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Chapter 3: The First Level

For several seconds after the Grey Fang Wolf collapsed, nobody moved.

The creature lay motionless on the road, its dark fur stained with blood. The practice sword remained in Subin's hand, its dull blade now carrying a thin line of red.

Subin looked at it with an expression of mild disbelief.

He had killed something.

A living creature.

Not with a gun.

Not with a vehicle.

Not through an accident.

He had deliberately stepped forward and swung a sword.

The realization should have frightened him more than it did.

Instead, his mind remained unusually calm.

Perhaps it was because everything had happened so quickly. Perhaps the constant danger of the previous day had already changed something inside him.

Or perhaps it was his new class.

Subin glanced at the translucent screen floating before his eyes.

[Level: 2]

[Strength: 15]

[Agility: 15]

[Vitality: 15]

[Intelligence: 14]

[Mana: 15]

[Unassigned Attribute Points: 5]

He had received five attribute points.

Subin considered them carefully.

There were five basic attributes he could see, but he didn't yet understand exactly how the system worked. He also didn't know whether attribute distribution could be changed later.

Rather than making a careless decision, he decided to investigate first.

"Status."

The interface expanded.

He focused on Strength.

[Strength affects physical power, carrying capacity and melee attack.]

Agility.

[Agility affects movement speed, reaction speed, balance and attack speed.]

Vitality.

[Vitality affects physical durability, stamina and recovery.]

Intelligence.

[Intelligence affects mental capacity, mana control, comprehension and certain skill effects.]

Mana.

[Mana represents the user's available magical energy.]

Subin thought for a moment.

His class was Sword God.

He didn't know whether Sword God would eventually use mana, but his skills appeared to be related primarily to swordsmanship.

Strength and agility seemed important.

Vitality was equally important because dying would make every other stat meaningless.

He decided not to place all five points into a single attribute.

Three points went into Strength.

Two went into Agility.

[Strength: 15 → 18]

[Agility: 15 → 17]

The changes were immediate.

Subin felt a slight warmth pass through his body.

His muscles didn't suddenly become enormous. Instead, his body felt more coordinated, as though an invisible restriction had been loosened.

He clenched his fist.

Then opened it.

The difference was noticeable.

Not overwhelming.

But real.

"Subin."

His father's voice brought him back.

Subin turned.

His father was standing several meters away, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Pride.

Concern.

Fear.

All three were visible.

"Are you hurt?"

Subin shook his head.

"I'm fine."

His mother hurried toward him.

She looked at the blood on the sword, then at the dead monster.

"That thing..."

"It's dead."

"I know."

She swallowed.

"You killed it."

Subin nodded.

His mother looked at him for several seconds before pulling him into a hug.

Subin froze briefly.

Then he relaxed.

"I'm okay, Mom."

She held him tighter.

His father approached and placed a hand on Subin's shoulder.

"You did something dangerous."

"I know."

"You could have died."

"I know."

His father sighed.

"But you saved that soldier."

Subin looked toward the entrance.

The soldier he had protected was sitting against the wall. His armor was scratched, but he was alive.

The man raised his hand.

"Thank you."

Subin nodded.

He didn't know what else to say.

Around them, people had begun gathering.

The civilians who had been terrified only moments earlier were now staring at Subin with curiosity.

Some whispered.

"He's an Awakener."

"Did he really kill that thing with that sword?"

"That's just a practice sword."

"What class does he have?"

"I heard him say Sword God."

"Sword God?"

Several people laughed nervously.

The name sounded exaggerated.

A young man standing near the entrance shook his head.

"There's no way someone can become that strong after awakening yesterday."

Subin ignored them.

He wasn't interested in proving anything.

Instead, he walked toward the corpse.

The system had said the creature was a Level 1 Grey Fang Wolf.

That meant monsters had levels too.

He crouched beside it.

There was no visible mana stone.

Subin looked at the soldiers.

"Does every monster have a mana stone?"

One of them shook his head.

"We've found stones inside some creatures, but not all. We're still investigating."

Subin nodded.

The monster's body suddenly began disappearing.

Everyone stepped backward.

Its corpse dissolved into faint particles of light.

A small dark object fell onto the road.

Subin picked it up.

It was a small, irregular crystal.

Blue light moved faintly inside it.

The system immediately identified it.

[Low-Grade Mana Stone]

[Contains a small amount of condensed mana.]

Subin turned it over in his fingers.

"So this is a mana stone."

The soldier immediately became interested.

"Don't lose that."

"Why?"

"We don't know its value yet, but the government has been collecting them."

Subin looked at the crystal again.

He put it into his pocket.

"Then I'll keep it safe."

The soldier laughed.

"You just killed the monster that gave it to you. I doubt anyone here is going to try stealing it."

Subin smiled.

Maybe.

But he had already learned one important lesson.

The world was going to change quickly.

And information would become power.

He needed to learn as much as possible.

Later that afternoon, a military team arrived at the shelter.

Among them was a young woman wearing a dark tactical uniform. Unlike the other soldiers, she carried a sword at her waist.

Subin noticed it immediately.

The woman noticed him noticing it.

"You like swords?"

Subin looked at her.

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Most people prefer guns."

"I awakened a sword class."

"What class?"

"Sword God."

Her expression changed slightly.

"You?"

Subin nodded.

The woman studied him.

Then she looked at the practice sword in his hand.

"That's a terrible weapon."

"I know."

"Come with me."

Subin followed her toward a military vehicle parked outside.

Inside were several weapons.

Rifles.

Knives.

Axes.

Machetes.

And three swords.

Subin's attention immediately settled on them.

The first was a military combat sword.

The second was a long, slightly curved blade.

The third was a simple straight sword with a black handle.

"Choose one."

Subin looked at the woman.

"Why?"

"Because if you're going to fight monsters, you shouldn't be using a piece of school equipment."

Subin reached toward the first sword.

The moment his fingers touched the handle, his perception changed.

He immediately understood the weapon.

Its balance was slightly forward.

The blade was designed for powerful cuts rather than delicate thrusts.

The grip was reinforced.

Its construction was practical.

Reliable.

But then he touched the second sword.

His eyes narrowed.

Its balance was better.

The weight distribution felt natural.

Its curve allowed smoother cutting motions.

Yet there was something about the third sword.

Subin touched it.

His mind went quiet.

The sword felt...

Right.

He lifted it.

The blade was slightly heavier than the others, but the weight was perfectly distributed.

His fingers naturally adjusted around the grip.

The woman watched him carefully.

"That one?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Subin looked at the blade.

"It feels comfortable."

She laughed.

"That's your reason?"

"Yes."

She shook her head.

"Fine. Take it."

Subin held the sword properly for the first time.

Unlike the practice sword, this weapon felt like it belonged in his hand.

A notification appeared.

[Suitable sword detected.]

[Sword Comprehension activated.]

[Basic Swordsmanship proficiency increased.]

[12% → 18%]

Subin's eyes widened.

He hadn't even swung it.

Simply holding the sword had increased his proficiency.

His mind immediately began analyzing why.

The previous practice sword had forced him to compensate for poor balance.

This weapon matched his natural movements better.

That meant Sword Comprehension wasn't merely teaching him techniques.

It was helping him understand the relationship between his body and the weapon.

He wanted to test it.

"Can I practice?"

The woman nodded.

"There is an open area behind the shelter."

Subin went outside.

He stood alone beneath the afternoon sun.

The sword rested naturally in his hand.

He took a breath.

Then swung.

The movement was clean.

He swung again.

Better.

Again.

The blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle.

His body gradually settled into the rhythm.

One strike.

Two.

Ten.

Twenty.

His movements became faster.

His feet shifted.

His shoulders relaxed.

His breathing synchronized with each motion.

The system displayed another notification.

[Basic Swordsmanship: 18% → 21%]

Subin continued.

21% → 24%.

24% → 27%.

His expression became serious.

He wasn't trying to become powerful immediately.

He was trying to understand.

Every swing revealed something new.

The angle of the wrist.

The position of the elbow.

The movement of the waist.

The relationship between footwork and cutting power.

It was like solving a complicated mathematical problem where every answer revealed another layer.

After nearly two hours, Subin finally stopped.

His shirt was soaked with sweat.

His arms were tired.

But his eyes were bright.

[Basic Swordsmanship: 43%]

He stared at the number.

Forty-three percent.

Two days ago, he couldn't properly use a sword.

Now he had reached a level of swordsmanship that he couldn't even explain.

Subin slowly sheathed the sword.

He looked toward the distant city.

Smoke still rose from several locations.

The roads were damaged.

The world was still collapsing.

But something had changed inside him.

Yesterday, he had wanted a job.

Today, he had killed a monster.

Tomorrow, he would hunt another.

Not because he wanted fame.

Not because he wanted money.

Not even because he wanted to become a hero.

He simply wanted to know how far this path could take him.

The woman who had given him the sword approached.

"You've been practicing for two hours."

Subin nodded.

"How does it feel?"

"Good."

"Good?"

He looked at her.

"I think I like this."

She smiled.

"Then you'd better get used to it."

She pointed toward the horizon.

"Because according to the latest reports, more dungeons are appearing."

Subin followed her gaze.

Far away, above the city, a massive column of blue light had appeared.

A circular distortion slowly formed in the air.

The ground beneath it trembled.

People began gathering to watch.

The system appeared before Subin's eyes.

[Dungeon detected.]

[Dungeon Name: Goblin's Hollow.]

[Recommended Level: 2–5.]

[Dungeon Entrance will stabilize in: 01:12:43.]

Subin stared at the notification.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

His first dungeon.

His first real opportunity to become stronger.

He rested one hand on the sword at his waist.

For the first time since the world had changed, Subin wasn't simply reacting to events.

He was looking forward.

And he had a feeling that once he entered that dungeon, his ordinary life would be truly over.