The dungeon gate collapsed behind them with a sharp crack, like glass shattering.
Cold air rushed in, and Min-jun staggered forward, nearly losing his balance. Seo-ah caught his arm before he could fall.
"Easy," she said. "You pushed yourself too hard."
"I know," Min-jun replied, breathing heavily. His head still throbbed, and his mana felt dangerously low.
The skeletons stood behind him.
Warrior skeleton—cracked but standing.
Basic skeleton—missing fingers.
Elite skeleton—unstable, faint black mist leaking from its joints.
Several hunters nearby had stopped walking.
They were staring.
"…Are those his summons?"
"How many does he have?"
"Did you feel that pressure inside the dungeon?"
Min-jun lowered his head instinctively.
So this is what attention feels like.
A system message appeared quietly.
[Dungeon Cleared: F-Rank – Abandoned Subway]
[Clear Evaluation: Excellent]
[Contribution: S-Rank]
[Bonus Rewards Granted]
[Level Up!]
[Level 11 Reached]
Warmth spread through him again, but this time it felt heavier.
Seo-ah noticed his expression. "Another level?"
He nodded. "…Yes."
She exhaled slowly. "You're growing too fast."
Dong-hyun scratched his head. "Is that a bad thing?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Before anyone could speak again, a group of men in black Association coats approached. Their presence alone made the surrounding hunters quiet down.
One of them stepped forward.
"Kang Min-jun," he said calmly. "We'd like to ask you a few questions."
Min-jun's heart sank.
Already?
Seo-ah moved slightly closer to him. "Is this necessary right now?"
The man smiled politely. "Standard procedure for hunters showing abnormal growth."
Min-jun swallowed. "I'll answer."
They moved to the side.
"Your class is Necromancer. Common tier," the man said, scrolling through a tablet. "Yet you reached level eleven in two dungeons and displayed partial hierarchy evolution."
Min-jun clenched his fists. "I didn't cheat."
"We know," the man replied. "That's why we're interested."
Another system message flickered, visible only to Min-jun.
[Warning]
[Your Actions Are Being Recorded by High Authority]
"…What happens now?" Min-jun asked quietly.
"Nothing yet," the man said. "But you will receive monitoring status."
Monitoring.
The word felt heavier than a threat.
After they left, Seo-ah let out a breath. "That was faster than I expected."
"Is that bad?" Min-jun asked.
She looked at him seriously. "It means you're no longer invisible."
Min-jun dismissed his skeletons into storage.
[Skeleton Storage Updated]
[Basic Skeleton x1]
[Warrior Skeleton x1]
[Elite Skeleton (Unstable) x1]
The moment they vanished, the pressure around him faded slightly.
On the bus ride home, Min-jun stared at his reflection in the window.
Yesterday I was nothing.
Today I'm being watched.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
"Are you Kang Min-jun?"
He hesitated, then replied.
"Yes."
Another message appeared.
"I represent a mid-tier guild. We're interested in your future."
Min-jun closed the phone.
Not yet.
When he reached home, Ji-ho rushed to him again.
"Hyung! Mom said you cleared another dungeon!"
Min-jun smiled tiredly and ruffled his brother's hair. "Yeah. I did."
His mother watched him closely. "You look pale."
"I'm okay," he said. "Really."
That night, lying in bed, Min-jun opened his status window again.
[Player Profile]
Name: Kang Min-jun
Level: 11
Class: Necromancer (Common)
HP: 260 / 260
Mana: 580 / 580
Strength: 13
Agility: 14
Vitality: 18
Intelligence: 31
Luck: 9
Titles:
Undead Initiate
Skeleton Hierarchy:
Basic – 1
Warrior – 1
Elite (Unstable) – 1
He stared at the word Unstable.
"…You're not finished yet," he murmured.
The elite skeleton shifted inside storage, as if responding.
A final system message appeared, faint but ominous.
[Next Hierarchy Advancement Condition Identified]
[Requirement: Stronger Corpses]
Min-jun closed his eyes.
"Then I'll find them."
Outside, the city lights burned brightly.
And somewhere among guild masters, recruiters, and watchers, a single thought began to spread—
The necromancer everyone dismissed was no longer something they could ignore.