Joon-seo continued walking deeper into the dungeon, his newly acquired sword resting against his shoulder. The battle with the Beta Wolves had left him breathing heavily, but he couldn't afford to slow down.
A floating screen remained in the corner of his vision.
[Ragnar Wolves - (3/15)]
[Beta Wolves - (5/10)]
[Fenrik (Boss) - (0/1)]
He had already defeated three Ragnar Wolves and five Beta Wolves, but there were still plenty left.
And somewhere in this dungeon lurked Fenrik.
The boss.
The creature responsible for the dungeon's existence.
Joon-seo tightened his grip on the sword.
"I'll worry about the boss later."
The stone path stretched ahead, illuminated by glowing blue crystals embedded in the walls. Their eerie light cast long shadows across the corridor, making every corner look alive.
The deeper he went, the colder the air became.
A sudden gust swept through the tunnel.
Joon-seo stopped.
Something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
The wolves he had encountered before were noisy and aggressive. Yet now there wasn't a single growl or sound of movement.
Only silence.
His instincts screamed at him.
Without hesitation, he stepped to the side.
Whoosh!
A blur shot past his face.
Claws scraped against the stone wall where his head had been moments ago.
Joon-seo immediately spun around.
A Ragnar Wolf landed several meters away.
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
The wolf's crimson eyes glowed in the darkness.
"So that's your game."
The monster growled.
Then another appeared.
And another.
One by one, wolves emerged from the shadows.
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
Six wolves surrounded him.
Joon-seo clicked his tongue.
"Of course."
The pack attacked simultaneously.
One lunged from the front while another rushed from behind.
Joon-seo ducked low and swung his sword.
Slash!
Blood sprayed across the stone floor.
The first wolf's body collapsed.
[Ragnar Wolves Defeated: 4/15]
The notification appeared instantly.
The second wolf pounced.
Joon-seo stepped forward instead of backward.
Its claws missed him by centimeters.
With a powerful upward slash, he split through its neck.
The wolf crashed to the ground.
[Ragnar Wolves Defeated: 5/15]
The remaining wolves hesitated.
That brief hesitation was enough.
Joon-seo charged.
His sword flashed repeatedly.
One wolf fell.
Then another.
Then another.
The dungeon echoed with pained yelps.
Minutes later, only one remained.
The last Ragnar Wolf backed away nervously.
Its instincts told it to flee.
Unfortunately for it, Joon-seo wasn't interested in mercy.
He dashed forward and thrust his sword straight through its skull.
The wolf collapsed instantly.
[Ragnar Wolves Defeated: 9/15]
Joon-seo exhaled slowly.
"Six more."
His clothes were stained with blood, and his arms felt heavier than before.
The sword helped, but fighting continuously was exhausting.
He glanced at the timer.
[Time Remaining: 04:57:13]
Nearly an hour had passed already.
His expression darkened.
If the timer reached zero...
He would die.
No second chances.
No escape.
Only death.
"Then I just have to finish first."
He continued moving.
The corridor eventually opened into a massive cavern.
Joon-seo stopped and stared.
The chamber was enormous.
Towering stone pillars supported the ceiling high above.
Ancient runes covered the walls.
Some glowed faintly with silver light.
Others had long faded.
In the center stood dozens of skeletal remains.
Human skeletons.
Joon-seo felt a chill run down his spine.
Hunters.
Previous challengers.
People who had entered this dungeon and never left.
His gaze moved toward a rusted sword lying beside one of the skeletons.
Then a message appeared.
[Warning]
[Host has entered a High-Risk Zone]
"What now?"
The ground trembled.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the cavern.
Joon-seo immediately drew his sword.
The sound grew louder.
Closer.
Then a massive wolf emerged from behind a pillar.
Its body was nearly twice the size of the Beta Wolves.
Dark gray fur covered powerful muscles.
A scar stretched across its left eye.
Its presence alone felt overwhelming.
[Beta Wolf Captain Lv. 12]
Joon-seo frowned.
A captain?
The monster released a deafening roar.
ROOOAAARRR!
Immediately, several more wolves appeared around the chamber.
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
[Ragnar Wolf Lv. 5]
The remaining Ragnar Wolves.
They had gathered around their leader.
Joon-seo suddenly understood.
This wasn't a random encounter.
It was a coordinated ambush.
"Great."
The captain charged.
The distance between them vanished instantly.
Its speed shocked him.
Joon-seo barely raised his sword in time.
Clang!
The impact sent him sliding backward.
His arms went numb.
The captain was far stronger than the wolves he had fought before.
The beast attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Each strike carried tremendous force.
Joon-seo narrowly avoided a claw swipe that shattered a stone pillar.
Fragments exploded everywhere.
"That would've killed me."
The captain lunged.
Joon-seo sidestepped.
Then he swung with all his strength.
Slash!
Blood appeared across the monster's shoulder.
The captain howled in pain.
The surrounding wolves immediately joined the fight.
They rushed him from every direction.
Joon-seo gritted his teeth.
There were too many.
One wolf jumped.
He cut it down.
Another attacked.
He kicked it away.
A third managed to slash his arm.
Pain shot through his body.
"Damn it!"
Blood trickled down his sleeve.
The captain seized the opportunity.
Its jaws snapped toward his throat.
At the last second, Joon-seo thrust his sword forward.
The blade pierced deep into the captain's chest.
The monster froze.
Its eyes widened.
Then it collapsed.
[Beta Wolf Captain Defeated]
[Level Increased]
[Level Increased]
A surge of energy rushed through Joon-seo's body.
His fatigue lessened instantly.
The remaining Ragnar Wolves hesitated.
Their leader was dead.
Joon-seo smiled.
"Now it's your turn."
Several minutes later, the cavern fell silent.
The final Ragnar Wolf collapsed.
A notification appeared.
[Ragnar Wolves Defeated: 15/15]
Objective Complete.
Joon-seo let out a relieved breath.
One target finished.
Only the Beta Wolves and Fenrik remained.
Suddenly, the dungeon shook violently.
BOOOOM!
Cracks spread across the cavern floor.
Joon-seo's eyes widened.
"What the—"
A new notification appeared.
[Hidden Condition Met]
[Boss Chamber Unlocked]
The wall at the far end of the cavern slowly split apart.
Ancient stone doors opened with a deafening rumble.
Darkness waited beyond.
A darkness so deep that even the glowing crystals couldn't illuminate it.
Then came the sound.
A growl.
Low.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
The entire dungeon trembled.
Joon-seo felt every hair on his body stand up.
His instincts screamed danger.
For the first time since entering the dungeon, genuine fear crept into his heart.
Two enormous crimson eyes opened within the darkness.
They stared directly at him.
The pressure alone made it difficult to breathe.
Then a new screen appeared.
[Fenrik]
[Dungeon Boss]
[Level ???]
Joon-seo's expression froze.
He couldn't see the boss's level.
The system wasn't displaying it.
Which meant only one thing.
Fenrik was far stronger than him.
The massive wolf slowly stepped forward from the darkness.
Each footstep shook the ground.
Its body dwarfed every monster Joon-seo had encountered so far.
Rows of razor-sharp fangs gleamed beneath the dim light.
The beast's crimson eyes locked onto him.
Then Fenrik smiled.
A predator's smile.
And Joon-seo immediately realized one thing.
The real battle was only beginning.