TPDGR 01

Chapter 1….

Prologue. The Master of the Demon King’s Dungeon

“Demon King, I’ll kill you and close this dungeon!”

A spark of duty as a hunter blazed within his mind.

The Demon King let out a mocking laugh.

“Your resolve is admirable, but not once has anyone ever made me kneel. Hunter Han Hyunjin.”

“I see.”

Clang! Clang!

“…Aren’t you afraid? Don’t you feel like bowing down? Or maybe so scared you just want to run away? Look at me—I’m this strong!”

“Not at all.”

Even with threats thrown at him, Hyunjin’s expression remained as calm as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“No one has ever defeated me!”

Claaang—!

With a sharp ringing sound, Hyunjin muttered seriously.

“That’s obvious. If anyone had ever subdued you, this dungeon would have long since closed and disappeared.”

“!”

The Demon King faltered, stepping back.

“This bastard… he’s actually clever. As expected of a protagonist…”

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing.”

Hmph, so what. The Demon King smoothly retreated a step.

“If you don’t want this place to become your grave, just say the word. If you cry and beg to escape, and promise never to step foot in this dungeon again, I’ll let you leave right now.”

“No need.”

“Your poor parents must be anxiously waiting outside, praying for their son’s safe return, aren’t they? You don’t want to become an unfilial child who dies in a place like this, do you?”

Yes, appeal to his filial piety—how about this strategy!

Surely he’ll want to go back home to his parents, right?!

“They both passed away a long time ago.”

“!”

The Demon King froze. Hyunjin’s relentless assault also halted.

As Hyunjin looked on curiously, the Demon King clutched his mask in despair.

“…That’s right. Protagonists in these kinds of novels are almost always orphans or have lost their parents early…”

“What did you just mutter?”

“N-nothing.”

The Demon King’s shoulders trembled slightly as he raised his voice again.

“…I swear I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Flustered as he sounded, his voice was too faint for Hyunjin to hear.

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes at the Demon King, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

A gap.

Sensing the opening, Hyunjin kicked off the ground lightly. Despite the heavy weight of his armor, he reached the Demon King in an instant.

“…You!”

Startled, the Demon King stumbled back in haste.

Unfortunately, Hyunjin’s blade missed the Demon King’s heart.

Instead, it tore across the bone mask.

Thunk.

Half of the mask split and slid down to the floor.

And then—

“!”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened as he saw the Demon King’s bare face beneath.

What was revealed was… nothing like what he expected.

The Demon King’s complexion was pale, almost dazzlingly white.

Gentle eyes framed by fluttering black lashes.

Glittering black pupils like polished obsidian.

Her hair was cut short, but the features—without doubt—were feminine.

Most of all…

A human?

“You, you…!”

The maskless Demon King trembled all over.

Damn it!

A blatant mistake. To forget his attack with the enemy’s throat right before him.

“To see the unmasked face of a Demon King you haven’t even killed! How rude is that?!”

“That’s the problem here…?”

BOOM!

Caught off guard, Hyunjin was blasted straight through the Demon King’s fortress.

Crashing through wall after wall, he was hurled into the air and thrown right back through the gate he had entered.

“Hunter Han Hyunjin has been inside the unrankable ‘Demon King’s Dungeon’ gate for 20 days, despite the Association’s warnings. There has been no news yet, but as Korea’s only S-rank awakened, we can still expect good—”

CRAAAASH—!

“Kyaaah!”

“W-what the hell?!”

The crowd gathered around the police barricade near the gate screamed.

Hyunjin, who had just slammed into a broadcasting van, groaned as he lay there, thinking.

I thought all dungeon bosses were evil beings to be destroyed…

The face beneath the broken bone mask flashed before his eyes.

Covered in gray brick dust, black curls tousled, she had stared blankly at the hovering gate.

Human? Monster? What on earth is her story…?