Prove yourself (5)

The second D-rank portal was in Suwon.

An abandoned industrial park, filled with twisted metal structures, rusted silhouettes, and a thin mist crawling along the ground like it had a mind of its own.

The smell of rust was so strong it felt like it stuck to your tongue.

It had been two days since the last portal.

The countdown was shrinking fast.

And I wasn't in the mood to waste time.

The other option had been taken by a faster group. Its replacement, the portal in Anyang, too.

Tough luck.

This time, we faced different creatures.

These monsters weren't reptilian.

They were… something between men and insects.

Humanoids with exposed bones, rigid plates where muscle should be, and long claws that scraped the floor with every step. Their eyes were hollow, like they weren't really seeing — but their movements were fast.

The attacks came in flurries.

Doyun flew past me like a living blade, his clean, sharp slash opening space between two enemies.

Hana, in the back, kept the buffs flowing.

A golden glow pulsed around us — steady, constant.

Every burst of focus, every lighter step... that was her.

I tore through them.

The spear swung from side to side.

My feet slid, pivoted, stopped at the exact moment before impact.

I still messed up. Still forced when I should've flowed.

But my vision…

My perception and agility made everything feel slower.

A movement at the edge of my sight.

I twisted my body.

Slashed.

Another from the left.

Ducked. Thrust. Spun again.

One. Two...

Three down. The fourth didn't even realize what hit it.

The difference was massive.

Honestly, it was a massacre.

And then the boss came.

End of the corridor. A twisted steel door. The stench of blood and burnt oil.

The thing dragged its feet as it stepped out.

One of them. But bigger. Way bigger.

Taller than Jisoo, broader than any of us. Its body was covered in bones like war spikes, embedded in its skin as armor.

It roared. The whole room shook.

Doyun went in first.

Cut to the leg. The monster staggered.

Jisoo came down from above. His axe bounced off the carapace.

I moved in from the flank.

Tore into its side — didn't pierce through.

But cracks formed.

Not deep, but real.

''Extra buff!'' Hana shouted.

I felt the boost instantly.

Stats surged. The spear felt heavier — with purpose.

I struck.

One thrust — deflected.

Retreated. Spun. Another, low. Got him.

The boss roared.

Charged. Claws sliced the air.

Doyun blocked.

Jisoo countered.

One more chance.

I jumped. Aimed for the gap.

The blade went in. Just a bit, but enough.

The monster screamed.

It faltered.

In that instant, Jisoo didn't hesitate.

The axe flashed.

CRACK.

Head hit the floor. The body followed.

Heavy breathing. Stats resetting. The rush of victory filling my chest.

It was over.

No drama. No screaming. Just clean.

For the second time, I wasn't on the sidelines.

I was core. Part of the force that brought the boss down.

And maybe that's why Jisoo's grin — as he wiped his axe — lasted a little longer than usual.

''You're getting good at this, toothpick.''

Jisoo shot me a sideways glance, wiping the blade down with a dirty cloth.

He really liked that nickname, huh?

''Told you already. I'm more butcher's knife now. Skinny, but sharp.''

He laughed — deep and short — like he didn't want to admit he was proud.

''Keep that ambition, kid.''

He gave me a light punch on the shoulder. Didn't even hurt this time.

''Anyway, go rest. Tomorrow we dive into the next pit.''

I nodded.

[Mission in progress has been updated]

[Objective 1 of 4 — Complete three D-rank dungeons: 2/3.]

And with that, the room sank into the sound of boots fading and breaths evening out.

_____________

I returned to my apartment in Seoul not long after.

The shower was long. Deserved.

When I stepped out, the bathroom was still filled with steam, swirling lazily in the air.

The payment had already hit my account, deposited by Kang Jisoo.

I got dressed slowly.

The guy staring back at me in the mirror didn't look like the desperate kid from a while ago.

My style had changed.

Or at least, that's what I thought.

''I'm looking sharp, huh?''

[You're obviously replicating the look of at least four different webtoon protagonists.]

''That's an exaggeration. It's not that obvious.''

[Loose shirt, dark pants, "mysterious" expression…]

[Statistical analysis suggests a pattern.]

''Luxxion, I swear on everything holy: don't ruin my self-esteem right now.''

[Self-esteem based on cosplay isn't self-esteem.]

Was it necessary to ridicule an entire community like that for no reason?

''You urgently need an update that deletes your "being an asshole" function.''

[That's essentialy impossible.]

I sighed, dropping onto the bed.

''Alright, enough of your bullshit. Open the group chat.''

[Group chat interface activated.]

The messages blinked like before.

Only now... more familiar.

About why I opened it...

Kim Gongja was the reason.

We agreed to send at least one message a week, even with the time difference between worlds.

Thanks to the System, the chat adjusted the concept of "week" based on each timeline.

A smart mechanism.

An even bigger relief.

I typed:

[Liam: Yo. How's the wanderer life going?]

I waited.

Figured he'd be busy and take a while to answer.

But two seconds later:

[Kim Gongja: Ah, just stopped to breathe.]

[Kim Gongja: Was about to head to the twentieth floor.]

[Kim Gongja: Then you showed up. Coincidence or fate?]

I smiled.

[Liam: Fate. I've always been a fan of dramatic entrances.]

[Kim Gongja: Hahaha. Just so you know, I'm officially famous now.]

[Kim Gongja: The whole Tower knows who I am.]

[Kim Gongja: "Kim Gongja" is trending. Literally.]

Well, things were going according to the story, then.

Good to know.

[Liam: That's great. Just don't forget about us peasants, Your Majesty.]

He ignored the joke and sent another message.

[Kim Gongja: And you? Still alive?]

[Liam: Alive. Anonymous. Not on purpose. I think.]

[Liam: Trying to beat "insufferable" difficulty on E-rank build and lots of coffee.]

He took a while to reply.

His message seemed to be typed and erased a few times.

Definitely wondering whether he should send a sarcastic reply or not.

[Kim Gongja: A classic.]

We kept chatting for a few more messages.

Simple. Light.

Like we weren't worlds apart.

But, then, he said goodbye.

[Kim Gongja: Gotta go. Next floor's waiting. Try not to die before I'm back.]

This guy really had a thing for telling people not to die, huh?

[Liam: I should be the one saying that.]

[Liam: And let me know if you get a new fortune. Would be nice to be financially supported by a fool like you.]

No response. Just "seen."

The chat window closed.

And then my phone buzzed.

I looked at the screen.

Jisoo.

I picked up on the second ring.

''Sup, hyung. Don't tell me you changed the dungeon meetup point again.''

''Nothing like that, kid.'' His voice was firm but casual. ''Wanted to quickly review tomorrow's formation. That Namyangju dungeon's got a mana dispersion rate above average. Could make the boss tricky.''

''No problem. I'll tweak the entry order and rotation. With a halfway decent porter and Hana buffing on time, we're good.''

Obviously, I wasn't doing that alone.

But he didn't need to know that.

After all, my paychecks had been coming with generous bonuses specifically because I handled that kind of planning.

''Good to hear.'' There was a short pause. ''But… that's not the only reason I called.''

I sat up in bed.

Yep. Here came the bomb.

''I got what you asked for.''

I closed my mouth.

Silence.

Could it be...?

''What?''

''The contact for that Sung Jin-Woo guy.'' Jisoo let out a muffled laugh. ''Honestly, I thought you were joking. An E-rank? Seriously? You talk about him like he's some legendary porter.''

He had a point.

But getting Jin-Woo's contact would prove very useful very soon.

Jisoo would definitely thank me later for knowing that guy.

''Trust me.''

''I do trust you.'' He sighed. ''I reached out to him earlier today. The guy replied -- straight to the point, polite... but cold. We exchanged just a few messages.''

I remembered he was kind of... shy.

Yeah. That was the right word for E-rank Jin-Woo.

''And...?''

''I offered the porter position. Gave him the basics. He seemed interested -- or at least curious. But said he needed to think it over.''

I stayed quiet for a moment.

''I told him another team member would follow up with details. That's you, by the way.'' A notification sound followed. ''I just sent you the contact. It's all yours now.''

I opened the chat.

Unknown number. No photo. No name.

Profile blank like an empty file.

''Is he low profile, or a fugitive?''

''Who knows.'' Jisoo laughed. ''But, Liam… I'm expecting even more from you. Don't let me down.''

''You got it.''

The call ended there.

I stared at the number for a while.

My fingers hovered above the screen.

''Luxxion.''

[Listening.]

''It's him. The real guy...''

[Affirmative.]

[Though I can't verify the number's authenticity. But so far, it aligns.]

''You don't get it… it's him…''

[Is the user experiencing a mild psychotic episode?]

I didn't even have the strength to tell Luxxion to go screw himself after that one.

I just kept staring at the screen without blinking.

It felt like a boss battle.

But I wasn't fighting.

Sung Jin-Woo.

Luxxion's next line came before I could even ask.

[The target has not yet awakened the System. No changes since our last check.]

My breath caught for a second.

[Based on the narrative line's original timeline and the data collected, System activation is expected in approximately two weeks.]

Two weeks...

So there was still time.

He was still just human. Still just a weak porter.

The broken E-rank hunter nobody wanted.

But not for long.

And I was making contact with him before the transformation.

It was smart. Strategic.

Even if the System hadn't given me a mission with his name written in red letters, I probably would've done it anyway.

Building a bridge before the river turns into a current.

''Thanks, Luxxion.''

[You're showing tactical decision-making above the average threshold.]

I gave a small grin.

''Or maybe I'm just scared of the future. Who knows.''

[Possible. Still effective.]

I swallowed dry.

And typed the first message.

[Liam Han: Hello. I'm the team member that Kang Jisoo — the leader of tomorrow's dungeon party — mentioned. Can we talk?]

Message sent.

Blue. Delivered.

And even though I knew he was still a nobody…

Still unchanged…

I still felt a chill run down my spine.

Because now, I was talking to him.

The protagonist of my own world.