Human of the Mark
Towers thrust toward the heavens above every major metropolis across the globe. And the dungeons? They were linked to them, their gates scattered across the surrounding landscapes like seeds cast to the wind.
Around some towers, dungeons of unknown floor depths remained uncharted mysteries. Elsewhere, gates corresponding to Floors 1 through 10 clustered shoulder to shoulder in suffocating density. With not even the underlying rules of their manifestation fully understood, neither sovereign governments nor the World Awakened Association possessed the resources to oversee them all.
Ultimately, state authorities assumed jurisdiction only over dungeons corresponding to the 30th floor and below—the threshold where the vast majority of Awakened halted their climb. In other words, any dungeon exceeding the 30th floor was left to the dominion of that nation's foremost guilds.
"Greetings, Manager Park. I am Assistant Manager Seo Yeong-hwa from the Raid Headquarters."
Naturally, that division of responsibility was merely a non-binding guideline from the World Awakened Association. In nations where government-affiliated Awakened held greater sway than private enterprise, the state controlled dungeons well past the 30th floor. In the end, who managed which high-tier dungeon boiled down to a single universal truth: the law of pure power.
"Ah, Assistant Manager Seo? Yes, I was notified. Then this gentleman is..."
"Yes. This is Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng."
By that metric, it made absolute sense that the majority of dungeons above the 50th floor fell under Geumseong's iron grip. One of South Korea's top five guilds? No, that didn't do them justice. Even if one combined the third, fourth, and fifth-ranked guilds, they still fell short. Geumseong was South Korea's unrivaled powerhouse, uncontested in name and reality.
Before the gate of the 55th Dungeon stood heavy barricades and an intensely fortified security checkpoint that looked capable of repelling an armored assault vehicle. Outside, a man in his mid-forties extended a hand toward Mu-saeng.
"I'm Park Jin-cheol, Manager of the Dungeon Management Department and supervisor of the 55th Dungeon."
"Kim Mu-saeng from Omkim—ah, no, I actually quit being a sherpa. Haha. Just Kim Mu-saeng."
Mu-saeng had started his introduction out of habit before casually tossing out the new piece of information. At his words, both Park Jin-cheol and Seo Yeong-hwa froze, their expressions clouding over with dread.
"Pardon? Ah..."
"I-is that so? Please forgive my discourtesy, Mr. Kim Mu-saeng."
In the Awakened hierarchy, a dungeon sherpa was often treated as little more than an errand boy. To address an honored guest of both the Raid Headquarters Director and Vice Head as 'Sherpa this' and 'Sherpa that' without even verifying he had retired from the trade was nothing short of a catastrophic professional blunder. Yet before their panic could spiral...
"Aiya, don't worry about it. There's no need to call it discourtesy. 'Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng' still rolls off my own tongue half the time anyway. Just feel free to call me Freelancer Kim Mu-saeng."
Mu-saeng waved it off with an easygoing grin. He wasn't genuinely offended, and considering the business he was about to conduct with Geumseong, there was no reason to put on airs. Besides, no one could reasonably fault them for being in the dark.
"Then allow me to ask you something, Freelancer Kim Mu-saeng. Why did you ask to meet here of all places?"
"Vice Head. Diving straight into business without so much as a..."
After all, even Geum Soo-ah and Yoon Pyo had learned of his departure from Omkim Inc. only moments prior.
Watching the two step out of a sleek black limousine, Mu-saeng couldn't help but notice their presence. I was too exhausted to notice last time, but they really do have an imposing aura.
Geum Soo-ah with her Luminous (SR).
Yoon Pyo with his Absolute Zero (SR).
Several videos demonstrating the application and destructive potential of their overwhelming abilities were widely circulated on NewTube. Back when Mu-saeng had been a mere dungeon sherpa who couldn't even dream of climbing the Tower, these were figures he had admired from afar—trees so tall he couldn't even look up to see their canopy. And yet...
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Yoon Pyo, Director of the Raid Headquarters at Geumseong Guild. Allow me to express my gratitude for sparing your valuable time."
"The pleasure is entirely mine. I knew it might be a bit impolite, but I specifically asked to meet here because I was so keen on having the two of you join me. How have you been, Ms. Geum Soo-ah?"
"I've been very well, thank you—largely because your sworn brother treated me so hospitably, Mr. Kim Mu-saeng."
"Heh-heh. I just hope Hyun-gu-hyung didn't make any blunders while shivering in his boots."
Blunders? Park Hyun-gu's true talent lay in making it completely impossible to tell whether his antics were genuine blunders, honest heartfelt gestures, or calculated mind games! The infuriating conversational tactics shared by Kim Mu-saeng and Park Hyun-gu made Geum Soo-ah grind her teeth inwardly. But this was neither the time nor the place to let her irritation show.
Yoon Pyo cut in with a measured question.
"May I ask what business you have inside this dungeon?"
"Ah, nothing major. I just need to meet 'Mama'—Sorcerer Maia. Having you two assist me will make things far smoother."
"...Mama. Forgive me, but judging by your Tower climbing records and career as a dungeon sherpa, I find it difficult to fathom why you would need an audience with her..."
"Well, you'll see once we head inside. You will cooperate, won't you?"
Mu-saeng was the one who had declared his intent to enter the 55th Dungeon. He was the one marching in. Would Yoon Pyo and Geum Soo-ah dare let him enter alone, knowing he might perish? Mu-saeng had made all those calculations beforehand and was only now posing the question as a polite formality.
"Very well. Let us proceed."
Yoon Pyo had no choice but to agree. With the Raid Headquarters Director going in, it was only natural that the Vice Head would accompany him. Even as she followed, Geum Soo-ah attempted to seize the initiative.
"We can't simply walk in like this! Manager Park, could you bring out a mana pressure resistance potion? Mr. Kim Mu-saeng needs to drink—"
It was a subtle countermove designed to remind him that, whatever his motives were, he was indebted to their benevolence.
"Ah, I'm fine. I don't need one up through the 55th Dungeon."
Mu-saeng flatly rejected the offer. He hadn't said he would drink his own potion; he claimed he didn't need one at all. Both Geum Soo-ah and Yoon Pyo were momentarily struck dumb.
"...Pardon?"
"B-but Mr. Kim Mu-saeng—"
"Dungeon 51 was no problem for me in the past, and Dungeon 66 was manageable once I acclimated. No point wasting valuable stock... Even if it's company supplies, we shouldn't squander them, right?"
It was a devastating counterpunch to their attempt at asserting control. A dungeon sherpa smiling cheekily while lecturing them about conserving company supplies?
"Now, let's head in."
Without another word, Mu-saeng boldly hurled himself toward the gate.
Startled, Geum Soo-ah sprinted after him.
"W-wait! We're supposed to go together!"
In the blink of an eye, the two had vanished into the swirling portal. Yoon Pyo stared silently at the gate for a moment before turning his head.
"Assistant Manager Seo. Gather all emergency gear and follow us inside in nineteen minutes."
"Ah, y-yes, sir! Understood, Director!"
Prevent any contingency and brace for the worst-case scenario at all costs—even if the person in question refused aid, Yoon Pyo's duty was to ensure absolute safety. Steeling himself, the Director of Geumseong's Raid Headquarters stepped into the gate.
Whirrrr, hummm...
A colossal chamber unfolded before them. Circuitry patterns were densely etched across every surface—walls, ceiling, and floor alike. Watching pulses of pale azure light race intermittently through the grooves was enough to daunt even seasoned veterans. At least, that had been the case for Yoon Pyo and Geum Soo-ah, both of whom had conquered the 55th floor.
It had felt that way back when they had first scaled the Tower as part of the Raid Headquarters strike team, and it remained true whenever they entered the 55th Dungeon to drill personnel.
"Now then, let's see..."
The anomaly was Kim Mu-saeng, who was supposed to be setting foot here for the very first time. Not only was he unfazed, but he was also craning his neck, scanning the floor, walls, and ceiling as though searching for something specific.
"M-Mr. Kim Mu-saeng... this really is your first time in the 55th Dungeon, right?" Geum Soo-ah asked cautiously.
Without glancing back, Mu-saeng continued scanning the glowing patterns.
"Of course. When Geumseong discovered and secured this gate, I must've been what, six or seven years old? You've seen my records; there's no entry log under my name."
"Th-that's true. In our administration database... yes, there's no record of you ever entering."
A meticulous organization like Geumseong wouldn't make administrative oversights. This truly was his first visit. So just what kind of intelligence did he possess, and how extensive was it, for him to act with such effortless familiarity?
"...Your resistance to mana pressure is even more extraordinary than the rumors suggest," Yoon Pyo remarked, unable to hide his astonishment. "When you mentioned having entered Dungeon 51 earlier, I assumed it was mere hearsay."
To endure the mana pressure without so much as a grimace? There wasn't a trace of strain on his face.
Mu-saeng scratched his cheek with a sheepish grin.
"Heh, back then the client insisted on pulling out almost immediately, so I didn't actually do much. I just figured out that my body was tougher than I thought."
"And Dungeon 66 was truly tolerable for you as well?"
"The first five minutes were a bit rough, but after that, I managed well enough."
He acclimated to it?
Yoon Pyo exchanged a glance with Geum Soo-ah, who gave a slight shake of her head. Mana pressure wasn't something a human body simply 'got used to.' It wasn't like stepping into a sauna where the initial blast of heat settled into a bearable warmth after a few minutes. Even among the elite climbers in the Raid Headquarters, some couldn't operate without resistance potions. How could a former sherpa whose official Tower clearance sat at the 3rd floor just days ago endure such crushing force unassisted?
Step, step, step.
Leaving two baffled SR-rank Awakeners in his wake, Mu-saeng strode forward with purposeful strides.
"Where are you going?!" Geum Soo-ah called out, hurrying after him. "You said this was your first time here—"
"I told you, we're going to meet Mama."
"—Then how do you know the way?!"
"Well, this is the path right here. I checked with my Magitech skill, and the energy flow is clearly converging in this direction."
Crafting, operation, maintenance, dismantling—the core facets of Magitech. Mu-saeng had already attempted to trigger the 'operation' and 'maintenance' functions of this facility using his skill, only to find them locked. By tracing the origin of that administrative lockout, he had pinpointed the core energy source controlling the sector.
Geum Soo-ah and Yoon Pyo were left completely flabbergasted.
"What did you just say...?"
"A Magitech skill...?"
The two traded bewildered looks. Magitech—the legendary craft capable of forging artifacts. It was an exceptionally rare awakened ability, its most renowned practitioner being...
'Are you talking about the same ability the CEO of Metalline has?'
'...If the Vice Head doesn't know, how would I know when I only met him today?'
Their silent, frantic exchanges of mouthing words yielded no answers.
"Sorcerer Maia's spawn location is randomized upon entry," Yoon Pyo stated, falling in behind Mu-saeng. "If you are certain of your course, Vice Head Geum and I will cooperate fully, however..."
Veiled within the word 'cooperate' was a stern caveat: We will protect you in the worst-case scenario, but whatever danger this reckless gamble unleashes is your responsibility.
Even faced with the gravity of that warning, Mu-saeng remained breezily unperturbed.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear! Here's the plan: Director Yoon, you freeze all the guardians solid so they can't twitch a finger. Ms. Geum Soo-ah, lock your Solar Beam right onto Mama's skull and strike a threatening pose. You know the vibe—'Refuse his demands and I'll blow your head clean off!' I'll handle all the talking with Mama."
If anything, his pace quickened. His sheer audacity left Geum Soo-ah and Yoon Pyo reeling once again. In truth, with two climbers who had conquered the 66th floor, the 55th Dungeon posed no mortal threat to them. But threatening to vaporize Sorcerer Maia's skull? Freezing every guardian in sight? What on earth was he planning?
A conversation with Mama... Is he proposing some sort of deal?
Impossible. She's merely a humanoid monster capable of speech. It has already been proven countless times that transactions, threats, and negotiations are impossible with her, not to mention extracting any intel regarding upper or lower floors—hm?!
BEEEEEP—! BEEEEEP—!
A shrill alarm abruptly tore through the air.
Simultaneously, the pale azure pulses flowing through the circuit lines turned into a stark, glaring hue.
Crimson.
Across the blood-red walls and floor, high-pressure steam hissed violently as compartments opened—psshhhht! Five metallic guardians emerged!
"Intrud—"
Craaaack! Fsshhhhh—!
Before the machines could even finish their standard synthesized intruder warning, all five guardians flash-froze into solid blocks of ice.
"Will this suffice, Mr. Kim Mu-saeng?"
Yoon Pyo spoke casually, tapping his foot to dislodge the frost that had surged outward from his boots. Absolute Zero (SR)—its activation speed and lethal potency were horrifying.
"Whoa... Yes, exactly like that."
Even Mu-saeng was momentarily awestruck by the sheer caliber of Geumseong's Raid Director.
Geum Soo-ah dispersed the sparkling photons gathering in her palm, murmuring under her breath.
"Still, this is strange... Even if Mama's chamber lies in this direction, have guardians ever intercepted intruders like this before?"
Having cleared the 55th Dungeon half a dozen times, she had never witnessed such an automated response pattern. Her suspicion flared—and in the next instant, it was amplified a hundredfold.
"I have been waiting... Human of the Mark."
A voice reverberated through the metallic corridor.
It was Sorcerer Maia.