Main Quest

Tian rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things.

"What is this? Did I just become an Awakened?" he muttered in disbelief.

But he quickly dismissed the thought. No, becoming an Awakened wasn't like this. They always showed physical changes, experienced strange dreams, or were involved in some kind of supernatural phenomenon.

His gaze remained fixed on the transparent black screen floating in the air. Without hesitation, he opened his status panel.

[Strongest King System]

Name: Tian

Title: -

King Points: 0

Mission: (Main Mission: Birth of a King)

Items: -

Skills: (King's Slave Resurrection - SSS), (Heavenly King's Blessing - SSS), (Spear King - SSS)

Tian froze. Three SSS-rank skills?

"This is insane… Completely insane."

With his heart pounding, he quickly checked their descriptions.

(King's Slave Resurrection - SSS)

Revives a corpse as a spirit and turns it into the King's slave. Success rate depends on the corpse's condition and the King's strength.

- Spirit Slave: 0 / Unlimited

(Heavenly King's Blessing - SSS)

Creates the King's domain, increasing the power of his forces by 2–10 times within the area. Effects vary depending on the situation and the King's luck.

- Buff Area: Unlimited

(Spear King - SSS)

When wielding a spear, attacks ignore 100% of external defenses and directly strike the target's body.

- Penetration: 100%

Tian's jaw dropped.

"These kinds of skills actually exist?"

His hands trembled slightly. He wanted to test them out immediately, but obviously, a bus stop wasn't the right place for that.

Taking a deep breath, he switched to the main mission panel.

[Main Quest]

Name: Birth of a King

Description: A king is not recognized by name alone. Kill 100 E-rank monsters, collect their hearts, and perform a tribute.

Quest Item: E-rank monster hearts

Time Limit: 7 Days

Reward: Title – Chosen King

"A title?" Tian's eyes widened.

Normally, systems like this would offer items or skills as the first reward. But a title? That meant something beyond just a simple stat boost.

Unfortunately, the description of the title was still locked.

"No problem. I'll check it out later."

Right now, his priority was paying for his dungeon access before the deadline. If not, he'd end up blacklisted by the Hunter Association.

The bus came to a stop at the station. Tian got on and quickly took a seat in the back row.

A few passengers glanced at him strangely—probably because of his confused expression—but he ignored them. Leaning back, he rested his head against the seat and stared out the window.

Fifteen minutes later, the bus pulled up in front of a massive building.

The skyscraper stood at a hundred stories tall. At its center, a massive logo depicted two heroic figures—one man wielding a giant sword and one woman raising a magical staff. They stood upon a grand altar, symbolizing glory and power.

"Hunter Association," Tian murmured.

Every month, he came here to handle payments and maintain his Hunter license. But this time, it felt different.

Stepping inside, he was immediately greeted by a bustling scene.

The spacious lobby was filled with people wearing different outfits. Some were dressed in formal suits—likely administrative staff. But the majority were equipped with combat gear—knives strapped to their belts, massive swords, shields, and even specialized firearms.

This was the heart of Hunter civilization.

Without stopping, Tian walked straight toward the administrative area.

"Leader Tian, good afternoon!"

A receptionist waved from a distance, her smile friendly and her expression respectful.

Tian gave a small nod. "Good afternoon."

He strode toward the elevators, pressing the button for the 13th floor without hesitation. As the doors opened, he stepped inside and leaned against the corner, letting his thoughts drift.

But a conversation nearby caught his attention.

"Hunter Ron, are you sure you want to leave the Peace Guild?" a Hunter Association staff member asked a muscular man who radiated confidence.

"Yes. Another guild made a better offer," Rian replied flatly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Understood. I'll process your request immediately."

Tian glanced at them briefly.

Those words felt painfully familiar—reminding him of the two guild members he lost to rival guilds for the same reason: a better deal.

His fists clenched, emotions stirring deep inside him.

Another poaching…

Ding!

The elevator doors opened on the 13th floor. Without looking back, Tian stepped out into a large, bustling office. This was the administration floor for dungeon rentals.

Without wasting time, he headed toward the right side of the room, where a plaque reading "F-Rank Dungeon Administration" hung above a door. Pushing it open, he entered.

The room featured a large counter with several waiting chairs already occupied by a few people.

But his eyes quickly locked onto someone—a man with neatly tied long hair, sitting in a relaxed posture.

As their gazes met, the man smirked arrogantly. He raised a hand and waved casually.

"Tian, you're here too?"

Tian felt a surge of emotion but held it back. Ignoring the greeting, he walked straight to the registration booth, took a queue number, and deliberately chose the seat furthest from the man.

Darius.

Leader of Iron Fangs. The man who had stolen two of his guild members.

Low-level Hunter poaching was rare, but Darius had a personal reason for targeting Tian.

They were once classmates—now, they were rivals, both building their guilds from scratch.

Tian remained silent, observing the guild secretaries handling administrative matters. Normally, these payments were taken care of by guild staff. But KING Guild didn't have such luxuries. He had to handle everything himself.

However, something felt off.

Wait… why was Darius here alone?

Usually, his secretary handled the administration. Tian glanced at him, but instead of catching a clue, he saw Darius casually strolling toward him before taking the empty seat beside him.

"Tian, you doing alright? Don't tell me you've forgotten an old friend?" Darius grinned as he pulled out a cigarette. With a calm motion, he lit it and took a slow drag.

Tian remained quiet.

"Friend?" Tian finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly from suppressed anger. "You still have the audacity to call yourself that?"

"What do you mean?" Darius asked nonchalantly, as if he truly had no idea.

Tian clenched his fists. He wanted to lash out, but he knew his limits. Darius wasn't just a wealthier guild leader—his father was a National-level Hunter. Picking a fight with Darius was suicide.

Taking a deep breath, Tian chose to ignore him.

Darius smirked, exhaling smoke into the air. "My guild will be promoted to D-rank soon," he said casually. "I still need a few more F-rank Hunters."

Tian stiffened.

That was clearly a veiled warning. Darius was going to steal more of his guild members.

Yet, Tian's expression remained composed. A friendly smile spread across his face—so natural that Darius was momentarily caught off guard.

"Congratulations, Darius," Tian replied lightly, as if he genuinely meant it. "I hope you find the F-rank Hunters you're looking for."

Darius' expression twitched slightly before a wide grin appeared. "Good. I'm glad you understand. I'll be hosting a banquet once it happens."

Just then, a voice echoed from the speakers.

"Iron Fangs Guild!"

A woman stood up and walked toward the administrative desk. Darius' guild secretary.

Darius chuckled, then got up without another word, leaving Tian alone.

Tian remained seated, letting his thoughts consume him. He wanted to fight back, but he knew he was still too weak.

The best thing he could do now was survive—and grow stronger.

A few minutes later, his guild name was finally called.

"KING Guild!"

Tian stood up and walked toward the administration desk. Without a word, he handed over his documents and coins to pay the dungeon rental fee.

Ten minutes passed. Once the process was done, he exited the F-rank Dungeon Administration office with heavy steps.

In the corridor, he paused for a moment, staring blankly at the elevator. His mind was tangled in dilemmas.

"To complete the mission, I have to kill E-rank monsters. But for that, I need proper equipment… and access to an E-rank Dungeon."

That was the problem. E-rank monsters only appeared in dungeons of the same rank. However, since his guild was still F-rank, he had no authorization to enter.

Tian exhaled deeply. Around him, guild secretaries were busy with paperwork, while Hunters discussed strategies for their next dungeon. But to him, it all felt like background noise—meaningless.

A notification sound snapped him out of his thoughts.

His phone's familiar ringtone echoed through the quiet corridor. Tian reached into his pocket and unlocked the screen with a sliver of hope.

The moment he saw the sender's name, his previously grim expression softened. His eyes, heavy with burdens, now carried a hint of light. A faint smile crept onto his lips.

Without hesitation, he opened the message.