Chapter 4
In that moment, I recalled the narration from the novel:
[Shin Sooha, who had cleared the 7th floor alone, lay dead, his body torn apart by rampage. The only thing that revealed how long he had lasted was the time he finished the clear.]
I clicked my tongue and checked the time on my phone.
5:10.
Since Shin Sooha cleared the stage at 7:00, if I hurried, it might still be possible to purify him while he was in a rampage-induced unconscious state.
“What a flashy start, right from day one.”
Grumbling, I pushed myself up from the seat.
“Ugh.”
Just from running a little, my body already hurt this much.
Seo Gowoon. Damn this useless body.
“Starting tomorrow, I’m exercising. I’ll get this body in shape no matter what.”
As it was, I wouldn’t last a minute in a raid party, much less against the monsters I’d pass by. Until then, I had to focus on survival—save the Hunters who could save me, and build up this body.
“First, I need to change clothes…”
I looked around for something to wear, but froze.
The clothes scattered across the floor—what a sight. Every piece was some hideous bright primary color. Rags so gaudy, even a beggar wouldn’t wear them.
Suppressing the urge to gag, I opened the wardrobe—only to slam it shut immediately.
“Don’t tell me… healing potion side effects include fashion sense?”
Rubbing my eyes, I opened it again.
“Goddamn. This is worse.”
The wardrobe was filled with flashy clothes even worse than the ones on the floor—garish primary colors, each stamped with massive luxury logos. Walking around in those would make me a walking billboard for designer brands.
What is he, a peacock? And why the hell does he own a fluorescent feathered T-shirt?
Shaking my head, I dug deeper and finally spotted something shoved in the corner.
“…This will do.”
A plain navy shirt—no logos, no bright colors. It was wrinkled and neglected, unlike the perfectly pressed designer outfits. Judging by the lack of branding, it must have been what Seo Gowoon wore before he started groveling to Seo Taeju and buying labels to impress him.
“Top sorted. Now… pants.”
I rummaged through the drawers and found a pair of slacks, also shoved into a corner. As for a hat, I wanted a plain black one, but every single one bore some gaudy logo. I had no choice but to pick the least offensive black cap.
First thing tomorrow, I’m buying clothes.
Suppressing a shudder, I got changed, grabbed wallet and keys, and flagged down a taxi.
“To the Tower, please.”
“Oh-ho, heading to the Tower, eh? So you’re a Hunter? First time meeting one. Mind shaking my hand?”
I awkwardly shook the driver’s outstretched hand.
“Looks like I’m in for a lucky day! Imagine meeting a Hunter.”
“Ah, right. Sure…”
In this world, being a Hunter was on par with being a doctor or lawyer—something every kid dreamed of. With awakenings so rare, Hunters were revered not only for their flashy combat skills but also for the wealth they raked in.
The driver rambled endlessly about gossip and Hunters, and I half-heartedly replied until, finally—
“Here we are.”
“Would you mind waiting here a bit? You can keep the meter running.”
“Ah, you’re here for an item, huh? Fine by me. I’ll just grab dinner while you do your business.”
“Much appreciated.”
I stepped out and looked up at the Tower.
Tall, isn’t it?
The Tower—a gift from the gods. A structure so high its end was invisible, looming above me like it could crush me.
[Ascend.]
As in most stories, Towers were mandatory, with penalties for failing to clear them.
Here, the penalty was that monsters would pour out of any uncleared floor.
Right. That’s how the nursery ended up overrun, too.
Until a floor was cleared, monsters would continue to spawn. That was why Hunters pushed through, no matter the cost.
Clear status was shared globally—if one nation cleared a floor, others didn’t need to. But since points earned in clearing affected individual Hunter rankings, Hunters everywhere continued to climb.
Obsession with rankings—same everywhere in the world.
But that wasn’t what mattered now.
If I wasted time sightseeing, Shin Sooha would die.
I hurried inside.
The first-floor lobby was just as described in the novel: a gate, and a holographic-like display board.
The board should have shown “7F” along with the time limit for clearing. But by the time I’d arrived, it was 7:00, and the mission had already been cleared.
“Good. Just in time.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I walked past the display to a wall and began feeling around.
“It should be… right about here.”
Click.
The bricks shifted silently, forming a space just wide enough for a person to enter.
“This should be it.”
I stepped into the dark passage. Faint light glowed from beneath.
“Found it. The elevator.”
Normally, Hunters had to start from the first floor, slogging through each stage. But midway through the novel, during a fight with Seo Taeju, a Hunter had crashed into a wall and accidentally discovered this secret elevator.
It allowed instant travel to any cleared floor.
My destination wasn’t the 7th, but the 5th.
If I hadn’t known this, I’d have been screwed from the start.
Finding Sooha immediately wouldn’t help—I needed an item first.
An item that could purify corruption.
And that was on the 5th floor.
Light flared, and when I opened my eyes, I faced a massive stone door.
Just like the novel described.
Since Shin Sooha had already cleared the 5th floor, the door stood wide open.
“Impressive.”
The inside shifted dramatically from the barren exterior. Dense jungle greenery, humid air, the buzzing of insects—it was a real jungle, not just decoration.
“This is like a time machine.”
Dungeon floors really were fascinating.
I wonder if all of them are like this…
As I wandered past foliage and strange ruins, I eventually came across a large Moai statue at a three-way junction.
“This is it.”
According to the story, Seo Taeju had been the first to clear this floor. Later, most Hunters had rushed past in pursuit of fast clears, missing the purification item. It was only discovered much later when a party’s adventurer stumbled upon it with a treasure-finding skill.
But I didn’t need luck.
I pressed a hand against the statue.
“Dismantle.”
[Skill “Dismantle” activated.]
[Dismantling successful.]
[Obtained: sand, water, stone fragments, ??’s Egg.]
The statue crumbled away, leaving only sand, water stains, and—an egg. White, speckled with brown.
[Passive “Truth” activated.]
[??’s Egg]
Description: An unidentified egg. Its age is unknown, yet it has remained unhatched for centuries. A faint warmth seeps from within.
※ Additional information available through your skills.
+
“So passive skills trigger automatically, huh.”
Thanks to it, I now knew exactly what this was—the Egg of Purification.
When held by a Hunter, it cleansed accumulated corruption.
That faint warmth must be the purification effect.
I picked it up. As expected, nothing happened to me—Seo Gowoon had never been a Hunter, so there was no corruption to cleanse.
Then—ding!
[Obtained rare item. Passive skill “Diagnosis” acquired.]
“Diagnosis? What’s that?”
[Diagnosis: Allows you to view a target’s corruption level.]
“Ohhh.”
Now this was useful. The novel never mentioned anything like it. Most likely, it was due to Seo Gowoon’s alchemy-related powers.
“Well, better to have it than not.”
Rolling the egg in my hand, I retraced my steps to the hidden elevator and rode it up to the 7th floor.
Inside the open dungeon doors stretched a desert. Endless sands and towering pyramids—a scene straight out of Egypt.
“Guess Hunters don’t need to travel abroad.”
Unlike the noisy jungle of the 5th, this desert was silent save for the whisper of sand in the wind.
I always wanted to travel… never thought it’d be like this.
I smiled faintly and trudged across the sand, sinking with each step. Soon I reached the pyramid entrance, where slain monsters lay in halves.
“Like following Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs.”
No need to worry about finding Sooha. His trail of corpses pointed the way.
I passed lizards, spiders, cactus-beasts, and stranger things still, until at last I stood before a massive geometric door. Clearly, the boss chamber.
Inside, the corpse of a Sphinx-like monster sprawled across the floor. Beside it lay a man.
“…That must be Shin Sooha. Unconscious.”
He was sprawled out, corruption heavy in his body.
Still… I’d better check.
Creeping forward silently, I studied him. Unlike other Hunters, who wore combat suits, Sooha was still clad in a pristine suit, as if he’d never fought at all.
“Not just napping, are you?”
Before I could doubt further—ding!
[Passive “Diagnosis” activated.]
[Target: Shin Sooha – Corruption Level 98%]
“Good. I’m not too late.”
I knelt beside him and placed the Egg in his hand.
But his limp fingers dropped it.
“Damn it.”
Again and again, the Egg rolled free.
Finally, I grabbed his hand and forced it closed around the Egg.
[Shin Sooha – Corruption 97%]
[Shin Sooha – Corruption 95%]
“…Troublesome.”
I scowled, but kept holding on, watching his corruption slowly fall.
In the novel, he had barely been mentioned beyond his death. And yet he had always fascinated me—second only to Seo Taeju himself.
Every time Hunters were compared for strength or looks, Shin Sooha’s name came up.
No wonder. This guy really is handsome.
Silver hair like molten metal, deep-set eyes like a foreigner’s, sharp sculpted nose, lips tinged with red. His broad shoulders and thick thighs filled out the suit; even hidden, his muscles were obvious.
“If I had to transmigrate, it should’ve been into this guy.”
I’d exercised diligently ever since deciding to become a cop—daily gym visits, never skipping a workout. And yet, despite all my effort, I’d never gained muscle mass like this.
Not fake, right?
I poked his arm. Hard as steel.
“…Yeah. This is the body I should’ve gotten.”
I traced the muscles—deltoids, biceps, triceps, forearms—all perfectly shaped.
“…Why stick me in Seo Gowoon instead?”
“Ugh…”
As I marveled, a faint groan escaped Sooha’s lips. His consciousness was returning.
