Taking the lead (1)

The images on the television displayed a chaotic scene.

Smoke rose from ruined buildings, the street littered with debris, and right at the center, an A-Rank portal stood wide open, like the mouth of a hungry predator.

The news was broadcasting the scene live, and the reporter's voice sounded enthusiastic, almost reverent.

''Today, the renowned hunters Choi Sang-Hoon and Lee Mira have taken the lead in the assault on the dungeon! With the support of top-tier guilds, the mission should be completed before the gate turns into a Break!''

The pressure of the mana had caused that destruction.

''Now that's what I call life,'' one of the hunters next to me muttered, twirling a coffee can between his fingers. ''Clearing A-Rank dungeons and being treated like celebrities.''

''If I had just half their strength, my life would be set,'' another hunter agreed, letting out an envious sigh.

They were all D-Rank hunters, men used to scraping by in average dungeons, dreaming of something bigger.

But me?

I didn't even have the luxury of mediocrity.

My name is Liam Han.

An E-Rank Hunter.

A nobody in this world.

I sighed, grabbing my phone and activating the front camera.

The screen reflected my appearance.

I was weird. Unkempt.

Dark brown hair in disarray, eyes slightly sunken from lack of sleep, and an expression that wavered between boredom and exhaustion.

The cheap hunter uniform didn't help at all.

The black vest was worn out, and the reinforcements in the fabric were already showing signs of wear.

The only thing that stood out was the old spear strapped to my back, which looked more like a relic from a failed museum.

My eyes wandered to the hunters chatting animatedly.

I was sitting apart from the group, on a nearby rock.

But it wasn't like they hated me or anything.

On the contrary, they were friends of my father and were the only ones who agreed to bring me along on this raid.

But...

It was hard to fit in.

I just didn't belong in this world.

Literally.

It's been about a month since I realized that.

That something was wrong.

That I was wrong.

Liam Han. That name should be mine. But it wasn't.

Not completely.

My memories of this life were clear.

Twenty-three years growing up as a nobody, living an average life until I awakened as an E-Rank hunter.

But the memories from before...

Ah, that's the truly frustrating part.

Because this is the same old generic story: a fan of a popular work gets sucked into it.

I had read this so many times, I should've been prepared.

But I wasn't.

Because now it was real.

The cold stone beneath me.

The weight of the spear on my back.

The humiliation of being treated like nothing.

None of that was a computer screen flashing before my eyes.

It was my life.

I let out a sigh, closing my eyes for a moment.

I'd even stopped going into dungeons for a while, trying to digest all this information.

But my luck was that I hadn't come empty-handed.

[The Multiversal System has been activated.]

[To assign the System, the user must clear a D-Rank dungeon.]

[System functionalities are currently locked.]

That damned condition...

It was a struggle to get someone to accept me on a hunt.

If it wasn't for these old friends of my father, I wouldn't even have this chance.

With a tongue click, I stood up and adjusted the spear on my back.

The movement caught the group's attention.

''Ready to carry the backpacks, kid?'' one of them laughed, tapping the side of my pack.

''I should charge for this service, you know?'' I retorted, forcing a smile while adjusting the straps on my shoulder.

Inside, I cursed each one of them.

They laughed, not cruelly, but enough to make it clear that no one took me seriously.

The weight of the backpacks was a reminder of that.

I was the pack mule, the porter, the one there just because someone had to carry the supplies.

''Alright, everyone, focus here!''

The voice of the squad leader rang out over us.

He was a tall, muscular man, with a scar that ran from his eyebrow to his chin.

His name was Kang Jisoo, a veteran D-Rank hunter.

He was sort of like an uncle to me...?

''Let's go over the formation before we enter. I don't want anyone playing the hero here.''

The team consisted of six members:

Kang Jisoo, the leader, specialized in close combat with a huge axe.

Yoo Minseok, a fast, agile lancer skilled with thrusts.

Park Ilhoon, an archer with good aim, but a questionable temper.

Choi Doyun, a swordsman who served as second line.

Song Hana, a support mage with some healing abilities. Just a little older than me.

And me… the backpack carrier.

Jisoo looked at each of us.

''Everyone ready?''

After receiving confirmations, he turned toward the gate before us.

The entrance to the dungeon glowed with a pulsing blue light, like an invitation to the unknown.

My fingers tightened on the spear's strap.

It was now or never.

''Let's go. Standard formation.''

And then, we entered the dungeon.

___________________

Everything changed the moment we crossed the portal.

The dungeon was suffocating.

I had never entered a dungeon higher than level E.

That was probably why I was so fucking poor.

The air inside had a strange smell, something between mold and rotting meat.

The stone walls were rough, covered in dark moss and cracks that seemed to extend endlessly upward.

The floor was uneven, and every step echoed in a strange way.

It was almost as if the very space around us was distorted.

The entrance was still right behind me.

Part of me wanted to just turn around and leave.

I sighed.

Again.

It had become a habit.

The jumbled memories in my head didn't help.

A tired Korean salaryman, exhausted from an ordinary life.

And an E-Rank hunter.

One who'd spent the last few years teetering on the edge between life and death.

Neither side seemed completely real.

I still hadn't gotten used to it.

''Let's keep the pace,'' Kang Jinsoo said, moving through the darkness with the posture of someone who'd done this hundreds of times.

The group followed behind him.

I, a little further behind.

''This place smells worse than the last dungeon we did,'' Minseok commented, adjusting the short sword in its sheath.

''At least it's not a rat dungeon,'' Hana shrugged. ''Last time, I had to burn my uniform afterward.''

''Stop complaining,'' Jinsoo said, sighing. ''Let's finish this quickly.''

The mood was casual, almost like a bar hangout.

I was excluded, of course.

But then, Kang Joon-Seok raised one hand.

A signal to stop.

Everyone fell silent immediately.

I held my breath.

A sound came from the front.

Rustling, like something moving in the darkness of the corridor.

Footsteps.

One, two… many.

With every passing second, the number seemed to increase.

They were coming.

And then, they appeared.

Short creatures, about the size of a ten-year-old child.

Greenish skin, yellowish eyes glowing in the dim light, sharp teeth on display.

Goblins.

At least a dozen of them.

They scattered through the corridor, holding rusty knives and spears.

''Let's go.''

Kang Joon-Seok ordered, and the battle began.

The group moved forward.

I dropped the backpack for a second, stepping back immediately.

They wouldn't have time to protect me. If I wanted to survive, I'd have to fight.

Two goblins noticed me.

They stealthily passed through the flanks.

One, holding a knife, charged toward me.

The other, with a wooden spear, hung back, waiting for an opening.

I raised my spear.

My technique wasn't bad.

But it wasn't great either.

The first goblin charged.

Quick. Wild.

Its rusty blade gleamed for a second in the darkness before coming down on me.

My muscles reacted before I even thought.

I raised my spear, swinging it to the side in a wide arc. The impact deflected the goblin's knife, opening a brief gap.

I took it.

Stepping forward, I aimed the spear's tip directly at its chest.

The blade pierced through flesh and bone, and the goblin let out a high-pitched scream, its eyes wide in sheer terror.

It wasn't a clean hit.

I had to force the spear to tear, pushing the creature back until, with a wet sound, its body gave way.

It collapsed, twitching on the floor.

But there was no time to celebrate or rest.

My breath came out shaky. Had I worn myself out already?

A burning pain exploded in my thigh.

''Argh!''

I looked down.

The second goblin's knife was embedded in my leg.

The bastard got me.

My knees buckled. Warm blood trickled down my skin.

The goblin grinned, its rotten teeth showing. It pulled the blade to strike again—

— and then, its head flew through the air.

Seok-Min's blade gleamed for a moment before completing the cut.

The goblin dropped to its knees, lifeless.

''Damn, Liam,'' he muttered, panting. ''You should've stayed further back!''

My vision spun. My leg didn't want to hold me up.

Seok-Min grabbed my shoulder before I collapsed.

''Hana! Heal him!''

Hurried footsteps. A warm hand on my arm.

Magic enveloped me, filling my body with a comforting warmth. 

The pain disappeared so quickly that it almost seemed unreal.

My breathing returned to normal.

''If you keep going like this, you'll end up dying sooner than you should'' Hana murmured, her tone a little tired.

I didn't answer.

I just picked up my backpack again and stood up.

The group was already moving forward.

If I wanted that System.

If I truly wanted to survive what awaited in the near future.

I had to keep going.

And so I, without saying anything, followed behind.