*Wooong 

The loud sound of a bell ringing 4 times was slapping people awake from the slumber called a peaceful era 5 years ago in 2045.

At first, it became a hot topic locally. But, once people realize that it chiming all over the world at the same time, some in the middle of the night, the other on a shining day in the afternoon, it dawns upon them that something must terribly gone wrong.

The government then flooded with a lot of calls and inquiries, asking for an explanation that would calm them from fear of the unknown while forgetting the fact that even they had no idea what's going on.

One hidden expert after another starts to claim their own theory and conjecture, from the alien theory to the end of the world, and even some of the otaku who claims that it is the appearance of a new era.

It doesn't matter who, as long as one feels like knowing what's going on, they would preach it to the media which then to be consumed by a lot of clueless netizens to calm their mind.

It continues for a whole 2 days until the worst crime in the history of students appears in one of the biggest cities in the west country.

Of 1,000 people, student, teacher, and worker included, more than 10 of them were killed by one of its own students, and a dozen are injured.

The gruesome murder was not detailed because of how much the news controlled, but at least 2 important facts couldn't be hidden from the mass.

First, the student, a 15 years old youngster criminal was actually cruelly bullied since childhood, and it continues up to highschool for no particular reason. Based on the hearsay, not only he goes back and forth to the hospital, injuries that not only black and blue but also congestion and dislocated bone, he also humiliated on multiple occasions perfect with videos and photos as evidence.

Secondly, he apparently becomes a superhuman with a powerful power backing his every moves from a normal punch that blasts people into a bloody mess to a dash that feels like a flash of the car passing by.

Police and government go to the crime scene and greeted by an expressionless boy making them wonder just how did he do something so inhuman even though he indeed had the capability of doing so?

Yet, one crime news appears one after another which happens all over the world.

Rape, assault, steal, terrorism, and any other scary incident filling the news with a juicy story to be told but unwelcomed nonetheless.

While one could be a coincidence or a few incidents news could be controlled, unfortunately, it can't even be hidden even for 24 hours. Not when the increase in the use of media for several years back made things so much easier to be shared.

It then dawns upon them that they are doing it not because they are capable of doing so, but just because they feel like it, making their reason even more unreasonable to swallow.

On the other side of fear, there's a trace of excitement and longing, hoping that maybe, one of those lucky coincidences might happen to them, changing once their dull life to a new realm never heard of or felt before.

The unrest went by for 3 days, and then the fourth arrived for the judgment for the youngster murderer.

Every eye is paying attention to this piece of news, not only within, but even outside of their country including my own country far away in the southern-east.

In the end, he is sentenced to the death penalty by being shot with a gun, not even objection allowed.

Such a questionable punishment, when the one committing it is being punished by the environment even though he is still underage, make this sentence blows up into something so out of control that a lot of question was posted in the media.

Again, the media couldn't control the fact that the main offender actually kills the son of the prime minister's cousin, who in reverse reveal the root of the cruel case of bullying, torture, blackmail, drug, and other crime of the now-dead student to give some courageous one threw rotten tomato toward the court building.

Weirdly enough, the youngster was very obedient, not even resisting the rough treatment nor the end that he would receive in the 1 day he had given by the court.

Can't he do something with his power, like running away- such is the question that appears on the people's mind.

But he didn't and he even smiles on TV before being dragged to the police cars and then driven away.

On the supposed to be the last day of his death sentence, he faces the camera with a calm look toward the people from the other side of the world and then said a phenomenal word that still appears once in a while whenever people talk about awakened people.

"I deserve it but I don't regret it"

Do something that you thought needed, but once you did, you need to prepare to bear the consequence it would bring later.

That's the meaning that brought his name into the most known awakened, The Sinner, even until now.

Yes, until now.

Because his sentence was annulled when the first dungeon appears right in the middle of the execution ground and thus his sentence changed to scouting the unknown ground after considering the circumstances and pressure from the mass.

What he brought after getting outside was a story of a fantasy beastly creature, weirdly looking rock, a new environment, and a system that so hard to believe that the official start to question his sanity. 

The truth but a humiliating fact proved a couple of weeks later that the people like him become the center of a new era where those fantasy and weird rock which now called mana crystal to become the only way human reach a greater height, was someone they just want to punished to death because of their own influential person personal whim, making his standing very awkward.

Yet, the official people believe that the youngster's existence was not that important of a person, because the monster, though difficult to handle is still possible to be killed by a modern firearm, something that humanity so proud of for the past couple of decades.

Fortunately for him, or unfortunately for the prime minister's cousin, it didn't take long for their standing had the abrupt change after the so-called "Title Endowment", the core of title called "The Sinner", after a month since the first appearance of the dungeon in the world makes their new influence.

The monster began to get stronger, normal human incapable of even entering the dungeon gate, and it makes the dungeon related relic rarer.

Title endowment was given to every awakened, giving them a special power different compared from before individually, but the result was way too vague to make a conclusion of, so the people who heard of them only thought of it as some kind of natural talent given from the first time one's born.

Yet, when the second bell that's ringing 6 times appears a year after, the title endowment is not a month after the first dungeon appearances, but a week, with more explanation given, which makes things even more chaotic.

-Prove Yourself-

That's the only thing that appears right to the people retina that had been chosen, and the testimony of their own resulting title right afterward.

"Hey, what is the meaning of proving yourself?? Are you supposed to know martial arts to do it?"

"I don't think so. Remember -The Sinner's- past? He didn't know one bit of martial arts, yet he is chosen to be awakened, and the quest only appears right after the dungeon opened."

"Wait? Didn't that mean that my hard work to better myself for the past months became useless?"

"Hmm, what about the psychological aspect? I thought that it's quite plausible?"

"No way dude, I think that you need to do something exciting, or anything goes as long as you will be useful in killing the dungeon's monster, isn't it?"

"Don't forget, you even have a little chance to be given a quest and the requirements already very vague in the first place, better don't make any assumption or just do everything to cover it up."

After reading such a discussion on the awakened official forum created by the government right after the second awakened, just like the last commenter, I ended up doing everything I can do to cover it all up.

Training my body, reading information about the dungeon, learning about myth and history, creating a diary where I am the protagonist, a made-up status about my current situation, making a random quest on a whim, and even talking to the questionable existence of readers that's reading my daily life.

All of that I did without shame, in order for me to get chosen, so that I will get what I deserve which I would not regret later.

*Ding

-SUDDEN QUEST-

PROVE YOURSELF

REWARD: AWAKENED 
        TITLE ENDOWMENT

TIME LIMIT: 1 HOUR

DIFICULTY: NONE

FAILURE: FAILED AT BEING AWAKENED

*BZZTTTT

That's why, when I saw that word in front of me, like being electrocuted, I feel my body stiffen but blood boiling in excitement.

"Wo-oy, is it just me hallucinating, or am I seeing a status window in front of me?"

"No way, me too! It's talking about proving myself. How do I do it?"

"Hey, we should help each other out! If anyone has their own conjecture, please tell us!"

"Are you joking? If I know, I will keep it to myself. Who said that we will be given an equal chance? What if after helping the other, my slot ended up being stolen?

"I am good at singing! Should I sing to prove myself?"

One discussion one after another, ignoring the curiosity they had toward the crime that just takes their interest a moment ago. 

As for me, I hastily grab the policewoman that just healed me a moment ago with a white face on me.

"Quick, give me a speed enhancement!"

"Eh? Wait, what do you need it f--?"

"Hurry!!"

"Y-y-yes! S-Speed enhancement!"

It's a good thing that Ms. Rizka is a kind policewoman, or maybe because she is still new that she is quite weak from pressure, or maybe she is not officially a police officer and didn't realize that she needs her supervisor permission first that I got the enhancement that I need with only a little push.

"What the hell are you doing Rizka!!"

But, the creased eyebrow police sir got angry at her because of me, so I need to apologize to the police on her behalf later.

Yes, later.

Ignoring their scolding, I run away from them in haste while looking left and right in a hurry. 

It's as if the world still not satisfied with the amount of awakened that exists, the amount of quest given is weird considering the murmuring crowd around me.

A panic mess is an understatement.

While some calling their friend or family, some go straight to steal in the middle of chaos, going a breakdance while rapping, and the extreme one who believes to be good at swimming jump straight to the river on the side, all in order to prove themselves or any other.

But I don't care what they do, because I have my own goal in order to finish my trouble as I curse my luck after reading the additional sentence in front of me.

-SPECIAL QUEST-

SYSTEM PERCEIVED THE USER TO BE THE TARGET OF EXTREME KILLING INTENT.
SURVIVE UNTIL THE SUDDEN QUEST -PROVE YOURSELF- FINISH IN 1 HOUR.

REWARD: RANDOM F RANK SKILL

DIFFICULTY: F

FAILURE: DEATH

'What a ridiculous request with a weirdly unfair reward to punishment setting.', thought me as I smile wryly with understanding as to why that is happening.

"I WILL KILL YOU!!!"

BOOM!!

'If I am dead either way, it's better that you push yourself a little harder, so here is a little reward for encouragement. Maybe that's the kind of conclusion they arrive at'

Without as much as looking back worrying over what kind of thing did he dod to make to boom, I continue to run away from the source of that voice, the bossy boss voice toward the Pasar Minggu station that already not that far away, or more like the cat near the station.

It is an orange street cat, with a bit of white fur over here and there that's currently running toward the underground road not far away from it. The cat is running in a scramble as if in panic, but you can tell that it's butt and fur actually ramrod straight upward as if being angry or scared from something.

"It's indeed the sign of monsterification. Though I cannot confirm it yet with such little information, it's still worth a try"

It's the rumor that circulates in the international awakened forum for a while before disappearing on the next day. 

In the end, after I sleep and checking the forum on the next day for the next round of study, the account even deleted for some reason.

I am researching dungeon-related info at the time, it got me curious so I ended up copying and studying it for more than 5 hours when the account still not deleted which make me quite lucky if thing considered.

But with the only way to confirm it gone, the rumors didn't circulate for long before it got swallowed from the more exciting and credible info.

'I am always wondering. Just how come some dungeon consists of a fantasy creature while the other only normal beast?'

In the end, I come up with a little theory that has no way to confirm but still worth thinking about.

What if the dungeon appears and uses some of the info they had gotten from the human head or memory? 

'And dungeon might be made at the same time when the "Prove Yourself" quest appear considering how short the time is'

Between the creation of a dungeon and its finished appearance, it may or may not do something on it surrounding, and it involves living being.

If that the case, they need to have a sample first and foremost, so it arrives at the conclusion that the normal dungeon with a mouse, cat, dog, skeleton, and any other weak magical beast that maybe, maybe they either sucked, swallowed, or eaten the sample right before the dungeon appearances. 

But, the duration is way too weird, which only 1 hour, completely different from 1-month duration during the first and 1 week during the second awakening bell.

It means one thing.

'This year bell gonna be something very special compared to the past, and I might be lucky if the information that I gather just in the case proves to be useful'

I am very lucky that I have a side quest, even though it involves my own life, but I believe with the speed enhancement from Ms. Rizka, I can get quite far away from...

"The hell!?"

*BAMMM!!!

The sound of the asphalt road broken with a loud sound accompanying the punch the bossy boss gave toward the location I am at a moment ago makes my back drenched with a cold sweat and shiver. 

He is really cunning!

His habit of shouting and talking too much unconsciously created on my mind, so I thought that because he is being silent, I will be safe for the time being.

Well, I doubt it with my entire being he is bright enough to create such a foxy plan so...

Unable to ignore his existence anymore, I decide to discard the monsterification plan I had and slowly retreat as far as possible from the bossy boss while taking what I can understand from the current situation.

'His skin turned red, muscle bulging with a vein appearing horrendously...It's a berserk skill. How the heck is a street thug having the best even among F-ranked skill?'

Wait, there is something wrong. Berserk didn't emit steam from their body, and their saliva didn't drip continuously like him too, at least not from what I knew of.

"Runaway! He is using Burnout, it's an E-ranked skill!"

"Nani!?"

Seeing the Thug taking a step back with his right hand stretched to the back, I got a very bad feeling about it so much that I hurriedly sidestepped even though my and his distance is 3 meters apart.

*Swoosh BAM!!!!

A few milliseconds after I did that, a blurry thing passing by to where I am just a moment ago and then crashing to a tree, snapping it splendidly into two.

'Thank god that I got speed buffed!'

Stumbling down after losing my balance, I got on my feet and having no second thought, decided to run back toward the police officer that just following after the thug in hurry, leaving the rest to the official guardian to my back.

BAM CRACK BOOM!!

From behind, I heard a very disturbing crack and destroyed sound.

Stopping and looking back to see two people punching and kicking each other, what I see was a bloody red bossy boss with dislocated hand, and blood flowing from his mouth, eyes, and ears, making me stopping my breath with the horrendous skill he just uses.

And he did that in order to kill the just mortal such as myself.

I feel weirdly honored for some reason.

"Excuse me, but please don't wander away until the criminal apprehended again"

When I thought that thing can be left to the police, Ms. Rizka stop me just when I want to dash toward the cat again.

Unfortunately, I failed at sighting the little creature within the mess of panic around me, so the plan that just luckily falls onto my lap ended up need to be discarded.

*Sigh

'No helping it, I guess. My life is more important after all', shaking my head in regret, I took a deep breath to calm my mind and then move my sight away from the fight to my surrounding, especially toward the group of guardians from before.

One police officer after another start to appear and a few are a guardian who helps with maintaining order. Maybe the effect of the sudden quest really couldn't be underestimated, because though still few, but a fight start to broke out one another and then subdued by the police before things go awry forcefully.

The healer might indeed be needed just in case an injury that's so serious that it needs immediate heal happens so it's not weird for the creased police sir from before to get angry.

'Wait, of course, it's weird!'

Shouting at the policewoman in a hushed voice while grabbing her hands, I decided to sound her out of the possibility that just cross my mind.

Unfortunately, her lack of response is enough of an answer.

Monsterification, the need for police and guardian for public order, the sudden important thing that almost cost me my life, all of that bit of info give me a sudden conclusion that makes me feel like my death really didn't really matter in the face of it.

"Is it a dungeon break!?"

Shaking her body hastily for confirmation, Ms.Rizka again tightly shut her lips as an answer but with her eyes swarming everywhere showing her bad expertise at lying.

But, how did they know such a thing beforehand?

No, there's no dungeon around the Pasar Minggu area, I know that much for sure.

So, the only possible answer should be the newly generated dungeon that's might be in the process of manifesting.

And no matter how, there is no way to tell until the thing itself to show up first, so their appearance here maybe because they know the general area but not for the exact location

Wait!

'Don't tell me that the one hour for the sudden quest...', realizing that particular grave matter, I thought that her act of giving me a small heal and speed enhancement really worth shouting at.

I apologize even though it's my fault no matter how you sliced it, hehe.