The night streets of Seoul glowed dimly under the streetlights and the last open shopfronts, stubbornly resisting the late hour.
Si-woo weaved through drunken revelers and groups of partygoers, walking briskly. He ignored the slurred catcalls thrown his way, his gaze locked on his phone, pretending to be engrossed in a text conversation—though, in truth, he was rereading the same message over and over again.
Stuck at work all night.
Order something with the cash in my wallet.
Love you.
Si-woo held back a laugh. The sudden permission to order food was a blatant bribe to excuse another absence. Usually, he would've just eaten whatever was left in the fridge like a good boy. But tonight, that message played perfectly into his plan.
He wasn't planning to go home either.
After stopping by a convenience store to buy some food and sodas, he made his way to a small, rundown house hidden in the heart of Hongdae. He had spotted it before—an abandoned shack just across from a internet café he liked to visit. The place had been rotting away for years, ignored by everyone. No one had bothered to buy it, tear it down, or renovate it into a trendy café or club to match the neighborhood vibe.
Back in the study room, when Si-woo began formulating his plan, this place had come to mind immediately.
The old door creaked open as he shoved it with his shoulder. Rotting wood, sagging beams, cobwebs, and the carcass of a dead rat all registered in his mind—right before everything changed.
A flash.
He was teleported into a sterile white space, disrupted only by his presence and a translucent blue window hovering before him:
[Dungeon Creation Initiated]
Congratulations! You've created your first dungeon.
Title acquired: "Dungeon Master" – Level 1
Rewards:
– Can now create E-rank dungeons
– Can summon E-rank creatures (x3)
– Can summon E-rank Boss (x1)
⚠️ Only one dungeon may be active at a time.
Si-woo glanced at the window, satisfied. Nothing here was unexpected. If anything, he was surprised he could summon that many creatures.
He just wasn't sure how.
The blue flame on his shoulder responded to his unspoken question, morphing into a catalog interface.
First, he had to choose the environment. The system offered him options: a shadowy cave, a crumbling castle, a cursed graveyard… Even more exotic choices popped up, like the inside of a genie's lamp or the ancient tower of a Cimmerian mage.
— Better keep it simple for a first run.
Si-woo selected the first option. Instantly, the space rippled and shifted—white walls giving way to glistening stone, moist tiles underfoot, jagged rock formations overhead.
He pulled out a notebook where he'd drawn a dungeon layout and began shaping the space with his hand, guided by the interface. The dungeon responded directly to his thoughts. With just a wave, he formed a circular chamber carved into rock, a thick red button sitting atop a central pillar. Columns surrounded the area. A mirror replaced the ceiling.
— Hope he figures out the puzzle, Si-woo muttered, pleased with himself.
To qualify for a reward that could cure his asthma and his bad vision, Il-seong needed to pass physical and perception-based trials.
In other words—puzzles and combat.
Another catalog appeared—this time, for monsters. He filtered by rank and was left with the weakest options: goblins, slimes, and fairies. All E-rank.
He tapped the slime's profile:
[E-Rank Monster]
Requires 20 victories to evolve
Required Authority: Low
Just as expected—harmless. Perfect for a first test.
He selected the slime.
[Choose elemental affinity: Fire, Water, Plant, Wind]
Water seemed the safest for a beginner.
A translucent blob materialized in his hands.
— Doesn't look too threatening.
[Please assign a name to your slime.]
— Rimuru, Si-woo said without hesitation.
The slime wobbled, grew slightly, and briefly turned pink. Somehow, Si-woo knew the creature liked the name. He set it down and pulled out a can of soda, stepping back and pointing at it.
— Attack!
Immediately, the slime puffed up and shot a stream of water. The can burst open, spraying soda across the floor. The slime slid into the puddle, absorbing the liquid—and the can.
[1/20 victories]
Si-woo watched in eerie fascination as metal dissolved inside the creature's gelatinous body.
The image of Il-seong's body suffering the same fate sent a chill down his spine.
— It's fine, he reassured himself. It's just an E-rank monster.
He let the slime roam the room and formed a new door leading to a hallway. This next area was a corridor filled with hiding spots, pressure plates, mysterious symbols on the walls, and two hidden rooms. In those rooms, he placed the food and drinks he'd bought. He wanted to summon a mimic, but those were C-rank.
Instead, the system allowed him to add upgrades and potions.
To guard the place, Si-woo summoned two warrior goblins.
— Donjons and Dragons, he said, naming them.
The goblins looked at each other, puzzled by their names, but said nothing.
Unlike the slime, these goblins were much more alert. Their eyes followed Si-woo's every move as he gave instructions. That intense stare made him uncomfortable, but he continued his rehearsed speech:
— Make him run. Make him stay sharp. But don't overdo it—I don't want him seriously hurt. Just scare him a little, got it?
At the word scare, the two goblins exchanged a wicked grin.
His unease deepened.
A blinking triangle caught his attention on the interface. Almost hidden beneath the flood of notifications:
[⚠ Warning]
If the creatures or boss manage to kill the player, they will be able to escape the dungeon.
Si-woo froze.
He recognized the look in the goblins' eyes. It was the same one he gave to Jeunk when he assigned him humiliating tasks. That fake submission, hiding a spark of rebellion.
They'd stab him in the back the second they had a chance.
[Required Authority: Intermediate]
That should be enough, he thought. If they cross the line, I'll stop them.
[3/3 Creatures Summoned]
Do you wish to hide objects inside them?
Si-woo swallowed.
That suggestion meant only one thing: the system wanted Il-seong to kill them.
Of course, the monsters were just as eager to kill Il-seong.
But now it was reversed…
Si-woo took a deep breath, thinking back to the video games where this was normal. Defeat enemies, gain XP, loot, gold. Simple.
Except now, there was no screen separating Il-seong from the danger.
Reluctantly, he accepted.
He plunged his hand into each goblin's chest, placing items within them. Their shrill cries made it clear—they felt it.
He finished the process as quickly as he could.
[The Interface grants you 1 "Sentimentality" point, Master Rain.]
— If showing compassion is a joke to you, Si-woo snapped, you can go find yourself a new Master.
The goblins froze, stunned. Even the interface went silent.
Then…
[I'm sorry.]
Si-woo flinched.
The window vanished instantly.
Hallucination? he wondered.
He left the goblins and moved on to the final area: the boss room. Just a simple chamber, with a throne at the far end. The goblins had drained him—he just wanted to finish.
The system gave him two options: an ice-elemental slime (a rank above water), or a goblin shaman.
He chose the shaman.
A new goblin appeared—similar to the others, but cloaked and wielding a staff.
— Yoh, he named it.
He gave it the same instructions.
But the way "Yoh" glared at him made it clear—this one had plans of its own. That mocking grin at the mention of the player sent shivers down Si-woo's spine.
He quickly placed the hidden items inside the boss and hurried out.
The two goblins were still getting familiar with the space. They didn't even notice him leaving.
The slime, by contrast, greeted him warmly, rising up onto his feet. Moved by the gesture, Si-woo let it perch on his shoulder beside the blue flame. Rimuru shone with joy—at least as much as a blob of jelly could.
Only then did Si-woo realize…
He hadn't given it any orders yet.
— See that? he asked, pointing to the red button in the center of the room. No one is allowed to touch it. Ever.
He turned his head toward the faceless creature. He didn't know how, but he was certain it understood him. With care, he placed it atop one of the stone pillars and offered it a vague, "Goodbye."
Then, he walked back through a narrower hallway, which led to a corridor.
The system prompted him to equip the player with a weapon for the quest.
The default choice was a wooden staff. Other options included a shield, a sword, and a magic wand.
Si-woo opened the system chat.
As expected.
Si-woo summoned all the weapons except the wand. No need to set up a pointless trap.
Just as he pushed open the final door of the dungeon, a flash of light enveloped him—and in the blink of an eye, he was standing outside the old house again.
Dawn was breaking. Pale pink streaks stretched across the sky, brushing against the last clouds of night.
It was time to meet Il-seong.
And let him test what he'd built.