The instant dungeon (1)

I woke up in another place.

Didn't even surprise me.

At this point, I'd lost count of how many times I opened my eyes in some random corner of the world, heart racing, soul trying to catch up.

This time, it was a house.

A simple two-story house, flowery wallpaper, and the faint smell of rice cooking.

I got out of bed — or at least what looked like a bed — and tried calling Luxxion.

Nothing.

Tried again.

It was in vain.

No holographic windows. No reply.

And no automated sarcasm.

"Great." I took a deep breath. "I'm alone."

A woman's voice came from downstairs.

"Liam! Son! Come down or you're gonna be late!"

Son...?

My head turned automatically.

...That voice wasn't familiar.

And yet... it was?

I went down slowly, almost afraid I was walking into a trap.

And then I saw them.

The "parents."

The woman wore an apron with fruit prints, her hair tied in a messy bun, her eyes gentle and focused... eyes I recognized.

The Alchemist Master.

And the man?

The man was Sung Jin-Woo.

Or at least, an older, more formal version of him.

He even had a faint mustache — which did nothing to help me take any of this seriously.

My steps faltered halfway down the stairs. I stopped.

They looked at me like nothing was strange.

"You're gonna miss the bus, kid," said 'my dad,' calm but firm.

I frowned. "...What?"

"The bus." He raised an eyebrow. "Skipping first period again?"

'My mom' laughed.

"Bet he stayed up too late reading those fantasy books again."

"They're not just fantasy anymore..." I muttered without thinking.

She tilted her head.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just... got distracted."

"You'll be late."

Jin-Woo insisted, hands in his pockets, that newly learned responsible dad vibe on full display.

I just... nodded, playing along.

It was that or freak out.

"Right. I'm going."

I left the house not knowing where I was going.

The sky was blue. Slightly cloudy, but still blue.

Fresh-cut grass, clean air. Neighbors waving hello.

Everything absurdly normal.

"Hey! Liam!"

I turned toward the voice.

Kim Gongja.

But... younger.

Smaller, hair falling over his eyes, wearing the same school uniform as me.

A crooked backpack slung over his shoulder and a crooked smile on his face.

"You look like you saw a ghost. Rough night?"

"Weird dream." I answered automatically.

"Eh... normal. This school's a nightmare anyway."

He shrugged, stretching his arms over his head like a bored kid.

We walked together.

I steered the conversation carefully, trying to understand.

Trying to figure out when, where, what the hell kind of story... this was.

A name he mentioned caught my attention.

"So, this is... Kwang-Oh, right?"

"Huh? Of course it is," Gongja looked at me, puzzled. "Did you hit your head or something?"

Kwang-Oh.

That name sounded familiar...

"Hey, Liam." Kim Gongja kicked a pebble as we walked side by side. "Have you ever wanted to awaken a gift?"

Gift?

The word hit heavier than it should've.

I looked at him from the side, still walking.

"Like... an actual gift?"

"Yeah. We've talked about it a lot of times. The kind that makes you special. Strong. Useful. A hero."

Ah.

So that was it.

"Hm…" I took a little longer than I should've to answer. "I guess. Probably. I think everyone's thought about it at some point, right?"

"Pfft. Always." Gongja gave a half-laugh. "I wanted to be a hero. Like the Archer of the Sky Bow. Go to Cube. Save people."

He kicked another rock, this time harder.

"But look at me, dude. I'm stuck in this dumb school. Not even a tiny gift to brag about."

Cube.

The realization hit even harder.

But before I could respond, a scream — sharp and visceral — tore through the air.

My eyes whipped in that direction instinctively.

Gongja froze, too.

A figure was walking down the street.

Slowly.

As if they were just taking a stroll in the park.

Except for the part where they were killing anyone who got close.

A horizontal slash.

A woman's head fell, and the child beside her screamed.

Another charge — a man tried to grab her.

He was sliced clean in two.

Two more. Same result.

Kim Gongja went pale. His lips parted, speechless.

I tried to open the inventory. Nothing.

Stupid habit.

"Shit..."

That brought us to Plan B.

Run.

I grabbed Gongja by the arm and started sprinting.

"Move!"

We cut through alleyways.

The sound of footsteps behind us mixed with the screams.

Other people were running. Some were falling.

A child cried out, and the sound was smothered by something I didn't dare turn around to see.

"Isn't there... any force, army, police — someone to stop this?!"

"The Archer!" Gongja panted. "The Archer of the Sky Bow! He's the Protector of this region!"

"And where the hell is he?!"

"Downtown!" He choked. "B-But there won't be backup... The big city is far... we're in a rural area, remember?!"

Of course we were.

Always the worst fucking places to be at.

"Downtown. Show me the way."

Gongja pointed with trembling fingers. We ran.

A few minutes later, we arrived.

And it didn't help at all.

The center of Kwang-Oh... was on fire.

Smoke rose from shattered buildings. Screams echoed from every direction.

Blood. Limbs. Debris.

Gongja covered his mouth.

His face was white. The sound of nausea slipped through his teeth.

And I... looked around.

Still hoping to spot the hero.

No sign.

"W-we could go back... home…" Gongja suggested, his voice shaking.

"No." I spoke too fast. Low, firm. "It's not safe. Look around." I nodded with my chin. ''The open doors. Shattered windows. Burned homes.

"S-so... we should go to the shelter," Gongja said, "That's where they tell us to go when there's an emergency like this… that's what they said at school."

"No," I said immediately.

He looked at me, confused. Waiting for an explanation.

"The shelter will be one of the targets," I continued, "If there's one place they won't stop attacking… it's there."

Gongja paled even more. He didn't answer.

And we kept going.

Running cautiously.

Creeping around corners like rats.

I searched for something — anything.

A weapon. A stick. A metal pipe.

A broom handle that could serve as an extension of my hand.

But nothing.

I clicked my tongue.

Then I saw it.

A bent metal pipe, jutting out of broken concrete.

I grabbed it tightly.

Not ideal. Not even close.

The tip was cracked. It'd snap after a few solid swings.

But it was still better than bare fists.

We pushed deeper into the chaos, following Gongja's stuttered directions.

The whole city felt like it had imploded — as if time had fast-forwarded straight into ruin.

And at the far end of the plaza...

"HYEON-U!!" Gongja shouted.

The hero appeared.

The Archer of the Sky Bow.

Proud, even among the rubble.

Hair tied in a short ponytail, torn clothes, and the curved bow gripped in his calloused hands.

He was breathing heavily, struggling to keep distance...

From that monster.

A man — if he could even be called that — over two meters tall, broad chest, arms thick like temple pillars.

Shirtless, his body was covered in bruises, cuts, and old scars.

And he laughed.

Laughed like it was all just a game.

He charged with only his fists. Punches that shattered the ground, exploded stone, carved craters into walls.

Hyeon-U was dodging, retreating, firing with precision.

But he was tiring.

And then, behind them...

At the edge of the plaza...

I saw another.

Standing still, like he wasn't in the middle of a massacre.

A pristine white suit. Fedora hat. Cane balanced on his fingers. A smooth white mask — no eyes, no mouth.

Just an observer.

My blood went cold.

He didn't move. Didn't react.

Just watched.

Like someone seeing a show they already knew the ending to.

And then...

Footsteps.

Behind me.

I turned.

A woman was walking toward us slowly.

A white dress — or what was left of it.

Torn at the waist. Stained red.

She held a knife.

The blade was still dripping.

Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

She smiled.

A smile too wide. Crooked.

Almost joyful.

Like she was about to say hi.

But I knew. I recognized it.

The violence etched into the streets.

Gongja's words about heroes and gifts.

This world...

This massacre...

This was the world of The Extra's Novel.

But… out of all places, out of all possible moments...

Why throw me straight into hell?

Why the Kwang-Oh Massacre…?