Stepping out of the university residence and plunging back into the campus hustle and bustle was a strange experience. On one hand, everything seemed normal: students laughed, chatted, complained about their classes, exactly as before. The sun shone, a light breeze stirred the leaves of the trees. Life went on, undisturbed.

  On the other hand, for me, everything was different. My blue interface still floated in my field of vision, a constant reminder of my new reality. Every person I crossed paths with was a question mark. Was she like me, an "Awakened" hiding her own secret? Or a "no-Awakened" ignorant of the drama unfolding before their eyes?

  I noticed details I would never have seen before. Above the heads of some students, there were vague, barely legible inscriptions, like [Stressed Student - Lvl ?] or [Carefree Civilian - Lvl ?]. Nothing as detailed as my own interface or that of the Mutated Rat, but it was there. The System was cataloging the world, even the non-Awakened. Was this just contextual information, or did it have a deeper meaning?

  I headed towards the cafeteria, my stomach growling with hunger. The smell of food – a mix of kimchi, steamed rice, and something fried – pulled me from my anxious thoughts. I took a tray, served myself generously, and looked for an isolated table. Eating amidst the crowd made me uncomfortable, as if my secret was about to be exposed at any moment.

  As I ate my bibimbap, my eyes scanned the room, watching for the slightest sign, the slightest clue. A gaze a little too insistent? Someone who seemed to see something others didn't? It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If other Awakened existed, they were either very discreet, or as lost and confused as I was.

  Suddenly, my gaze stopped on a young woman sitting alone at a table near the window. She had long jet-black hair, pulled back in a strict ponytail, and vivid, intelligent eyes that seemed to analyze everything. She wore our university's uniform, but with a kind of discreet elegance. What drew my attention, however, wasn't her appearance, but what floated above her head: a slightly clearer inscription than the others, in light blue: [Budding Scholar - Han Yoo-ra - Lvl ?].

  Level question mark. But the fact that she had a displayed name and a more specific "title" was intriguing. Was she an Awakened? Or just someone the System deemed... notable?

  She looked up from her book – a thick volume on what looked like quantum physics – and her gaze met mine for a fraction of a second. I quickly averted my eyes, my heart racing. Had she seen me staring? Had she noticed anything strange about me?

  When I risked another glance, she was engrossed in her reading again, her expression neutral. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

  After finishing my meal, I left the cafeteria, still a bit on edge. The food had done me good, but my mind remained on high alert. I decided to walk around the campus, to see if I could spot other "Gates" or anomalies. My mental mini-map, which I was starting to understand better, still indicated the grove's Gate, its red icon having slightly faded but still present. Were there others?

  I wandered around aimlessly, observing people, buildings, looking for the slightest sign. Nothing. The campus seemed perfectly normal, apart from that single Gate. Was this an isolated event? Or the calm before the storm?

  My path unintentionally led me back near the grove. Curiosity, or perhaps the call of potential XP and loot, was stronger than my caution. I approached discreetly, hiding behind a large oak tree. The distortion in the air was still there, a faint hum perceptible only if you really paid attention.

  [Low-Level Gate (Unstable)]

  [Creature Appearance Probability: Low]

  [Estimated Time Before Closing: 3 hours 17 minutes]

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  New information. The Gate was unstable and was going to close. That meant they weren't permanent. Good news. But the "low creature appearance probability" wasn't zero.

  Should I go in? The idea was terrifying. I had no idea what was on the other side. The Mutated Rat was already annoying enough. What could possibly be hiding in a "Gate"? A dungeon? Another world?

  "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it," I reminded myself of a quote read in a fantasy novel. It was easier to read than to apply.

  I stood there for a long time, hesitating. On one hand, the relative safety of ignorance. On the other, the promise of power, understanding, and perhaps, long-term survival. If this world had truly become a game, then not leveling up, not equipping oneself, was signing one's death warrant.

  A new notification appeared, making me jump.

  [New Quest Available: Gate Exploration (Optional)]

  [Objective: Enter the Low-Level Gate and explore its first area. Report any relevant information.]

  [Rewards: 100 XP, Random Uncommon Item, Increase in understanding of the Game Nexus.]

  [Warning: Gates are dangerous zones. Enter at your own risk.]

  An optional quest. The System was pushing me, tempting me. "Increase in understanding of the Game Nexus." That was exactly what I needed.

  I took a deep breath. "Okay, Game Nexus," I murmured. "You want to play? Let's play."

  I checked my status. HP and MP full. The small healing potion was single-use, so I didn't have any more. The Shadow Shard was ready in my dimensional inventory.

  "Equip Shadow Shard."

  The dagger appeared in my hand, its familiar coldness spreading through my palm. I felt a little more confident with it. A little.

  I cast a last look around. No one in sight. This was the moment. With a knot in my stomach, I stepped forward towards the shimmering distortion. The closer I got, the more the hum intensified, becoming a vibration that resonated in my chest. The air around the Gate was charged with a strange energy, tingling my skin.

  I tentatively extended a hand. My fingers passed through the unstable surface as if they were sinking into warm, gelatinous water. There was no pain, just a bizarre sensation of... phasing.

  I closed my eyes, took a last breath of the familiar campus air, and took a step forward.

  The world disappeared.

  For an instant, it was sensory chaos. Swirling colors, distorted sounds, a feeling of simultaneous falling and compression. My stomach leaped. I felt like my body was stretched and compressed like an accordion.

  Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

  I reopened my eyes, staggering. My feet rested on uneven, rocky ground. The air was heavy, charged with the smell of damp earth and decomposition. The light was dim, bluish, seeming to emanate from the walls of some kind of cavern. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, gleaming with moisture. Puddles of stagnant water lay on the ground.

  I was no longer on the Seoul University campus.

  [You have entered: Howling Goblin Cave (Gate Zone - Instance)]

  [Quest Objective Updated: Explore the first room and defeat any threats.]

  The Howling Goblin Cave. The name wasn't very reassuring. "Instance" probably meant I was alone here, or at least, that this version of the cave was for me.

  I gripped the handle of the Shadow Shard tighter. The silence of the cavern was oppressive, only broken by the dripping water and the faint echo of my own footsteps. Every shadow seemed to hide a threat.

  I advanced cautiously, the dagger pointed ahead of me. The natural corridor widened, leading to a kind of larger room. Whitened bones – animal? humanoid? – were scattered on the ground. This was definitely not a walk in the park.

  And then, I heard them. Hoarse growls, excited cackles. They came from further inside the room. Goblins, no doubt.

  My heart started beating faster. This was it. My first real dungeon. My first real exploration. The fear was there, of course, but there was also a hint of excitement, the call of adventure, however dangerous.

  Kang Min-joon, the student, had died on that crosswalk. Kang Min-joon, the Player, had just taken his first steps into a much vaster and much more perilous world.

  And he was going to have to learn to fight to survive in it.