Episode 1: Where Am I?

The Cataclysm.

It began without warning.

Dungeons appeared across Earth, and monsters invaded.

Humanity teetered on the brink of extinction.

In that desperate moment, the heavens did not abandon us.

Superhumans who spat fire from their hands, froze the earth, and cleaved mountains with swords.

Humanity gained the power to fight back against the monster hordes and reclaimed its former glory.

The world transformed into one of superhumans, by superhumans, for superhumans.

And so...

The era of great superhumans dawned.

"I want to become a superhuman too."

Park Seojun, a 22-year-old superhuman aspirant this year.

Seojun had dreamed of becoming a superhuman since childhood.

Why?

Because awakening as a superhuman flipped your life's class in an instant.

'The only way out of a dirt-spoon life is superhuman awakening.'

Seojun was born into crushing poverty.

A rooftop shack in a slum.

A family that struggled to afford even one ramen meal a day.

Going hungry was just normal for him as a kid.

Things had improved a bit now, but those early experiences left him parched for success.

"Huh?"

A message popped up in front of his eyes out of nowhere.

Awakenings usually hit like this—sudden and unannounced.

"N-no way? For real?"

Seojun steadied his pounding heart and rubbed his eyes.

Not a hallucination.

The system message still floated there.

"Uwaaaah!!! I awakened! I freaking awakened!!"

Seojun shot his arms up in the air and yelled.

Having awakened later than most only doubled his joy.

"What's my trait?"

After trembling with excitement for a while, Seojun calmed himself.

He checked his status window with a racing heart.

A superhuman's strength depended on the grade and type of trait they got.

Just becoming a superhuman meant you'd never starve, but true success—something everyone acknowledged—was another story.

"A-grade... no, even B-grade would do. At least C-grade combat type."

Even a standard C-grade trait would let him achieve success others envied, if not legendary heights.

So, with bated breath, he checked his trait.

"Huh?"

He thought he'd misread it at first.

'E... EX-grade?'

His status window showed a grade he'd never even heard of.

'I thought SSS was the highest.'

What the hell?

Seojun blinked in confusion.

'Let's check the details first.'

"...!"

Holy shit!

The moment he read the description, Seojun realized he'd hit the jackpot.

A dragon!

The strongest creature in existence.

They said even all the superhumans on Earth couldn't beat an Ancient Dragon.

Dragons boasted utterly transcendent power.

And he could contract with one!

"Uahahahaha!"

Seojun burst into laughter again.

With this trait, he could become the world's top superhuman!

He pictured himself, revered by all other superhumans.

Power, wealth, fame—every flower path lay open before him.

...Wait, hold on.

"How do I even... contract with a dragon?"

Come to think of it, he had no way to meet one.

"Damn it."

This was...

Totally screwed, wasn't it?

The system community accessible to all awakened superhumans.

Just like calling up his status window, thinking of Superhuman Net made it appear before his eyes.

"..."

With hollow eyes, I searched Superhuman Net for "dragon."

"Sigh."

Same as always.

I scrolled through other posts too, but not a single superhuman claimed to have seen a dragon.

All useless replies.

"Argh, damn it!"

I tried searching something else.

To see if EX-grade was even a real thing.

I didn't expect much.

Never heard of it before, so obviously it wasn't real—or so I thought.

"Huh? EX-grade is actually a thing?"

I read through the comments in surprise.

They were all envious, wondering what powers an EX trait might have.

"Sigh. Wanna comment it's a worthless pile of crap."

Hell, even F-grade ore mining would've let me be a magic stone miner.

But this? No way to meet a dragon made EX meaningless.

"Ugh, what a headache."

I realized my life plans were in ruins and flopped onto the bed.

Didn't want to do anything.

Apathy washed over me.

Hadn't eaten all day, but no hunger.

'Just wanna sleep forever.'

My mind grew hazy.

As sleep poured in...

What?

A dream?

In my foggy mind, I answered yes.

Fwaaaah!

A blinding light flashed.

Nothing remained on the bed where Seojun had lain.

Drip!

Water echoed from the ceiling.

"Nngh?"

I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

Stone and dirt in front of me.

I'd been on my bed, right?

My senses snapped alert.

'Did I get kidnapped?'

Because of my EX-grade?

Pale-faced, I jumped to my feet.

'Body feels fine.'

Relief sighed out once I confirmed no issues.

'Stay calm. There's a saying—even in a dragon's lair, keep your wits and you'll survive.'

I swallowed dryly and scanned around.

Dirt floor, rock walls and ceiling—a cave passage.

Glowing stones embedded in the ceiling scattered soft light.

Beautiful, like gazing at the galaxy.

I sensed artificial craftsmanship.

'Not a natural cave.'

No exit in sight despite frantic searching.

I bolted toward the most likely direction, but hit a dead end.

Turned back and went the other way.

Felt like heading deeper into the cave.

'Just like those dungeons you hear about.'

Come to think of it, right before sleep, I'd heard something in a daze?

'Something about responding to a summoning.'

No way.

Was this situation tied to that?

Just a hunch, but my gut screamed yes.

'Ask on Superhuman Net?'

No relevant searches.

Posting felt iffy.

Could pinpoint my location.

Or expose my EX-grade trait. I wasn't strong enough to protect myself yet.

'Save it as a last resort.'

Maybe exploring more would find an exit.

I pressed on slowly.

A few minutes later.

'Huh?'

Brighter light ahead.

'Outside!'

I charged in with high hopes.

"...!"

I froze in place.

A massive cavern the size of a stadium.

A glowing stone on the ceiling blazed like the sun.

Its grandeur left me speechless, staring blankly.

'No way.'

A real cave?

My eyes trembled with anxiety.

I wasn't gonna die here, right?

Frantic, I looked around the cavern.

Tall, reed-like grass thick in the center.

Several passages in the walls.

'One might be the exit.'

I dashed to the nearest one.

Thud!

"Gah!"

A sharp pain in my head sent me tumbling back.

"What? What the hell?"

I focused on the "dragon" word amid the throbbing pain.

'Dragon? No way... is this a Dragon's Lair?'

I jumped up and scanned the cavern again.

A space fit for a colossal beast.

Yeah, only something like a dragon—over a hundred meters tall even as a hatchling—would suit it.

'Whoa.'

Really?

A dragon?

My dead heart pounded back to life.

'Right. I remember now.'

That voice before sleep.

It was definitely "dragon."

"Holy shit!"

Every puzzle piece clicked.

EX wasn't just for show.

It really connected him to a dragon contract.

'Sorry for cursing you, EX trait.'

Dopamine surged wildly in my head.

Like a winning lottery ticket canceled, then reinstated.

Heaven to hell and back—too dynamic for words.

'Where's the dragon?'

As I whipped my head around...

Ziiing—Fwaaaah!!

A pillar of light erupted from the grass in the cavern center.

Instinct screamed.

There!

Dadadadada.

I sprinted madly to the center.

Up close, the "reeds" were massive layers of fur piled high, like a jungle.

And in the middle, a glowing oval object.

An egg, as big as my upper body.

"Gasp."

Awe at the mystical giant egg dropped my jaw.

Holy shit!

This really was a Dragon's Lair.