Sudden Descent of the Creator
Suddenly, the Creator descended. At the same time, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on Han Ji-woo, suffocating him.
Haaah! Lucy let out a guttural hiss as she scanned her surroundings. But the Creator's true form was nowhere to be seen. Only an intangible presence dominated the space.
"Urgh!" Pao groaned, dropping to his knees. Lucy and Turkan, desperately trying to hold out, soon followed suit, collapsing one after another. Amid all this, the only pet still standing was the chubby little Seibier.
In truth, Han Ji-woo's legs were trembling too. If he let his guard down even slightly, he'd collapse right there.
The Creator? The bastard who made this dungeon?
He had no idea why that guy had suddenly shown up here—or how he'd even entered the Hidden Space.
'Creator' says: "I know everything. But I can't come here often. It cost me 10,000 years of lifespan just to enter. And it's draining my lifespan in real time just to stay. What an interesting place."
His thoughts had been read. Messages kept appearing in front of the flustered Han Ji-woo.
'Creator' says: "Surprised? Paying with lifespan makes it easy. Anyway, this place is no ordinary spot."
What wasn't ordinary? The answer came in the next typed message.
The Hidden Space resists the Creator's power, blocking quest alterations.
'Creator' smirks and consumes another 100 years of lifespan received from someone.
The strengthened power of the Creator crushes the will of the Hidden Space.
The Hidden Space continues to resist.
'Creator' consumes 300 years of lifespan received from someone.
The Hidden Space fails to block the Creator's power!
The quest has been altered.
In the end, the Creator broke the will of Ibelius, the golden dragon embedded in the Hidden Space. Han Ji-woo was a being the dungeon system recognized as an error. Thus, when the outer walls of the Hidden Space crumbled and the firewall weakened, the resulting Monster Wave was a kind of vaccine.
The original Monster Wave unleashed mid-grade and high-grade monsters in two waves, spaced slightly apart. But the Hidden Space stretched those intervals enormously. It also swapped the Monster Wave itself for the Salt Mine.
The Salt Mine, in structure alone, wasn't much different from a Monster Wave. Once when the hatchling was born (as Mad Cow), and once when the hatchling had grown a bit (with sealed mid-grade monsters bursting out). Two waves total.
By leveraging this similar framework, it had deceived the dungeon system.
Anyway, that bastard's using lifespan donated by someone else to manifest his powers. Who's dumb enough to give lifespan to a creep like that?
Like Ferrofero had wondered, Han Ji-woo questioned that too. Ferrofero had to ponder it alone, but Han Ji-woo got his answer straight from the Creator.
'Creator' says: "Those who die in the dungeon couldn't live out their fated lives and were forcibly dragged here—flowers that wilted too soon. The remaining lifespan written in their fates comes to me."
"Ha, dying here would be such a raw deal. Going without living your full life? You know what? You're a real piece of shit, lowlife scum."
'Creator' ponders what quest to create.
"Ignoring me?"
A great idea strikes the Creator, who snaps their fingers.
'Creator' says: "You can't just hog all the honey. You need to experience some of your comrades' suffering."
Han Ji-woo yelled upon seeing the message.
"What the hell are you? Why'd you make a shitty dungeon like this...!"
At that moment, emotions not his own flooded into Han Ji-woo. It was an immense 'joy'—the kind only achievable by experiencing countless amusements simultaneously, far beyond human comprehension. It was unmistakably the Creator's feeling.
Han Ji-woo stared into empty space with a dumbfounded look and muttered one line.
"This guy's a total psycho."
That reaction seemed unfamiliar to the Creator.
'Creator' says: "Want to hear something even more shocking? There's more than one dungeon. Yours is the 1,983rd."
Clinging desperately to his fraying consciousness under the crushing pressure, Han Ji-woo shot back.
"The more I hear, the more I think you're just a massive-scale lunatic. You're using the lives of normal people just living their lives, for your own good food and comfort?"
Han Ji-woo kept his mouth moving frantically. If he didn't, he'd pass out for real.
'Creator' laughs and says: "That's too narrow-minded. I drag not just humans, but all lifeforms in the universe into dungeons."
"Playing word games, huh? Just one question. What the hell are you? A god?"
Ferrofero had once called the Creator a god. When Han Ji-woo was being dragged to the Dungeon Prison, the knight had said:
"It's true! I'm a captive too! To the god or whatever who made this dungeon... Hep!"
So he'd wondered. Was the Creator really a god?
The answer came immediately.
'Creator' says: "Think whatever you like. If a being who can freely manipulate all things in the universe is defined as a god, then yes, I am one. What I am isn't important. I've never defined myself anyway. One thing's certain: I'm at the pinnacle of this universe."
After hearing that, Han Ji-woo let out a bitter laugh.
"Aha. Got it. A 'god' who just does this crap for fun. Turns out gods ain't shit after all."
'Creator' says: "That kind of trash talk does zero damage to me. But you're gonna have a rough time ahead."
Mini Dungeon Game
📍 Objective: Hunt the boss monster on the dungeon's lowest floor.
🎁 Reward: Survival
💀 Failure: Death
"...What?"
As the quest appeared, the scenery around him shifted abruptly. Han Ji-woo was no longer in the Hidden Space. He stood at the end of a long, unknown passageway. Hemmed in by rock walls on all sides except straight ahead, it was unmistakably a dungeon.
'Creator' laughs and says: "I told you. Feel your comrades' pain."
Confirming the message, Han Ji-woo's first worry wasn't his own safety, but whether his pets and Osgeelro Haiban were okay. If the Hidden Space had vanished...
'Creator' says: "No need for pointless worries. Clear the quest, and you'll return. I hope you do too—your lifespan will be worth more then." They lick their lips.
Relieved that the Hidden Space was safe, Han Ji-woo quickly racked his brain. He sifted the Creator's words for any useful info he could glean.
It might not help immediately. But scraps of knowledge could coalesce into something crucial. Knowledge is power, after all.
Rereading the Creator's text swiftly, Han Ji-woo latched onto one key piece.
If I clear the quest, my lifespan becomes more valuable?
That meant the stronger he got, the more his lifespan was worth. His life back when he first entered the dungeon was worth far less than now.
The Creator gazes at you with interest, savoring your thoughts.
"Reading my mind out in the open now, huh?" Han Ji-woo growled.
'Creator' says: "The weight of lives dragged into dungeons isn't equal, as you guessed. The stronger you get, your one year could be worth 100, no, 1,000 years to me. Maybe more. But what does 'stronger' mean? Physical toughness? Mental fortitude? You don't seem to know yet."
"Do I give a shit? I'm not dying here anyway."
Pure bravado, of course. Just enduring the pressure of the Creator's mere presence was tough enough; one real move from them, and his heart might give out.
The Creator finds you cute.
The Creator knew it full well.
'Creator' says: "Ever heard of fattening up livestock before slaughter? You're still a chick. Grow into a fat rooster with hope you'll survive to the end. That way, it'll be worth eating. Don't die too easy till then. I've burned 12,700 years of lifespan just entering, chatting with you, and tweaking the quest. I want double that back at least. Who knows—you might die here." They smile slyly.
From the Creator's view, Han Ji-woo was disposable fodder—or meat ripening for a better meal. A life-or-death crisis for one man was mere idle amusement to them.
The Creator prepares to leave.
'Creator' waves to you and says: "Good luck."
The Creator has left.
The moment he saw that message, Han Ji-woo's breath came rushing back.
"Haaah... Huuuh... Whew. Whew."
No joke—if the Creator had stuck around a few more seconds, he'd have soiled himself and blacked out. After a long while calming his nerves, Han Ji-woo looked ahead.
A straight dungeon path stretched out long before him. He'd been given the same quest as the dungeon warriors: reach the lowest floor and raid the boss monster.
The difference? It was called a 'Mini Dungeon Game', so likely scaled down in difficulty and floors. But while they had numbers, he was alone.
"Starting solo again, huh."
Loneliness never got easier, no matter how many times it hit. Abandoned at an orphanage as a baby, realizing around when he could understand that he had no parents. That loneliness had shadowed him his whole life. No calluses formed against it.
But Han Ji-woo had survived alone anyway. So he'd do it again. Steel resolve, shake it off.
Slap! He smacked his own cheek hard and started walking slowly. Just in case, he called his pets' names.
"Lucy. Pao. Seibier. Turkan. Sasuri."
Not a single one summoned.
"Okay. Thoroughly solo, got it."
From the Creator's tone, the dungeon's difficulty was tuned right to the brink of death. With luck, you might scrape by; without, you were done.
"Ha, wish I had a Luck stat or something."
Han Ji-woo grumbled in regret.
Seol Ara's 'Luck' stat has been lent to Han Ji-woo.
"...Huh?"
Something bizarre had just happened.