Kael moved cautiously through the narrow passageway, every step calculated. The air felt colder the deeper he went, the oppressive silence almost suffocating. He could feel the weight of the dark cave pressing in on him from all sides, but something else was beginning to draw his attention—an eerie presence, something vast and ancient. His instincts told him he was nearing something significant, something he couldn't ignore.
As he rounded a bend, the passage opened into a large, dimly lit room. At first glance, it looked like just an empty chamber—stone walls, a floor covered in dirt and rubble—but Kael could feel it. The room wasn't empty. There was something in the center, something monumental.
His gaze shot forward, his breath catching as he saw it. In front of him stood a door—no, not just a door. It was a massive structure, so large that Kael felt dwarfed by its sheer size. The frame was ornate, yet ancient, its dark stone covered in strange symbols that glowed faintly with an otherworldly energy. Kael's mind reeled as he took in the sight.
The door was so vast that it seemed almost unreal. It was as if the door had been made for giants—far too large for a normal person to even comprehend. But the thing that struck him the most was the overwhelming presence it emanated. Kael's knees buckled slightly as the intensity of the energy hit him like a wave. His body felt heavy, as though the weight of the world itself was pressing down on him, and his breathing became labored.
He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, trying to steady himself, but it was no use. The power coming from the door was so intense that he felt as though he were being crushed beneath its sheer force. Even with his Stoic Resolve and the inherent strength from his Dignity of the Nobles trait, Kael found it almost impossible to stand. He had faced pressure before—commanders who had used their aura to intimidate him, monsters whose mere presence had made his body quiver with fear—but nothing, nothing had felt like this. The sheer pressure of the door's power seemed to be on a level Kael had never experienced before. Even a commander would have had trouble standing before this.
What... is this?
Kael's mind raced as his gaze scanned the door. There was no mistaking the intensity of the power here—it was something primal, something that spoke of unimaginable ages and forgotten histories. This presence wasn't something that could be hidden easily, yet Kael had never sensed it before, not until he stood before it now. How had he never felt this energy? How could no one know about this? Was it because no one had dared venture so deep into the cave, or was there another reason entirely?
How could something like this be hidden?
Kael swallowed hard, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. He had been right to come this far. The door in front of him was something far beyond the ordinary, something that didn't belong here. But why? Why was it hidden? And who had hidden it?
A sudden thought struck him, and a chill ran down his spine.
This... this could be the dungeon. The one that exploded. The one the Dark Forces were connected to. This massive thing is a dungeon?
It made sense now, in a twisted, horrifying way. If this was a dungeon, and it had been hidden from everyone, then perhaps the explosion Kael had heard about in the original story wasn't just an accident. The Dark Forces had likely been involved—there was no doubt about it. But there was one thing that didn't fit.
I don't see any signs of the Dark Forces here. No symbols. No marks. No lingering influence. What does that mean?
Kael took a cautious step forward, but the oppressive aura of the door made him hesitate. He had come this far, but he wasn't sure he was ready to face what lay beyond. The door was slightly ajar, a small crack that beckoned him forward. It seemed to call to him, as though it knew he was meant to come. But Kael resisted the pull, his heart heavy with uncertainty.
He stepped back, his eyes flicking to the cave entrance. Should I go back and tell the commander?
The idea made Kael feel sick. The commander wouldn't be able to stop something like this—not alone. The pressure from this door, the sense of power and danger radiating from it, was something that no ordinary soldier could handle. And even if the commander gathered help, who could he possibly call? Kael knew that the SS+ ranked individuals were the only ones who stood a chance against something of this magnitude, but even then, he wasn't sure if they would be enough.
Kael turned his gaze back to the door, and his hand instinctively reached for the handle. He knew he shouldn't go inside. He knew it would only lead to more danger, more uncertainty. But something deeper inside him told him that he had no choice.
I've come too far to turn back now.
He stepped forward once more, and before he could stop himself, his hand closed around the cold metal of the door. It was as if the door itself welcomed him, the crack widening as though it had been waiting for him all along.
I have no choice. I have to go in.
Kael pushed the door open. The moment he did, an unbearable pressure hit him like a tidal wave, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. His vision blurred, and the world around him seemed to collapse into a vortex of darkness. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but he couldn't stop. His body moved on its own, as if it had been guided by something far stronger than his own will.
I'm inside...
The door slammed shut behind him, and Kael was plunged into an absolute darkness that swallowed him whole. But even in the pitch black, he could feel it—the overwhelming presence of whatever lay in the depths of this mysterious dungeon. And somewhere in the back of his mind, a terrifying thought took root.
What have I just walked into?
And more importantly...
What will happen to me now?