The Explorer's Wall
After I told Nakyeong I was going to become a teacher at the Academy, I threw myself into the busiest stretch of days I'd had in a long time.
I only had a month.
Explorers aren't exactly sitting around with free time either, huh.
By law, every explorer is allowed into a dungeon only once a week. Even if you go in today and fail the clear, you still have to wait a full week before you can try again. Famous dungeons stay booked solid year-round because of it.
For someone who had to clear four dungeons starting from the lowest F-rank, it was a headache of a system.
Is there any slot open anywhere…
So I spent entire days glued to my phone, hunting for openings that fit my schedule.
"Oh. Found one."
Luckily, finding a slot wasn't impossible. Even within the same rank, difficulty split by terrain and the monsters that appeared—a one-star F-rank felt nothing like a five-star. Searching nationwide for the hardest difficulties, I could usually dig up at least one dungeon that matched my calendar.
The only real downside was having to drive all the way out there.
"I'm heading out. Make sure you eat properly."
"You'll be back this evening again, right?"
"Probably."
"Got it. Be careful!"
And so, week by week, I worked my way up from F-rank. Before I knew it, the promised month had flown past, and only the final gate remained.
The day I would challenge a B-rank dungeon—the so-called Explorer's Wall.
"Nice weather."
The B-rank dungeon I was hitting this time sat on a small mountain in northern Gyeonggi Province. Quieter than the C-rank I'd cleared the week before, with fewer people around—a good place to bring the car.
Gear first…
I parked near the management office by the dungeon entrance and opened the trunk. A dark-bladed sword nestled in a luxurious case greeted me.
The equipment Choi Yeonjeong had gifted me not long ago.
Heh. Finally get to swing this thing.
About two weeks back, after I'd breezed through a D-rank dungeon, Yeonjeong happened to have business nearby and treated me to an expensive meal. The conversation turned to gear, and I showed her a photo of my weapon on my phone. Her jaw dropped.
She'd known my spending habits well enough to expect something cheap—but not that cheap.
This won't do. I'll get you proper equipment.
I tried to refuse, but she already had her phone out, arranging a weapon through one of her sponsors.
It's not even my money. Just take it.
And yesterday, this sword had arrived. Quality certificate, someone's signature—clearly not a piece that cost a couple of bucks.
Well. She said she didn't buy it herself.
No reason to turn down free gear.
I unlatched the transparent case and drew the blade. A muted dark edge that killed the shine, a brown grip carefully wrapped in sturdy leather. Whatever the material, it was light enough to swing all day yet settled into my palm with a soft, balanced weight. The elegant gold pattern etched along the blade especially caught my eye—almost like the holy sword Judgment I'd carried in my Hero days.
She's got good taste, I'll give her that.
Smiling, I shot Yeonjeong another thank-you message and headed straight for the management office locker room.
Before entering the dungeon, it was time for the team meeting.
Do you really need a full party for a mere B-rank? Still…
From B-rank on up—considered upper-tier—you needed a party of at least three to enter. With no companions of my own, I had no choice but to join someone else's group.
"Excuse me."
"Ah—you're Han Dohyeon, right?"
Two young explorers, a man and a woman, greeted me warmly as I stepped into the meeting room. Both were geared from head to toe.
Whoa. That equipment is no joke.
A far cry from me, standing there in comfortable athletic wear with nothing but a weapon.
"Kim Sangjin. We'll be challenging this together."
"Pleasure. Han Dohyeon."
"And this is my colleague, Park Ina."
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise. Looking forward to working with you."
Luckily, first impressions weren't bad. A little conversation made it clear that Sangjin, already B-rank, was here to help Park Ina from the same agency climb up.
"So, Mr. Han—this is your first B-rank dungeon entirely?"
"That's right."
"Wow. First attempt and you picked a five-star?"
"Yeah. It was the only one that fit my schedule."
"Haha! Fair enough. Stick with me today and I'll get you home safe."
Sangjin spoke with easy confidence, telling me to just follow his lead. As an explorer who'd already hit B-rank, he had every reason to feel sure of himself. I decided to go along with them for now.
"Shall we start with a briefing?"
Naturally taking the role of leader, Sangjin gave a concise rundown of the dungeon—where the traps were hidden, which monsters appeared.
"If you look over here…"
He seemed competent enough; he hadn't earned that B-rank for nothing.
Not bad.
Though he clearly didn't know about the shortcuts.
A dungeon is an independent space torn free from some other world for reasons unknown. Among the countless dungeons, some belonged to the world Dohyeon had once lived in.
Coincidentally, this was one of them.
Didn't think I'd end up back here.
Dohyeon surveyed the weathered ruins beyond the rift. Back before he and Kim Yubin had ever locked eyes, he'd challenged this place again and again chasing some treasure or other.
I really went through hell here…
As he walked slowly, lost in old memories, Kim Sangjin followed right behind him.
"……"
Sangjin was watching Dohyeon with open suspicion.
What is this guy's deal?
He hadn't shown it, but he didn't think much of Dohyeon. The man didn't look like a proper explorer at all.
No armor—just athletic wear…
Dohyeon himself had said he'd only been an explorer for five weeks. The public profile Sangjin had checked before the meeting confirmed it. Less than a month of experience, and for his first B-rank he picks a five-star difficulty?
Sangjin had seen plenty of people through hard-won experience. Dohyeon was no ordinary man—for better or worse, one of the two was certain.
…I'll keep an eye on him for now.
Under Sangjin's lead, the three of them entered the ruins.
"Let's move in."
Bracing for the coming fight, Sangjin carefully drew his weapon—a famous swordsmith's blade he'd bought not long ago by scraping together every soul he had.
With a piece this fine, a five-star is the least I should be tackling.
He smiled at his own sword. It hadn't made the master's personal collection, but it still outclassed most high-end gear. Secondhand, yet nearly new—he'd gotten it at a decent price, and the thought still pleased him as he tightened his grip on the hilt.
Then—
"……?"
His eyes snagged on the sword hanging across Dohyeon's back. That refined dark blade, the distinctive gold pattern etched into the steel.
Huh?
Sangjin, who paid close attention to equipment, recognized the mark at once. It was the signature pattern the swordsmith—the same one who'd made his blade—carved only into works he was truly satisfied with.
It's a fake.
He clicked his tongue inwardly. That master's collection couldn't be bought for any amount of money. Those pieces were never made for the open market. Only genuine top-tier explorers with the right connections ever received the real thing.
And a C-rank explorer with five weeks of experience was carrying one?
A well-made counterfeit was far more plausible.
Even if you love luxury brands, walking around with something like that is just sad.
Sangjin revised his assessment of Dohyeon downward once more and kept walking in silence. They only had to put up with each other for today, after all.
"Everyone, get ready."
They were nearing the combat zone he'd briefed them on when—
"Excuse me—hold on a second."
Dohyeon suddenly stopped and called the two ahead of him back.
"…What is it?"
He pointed straight at one of the stone pillars supporting the interior of the ruins.
"Doesn't this pillar look like it's about to tip over?"
"What?"
"The pillar…?"
What he'd indicated was one of several ordinary columns inside the ruins.
"I think it's going to fall…"
Ignoring their strange looks, Dohyeon gave the pillar a few experimental taps—then shoved it hard.
In that instant—
Krrrrrrumble. The pillar suddenly sucked inward, and the entire ruin began to shake violently.
"Kyaa!?"
"Hey! What the hell are you—!"
"Oh. Look, it's opening."
"What did you just say…?"
Frowning at Dohyeon's calm after that stunt, Sangjin was about to drag them outside and demand answers—until the thunder of approaching feet cut him off.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.
"!"
Monsters deeper in the ruins had reacted to the noise and were swarming toward them.
"C-combat ready! Ina!!"
"Y-yes!!"
Panicked, Sangjin and Ina raised their weapons against the sudden fight.
And a moment later—
"……Why aren't they coming?"
"S-Sangjin! Over there!"
"What?"
They witnessed something they could barely believe.
"W-what is this…"
"The monsters…"
A massive hole had opened right where the beasts had been charging—and every last one of them had fallen straight into it.
"Oh. Looks like we can just walk past."
Dohyeon took one look, dismissed it with a light lucky us, and kept walking deeper in.
"H-hey! Mr. Han! Wait a minute!"
That was only the beginning.
"Hmm. Doesn't this wall look like it's about to break?"
He smashed through walls in completely unexpected places to create shortcuts.
"Hss. This statue seems suspicious."
He triggered hidden traps no one else knew about, sidestepping major fights entirely—as if he knew the ruins inside and out.
"Another trap…"
"H-how did you do that?!"
"Just got lucky."
And every time he brushed it off as luck, the people watching could only grind their teeth in frustration.
Who the hell is this guy?
By now even Sangjin had no choice but to accept that Dohyeon was something extraordinary.
"I think this is the last stretch."
In the end, the three of them tore through the ruins at an absurd pace and reached the final combat zone.
W-we just beat the best recorded time by more than half.
Checking the clock, Kim Sangjin swallowed hard. Whatever the reason, there was no sense in wasting a record like this.
"…Nothing else after this?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
Half hoping, half testing, Sangjin asked Dohyeon's opinion—then, for the first time in a while, stepped up as leader and took command of the final fight. He would hold the boss, the dungeon's strongest monster, while the other two cleaned up the small fry.
"Here they come!"
BOOM—! A lure-type mana bomb detonated, and from the dark cavern beyond came the heavy thud of earth being pounded. A troll king nearly five meters tall led a swarm of smaller mini-trolls.
Uwaaaaaargh—!
The final battle began.
CRASH—!
"Hoo…"
Dodging another of the troll king's blows, Sangjin caught his breath and checked on his party.
"Hyaaah…!"
Having sat out most of the earlier fights, Park Ina still had her full strength. She darted around the wide cavern, cutting down mini-trolls.
And on the other side, Dohyeon—
Slash—! Slash—!
As expected, he displayed fluid swordsmanship, casually cutting the beasts down.
…What?
Watching him fight, Sangjin frowned. Something felt off.
It didn't take long for the realization to hit him like a blow—Dohyeon wasn't using any mana at all.