The world twisted and warped around us in a cascade of shimmering light—one moment we stood at the designated rookie training grounds on the outskirts of Seoul, and the next, damp stone walls closed in around us, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood and ancient decay.
Why are we here? The question echoed through my mind, sharp and frantic. The scheduled dungeon dive was still three days away. Yet logic held no sway in this place; the cold, unyielding darkness of the tunnel before us offered only one path forward.
Ahn Min-ji walked beside me, her shoulders hunched, her breath catching in quiet, shaky gasps. I didn't need to hear her thoughts to know what plagued her—this was her first time stepping foot inside any dungeon, let alone one that pressed in with such suffocating malice. The stone beneath our boots was slick with something viscous, and every drip of water echoing through the cavern felt like a countdown to something terrible.
Then the ground shook.
The tremor ripped through the dungeon with the force of an earthquake, sending pebbles showering from the ceiling and splitting cracks through the floor. My hunter's instincts screamed—a primal, urgent demand to flee. But I'd sworn never to abandon anyone again. Not after what happened five years ago.
"Guys! This isn't good—we need to get out of here!" I shouted, my voice booming against the stone as I reached for Min-ji's arm to pull her forward.
That was when the system window blazed to life before our eyes, its golden letters searing into my retinas:
[DUNGEON CLASSIFICATION UPDATED
RANK: S
Hazard Level: CATACLYSMIC
RECOMMENDED HUNTER RANK: S+]
An S-rank dungeon here? The impossibility of it made my head spin. Such dungeons only appeared in designated containment zones, guarded by the strongest hunters in the country. How could one materialize in the middle of a rookie training area?
"We need to move—now!" I roared again, pushing the others ahead as the sound of heavy, thundering footsteps echoed from the depths behind us.
Seo Hajin—just sixteen, already an A-rank prodigy but still a child at heart—tripped over a jagged crack in the floor, sending him sprawling to the ground. Tears streamed down his face as he held out a trembling hand.
"Help… please…"
The monster's roar shook the very foundations of the dungeon as it rounded the corner—massive, scaled, with claws like obsidian swords and eyes that burned with malevolent intelligence. My past flashed before me in a brutal wave: the faces of teammates who'd left me to die in a C-rank dungeon, calling me worthless, expendable.
I won't let history repeat itself.
I spun on my heel and charged back toward Hajin, the monster's shadow already stretching over his small form.
"Hajin! Can you walk?!"
Behind us, I heard the frantic scurrying of footsteps as Min-ji and Ryu Si-woon bolted for the exit. Part of me wanted to scream at them for running, but I couldn't blame them—they were just kids, overwhelmed and terrified. Soon, their voices faded into the distance, replaced by the sound of the monster's heavy breathing.
Outside the dungeon, chaos erupted. The emergency alarms blared across the city as the rookie instructors scrambled to act.
"Emergency evacuation order!"
one instructor shouted into their comms, their hands shaking as they typed frantically.
"All civilians and rookie hunters within a five-kilometer radius—evacuate immediately! We have an unregistered S-rank dungeon, and rookies are trapped inside!"
"Alert all active S-class hunters," another commanded, their voice tight with panic. "We need backup—now."
Back inside, the monster lunged, its claws slicing through the air where I'd stood a moment before. I rolled aside, my muscles screaming as I pushed my F-rank body to its limits. Even at my peak, I was no match for an S-rank beast. I gritted my teeth, sweat pouring down my face as I circled protectively in front of Hajin.
He's just a teenager. An A-rank with his whole life ahead of him. I won't let him die here.
"Hajin! You have to go—find the others and get out!"
I snapped, but he only shook his head, tears still streaming down his cheeks.
"I don't want to leave you, mister!" he sobbed, clutching at my arm.
"I won't leave you like they did!"
His words hit me like a physical blow. I had no choice—my only chance to save him was to use it. The ability I'd hidden for years, the one that drained more mana than any F-rank hunter should possess.
"This is going to hurt, Hajin," I warned, my hand beginning to glow with brilliant blue light.
"W… what?"
Before he could react, I activated the ability—a portal swirling to life before us, its edges crackling with raw energy. With all my strength, I pushed him toward it. "Promise me you won't cry!"
"Huh?! Mister, what do you—"
The portal swallowed him whole, and I heard his cry of surprise fade into silence as it closed behind him. Now alone, I turned to face the monster, my mind racing to find a way to buy time until help arrived.
I dodged each strike with every ounce of speed I could muster, but my stamina was fading fast. When will they get here? I cursed under my breath, my vision blurring at the edges. The old feelings rose up again—abandonment, betrayal, the crushing weight of being left behind.
Why? Why did everyone always leave me?
Anger curdled in my chest, hot and vicious, mixing with sorrow and a deep, searing rage. My vision went black—not the darkness of the dungeon, but a void so complete it felt like I was drowning in nothingness. I couldn't see, couldn't think—only feel the storm of emotion raging through me.
"I… can't… why… why…!"
My voice came out hoarse and guttural, unrecognizable even to my own ears.
Then a light beam descended from above—so bright it burned away the darkness, so powerful it made the monster shriek and recoil. I had no control over my body; it moved on its own, every muscle coiled with strength I'd never felt before. When the light faded, a massive hole gaped in the dungeon wall, and I stood at its center, my expression unnervingly calm.
And then I fell.
I woke to the soft beeping of monitors and the cool touch of linens against my skin. Through the window beside my bed, I could see the night sky over Seoul, stars twinkling above the city's glowing skyline. How long have I been out? I wondered, pushing myself up with a groan that sent pain shooting through my chest.
The door flew open so hard it slammed against the wall, sending paint chips scattering across the floor.
"YEONGHON!"
Kim Jihan—my oldest friend and fellow hunter—barreled into the room, his eyes wild with relief and exhaustion.
"You've been asleep for a full day! We thought—we thought we'd lost you!"
"Do I look that fragile?"
I muttered, though warmth spread through my chest at his concern. Death never pays attention to me, I thought wryly.
Riven—our team's silent, enigmatic strategist—stepped into the room just then. His gaze fixed on me, sharp and piercing, as if he could see straight through to the secrets I'd kept hidden for years. Without a word, he turned and walked out, his movements deliberate and cold.
He's acting stranger than usual, I mused.
"So… what happened while I was out?" I asked, shifting to sit up fully.
Jihan hesitated, his jaw tightening. I could see the conflict in his eyes—he was hiding something. Then he let out a breath and spoke, his voice bursting with excitement.
"Yeonghon, it's everywhere—you're famous! They're saying an F-rank hunter defeated an S-rank monster single-handedly!"
I stared at him, stunned. "That's impossible—I couldn't even hold my own against it." But when he pulled out his phone and scrolled through social media, the headlines blared at me:
[F-RANK HUNTER SHATTERS ALL RECORDS—DEFEATS S-CLASS MONSTER!
THE STRONGEST UNKNOWN HUNTER IN KOREA?]
My hands shook as I read. I wasn't powerful enough for that—so what had happened in that moment of darkness?
"By the way,"
Jihan added, his voice turning serious,
"I checked your stats while you were out. They're… they're nothing like before. Off the charts. What did you do to make yourself so strong?"
Suspicion gleamed in his eyes. I flicked my finger against his forehead, trying to keep my expression light.
"You dummy—who gave you permission to snoop through someone's stats? That's private!"
"Ow! Ow, sorry!"
He rubbed his forehead, pouting like a child. It was a look that worked on everyone else—but never on me.
"Cut that out,"
I grumbled, though my annoyance was feigned.
Just then, the door burst open again, and Seo Hajin barreled in, throwing his arms around my neck and sobbing into my shoulder.
"Mister! I thought you were dead!"
"Hey, stop being a crybaby, you little brat,"
Jihan said softly, patting his back.
He pulled away, his eyes red but his chin tilted defiantly.
"I'm not a brat! And you're just an old man!"
Their bickering was cut short as Ahn Min-ji and Ryu Si-woon entered the room, their heads bowed low. Without a word, they dropped to their knees.
"Yeonghon,"
Min-ji whispered, her voice thick with shame,
"we're sorry. We left you behind—we were scared, and we ran…"
I waved a hand dismissively. "You're teenagers. Anyone would have panicked. It's fine—you're safe now, and that's all that matters."
They thanked me, their voices shaky, then filed out with Hajin and Jihan, leaving me alone in the spacious hospital room. The silence pressed in, heavy and quiet, and I found myself thinking back to that moment in the dungeon—the rage, the darkness, the impossible strength that had surged through me.
Why couldn't I control it? Why did that power awaken?
Anxiety coiled in my chest, hot and tight, threatening to spiral into another storm of emotion. I could feel it building—anger, fear, the old wounds flaring open again. I clenched my fists, breathing hard, ready to fight against the chaos rising within me.
"Yeonghon…"
The voice was soft, warm, and instantly familiar. I looked up to see the door open, and there stood my mother, her face etched with worry and love. I hadn't even realized she'd been called—but of course she had. She was the only one I'd ever let get close enough to matter.
Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
"Mom…"
I pulled her into a tight embrace, burying my face in her shoulder as her warmth wrapped around me like a shield.
"Mom… I'm tired,"
I whispered, my voice breaking.
"Then rest, dear," she said gently, running her fingers through my hair. Her smile was bright enough to chase away the darkness. "I'm right here. I'll never leave you."
Outside the door, Riven stood still, his hand resting on the frame. He'd heard every word, his expression unreadable as he stared at the floor. Then he turned and walked away, vanishing into the quiet hallway as the hospital lights flickered above his head.
To be continue..