The Core Talisman was an artifact that could teleport someone to any location from their memory. Do-Jun’s exploration of the sixth floor, which he had been carrying out in his spare time, was nearing its end. On Friday, with no special plans after work, Do-Jun decided to explore the remaining parts of the sixth floor and wrap things up. Suddenly, Yong-Yong’s loud exclamation echoed in the living room. “A-am I really this good?” Do-Jun, who had changed into simple attire, tilted his head slightly toward the sound. Yong-Yong was diligently practicing Korean writing with a textbook titled “Children’s Hangul I.” Crouched in a corner, clutching a stubby pencil in his paw, Yong-Yong was visibly trembling. The book had twelve chapters, each including a page for a self-administered quiz. The quiz page was now filled with red check marks, and the impressive number “100” stood out. Although the content was kindergarten-level—dictation exercises and short reading comprehension tests—it marked a significant step forward for Yong-Yong. “Ke... kekeke.” Yong-Yong chuckled roguishly, brushing his face with his paw. “As expected of my learning ability... It’s terrifying, truly terrifying.” For reference, Byeol had already moved on to “Children’s Hangul II.” A rumor spread among the adventurers on the sixth floor of the Core: interfering with the Five Arrogances’ Altar was acceptable, but the Dragon’s Altar was strictly off-limits. If the dragon were to awaken, the sixth floor would be turned into a wasteland, and every adventurer there would meet their demise. On the sixth floor of the Core, the strongest adventurer was Wigrdn, the Monarch of the Exit Blood Alliance. Recently, Wigrdn had been plagued by frustration. Dammit, where did this guy even come from? Peering through a telescope, he observed a black-haired rookie fiddling with strange devices and wandering about as if he owned the place. Completely insane. Based on his research, the black-haired newbie’s name was Lee Do-Jun. He was a figure who had once stirred the Core’s forum into chaos. According to rumors, he came from the last remaining planet, Earth, where he ruled as a king. Some claimed that with a wave of his hand, the ground split open and the sky collapsed. It was also said that he had faced off against catastrophes—beings so dangerous that even Transcendent entities avoided them. The stories seem exaggerated, but... The problem was that, as the saying goes, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” This meant that this “Lee Do-Jun” was undeniably different from ordinary adventurers and possessed extraordinary power. As Wigrdn continued observing Do-Jun through the telescope, his face grew pale. Do-Jun was heading toward the Dragon’s Altar—a place forbidden among sixth-floor adventurers. He shouldn’t go there! Wigrdn discarded the telescope and bolted toward the altar. Do-Jun now stood before the massive altar. He had already examined the Five Arrogances’ Altar, which was located at the center of the floor. Having gathered information through the interpreter and uncovered hidden pieces, there was no reason to linger. He descended further and eventually reached the Dragon’s Altar at the very bottom of the sixth floor. Do-Jun observed the flickering dimensional Fissure beyond the altar, which looked quite similar to the entrance to the nests of Yong-Yong and other dragons, only slightly different. The energy emanating from the Fissure was stronger than that of any dragon Do-Jun had encountered, except Yong-Yong. I guess there’s no reason to wake it up, he thought. According to Anne, dragons had entered an eternal slumber following the Great War. It was a period of rest, so deep that they wouldn’t notice even if someone carried them away from their nests. There was no benefit in waking a dragon from its slumber. “Waaaaait!” someone shouted from a distance. Do-Jun’s gaze shifted to the man who appeared before him. The man was someone Do-Jun recognized well. How could he not? It was Wigrdn, the Monarch of the Exit Blood Alliance, who ruled over the sixth floor of the Core. In fact, Do-Jun had known all along that Wigrdn had been watching him. Since it posed no particular problem, Do-Jun had simply ignored him. “What do you think you’re doing? This altar... might be sealing a dragon! It’s a very, very dangerous altar! While I could overlook you poking around the Five Arrogances’ Altar, I can’t stand by and watch you open what’s basically a Pandora’s box!” Wigrdn shouted. “Pandora’s... Oh, I see.” Do-Jun chuckled. It seemed Wigrdn misunderstood his intentions regarding the Dragon’s Altar. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to do anything to this altar,” Do-Jun reassured Wigrdn. “Then why are you loitering around here?” “I felt a pretty big presence beyond the Fissure and was curious.” “Y-you felt a presence?” Certainly, the altar contained a massive dimensional Fissure. But sensing the presence beyond the fissure was absurd. For example, the Five Arrogances’ Altar was the same. Outside the altar, one couldn’t sense anything. It was only when the seal was broken and the altar’s wraith appeared that one could gauge its presence. “What are you even saying? Sigh, listen to me, you noob...” Then, Do-Jun realized the presence beyond the Fissure was stirring. Moments later, the Fissure rippled violently. Black flames erupted explosively from the Fissure. Clicking his tongue, Do-Jun activated Barrier. The black flames failed to penetrate the barrier and dissipated. Eventually, a figure emerged from the Fissure, the number “2” clearly engraved on his neck. Do-Jun immediately recognized him as a dragon. “To think a mere human blocked my attack.” It was Ryzagal, ranked second among the dragons. Ryzagal had been in a deep slumber for the past several millennia. However, for some unknown reason, he suddenly awakened. When he stepped outside his nest, he saw two humans. Their presence irritated him, so he unleashed flames to destroy them, but his magic was easily blocked. One of them, the one in heavy armor, trembling before him, wasn’t worth any of his attention. However, the other human, dressed in casual clothes without even a leather vest, felt strangely dangerous. Do-Jun withdrew his qi and deactivated Barrier. Then he approached the dazed Wigrdn and lightly struck his neck with the edge of his hand. Wigrdn let out a short groan and collapsed unconscious, and Do-Jun casually sent him flying far away. He probably wouldn’t die from this. Then, Do-Jun sighed as he looked at Ryzagal, who was glaring at him. The second-ranked dragon radiated hostility. Do-Jun had intended to leave him alone. Really. He had only stopped by in passing and had no intention of waking him up. He clicked his tongue, feeling no fear over Ryzagal’s awakening, only mild annoyance. “You’re among the stronger humans, aren’t you?” Ryzagal said. “I guess so,” Do-Jun replied. “In the end, you’re still a lowly human.” “What’s your name?” Do-Jun asked the dragon. “What does it matter if someone as insignificant as you knows my name when you’re about to die?” Do-Jun could tell that the dragon before him was brimming with confidence. Well, with a rank like number two, it made sense. Perhaps this creature had never experienced defeat in his life. He might even have more pride than Yong-Yong. Do-Jun made his move. A single sword qi infused with sharp intent flashed like lightning, hurtling toward the dimensional Fissure flickering behind Ryzagal, deep within the altar. Unable to withstand Do-Jun’s power, the Fissure shattered like glass with a thunderous roar. Startled by the noise, Ryzagal turned around. Do-Jun’s eyes grew cold. Looking visibly flustered, Ryzagal faced Do-Jun, who demanded again, “Name.” Ryzagal froze. This power was beyond what a mere human could possess. How could he destroy a dimensional Fissure with just a single attack? And it wasn’t just any Fissure—it was a dragon’s nest! “I asked for your name first.” A sword qi flared up from Do-Jun’s hand. Seeing this, Ryzagal felt an emotion he had never experienced toward anyone except Izaas: fear. “Ryzagal, huh. So, are you close with Yong—no, Izaas?” “H-how do you know that name?!” There was only one being in the world whom Ryzagal respected and served—the Dragon Lord, Izaas. Even Ryzagal dared not utter his name lightly. But here was this human, casually mentioning Izaas. What on earth was going on? “H-he is the one I serve.” Satisfied with the answer, Do-Jun nodded. Do-Jun returned home after finishing his exploration of the sixth floor of the Core. It hadn’t taken as long as he expected, and he made it back before 11 PM. Yong-Yong was humming a tune when Do-Jun placed the SpacePad on his desk and called him over for a talk. Yong-Yong arrived alone on the sixth floor of the Core. “There are homeless people here, too, huh?” Clicking his tongue, Yong-Yong looked at Wigrdn, who was embedded in a rock. Then he hopped down walls toward the lower level, where he felt a familiar presence. Do-Jun had mentioned that his friend would be at the bottom. It looked like Ryzagal had woken up from his eternal rest. But he was lying face down on the ground, hands clasped behind his back, in a position Yong-Yong was extremely familiar with. The reason for Ryzagal to be in such a state was apparent. “You dared mess with Master, didn’t you?” Yong-Yong clicked his tongue and approached the prone dragon. Seeing Yong-Yong, Ryzagal was startled and shot up to his feet. “L-Lord Izaas!” Reuniting after thousands of years. Although Yong-Yong looked no different than a puppy, Ryzagal could instantly recognize Izaas through the energy emanating from him. “Ryzagal, the Second Dragon, greets the Lord!” Ryzagal stood at attention. “Master”? Ryzagal pondered. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the “Master” Yong-Yong referred to was the human he had just encountered. What in the world is going on? The great Dragon Lord was calling a human “Master”? Even though Do-Jun was strong for a human, could he have possibly subdued the Lord he served? Ryzagal’s mind swirled with confusion. “Lord Izaas, what is that in your hand?” Yong-Yong was holding a book with strange characters on the cover under his arm. “Oh, this?” Yong-Yong smiled as if he had been waiting for the question. “You see, I’m living with Master in Korea right now, and over there, they use a script called Hangul. This is a book for learning Hangul.” “Look here. At the end of each lesson, there’s a quiz. And see this? A perfect score. Oh, a perfect score means I got everything right.” “Ah, I see. As expected of you, Lord Izaas.” “Haha, this is nothing. Well, I do think I’m quite exceptional at learning. Oh, and...” Excitedly, Yong-Yong continued his bragging.