The world changed forever the day the "Great Mutation" began. It started with a pandemic that defied every law of science, sweeping across the globe and rewriting the DNA of everything it touched. Plants grew teeth and hungered for flesh; animals became towering behemoths; even the marine life transformed into prehistoric nightmares that made the oceans impassable.
Humanity was forced to evacuate major cities, but there was nowhere left to hide. Strange, gravity-defying structures—Dungeons—erupted from the earth like jagged teeth. Billions of lives disappeared in the first few weeks. Those brave enough to investigate the insides of these structures rarely returned. But the world learned a harsh rule: those who survived the structures gained superpowers, becoming "Awakened." Those who died inside? They were spat back out as monsters, husks of their former selves driven only by the urge to kill.
"Eudom, are you going home?"
I looked up from the convenience store counter. It was the night manager, looking tired.
"Yeah, it's late now. There's a lot of things I should have done," I replied, my voice sounding as flat as I felt.
"Then, goodbye, Eudom. And be careful when you're going home—there might be a monster outside. The mana readings in this district have been unstable lately.
"I nodded and stepped out into the chilly night. Sigh. I'm Kim Eudom. That's the name I was given back at the orphanage. They said it was because my hair color and eyes are both a deep, dark black, like the bottom of a well. It's a name that means darkness, and it suits me perfectly.
I lived alone. No family, no lover, not even a single friend. My looks are just low-average—the kind of face people forget the second they stop looking at it. I've spent my life living in the shadows, and honestly, the dark feels more comfortable than the light. But lately, even living alone has started to feel pretty tiring.
I'm turning eighteen soon. Another lonely milestone in a lonely life. I was walking down a street crowded with people, all of them rushing to get behind reinforced doors before the night-raid sirens could go off. That was when I saw it. An orb was sitting near a trash heap, catching the light of the moon. It was shimmering intensely, a pearlescent glow that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.
I picked it up, mesmerized. It was perfectly round and smooth, vibrating with a strange warmth in my palm. But as I stared at it, the orb suddenly glowed blindingly and disappeared in an instant.
I stared at my empty hand. Is this really my fate? I thought bitterly. Everything that appears in front of me disappears instantly. First my parents, now even a pretty marble. Maybe I should just go home.
I didn't realize that the orb hadn't vanished—it had been absorbed. I began the walk to my cramped studio apartment, but as I turned into an alley, a blue hologram flickered into existence right in front of my nose.
[Initialization Complete]
[Name: Kim Eudom]
[Level: 1]
[Title: --]
[Hp: 100/100] [Mp: 100/100]
[PA: 10] [Ma: 45] [PD: 5] [MD: 3]
[Str: 2] [Int: 9] [Vit: 6] [Dex: 2] [Agi: 3] [Luk: 2] [Wis: 6] [Charm: 2]
[Ex skill:
[Skill: --]
[Passive skill: --]
"What the..."
I was lost in thought, frozen in the middle of the alley. I rubbed my eyes until they hurt, thinking I was just hallucinating because I was exhausted. I closed my eyes multiple times, but every time I opened them, the blue screen was still there.
"Is this for real? Wait, I thought you couldn't obtain power unless you conquered a dungeon. Is it because of the orb I just picked up?"
I kept looking at the hologram, my heart hammering against my ribs. My eyes landed on the unique skill. It was my first time ever seeing or hearing about a skill like this. It wasn't anything like the top-ranked hunter in South Korea, who became a god-like figure with the skill. Mine sounded like a mobile game.
Maybe I should try to use it? Do I have to shout the name of the skill?
I looked around. The alley was empty. I felt stupid, but I whispered, "All right... ."
The world exploded in gold. A light kept shining in front of me, so bright I had to shield my eyes. When the light finally disappeared, a man was standing there.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating an aura of absolute power. He looked at me, his golden eyes scanning my face.
"Are you my master? Hmm... you look ugly."
I felt a vein pop in my forehead. Ugh, does he really have to say that? I know I'm ugly, but he's so harsh.
The man smirked, his eyes trailing down my body in a way that made my skin crawl. "Never mind. Since you're my master, I will make you happy to your heart's content."
My stomach flipped. This bastard was harsh to begin with, but he's clearly a pervert.
"! I summon him back!" I yelled at the screen, waving my hands frantically.
The man didn't budge. He just crossed his arms, looking amused. "You can't do that, master. You know once you summon me, you can't reverse it back... unless I die."
"T-then I order you to kill yourself!" I snapped.
"I accept," he said, bowing gracefully like a knight. "However, you forget that I can revive after one day passes. My soul is bound to your Gacha system, Master."
"Shit... I forgot this bastard can revive.
"I took a moment to actually look at him. It was completely unfair. He had the kind of face that belonged on a billboard. His hair was a brilliant blond, his eyes were pure gold, and he carried himself like a high-ranking noble.
"Master, it seems you are prepared," he said, stepping closer until I was backed against the brick wall. "Do you want to have fun with me?"
"Ahh! What the hell, get away from me!" I shoved him back with all my might."It's because you've been staring at my face, master," he chuckled.
I realized I hadn't even asked his name yet because of how much of a pervert he was. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Foolish of me, master. I am Dirick Trad, the Defender of Light and Holy. I was chosen to stay by your side, my master."A defender of light and holy? I looked at his smirking face. He's just a kind of perverted guy.
"Foolish of me, master, I didn't know what your name is."
"Kim Eudom. Just call me Eudom."
"I, Dirick Trad, the Defender of Light and Holy, pledge myself to Kim Eudom to stay by his side for the rest of my life."
"Dirick, I told yo—"
Suddenly, Dirick started to glow. The light was soft at first, but then it intensified. A crest—a golden shield wrapped in thorns—appeared on his left chest. At the same time, my own chest began to burn. I pulled my collar aside and saw an identical crest appearing on my skin.
"What is this, Dirick? Why is there a crest on my left chest?"
"I'm sorry, master. It seems you don't know what a crest is," Dirick explained, his voice becoming a bit more serious. "The crest is the pledge. If I disobey you, my heart will ache. If I betray you, master, I will die a death many times over until I recognize you as my master again."
It seemed he wasn't lying. But as the pledge finished, a strange sensation washed over me. I felt lighter, stronger. "Dirick, I want to ask you... why did I get stronger when you performed that pledge?"
"Master doesn't know what Gacha is? Sigh. All right, I'll explain to you."Dirick told me that as his summoner, my growth was tied to him. "You can get stronger when you increase my intimacy," he said with a wink.
My jaw dropped. Who the hell would I increase my intimacy with him for? I'm straight!
"You know what? I'm going home. I'm tired, and I've been standing here for a long time."
"Master, don't tell me you're going to leave me here?" Dirick pouted, looking like a kicked puppy—if that puppy was a six-foot-tall super-soldier.
"Do what you want.
"I started walking, and of course, he followed. When we arrived at my tiny, one-room apartment, the space felt even smaller. Dirick was everywhere. He kept nudging against me as I tried to set my keys down. The apartment was so cramped that every time he moved, I could feel the heat of his body. At one point, he pressed right up against my back. I could feel his "thing" down there, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. That is... that's not the average size of...?! W-wait, did I just think about— ahh!!
"Master, do you have a fever? Your ears are very red."
"H-hey! Can you give me some space?!" I yelled, scrambling away.
"Master, where are you going?"
"I'm going to sleep! And you can sleep on that couch!" I pointed to the small, lumpy sofa in the corner.
"But master, are you going to let me sleep in this state? At least lend me some clothes. This armor is quite heavy."
I sighed. "Right. Just wait here, I will get some clothes for you."
As I rummaged through my dresser, I caught Dirick looking at me. Master is kind to me, Dirick thought, a small, genuine smile playing on his lips. I'm starting to like him, even if he isn't that kind of good-looking person. In my world, I might have just locked him up in a room to keep him for myself.
"Where did Dirick go? Dirick, where are you?" I called out, holding a pair of oversized sweatpants.
"Master, I'm here. But these things are unfamiliar to me, so I kept looking at them." He was holding my toaster as if it were a legendary artifact.
"Ahh! Put those things on the table, Dirick! You're going to destroy them!"
"I'm sorry, master."
"You know what? Stop calling me 'Master.' I have a name. Eudom."
"Eudom," he repeated, the name sounding strange and melodic coming from him. "That's a pretty name. It means darkness. We are perfect together—Light and Dark."
This guy again. "You should sleep right now. It's pretty late, you know."
It was so tiring being around him. This perv bastard... if he wasn't so clearly powerful, I would have kicked him out into the monster-infested streets already.
I went to take a shower to wash off the stress of the day. But while I was in the bathroom, I felt a prickly sensation, like someone was watching me. I peeked out through the crack in the door, but Dirick seemed to be asleep on the couch. Maybe it's just because it's cold tonight, I thought, shrugging it off.
After cleaning myself, I practically ran to my bedroom and dove under the covers.
I drifted off into a deep sleep, but hours later, I was woken up by a strange heat. I felt something weird... something firm and rhythmic... poking my butt.
I froze, my heart stopping. I slowly turned my head and looked back.
It was Dirick. He was lying in my bed, his golden eyes wide open and staring right at me in the dark.
"What... what are you doing here?!" I gasped.
"The couch was cold, Eudom," he whispered, his voice dangerously close to my ear. "And the System said... your intimacy level was still too low for a level-up."