks were above average. She just wasn't my type.
"Ah, right. I think I've been watching too much TV lately. Seeing nothing but celebrities on TV has raised my standards."
Thanks to the Play Life app, my standards for women have skyrocketed. Now, even girls who are above average don't really strike me as pretty.
"Dude. Staying cooped up at home is making you lose touch with reality. In that spirit, wanna hit the club with me today?"
I smirked.
"You should cut back on the clubbing. Didn't you say you're seeing this girl? Does she know you're a club addict?"
"I met her at a club. And we're just seeing each other right now. Once we start dating seriously, I'll stop clubbing."
"Yeah, right."
I can say with certainty: Oh Jun-hyuk won't quit clubbing. He broke up with his last girlfriend because of clubbing.
I glanced at Oh Jun-hyuk's phone and said.
"Still, her chest looks pretty big. Must be at least a C-cup."
"Right? She's petite but has big boobs. And her face is way above average… Lately, I've been thinking about marrying her."
"You're insane."
Marriage? Give me a break.
We're still in our early 20s. It's way too early to get married. Besides, the higher a Hunter's rank, the better the treatment they receive. Just reaching C-rank would let you marry a far more beautiful woman.
'There's a saying that Hunters should only marry when they retire.'
Being a hunter is a high-income job, but it's equally dangerous. The mortality rate is much higher compared to other high-income jobs. Even veteran Hunters can die if they let their guard down.
'Two of my juniors already died.'
They were killed by monsters in a dungeon. One's body was recovered, but the other was eaten alive by monsters, leaving nothing behind.
Since we weren't close, I didn't feel sad. All I knew about them was their names.
'I can't die. I have the Play Life app—it'd be such a waste to die now.'
I've been careful in dungeons. I never push myself.
Since I can earn as much money as I want, there's no need to take unnecessary risks.
"Seong Eugene. I need to talk to you for a second."
Someone called my name.
When I looked away from the window, Professor Park was next to me.
Park Cheon-woo. The youngest professor in the Hunter Department. Commonly called Professor Park. Perhaps because he's young, he takes more interest in students compared to other professors. Despite his blunt tone and expression, he's a meddlesome guy.
"Me?"
"Yes. Come to my office."
"Now?"
"Do you need to use the bathroom? Be there within 10 minutes."
With that, Professor Park left.
Tap tap!
Oh Jun-hyuk nudged my shoulder with a shit-eating grin.
"Eugene, you're screwed. What did you do? Huh?"
He seemed more amused than concerned. I clicked my tongue.
"Screwed my ass… I didn't do anything."
My grades are in the gutter, but it's not just me. Oh Jun-hyuk's grades are just as bad. There are plenty of students with worse grades than mine.
"Can't think of anything? Really? Professor Park wouldn't call you for no reason."
That's true. If you're late or skip class, he'll scold you, but he doesn't usually call you out separately to yell at you.
"No idea. I'll find out when I get there. Be right back."
I got up from my seat with a vague reply.
***
It was my first time entering Professor Park's office. The office was neatly organized. The bookshelf was filled with specialized books on monsters.
'The history of Hunters is quite long.'
Hunters haven't been in the public eye for very long. Superhumans and monsters only began appearing in large numbers in modern times. Before the Hunter Association was established and superpowers, mages, and martial artists became known, the general public was completely unaware.
The existence of monsters was disguised as folklore. The monsters in myths and legends were, in fact, real.
'There's monster byproducts too.'
I don't know what kind of monster they're from. And I don't care what Professor Park researches.
"Seong Eugene. Over here."
A voice called me from the room on the right. I headed there.
Inside, along with Professor Park, Han Ha-rin was sitting cross-legged on the sofa. She always had that aloof demeanor.
'Why is Han Ha-rin here…? Don't tell me she and Professor Park—?!'
That didn't seem to be the case. Han Ha-rin's cold expression and aura wouldn't change even if she were dealing with a professor.
I sat next to Han Ha-rin since Professor Park was across from us.
"The reason I called you two today… is because I want to recommend this."
Professor Park placed a few documents on the table. Han Ha-rin and I looked at them. Among them was a flashy flyer.
"Dungeon Survival: Reprised?"
"Yes. Seong Eugene, do you know about Dungeon Survival?"
"Wasn't that a program from a few years ago? I remember it being a hot topic. But I also remember it flopping hard."
Dungeon Survival.
A program ambitiously prepared by the terrestrial broadcaster SOX about five years ago.
The premise was Hunters living in a dungeon for several days while competing against other Hunters. True to its name, it was about surviving in the dungeon.
"This… they're doing it again?"
"Yes. It seems they've prepared better this time. The Hunter Association is actively involved, and this was sent to us."
It makes sense for the Hunter Association to step in. Many ordinary people fear Hunters. The Hunter Association wants to change that perception and actively cooperates with broadcasts to improve Hunters' public image.
"...Won't it just flop like last time?"
"Read it carefully. The broadcaster put some thought into it. What happened last time won't happen again."
The previous Dungeon Survival ended after just one episode. The reason was simple: too many A-rank Hunters participated.
The broadcaster underestimated the power of A-rank Hunters. They swept through the dungeon in a day and fought among themselves. There was no story—just flashy battle scenes.
Even those scenes weren't properly captured on camera. Ordinary viewers couldn't understand the fights because they couldn't follow the speed of A-rank Hunters.
In the end, Dungeon Survival was a spectacular failure. It's arguably the most disastrous flop in broadcasting history.
"Only Hunters aged 24 or younger can participate?"
"The biggest reason Dungeon Survival failed was the imbalance between Hunters and the dungeon. This time, they've excluded strong, experienced Hunters, so it won't flop like last time."
The conditions are being 24 or younger and forming teams of three.
Early 20s. Most are F to D-rank Hunters. With the age restriction, the number of C-rank or higher Hunters will be extremely low. The chances of them joining this Dungeon Survival are almost zero.
The prize money is only 1 billion won. For Hunters, that's not much.
"Only 1 billion won for winning? You have to survive a week in a dungeon for just 1 billion?"
"The prize money is a bit low."
"I won't participate. It's not mandatory, right?"
Professor Park nodded at my question.
"If that's your decision, I can't force you."
"But why is the university recommending this? Why not recruit officially?"
"If they recruited officially, would Hunters participate?"
Unless they're attention-seekers, probably not.
"And the Hunter Association requested cooperation. Not just our university, but all universities nationwide with Hunter Departments. Since it's a nationally broadcast program, they can't just let anyone participate. That's why they asked our university, where identities are verified, first."
"The Hunter Association's got it rough."
I replied indifferently.
"Han Harin. What about you?"
"...I'll participate."
"Good. That makes two… Now we just need one more…"
"Wait. Hold on. Senior, why are you joining?"
I was genuinely curious.
Han Ha-rin was a D-rank Hunter born with a silver spoon. Prize money of 1 billion? That's nothing to her. I assumed she'd refuse—she wasn't the type to seek attention.
She glanced at me before answering nonchalantly.
"Since the Hunter Association is involved, it'll be safe. And opportunities to fight other Hunters at full strength are rare outside of this."
"...Ah."
In short, she wanted combat experience.
I could always use the Play Life app to experience life-or-death battles in other worlds, but others didn't have that luxury.
"Now that I think about it, you're right. I'll participate too."
I changed my stance and agreed to join. Not for combat experience—but for Han Ha-rin. This was a chance to get closer to her.
'I'll show you. The new me!'
I'm not the same Seong Eugene who was just a Hunter aspirant. I'll make sure my first love, Han Ha-rin, sees how much I've changed.
"You're joining just like that?"
"Professor, please. After hearing Han Ha-rin's reasoning, this seems like a golden opportunity. Where else would I get this kind of experience?"
"...I'm glad you're joining. Here's the participation form. Fill it out. The program starts two weeks from now in a dungeon prepared by the Hunter Association."
Professor Park likely recommended Han Ha-rin and me because we are among the strongest in our department. My rank may be low, but I can use mana, whereas Han Ha-rin cannot use mana but possesses top-tier skills within the department.
***
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