Day 7 – 5:40 AM – The Three Paths
The dungeon's entrance sealed shut behind them.
No one spoke as the heavy stone gate rumbled into place, the echoes fading into the cavern's suffocating silence.
Three corridors stretched ahead—each identical in size but distinct in atmosphere.
🔹 The left path exuded a dense, musty dampness, like old stone long abandoned. Faint streaks of bioluminescent moss pulsed along the walls, giving off a weak green glow.
🔹 The middle path was silent, but the air shimmered slightly—like heat rising from a desert road. There was no visible light source, yet shadows shifted unnaturally inside.
🔹 The right path was cold. Not just chilly—but bone-deep freezing. A faint frost had formed along the edges of the stone floor, and the distant sound of something cracking echoed from within.
Tae-sik let out a breath, his hand gripping his sword. "Let me guess. We choose wrong, we die?"
Min-jun adjusted his glasses. "That seems likely."
Seok-hoon stepped forward, studying the passageways. "Splitting up isn't an option."
The Silver-Haired Woman didn't say anything.
Because she was already looking at Kyung-min.
Ji-hye noticed. "…What?"
"Nothing," she said smoothly. "Just thinking."
Kyung-min knew what she wasn't saying.
This dungeon had responded to him.
That meant he had to choose.
Day 7 – 5:45 AM – Choosing the Path
Kyung-min stepped closer, reaching out with Spectral Insight.
A faint pulse resonated from the middle path—the one with the shifting shadows.
It wasn't a warning.
It was… an invitation.
"This one," he said.
Tae-sik frowned. "You sure?"
"No."
Ji-hye scoffed. "Well, that's reassuring."
But no one argued.
Because the Dungeon had already chosen him.
And that meant he had to lead.
Day 7 – 5:50 AM – The Trial Begins
The moment they stepped inside, the air shifted.
The corridor stretched endlessly before them, the walls dark and seamless—like a void wrapped around solid stone.
Then—
The entrance vanished.
Tae-sik cursed. "Shit."
Min-jun frowned. "It's a spatial shift. We can't go back."
Seok-hoon's grip tightened on his sword. "Eyes open. If this is a test, we need to be ready."
The Silver-Haired Woman didn't speak.
She was listening.
Then—
A voice echoed from the darkness.
Day 7 – 6:00 AM – The Rules of the Trial
[System Alert!]
🔹 "You have entered the First Trial: The Labyrinth of Shadows."
🔹 "Escape within the time limit."
🔹 "Fail, and you will be consumed."
A countdown appeared.
🔹 [Time Remaining: 1:59:59 Minutes]
Seok-hoon let out a slow breath. "Two hours. That's… generous."
Ji-hye's fingers twitched over the grip of her dagger. "That means the trial isn't just about speed. If the time limit was short, we'd just have to run. Two hours means we're dealing with something more complicated."
Min-jun adjusted his glasses. "Puzzles. Traps. Possibly illusions."
Tae-sik scoffed. "Great. Just what we needed."
Kyung-min wasn't listening.
His Spectral Insight pulsed faintly, picking up something ahead.
A faint shimmer.
Tae-sik stiffened. "That's not ominous at all."
Min-jun turned, scanning their surroundings. "There's no door. No obvious exit. That means we have to trigger the escape mechanism ourselves."
Kyung-min exhaled. Two Hours.
Find the way out—or die.
Day 7 – 6:05 AM – The First Obstacle
They moved cautiously through the corridor, stepping over uneven stone.
The walls shifted slightly as they walked—as if the dungeon itself was watching them.
Then—Kyung-min stopped.
"Hold on."
The others halted.
He pointed at the ground. "There's something here."
Min-jun crouched, adjusting his glasses. "I don't see anything."
Kyung-min reached out.
His fingers brushed against the air—
And something invisible pushed back.
A barrier.
The moment he touched it, a System Message flickered.
🔹 [Trial Mechanism Detected!]
🔹 "To proceed, the veil must be lifted."
🔹 "Only the Forgotten may see the way forward."
"The Forgotten…?" Ji-hye frowned. "What does that mean?"
The Silver-Haired Woman was already watching Kyung-min.
And he understood.
He closed his eyes—and activated Spectral Insight.
Day 7 – 6:07 AM – Revealing the Path
The world shifted.
The moment Spectral Insight flared to life, the invisible barrier shimmered.
And then—a path appeared.
Not a physical one—a spiritual imprint.
Footprints. Old, faded traces of someone who had walked this trial before.
Kyung-min exhaled. "I can see it now."
Seok-hoon didn't question him. "Lead the way."
Ji-hye, however, muttered under her breath. "I don't like this."
Tae-sik agreed. "Yeah, me neither."
But they had no choice.
Kyung-min stepped forward.
And the others followed.
Day 7 – 6:10 AM – The Endless Path
The path twisted unnaturally.
At first, the corridor seemed straight, but as they walked, subtle changes made it feel wrong. The walls narrowed, then widened at random intervals. The flickering torchlight never remained in one place.
Ji-hye ran her fingers along the stone. "We're moving in circles."
Min-jun frowned. "No, the Dungeon is moving us in circles."
Tae-sik's grip tightened on his sword. "Then how the hell do we get out?"
No one answered.
Because no one knew.
Day 7 – 6:45 AM – Frustration Sets In
They had been walking for over thirty minutes.
Nothing had changed.
No enemies. No puzzles. Just more walking.
Tae-sik finally snapped. "This is bullshit!"
His voice echoed—and for a moment, it sounded like someone else had shouted it back.
Everyone froze.
Seok-hoon's expression darkened. "That wasn't an echo."
Kyung-min clenched his fists. "Something's here."
The Silver-Haired Woman remained silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
Day 7 – 7:10 AM – The First Slip
Kyung-min's legs ached.
Ji-hye exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "I swear to god, if this is just some mental trick—"
Then—
Tae-sik disappeared.
One second he was there—the next, gone.
"Shit!" Seok-hoon lunged forward—but there was nothing to grab.
The ground where Tae-sik had stepped was still there. Solid.
Yet he had vanished.
The silence stretched.
Then—his voice echoed from ahead.
"What the hell just happened!?"
Ji-hye's eyes widened. "He's still alive."
Min-jun nodded. "It's a space distortion. We're being displaced."
Kyung-min exhaled. They had to move forward.
One by one—they stepped into the distortion.
And the world shifted.
Day 7 – 7:55 AM – The Way Out
Time blurred.
They walked.
And walked.
And walked.
Until—
The path changed.
A new corridor appeared—different from the others.
A final passage.
The exit.
Kyung-min almost laughed.
But he was too tired.
Day 7 – 8:00 AM – Rest, At Last
The group stumbled into an open chamber.
Ji-hye dropped to the floor immediately. "I don't care what happens next. I'm resting."
Tae-sik groaned. "Screw this place."
Seok-hoon sat against the wall, silent but exhausted.
Min-jun checked his watch. "One hour, fifty minutes. Not bad."
The Silver-Haired Woman smirked. "You expected worse?"
Kyung-min didn't answer.
Because he was too busy staring at the next door.
The next trial was waiting.
But for now—they rested.