Min-jun couldn't shake the faint image of the distorted rune he'd seen on the dungeon map. It felt… connected, somehow, to the chaotic, often terrifying dream sequences he sometimes experienced, glimpses of a world far more unsettling than any monster dungeon. These uncontrolled dreams, unlike his lucid training, offered no answers, only vague, disturbing impressions.
He needed more information, but discreetly. Direct inquiries to Madam Ryu would be foolish; she would demand to know how he even noticed such a minute detail. His search led him to the Awakener Association's vast digital archives, specifically to the obscure academic papers on interdimensional theory and ancient runes. He spent hours, then days, poring over complex jargon and esoteric symbols, often feeling like he was drowning in information he barely understood.
His quest for knowledge coincided with a growing internal debate within the Awakener Association itself. The rapid rise of Dream Weaver was becoming too conspicuous to ignore. Official reports highlighted their unprecedented efficiency in clearing dungeons, often exceeding guilds of higher collective rank. The F-rank leader, Kim Min-jun, was the central enigma.
This anomaly particularly fascinated Professor Kim Jin-woo, a renowned Awakener theorist and former B-rank support mage, now retired from active duty to focus on research.
Professor Kim Jin-woo
* Rank: B (Retired)
* Level: 22
* Strength: 10
* Agility: 12
* Stamina: 15
* Mana: 40
* Skill: Mana Analysis (B-Rank) - Can perceive and analyze mana signatures, flows, and deviations in other Awakeners or phenomena. Ideal for research and counter-abilities.
Professor Kim had long theorized about the untapped potential within the Awakener System, often clashing with more conservative S-rank guild leaders who clung to traditional notions of innate talent. Min-jun's case was a living, breathing testament to his theories. He devoured every piece of public data on Dream Weaver, meticulously analyzing their combat videos and mission reports.
Meanwhile, Min-jun's pursuit of knowledge was becoming a drain. He found himself often falling asleep at his desk in the new guild office, bleary-eyed from combining real-world research with intense dream training.
Kim Min-jun
* Rank: F
* Level: 20
* Strength: 32
* Agility: 48
* Stamina: 38
* Mana: 18
* Unique Skill: Lucid Dream Training (F-Rank) - Enhanced capacity for information absorption and processing within dreams. Can now simulate basic academic concepts and theories. Current Focus: Ancient Runes, Mana Signature Analysis, Advanced Tactical Combat.
His team noticed his fatigue.
"Min-jun-ssi, you're going to burn out," So-yeon worried, placing a cup of hot tea next to his perpetually open research tablet. "You barely sleep anymore."
"I'm fine," Min-jun mumbled, rubbing his temples. He was trying to identify a specific rune pattern in an old manuscript he'd found online.
Chul-soo, ever practical, simply placed a protein bar on his desk. "Eat. You're no good to us if you collapse."
The pressure on Min-jun was immense. He was leading a growing guild, navigating dangerous alliances, constantly training himself and his team, and now delving into complex academic research. But the fragments of the rune, the nagging feeling that they held a key to something far greater, kept him pushing.
During one of his dream research sessions, he tried to visualize the rune from the dungeon map, rotating it, dissecting its components. Suddenly, his dream changed. The simple office transformed into a vast, shimmering library, filled with countless tomes. A voice, ancient and echoing, seemed to whisper fragments of knowledge about dimensional instability, about the very fabric of reality. He wasn't just learning; he was connecting with something. He woke up with a pounding headache but a surge of new understanding. The rune was a minor dimensional anchor, a small piece of a larger, more complex design. It wasn't about monsters; it was about the rifts themselves.
This breakthrough intensified his drive. He cross-referenced his new understanding with the online archives. He found a cryptic passage in an ancient text that mentioned "Dream Weavers" – not as a guild, but as individuals from a forgotten era who possessed the ability to traverse different realms of consciousness. The connection was tenuous, but intriguing.
His relentless research didn't go unnoticed. Professor Kim Jin-woo, having exhausted all public information, decided to take a direct approach. He arranged a meeting with Min-jun through the Awakener Association.
The meeting was held in a neutral, quiet tea house. Professor Kim, a scholarly looking man with kind but piercing eyes, sat opposite Min-jun.
"Kim Min-jun-ssi," Professor Kim began, "I have been following your guild's progress with great interest. Your methods are... revolutionary. I've spent years researching optimal Awakener growth, and your results are unprecedented."
Min-jun remained cautious. "Just good training, Professor."
"Indeed," Professor Kim smiled faintly. "But your kind of training. Tell me, Min-jun-ssi, how does an F-rank achieve such precise mana control, such tactical foresight, such… unnatural agility for his stat sheet?"
Min-jun paused. He could see the genuine curiosity, the academic rigor in the Professor's eyes, not the greedy ambition of guild leaders. He also saw an opportunity. Someone who might actually understand.
"Professor," Min-jun finally said, deciding to take a calculated risk, "what if I told you my skill allowed me to live and train for days within a single night?"
Professor Kim's eyes widened, a flicker of profound understanding replacing his analytical gaze. He leaned forward, his voice a hushed whisper. "A lucid dream. But at that fidelity? And the transfer of proficiency to reality… unprecedented. This is truly remarkable, Min-jun-ssi. This changes everything we understand about the System."
Min-jun then revealed the fragments of the dimensional rune he'd been researching, and his theories about its connection to the rifts. He talked about the strange, chaotic dreams he sometimes experienced.
Professor Kim listened intently, his face grave. "A dimensional anchor… an echo of something far older than these recent rifts. This is dangerous, Min-jun-ssi. This could be a direct link to the very source of the Invasions, or perhaps, a way to control them."
The conversation stretched for hours. Min-jun found an unexpected ally in Professor Kim, a brilliant mind who could help him interpret his dream insights and navigate the complex theories of dimensional mechanics. In return, Professor Kim found the ultimate subject for his groundbreaking research – a living anomaly who was reshaping the very concept of Awakened potential. The alliance was forged, not with contracts and threats, but with shared curiosity and a mutual desire to understand the hidden truths of their world. This intellectual partnership would prove to be as crucial to Dream Weaver's ascendance as any battle victory.