[Dungeon rewards now receiving....]
[Reward identified]
[The Noble's Ring - Can command and manipulate a person to do your bidding if they have a lower rank than you.
Rank A | Rare]
[500 coins rewarded]
[Bonus rewards]
[Stat Rewards Granted.]
+200 Strength
+15 Authority
[Diary of Duke Clermont
(No Class)]
"A diary?"
I stared at the item in confusion. It looked completely ordinary and obviously not a Magic artifact or some sort. No dramatic description either.
Just...
A normal diary.
"It seems like a regular diary."
I flipped it over in my hand.
Nothing special stood out about it. Why would this even be considered a bonus reward?
Before I could think deeper about it, another notification appeared in front of me.
[System]
[Survivors have successfully left the dungeon]
[Mission Cleared]
I let out a relieved sigh.
"I can finally leave."
The moment I said that—
BANG!
The doors suddenly burst open.
Several hunters rushed into the room. The hunters of the Chrono Guild.
They had followed the loud noises from the fight and finally arrived.
The moment they entered, they froze.
A masked man holding a bloodied sword, a decapitated body beside him, the destroyed room and blood splattered everywhere.
Needless to say...
The scene looked suspicious as hell.
"State who you are and tell us what you did here!?"
One of them shouted.
"This dungeon now belongs to the Association and the Chrono Guild! Your actions are a violation of the law!"
The hunters quickly surrounded me.
They draw their weapons and their eyes were full of caution.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked ready to attack at any second.
Honestly...
They finally arrived. Luckily, I had already finished my work here so didn't pay them much attention.
Instead, my eyes focused on the floating screen in front of me.
The option to leave the dungeon had finally appeared.
[Would you like to leave the dungeon?]
[Yes / No]
Perfect timing.
Without hesitation—
I clicked Yes.
"Wait, you—!"
Before anyone could stop me—
I disappeared right in front of them.
The hunters stood frozen.
He was Gone. Just like that.
"Who was that?"
They couldn't even identify the man because of the mask.
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Then suddenly—
A notification appeared in front of them as well.
[Dungeon Cleared]
[Time remaining before dungeon closea 58M:26S)
Their expressions changed instantly.
"He cleared the dungeon...?"
"And got all the rewards!"
One of the hunters clicked his tongue in frustration.
"He was here before us?" "Didn't the gate guards say no one except us entered the dungeon after it opened?"
"How did he even get inside?"
The questions kept piling up.
Nothing made sense.
Then their eyes slowly drifted toward the corpse on the floor.
The dungeon boss.
It was cleanly killed.
The room itself looked like the aftermath of a brutal battle.
One hunter swallowed nervously.
"This dungeon was Class A..."
"And with those humanoid monsters bodies in the hallways and this thing..."
He looked down at the corpse again.
"He killed them all by himself?"
The thought alone sounded absurd.
"Is he an S-Rank?"
Someone finally asked the question everyone was thinking.
"But there's no record of an S-Rank hunter like him."
The others fell silent.
And the known S-Rank hunters?
None of them seemed likely to be the one to do this.
As far as everyone knew, they followed the law strictly. They definitely weren't the type to illegally enter dungeons before clearance.
Unless...
This was someone entirely unknown. Someone operating in the shadows.
A mysterious hunter strong enough to solo a Class A dungeon.
The atmosphere grew uneasy.
"Let's leave."
One of them finally broke the silence.
"We'll just report this."
No one argued.
Because whoever that masked man was...
They had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time they heard about him.
---
My sponsor hadn't bothered me for a whole day and it felt like a death sentence.
"Hey, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for lashing out like that!"
I shouted into the corners of my cramped apartment.
"I hadn't meant to speak to you like that, but the stress of the last gate had pushed me off my breaking point."
Now, the consequences were sinking in. I screamed at the empty air inside my room.
"What am I doing?" I muttered, catching my reflection in the window. I looked completely unhinged, wild-eyed, and pleading with a ceiling fan. "I look like a total schizo."
But the terror returned a second later.
What if my sponsor actually hated me now? What if they had abandoned me for a more compliant puppet? The thought gave me the chills, a cold sweat breaking out across my neck.
Desperation took control, and I leaned into the only thing I knew how to do, and that is too perform.
"Oh, powerful being! Forgive this rebellious servant of yours! I promise I will never—okay, maybe I'll do it again, but I promise I'll be sorry for it!"
I pleaded exaggeratedly, throwing myself onto my knees. I began performing weird, theatrical worshipping poses, bowing constantly while moving my arms up and down in a rhythmic, frantic motion.
It was humiliating, but in the world of Awakened, pride didn't pay the bills, the sponsors did.
"I will do anything! Anything to quench your divine anger!" I wailed.
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM): Anything? ]
[ The Constellation of Gates has reopened your channel. ]
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. "You're back!"
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM): More than that. ]
"Yes! Anything you want me to do, I'll do it! Do you want me to enter another Gate right now? I'll gladly jump into one this second!"
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM): You're bluffing. Forget about it, I've forgiven you already. ]
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM): I applaud you for finishing the task. I am... glad you did not die. ]
[ The Constellation of Gates has sent you a batch of Gifts. ]
[ New Item: Devil's Green Coat- You can harvest 100 coins from its pocket after 24 hours of wearing. ]
"Olalala," I whispered, my mood doing a complete 180. "Did someone just mention coins?"
My eyes practically glowed. Money was the ultimate balm for a wounded ego. However, when the coat materialized in my hands, the glow faded.
It was, without exaggeration, the ugliest garment I had ever seen.
The style was outdated by at least 100 decades, the stitching was crooked, and the color was a nauseating, muddy shade of green that looked like expired pea soup.
There was no way I was wearing this for twenty-four hours, let alone show it outside.
"Thank you, great Constellation," I said through gritted teeth.
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM) is messing with you again and enjoying [himself]. ]
"I get it..." I sighed, tossing the hideous rag onto my bed. "The gift wasn't a prize, it was a way to screw with me. Why does he like doing this to me?"
---
Several weeks passed in a blur of blood, dust, bright portals. I was tasked with clearing countless dungeons, ranging from A-class nightmares to E-class cakewalks.
I looted treasures that would make a museum curator weep and felt my stats surging with every boss I killed.
Soon, rumors began to surface. Stories of a mysterious figure began to emerge on the news, a masked man who entered dungeons illegally the moment a Gate opened, clearing them before any official guild authorize by the Hunter Association could even step up.
He was a ghost, a shadow who saved countless lives trapped in dungeons and then just vanished without leaving a trace.
The civilians he saved called him a hero. The government and the Hunter Association, however, viewed him as a high-level threat, a criminal to be captured and disposed of. Since no one knew his name, the internet had provided one.
"The Phantom Dungeon Thief."
"Pffftttt!"
I sprayed a mouthful of coffee across my laptop screen. "What the hell is that name? It sounds like it was dreamt up by a middle-schooler with a wild imagination."
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM) is cackling. ]
"Very funny," I grumbled, wiping my screen.
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM): It is funny.
Why don't I make a nickname for you, too? Do you like the name 'Ultimate Rage-baiter'? Or perhaps 'The High and Mighty Abuser'?
I replied to get back at him.
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM) has activated a Punishment. ]
"Ouch!"
A sharp jolt of electricity surged through my seat, making my hair stand on end.
"The High and Mighty Abuser" was electrocuted three more times.
"Stop it! Please! I learned my lesson! I won't call you names anymore!"
The punishment finally ended, leaving me numb slightly.
[ The Constellation of Gates (GM): I'll give you five days of rest before assigning a new mission. Enjoy it while you can. ]
"Thank you for your mercy, oh great deity," I said, falling back into my exaggerated worship routine. "I shall put this time to excellent use."
Another exaggeration, but she doesn't hate it, she actually likes when he worships her like that.