Early Morning High and the Reporter's Arrival
“Work? Nah, I just woke up feeling great today. Training went well too.”
Kim Jun polished off two bowls of rice.
His mom's soybean paste stew was the kind of thing he'd never get tired of, no matter how much he ate.
“I'm heading out.”
“Drive safe.”
“Got it, Mom.”
Before leaving, Kim Jun gave his mom a quick hug. He was out the door before she could even react, whistling his way to the parking lot.
The hot summer air rushed in and wrapped around him, but it couldn't dampen his buoyant mood.
He hopped into the car.
Cool AC air flowed out. Kim Jun hit a button to turn on the music—upbeat K-pop tracks his sister had picked for him started blasting.
The flashy rhythm of a girl group idol track had his shoulders bouncing involuntarily.
Kim Jun pulled onto the road.
Pulling into the empty parking lot always gave him that satisfying feeling of coming in first.
After getting out, Kim Jun patted the hood with his palm. It still didn't quite feel real that this car was his.
“Alright, let's get started.”
He began by sweeping the parking lot. Once it was spotless and the trash bagged up, his mind felt clearer too.
Next, the guildhouse interior.
He shoved the gym equipment to one side, swept and mopped the floor. For the track, he grabbed a mop and went back and forth like a tractor harvesting a field until the surface gleamed.
Nearly an hour of cleaning later, as he was wrapping up, he heard a sound from outside.
Kim Jun tilted his head. It wasn't Choi Muhyun's Jeep, Yoo Min-jeong's Ferrari, or Guild Master Go Cheolmin's SUV. The engine roar was new—rough and powerful.
Heading to the parking lot, Kim Jun spotted a woman dismounting a massive motorcycle and walking over. Late twenties or early thirties, with brown curly hair tied back casually.
She had a slim build, and her jeans fit perfectly.
“Who are you?”
“……”
Skyla froze like a mannequin at the sight of Kim Jun.
She recognized him instantly as that carrier from the raid footage, but she couldn't believe he was standing right there in front of her.
“You okay?”
“Did you get plastic surgery?”
He looked like the guy from the raid movie, but his features seemed sharper, more defined.
“Huh?”
“...I'm Skyla. A reporter for Daily Raider.”
Snapping out of it, Skyla pulled out a business card and handed it to Kim Jun.
He examined it carefully before looking up.
“Master's not in yet.”
“Mind if I take a quick look around?”
“Of course.”
Kim Jun was thrilled that a reporter had come to a small guild like Uramata. Maybe it was because of the Dungeon Association's second test.
Leaving Skyla to wander freely, Kim Jun headed to the locker room to change. Time to start his real workout.
But then a suspicion hit him late.
He rushed back out of the locker room.
A formal interview would've been scheduled ahead. She could be a thief eyeing the gym equipment or simulator parts.
Skyla was just sitting on a bench, holding a paper cup.
His sharp eyes scanned—no missing items.
“I'm not a thief, y'know.”
Skyla grinned.
“You really a reporter?”
Kim Jun pulled out his phone and called the master while walking toward her.
“You saw the card.”
“Why show up so early? No heads-up?”
“Felt like it.”
Just then, Guild Master Go Cheolmin walked into the guildhouse.
“Master!”
Kim Jun ran over.
“You're early. Huh? And you are?”
“Long time no see.”
Skyla approached.
“What brings Daily Raider's ace reporter to our humble abode?”
Go Cheolmin's tone dripped with sarcasm.
“Why else? Interviewing this tiny guild, obviously.”
“Interview?”
“Heard something fun went down during the second test?”
Go Cheolmin's eyes lit up at Skyla's words.
“Haha, same old nosy parker. Where'd you hear that? Let's talk details upstairs.”
Go Cheolmin led Skyla up to the master room.
With his suspicions cleared, Kim Jun dove into his workout. He hit the track running.
When the sharp violin melody pierced her ears and stirred her soul, Yoo Min-jeong felt like she was standing alone on a barren plain, buffeted by fierce winds sweeping across her body.
The rough scrape of the bow on the strings blending strangely with the sharp pulls in Passacaglia—one of her favorite violin pieces. It was great for solo runs, but driving her beloved Ferrari made her feel like she was one with the car.
A red light flashed ahead.
Yoo Min-jeong stopped and bit her lip lightly.
She wanted to really hear that roaring engine. But that'd land her on Daily Raider's social page as an "awakened speed demon."
Can't have that.
She chuckled and eased off the gas.
Then, honking horns blared.
Turning her head, Yoo Min-jeong saw a sports car pulled up right beside her—a yellow Lamborghini. The guy inside seemed to be saying something, so she rolled down her window.
“Nice ride.”
The man stuck his arm out the window, flashing an expensive watch like it was proof.
“Yours isn't bad for a tractor.”
“Tractor? You blind?”
“Sigh.”
Yoo Min-jeong sighed at the guy's lack of common sense—he drove a Lamborghini but couldn't grasp a light jab.
Supercar Lamborghini was born from Enzo Ferrari's insult to Ferruccio Lamborghini: "Go drive a tractor!" Pissed off, he built the supercar line.
“Hey, whose daughter are you? Never seen you around.”
The man's face oozed confidence.
Yoo Min-jeong held her palm out the window and conjured a flame.
Her fireball success rate had topped 50%, so she could now generate flames in the real world too.
Short duration still, but enough to ditch the lighter if she smoked.
The guy yanked his arm in, slammed his window up, and peeled out with a roar—even though the light hadn't changed.
Yoo Min-jeong considered chasing him down for a real lesson but headed to the guildhouse instead.
An unfamiliar motorcycle was parked in the lot.
Kim Jun's car was tucked in the farthest spot.
Coming in first again today, huh.
Entering the guildhouse, Yoo Min-jeong smiled unwittingly. She spotted Kim Jun on the track.
“Yoo Min-jeong!”
Kim Jun waved.
“Hey.”
Replying casually, she wiped the smile off, changed in the locker room, then joined the run.
She caught up to him in no time.
“You gonna tell me or what?”
Last night, over late-night snacks, he'd dodged her barrage of questions about where he'd been and what training he'd done. Just "rested well, that's it," over and over.
“Tell you what?”
“Your training.”
“Told you, I just rested.”
“...You expect me to buy that? Out here running this early, after playing around all this time?”
“That's exactly why—I've been slacking, so now I'm out early making up for it. See? Gut's jiggling.”
Kim Jun joked, but Yoo Min-jeong couldn't spot any jiggle.
The chat cut off with Choi Muhyun's arrival. He changed fast and joined the run—unusual for him. Waddling a bit, but way faster than before.
“Damn, you're quick.”
Kim Jun was startled.
“...Don't say that. Coming from you, it pisses me off.”
“Looks like you trained hard while I was gone.”
“Not training—real combat.”
Choi Muhyun touched the scar on his cheek, bragging subtly.
The three ran at the same pace.
“Kim Jun says he just goofed off. You buying it?”
“Bullshit.”
Yoo Min-jeong burst out laughing at Choi Muhyun's firm denial.
“Secret training, right? With the master. Holed up on some island or whatever.”
Kim Jun tensed slightly at "island," but no one noticed.
Yeom Sang-taek arrived.
“Join us.”
Yoo Min-jeong called as she lapped him.
Soon, Yeom Sang-taek was running with them. Steady from his academy jogs, more relaxed than Choi Muhyun even.
“If you really just rested, I'd be disappointed. But I know you didn't. We all know you too well.”
Yoo Min-jeong said.
Kim Jun turned to look at Yoo Min-jeong, Choi Muhyun, and Yeom Sang-taek. They all stared back with the same suspicion.
With a sigh, Kim Jun exploded forward at top speed.
The others fell behind in seconds.
Less than a minute later, he lapped them.
Speechless, the three stopped dead.
“Told you, I rested well.”
Grinning wide, Kim Jun headed to the locker room. They yelled and chased, grabbing his neck, smacking his head, twisting arms.
Laughter erupted from the locker room.
After showering and suiting up for morning sim training, Kim Jun recalled his teacher's warnings.
Never reveal his name to others, never spill training details. Not even to Guild Master Go Cheolmin—he'd emphasized that repeatedly.
Go Cheolmin had asked once, casually, then dropped it. If he'd pushed like Choi Muhyun or Yoo Min-jeong, Kim Jun might've spilled.
“Kim Jun.”
Choi Muhyun called from the weight rack.
“Yeah?”
“Check this out.”
“This heavy?”
The barbell ends sagged under loaded plates. It looked slightly bent.
“Give it a try.”
Choi Muhyun laid Kim Jun on the bench press.
Kim Jun sighed, lay back, gripped the bar. He knew what was coming—and it worried him.
Gonna have to act the part.
“180 kilos. Miles from my PR of 550, but killer for your build.”
Choi Muhyun spotted him.
Kim Jun gripped the heavy bar and pushed up hard. Heavier than expected.
Muscles screamed, but manageable. Hidden fibers bulged, making his smooth arms, chest, and back ripple.
Choi Muhyun stepped back.
Kim Jun lowered it to his chest, pushed up—arms shook. Heavy for real, but he amped the drama.
He racked it; Choi Muhyun secured it.
“Still good? Add more?”
“...One more set. Can't do more.”
“Got it.”
Choi Muhyun added a black plate to each side.
“200 kilos.”
“Hoo, alright.”
Kim Jun lowered to chest, pushed up—shakier, more trembling than before.
Clunk.
Finally racked, he shook his head, sat up. Choi Muhyun looked serious.
“What's up?”
“You just bench-pressed 400 kilos. Easy.”
“……”
Kim Jun was speechless. This bear had outsmarted him. A few real scraps in the arena must've sharpened his brain too.
“You can do more, right?”
Not a question—certainty.
Couldn't reveal the who, what, how. But couldn't fully hide his current state from teammates.
Kim Jun nodded slowly.
Didn't know his limit, but he wasn't there yet.
“Knew it.”
Choi Muhyun grinned wide.
“How'd you know?”
“Yesterday, first time I saw you. Escaped my headlock like it was nothing.”
“...Oh.”
Too excited to notice then.
“Got reasons you can't talk?”
“Kinda.”
“Fair enough.”
Choi Muhyun walked toward Yoo Min-jeong, fresh from the shower.
“Team leader! You gonna spend all day washing? When's training start? Skip showers in Ecuador or what?”
“Training's about focus, not time. And Sang-taek's still in there.”
Yoo Min-jeong shot back.
Kim Jun cracked up.
Then Go Cheolmin and Skyla came down from the master room.
“Fall in!”
His booming voice sent Yoo Min-jeong, Choi Muhyun, and Kim Jun running up; Yeom Sang-taek dashed out, towel-drying his hair.
“This is a Daily Raider reporter. She's here to cover Uramata Guild, so cooperate fully.”
Master's voice carried extra weight today.
“What about morning training?”
Yoo Min-jeong asked.
“Pushed to afternoon. Treat the interview like training too.”
Go Cheolmin said.