Movements that would normally be second nature were impossible without conscious effort.

I slapped both cheeks.

Smack.

But the sensation on my palms was soft and plump baby fat.

I was definitely touching my skin, yet it felt like my hands couldn’t quite sink into it.

The effect was minimal.

'Once isn’t enough?'

With a little more force, I tried again—this time, twice.

Smack, smack.

Every time my palms struck my face, the bouncy reaction was like tapping a water balloon.

The feeling of my cheeks slightly rebounding was almost comically jelly-like.

“Hoo…”

I took a deep breath.

After a brief pause.

Having no other option, I unleashed a barrage of slaps.

Smack, smack, smack, smack!

Ugh, that hurt.

Yet my consciousness was still hazy.

No point in doing that. Now my cheeks just stung.

“…My head is spinning.”

Sharpening my senses by spreading my Ideation externally or opening my Core to move my body freely—these were simple tasks.

Regulating internal flow and adjusting my senses didn’t take much effort.

However.

Manifestation was different.

Bringing a Saga into reality demanded a price.

Ideation depletion.

That was why my mind felt sluggish.

Achilles’s cold voice echoed.

[Your Ideation is not just energy. If you overuse it, your brain will shut down. It’s a simple concept.]

Ideation was my very consciousness.

If my consciousness ran dry?

The result was obvious.

I would become a vegetative husk.

Collapsed, defenseless.

It was a scenario I hadn’t considered.

A newfound sense of caution struck me.

'…Manifesting multiple Sagas simultaneously is still pushing my limits. But at least I learned something.'

Besides.

Hadn’t I kept my eyes open for five whole minutes?

Uncontrollable eyes and Ideation depletion.

My brain already felt like a pile of mashed cotton.

My limbs were limp, my fingertips trembled, refusing to obey.

'Everything feels faint. It’s my body, yet it doesn’t feel like mine.'

Even continuing my train of thought was difficult.

Something felt disconnected.

It was as if my entire body had betrayed me, leaving only discomfort and foreign sensations.

And yet.

There was only one reason I was enduring this brutal self-inflicted punishment.

'I can’t resist opening a loot box.'

Even if I died, I had to open the chest first, right?

I didn’t realize my mental fortitude was this strong.

I looked at the system message.

Even with my blurry vision, the words shone vividly.

–-------------------------------------------------------------

[You have cleared the Dungeon of Prosperity.]

[As a First Clear Reward, you have obtained the Elixir of Friday.]

[You have obtained No. 1,004 Treasure Chest.]

–-------------------------------------------------------------

“…First Clear Reward?”

Unexpected.

A breath involuntarily escaped my lips, vanishing into the air.

No wonder.

'Isn’t this kind of reward usually exclusive to the vanguard raid teams?'

Only the top-ranked elites—S-class, national power-tier, and transcendent hunters—received such rewards.

I never imagined I would qualify for one.

This unexpected windfall put me in a good mood.

'Is the Daily Dungeon really something only I can see?'

The golden elixir in my hand was small yet firm.

As the light shifted, an ethereal golden shimmer danced across its surface.

Just in case Hayangi decided to eat it like last time, I handled it with utmost care.

'First, let’s appraise it.'

Clairvoyance.

Slowly, the pill’s true nature revealed itself.

–-------------------------------------------------------------

[Elixir of Friday]

Grade: Unique
Effect: Permanently increases MP by 10~1,000.

–-------------------------------------------------------------

I almost forgot to breathe.

“Insane.”

The properties of elixirs were well known.

Even a non-Awakened person who took one would experience increased lifespan and restored health.

Some even claimed they boosted vitality.

But if a hunter took one?

It increased their core energy.

That’s why the price was astronomical.

Yet, that wasn’t all.

My eyes discerned a hidden piece of information.

A secret that no one else would ever know.

–-------------------------------------------------------------

[Required Material for the Elixir of Seven Days]

[If all Six-Day Elixirs are gathered, it can be synthesized on Creation Sunday.]

[Materials for the Elixir of Seven Days are currently insufficient.]

[Current Material Inventory:]
Elixir of Monday: 0
Elixir of Tuesday: 0
Elixir of Wednesday: 0
Elixir of Thursday: 0
Elixir of Friday: 1
Elixir of Saturday: 0]

–-------------------------------------------------------------

Monday through Saturday.

Gathering all six elixirs from the Daily Dungeons would create the ultimate ingredient.

'Looks like Daily Dungeons are now my daily grind.'

It was practically a new daily quest.

Still, the corners of my lips twitched upward.

And the rewards weren’t over yet.

A radiant golden chest.

Without any hesitation, I opened it.

A brilliant system message filled my vision.

No card selection—just an instant reward.

Ding!

–-------------------------------------------------------------

[You have acquired a Skill.]

Name: Negation of Existence
Grade: S
Type: On/Off
Description: Nightmares exist to deny all existence. This ability turns your presence into a nightmare.
Effect: While the skill is active, all accumulated damage is stored within the target. Stored damage does not take effect immediately but is applied all at once when the skill is deactivated.

–-------------------------------------------------------------

“Whoa. S-rank?”

Narrowing my eyes, I carefully analyzed its implications.

'Even if they take damage, they’ll think they’re fine.'

If an enemy was hit but felt no pain or visible wounds?

Their guard would drop, and overconfidence would set in.

But in reality?

They were simply being granted a temporary reprieve.

Moving corpses, unaware of their impending doom.

Then, when the skill deactivated—

All the stored damage would explode upon them.

'A sniper’s dream skill.'

Sniping was all about timing.

Finishing the enemy before they even detected me.

Destroying their sense of security was an essential part of being a sniper.

In that sense, this skill was perfect.

The enemy wouldn’t even know what killed them.

“It’s a perfect match for me.”

Muttering to myself, I nodded in satisfaction.

However.

That satisfaction was short-lived.

A wave of dizziness hit me.

'…Did I overdo it?'

My body collapsed.

A complete blackout.

The reason the academy values the ability to wield Ideation over raw energy control in practical evaluations.

In contrast, physical training is straightforward.

Tear muscles, recover, repeat.

Pain follows, but through that process, the body grows stronger and more resilient.

That’s why Jung Chaemin tightened the bandages around her chest.

‘Haa. It keeps getting bigger.’

Pressing down firmly.

Though this was a daily routine, it never got any easier.

The resistance she felt was concerning.

Her ominous premonitions were always right.

The moment she pulled the bandage tighter to flatten her chest, the forcibly compressed flesh pushed out elsewhere.

If one side was flattened?

The other side immediately protruded.

“Damn it.”

Soft and yielding.

Holding her breath, she pressed her chest down as much as possible.

Seeing the opportunity, she quickly secured the bandages.

‘This should be fine.’

But the reflection in the mirror still looked unnatural.

Even in training clothes, there was a small bulge remaining.

With no choice, she layered a jacket over it.

‘Why did they have to grow so much…’

Her skin chafed, compressed and uneven.

But she endured it.

She had to head to the training hall.

‘It’s Sunday evening, so it should be empty. The new students probably haven’t moved into the dorms yet.’

Spending time alone in the training room when no one else was around.

A quiet chuckle escaped her lips.

It was the perfect plan.

However.

Her face twisted at the sight before her.

The sacred training hall had turned into a playground for delinquents.

Some sprawled lazily over the equipment, while others sat on the bench press exchanging pointless jokes.

“Man, my muscles aren’t growing at all. I’m starving.”

“Let’s just grab a drink after this.”

“Genius idea.”

Their chatter echoed through the room.

Weights and equipment were scattered carelessly.

Nothing was in its proper place.

Empty bottles rolled around the floor.

Jung Chaemin clenched her jaw.

A vein twitched on the back of her hand.

Anyone serious about training would find this scene unbearable.

‘I don’t recognize these faces… Were they added from the waiting list?’

She had memorized the students who passed the entrance exam.

If they weren’t in her memory, it meant they barely scraped through this year’s hellish exam.

‘I’m not afraid.’

Though it annoyed her, she moved to a corner and started stretching.

If they were fellow freshmen, polite words wouldn’t work.

And from the looks of them, reason wasn’t an option either.

‘I don’t want to start trouble already.’

Then.

A problem walked right into the room.

Shimmering blonde hair.

A doll-like face.

Delicate steps.

She looked like a fairy straight out of a storybook, lost in the human world.

The girl held the leash of a dog much larger than herself.

Wearing sunglasses.

Jung Chaemin’s eyes widened.

“El?”

There was no mistaking it.

There weren’t many people this unique.

The top scorer of this year’s entrance exam.

The girl who aced the infamously brutal test.

Still drowsy, she yawned.

Her cheeks were flushed for some reason.

The contrast was oddly unbalanced yet undeniably adorable.

‘I want to pinch her. Hug her and smother her with affection… No, wait. Those guys are going toward her?’

Unfortunately, Jung Chaemin wasn’t the only one who recognized her.

Three delinquents strutted over with smug grins.

Most people in this world received higher education, lived by social norms, and practiced basic manners.

But Awakened ones lived in their own world, indifferent to social expectations.

Especially those who had the talent to enter the Korean Hunter Academy.

They had likely grown up being called prodigies.

Their blood ran hot.

“Hey, isn’t she the top scorer?”

“I saw her before. She was shooting a gun.”

“The kid who got in through connections, right?”

El simply stared at them.

Her lack of response seemed to irk them even more.

“Hey, even if you’re number one, bringing a dog here is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“This is a place to build muscle, not play house.”

“Is it just your eyes that are messed up, or is your mouth broken too? Can’t say a word? Go play survival games with your little BB gun.”

Their taunts grew bolder.

Their sneers widened as one of them reached out.

Yellowed teeth flashed as his hand moved toward her face.

“Take off those sunglasses. Let’s see your face properly.”

A wave of energy rippled.

The air shifted as a breeze kicked up at their feet.

‘These bastards. What do they think they’re doing to her?’

Jung Chaemin moved to intervene.

But.

She froze.

No—she was forced to stop.

“Gahh!”

A metallic impact rang out, followed by a strangled cry.

The stench of blood filled the air.

Between his lips, a tooth had been knocked loose.

“W-what the hell?!”

“You little—!”

The weighty pistol in the girl’s hand struck the man’s face.