Trial Dungeon to Earth

Miri Hwa didn't even acknowledge me before stepping forward, her sharp eyes scanning the dungeon's vast surroundings. I had no idea where we were, but this place was enormous—like a cave, but far much scarier and bigger, neverthless, I finnaly had a clean look at her

She was breathtaking. The kind of beauty that could make nations kneel, the kind of girl that the whole world would have a crush on. Well, if it wasn't for her rudeness, maybe, Just maybe, I would have fallen for her!

"Alright, I'm clearing this place. And you? ....Stay put," she ordered, not even glancing back. But then, as if reconsidering, she turned her sharp gaze on me. "Actually, don't touch anything. If you mess with anything, I might just clear you along with the dungeon."

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Yeah, yeah. Not like I could do anything even if I wanted to."

Ignoring me, she strode forward confidently. That's when the monsters emerged from the darkness—towering orcs with jagged weapons, their crimson eyes burning with malice.

"Gwaaah, Gwoooh," they growled.

Not that I understood them, but I got the message. They weren't here for a friendly chat. The moment they spotted us, they charged.

Before I could even react—

CRACK!

A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the cavern, illuminating the dungeon for a brief second. When the flash faded, the orcs were gone—nothing remained but their weapons, scattered flesh, and a few glowing items. But even those soon vanished.

I swallowed hard.

Damn.

She kept going, erasing every enemy in her path without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, I just stood there, utterly useless, trying to wrap my head around this insane world I'd been thrown into.

After what felt like an eternity, I couldn't keep my curiosity at bay any longer.

"So… what is this place, exactly?" I asked, stepping cautiously closer.

Miri barely spared me a glance. "A trial dungeon."

"And that means…?"

She sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Dungeons appear randomly in Dungeon Land. Kill the boss, and the gate reopens. Fail…" She smirked. "And you die."

Fantastic. Just fantastic. What I wanted to hear!!

I hesitated before asking my next question. "And hunters? What exactly are they?"

That made her stop. She turned toward me, looking at me as if I had just confessed to being the dumbest person alive.

"…Are you an idiot?"

I raised my hands in defense. "Hey, cut me some slack! I told you, I'm from 2025! We didn't have crazy lightning-wielding superhumans back then!"

She stared at me for a long second. Then, as if to mock me, she effortlessly conjured fire, water, floating rocks, and a soft glow of healing energy from her hands. "I swear," she muttered, "if stupidity were ranked, you'd be SSS-tier."

I gulped.

Instead of frying me on the spot, she continued, "Hunters are ranked by their strength: International Rank, National Rank, then SSS, SS+, SS, SS-, S+, S, S-, A+, A, B, C, D, E, F, G."

That was… a lot.

Before I could even begin to process that, she kept going. "Skills are ranked too: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E, F, or None."

I frowned. "So, if someone has no rank, they're just—"

"They live normal lives, manage guilds, or work as miners becouse mining dungeons actually profits alot" she finished bluntly.

I sighed, watching as she called out, "Inventory," and tossed an orc weapon onto the ground. So that's where all the loot had gone—her inventory system.

"Where does this whole system thing even come from?" I asked.

For the first time, her expression shifted. The usual irritation was replaced with something heavier, something serious.

"After World War III, humanity was on the verge of extinction," she said, voice quieter than before. "That's when dungeons appeared. And with them, hunters. But even then, we were losing. Until a hunter created the System, changing the portal location to another world where the System can transport us. The System allowed us to grow stronger, and over time, humanity rebuilt itself. Now, we've returned to a state similar to how things were around your Era, I think so."

A chill ran down my spine. "So, basically… evolve or die?"

"Pretty much."

Before I could ask anything else, the air in the dungeon grew heavy. The temperature dropped, and an oppressive force weighed on my chest.

Miri's eyes narrowed.

"There it is."

The boss.

A towering orc emerged from the shadows, even larger than the ones before. It had four arms, each wielding a bloodstained weapon. Its glowing eyes locked onto us, and with a deafening roar, the entire cavern trembled.

I instinctively stumbled back. "Uh… yeah, good luck with that."

Miri smirked. "Watch closely."

Then, she vanished.

Lightning exploded throughout the dungeon, followed by a devastating impact. The boss swung its massive weapons wildly, and for the first time, Miri didn't dodge flawlessly. One strike grazed her shoulder, tearing her sleeve and drawing blood.

She clicked her tongue. "Tch. You're a bit tougher than I thought."

The orc lunged, forcing her to backpedal. She retaliated with a streak of fire, but the boss tanked through it, slamming its weapon down. Miri barely managed to evade, landing a counterstrike to its ribs. The boss staggered, but it didn't fall.

"Alright," she muttered. "No more playing around."

Summoning a sphere of crackling energy, she launched it forward. The explosion sent the boss crashing into the cavern wall, rocks crumbling around it. This time, it didn't rise.

A chime echoed through the dungeon. The air shifted, and with it, the massive dungeon gate reappeared, now open.

I blinked. "That's it? It's over?"

Miri wiped the blood off her arm. "Obviously."

Before I could say anything, she raised her hand. "System. Transfer us to Earth."

A translucent screen appeared before me, offering two options:

YES NO

I hesitated for only a second before selecting YES.

The dungeon blurred away, and in an instant—

I was standing on Earth.

Miri barely spared me a glance. "Well, that's that." She rolled her shoulders. "Good luck surviving."

"Wait—what?!" I panicked. "You're just leaving me here?!"

She smirked. "Figure it out," she said before disappearing into the crowd.

And just like that… I was alone.

Well, so after asking out, The place I was left by her is known as Destiny, becouse the system transfer peaple from the same country here.

Uncertain but desperate, I wandered until I found it, The Hunter Corporation. If I wanted skills, power—anything—I had to start here. Right?

Stepping inside, a guard greeted me. "You look new. Head to the left. Your Number is 2". I did as he asked me to

After a long wait, I heard my number being called. "Number 2, step forward."

I was led into a room where a woman awaited me. "Place your hand on the orb and say, 'I accept the rules of the System.'"

I did as she instructed. A screen flickered before my eyes.

"System access granted."

Then, she stared at me, her expression unreadable. "You'll receive your abilities within 24 hours."

The room fell silent.

"…May luck be on your side."