SSS-Rank Skills? The Birth of a King!

"Are you ready?"

Tian's voice was calm but sharp. The five people behind him nodded. They weren't veterans—just rookie Hunters with basic gear: light armor, cheap swords, worn-out leather boots, and a magic staff that was probably cracked inside.

"Ready, Sir Tian!" replied the team leader, a woman with a ponytail. Her grip tightened around her staff as if it were the only thing keeping her steady.

Tian nodded. He lifted a large key and inserted it into the lock securing a five-meter-high gate. With a heavy click, the seal was released.

The cave trembled slightly as the gate creaked open. Its reinforced silver-steel walls reflected the dim neon light flickering from the cracks in the rock. The air smelled of metal and damp earth.

This was an F-Rank Dungeon, a tunnel leading into the underground darkness—rented by Tian's small guild.

Years ago, the world changed. Monsters rose from the depths of the earth, devouring cities and mercilessly slaughtering humans. The strongest warriors fought desperately until they discovered the source: these underground pathways—rifts connecting the surface to an unfathomable abyss.

The world stood on the brink of destruction, but humanity refused to surrender. Some awakened supernatural abilities—Awakened. With them, the resistance began. The Hunter Organization was formed, uniting Awakened to prevent the impending apocalypse.

But Tian was not one of them.

Lacking combat talent, he knew that survival meant finding his own way to power. He sold his late parents' house and founded Guild KING—a small, struggling guild of adventurers trying to make a living in a world that had no mercy for the weak.

And now, the guild's future rested in the hands of this team.

"Remember, you only have two hours. If you take longer, our guild gets penalized for the rescue fee," Tian warned.

"Understood!"

Without hesitation, Tian pulled the lever beside the gate. With a deep metallic groan, the steel doors slowly parted, revealing a tunnel swallowed by pitch-black darkness.

The team stepped inside without hesitation. The ponytailed woman raised her staff, summoning a small flame at its tip. The flickering light illuminated damp, jagged walls and a rocky path that twisted downward.

Tian watched until their silhouettes disappeared into the shadows. He took a deep breath, calming the tightness in his chest.

Come back safely.

After ensuring everything was in order, Tian turned around and walked along a metal-plated walkway stretching through the cavern. The neon lights overhead flickered weakly. A few minutes later, he reached the exit and stepped into the harsh sunlight.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist.

11 A.M.

"I need to pay this month's rent… fast," he muttered.

If he didn't pay today, he would lose access to the dungeon. And without a dungeon, his guild would wither away.

His steps were heavy as he approached his battered sedan parked at the edge of the dungeon road. The engine growled softly as he started it, then he drove down the narrow road cutting through the dense forest.

Twenty minutes later, he entered the city gates.

The streets were bustling with activity. Holographic screens flashed above towering skyscrapers, displaying the faces of elite Hunters with confident smiles. Giant billboards advertised the latest weapons, high-grade armor, and lucrative partnership offers from major guilds.

In the central plaza, a colossal statue of a monster loomed—a monument to humanity's first victory against the abyss. Though dungeons had nearly destroyed civilization, they had also ushered in prosperity. The resources within them had fueled a technological revolution, making Hunters the backbone of the world's economy.

But for Tian, that prosperity felt like a distant dream.

He had only one E-Rank Hunter left—the ponytailed woman leading today's team. The last two E-Rank members of his guild had been poached by other guilds, wiping out 80% of his income overnight.

Now, his guild's survival depended entirely on her success.

His car stopped at a red light. Tian took a deep breath and exhaled, the smoke from his cigarette lingering in the air.

"Why is it so damn hard to recruit Hunters?" he muttered, his mind racing for ways to increase his guild's earnings.

But before he could come up with an answer—

The ground beneath him trembled.

At first, it was faint. Then it grew into a deep, rumbling quake, reverberating from beneath the earth.

People around him paused, glancing around nervously.

No way… A dungeon break?!

Tian's heart clenched. Instinct took over. He threw open the car door and jumped out.

"DUNGEON BREAK! RUN!"

His shout split the air.

Panic erupted. Car horns blared as terrified drivers abandoned their vehicles, scrambling for safety.

Then, the ground at the intersection collapsed. The asphalt cracked, forming long fissures before completely caving in. A massive hole yawned open, swallowing the unlucky cars above it.

"Help! Someone, save me!" Hysterical screams filled the air as people dangled on the edge of the abyss. Their fingers clutched onto steel and crumbling concrete, desperately trying to escape their impending doom.

Tian stood a short distance away, observing the scene. The hole... wasn't that large, only about ten meters wide.

"An F-Rank Dungeon, huh?" he murmured.

As a guild leader, he knew that Dungeons could appear suddenly without warning. But usually, there was a brief period before monsters emerged.

Tian scanned his surroundings. Who would arrive first? The official Hunters or the military?

Then, he heard it.

"ARGH!"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed from within the abyss, sending shivers down Tian's spine.

"No way… Is this an active Dungeon?"

Without hesitation, he spun around and bolted.

"ACTIVE DUNGEON! GET AWAY!"

Tian ran with all his strength, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the newly formed Dungeon. Once he felt safe, he stopped, panting heavily. His suit was disheveled, his back drenched in sweat.

"That should be far enough..."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone. If this really was an active Dungeon, news of it would spread within minutes.

His eyes locked onto the trending headlines.

"ACTIVE F-RANK DUNGEON OPENS IN BEJI. CASUALTIES: 23."

Tian frowned. "That many?"

Hesitantly, he tapped on the embedded video.

On the screen, the gaping black hole pulsed with a thick, eerie mist as if it were alive.

Then, something shot out.

A giant mosquito, nearly two meters tall, with burning red eyes. Its wings vibrated rapidly, creating powerful gusts that sent dust and debris flying.

Some civilians remained frozen in terror.

The mosquito moved.

Slash!

Blood sprayed into the air.

Screams erupted as chaos engulfed the street. People ran for their lives.

The giant mosquito didn't stop. It slammed into parked cars, its instincts guiding it to the humans hiding within. Glass shattered, alarms blared, and the panic reached its peak.

Tian swallowed hard. Just one monster, and the destruction was already this severe.

But the video wasn't over.

From the rooftop of a nearby building, a figure in a green cloak leaped down, landing effortlessly at the Dungeon's edge. A long sword rested in his grip, his green headband fluttering in the wind.

Tian's eyes sharpened.

"Zorch..."

Zorch, a skilled swordsman. One of the well-known C-Rank Hunters, famed for his speed.

"Of course… If an active Dungeon appears, even an F-Rank one, the first responders would be C-Rank Hunters."

In the video, Zorch gazed at the monstrous mosquito with an unreadable expression. With a single fluid motion, he unsheathed his sword.

Then, he moved.

His body spun mid-air, creating a streak of silver so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.

The mosquito tried to evade, but the attack was too swift.

Slash! Its limbs were severed.

Slash! Its wings were shredded.

And finally—

One last strike.

The monster's head soared through the air before crashing onto the pavement with a heavy thud.

Its massive body followed, slamming into the ground. Dark blood pooled around the battlefield.

Tian held his breath. "In a single leap...?"

He couldn't suppress a grin of admiration. "Zorch!"

The video ended, but Tian's excitement only grew. If someone like Zorch could do it, then one day—he could too.

But that admiration was short-lived as reality came crashing down once more.

His car was destroyed, and he still had to pay the Dungeon lease before the deadline.

"Haaah..."

Tian let out a long sigh, his steps heavy as he walked toward the nearest bus stop. People rushed past him, the world moving forward as if indifferent to the burdens he carried.

But then—

His body stiffened.

His gaze turned vacant as a pitch-black screen appeared before him.

A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

Ding! The Strongest King System has activated!

Ding! All acquired skills are SSS-Rank!

Ding! System panel activated. Please check your status.

Ding! Main Quest Released (Birth of a King). Please check your mission log.