The Grind Before the Storm

The sun had barely risen, and Lan Tian and Uncle Shin were already out in the field, grinding relentlessly.

Uncle Shin rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly. "Hey, brat, why are we here so early in the morning? I didn't sleep well last night." He grumbled, his voice tinged with frustration. "My daughter didn't give me any food or a place to sleep, so I was up all night, starving and miserable."

But Lan Tian didn't respond. He kept his focus on the task at hand, his expression unwavering. In his mind, he thought, I don't have time to waste. I need to prepare for my plan.

The two of them worked tirelessly, grinding monsters early in the morning and continuing late into the night. Every day, Uncle Shin's daughter refused to give him food or a place to sleep, and the lack of rest was beginning to take its toll.

Five Days Later

Uncle Shin stood with dark circles under his eyes, looking visibly thinner. His shoulders slumped, and his energy seemed completely drained.

Lan Tian glanced at him, trying to suppress a laugh. "Uncle Shin, what happened to you?"

Uncle Shin shot him a glare. "You brat, this is all your fault! Grinding like this non-stop… I haven't had a proper meal or rest in five days!"

Lan Tian couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

Lan Tian: Level 17

Uncle Shin: Very close to Level 18

Lan Tian grinned. "Alright, Uncle Shin, let's go. Today, we're going to clear a D-rank dungeon."

Narrator:

After reaching Level 15, Lan Tian and Uncle Shin became E-rank hunters. This gave them the right to enter unowned D-rank dungeons—dungeons that weren't controlled by any guild or that had appeared recently.

Inside the dungeon, they fought their way through D-rank skeletons and monsters. For the two of them, clearing this dungeon wasn't particularly challenging. While it might be difficult for normal E-rank hunters, Uncle Shin was a hidden professional, and Lan Tian was anything but ordinary.

Eventually, they stood before the dungeon boss.

In Front of the Dungeon Boss

As they prepared to face the boss, a notification appeared before Uncle Shin:

Congratulations! Level Up: 17 → 18

Uncle Shin turned to Lan Tian with a grin. "Lan Tian, you better stand back. I just leveled up, and I've got some new skills to test out. Let me handle this."

He stepped forward confidently, then shouted, "Summon!"

Suddenly, a massive, black monster materialized in front of him. Its towering form loomed over the dungeon, radiating an ominous aura. A deep, guttural voice echoed, and before Lan Tian could react, the monster fused with Uncle Shin.

Uncle Shin smirked. "It's a passive skill of the Spirit Summoner profession. With this, I can temporarily fight at the level of a D-rank hunter. The stronger I get, the more powerful this skill becomes."

The fight against the boss was over in minutes. With his newfound power, Uncle Shin made quick work of the monster.

Congratulations!

Level Up: 17 → 18

Lan Tian received a message notifying him of the level-up. As a party member, he had gained experience from the boss fight, even though Uncle Shin fought solo.

Uncle Shin groaned, looking annoyed. "This is unfair! You got more experience than me, and I was the one who killed the boss!"

Lan Tian chuckled, his tone playful. "Didn't I tell you before? Young, low-level players like me gain more experience than old relics like you!"

Uncle Shin glared at him, but the faint smirk on his lips betrayed his amusement.

Uncle Shin sighed in relief as he heard Lan Tian's words. "So, we're not going to grind anymore today?"

Lan Tian nodded. "Yeah, we're done for the day."

Uncle Shin leaned back, visibly relaxed, feeling a rare beat of refreshment. "Finally! My body needs a break after five days of nonstop grinding."

The two decided to head to a restaurant, as it was already lunchtime. They sat down and began enjoying their meal when a group of boys approached them.

One of the boys, clearly the leader, patted Lan Tian on the head mockingly. "Oh, look who it is! The school's little heartthrob—Lan Tian, the crush of all the girls!"

Lan Tian frowned, his expression darkening as memories flooded his mind. After my father's death, these so-called seniors started bullying me. I ignored them back then, focusing on my studies because I knew how much pressure my grandfather was under. But then, when Gramps' cancer advanced to stage two, I had no choice but to drop out of school and become a hunter to support us.

The leader sneered. "Hey, brat, don't you know how to show respect to your seniors?"

Lan Tian clenched his fists, anger flashing in his eyes.

"Ooh, look at him getting mad!" The leader smirked, amused. "How funny! For your information, I'm already Level 8. Do you even stand a chance against me?"

Before Lan Tian could respond, Uncle Shin stepped in, his tone sharp. "What are you doing to my friend?"

The bullies turned to him, unimpressed. "Hey, old man, this isn't your business. Back off."

Uncle Shin smirked and opened his status window. When the bullies saw his Level 18 and the Hidden Profession title, their expressions instantly changed.

"S-sorry, senior! This was just a misunderstanding!" The leader stammered, his bravado crumbling. The group quickly ran off, tails between their legs.

Lan Tian sighed, his mood ruined. "I'm going home. Those brats completely ruined my good mood."

As they left the restaurant, Uncle Shin asked, "Why didn't you say anything? You could've easily taught them a lesson."

Lan Tian replied calmly, "His father is a C-rank hunter. Making trouble now could lead to unnecessary problems. But when the time is right, I'll make sure to teach him a lesson."

Back at Lan Tian's house, the two sat down to distribute the money they earned from clearing dungeons.

"So, Uncle Shin, how are we splitting this?"

Uncle Shin grinned. "Simple. We'll split it 50-50."

Lan Tian nodded. "Alright. We earned 1 million won, so 500k is yours, and 500k is mine."

After handing over Uncle Shin's share, he watched as his friend left for the day. Lan Tian then went to his grandfather and handed him the rest of the money.

"Gramps, take this. Use it however you want. You've worked hard your whole life, so it's time for you to enjoy it."

His grandfather hesitated. "Lan Tian, this is your money. I can't—"

Lan Tian interrupted, insisting, "Gramps, please. I want you to have it."

Reluctantly, his grandfather took the money, but he returned 400k to Lan Tian.

"Gramps, you'll never change," Lan Tian said, shaking his head with a small smile.

Got it! Here's the revised version:

The Next Morning...

Ring....Ring.....Ring...

CLANG!

"Uncle Shin, it's me," Lan Tian said, his tone firm. "It's time to execute my plan.....