A Porter in Dungeon (1)

I blinked at the door, my mind swirling with disbelief.

Did I just receive a Blood Crystal and a membership badge?

Was I dreaming?

Maybe I should pinch myself… but what if I woke up and found out it was all a joke?

Fuck, what if I woke up in that wretched city again?

Sure enough!

The universe loves messing with me.

"Oh! I didn't even ask him his name," I muttered, the realization hitting me like a cold slap. Seriously, how could I trust someone I didn't even know?

But I brushed the thought aside.

Something told me I'd know the name of that white-haired man soon enough.

There was no way a random nobody like me would be handed something as serious as an Adventurers Association badge on a whim. That guy… he wasn't ordinary.

With a heavy sigh, I slid off the bed and stood up. My eyes lingered on the hospital bed a second too long—like it held secrets I wasn't ready to face.

The two items—the Blood Crystal and the bronze badge—felt heavier than they should as I slipped them into my pocket. They weren't just gifts. They were a responsibility.

It was time to go home.

Back to the life I'd left behind.

Still, something gnawed at me.

A strange unease.

Like something was waiting for me out there—something big.

Dangerous.

Unknown.

I let out a shaky laugh, half-excitement, half-terror.

"Okay, Noah, deep breaths. You've got a Blood Crystal, a badge, and a ticket to adventure. Just… don't trip over your own feet before you even get there, or you'll be the laughingstock of the Association before you've started."

I took a long breath, feeling something flicker inside me—something like determination. This was it. My chance to escape the mundane and step into a life I'd only ever dreamed about. But first, I had to survive my own self-doubt.

Luckily, the hospital wasn't far from home—just a short walk down Third Street. They even offered to escort me, but I refused. I told them I could manage, and truthfully, I needed the walk to clear my head.

The streets were familiar, but I couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed. Or maybe I had changed.

"What would I have thought if I hadn't received that badge?" I whispered. "Would I have even believed any of this?"

If only I'd woken up earlier… I could've used the Blood Crystal to charge the alliance slot. Maybe I'd even be stronger by now—strong enough to survive whatever comes next. If only...

Without thinking, my hand slid into my pocket, my fingers brushing over the Blood Crystal and badge. The cool, smooth texture grounded me. Somehow, just touching them made the chaos of the last day feel more real… more bearable.

Before long, I was standing in front of my home. I stared up at the old building.

"I'm back," I muttered, even though no one was there to hear it.

Bending down, I lifted the worn red mat and retrieved the keys from underneath. After a bit of fumbling, I found the right one and unlocked the door.

The living room was just like I remembered it—dim and hollow.

Not exactly cozy, but not run-down either.

A small two-seater couch sat to the left, a larger one to the right. The windows were shut tight, keeping the daylight out. It felt… empty.

I didn't linger. I moved straight through the room, past the dining area, and down the narrow hallway to my bedroom. The moment I stepped inside, I could feel the weight in my chest settling.

It was a small room, simple. A dresser in the corner. Bare essentials. Nothing fancy.

I opened the balcony door and sat down on the cold floor, leaning my back against the wall. The air outside was cooler now, the sky darkening. My mind couldn't stop replaying everything that happened.

That beast… that massive brown monster. I still didn't know how I survived it. Just thinking about it made my spine tingle.

"Yesterday was such a long day… None of this would've happened if I'd joined the alliance earlier," I whispered. I stared up at the sky, my voice barely audible. Regret and hope warred in my chest.

But deep inside… something stirred.

Far away from my little world, two men stood in the middle of the street where it all went down.

One of them—tall, jet-black hair, long black coat—was crouched on the ground. I'd recognize that guy anywhere. Watson. The official who visited me in the hospital.

I didn't know what he was doing back there, but I could guess.

He pressed his hand to the dirt. I imagined him trying to feel something—traces of the battle, a leftover aura, maybe even the monster's death throes. But there wouldn't be anything. I already knew that.

"No... nothing," I imagined him saying, frustrated. "It's like nothing happened here at all."

He was right. There was no trace. No energy. No signature. It was as if the whole battle had been erased.

From what little I understood, when awakened powers are used, they leave something behind—a scent in the air, a hum in the earth, a shimmer on the skin. Something. But this time, there was… nothing.

That must've freaked them out.

And I could only imagine what the Association thought. Some mystery hunter out there, strong enough to kill a monster solo—without leaving a trace. They'd want to know who that was. They'd want to know if they were friend or foe.

Watson probably hated this. He didn't strike me as the type who enjoyed cleaning up after mysteries. If the Herald Knight hadn't requested him personally, I doubted he'd even be here.

Still, something told me this wasn't the end of it. They were going to dig deeper. The questions weren't going to stop.

Who killed the beast?

And more importantly…

What happened to me?