Fortune comes to those who are prepared.
It’s a common saying.
Even if luck finds you by chance, it is meaningless if you don’t have the power to make it yours.
Just like me right now.
“Kanghyeon Lee, I’m sorry, but you have to return to Earth.”
This place is an Other Dimension, the El Dorado Continent.
The Saintess of the White Church, the only and most prestigious church in the El Dorado Continent, has summoned me back.
I was momentarily stunned by her sudden announcement, then regained my composure.
“Saintess! If you say that all of a sudden…!”
I couldn’t accept the order to return to Earth. I still needed to stay here.
Twenty-five years ago, a major change called the Great Cataclysm occurred on Earth.
Dungeons and monsters, often seen in novels, appeared in reality.
They wreaked havoc all over the world, threatening humanity’s survival.
Humanity stood on the brink of extinction.
At that time, when a bleak atmosphere spread, and hope seemed lost,
people with the power to confront monsters began to emerge.
Those who awakened their power hunted the dungeons and monsters, contributing to the reconstruction of civilization.
Their existence became beacons of hope for humanity, and people called them Hunters.
I too became a Hunter through awakening, with luck on my side.
Though I was referred to as a half-baked one.
The reason I was called a half-baked Hunter was simple.
I didn’t have a Status Window.
Despite awakening, unlike other Hunters, I was the only one without a Status Window.
This led to a significant gap, as I couldn’t grow at all.
I couldn’t learn skills or traits, let alone gain experience.
Even if I defeated a monster, I couldn’t gain experience points.
In such circumstances, how could I grow?
So, I was regarded as just a somewhat stronger ordinary person.
Eventually, I decided to mobilize every possible means for growth.
One of those was enrolling in the Hunter Academy.
Fortunately, since I had awakened, there were no issues with enrolling in the academy.
But would merely enrolling change anything?
Unlike my peers, who were growing like monsters, I still had no Status Window.
Naturally, I received the lowest possible grades, an F, in every subject.
At least, I desperately held on enough to avoid expulsion.
Perhaps my appearance was pitiful, or maybe they didn’t want to recognize me as a Hunter; my peers regarded me as a stain on the academy.
Until graduation, I was treated like an invisible person, but somehow I managed to receive a diploma, albeit as the last in rank.
Of course, graduating didn’t give me the Status Window that I lacked.
In the end, nothing changed.
Since I couldn’t make a living as a Hunter, I became a porter.
Then, the last chance came.
It was purely by luck, not effort.
It was the El Dorado Continent.
The Other World I was now standing on was indeed the El Dorado Continent.
A place only a select few, randomly chosen from among Hunters, could come.
The land where powerful Hunters gain even greater strength, and even mediocre Hunters are given opportunities to shine is the land every Hunter dreams of.
I was no different.
By some unknown mechanism, only a few Hunters were randomly selected, and I was among them.
When I first set foot on the El Dorado Continent, I was genuinely happy.
I thought I might finally obtain a Status Window.
If I were to gain a Status Window, escaping from being a porter would just be a matter of time.
I could perhaps show up those who had ignored me.
Up until then, I had imagined a scene where my peers looked up to me, and guilds competed to recruit me….
But that dream shattered in an instant due to the events that had just unfolded.
“Please, reconsider just once more. I beg you, Saintess! I’ve done everything I could until now. I can’t go back like this!”
I threw away my pride and knelt, pleading.
Two years since I was summoned to the El Dorado Continent.
During that time, I truly lived like a dog.
Knowing I lacked ability, I tried my best to work hard.
I took on every menial task possible within the church, as well as helping Paladins and Priests.
I didn’t even expect anything in return.
But what was the result of that effort?
The coveted Status Window still eluded me.
And items that could have helped me remained a distant dream.
Are they really going to send me back to Earth with nothing to show for it?
I barely held back my grimace as I waited for the Saintess’s response.
“Hah… Kanghyeon Lee. No.”
The Saintess’s expression quickly crumpled.
“Hey.”
The tone of the Saintess, who had always spoken with a benevolent smile, suddenly changed.
It was the first time I had seen her like this in the two years we had been together.
“Why are you being so pathetic, huh?”
Rough words poured from the Saintess’s mouth.
“Isn’t it enough that I took in a useless bastard like you up to now? What more do you want? A Status Window? Am I at fault for you not having one? Or is it because I didn’t give you any items?
It’s annoying enough to deal with a piece of trash like you, and now you’re making me angry.”
“…….”
I could say nothing.
Given my situation, any counterargument was unwelcome.
With my silence, the surrounding Paladins chimed in.
“Menial work? That’s something you have to do because you’re garbage. You shouldn’t get cocky over that.”
“Right! Who would have thought such a pathetic guy would show up?”
“You never fit in with our church from the beginning!”
“Get out of here right now. The Saintess is showing mercy by letting you go.”
Even the Paladins, called the righteous swords of the church, criticized me.
“…….”
Yeah, I admit I’m useless.
So I’ve been keeping quiet.
Of course, it was frustrating.
Knowing my shortcomings, I tried even harder.
I woke up earlier than anyone every morning to train.
I try to endure physically, even without skills or traits.
Cleaning within the church, along with being a porter for the dungeon extermination teams, cooking, miscellaneous errands—I’ve done it all.
“Hah….”
Thinking back, they have always been like that.
I bowed my head first due to my weaker position, but they took that as a matter of course.
At one point, they even used me as bait to disarm traps in a dungeon.
If I had at least received due compensation for it, I wouldn’t have been so resentful.
No, I did receive something.
However, the moment I got paid, they took it back, so it became a problem.
Even with such treatment, I couldn’t speak up.
Thinking again, it makes me furious.
Yet, I couldn’t freely express my feelings.
It might be better to just retreat when someone says to return.
“Tsk.”
I swallowed my indignation and looked at them.
“Yes, if that’s the case, I’ll go back. Thank you for everything so far.”
There was no chance of them changing their minds despite my pleading.
For a moment, I even thought of fleeing to another region, but I quickly shook my head.
The El Dorado Continent is vast.
Even if I ran away from the church, with no abilities or connections, I’d still always be within their grasp.
The moment the church branded me as a heretic, there would be no place for me on the continent.
Their power was that immense.
When I stated I would return willingly, the Saintess showed an unexpected expression.
“Well, okay. I will send you back to Earth right now.”
Suddenly, the Saintess spoke in a raised voice.
She even returned the belongings I had when I was first summoned here.
“Thank goodness they are returning some of it.”
The belongings were minimal.
Clothes, a wallet, and a smartphone were all that I had.
The smartphone seemed not to turn on, likely because it had been left alone for two years.
“Okay, shall we head back to your original world? Let’s not see each other again.”
After saying that, the Saintess murmured something and began to chant a spell.
Then, a circular magic circle appeared beneath my feet, emitting a brilliant light.
It seemed to be the spell to return to Earth.
Normally, I heard that residents would hold a farewell party for returning Hunters, but…
I was being sent away empty-handed without gaining anything, which left a bitter taste in my mouth.
No, if I gained anything, it was probably just my hatred for the church.
As I was lost in thought, the light enveloped my whole body, and my vision changed in an instant.
“This is….”
I saw the familiar sight of a room.
It was my home.
The only inheritance left by my deceased parents.
Thus, I was expelled from another world.
—
Two years had passed, and I was back on Earth.
I immediately connected my smartphone to the charger.
A moment later, I turned it on, and fortunately, it worked.
As soon as it powered up, I checked to see if I had received any messages.
“Um….”
However, the smartphone was silent.
Not even a single text message.
Why is there absolutely nothing?
Surely two years had passed.
After two years of silence, not one person was worried about me.
“Not even from the guild?”
My academy peers treated me like I didn’t exist, so that was one reason to exclude them.
But even the guild, with whom I had some business relations, had no contact at all, which made me feel a bit bitter.
I had worked as a porter for a small guild just before being summoned to the El Dorado Continent.
At least I thought they would send at least one text, yet I hadn’t received a single one.
I immediately tried calling the saved numbers, but I couldn’t connect.
‘Damn.’
It might be understandable.
Porters often went MIA.
Moreover, considering I had no particular ability, there was probably no reason for the guild to be concerned about me.
As I sighed and lamented,
Ding-!
A notification sound rang from my smartphone.
Upon checking, I saw I had received one text.
“Ugh, just an advertisement?”
I had expected something, but it turned out to be an ad.
It was a message about a game that I had pre-registered for being released.
“Did I even pre-register for such a game?”
I couldn’t remember, given all the things that had happened.
“Whatever.”
I had plenty of time anyway.
Though I had returned home after two years, cleaning my room was the last thing on my mind.
Honestly, after everything I’d been through, I just wanted to relax.
I promptly followed the link in the text and installed the game.
“The game is called ‘El Dorado.'”
It became the top term I wanted to erase from my mind when I was expelled from El Dorado.
Yet how ironic it was to face that name again as a game title.
I momentarily thought of deleting it, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I pressed the execute button.
[El Dorado]
The game title appeared prominently on the screen.
Usually, something cool should play at this point, right?
The music felt lackluster.
I wondered if it might be an indie game.
Considering I had spent two years on the El Dorado Continent, it was no surprise that a game I pre-registered for was only just launching.
I touched the screen and the story began to unfold.
– In the beginning, there was a goddess. The goddess created the El Dorado Continent,…
I promptly pressed the skip button.
It was the history of the continent that I had heard so many times in the church.
This could be glossed over.
The game began immediately.
– Welcome. From now on, you will become the master of the dungeon and operate the dungeon.
– Utilize all means to spread the fame of the dungeon in the El Dorado Continent.
– First, please enter the name of the dungeon you wish to promote.
Having skipped the story, I hadn’t seen the game’s objective clearly, but it seemed to involve operating a dungeon.
That was quite fresh.
What role did dungeons play on the El Dorado Continent?
They were the sources of calamity, continuously spewing monsters that devastated surrounding villages.
Was that all?
Depending on the dungeon, there were high-ranking demons and high-ranking monsters, making it a place everyone feared.
As a result, countries, adventurers, and churches regularly came together to subjugate dungeons.
Given my current situation, such a game was welcome.
I could at least satisfy my desire to wreak havoc on the El Dorado Continent, even if only in the game.
Perhaps the developer of this game, like me, detested El Dorado.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have boldly released a game like this.
For a moment, I felt a fondness for the game developer.
‘Now, the name…’
This was likely the most challenging part of starting a game.
I didn’t ponder for long.
– Dungeon Name: Church Adversary
Hmm. That’s quite good, isn’t it?
Personally, I believe a name should be simple while encapsulating the goal.
From now on, the game objective is simply to mess with the Saintess and the church.
– Would you like to proceed with this name?
– [Yes] [No]
I pressed ‘Yes’ without hesitation.
– The dungeon name has been automatically corrected.
– Changed Dungeon Name: Nest of the Evil God
– Further name changes are not permitted.
“What is this?”
Suddenly, the name changed on its own.
Is it alright for the game to arbitrarily change the name chosen by the user?
It’s unacceptable for a game that doesn’t even allow freedom over naming.
My fondness for the developer I’d built moments ago faded rapidly.
Yeah, whatever, if I play it once and find it boring, I can just quit.
I glanced at the name the game had changed to.
Evil God?
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t far off from my original intent.
“After all, my ultimate goal is the church.”
It felt very much like a hostile entity opposing the goddess.
I quite liked it.
I tapped the screen again.
– Oh no! The Saintess of the White Church, who serves the goddess of the El Dorado Continent, has detected your dungeon.
– Warning! If no action is taken, the White Church may subjugate your dungeon.
– It is recommended to use items to protect your dungeon.
– Recommended Item
[Dungeon Concealment]
Effect 1: Permanently blocks the aura of the dungeon, making it undetectable to anyone.
Effect 2: Conceals the dungeon’s location for 7 days.
“What is this now?”
Not only did it change the name at will, but it also smoothly directed me towards a real-money purchase.
“You’re crossing the line.”
This time, I really considered quitting, but I gritted my teeth and clicked on the screen again.
After being insulted by the Saintess and being expelled, I didn’t want to lose to her again, even if it was just in a game.
After all, the price of 1,200 won wasn’t burdensome.
“Okay, let’s buy it.”
I wanted to avoid feeling stressed at the beginning of the game.
– Item purchase completed.
– The aura of the dungeon is now permanently blocked.
– The location of the dungeon has been concealed for 7 days.
– The Saintess of the White Church has failed to detect your dungeon.
It seemed like the first real-money purchase took effect properly.
“Whatever it is, let’s think positively.”
I touched the screen to see the next prompt.
– Synchronization is progressing before the dungeon location is generated.
– 1%… 2%… 4%…
Suddenly, the screen froze, and a notification appeared indicating that synchronization was in progress.
What could this mean?
Could it be…
Downloading additional update files?
For now, I decided to wait.
—
“……”
The Saintess, Helisa, slowly opened her eyes.
Her face was filled with confusion.
“Saintess, you don’t look so well.”
A Paladin guarding her approached and spoke in a concerned tone.
“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
Though she said so, her inner thoughts were complicated.
‘It was certainly an enormous energy…’
While praying, she sensed an incredible energy.
The problem was that the energy didn’t feel good.
With a foreboding feeling, she immediately attempted to trace it, but it suddenly vanished without a trace.
It was as if it had never existed from the start.
‘Perhaps I used too much power for that.’
Before her prayer, Helisa had expended a lot of energy.
That was to send Kanghyeon Lee back to Earth.
She would probably need to rest for a few days.
‘If it weren’t for the orders from above…’
If it weren’t for the orders from the church’s higher-ups, she wouldn’t have had to push herself to send him back to Earth.
But that’s already in the past.
Regretting it would do no good.
Helisa pushed aside her thoughts about Kanghyeon Lee and steadied her mind again.
That strange energy she had felt just now.
Trying to search for it once more, she found she couldn’t sense it no matter how hard she tried.
‘Maybe it was just a delusion.’
Reassuring herself, the Saintess Helisa brushed aside her anxiety.
