Lesson 1. This is Your Status Window - 1
It was February, and young Ban Yuwon was twenty years old.
He sat in front of his computer, repeatedly refreshing the screen, simply waiting for his university acceptance results to appear.
Suddenly, his vision brightened, and a translucent window appeared before his eyes.
A window, moreover, inscribed with an alien language that even Ban Yuwon, who had mastered every language on Earth, had never seen in his life.
[Congratulations on passing the document screening for Union, the best academy across all dimensions!]
“It won’t even disappear.”
He had been waiting for university acceptance results, but suddenly, an alien-scripted window appeared before him, and even stranger, that alien script was being interpreted.
Unable to comprehend this surreal phenomenon, Ban Yuwon shouted the very words one should utter when faced with an incomprehensible situation.
“Status Window!”
Neither ‘Status,’ ‘Changtaesang,’ ‘Bungtaechang,’ nor ‘Gitachang’ worked...!
Though it might not have been a replacement, the alien message inscribed within the window subtly shifted.
[Candidates who pass the document screening will immediately proceed to the practical evaluation. But rest assured! As the dimension you currently reside in is a lower-ranked dimension, so obscure its name isn’t even known, the practical evaluation will also be categorized under Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions. The difficulty is considerably lower compared to the general admissions for higher-ranked dimensions, so you should be able to pass without much trouble!]
“This is driving me insane, seriously.”
What was a practical evaluation, and what on earth was Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions?
The window didn't provide answers, but upon careful thought, he could understand.
In a typical university admissions system, ‘special admissions’ refers to a process that selects students with unique backgrounds or talents, differing slightly from general admission criteria, in order for the school to accept a diverse range of individuals.
So, essentially, Ban Yuwon had passed the document screening for this ‘Union’ or whatever academy due to his special abilities, and he could take the practical evaluation at a lower difficulty than others...
[Once you pass the practical evaluation, you will immediately become a prospective student and be transported to Union Academy’s dormitory, so prepare yourself mentally. Transmission will begin in 1 minute. 59, 58....]
“What in the dog’s bones is that supposed to mean? I never even applied in the first place...!”
When did he ever fill out documents, and what was this ‘practical’?
He only applied to S University!
Seriously, if you’re going to show me weird messages like this, at least give me a Status Window too!
—*Thwack!*
Just then, a moment too late, his monitor screen refreshed, and the acceptance announcement for S University’s College of Social Sciences (Political Science and Diplomacy major, projected) appeared.
The result, of course, was acceptance!
Right, he must have been too nervous before the acceptance announcement and simply hallucinated.
What greeted Ban Yuwon as he tried to convince himself and took a deep breath was...
[1, 0. Transporting to the practical evaluation site: Blind Goblin Den!]
“Wai...”
It was spatial teleportation magic, something he had never experienced in his life.
“Just a mom...”
By the time he finished his words, Ban Yuwon was no longer on Earth, but somewhere else entirely.
To put it in the most appropriate term he knew...
He was in a dungeon.
* * *
[The goal of the practical evaluation is simple. Reach the center of the Blind Goblin Den and destroy the dungeon core! As this is a Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions, you will pass simply by destroying the dungeon core!]
Hiding in a dark, damp corner of the cave, Ban Yuwon thought.
‘It’s not a fantasy, nor a hallucination. It’s real.’
Now, Ban Yuwon admitted that he was in a terribly unrealistic situation.
In fact, after being dragged into the dungeon, he had been in denial for about 30 seconds. But the moment he sensed the presence of a horrifying monster, whose breathing alone sent chills down his spine, from beyond the passageway, he jolted back to his senses as if splashed with cold water.
As his own ability was a product of miracles, Ban Yuwon’s strength lay in his quick adaptability to surreal situations.
He stopped all thought and moved as quietly as possible to find a hiding spot, which brought him to his current location.
‘Let’s think.’
Why was he in this place?
Was there no way to go home?
Thinking such thoughts was utterly meaningless right now.
What he needed to think about now was how to safely pass this practical evaluation.
After all, he couldn’t confront the person in charge or do anything else until he got out of here.
Though, a part of him wondered what he could possibly do against a group with the power to forcibly drag people to a place like this.
‘No, I won’t get disheartened. I’ll get out of here safely and get into S University. A brilliant university life awaits me...!’
Even for that, he had to find a way to escape this place.
In fact, the objective had been presented from the start.
[Reach the center of the Blind Goblin Den and destroy the dungeon core.]
It was a sentence understandable without even needing to employ his language comprehension abilities.
Because he had seen it often in games and novels.
‘They’re just openly calling it a dungeon. Is Union Academy some kind of school that trains explorers to clear dungeons? Then why on earth did I pass the document screening...? I’ll think about that later.’
Dungeon core.
A core is the essence.
What happens if you smash the core of something? It collapses.
...At least, that’s how it was in the novels he read, and it probably wasn’t any different here.
In other words, Ban Yuwon had been instructed to conquer and clear the dungeon.
However, the Goblins living in this dungeon would certainly not stand by and watch the dungeon core be destroyed.
He would have to move while confronting unknown monsters, whose numbers he didn't know, reach the central part of a cave whose location was unknown, and overcome the monsters’ interference to destroy the core.
‘*Sssiiigh*... I’m definitely going to die, aren’t I?’
Modern people can’t even confidently say they could win against a wild chihuahua, let alone a Goblin.
What about chihuahuas attacking in a pack? Just imagining it brings a wave of terror.
Thanks to his body being frozen with that terror, when a club suddenly flew through the air and grazed past his nose the next moment, he was able to stand his ground without falling.
“dkslsrk!”
“...!”
He desperately held back a gasp.
Perhaps he had been too lost in thought, as he hadn’t noticed the monster that had crept right up to him.
No, that wasn’t it.
The monster had concealed its presence and approached him.
A monster far more terrifying than a chihuahua.
“qnsauddurlsep! Where?”
Dark green, wrinkled skin, a height slightly shorter than Ban Yuwon’s 182 centimeters.
But its limbs were muscular, and its face, revealing pointed teeth, was truly ferocious.
Goblins in games are the weakest of monsters, easily killed even by a Lv1 novice warrior, but the Goblin before him now was clearly a monster with power far exceeding Ban Yuwon’s.
“To the right, then!”
“!”
—*Whoosh!*
Evading two consecutive swings from such a monster’s club (the sound of it cutting through the air was horrendous) was by no means luck.
It was thanks to Ban Yuwon, who had somehow begun to understand the monster’s words, moving his body in response to the monster’s foolishly honest declarations of its own actions.
‘Insane. I can understand monster-speak too.’
Meeting a talking monster was a first in his life, so of course, this was a novel experience.
Strangely, at that moment, Ban Yuwon gained a little confidence.
At least he knew his linguistic abilities worked even in this inexplicable place.
“Can’t catch it! It’s right in front of me!”
Meanwhile, the Goblin, having failed to hunt its prey, thrashed its club wildly in every direction, frenzied.
Why was it performing such mad antics instead of directly targeting Ban Yuwon, who was right in front of it?
It was because that Goblin was blind.
‘This must be the advantage granted by the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions, right? What a consolation, indeed.’
Thanks to that, he was currently surviving, but that was entirely different from passing the practical evaluation.
Ban Yuwon slowly retreated from the Goblin, who was swinging its club like a madman, but that was a mistake.
The creature suddenly charged and slammed its club down with a *thud!*
“Missed againnnn!”
‘Gah! *Huff, huff*...! This bastard, it’s reading my presence the moment I move!’
Evading that last attack was thanks to his reflexes, which had improved to a surprising degree.
He suspected his physical abilities had been enhanced compared to when he was on Earth.
Yet, it wasn't enough to beat a monster, merely enough to barely evade such obvious attacks.
Fortunately, the creature couldn't sensitively read his presence the moment it attacked.
Therefore, once an attack was dodged, it would stumble around, unable to regain its proper bearings.
However.
“Is there a kin there? Doing something?”
By the ancestors, for heaven’s sake.
Just as he thought he was getting somewhat used to evading one monster’s attacks, a new monster appeared from beyond the passageway!
It was equally blind, equally muscular, and equally wielded a formidable club!
The Goblin (let's call him Goblin 1), recognizing the arrival of its kin, shouted cheerfully.
“The prey keeps dodging my attacks!”
“Prey? Prey!”
Of course, this was going to happen, damn it!
The newly arrived Goblin, Goblin 2, was charging forward, leaping excitedly.
At this rate, he would simply be surrounded from both front and back.
But if he moved, his presence would be detected again.
‘How? How on earth can I survive this absurd situation?’
At that moment, an incredibly foolish idea popped into Ban Yuwon’s mind.
But there wasn’t enough time to find another solution, so Ban Yuwon immediately put the idea into action.
“Charge straight ahead and slam your club directly in front of you!”
Ban Yuwon yelled.
In the language used by Goblins.
Simultaneously, he threw his body to the side.
As desperately as possible, he got away from that spot.
“The prey, it speaks our language!”
“Thanks for telling me!”
“Wait...!”
Unlike Goblin 1, who froze in shock at Ban Yuwon’s words, Goblin 2, having just arrived, didn’t pay attention to the slight difference in voice and charged straight ahead.
The Goblins were far more idiotic than Ban Yuwon had imagined, yet their strength was formidable.
And their evasion maneuvers were even worse than Ban Yuwon’s.
—*CRACK!*
Which is to say, Goblin 2’s swung club succeeded in splitting Goblin 1’s head almost in half.
“Caught the prey...!”
“Die!”
“*Kuaak!*”
Goblin 1, having taken a critical hit, became enraged and swung its club back, even knowing it was its own kin who had struck it.
Naturally, Goblin 2 couldn’t dodge and was hit.
*THWACK!*
“Ow! Why’d you hit me?!”
“You hit me first!”
“Die!”
Ban Yuwon stared blankly at the fierce brawl that had erupted before his eyes.
If he moved again here, he might needlessly provoke them, so he had no choice but to stay still for now.
Goblin 2, who had landed the first blow, should have had the advantage, but it seemed Goblin 1 originally possessed greater strength, as their momentum was evenly matched.
“Idiot! It wasn’t me!”
“Liar! Goblins do not forgive liars!”
Their conversation level was that of elementary schoolers, but the battle itself was intensely fierce, to the point of sending shivers down his spine.
*THUD! SMACK! BANG! CRACK!*
Heads were struck, chests were hit, legs were beaten, arms were caught; with every blow exchanged, thunderous roars echoed that Ban Yuwon couldn’t possibly imitate, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.
‘Who on earth said Goblins were the weakest monsters...?’
If he had blindly believed the descriptions of Goblins in all those novels and charged heedlessly through the cave, wouldn’t his head be smashed open by now?
“*Ku, ueek*...”
Just as Ban Yuwon was shuddering anew at the harshness of his circumstances, the tide of battle finally turned.
Surprisingly, despite having taken the first blow, Goblin 1 succeeded in tearing out Goblin 2’s throat!
“Die!”
“*Kyaak!*”
Goblin 1 brought its club down on Goblin 2’s head.
The torn wound in its throat gaped wide, blood spurted, and Goblin 2’s grip loosened, letting its club fall to the ground.
It was then that Goblin 2 made its final struggle.
It fell forward towards Goblin 1 and bit off the tip of its nose.
“Get off...!”
“*Kkuheeek*...”
Was that truly its last act of desperation? Goblin 2 could no longer move.
But Goblin 1, already critically wounded and collapsed under the other’s corpse, could only flail its limbs, unable to get up.
“*Hoo-wook, hoo-wook*...”
Ban Yuwon picked up the club Goblin 2 had dropped.
Even though he was now standing over its head, that is.
‘If I can’t even kill this, I have no hope of clearing this dungeon.’
Since Goblin 1 was also near death, he could have just run away. Why did he choose to approach the creature dangerously?
It was because Ban Yuwon chose to move forward here, rather than simply fleeing without a plan.
No matter how absurd the current situation, to survive, he ultimately had to pass through the dungeon.
And to pass through the dungeon, he had to confront these creatures.
He couldn't run away, terrified even of a creature on the verge of death like this.
“*Heeugh!*”
Overwhelmed by tension, he gripped the club too tightly and even held his breath, but these weren’t bad conditions for a beginner attempting to hit a target with a club.
He swung it down directly.
—*CRUNCH!*
Ban Yuwon’s strike, which surpassed the average physical strength of a Korean young man, definitively ended the life of the dying Goblin.
[Congratulations! You have succeeded in your first hunt in the dungeon!]
At that moment, a translucent window reappeared before his eyes at a completely unexpected timing.
Ban Yuwon, feeling his hands, arms, abdomen, and lower back ache from excessive tension, glared at the window.
The message updated.
[As a reward, we provide the Status Window, an Authority of a higher dimension. All students attending the academy can manage their abilities and grow efficiently using the Status Window! This is Union Academy’s state-of-the-art support system!]
“Huh?”
Wait, a Status Window *now*?!
Just a moment ago, Ban Yuwon had been cursing and hating on the academy staff, but he couldn't help the thrill that pulsed through his chest at the mention of a Status Window!
[This is your Status Window.]
And finally, before Ban Yuwon’s eyes, his Status Window was about to...
[Target confirmed to possess a higher Authority.]
...just before it appeared.
The characters that appeared now were fundamentally different in structure from any he had seen before—more inorganic, more transcendent, yet 'for some reason, immediately comprehensible' script materialized.
[Retrieving Status Window.]
“What the—! Give me back my Status Window!”
Ban Yuwon, in his shock, forgot his current predicament and blurted out.
Immediately after, realizing his rashness, he frantically clapped a hand over his mouth, but fortunately, no new goblins emerged.
[Authority, Babylonia Code, activating.]
Instead, golden strings of text began to stream from the corpses of the two goblins sprawled before him.
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