The black sedan rolled to a stop at the intersection of Gangnam-gu, two blocks away from the subway station.
The streets were eerily empty. Streetlights flickered, their bulbs struggling against the biting wind. The temperature had dropped to -18°C. Even the usually bustling nightlife of Seoul had frozen solid; people were huddled in their homes, terrified of the "gas leaks" and the unnatural cold.
"Young Master," Driver Kim said, his voice trembling slightly. "This area... the police have blocked it off. They say the air is toxic."
Do-Hyun opened the door. The cold hit him like a physical blow, instantly freezing the moisture in his breath.
"Go home, Kim," Do-Hyun said, stepping out onto the icy pavement. "Tell my father I decided to walk off the champagne. I'll take a taxi back in the morning."
"But—"
Do-Hyun shut the door with a finality that brooked no argument. He tapped the roof of the car twice.
Tap. Tap.
Kim hesitated, then put the car in gear and drove away, leaving his employer standing alone in the dark.
Do-Hyun adjusted his tuxedo jacket, wind biting through the expensive fabric. The Ring of the Shadowed Sun pulsed on his finger, generating a faint-ghostly warmth that kept his limbs from seizing up.
[System Note: You look ridiculous. A penguin in the arctic. Are you going to fight monsters or serve them hors d'oeuvres?]
"Both," Do-Hyun muttered.
He walked toward the blockade.
Sector 4 Perimeter. 11:45 PM.
The subway station entrance was surrounded by concrete barriers, razor wire, and floodlights.
Huge yellow signs read: [DANGER: BIOHAZARD. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.]
Two soldiers in full hazmat gear stood guard at the checkpoint. They held assault rifles, their postures rigid. These were private contractors, hired to keep the public out and the secrets in.
When Do-Hyun walked into the cone of the floodlight, the soldiers immediately raised their weapons.
"Halt!" one shouted, his voice muffled by the gas mask. "This is a restricted zone! Turn around immediately!"
Do-Hyun gave them no attention, keeping his pace like he owned the place.
"I said halt!" The soldier clicked the safety off his rifle.
Do-Hyun stopped five feet away and reached into his breast pocket.
The soldiers tensed, fingers tightening on triggers.
Do-Hyun pulled out the black magnetic card. He held it up. The floodlight caught the holographic emblem of the National Defense Command and the red stripe running down the center.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
[Item: Sector 4 Master Access Card]
[Clearance: Level 5 (General).]
The lead soldier froze. He lowered his weapon slightly, squinting through his visor.
"That's..."
"General Bak sent me," Do-Hyun lied smoothly. His voice was bored, annoyed. "He left his inspection logs inside. He wants them retrieved. Now."
The soldier hesitated. "Sir, we have no record of a civilian entry. The containment breach is active. It's not safe."
Do-Hyun stepped forward, invading the soldier's personal space.
"Do you want to call General Bak and tell him you refused his courier?" Do-Hyun asked softly. "He's already in a foul mood tonight. I heard he broke his hand."
The soldier flinched. Rumors of the General's injury had already circulated on the comms.
"Open the gate," Do-Hyun commanded.
The soldier looked at his partner, then back at the card whose authority was absolute. To disobey a Level 5 cardholder was to court a court-martial.
"Yes, sir," the soldier stammered.
He swiped his own badge over a sensor, and the heavy steel gate buzzed and slid open.
"Be careful, sir," the soldier warned as Do-Hyun walked past. "The... 'gas'... it makes sounds."
Do-Hyun didn't look back.
"I know."
Sector 4 Station. B1 Level.
As soon as Do-Hyun passed the ticket gates, the world changed: Cold air mixed with a stillness that clung to every corner. Silence was heavy enough to crush the eardrums. The emergency lights cast a sickly red glow over the tiled walls.
Thick, white webs draped over everything. The ticket machines were cocooned. The escalators were clogged with sticky, translucent strands that looked like frozen spit.
[Dungeon: The Weaving Tunnels.]
[Rank: D]
[Type: Infestation.]
[Boss: ???]
Do-Hyun walked to the edge of the escalator and looked down into the darkness of the platform below.
Skitter. Skitter.
The sound echoed up the shaft; dozens of legs moving on tile.
[Quest: 'The Midnight Snack' starts now.]
[Objective: Reach the tracks. Kill the Queen. Don't get eaten.]
Do-Hyun loosened his tie and unbuttoned his tuxedo jacket, revealing the white dress shirt underneath. He reached into his waistband and drew the Headsman's Edge (his dagger).
The black blade seemed to absorb the red emergency light, drinking it in.
"Let's go," he whispered.
He vaulted over the handrail and dropped twenty feet, landing in a crouch on the platform below. The impact jarred his ribs, sending a spike of pain through his chest, but he ignored it.
Hisssss.
The sound came from the ceiling.
Do-Hyun looked up.
Clinging to the fluorescent lights was a spider the size of a motorcycle. Its body was pale blue, covered in frost. Its eight eyes glowed with a dull, malevolent hunger.
[Monster: Frost-Web Spider.]
[Rank: E+.]
[Ability: Cryo-Web. If it touches you, your skin freezes instantly.]
The spider dropped. It fell like a stone, mandibles clicking, aiming for Do-Hyun's head.
Do-Hyun stepped forward, dodging.
Shadow Step.
He vanished into the gloom, reappearing two feet to the left. The spider slammed into the tiled floor where he had just been, cracking the ceramic.
Before the beast could recover, Do-Hyun was already on its back, preparing for the finishing blow.
He drove the dagger into the soft joint between the spider's head and thorax.
Crunch.
Black blood sprayed out, freezing as soon as it hit the air.
The spider shrieked, thrashing violently, trying to throw him off.
Do-Hyun held on, twisting the blade.
"Die," he hissed.
He ripped the dagger sideways, severing the creature's nerve cluster.
The spider convulsed once, then slumped to the floor, dissolving into gray smoke.
[Enemy Defeated.]
[XP Gained.]
[Vitality: 17.5% (Dropping due to cold).]
Do-Hyun stood up and wiped a speck of black blood from his white shirt. It looked like ink on paper.
He looked down the tunnel; were the subway tracks disappeared into the dark.
More eyes were opening in the shadows. Dozens of them.
[System Note: Only one? That was an appetizer. The main course is down the tunnel. Try not to ruin the suit; dry cleaning is expensive in the apocalypse.]
Do-Hyun smiled, his violet eyes glowing sharply in the dim emergency redlights.
Spinning dagger in hand,
"I'm just getting started."
He broke into a run, heading straight into the swarm.
