A thunderous roar, the smell of burning oil, and the acrid scent of brake pads grinding rubber.
In the midst of that chaos, Soohyeok brought his ATV to a stop, exhaling a short, sharp breath and muttering to himself in a low voice.
"Phew. Cleared it safely again."
He released the bloodshot grip he had on the ATV's hard handlebars and looked around.
Surrounding the portal that had appeared after the alarm, soldiers and awakened beings tasked with guarding it stared at Soohyeok in astonishment.
Meanwhile, the green-glowing portal slowly shrank and then vanished completely.
The world had disappeared.
"As expected of No-Name…"
As the results became clear, someone's voice rang out loudly.
A mix of admiration and suspicion poured onto Soohyeok.
Now more widely known as "No-Name," Soohyeok blushed beneath his mask and spoke up.
"Excuse me, could you let me through?"
His voice was low.
But this time, it was clear enough for everyone to hear.
Just in case, the soldiers who had completely blocked the path stepped aside to make way.
Soohyeok quickly started his ATV—now the trademark of No-Name—alongside his iron robot, and sped away from the scene.
***
The ATV that Soohyeok had purchased recently wasn't just any ordinary four-wheeler.
For starters, it wasn't a mass-produced Earth product.
It was made by dwarves—mechanical fanatics—who took craftsmanship to another level.
As such, it was incredibly durable, and it could run with a speed and power hard to believe for an ATV.
Most importantly, it had a magical storage expansion engraved into the frame, allowing it to carry a massive amount of cargo.
Naturally, it was obscenely expensive.
About 800 million won.
Enough to buy a small building in the countryside, or a decent-sized branded apartment in the northern part of Seoul.
For Soohyeok, it was the biggest expenditure he'd made since returning to Earth—but it was a necessary one.
It would've been fine if monsters were only small, but medium and large ones were common too.
And their corpses were also worth money.
If he wanted to extract more than just magic stones, he had to haul the bodies as well. But Soohyeok, not being affiliated with any guild and working alone without a porter, had found that nearly impossible.
At first, he'd intended to buy a small backpack with expansion magic, but the price was outrageously beyond his means.
Apparently, applying such enchantment to a compact object like a bag was on another level of magical difficulty compared to etching it onto a larger structure like an ATV.
So in the end, he had no choice but to buy the ATV.
Well—he shut his eyes and just went for it.
Most of the billion won he had saved up over a month was gone, but it was worth every penny.
Before, it had been nearly impossible for him to haul anything but magic stones from a portal of grade 3 or higher.
Now, he could even sell the monster corpses thanks to the ATV.
Just thinking about how regretful it would've been if he hadn't managed to bring back the Mantis's front leg that day was enough to make him shiver.
'Still… I really need to get to grade 9 soon so I can tell my parents.'
His level was increasing, and his martial arts skills were recovering quickly, but he hadn't gotten a big break yet.
To earn a prestigious golden badge—proof of a high rank—he needed not just skill but also achievements to match.
Beyond the early ranks, an awakened being's grade wasn't determined solely by mana measurement or a few tests.
It was thanks to that system that Soohyeok had been able to reach grade 8 in a single day.
But now, that very system was holding him back.
'I wish a slightly higher-grade portal would open.'
Lately, most of the portals appearing in South Korea had been grade 4 or 5 at best.
Of course, even those were challenging enough that most hunters needed to form parties to clear them.
But Soohyeok was different.
Now that he was past level 30, he could clear grade 5 portals much more easily than before.
'At least a grade 6 or 7 portal would be nice…'
Mulling over various thoughts, Soohyeok drove his ATV toward the Awakener Association building in Yeouido.
As soon as he parked, he made a call—to Vice Chairman Oh Shinwoo.
[Oh, No-Name! I heard you already took care of something today?]
Oh Shinwoo, as always, answered in an excited tone.
Soohyeok didn't dislike his voice. After all, he'd received a lot of support and convenience through him.
"Yes. I handled it well. I'm in front of the building now. Brought back the front leg of the Mantis, too. Got a magic stone as well."
[Good! I'll send the processing team right away.
But… there's a bit of a problem. All the other portals have already been claimed by guilds…]
"Ah… Not even a low-grade one?"
A bitter sigh escaped Soohyeok's lips.
Guilds, being organizations, moved faster than a solo like him.
Even so, there used to be enough portals generated monthly to keep him busy—but apparently, even those were gone now.
[Yeah. Except for the ones being intentionally preserved, there's nothing. Maybe take a break for a while? You've been working hard, after all.]
"Hmm… I'll think about it."
[Or swing by for a cup of coffee?]
"Next time."
Soohyeok declined with a laugh.
He appreciated Oh Shinwoo, but didn't feel particularly close to him.
Maybe it was because their relationship clearly felt like mutual benefit—nothing more.
[Alright. Can't be helped. Contact me again anytime.]
Fortunately, Oh Shinwoo didn't seem to mind this arrangement either.
It made sense, given how much fame and benefit the Awakener Association had gained recently by promoting Soohyeok as "No-Name."
"Yes."
After ending the call, Soohyeok looked around. Once he confirmed the coast was clear, he removed his iron robot mask and hung it on the ATV.
The moment he began walking at a relaxed pace, the hot sunlight pierced his eyes.
"Must be around lunchtime."
Now that he thought about it, he was starting to feel a little hungry.
"Guess I should grab a bite."
The ATV would be handled by Oh Shinwoo's people—they would sell the materials and notify him afterward.
So he stopped worrying and headed toward a nearby restaurant near the association building.
On the way, he checked his phone—and saw it was flooded with unread messages again.
Messages from guilds and corporations were all immediately deleted.
He simply had no interest in them.
Now that he thought about it, only personal messages from Sooa and Baek I-yeon remained.
[Sooa: Report back after lunch! If you're injured, return immediately! That is all!]
Soohyeok smiled at Sooah's message and replied:
[Healthy, no injuries. Too early to return. That is all!]
The notification that she'd read the message didn't disappear.
She must have been busy with work as well.
After watching his phone for a moment, Soohyeok opened the message from Baek I-yeon.
[Baek I-yeon: Mister, I got contacted by Baekdu Guild. The offer's really good. What should I do? I was going to wait and compare a few more, but maybe I should just go for it? I must be going crazy. If I get the job, I'm treating you to a celebration.
You'll come, right?]
Grinning again at the message that perfectly captured Baek I-yeon's bubbly personality, Soohyeok responded:
[Baekdu is a solid choice. Congrats. Let me know once it's official. I'll try to join for the celebration.]
He and Baek I-yeon had kept in touch since her trainee days, and chatting with her often made checking his phone fun. At this point, Soohyeok saw no reason to keep his distance, so he replied casually—and the read receipt disappeared immediately.
Her response came almost instantly.
[Baek I-yeon: Really? You'll really come?
You're the best! Should we do it tomorrow? Let's invite Changhyuk oppa too! Can't reach Instructor Sharah, though. You're seriously coming, right?]
[Not tomorrow. What's the rush? You can wait until you actually get the job.]
[Baek I-yeon: I just have to say yes now! The only reason I'm hesitating is because you always talk me into thinking twice!]
[I'll come, so get the job, set a date, and let me know—preferably at least a week in advance. That's it.]
[Baek I-yeon: Mister~!]
Closing the message window on Baek I-yeon's flustered reply, Soohyeok put away his phone and stepped into the building.
"Just in case, I'll hang around a bit after lunch."
Though Oh Shinwoo had told him to take it easy for a while, there was always a chance a new portal might open—so Soohyeok planned to wait a little longer.
"Make some money, handle smaller jobs…"
Big accomplishments were the fastest way to level up, but smaller efforts added up too.
It took more time, sure, but it was wise to be prepared for every possibility.
The restaurant wasn't crowded, probably because it was a little early for lunch.
"Good timing."
Soohyeok, who disliked busy places, felt quietly pleased and paid the 6,000 won for his meal upfront.
It was a typical budget buffet restaurant found in business districts—one he often visited whenever he came by the association.
The food was good, the menu rotated daily so it rarely got boring, and the spacious interior meant he never had to fight for a seat.
Shortly after Soohyeok sat down and began eating, customers started trickling in.
Still early, but lunchtime was approaching—so it made sense.
Among them, two young men with Awakener Association employee badges sat near him.
"I heard No-Name came and went just a moment ago."
Hearing that, Soohyeok's spoon paused mid-air.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Left his ATV and iron robot mask and vanished. Sounds like the vice chairman's team is handling the sale of the materials—guess that rumor was true."
"Wow, how long has it even been since he awakened? Dude's already getting VIP treatment."
The conversation was nothing new—just the kind of talk Soohyeok had gotten used to hearing.
He resumed eating at a leisurely pace.
"Well, VIP treatment or not, he's worth it. Honestly, someone like No-Name? We should do more to keep him. Imagine if he defected to another country. The Association would be torn apart."
"True. Not just backlash either. People are saying he's got even more potential than Baek Mu-hak."
"Honestly, I'm excited too. If our country produces two Universal 8s, even the Chinese and Japanese would freak out."
"If you include No-Name, that's Universal 9."
"Right, right. Just imagining it feels good. Every time those arrogant Japanese agents brag about having more high-rank Awakeners, I just want to slap 'em."
"It's not just Japan. China's worse.
People in power are always the pettiest."
Maybe it was the mystery surrounding his hidden identity—
But expectations for No-Name were only growing.
And that anticipation was slowly turning into a kind of affection.
Online, claiming to be an anti-fan of No-Name was practically a social death sentence.
Though he hadn't joined, Soohyeok had heard from Sooah that No-Name's fan café was approaching one million members.
More popular than most idol groups.
"Oh yeah, did you hear the stuff about the Tranon dimension?"
"Tranon? That's a border zone, right?"
The conversation eventually shifted away from No-Name to another topic.