Chapter 01
Gyeong Se-ha had a sense of self-awareness that, compared to her peers, her life had been relatively smooth.
Even though, by the age of twenty-seven, she had never once seen her father’s face and hadn’t had any connection with her maternal family for roughly ten years, well…
Ever since the day the world underwent that sudden upheaval, universal values and common sense had long since been shattered into ashes.
Black gates covering the skies, people losing their homes in an instant, and horrifying creatures appearing before one’s eyes in the blink of an eye.
In a world where survival was paramount, things like giving birth without officially registering a marriage—so that the child carried the mother’s surname instead of the father’s—weren’t particularly frowned upon.
Moreover, if the head of a single-parent household had awakened in sync with the world’s leap, her personal life certainly couldn’t be considered a flaw.
Under the protection of her mother, Gyeong Woon-hee, Se-ha had grown up strong and resilient.
Which meant…
“Y-Yes. I’m your dad, Se-ha.”
A young man with sparkling blue eyes appeared, claiming to be her father and shedding tears—something she had never imagined even once.
‘How on earth did it come to this?’
Se-ha rubbed her throbbing head. Her mother watched the reunion from her hospital bed with an intrigued look.
So, the beginning of this whole situation was four days ago.
It happened while she was tackling the “King of the Grand Forest” dungeon alongside the Seokho Guild she once belonged to.
“Entering the boss room in five minutes. Healers, check your mana; tanks, reconfirm your positions. Se-ha, are your skills ready?”
“Yes. No problem.”
Before the massive stone gate, over twenty members of the raid team were taking their positions.
This was already their third attempt at the “King of the Grand Forest” dungeon.
Se-ha double-checked her skill window to prevent any mistakes.
Heaven’s Luck (Cheonun) — Once per day, completely nullifies a boss monster’s attack.
Cooldown — 00:00
The skill, Heaven’s Luck, was what allowed B-rank hunter Se-ha to work more days than she rested as a freelancer.
It had also provided the means to pay her mother’s hospital bills on time, which even the salary from Seokho Guild, one of Korea’s top ten guilds, couldn’t cover.
“Are you ready?”
The voice, low and smooth like flowing water but chilling at the same time, snapped her out of her thoughts.
Se-ha looked up at the guild leader, Sa So-heon, his watery eyes meeting hers.
Even after five hours inside the dungeon, his white robe flowing down to his calves, his composure remained immaculate as he stared at her impassively.
“Yes, you may proceed.”
He nodded and turned. The robe rippled gently as he prepared his energy.
Boom!
A colorless, transparent wave shattered the massive stone gate in an instant.
“Who dares disturb the King’s rest?”
A voice, not from the ears but echoing inside the mind.
Se-ha and those around her gripped their weapons.
By the time they had reduced the King of the Grand Forest, Kazanah’s, health by half…
“Entering phase three. Frontline, fall back! Guild leader, now… ugh!”
Something abnormal happened.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Looking back, Se-ha couldn’t even begin to guess what had occurred.
When she came to, she found herself kneeling on the floor, gasping for breath.
“Ugh…!”
Each breath pressed her ribs with terrifying force.
Even a moment of relaxation might make her heart explode like a balloon.
And before her eyes…
The once-mighty Kazanah, which had been swinging a greatsword and crushing the frontline, was now a shapeless mass rolling on the ground.
A shiver of fear crept up her spine. Cold sweat dripped down her hands, yet her mind raced.
‘Dungeon runaway? Double dungeon? Or self-destruction?’
None of it was a good sign. She had already used Heaven’s Luck. The remaining cooldown was 23 hours.
“Se-ha!”
A familiar voice pierced her mind with an unfamiliar urgency. It came from her right.
A hand reached desperately toward her. The once-pristine white sleeve was stained with blood.
Sa So-heon shouted, “Come here!”
But it was too late. Light tore through the ceiling and had already engulfed her entire body.
‘Ah, damn it.’
She couldn’t die here. She couldn’t leave her mother behind.
That was Se-ha’s last memory.
And then…
“Patient, can you hear me?”
“Uh….”
When she opened her eyes, she was staring at a familiar ceiling.
Private Iplite Hospital
A hospital established by the Iplite Guild exclusively for Awakened, highly authoritative in treating rare diseases.
It also provided government support benefits only for graduates, employees, and families of the Korean Special Forces Academy.
‘Thanks to this, I didn’t have to run around other hospitals and could admit my mother immediately.’
Three years ago, Se-ha’s mother, Gyeong Woon-hee, collapsed.
‘Mom!’
Although she was not particularly unhealthy for an Awakened, she had no major illnesses. Yet after returning home from work, Se-ha found her mother collapsed alone.
How many hours had she been lying on the cold floor? What if she hadn’t gotten up? If only I had come home a little earlier…
No matter the regrets, reality was merciless.
Her mother didn’t wake for several days, forcing Se-ha to make a decision.
‘I… I have to leave the guild.’
No matter the government assistance, she couldn’t handle the unknown medical costs.
And she didn’t know when an emergency call might come from the hospital. Leaving the guild was the safer choice.
‘Is this too hasty?’
The guild leader, Sa So-heon, tried to stop her, but Se-ha didn’t waver.
Iplite Hospital became her second home.
‘Not that I wanted to be a patient brought in here myself.’
Se-ha looked around the hospital room, almost identical to the one her mother was in, scratching the back of her neck.
The staff who rushed over immediately checked her using complex machines, whispering in a language she couldn’t understand.
She gestured toward the doctor most familiar to her—her mother’s attending physician.
“Excuse me, may I ask something?”
“Yes, of course. Go ahead.”
“What about the others brought in with me? Are they okay?”
Her nervous voice was apparent.
“The Seokho Guild raid team? You’re the last patient. Everyone else recovered quickly and has already been discharged. The others, I believe, remained on-site to rescue people.”
“…Huh?”
Global gates? Rescue operations? What was all this about?
