Chapter 4: The System Can't Measure
The city was loud.
Too loud.
Sirens echoed through the streets. News vans crowded the alley where the dungeon had appeared. Yellow tape blocked off the area, and people whispered nervously as armed personnel tried—and failed—to understand what had happened.
"A dungeon… cleared by one person?"
"No corpses, no team… just blood."
"They said the monster was cut in half."
Kang Tae-Hyun walked past them without stopping.
No one recognized him.
Yet.
Good, he thought. Stay ignorant while you still can.
The System Reacts
As Tae-Hyun turned a corner, a blue notification appeared in his vision.
[Notice]
Abnormal EXP absorption detected.
User growth rate exceeds predicted values.
Another message followed immediately.
[System Observation Initiated]
Observer: Administrator R-07
Kang Tae-Hyun's steps didn't slow.
"So the system noticed already," he muttered.
In his past life, administrators never appeared this early. That meant one thing.
I'm already outside their calculations.
A faint pressure brushed against his mind—something trying to measure him.
It failed.
[Error]
Target parameters cannot be quantified.
Tae-Hyun smiled faintly.
"Get used to it."
Meeting the Information Broker
He entered a small internet café tucked between rundown buildings.
Inside, a young man sat hunched over a laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard, eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.
Oh Seung-Ho.
In the original timeline, Seung-Ho died in the first week—eaten alive in a subway dungeon.
This time, Kang Tae-Hyun pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
"You're tracking dungeon emergence patterns," Tae-Hyun said calmly.
Seung-Ho froze.
"…Who are you?"
"You don't need to know," Tae-Hyun replied. "But you're about to die in seven days if you keep working alone."
Seung-Ho laughed nervously. "You're crazy."
Kang Tae-Hyun placed a small, dark crystal on the table.
The Dungeon Core.
Seung-Ho's pupils shrank.
"…That's real," he whispered.
"I need information," Tae-Hyun said. "You want to live."
Silence.
Then Seung-Ho swallowed and nodded.
"…Deal."
[Ally Acquired]
Name: Oh Seung-Ho
Role: Information Specialist
The Tank Who Should've Died
That night, Tae-Hyun headed toward a construction site.
In the future, a dungeon would open here—and one man would die protecting strangers.
Kim Hwan-Guk.
As expected, the portal opened early.
A monster lunged out.
Before anyone could react, Hwan-Guk stepped in front of civilians, arms raised, teeth clenched in fear.
"T-TAKE THEM AND RUN!" he shouted.
The monster struck.
But the blow never landed.
Kang Tae-Hyun stood between them.
One punch.
The monster's head exploded.
Blood splattered the concrete.
Everyone froze.
Hwan-Guk stared at Tae-Hyun in shock.
"…You saved me."
"You have guts," Tae-Hyun said. "And a body that won't break."
He turned away.
"Train with me. Or die next time."
Hwan-Guk didn't hesitate.
"Yes!"
[Ally Acquired]
Name: Kim Hwan-Guk
Role: Tank / Shield
A Quiet Promise
Later that night, Kang Tae-Hyun stood on a rooftop overlooking the city.
Lights stretched endlessly into the distance.
Behind him, two allies had already begun moving according to his will.
In front of him—
The future.
A final system message appeared.
[Hidden Title Unlocked]
"The One Who Breaks the Curve"
Effect: Growth rate increases beyond system expectations
Kang Tae-Hyun clenched his fist.
"In this life," he said quietly, "I won't stand alone at the top."
The wind howled.
Somewhere far away, the system trembled.
🔥 End of Chapter 4 🔥