Joon-seok's eyes suddenly opened.
"Ah man… I'm late today!"
He immediately grabbed his phone
looked at the screen… and froze.
"…The alarm didn't ring?"
A second passed.
"Shit… I forgot to set it."
He sat up… running his hand through his hair.
Great… first day going to Seoul and I wake up late… nice start.
Joon-seok quickly got out of bed.
He rushed downstairs—
and without wasting any time, entered the bathroom.
Within a few minutes—
Shower.
Fresh.
Ready.
He wore a simple black shirt and jeans.
As soon as he entered the kitchen, he called out—
"Mom! Hurry up and make breakfast…"
"I'm going to Seoul today."
Han Soo-jin was standing near the stove.
"Seoul?" she turned to look at him.
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah," Joon-seok replied casually,
"Going to buy a sword. My old one broke in a gate."
Han Soo-jin thought for a moment… then nodded.
"Oh… alright."
"Did Seo-yeon already leave for school?" Joon-seok asked.
"Yes," Han Soo-jin said with a light smile,
"She left early in the morning."
"By the way… she was very happy today."
"You helped her with studies yesterday, right? That's why."
A small smile appeared on Joon-seok's face.
"Oh… I see. Good."
Within a short time, breakfast was ready.
Eggs… toast… and a little kimchi on the side.
Joon-seok ate quickly.
He wasn't in the mood to waste time.
Meal finished.
He picked up his bag.
"Mom, I'm leaving."
Han Soo-jin looked at him… this time in a serious tone—
"Go carefully, son."
"Take care of yourself."
"Seoul… is not like Busan."
"There are more crowds there."
"Yes," Joon-seok nodded,
"Don't worry."
He stepped out of the house.
On the road, he stopped a taxi… and got in.
As soon as the door closed, he let out a small breath.
Good thing…
I booked the ticket last night.
KTX bullet train.
Busan to Seoul—
only 2 hours 40 minutes.
No hassle of standing in lines.
As soon as he reached the station—
He took out his phone.
Scanned the QR code.
Entry cleared.
He walked directly toward Platform 3.
And there—
the KTX train was already standing.
Sleek.
White.
Shining.
The announcement echoed—
"KTX 147 to Seoul will depart shortly. Please proceed to your respective platforms."
Joon-seok found his coach—Car 7.
He stepped inside and directly took a window seat.
The train slowly started moving.
And Busan's buildings began fading into the distance…
Joon-seok closed his eyes.
…Khaos Gate.
No one knows when all of this will begin.
And that day… what actually happened?
The incident that is now called the "Khaos Incident"…
Forget it… I'll find out myself.
His breathing was steady… but his mind was fully active.
There was silence inside the train.
Some passengers were on their phones… some were quiet.
Only the rhythmic sound of the train.
click… click…
Then—
a faint sound came from in front of him.
Joon-seok opened his eyes.
In the seat opposite him, a group of schoolgirls was sitting.
They were whispering.
"Look at him… he's so handsome…"
"He's cute too…"
"Should I go?"
"No no, she'll get rejected…"
"But try anyway…"
Then one of them said—
"If you're going, let's bet on it."
"If you get rejected, you pay 10k won."
"If he accepts, I'll pay."
"Deal."
Joon-seok just looked at them for a second.
…What is going on?
Then one girl stood up and walked straight toward him.
"Excuse me…"
Joon-seok looked at her.
"Yes?"
"Mr… can I have your number?"
Silence.
"…Why?" Joon-seok asked directly.
"Just… like that."
He paused slightly.
Such a simple reason?
Then he casually thought—
Fine, I'll give it… doesn't really matter.
"Hm," he took out his phone.
And gave her his number.
The next second—
the girl's face lit up.
"OMG—thank you!"
She immediately ran back to her seat… almost jumping.
The other girls reacted and started whispering even more.
Joon-seok just looked out the window again.
…Weird people.
The train had picked up speed.
Outside, the landscape was changing—
fields disappeared…
urban zones began…
then gradually skyscrapers.
Seoul's buildings now shone on the horizon.
So tall it felt like they touched the sky.
Looking out the window, Joon-seok said—
"Seoul is completely different from Busan…"
Then a short pause.
"I've only been here once…"
"Back then…"
"With my dad."
The announcement echoed softly—
"We will soon arrive at Seoul Station. Please prepare to disembark with your belongings. Thank you for traveling with KTX."
Joon-seok picked up his bag.
The train slowly came to a stop.
He stepped out from Car 7 onto the platform.
Seoul Station's underground hall was massive.
Everywhere—crowds of people, glowing direction boards, escalators, constant movement.
Everything felt sharp and modern.
As he went upstairs, the atmosphere changed even more.
The air itself felt different.
Tall buildings… busy roads… constant traffic noise… neon signs glowing even in daylight.
People were walking fast—
office workers, hunters, and gear-carrying individuals.
Everything here moved faster than Busan.
Double-speed life.
Joon-seok took out his phone and checked the metro map.
"Yongsan Awakened Market… direct from Line 1."
He started walking toward the metro station.
Bought a ticket… waited on the platform.
The metro arrived.
He got in—no seats available.
He just stood there.
Two stations later, he arrived at Yongsan.
As soon as he stepped out of the station—
a large glowing board appeared:
YONGSAN AWAKENED MARKET
Even at 2 PM, neon lights were still on.
The area was packed.
Hunters everywhere—
some trying on armor, some inspecting weapons, some bargaining aggressively.
Street stalls were selling gate loot.
And inside large shops, high-end weapons were displayed—
swords… spears… shields… each glowing with different designs and enchantments.
Noise, movement, chaos—
but controlled chaos.
Joon-seok took a deep breath.
"Now I need to buy a good sword…"
"My budget is 20 million… but the quality has to be the best."
He walked straight toward the sword section.
Behind glass displays, swords were lined up.
Price tags glowing:
30 million…
40 million…
Joon-seok's steps slowed.
His eyes slightly widened.
"…Even here, swords are this expensive?"
He paused for a second.
Then quietly said—
"Will I even be able to buy a sword…?"
Joon-seok's gaze stopped on a sword.
He leaned slightly forward to get a better look.
"…This one."
"This is the sword I need."
The price tag was glowing—
38 million won.
Joon-seok said quietly,
"A bit expensive… but powerful."
"No matter how big an attack I use… this won't break."
His steps automatically moved inside the shop.
Inside, there was a crowd.
Some people were testing swords,
some were bargaining,
some were busy with their own work.
A shop worker approached him.
"Sir, how can I help you?"
Joon-seok pointed directly at the sword.
"I want that sword."
The worker smiled.
"Ohh… good choice. You've got a sharp eye."
"This is a high-grade sword worth 38 million won."
"Yes," Joon-seok said calmly,
"I want that one."
Both of them walked to the counter.
The worker took the sword out of the glass case.
The blade had a faint glow.
"Please make the payment here," the worker said.
Joon-seok looked at the tag… then asked directly,
"Any discount?"
The worker gave a polite smile.
"Sir… 38 million is already after discount."
Joon-seok went silent.
20 million…
And where do I get the remaining 18 million?
He fell into thought for a second.
Then something clicked in his mind.
Blood Fang Axe.
He thought quietly—
I don't even use the axe… sword is better.
I'll sell it.
He quietly summoned the axe through the system.
A black aura formed and the axe appeared.
The shop worker's eyes widened.
"Sir… this… this is a high-grade axe."
After a quick inspection, he said,
"We can offer you 16 million won for this."
A slight relief appeared on Joon-seok's face.
"Perfect."
But the next moment—
2 million short.
He took out his Silver Lion Guild card.
"Adjust the remaining 2 million from this."
The worker checked the card.
"Understood, sir."
Transaction completed.
Joon-seok thought silently—
Mr. Lee… thank you.
The 20 million cheque… and this guild card… they really helped.
The sword was now in his hand.
Cold… heavy… perfect.
But then—
His eyes shifted behind him.
4–5 people.
Standing still.
Observing.
Their posture wasn't normal.
Joon-seok's eyes narrowed slightly look like B-rank hunters.
They're observing me.
The 4–5 men were talking among themselves.
"Is that guy… some top member of the Silver Lion Guild?"
"That's why he has a guild card."
Another one laughed.
"Silver Lion has fallen so low that they made a kid a top member?"
A third spoke more sharply—
"The Hyeonjin Guild would never do something like this."
"Giving a top position to some kid… it's a joke."
"Honestly, it's embarrassing…"
"Is Silver Lion even on our level anymore…?"
Joon-seok heard everything.
His expression didn't change.
But inside, a thought formed—
Hyeonjin Guild…
One of the top guilds in South Korea.
A rival guild to Silver Lion.
But now wasn't the time to focus on all this.
The worker bowed politely.
"Thank you, sir. Please visit again."
Joon-seok simply nodded.
As soon as he stepped outside, he let out a quiet breath.
"…Let's take a look around Seoul for a bit."
He stored his sword in his system inventory.
Inventory slot: 1/10
"So it's limited to 10 items for now…"
"It will increase as my level goes up."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
This inventory… he had obtained it after defeating Velkarn.
Joon-seok left the Yongsan Awakened Market.
The streets of Seoul felt even more alive.
Tall buildings… traffic… noise… everything was overwhelming.
Busan felt like nothing compared to this.
Just then—
A sharp voice.
"HELP—!!"
A girl's scream.
Joon-seok immediately turned toward the direction of the sound.
He ran without hesitation.
Inside a narrow alley—
A girl was surrounded by six men.
She kept stepping back in fear.
"Please… leave me alone…!"
Joon-seok stopped there.
His eyes turned cold.
And the moment he saw the scene a problem had already begun.
To be continued.