Yoon's response came at 3 AM: Meet at dawn. Bukhansan trailhead. Come armed.
Ji-woo hadn't slept. He'd spent the night practicing with the Warehouse Guardian's Hook, feeling its weight and balance. The weapon was brutal—more tool than blade, designed for dragging and crushing rather than cutting. But it hit harder than his scalpel, and against armored enemies or other Reapers, that extra damage could mean survival.
[WAREHOUSE GUARDIAN'S HOOK][DAMAGE: 35-50][SPECIAL: ATTACKS HAVE 15% CHANCE TO STAGGER ENEMY][SPECIAL: +20% DAMAGE VS. ARMORED TARGETS][DURABILITY: 150/150]
At 5:30 AM, Ji-woo took a taxi to Bukhansan National Park on Seoul's northern edge. The mountain was popular with hikers, but at this hour, the trails were nearly empty. His Debt Sense guided him off the main path to a clearing where Yoon waited with five others.
He recognized Min-seok and Dr. Kang from their previous meeting. The other three were new: a muscular woman in her thirties, a thin man with glasses who looked more accountant than fighter, and a teenager who couldn't be more than nineteen.
"This is everyone," Yoon said. "Eight total, including you. We're it—the last independent Reapers in Seoul who aren't hiding or dead."
The muscular woman stepped forward. "I'm Choi Hye-jin, level 9, former MMA fighter. I handle close combat."
The thin man adjusted his glasses. "Baek Sung-min, level 7, data analyst. I specialize in dungeon pattern recognition and boss mechanics."
The teenager nodded nervously. "Lee Da-eun, level 6. I'm... I'm just trying to survive."
"We all are," Dr. Kang said gently. Then she turned to Ji-woo, her expression grave. "We heard about the Gwanak dungeon. Crimson Blades has three members queued for it—all level 8 or higher, all equipped with shop gear."
"How do you know?"
Sung-min pushed his glasses up. "I hacked into Crimson Blades' communication network. They've been planning this ambush for two days, ever since you rejected Tae-yang's recruitment offer." He showed Ji-woo his phone—screenshots of guild chat logs.
[TaeYang]: New target confirmed. Kim Ji-woo, level 5, rejected us.[MinJi]: Gwanak dungeon. We'll take him there.[SungHo]: Three on one? Seems excessive.[TaeYang]: He's efficient. Don't underestimate him. Kill fast, take the bonus, send a message to other independents.
"They're not taking chances," Hye-jin said. "Three experienced Reapers with coordination and equipment advantage. If you enter that dungeon alone, you're dead."
"So what do I do? Skip it and take the penalty?"
"No," Yoon said firmly. "If you skip a mandatory dungeon, your debt increases by ₩50,000,000 and you lose a level. That's worse than dying—it sets you back weeks of progress. We can't let that happen."
Min-seok cracked his knuckles. "So we go in with him. Even the odds."
"We can't all enter," Sung-min explained. "The system limits party size based on dungeon level. A level 5 dungeon allows a maximum party of three. If more than three people try to enter, the system blocks them."
"Then three of us go," Hye-jin said. "Ji-woo plus two support. We match their numbers and deal with this."
Dr. Kang shook her head. "Crimson Blades will have better coordination. They've been running dungeons together for months. We'd be outmatched even with equal numbers."
"So what's your suggestion?" Ji-woo asked. "Let them kill me?"
"No." Yoon pulled out her phone and showed him a map of Seoul. "We use their tactics against them. Crimson Blades is queuing for Gwanak Temple dungeon because they know it's the one the system assigned to you. But here's what they don't know—you can request a dungeon transfer."
"What?"
Sung-min nodded eagerly. "It's a hidden system feature. If you have a legitimate reason—scheduling conflict, medical emergency, whatever—you can request to swap to a different level-appropriate dungeon. The system will assign you a new one within six hours."
"But Crimson Blades will just follow me to the new dungeon."
"Not if they don't know you've transferred," Yoon said with a slight smile. "We'll feed false information through channels they monitor. Make them think you're still planning to enter Gwanak Temple at a specific time. They'll be waiting there while you're clearing a completely different dungeon."
It was clever. Misdirection. "What if it doesn't work?"
"Then we fight," Hye-jin said simply. "But this gives us better odds."
Da-eun, the young woman, spoke up hesitantly. "There's another problem. Even if you avoid Crimson Blades this time, they'll keep hunting you. This doesn't solve the underlying issue."
She was right. This was a temporary solution to a permanent problem.
"One battle at a time," Dr. Kang said. "First, we get Ji-woo through his weekly dungeon alive. Then we figure out long-term strategy."
Ji-woo looked at the seven people surrounding him—strangers a week ago, now risking themselves to help him survive. Yoon had warned him not to trust other Reapers, yet here they were, coordinating a plan to save his life.
"Why are you helping me?" he asked. "What do you get out of this?"
"Survival through cooperation," Dr. Kang answered. "Individually, we're targets. Together, we're harder to pick off. Today it's you. Tomorrow it might be any of us. We protect each other because no one else will."
Yoon nodded. "Also, you helped Han Ji-su when you didn't have to. That showed us you're not like the guild Reapers—you're not here to exploit others. We need more people like that if any of us are going to make it to level 100."
"Alright," Ji-woo said. "What's the plan?"
Sung-min pulled up a detailed schedule. "First, you request the dungeon transfer. That needs to happen within the next three hours. I'll submit the request through a spoofed system connection so Crimson Blades' network monitoring doesn't catch it."
"Second, we spread false information. Min-seok will post on the independent Reapers forum that he saw you scouting Gwanak Temple this morning, looking prepared to enter. Crimson Blades monitors those forums religiously."
"Third, I'll personally show up at Gwanak Temple at the time we leak and wait around visibly," Yoon said. "If Crimson Blades scouts see me, they'll think I'm there to support you. It'll reinforce the false intel."
"Fourth, you enter your actual dungeon with two of us as backup," Hye-jin continued. "I'll go because I'm good in a fight. Dr. Kang will go because she has healing skills."
Dr. Kang confirmed: "I unlocked a passive healing skill at level 10—Physician's Touch. I can restore 20 HP to party members with physical contact. It's not much, but it helps."
"The rest of us will monitor communications and be ready to assist if something goes wrong," Sung-min finished.
It was a solid plan. Multiple layers of deception, clear roles, backup contingencies. These people had been doing this for months, and it showed.
"One more thing," Yoon said seriously. "If this doesn't work—if Crimson Blades figures out the deception and shows up at your real dungeon—you three need to make a choice immediately. Fight or run."
"We're not running from a dungeon," Ji-woo said. "That triggers the penalty."
"Run within the dungeon," Hye-jin explained. "Most dungeons have multiple paths, side areas, places to hide. If we're outnumbered, we split up, survive until the time limit, and clear the dungeon without engaging the boss. Better to take minimal debt reduction than to die."
Smart. The system only required survival, not boss kills.
"Let's do this," Ji-woo said.
Sung-min immediately pulled out a laptop and began typing. "Submitting dungeon transfer request now. Reason: scheduling conflict with work obligations. The system should approve within an hour."
While they waited, Hye-jin drilled Ji-woo and Dr. Kang on party coordination tactics. How to call out enemy positions, how to coordinate skill activations, how to protect the healer while maximizing damage output.
"In a party, the healer is the priority target," Hye-jin explained. "Enemies and hostile Reapers will always try to kill the healer first because without healing, the party collapses. Dr. Kang's job is to stay back and support. Our jobs are to keep enemies away from her."
"I can handle myself," Dr. Kang said mildly. "But yes, I'm more valuable alive than dead."
At 7:23 AM, Ji-woo's phone buzzed.
[DUNGEON TRANSFER REQUEST APPROVED][NEW ASSIGNMENT: YONGSAN ELECTRONICS MARKET - LEVEL 5][TIME LIMIT: 36 HOURS]
A different dungeon entirely. The Yongsan Electronics Market was a massive multi-floor shopping complex in central Seoul—a dungeon version would be maze-like and full of hiding spots.
"Perfect," Sung-min said. "Indoor environment, multiple floors, lots of cover. Even if Crimson Blades somehow tracks you there, you'll have tactical advantages."
Min-seok immediately posted on the forums: Saw Kim Ji-woo at Gwanak this morning. Looked like he's gearing up for temple run. Guy's got guts going solo against that boss.
The responses came quickly from anonymous accounts:
Idiot's gonna die. Temple boss uses AoE magic.Crimson Blades has that dungeon marked. RIP new guy.Anyone know what time he's entering?
"They're biting," Min-seok said with satisfaction. "Crimson Blades definitely monitors these forums. They'll see this."
Yoon checked her watch. "I'll head to Gwanak Temple at noon and make myself visible. Ji-woo, you three should enter Yongsan dungeon at 1 PM. That gives maximum time for Crimson Blades to commit to the wrong location."
"What's the boss like?" Ji-woo asked. "Yongsan Electronics Market?"
Sung-min pulled up his database. "Based on similar dungeons, you're looking at technology-themed enemies. Corrupted electronics, possibly animated machines. The boss will likely be some kind of master AI or corrupted system administrator. Expect hacking attempts—status effects that confuse or disable your abilities."
"That's why your Surgical Mask is valuable," Dr. Kang noted. "Immunity to confusion effects will be critical."
They spent the next few hours preparing. Hye-jin lent Ji-woo a Reinforced Vest she'd found in a previous dungeon—not as good as shop armor, but +15 defense was nothing to scoff at. Dr. Kang distributed healing items she'd saved up. Min-seok provided detailed maps of the actual Yongsan Electronics Market to give them spatial awareness.
At 12:30 PM, they received confirmation: Yoon had been spotted at Gwanak Temple by Crimson Blades scouts. The trap was set—they just didn't know they were the ones caught in it.
At 12:55 PM, Ji-woo, Hye-jin, and Dr. Kang stood outside the actual Yongsan Electronics Market in central Seoul. The building was enormous—eight floors of electronics vendors, all closed for renovation according to the signs. But Ji-woo's Debt Sense pulsed strongly from within.
"Last chance to back out," Ji-woo said to the two women.
"Not a chance," Hye-jin replied, cracking her neck. "I've been wanting to punch Crimson Blades in the face for months. Even if they're not here, pretending they might be is cathartic."
Dr. Kang smiled. "Besides, it's been three weeks since my last dungeon. I'm due."
They formed a party through the system interface. Ji-woo's phone displayed their combined stats:
[PARTY FORMED][LEADER: KIM JI-WOO - LEVEL 5][MEMBER: CHOI HYE-JIN - LEVEL 9][MEMBER: DR. KANG SU-JIN - LEVEL 11]
[PARTY BONUS: +10% EXPERIENCE][PARTY SKILL UNLOCKED: SHARED VITALITY][EFFECT: HEALING RECEIVED BY ANY PARTY MEMBER IS SHARED 25% WITH OTHERS]
Shared healing meant Dr. Kang's ability would be even more effective. Good.
"Ready?" Ji-woo asked.
They nodded.
He touched the entrance.
[ENTER DUNGEON: YONGSAN ELECTRONICS MARKET?][PARTY SIZE: 3/3][WARNING: BOSS USES ELECTRONIC WARFARE TACTICS][YES/NO]
Ji-woo selected YES.
Reality split open, and they fell through.
The dungeon version of Yongsan Electronics Market was a neon nightmare. Every surface glowed with flickering screens and corrupted displays. Static filled the air like white noise made physical. The fluorescent lights overhead pulsed in seizure-inducing patterns.
[DUNGEON ENTERED][OBJECTIVE: DEFEAT THE MARKET OVERSEER][TIME LIMIT: 2 HOURS]
[PARTY MEMBER LOCATIONS MARKED ON MINIMAP]
The minimap showed all three of them as blue dots on the first floor. The boss—a red dot—was on the eighth floor at the top of the building.
"Eight floors to climb," Hye-jin said, summoning her weapon—a pair of reinforced combat gloves that crackled with electricity. "Let's move fast before—"
[ADDITIONAL REAPERS DETECTED IN DUNGEON]
[WARNING: HOSTILE INTENT REGISTERED]
Ji-woo's blood turned to ice. Three red dots appeared on the minimap—not the boss, but other players. And they were moving fast from the opposite side of the building toward their position.
"No," Dr. Kang breathed. "They figured it out."
Crimson Blades had found them.
[END OF CHAPTER 9]