5.

Life, unfortunately, is not always like a movie.

There is no such thing as a life where something happens in every scene, only spectacular events unfold, and new relationships overflow endlessly.

If anything, in the current reality—after the dungeons appeared in the world—players had been living lives that felt like movies day after day, but even that dulled over time and became routine.

It was the same for Kim Buja.

Many people watched his channel, envying and admiring his always-glamorous life, but behind that, there was a dull, repetitive daily grind they never saw.

“Whew. I guess in this life, I’m never going to get to just kick back and live easy. I keep going out of my way to suffer when I could be taking it easy.”

“If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have made it this far, would you?”

Of course, for most people, the labor he was putting in inside a 9-star dungeon could never be called dull or repetitive.

And he wasn’t alone.

While he swung his sword, his lifelong partner, Jeong Seora, sat off to the side on a mat, keeping him company. Next to her was Hwangdo, who had returned to the form of a small dragon through Polymorph.

The reason they had come together was simple.

“Seora, you should level up quickly so we can clear the 10-star dungeon together later.”

It was because of what he had said after coming back from the Empire’s reconstruction ceremony.

Naturally, Seora had refused at first.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of going to the final dungeon.

No player in their right mind would dislike the idea of having their name recorded in the very last Chapter of history.

It was just that familiar sense of pressure everyone felt.

’Power-leveling. Getting carried.’

’Could I really do anything if I grew that way?’

Granted, it was hard to imagine someone like Kim Buja ever needing help from anyone, but even so, would she be able to protect herself if she grew like that?

Reading her worries, Kim Buja cleared them up in the simplest way possible.

“You can level up, get your gear set, and then get used to things in the 9-star dungeon, right?”

If the person offering said he was fine with it and wanted to do it, then it wouldn’t be polite for the one receiving the favor to keep refusing.

Besides, this wasn’t some stranger. They were married now.

In theory, they had promised to live and die together, but given the gap in their levels, it was practically guaranteed they would never enter a dungeon together in their entire lives.

So Seora accepted.

She had steeled herself when she came in, but unfortunately, she never got a chance to step forward.

It was a massacre, plain and simple.

Even though he had said he was investing all his Gold into the future, his power actually felt even stronger than before. The 9-star dungeon carry run went by so easily it was almost anticlimactic.

After that, the tension faded, and the repetitive routine continued.

The kind of everyday life you rarely see in movies.

A challenge that some people would never reach in their entire lives was, for others, just another day, and another, and another.

Seora’s level shot up at a visible pace.

It was inevitable.

She never laid a hand on the monsters, but as a support-type class, she had countless ways to contribute to the fights and raise her participation score without directly engaging in combat.

And as time passed like that, Kim Buja’s goals were also gradually being achieved.

Time flew by.

* * *

When Kim Buja first cleared the 9-star Legendary dungeon, many people thought the same thing.

’He’ll probably clear the 10-star dungeon soon.’

’This event will be conquered before long.’

Only a small number of people predicted that the final dungeon was a Pandora’s box that players would be reluctant to open and that he would delay clearing it as much as possible, but that opinion didn’t gain much traction.

Was everything disappearing like a dream overnight?

And after that, what?

Twist endings like something out of a novel were not easy to predict, and in fact, he had addressed that part himself quite clearly.

“A lot of people are asking why I’m not clearing the final dungeon, so I came on to answer that. There’s no special reason. Some of you suspect I might be afraid that if I clear the final dungeon, all the dungeons on Earth will disappear and players’ powers will vanish in an instant. I actually don’t think that would be so bad. Even if my powers disappear, the money I’ve piled up in my bank account isn’t going anywhere.”

In a world where you couldn’t be sure of anything, he made sure to take out solid insurance.

He was already prepared.

However...

“More than that, I’m preparing for the possibility that after I clear the final dungeon, things don’t go back to the way they were.”

Kim Buja had done a lot of thinking.

In the past, all he had to worry about was how to grow and climb higher, but now he had grown enough that he could afford to think about what came after—the variables in the next stage.

“What if the final dungeon is actually the last line before a new beginning? Do you remember the first update, the dungeon break? When they announced that everything up to that point had just been a tutorial, and the real disasters started pouring onto Earth. What if that wasn’t even the main game? What if, from the perspective of whoever is running this game, the dungeon break was just a light warm-up after the tutorial?”

After that, and after that again.

Even if you reached the top, you started looking for an even higher place.

He wanted to open up such an overwhelming gap that the latecomers wouldn’t even dare to dream of catching up.

The world was big, and there were a lot of players.

Even right now, somewhere out there, there might be a player who had picked up some broken, Legendary-class build and was rocketing upward at a terrifying pace.

“I’m only preparing for what comes after. The challenge itself? I could take it on right now if I wanted. If I were willing to risk my life, I’m confident I could clear it. The problem is, I’m still not ready for the aftermath. Until now, my growth has been geared toward smashing through the wall directly in front of me. What I’m doing now is setting myself up for long-term survival.”

That was why he could state it so openly.

“I’m also working with my wife, helping her grow stronger so we can clear it as a team. It’s about time I put together a proper party.”

—Wow. Is this what they call a power family? I’m jealous.

—Damn. He’s talking about that famous 9-star dungeon bus, right?

—I heard goddess Seora just chills on a mat inside the dungeon, keeping his buffs up and packing him snacks.

—Don’t you dare talk trash about goddess Seora. She’s absolutely earned that right.

Normally, a statement like that would have drawn a flood of criticism and flaming.

Yet the chat was filled with nothing but envy.

—Dad! I’ll be your son starting today. Please let me in on this too :(

—For real, is he gonna add one party member a year at this rate?

—Requirement to clear a 10-star dungeon: get adopted by Kim Buja.

—I’m so damn jealous.

Ultimately, it was a sentiment everyone could accept.

Nobody knew what would happen after the final dungeon, so they could all relate to the need for preparation. There was nothing to condemn in his reasoning.

As time passed, more and more players began to hope the event would never end.

—I’m leeching so much free stuff right now. You’re not allowed to end this event.

—Even my ex-wife has been calling lately, saying we should get back together. Please, I’m begging you, don’t end this event.

A year went by. The words “final dungeon” were starting to fade from everyone’s memory.

The upgraded dungeons had become the new normal.

[The Final Dungeon has been cleared.]

[Rewards will be distributed according to contribution.]

It happened without a soul noticing. But then, a notification rang out to inform the entire world of the end.

* * *

Dozens of peaks lined the mountain range.

From a summit overlooking a landscape embroidered with multicolored trees, the air thick with the scent of nature, Kim Buja murmured quietly.

“The final dungeon had scenery like this, too.”

“You’re right. It does look similar.”

Sitting beside him, Jeong Seora leaned her head on his shoulder, agreeing as she admired the view.

One month.

That was how long it had been since he had slipped into the final dungeon, completely unnoticed, and cleared it.

He remembered it vividly. It had been one of the most thrilling dungeons he had ever tackled, yet at the same time, the clear had been so safe and smooth that it made him wonder if it even deserved to be called the final dungeon.

That was how high his level had climbed, and he had more than enough gear to match. On top of that, Jeong Seora’s support skills, having come along just to be with him, had been a tremendous help.

Fortunately, the nightmare scenario people had feared—the one where clearing the 10-star dungeon would make all dungeons vanish and strip players of their powers—never came to pass. Nor did the “new beginning” that so many had predicted. The event simply ended.

If anything had changed, it was that the dungeons remained at their heightened difficulty even after the event was over, suggesting that there was a next stage to come.

This, too, had sparked a flood of discussion and wild speculation, but as time went on, things settled down, and a sense of everyday peace took root.

Kim Buja and Jeong Seora were enjoying that peace as well.

KROOOOAAAR!

Hwangdo’s breath swept across the mountain range, a dramatic addition to the scene. A dragon was ruthlessly ravaging the pristine nature.

If someone sent this footage to a news station, it would be serious enough to make the 9 p.m. headlines, but Kim Buja’s expression was calm as he watched.

This wasn’t Earth.

“Hell isn’t all that special, is it?”

“I suppose not. Maybe it’s because the Demon King is dead. Honestly, Hwangdo alone feels like more than enough.”

Unable to endure their boredom, they had come to clear the Gold Mission side story. The reason Jeong Seora could join him was a perk that had unlocked when his SVIP level reached 5. Now that they were on the continent together, he didn’t feel lonely at all; instead, it felt like they were on vacation.

“Once we finish this, let’s go sightseeing around the continent. I really want to meet that imperial princess.”

“Of course. The princess said she wanted to see you, too, Seora.”

As they spoke, demons that had been hiding from Hwangdo’s rampage began to emerge one by one. He had assumed the Demon Realm would be nothing but gloom and darkness, but here they were, fighting in a place with surprisingly beautiful scenery.

It put him in a petty mood. So he egged Hwangdo on.

“Hwangdo, burn them to ashes! These are the bastards who burned our continent. Wipe them out the same way. Leave nothing behind.”

He didn’t feel a shred of affection for the continent, but for this moment, he immersed himself in the role of a native exacting vengeance on its behalf. He added fuel to the fire, casting his own magic to intensify the flames.

Time passed. Once a substantial number of demons had gathered among the burning mountains, he rose to his feet and drew his sword.

He had come here with a light heart, but in reality, the gathering of demonic forces was nearly as large as the one that had invaded the continent. On top of that, this was their home turf. The demons were fighting with their full power unleashed.

Yet as Kim Buja faced them, his expression was bright with delight.

“I was getting sick of grinding all day just to level up Wait for Free Gold. This is perfect. I’ll finish everything here today and finally complete my retirement plan.”

How long had it been since he’d had a proper fight like this?

Vwwm!

The Gold Ring resonated with its master’s emotions.

And when the battle was over...

When the Demon Realm lay in ruins, even more devastated than the continent they had once invaded...

A notification appeared before Kim Buja’s eyes.

[You have cleared the side story Gold Mission: Fantasy.]

[The Gold Mission: Martial World Chapter is now open.]

A new beginning. A notification announcing that Gold Maker’s content was still far from over.

The End