The Pioneer of Gwangjin-gu

"Ugh..." I staggered, my body swaying against my will. A wave of exhaustion crushed my entire frame, but my right arm was the real problem. It was still frosted over, leaking dark, congealed blood. It looked completely necrotic.

"This..." Just as I was feeling the suffocating weight of hopelessness, something sparkled on my hand, which was on the verge of trembling apart. "Ah... right. I had this."

A ring on my finger. An item I’d snatched from Choi Kang-min but had never actually used.

The effects were still locked. With my trembling left hand, I touched the ring and whispered, "...Super Regeneration."

Whoosh!

A brilliant light erupted instantly. A warm energy gently enveloped my right arm. It was a miraculous sight. The frost that had been clinging to me vanished in an instant. The burst blood vessels and twisted nerves began to knit themselves back into their original form. The pain faded, replaced by a pleasant warmth.

"Haa..." A sigh of relief escaped my lips. I lightly clenched and unclenched my fist. It was perfect. The cold that had been piercing my nerves was completely gone.

"This is... absolutely insane." Just as I was marveling at the performance that defied all imagination, a cautious voice spoke up.

"U-um..." I turned to see Lee Seol-ah approaching hesitantly. Her eyes widened as she checked my right arm, her expression a mix of relief and guilt.

"My arm is fine. Don't get snot on me," I said, tossing the words out. She stopped right in front of me. A heavy silence hung between us for a moment before she finally opened her lips.

"Why... why did you save me?" Her voice trembled. I didn't answer immediately. My mind was a mess. Even I was curious. Why did I do it? Was it because the thought of her never having a family bothered me? Or did I feel some pathetic sense of pity because she was an orphan?

I scratched the back of my head and muttered lightly, "Ha... no, if you're gone, who's going to play with Yu-ah?"

"......"

"When you go back, thank Yu-ah. I only helped because my sister likes you. If you die, it just becomes a hassle for me."

It was an awkward thing to say. Even to me, it sounded blunt. But suddenly, tears welled up in Lee Seol-ah's large eyes.

Drip, drip...

Tears streamed down her cheeks. It was an unexpected reaction.

"Hey, why are you suddenly crying..." As I stepped back in surprise, Lee Seol-ah hung her head and sniffled. "...I've never felt this before. Truly."

Her voice shook. She kept her head down, scrubbing her eyes with her sleeves. Just as I was wondering what else I should say, she let out a small, "Ahem!" and snapped her head up. Her nose was still bright red, but her expression was armed with her signature shamelessness.

"I've decided! I will continue to covet your food with all my might! Loyalty!"

She stood straight and gave a sloppy salute. The atmosphere changed in an instant. I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.

"Sure, just earn your keep like you did today."

Rumble...

Just then, an unnatural vibration emanated from the corpse of the Maw. The giant shell had completely melted into the lava. Above it, a blindingly red light surged upward.

"Whoa!! Something came out!!" Lee Seol-ah’s eyes sparkled. There, sitting in the remains, was a black box made of luxurious material.

A boss monster. And from an undiscovered dungeon, at that. How could I not be excited? "Let's go. It should at least be worth the trouble."

We slowly approached the box and, without hesitation, threw open the lid.

Whoosh!

With an intense light, the items inside revealed themselves. At the same time, the Spoiler window updated in the air.

"This is..." I read the detailed information of the items before me, and the corners of my mouth slowly curled upward. There were two things inside. One was an old book, and the other was a pendant embedded with a pitch-black gem.

The Spoiler immediately read the old book.

'Swallow and extinguish, then amplify the next attack based on the mana...' Even just reading it, the ability was broken. It was a shame there was a usage limit, but that would ease up as my level increased. As expected of an A-grade.

"Hey, I'm using this, okay?" At my words, she stared intently at the book in my hand. She seemed to be reading the description with her Explorer trait. Then, she nodded.

"Yep! You saved my life, so use it as much as you want!" She looked like she had no regrets at all. I didn't hesitate to take the skill book.

Swoosh!

The book turned into particles of light and seeped into my body.

I picked up the remaining pendant.

'Mana shield proportional to Intelligence.' I immediately turned my gaze to Lee Seol-ah. The item had appeared as if it were waiting for her. It was already clear who the owner was.

"Food-thief," I said, tossing the pendant up lightly. "Catch."

"Huh? Oh...!" Lee Seol-ah’s eyes went wide as she scrambled to catch the equipment.

"T-this... are you giving this to me? It's C-grade...!?"

"You worked hard today, and I already got mine."

"Si-woo... I would have died today anyway if it weren't for you..."

"Don't get all teary and gross." Despite my rebuke, she clutched the pendant tightly and beamed.

Just as I was about to turn around, Ding! A mechanical sound chimed, and a notification window appeared in the air.

"......"

I stopped walking and glared at the empty air. They were making a scene earlier, and now they want to send a gift? This is a complete mess.

"Giving a disease and then the cure, dancing all by yourself," I muttered, irritation flaring up. I wanted to refuse it flat out, but... '...Choi Kang-min.' The equipment I saw on that guy before coming here flashed in my mind. If I didn't accept this, wouldn't I be the fool?

In the end, the most important thing to me was, 'I have to protect Yu-ah.' Hadn't I felt it for the last 20 years? That pride doesn't put food on the table. I tilted my head crookedly and spat out, "Fine, let's see what you've ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠got."

No sooner had I finished speaking than—

Whoosh!

A blue light swirled in the air. A moment later, a metal box fell to the floor. Thud!! A heavy metallic sound echoed through the cave.

It was the same item that had dropped after killing the goblin. "Huh..." I was dumbfounded. They could just give something like this away? I let out a dry laugh and threw the box open. Inside was a pitch-black breastplate. The design flowed elegantly from the shoulders to the waist. Just looking at it, it looked light and sturdy.

Lee Seol-ah scurried over to my side. "Wow... no, what is this again? Why do boxes suddenly fall from the sky?"

"You got one earlier, too."

"Ah... the, 'someone'?"

I didn't reply and pulled out the breastplate. "Turn around."

"...What?"

"I'm putting it on now, so turn around. What, do you want to see?"

"O-okay! Who's looking anyway?!" Lee Seol-ah’s face flushed. Seeing her ears turn red, she seemed quite flustered. I immediately took off my outer coat and put on the breastplate. As I fastened the buckles, the leather contracted to fit my body. It felt like a second skin. I took a breath and pulled up my status window in the air.

'Good, very good.' I was satisfied. Three levels in a single day, plus an A-grade skill and B-grade equipment. With spare stats, I might be able to handle things a bit better. 'Of course, I can't stop here.'

I opened my mouth toward Lee Seol-ah. "I'm done. Let's go."

"Aren't you going to use the scroll? Since you got it, you should tear it open in style!"

"Stop talking nonsense and keep it safe. Use it when you're actually about to die later."

I led the whining Lee Seol-ah toward the cave entrance. Perhaps because the boss was dead, the dungeon exit remained quietly open. The moment we stepped out of the cave—

Zing!

A sharp notification sound rang out. At the same time, a golden message appeared before my eyes.

"Huh? Uh?! Si-woo, I got a title! It says I'm the first in Gwangjin-gu!" Lee Seol-ah pointed at the air and jumped for joy. I, too, read through the pouring text one by one.

"What a windfall." The corners of my mouth curled up. I hadn't even expected this. The +2 to all stats was exceptional, but the 10% increased damage would be a huge help when facing the intermediate boss.

"Let's head back quickly. We need to have a special meal."

"Yay!! Really!! You're not lying, right!!!" Lee Seol-ah followed excitedly behind me. Now, it was time to go back home.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

At the same time, somewhere in Seongsu-dong.

Crunch!

A giant hammer crushed a goblin's skull. Blood sprayed onto his face, but Choi Kang-min didn't have the mental capacity to wipe it off. His bloodshot eyes were darting around the area.

"Where are you hiding, Lee Seol-ah.....!!"

He didn't even know how many hours it had been. He had scoured Seongsu-dong like he was hunting for lice. But the core piece of the second timeline—the explorer Lee Seol-ah—was nowhere to be found.

"Ha... fuck, fuck...!!!!" Choi Kang-min’s breathing grew ragged. He felt like anxiety was gnawing at his very bones. 'Tomorrow! The Gwangjin-gu intermediate boss raid is tomorrow!'

He didn't care about anything else, but he absolutely had to enter that dungeon. He needed the loot from there for the intermediate boss raid. The broken skill that swallowed area-of-effect attacks. [Predator's Maw]. That’s why he had to find Lee Seol-ah, but she wasn't where she was supposed to be, and she hadn't appeared on the community boards either.

"Fuck, where did it all go wrong..." Choi Kang-min tried to smash his hammer into the ground in frustration. At that moment—

Zing!

A red system message flashed in his field of vision.

"...Huh?" A foolish sound escaped Choi Kang-min's lips. The hammer he was holding dropped to the floor with a clatter. He doubted his own eyes, reading the words over and over again.

The undiscovered hidden dungeon in Seongsu-dong. The Burnt Maw. Someone had cleared it first?

"A, a..." Choi Kang-min’s lips trembled violently. The future he had planned had been completely altered.

"Which son of a bitch is it!!!!" Choi Kang-min let out a scream filled with malice. They cleared that hell without an explorer? Or did someone snatch Lee Seol-ah away first? His body, which had been radiating killing intent, suddenly stiffened.

"...No, wait a minute." The blood drained from his face, which had been twisted with rage, in an instant. The information network to secure an explorer. The combat power to defeat the boss of an undiscovered dungeon. There was only one person who could pull this off.

"Don't tell me, it's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really that person...?" Choi Kang-min’s pupils shook minutely. A chilling anxiety filled the void left by his rage.

'Why? He’s not a character who should appear at this timing in the first timeline. Why is this shit happening already!!!'

Choi Kang-min stared blankly at the hammer on the floor. His chin was trembling minutely. The perfect script for the second timeline he had been clutching—the first page had been torn to shreds.