『Map』
『You have entered a Secret Portal — Rank G』
Portal Details
Type: Cave
Difficulty: G
Monsters: Green Goblins
Andress stepped into the portal with full confidence. He didn't bring any equipment besides his weapon bracelet.
'This is just a rank-G portal. I should be fine going in alone,' he thought.
He completely underestimated the place—unaware that secret portals held dangers far beyond their listed difficulty.
As he moved deeper inside, Andress scanned his surroundings, analyzing the area to make sure it was safe from monsters.
'Seems clear for now. I don't see or sense anything around here.'
[Note: Secret Portals]
Secret portals operate under a different time flow than the real world. Two hours inside the portal equals one hour in reality.
For example, if someone spends eight hours inside, only four hours would pass outside.
However, a person's physical aging still follows real-world time. So if a 20-year-old spends four years in a portal, their body will only age two years—not four.
『Map』
Secret Portal Diameter: Approximately 3 kilometers
'That's pretty big. If I take my time, it'll drag on forever. I better get started right away.'
Once he finished analyzing the portal's conditions, Andress set out to hunt the green goblins.
It didn't take long before he heard small footsteps in the distance. A green goblin appeared from behind a large rock, wearing a smug and angry expression. But to Andress, the monster looked more like a tiny clown holding a dull knife.
'Finally, one shows up.'
He raised his hand, and a long sword appeared from his bracelet.
The goblin shrieked and charged at him clumsily.
Andress stepped lightly to the side and swung his sword in a horizontal slash.
Srak!
With a single strike, the goblin fell to the ground, helpless.
'So weak...'
A few seconds later, three more goblins appeared from different directions. They attacked all at once, but still couldn't match Andress's speed. He cut them down one by one without any trouble.
'With monsters this weak, I don't need fancy strategies. I just have to manage my stamina and make sure I don't get swarmed.'
Andress continued his hunt. The goblins' attacks were slow, uncoordinated, and easy to predict. To him, this felt more like a training exercise than an actual battle.
[Green Goblins]
Green goblins are small monsters, usually around one meter tall. They aren't considered a serious threat and are often seen as weaklings by knights.
Because of how weak they are, they're sometimes captured and sold. Training academies or combat organizations usually buy them to use as practice targets for beginners.
For example, at the NFS Academy, first-year students are trained to fight green goblins. Back then, even Leonil and the others started out with these monsters.
'Hahh... Even if they're easy to kill, fighting this many is still exhausting,' Andress thought as he wiped sweat from his hair.
Two hours had passed. Andress had explored a wide area and killed well over two hundred goblins. But when he checked the system screen, he grew irritated.
Secret Portal Completion: 20%
'Only 20%? Are you kidding me? I've slaughtered a ton of them already.'
His whole body was drenched in sweat, his arms and legs ached, and his throat was dry—he hadn't brought any water.
'Damn... I was careless. I should've brought supplies before coming in here. Now I'm seriously thirsty...'
Five hours had gone by.
And yet, the portal's progress only reached 50%, even though Andress had been inside for seven hours and killed more goblins than he could count.
'Water... I need water...'
His steps began to slow. His breathing turned heavy. Every movement felt like a burden. The thirst was starting to cloud his focus.
Andress was completely exhausted.
'I could leave and buy some water... but if I exit before completing the portal, I won't be allowed back in.'
That rule trapped him. He started regretting how much he had underestimated this place. One small mistake—not bringing water—had turned into a real crisis.
Suddenly, from deep within a dark tunnel ahead, he heard a faint sound.
Tap... tap... tap...
'...?!' Andress froze. His eyes widened.
'Is that... water?'
Without a second thought, he ran toward the sound. He didn't care if it was dangerous. If there was water, he'd break through anything to get it.
Spring detected
One hundred green goblins detected in the area
'One hundred goblins? I don't care! I need to drink!'
Andress raised his hand. He combined his "arrow bomb" and "five-arrow shot" skills.
A deadly combo: Five Arrow Bombs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
But the sound of goblin footsteps didn't stop. Around twenty green goblins emerged one by one, surrounding Andress from every direction.
'So the five arrow bombs didn't kill all of them...'
Andress let out a quiet breath, his eyes narrowing.
'Of course it wouldn't be that easy.'
He gripped his sword tighter, his whole body stiff from exhaustion. The thirst in his body sharpened his senses, making him move faster.
One of the goblins screamed and leaped at him.
Andress sidestepped to the right and slashed diagonally.
The next ones followed, but none of them could touch him. With swift, precise strikes, he swung his sword like a cold, efficient machine built for killing.
Three goblins attacked at once. Andress shifted his footing, blocked one of the strikes, spun his body, and cut down the other two in a single motion.
He didn't make a sound. No battle cries, no outbursts. Just a blank expression and sharp, focused eyes that made it clear—he wasn't stopping until every single one was dead.
Some of the goblins began to hesitate, but Andress kept moving forward, unwavering. Every swing of his sword was deliberate, with no wasted motion.
In moments, the battlefield fell silent once again. Twenty goblins had fallen, one after another, without putting up much of a fight.
Andress stood in the middle of the carnage, breathing heavily, but his eyes were still fixed on just one thing—the water.
He slowly lowered his sword and walked toward the spring with slow, dragging steps.
Once he reached it, he knelt down and scooped the water into his hands.
Gulp... gulp... gulp...
'Finally...'
For the first time since entering the portal, his face softened ever so slightly.
Andress leaned back against the cave wall, still gasping for breath. He was far too exhausted to move, and now hunger had started gnawing at his body too.
'I'm getting hungry now... but I didn't bring any food. Damn, I really was careless.'
His eyes drifted toward the goblin corpses around him. At first, he only glanced at them, but then his expression turned serious.
He stayed still for a while, then finally stood and walked over to one of the bodies. He stared at it with reluctance before taking a deep breath.
'I've been in here for seven hours... It would be a waste to leave just because I'm hungry.'
"There's no other choice... I'll have to eat their meat."
He pulled a small knife from his weapon bracelet and began cutting into the goblin's flesh. He took a part that was still intact and sliced it into smaller pieces.
'... I can't even start a fire. Am I really going to eat this raw?'
He froze for a moment, staring at the bloody meat in his hand. The blood was still dripping.
It took him a long time to work up the courage. He had never eaten raw meat—especially not from a monster.
"Ugh... this is seriously disgusting..."
Andress slowly bit into the flesh. As he began to chew, the fishy taste and strange texture churned his stomach. The smell of blood hit his nose instantly.
'This tastes horrible... I'm gonna puke...'
He forced himself to keep chewing, imagining the meat as grilled beef in a desperate attempt to get it down...
But it didn't help much.
Because it was raw, the blood started smearing on his clothes and staining his face and hands. From the outside, he looked like someone who had just committed a brutal slaughter.
If anyone saw him right now, Andress would've looked like a deranged psychopath eating human flesh.
Fifteen minutes later, he finally stopped.
'That's enough. I can't take any more... I feel like I'm going to throw up.'
Andress dropped the leftover meat and collapsed beside the spring. He was too exhausted to continue the slaughter.
Within minutes, he fell asleep.
...
Eight hours later, Andress woke with a jolt.
"Crap!!! I fell asleep!"
He immediately sat up in a panic. But after thinking for a moment, he realized it wasn't such a bad thing—he had been completely worn out after fighting for hours. At the very least, his stamina had recovered.
'Good thing I managed to rest... I can keep going now.'
Without wasting another second, Andress stood, grabbed his sword, and started walking through the cave again, searching for the remaining goblins.
"I've been in here for fifteen hours already. I can't afford to waste any more time."
He spent the next ten hours hunting down the rest of the green goblins. When he finally checked his system screen, the notification he'd been waiting for appeared.
『Secret Portal Completion: 99%』
But there was a new problem: his body was starting to give out again.
『Stamina remaining: Below 10%』
Please eat and rest as soon as possible
Andress sat down in the same spot as before—by the spring. He let out a long sigh and stared at the leftover goblin meat he hadn't touched.
"I can't believe I have to eat this again…"
The disgust was still there, but he knew what he had to do. He repeated the same process as before—slicing raw goblin flesh and eating it slowly while holding back his nausea.
'Now I really regret underestimating this portal.'
Three more hours passed. He rested for a while and managed to recover about 40% of his stamina.
Andress stood up and stretched his arms, loosening his muscles.
"All right, that's enough rest… Time to end this nightmare. I just want to go home."
He walked down the cave corridor, heading toward the final destination—the chamber where the goblin boss awaited.
Screee...
The door opened into a vast chamber. Torches lit up every corner, casting a dim yellow glow across the room.
At the center, a large goblin sat on what looked like a stone throne. His eyes locked directly onto Andress, radiating confidence.
"I've heard about you from my men," he said in human language. "They told me a human entered our territory and wiped out every goblin."
Andress raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "That's right. That human is me. My name is Andress."
『Goblin Boss』
Difficulty: E
'Difficulty E...? I thought it was only F.'
The boss rose from his seat and grabbed a massive axe beside him. He smiled, as if looking forward to a good fight.
Andress studied his opponent. The goblin was half a meter taller than him, with a muscular body covered in old scars. The aura around him was nothing like the others.
'He's not just some random monster. I need to be careful.'
"What are you waiting for?" the boss taunted. "Come at me."
Andress replied calmly, "I hope you won't regret that."
He activated his weapon bracelet and summoned his sword. With confidence in his step, he charged at the goblin boss, leapt into the air, and swung down from above.
KLANG!!
Steel clashed against steel, sending sparks flying. The first strike wasn't enough to bring the boss down, but it was strong enough to impress him.
"You're pretty good, human."
Andress took a breath. 'He's strong… Just as expected. A boss monster is still a boss.'
The real battle began with a loud clash as sword and axe collided again. Andress pushed with all his strength, but the goblin boss was much bigger and physically stronger.
The goblin's counter pushed Andress back, nearly knocking him off balance.
The boss didn't give him time to recover. He attacked again, swinging his axe with brutal force.
Andress dodged to the side just in time, but the pressure was relentless. Wherever he moved, the boss was right behind him, attacking without pause.
'He's too strong… If I keep defending like this, I'll run out of stamina before I can fight back.'
Andress slowed his breathing, backing away little by little while observing his opponent's movements. He looked for a pattern—any opening he could exploit.
But this goblin wasn't like the weaklings before. He was smart, patient, and knew how to keep up the pressure.
The giant axe came sweeping from below. Andress jumped back, but not fast enough—the edge of the weapon sliced across his thigh.
"Shh…" Andress winced.
The goblin boss laughed. "You're starting to slow down, human."
The next strike came fast. Andress raised his sword to block, but the impact numbed his hands. He was thrown backward, rolling across the ground.
His head throbbed. His vision blurred. His body refused to move.
'If this keeps up... I really will die.'
The goblin boss walked toward him with heavy steps, then raised his axe high above his head.
"This is the end for you!"
Andress clenched his teeth. In this state, he had only one chance. He locked eyes with his enemy, forcing his body to move.
'I can't fall here…'
Just as the axe came down, Andress lunged forward.
The boss was caught off guard by the sudden move. His attack missed and hit the ground behind Andress.
And in that instant, Andress saw it—the opening he had been waiting for. The wide swing had left the boss's left side completely exposed.
With all the strength he had left, Andress slashed at the goblin's left arm.
Sraaakk!
"GAAARRRGHH!!"
The arm was severed, blood spraying everywhere. The goblin boss dropped to his knees, his axe falling from his hand as he clutched the bleeding stump.
'Now!'
Andress gripped his sword with both hands and drove a vertical slash straight into the goblin's head.
The blade split his skull. The massive body froze, then slowly collapsed to the blood-stained floor.
Andress staggered, dropping down and gasping for breath. His body trembled—not from fear, but from sheer exhaustion.
"Hahh... hahh…"
He looked at the lifeless body of the monster he had just defeated.
"I… did it…"
Average Knight Stats by Rank:
Rank G: 01–10
Rank F: 10–20
Rank E: 20–30
Rank D: 30–40
Rank C: 40–50
Rank B: 50–60
Rank A: 60–70
Rank S: 70–80
Andress's Stats (after the battle):
Strength: 33
Endurance: 23
Speed: 28
Magic: 18
Reflex: 23
Stamina: 18
Andress stared at the system screen, panting heavily. Though his body was close to collapse, a faint smile formed on his face.
'All of my stats increased... and by quite a bit too. I guess it was worth everything I just went through.'
For several minutes after the fight, Andress lay on the ground, staring at the dim cave ceiling lit by flickering torchlight.
His breathing slowly began to steady, but his body still felt heavy. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, and his right arm ached from that final, desperate swing.
He turned to glance at the goblin boss's body, still motionless. The creature's face was frozen in an expression of shock and rage, twisted together at the moment of death.
'It's over...'
Andress slowly sat up, his back stiff. He looked down at his own hands—bloody, trembling, filthy. Dried goblin blood clung to his clothes and skin, mixed with dust and sweat.
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself recover, even if just briefly.
Then, something caught his eye.
Beside the goblin boss was a large axe. It glowed faintly with a greenish aura. Though crude in appearance, the weapon looked sturdy—definitely not an ordinary axe.
Andress stood and slowly walked over. His steps were still shaky, but his resolve had returned.
He gripped the axe handle with both hands and lifted it.
"This weapon... it's heavy..."
It was far heavier than anything he was used to. But in that weight, he could feel a raw, destructive power hidden beneath its rugged form.
He examined the rough carvings along the blade. Marks of countless battles—scratches, faint cracks, and dried blood—still lingered from previous fights.
『Item Acquired: Goblin King's Axe – Rank B』
He gave a small smile. 'A rank B weapon... Not bad.'
He gave the axe a single spin, testing its balance. Though it didn't suit his fast, precision-based fighting style, it was too valuable to leave behind.
'If I sell it... I might earn a decent amount. Or maybe... I'll keep it for later.'
Just as he was about to store the weapon in his bracelet, a system screen suddenly popped up in front of him.
『Notification』
You have received a private message from the Author
Andress raised an eyebrow. He let out a quiet breath and read the message.
『Hooray!!! Congratulations, Andress! I'm so proud of you for making it this far. I saw everything you went through—even eating raw goblin meat!』
『As a gift from the one who sent you to this world, I'll give you a little present.
I'm sure you'll love it :)』
『Message Ended』
Andress remained silent. His face showed no reaction as he stared at the screen, then slowly exhaled.
"I don't need your congratulations. But if the gift is useful... I won't complain."
The system screen reappeared, now glowing a different color.
『Congratulations! You have acquired a new skill
Skill Name: Inventory』
『This skill allows you to store various items in a personal storage space. Oversized items may not be compatible.』
Andress narrowed his eyes slightly—this time, with genuine interest.
『Usage: Touch the object you wish to store, then say or think the word 'Inventory'.』
He gave a slight nod, then picked up a nearby rock and focused his thoughts.
'Inventory.'
Plup...
The rock disappeared from his hand.
Andress raised an eyebrow. He then repeated the process to bring it back. The rock reappeared in his palm—unchanged in size, weight, or shape.
He smiled, this time more sincerely.
"A skill like this... will be really useful."
His eyes shifted to the goblin boss's large axe. He touched it and once again spoke in his mind:
'Inventory.'
In an instant, the weapon vanished—stored safely inside his personal space.
Andress stood still for a moment, letting his awareness return fully. The cool air in the cave now felt fresher, more welcoming. The torches on the wall still flickered gently, as if celebrating his victory in silence.
"So... this is how it ends."
He looked down at his hand and slowly clenched it. His body was still wrecked, but the feeling of satisfaction was undeniable.
For the first time since entering the portal, he felt like he had truly conquered something difficult—not just monsters, but himself.
...
After storing the axe into his inventory, Andress stood in the middle of the room. The torchlight still flickered quietly on the walls, marking the end of a long and brutal battle.
He took a deep breath.
'There's still one more thing I need to do…'
Andress left the boss chamber and walked back to the part of the cave where he had slaughtered the green goblins. Their small bodies lay everywhere—some already starting to rot, others dried up like stone statues.
He crouched beside one of the corpses and pressed his small knife to its chest. In an instant, he pulled out a small orb from inside the body.
『Monster Core Acquired』
The core glowed faintly, like a glass marble. It wasn't very big, but he knew how valuable it was.
'In the world of Bad End, monster cores are sources of power and money.'
He spun the core between his fingers, examining it closely.
'They can be used to craft weapons, sold to academies, or even used for magic experiments…'
Andress stored the orb in his inventory, then moved to the next body. He repeated the process again and again, harvesting hundreds of cores.
Time passed slowly. The cave was silent, filled only with the sound of his footsteps and the soft, steady sigh each time he bent down.
His hands and clothes were stained with fresh blood, mixed with the old. But Andress no longer flinched. After everything he'd been through, this part felt almost easy.
'I didn't bring a bag… but thanks to this skill, I can carry all the monster cores with no problem. Inventory really saved me.'
...
Five hours passed.
After collecting dozens upon dozens of monster cores from every corner of the cave, Andress finally stopped and sat down on a large rock.
'Finally… it's done…'
His body felt heavy again—not from battle, but from the exhaustion that came after everything was over.
He looked up at the cave's ceiling. There were no stars, only the shadows of stone and the flickering light of dying torches.
'I want to sleep… but I can't stay here any longer.'
Andress stood and walked toward the exit portal. As his foot touched the swirling light, the system screen lit up once more.
You have spent 42 hours inside the secret portal
Time passed in the real world: 21 hours
He paused for a moment, then gave a small nod.
'That means it's around four in the morning…'
The white light of the portal slowly wrapped around him—and in an instant, Andress returned to the real world.
Not long after stepping out of the portal, Andress let out a long sigh.
"Finally… fresh air. Not the blood-soaked, suffocating air from inside that cave."
He stood still for a moment, staring up at the dark sky. The early morning breeze brushed against his skin, bringing a sense of calm that sharply contrasted everything he had just endured.
'I'm never underestimating a secret portal again…'
— — —
Soon after, Andress arrived at the academy gates. It was still early—just past 4 AM. He walked casually, unaware of just how terrifying he looked.
By chance, he ran into Frisa, who was out for an early morning jog near the academy grounds.
"Andress?" Frisa froze in shock when she saw him.
Andress turned to her with a relaxed expression. "Frisa? What are you doing out here this early?"
Frisa stared at him with growing concern. Her eyes scanned every part of his body—his blood-stained mouth, the cuts all over him, his tattered and filthy clothes.
"I should be asking you that. What happened to you? Why are you covered in blood?"
Only then did Andress look down and realize the state he was in. His clothes were soaked in dark, dried blood.
'Right... I forgot how I look right now.'
"Uhh... I-I... I just..."
He went silent. His brain raced to find a believable excuse. But telling her the truth was impossible.
"It's a secret, Frisa. You don't need to know."
Frisa narrowed her eyes. The air between them turned heavy. They stared at each other for nearly a full minute, neither of them saying a word.
Finally, Frisa spoke. "Andress... you didn't do anything illegal, did you? You didn't... kill someone, right?"
It was a fair question. Andress looked suspicious as hell. Covered in blood, expression blank—he looked like someone who had just wiped out an entire village.
Andress didn't answer. He slowly turned his gaze toward her. "I didn't kill any humans. I just..."
"Just what?" Frisa's voice rose. Her hand went to her weapon bracelet, pulling out a PR pistol and aiming it straight at him.
Andress calmly raised both hands. "Relax, Frisa. Put the gun down. I'll tell you the truth—but you need to listen carefully."
Frisa held her breath, reluctantly lowering the weapon. Even so, she kept her distance—at least ten meters between them. Her body remained tense, eyes filled with confusion and fear.
Andress looked at her for a moment, then drew a deep breath. His voice came out slow and steady, each word carrying weight.
"Six months ago... I got involved in something I shouldn't have touched."
His voice was low, but clear. Each sentence cut through the cold morning air like a blade.
"At the time, I got into a fight with a dark organization. It started as a small argument, but I ended up punching one of them. And that... started everything."
Frisa didn't move. She hung on to every word.
"They didn't take it lightly. For revenge… they kidnapped my little sister."
Andress looked down. A pause lingered in the air. His expression turned darker, shadowed by something grim.
"A few days later, I came home. Sitting at my door... was a black bag. Inside it... were pieces of my sister's body."
Frisa covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"They mutilated her... and dumped her like trash."
Andress looked her in the eye, and for a brief second... there was something trembling in his gaze. But his voice remained calm.
"From that day on, I stopped living like a normal person. I've had only one goal: to hunt them down one by one."
Frisa stood frozen, unable to speak. Her body grew cold.
"Every day, I chased leads. I destroyed anything that got in my way. I snuck into places, bribed people, stole information... and last night, I found them."
Andress took a long breath and exhaled slowly.
"Without hesitation, I went there. And I killed them all."
His voice didn't rise. There was no rage. And that made it even more terrifying.
"I didn't kill them quickly. I made sure they understood what it feels like to lose someone they love. I gouged out their eyes, ripped out their tongues, twisted their guts... and let them beg for mercy."
Frisa stepped back. Her face was pale. Cold sweat trickled down her neck.
"And their leader... the one most responsible... I hung him over a meat grinder."
Andress stepped closer to her, calm and quiet.
"I lowered him slowly... bit by bit... until his body was reduced to pulp."
Now they stood just one step apart.
"That's why I look like this. Why I'm covered in blood. It's not from goblins. It wasn't a mission. It was revenge."
Frisa still said nothing.
Andress stared deep into her eyes.
"Now... tell me, Frisa. Are you going to report me to the association?"
His hand gently reached up, touching her chin. He lifted her face slightly so she would meet his gaze.
"Look me in the eyes, Frisa... and answer."
Frisa didn't reply. Her body trembled. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
Andress leaned in, wiping away one of her tears with his thumb.
"Are you scared?" he whispered softly.
He brought his lips closer to her ear, and said in a flat, chilling tone:
"Don't worry... I won't torture you like I did them..."
He paused for a beat—then spoke again, this time colder than ever.
"Unless... you tell anyone about this. So keep your mouth shut."
"Remember…"
"You don't know what kind of person I really am… so don't test me, rich girl."
Andress stepped back, leaving Frisa frozen like a statue.
"Well then, I'll be going."
He turned and waved over his shoulder. "See you tomorrow morning."
Andress walked away calmly, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just threatened someone. As if he wasn't drenched in blood.
Meanwhile, Frisa remained where she stood. Her breath was short. Her entire body trembled.