[…Amidst the S-rank gate appearing in the skies over Seoul, news that all awakened individuals within the top 10 ranks have gone down to Busan is causing citizens to tremble in fear.]
The news was broadcasting a special report related to the S-rank gate.
I tried hard to calm my pounding heart and checked the S-rank gate’s location.
I carefully watched the news screen showing the S-rank gate; the gate had opened near Iljinsang High School.
The report continued, stating that only the gate had appeared so far, and there were no signs of a dungeon break or other dangerous indications.
“It’s S-rank, isn’t it different from before? What if something dangerous happens right away!”
“What is the Dungeon Management Bureau doing, sending all the high-ranking awakened to Busan?!”
Perhaps because an S-rank gate had appeared nearby, my parents looked extremely anxious.
I felt sorry for my parents, but this moment felt like a golden opportunity to me.
‘No one will recklessly try to enter there… I just need to quickly go in, confirm if there’s a way back, and then come out.’
If everyone hadn’t gone down to Busan, S and A-rank awakened individuals, led by Yeon Ha-yeon and Ban Eun-hyeol, would have already flocked to the gate.
But even if they were to come back now, it would take quite some time, so this was the only chance.
I maintained a shocked expression and quietly entered my room.
Before I came in, I heard my parents telling me not to go anywhere today and to stay home, but I couldn’t listen to that.
Thump-
I quietly closed the door and stood there, lost in thought.
‘How do I get out?’
Even if I snuck out, it would be troublesome if my parents entered my room while I was gone.
Since they knew I was an A-rank awakened, they would obviously think I went to the gate.
Of course, I even considered telling them that since there were no S-rank awakened currently, I should go.
But I quickly dismissed that idea.
They knew I was an awakened but still told me not to go anywhere today and stay home.
There was no way they would allow me to go out.
‘But why am I even caring about this?’
I had this body’s memories, and quite some time had passed since I transmigrated.
All this time, I had become so used to living in this body that I was unconsciously thinking of ways to persuade my parents.
Even though if there was a way back to my original dimension through the S-rank gate, these would just be people I wouldn’t see anymore.
‘I’ll just go.’
After much hesitation, I decided to quietly leave through the window using Shadow Transformation.
But just as I was about to use Shadow Transformation, my parents, who were watching the news in the living room, kept bothering me.
My feet wouldn’t easily move.
Even though if I just went outside and entered the S-rank gate, I could return to my original dimension, where I lived and was much more familiar.
It was strange.
All this time, I had diligently cleared gates, unlocked skills, retrieved my spirits, and raised my rank.
All of this was an effort to return to my original dimension, but now that the opportunity had arrived, I kept hesitating.
Had I grown fond of this world during the few months since I transmigrated?
I hadn’t even played with my friends to celebrate the end of exams, and I hadn’t properly spent time with my parents, with whom my relationship had recently become quite good.
‘Maybe I should have gone on a trip or something.’
The time I had wasted suddenly felt a bit precious. I sat on the bed, looking down at the floor, lost in thought, when the full-length mirror across from me caught my eye.
It felt like just yesterday that I had complained about transmigrating into a small body with a gentle face, losing my original cold impression, black hair, and tall stature.
Now, thinking that I could return to my original body, I felt good yet strangely regretful.
However, the time I had spent here was only a few months.
Before transmigrating, I had lived in my original dimension for about 18 years, and a few months couldn’t outweigh that long period.
I firmly made up my mind and jumped up from the bed.
“Daughter! You shouldn’t go out for no reason, okay? Your friends are coming back to Seoul, so stay quietly in your room!”
Just as I was about to use Shadow Transformation to leave, I heard my mom’s voice.
‘They’re already on their way up.’
Then I needed to hurry.
I had to get into the gate quickly before my friends arrived.
If I was late, it was clear I wouldn’t even be able to enter the gate.
Because my friends knew my rank was outside the top 10, they would obviously stop me even if I tried to enter the gate.
“Are you listening?!”
When I didn’t answer, I heard my mom’s shout from the living room again.
Hearing footsteps, it seemed she was coming to my room.
I quickly lay down on the bed and pulled the blanket over me.
“Are you going to sleep?”
“Yes. The exams are over, so I just want to sleep all day.”
“She’s only been awake for so long… Well, sleeping is better than going out. Go to sleep.”
I quickly closed my eyes to pretend to sleep, and then I heard my mom closing the door and leaving.
I slowly opened my eyes and listened to the conversation from the living room.
“Dana’s sleeping, she says.”
“An S-rank gate burst, and she can sleep? Since when was our daughter so carefree?”
“They say personalities often change after awakening.”
“That’s true, but…”
Listening to my parents’ conversation, I felt a pang of guilt and pursed my lips.
‘I said I was sleeping, so they won’t come in, right?’
They wouldn’t talk to me anymore, nor would they come into my room, but it was no time to be complacent.
They might come into the room to bring me clean laundry, or to wake me up if I seemed to be sleeping for too long.
If I was going to move, I had to move now.
‘Ugh, I don’t know!’
After lying down and hesitating for a moment, I quickly got up.
If I delayed any longer, I might not have enough time to explore inside the gate.
I used Shadow Transformation to leave my house through the window.
Then, I went straight to Iljinsang High School, where the S-rank gate had reportedly opened.
The area near Iljinsang High School was bustling with fearless people who had gathered to see the newly opened S-rank gate, along with Iljinsang High students and Dungeon Management Bureau officials.
I deactivated Shadow Transformation in a suitable spot where no one could see me, then looked at the gate floating in the air near the back gate of Iljinsang High.
To enter there, I had no choice but to reveal myself. I felt glad I had changed my clothes in case something like this happened.
“Since it’s an S-rank gate, doesn’t it just look ominous?”
“To think something like that would appear at our school.”
“Shouldn’t Kang Ye-dam and Hae-geum go in before the awakened individuals from Busan arrive? What if it bursts?”
“If monsters pop out, we all just die, I guess.”
I was hiding behind a parked car in front of the school gate when I heard the conversation of some Iljinsang High students nearby.
Despite it being S-rank, they didn’t seem particularly scared.
To talk about the worst-case scenario of monsters appearing as lightly as they would discuss lunch menus… they were truly interesting kids in many ways.
‘Were students in online novels usually so fearless? Or are all kids my age like that?’
I looked at them with curious eyes and checked my outfit once more.
Seeing the beige hoodie and black sweatpants I was wearing when I first transmigrated brought back memories of that day.
That day, when I quickly decided I needed to hide my identity in that short moment and pulled my hood down deep.
Sure enough, news reports referred to me as the ‘Hooded Girl.’
I planned to be that ‘Hooded Girl’ again today.
I peeked my head out from behind the car, scanning the situation, and as soon as I found the right timing, I charged forward.
Surprised people moved aside as a female student suddenly ran quickly.
I ran through the crowd that parted like the Red Sea, took a powerful leap, and successfully entered the gate.
I heard murmuring behind me, asking if it was the ‘Hooded Girl,’ but as soon as I entered the gate, my surroundings became quiet.
I swallowed dry, nervous, and tried to step carefully inside.
Just then, a status window appeared before my eyes, stopping me in my tracks.
[You have entered the dungeon.]
[Rank: A]
[We wish you good luck ^_<]
“Huh?”
I blinked, looking at the dungeon’s rank written in the status window.
I rubbed my eyes and looked at the status window again, but nothing changed.
‘Am I seeing S as A by mistake?’
Only when I reached the point of doubting my own eyesight could I accept the reality.
This dungeon I had entered was not S-rank.
My legs went limp with despair. I slumped down on the spot, staring blankly at the gradually disappearing status window.
“Shahin.”
[You called, My Lord.]
I barely managed to move my unwilling lips to summon Shahin.
Shahin immediately appeared, looked around, and then said in a slightly excited voice, [Is this the dungeon we’re going to conquer today?]
“Well. What do you think its rank is?”
[Based on the energy I feel, it is estimated to be A-rank.]
“Right…?”
Indeed, the weight of the air felt different from the S-rank gate I had entered before transmigrating.
I had entered A-rank dungeons quite a bit both before and after transmigrating, especially before, so I was somewhat familiar with the flow of the air.
Unlike the very first S-rank dungeon that led me here, this dungeon felt familiar.
“Who lied and said this was S-rank?”
I mumbled to myself, words the people outside couldn’t hear, as I slumped to the ground and surveyed the dungeon’s interior.
Contrary to my desolate mood, this dungeon, which I had just entered, had lush green fields stretching far into the distance, as if spring had arrived.
Butterflies fluttering everywhere and beautiful flowers in bloom were also visible.
Outside, it was a biting cold winter, but the dungeon was a warm spring.
Since I didn’t know when my friends, who had gone to Busan, would enter, I slowly stood up.