Ohohoh! Evolution!!

One week after that absurd dream, I became a genius.

No — calling myself a genius would have been selling it short. I had blown past that word entirely.

In a single day I had completely internalized the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. In three, I had found the cracks in the theory of relativity. And within a week, I had built a working prototype of a room-temperature superconductor.

"At last… at last, it's my time to shine!"

The grin came unbidden as I stood in front of the mirror. A week ago, this would have been the kind of future I couldn't even dream about. Who was I, after all? Lee Dogwang. Thirty years old. A transmigrator. Extra A, dropped into the world of the web novel I Became a Hero with 10,000x Experience — and not even a named extra. Just a convenience store clerk whose name never once appeared on the page.

But that was then. Knowledge was welling up inside my skull like a spring that wouldn't stop.

"I finally awakened a Gift!!"

I couldn't shoot lasers from my eyes or punch through concrete, but a genius-level brain was more than enough.

"From this day forward, my life gets flipped on its head! It is now Lee Dogwang's turn!!"

The plan was simple. Overnight genius walks into a major corporation with a room-temperature superconductor under his arm. Annual salary of ten billion won, stock options, a research institute with my name on the door. I could already hear the praise ringing in my ears.

"Dr. Lee Dogwang! Please, give us your autograph!"

"Korea's Einstein has been born!"

Just imagining it felt good. I quit the convenience store and threw myself into the work. I even cashed out my rent deposit to cobble together a makeshift lab. It still wasn't enough. In the end, I borrowed a hundred million won from a loan shark.

"Hey. Nerd. You've got a month. After that, the interest doubles. We clear?"

"Ah, don't you worry about a thing. It won't even take a month."

I put the debt to work — superconductor materials, lab equipment, nothing but the highest-grade components I could get my hands on. I didn't sleep. And then, at last, it worked. A magnet hovered in midair above a black disc no bigger than my palm. A superconducting phenomenon that had only ever been possible at 77K, running at room temperature.

"This is Nobel Prize material… no. It's worth far more than that."

All that remained was to become the director of some corporate research lab. I could pay the loan shark back out of my first paycheck. That was how it was supposed to go.

"After reviewing your documents, you do not meet our qualifications. We're afraid it's a rejection."

"It's difficult to accept applications from candidates with only a high school diploma."

"Hiring someone with no relevant experience is a bit…"

A high-school-graduate résumé died in the document screening almost every time. I had written Developed a room-temperature superconductor right there on the page, and not a single person believed it. When I tried to show up in person and demonstrate the thing myself, security threw me out.

"A man without even a doctorate, claiming he invented something…"

I even went to the Hero Association's Technology Development Department.

"A physics-based invention, you said… hmm. Could you show us, for now?"

I set the superconductor on the table and brought a small magnet close. It rose into the air and hung there, perfectly still.

"…Are you joking right now? Even ballpoint pens can float on a stand these days."

"No, this isn't a toy — it's a genuine room-temperature superconductor! Through the quantum tunneling effect, Cooper pairs form and electrons flow in a zero-resistance state, producing the Meissner effect—"

"Next!"

Explaining was useless. In this world, superpowers and heroes mattered more than science.

I was walking out of the Hero Association when a breaking news alert hit every screen in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sight.

On the giant display, a winged monster the size of a building was ripping a tower apart. Then a blue cape snapped in the wind, Ultimate appeared, and the thing went down in a single blow.

"Whoa! That's Ultimate for you!"

"Holy shit… he one-shots everything? I can't even be mad."

"That is genuinely, ridiculously cool!!"

"Ultimate! I'm your biggest fan!"

Cheers rolled through the crowd. I ground my teeth.

"I don't need power like that."

I could be recognized too. With science.

"…There's got to be at least one place that will actually look at what I've got."

There wasn't. The answer was always the same.

"…How about factory work, then?"

One mid-sized company even offered me a job as a menial laborer.

"Kh."

The more time slipped by, the tighter the noose became. A hundred million won, borrowed from a loan shark, with the interest compounding by the day. I'd even signed a waiver of bodily rights, for fuck's sake.

"What the hell do I do now…"

I was this close to giving up on interviews altogether. In the age of social media, who still bothers pasting up paper flyers?

And then one of them hit me square in the face. A flyer, carried on the wind, slapped itself flat against my cheek.

I had never heard of the company. A search online turned up absolutely nothing.

"A scam, maybe…?"

Even so, I was a drowning man. I decided to go. The map put it in the basement of a rundown commercial building on the outskirts of Seoul — the kind of place that looked like a murder scene waiting to happen, all shadows and peeling paint.

"Fuck… should I actually go in there…"

Then the loan shark's threat rang in my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ears.

A hundred million won in illegal debt was closing around my throat.

"It's broad daylight. What's the worst that could happen?"

I gathered my courage and opened the door.

The inside, against every expectation, was immaculate. Expensive carpet. Antique furniture. The whole place had the air of a vintage drawing room. An elderly European gentleman sat further in, a monocle glinting on his face — a perfectly tailored suit, not a thread out of place. A foreign company, then?

"Welcome. How may I be of assistance?"

The old man rose and came toward me.

"Hello. I'm here for an interview."

"Ah, of course. I am Noir, head of personnel for Articetia."

His voice was soft and elegant.

"Lee Dogwang."

"A pleasure, Mr. Lee. Might I ask how you came to learn of our company?"

"I saw a flyer. It said the salary started at a hundred million won, so…"

The old man smiled.

"Ah. So the flyer did its job. Please, have a seat."

I was wearing a suit, but his was in another league entirely — more formal, more expensive. His courtesy loosened something in my chest. The wariness I'd walked in with started to ease.

"Would you care for a cup of tea? A rather special blend."

He poured a red-tinted tea from a silver pot. A sweet fragrance unfurled through the room.

"Thank you."

Strangely, Noir never touched his own cup. He only brought it to his nose and savored the aroma.

"Ah — please don't misunderstand. The scent alone is quite enough for me. An old habit, I'm afraid."

An odd old man. But I liked the atmosphere of the place. I especially liked that he was actually listening to me.

"Now then, Mr. Lee. Would you tell me what sort of technology you bring with you?"

My turn, at last.

"The truth is, I recently developed a room-temperature ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠superconductor."

Noir's eyebrows lifted, just slightly.

"A room-temperature superconductor… how very interesting. Might I see it?"

Unlike every other company, he was hearing me out without a shred of prejudice. I eased the superconductor from my bag — a small object, black, disc-shaped.

"This is it. It exhibits superconducting properties even at ambient temperature."

I set it on the table and brought a small magnet close. The magnet rose and hung in the air.

"Conventional superconductors only function at negative 196 degrees, in liquid nitrogen. Mine works at room temperature. I raised the Cooper-pair formation threshold."

Noir's eyes lit up.

"Remarkable. Technology like this… truly extraordinary."

Finally. Someone who recognized what I had made.

"The other companies didn't believe me. They all said it was a magnet trick…"

"Fools, the lot of them. To fail to see your worth."

He seemed genuinely impressed.

"With technology like this, you could change the world. I cannot begin to understand why the others turned you away."

"I don't know either. Maybe because I only finished high school…"

"What does a diploma matter? A true genius cannot be measured by a degree."

Something in my chest went tight and warm.

"Articetia has been searching for a genius exactly like you. We shall provide you with a private laboratory, entirely free of charge."

I wondered if I was dreaming.

"Really? Thank you!"

I held out my hand in gratitude, and—

"…?!"

My hand passed straight through his.

I froze. Noir looked faintly embarrassed.

"Ah. How careless of me. I forgot to materialize. Do forgive the inconvenience."

Fuck… fuck… fuck…

He was a Main.

In this world, Mains were the monsters that could think — and the powerful ones among them could take human form and walk around in society like anyone else. Most of them, though, lived in dungeons.

I yanked my hand back. My heart was slamming against my ribs. Noir's expression turned suddenly, completely serious.

"Well then. Shall we begin the real interview?"

A full-length mirror on one wall of the room shuddered. It rippled like disturbed water — and mannequins began to climb out of it. White dolls, moving without a sound.

"Wai—! Somebody help—"

I lunged for the door. The mannequins were faster. Cold hands locked around my arms and legs. I thrashed. It did nothing.

"Help me! Is anyone there?!"

I screamed, and no one heard. The wardrobe mirror spun, then erupted with a violent light, and the light swallowed me whole. I didn't even have time to punch 211, the hero dispatch number.

I opened my eyes in the dark. The first thing I felt was the cold.

It was a place like a ruined cathedral. The ceiling soared overhead, and blue crystals glowed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with a soft, sepulchral light.

"Where… is this?"

My voice shook.

"A dungeon."

Noir stood beside me with his hands folded behind his back.

"A dun… a dungeon?"

I tried to sit up. My legs wouldn't take my weight.

"Yes. The Mausoleum Temple, belonging to Articetia, Lord of the Underworld."

I swallowed dryly.

"Did you just kid… nap me?"

Noir smiled.

"Not at all. This is a special invitation."

A moment later, a few impatient mannequins seized my arms and dragged me, without the slightest mercy, down the corridor.

"Wait! Where are you taking me?!"

Noir didn't answer. He simply walked ahead, as graceful as ever.

As they hauled me along, I saw things in that hallway that I will not forget.

"Uuuuurgh…"

A giant with two necks shouldered through a wall and lumbered past.

The stone groaned. Dust rained from the ceiling.

Ghosts phased through the walls, playing tag, giggling as they went.

"What's with the dumb-looking human?"

"Dunno! Maybe he is dumb?"

"Heehee. Let's eat his soul while he's asleep."

Eep—!

I jerked my eyes away. On the other side of the hall, a pack of zombies was sucking the marrow from dead animal bones, staving off their hunger. Terror locked every joint in my body.

"Please… this is a dream. Yeah. Just a stupid dream…"

The words came out shaking. One of the zombies snapped its head around and looked at me. Blood-red irises fixed on my face.

"Fresh… meat…!"

It came at me with drool swinging from its jaw.

"No! No! No!"

I couldn't move. Then a rattle of heavy chain — something enormous, slung on the end of it, came flying in and smashed the zombie flat. What I had taken for a flail was… a human head. The head of a colossal armored knight, grinning a grotesque grin, hung from the chain. The knight's body stood where it was, the neck a clean stump.

The chain reeled in with a long metallic shriek. The head rode it home to its body. It didn't attach — it simply floated there, hovering above the severed neck.

"Haha! These brats have no manners toward a guest!"

A big, booming voice rolled down the corridor. I thought my heart had stopped.

"You alright there, bookworm? Zombies get a look in their eye when they're hungry, that's all."

"Thank you, Durakh Han. To think you would look after our newcomer."

Noir bowed with perfect courtesy.

"Ah, it's nothing! Lady Articetia summoned this one herself — can't exactly let him end up as zombie chow!"

The headless knight in full plate laughed, the sound ringing off the stone. Every muscle I had gone rigid with fear. I could have sworn my ears were bleeding.

"Please don't be alarmed. Durakh Han is an exceedingly loyal captain of the guard."

Noir explained it the way a tour guide might point out a landmark.

"You'll be seeing a great deal of him from now on, after all."

From now on…?

What was that supposed to mean?

"What exactly are you planning to do with me?"

My voice wouldn't hold still.

"Questions later, if you please. Lady Articetia is waiting."

We passed the rest of the corridor and stopped before an enormous door, decorated from top to bottom in skulls and bone. It opened by itself.

The throne room.

A vast throne of black stone waited at the far end, and a woman sat upon it. Platinum-blonde hair. Deep blue eyes, each iris marked with the pattern of a cross. A crown of thorns rested on her head like a queen's circlet. The one flaw in that beautiful face was the thread that stitched her mouth shut, a seam so grim it made the rest of her loveliness feel like a warning. She wore a black gothic dress, and behind her, mannequins in maid uniforms stood in a silent rank.

Noir bent at the waist until he was nearly folded in half.

"Lady Articetia. I have brought the talent you requested."

I couldn't speak. Articetia. The name finally landed, late and heavy, in the back of my mind.

One of the seven Dungeon Lords of the Main Association. One of the strongest Mains to appear in I Became a Hero with 10,000x Experience. The woman they called the Silent Saint. A being I had only ever seen on the page of a web novel was sitting in front of me, in the flesh.

Articetia flicked her fingers through the empty air. Blue letters bloomed and hung there, glowing.

What kind of—

Another line wrote itself beneath the first.

The blood left my face. Around us, zombies clacked their jaws. Durakh Han had their leashes wrapped around his chain, but he could let them go at any second.

"I— um…"

My voice shook. Refuse, and I die. Accept, and I become a slave to Mains. If I looked weak here, I was finished. My heart was trying to kick its way out of my chest.

Think, Lee Dogwang. Think fast.

How do I survive this? Why did they bring me here at all? Just to use me as a test subject? Or is there another reason? They saw value in me. Value in what?

…The genius.

They know I'm a genius. Noir's face when he saw the superconductor. The Mains in front of me are magical beings. They shouldn't care about science at all, and yet—

Wait. This is a dungeon.

Heroes raid dungeons. Mains and magical beasts defend them. So what does a dungeon actually need? Bait? Or…

A mad scientist?

A dungeon has to be frightening. The more frightening, the better. If people are afraid of a dungeon, they don't trespass on a Main's territory. A dungeon with a mad scientist in it. The kind of dungeon protagonists hate most.

Is that it?

I bowed my head. And then I burst out laughing.

"Kyshishishishishishishishishishi!!"

Noir's face went startled.

"…Have you taken leave of your senses?"

I lifted my head, wearing a grin full of madness.

"At last we meet, Lady Articetia! What an honor — what a delicious encounter this is! Kyshishi!"

Articetia looked puzzled.

"This rotting world — this reality stuffed with deceit and suffocation — was in desperate need of remodeling! And you, my lady, are the hope that will make my dream possible!!"

Noir asked, looking thoroughly lost, "Then… you came to the interview on purpose as well?"

No. I had absolutely no idea.

"But of course! I make only calculated choices! Did you truly believe someone of my caliber arrived here by accident?"

I threw my chest out and let the arrogance show.

"The stale scientific systems of humankind cannot comprehend this world. The time has come for my experiments to advance to the next stage! Fly in the sky!"

I dumped out a stream of words that meant nothing at all, and looked at Articetia with eyes gone bright with manufactured lunacy.

"Leave it to me, and I shall up-grade this place into the strongest of the Seven Dungeons — and the worst nightmare of them all! Ohohoh! Evolution!!"

I couldn't have said why, but the zombies that had been snarling a moment ago quietly edged backward. Articetia considered for a moment. Then her fingers moved, and blue letters rose into the air.