Trying to run in soaking wet clothes was like trying to sprint inside a deflated bouncy castle—loud, squishy, and deeply undignified. Hyunwoo's boots squelched like mashed jellyfish, his cape flapped behind him like a wet towel in the wind, and every step was a tragic reminder that cotton absorbs everything. Including shame.
He tore through the edge of the forest—a dense, twisted expanse of gnarled trees and whispering shadows that practically screamed "bad idea" in twelve ancient dialects and a demonic growl for good measure. The kind of place that made even seasoned adventurers soil their enchanted pants. Somewhere between "haunted" and "definitely cursed," it was the perfect setting for an accidental hero with soggy boots and a ruined class selection.
And then the dragons landed behind him.
Not gently.
The earth shook like it was filing a complaint to customer service as two titanic beasts crashed down from the sky—wings folding with the grace of thunderclouds, trees bending under their divine weight like they suddenly regretted growing up.
Then came the voice. Deep. Commanding. Possibly echoing from another dimension.
"Hero, we are not here to harm you."
Hyunwoo froze, whipped around, and screamed with exhausted rage.
"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?! YOU JUST DIVE-BOMBED ME FROM THE SKY! YOU'RE DRAGONS! DRAAAAGOONS, FOR GOD'S SAKE!"
The silver one stepped forward, radiant in the sunlight, practically shimmering like a luxury SUV ad.
"I am Ignar," he said with grave elegance.
The black dragon followed, sleek and dark as polished obsidian. Her eyes gleamed with intelligence and mild sass.
"And I am Lagya."
Hyunwoo blinked. Then snorted. "I'm sorry, but those names? Ignar and Lagya? You sound like a L'Oréal shampoo and conditioner combo."
Ignar frowned. Lagya, however, seemed vaguely amused.
"We are the Guardians of the Continent of Bersia," Ignar said. "It is our duty to guide and form the chosen heroes of this realm."
Lagya stepped closer. "But… there's an issue. I cannot sense any heroic energy from you."
Ignar tilted his massive head. "That… can't be right. Maybe I'm getting old."
Hyunwoo winced like someone had thrown a shoe at his pride.
"I-I know," he muttered. "I messed up the class ceremony."
The dragons stared.
"How do you mess up a divine ceremony?" Lagya asked, genuinely baffled.
"I sneezed!" Hyunwoo snapped. "It was a cosmic popup with ONE button! And I sneezed! Instead of picking the god-tier swordmaster class, I ended up with Support of the Heroes. F-tier. Like… friendship-tier. Healing hugs and emotional snacks!"
Ignar rumbled with laughter.
"Ahahahaha! How can someone be this stupid?!"
Lagya smacked him with her tail. "Ignar, stop that! He's clearly suffering."
"Thank you, l'OREAL," Hyunwoo muttered, deadpan. "Finally, someone who gets that failure is a full-time job."
He flopped down on a nearby rock and sighed so deeply it echoed.
"Anyway. The gods—or the big cosmic dude in the robe—said I should go to the Elven Forest. The World Tree might give me a second chance. Fix this dumb class. Maybe patch up my LUCK stat. I've got one point. ONE. Just enough to not be hit by a falling satellite."
Ignar grimaced. "There's a… complication."
Lagya nodded. "The World Tree no longer speaks to humans."
Hyunwoo blinked. "Why not?"
Ignar grunted. "Because the last hero… uh… mistook it for an ordinary tree and decided to relieve himself right on its roots. Let's just say the World Tree hasn't returned our calls since."
Hyunwoo stared for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Wait, what?! He actually PEED on the sacred tree? That's priceless! Like, this guy saw 'divine tree' and thought, 'Nah, perfect spot for a pee break.' Honestly, he's gotta have worse luck than me!"
And then a bird dropped a perfectly aimed bomb on his shoulder.
He paused. Looked at the sky.
"…Okay. Never mind. I win."
Wiping off his dignity with a leaf, Hyunwoo turned back to the dragons.
"Alright. Can you two escort me to the Elven Forest? I have a plan."
The dragons answered together in dramatic synchronicity: "We can't."
Hyunwoo tilted his head. "You two are really committing to that conditioner-commercial aesthetic, huh? But seriously, why not?"
Ignar huffed. "We are the continent's Guardians. We cannot abandon our posts just to transport a single soggy mortal."
Lagya added, "Even a funny one with tragic luck."
Hyunwoo crossed his arms. "Figures. So what now?"
Ignar's eyes glowed faintly. "There is something in this forest. A weapon. The weapon."
Lagya's voice was softer now. "The Celestial Sword. It was meant for the hero of this age."
Hyunwoo blinked. "You mean me? The sword that goes with the class I didn't pick?"
"Yes," Ignar rumbled. "Fate is strange. But if you find it, perhaps you can awaken something greater within yourself."
Hyunwoo stood, wringing out his cape like a defiant towel salesman.
"Fine. Let's find the sparkly magic sword, impress a grumpy world tree, and maybe—just maybe—salvage what's left of this mess."
Lagya smiled. "Now that sounds like a hero."
"Don't get your hopes up," Hyunwoo muttered, already marching toward the darker part of the woods. "I'm still dressed like a soggy disappointment."
The quest had officially begun. Sort of. Maybe.
With a shampoo-duo of dragons watching from behind, Hyunwoo took his first squelchy steps toward redemption.