IRHHAC 05

chapter 05

Vow (1)

“This place is getting crowded now.”
“Looks like the latecomers have arrived.”

The plaza in front of Thebes’ city gates was packed with people.

Since every boss from the 1st to the 5th floor had already been cleared, the hunters who entered the Tower later were able to reach this place far more easily than expected.

There was a burly man carrying a massive round shield on his back, a woman in robes holding a jewel-encrusted staff, and a nimble-looking young man with twin daggers at his waist.

Hunters equipped with all kinds of weapons and gear streamed through the gates into Thebes one after another.

“Who the hell already killed a dragon?”
“A dragon is at least A-rank—why was it on the 5th floor?”
“Did someone already climb past the 10th floor or something?”
“All the major guilds declared participation. It’s probably one of them.”

People whispered among themselves about the announcement that had echoed throughout the Tower just hours ago.

Everyone was curious about the unidentified individual who had slain a dragon and obtained something called a “Hidden Class.”

It was only natural. The Tower had been open for barely a day, and dragons were legendary beings that only rarely appeared even outside the Tower—in Red Gates or mutated Gates.

“Welcome, hunters!”

A bright voice rang out from inside the gates. A resident of Thebes, dressed in simple white clothing, waved at them.

“My name is Celia, a guide of Thebes. Let me give a brief explanation for those visiting for the first time!”

People gathered around her, their eyes filled with curiosity.

“Here in Thebes, we offer you a special opportunity to grow stronger. It’s called the ‘Class Advancement’ system!”

Celia gestured toward the massive towers in the central plaza.

“In those five temples, you can advance into different classes—Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Guardian, and Priest!”

“Classes? This really feels like a game.”
“What changes when you advance?”

Questions poured in.

“When you advance, you’ll learn powerful skills specialized for your class! And most importantly…”

Celia’s eyes sparkled.

“You can continue to grow through leveling up. It’s completely different from the fixed rank system you’re used to!”

“Yeah, we already know that.”
“It showed up when we entered the Tower.”
“The level system, right? That’s why we’re here.”

The hunters reacted indifferently. They already knew about the leveling system from the announcement upon entering the Tower.

“Most class advancement tests aren’t too difficult. But the Warrior test is different—it’s extremely dangerous! However, it’s currently unavailable because someone already killed the dragon that was part of the test.”

The hunters reacted in various ways.

Those who had planned to become Warriors based on their natural strengths looked disappointed, while others seemed excited by new possibilities.

“First time here?”

A gentle voice came from within the crowd.

“You’re new, right? We arrived here earlier. Since this is a place you’ll be staying for a while, we can guide you.”

A group wearing black hoods approached the hunters.

Their faces were hidden, but their tone was polite.

A few hunters showed interest—especially those who had come alone without a guild or party.

“We’d appreciate the help.”
“Please follow us. There are hidden areas in Thebes… even hidden leveling methods.”

The hooded figures led them away from the plaza into a narrow alley.

A shadowy path between buildings. Deeper and deeper, where fewer people passed.

“What’s even here—”

The moment one hunter turned around in confusion—

Slash!

“…!”

A red line appeared across his neck, and blood burst out like a fountain.

Before the others could even process what was happening, daggers flashed from all directions.

“Aaaagh!”
“Help—!”

Stab! Stab!

They fell one by one, unable even to scream properly.

Daggers pierced between ribs, stabbing into hearts, the sickening sound echoing through the alley.

Blood seeped into the cracks of the stone floor, filling the entire space with a metallic stench.

The hooded figures began searching the corpses.

“What’s this? A C-rank with pretty decent gear?”
“And quite a few coins too.”

As they collected armor, weapons, and blood-soaked coins, a translucent window appeared before their eyes.

Ding!

[Experience gained]
[Level up!]

They smiled in satisfaction and left the alley in search of their next prey.

“Impossible.”

Valderion muttered in shock.

Kim Jun showed him what appeared before his eyes.

[Class Advancement Complete!]
[Hidden Class ‘Dragon Slayer’ acquired]

“This… this is impossible… This hasn’t happened since Kaiser…”

Valderion’s voice trembled. For hundreds of years, no one had accomplished this.

The last person to slay a Red Dragon alone was Kaiser, the founder of Thebes.

“You really… you really did it.”
“Yes. And there’s more.”

Kim Jun spoke calmly as he pulled something out of his subspace pouch.

A massive heart.

A dragon heart, glowing like a red ruby, still beating.

Thump! Thump!

“Th-that is…!”

Valderion froze. A dragon heart—complete, and still alive.

“A dragon heart…!”

A legendary treasure that, over a thousand years since the Tower’s creation, had been obtained by only one hero.

An absolute requirement for the ultimate awakening of a Dragon Slayer.

And more than anything, the only medium capable of allowing a human body to wield the ancient “Dragon Language”—a power once exclusive to dragons.

A miraculous key that allowed mortals to handle a force even absolute beings revered.

“Valderion.”

Kim Jun’s voice echoed through the high ceiling of the temple, filled with unwavering certainty.

“I will set you free.”

“…!!”

A black-haired outsider.

They had known each other for barely an hour.

And yet—how did he know? The desperate wish that the people of the Tower had carried for centuries.

Freedom. Salvation. Release from endless trials.

And now this young man stood before him, declaring he would achieve it.

As if it were fate. As if it were a promise.

Valderion didn’t know how much he truly understood, but strangely… he felt at ease.

The despair that had weighed on him for centuries began to lift.

Kim Jun put the dragon heart back into his pouch and turned away, walking toward the massive temple doors.

‘He didn’t even have to come here…’

Valderion watched his back for a long time.

Broad shoulders. Steady steps. And above all, an aura unlike anything else.

‘If it’s truly him…’

His heart began to race. The dream he had abandoned long ago—

The liberation of Thebes. The conquest of the Tower. The salvation of all.

‘He might actually do it.’

There was a time when Valderion too burned with passion.

When he dreamed of freeing the Tower.

When he armed the people of Thebes and swore to raise its banner at the very top.

But as time passed, he let go—one thing after another.

Honor. Freedom. Dreams.

All dismissed as impossible.

And yet, that outsider spoke of achieving it so casually.

As if it were only natural.

Creak—

The old warrior rose from his long-held seat.

‘I can’t leave everything to that young man.’

He had to prepare. Lay the groundwork for the path ahead.

Thump—

Blood began flowing again through his aging body.

The warrior’s spirit, long dormant, awakened once more.

“Draconis.”
“Yes.”
“The time has come.”

Implanting a dragon heart into a human body was a gamble with one’s life.

A violent storm of mana would tear through the body, twisting internal organs, and the foreign dragon mana could cause the body to explode if it failed to adapt.

But Kim Jun had already endured that hell once before.

With nothing but sheer willpower.

“I have to go through it again.”

He let out a bitter smile. But this time, he planned to do it differently.

His current level was 30.

In his previous life, he was only level 8 when he reached the 6th floor.

He was already progressing three times faster.

And with the dragon heart implanted?

He could climb straight to the 50th floor—Kaldiion Fortress—without slowing down.

There was just one problem.

At his current level, he couldn’t withstand the dragon heart’s overwhelming backlash alone.

To counter its deadly side effects, he absolutely needed the help of S-rank healer Lee Seoyeon.

Step. Step.

Kim Jun walked through the streets of Thebes, releasing waves of mana.

Subtle vibrations spread outward in concentric circles, covering the entire city.

It was a detection method—to locate his companions.

“…Hm?”

Then, within the wave—

A blatant presence of malice.

“Someone’s been killed.”

There was no way monsters from higher floors had already invaded the 5th floor.

That hadn’t happened at this point in his previous life.

“Then… ah.”

Kim Jun smacked his forehead.

How could he forget?

How could he almost overlook them?

The ones he should have dealt with first.

“Darkness.”

The assassin guild, ‘Darkness.’

A group of agile and ruthless killers.

Even before the Tower appeared, they had been murdering fellow hunters inside Gates, stealing magic stones and equipment.

Scum who felt nothing about betraying and killing their own kind.

After the Tower introduced the class system, they all became assassins—perfectly suited to their nature.

They hunted innocent hunters, even killing residents, looting everything in their path.

“Those bastards killed Suin.”

Kim Jun’s fist clenched.

It was them—the ones who killed Han Suin, his S-rank assassin companion, on the 32nd floor.

Who would have imagined it?

That in a place meant to unite humanity, humans would stab each other in the back.

“Not this time.”

Kim Jun slowly gripped the handle of his greatsword.

Flash—

Faster than anyone else, he moved toward the source of that malicious presence.