Jinhyuk's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the empty wall where the door had been. His mind raced. Did I just imagine it? No… I know what I saw.
The strange engravings, the rusted iron frame—it had been real. But now, there was nothing but jagged rock and darkness.
"Jinhyuk, what the hell are you doing?" Jisoo's irritated voice snapped him back. "Stop daydreaming and keep moving."
"Yeah… sorry," Jinhyuk mumbled, forcing himself to follow the group. But a nagging feeling remained. Something was wrong with this dungeon.
---
The deeper they ventured, the stronger the unsettling aura became. Even the goblins, usually aggressive in packs, seemed hesitant—lurking in the shadows rather than attacking.
They finally reached a wide chamber where clusters of glowing crystals lined the cavern walls. At the center lay the remains of an old wooden mining cart and rusted rails leading into another dark passage.
Jisoo signaled for them to stop. "Alright, we clear this room, take a short break, then move on."
Just as he spoke, a guttural screech echoed through the chamber.
From the darkness, a large goblin emerged—its body twice the size of the others they had fought, with jagged bone armor covering its limbs. A Hobgoblin.
"A miniboss?" Sooyeon muttered, gripping her spear. "In a D-Class dungeon?"
"Who cares?" Jisoo smirked, raising his sword. "More money for us."
The hobgoblin roared and charged.
Jisoo dashed forward, slashing at its side, but the creature twisted at the last second, blocking with its bone-covered forearm. The impact sent Jisoo skidding back.
Sooyeon lunged next, thrusting her spear toward the hobgoblin's neck—but the monster swiped at her, knocking her off balance.
"Damn, it's fast," she hissed.
Jinhyuk gritted his teeth. This is bad. He focused his mana, casting his illusion.
A second Jisoo appeared beside the real one, mirroring his stance. The hobgoblin hesitated, glancing between the two.
Jisoo took the opening, dashing in for a slash—but the hobgoblin reacted instantly, swinging its clawed hand straight through the illusion.
It saw through it.
Jinhyuk barely had time to process what happened before the creature's eyes snapped to him.
His blood ran cold.
With a deafening snarl, the hobgoblin leaped straight at him.
Too fast.
Jinhyuk froze. His body screamed at him to dodge, but he was too slow. Too weak.
At that moment—it happened.
A sharp, piercing ring filled his ears. The world around him shattered like broken glass.
And suddenly—he was standing in front of the door again.
The same iron door with engravings, just like before. Except this time, it wasn't disappearing. It was real.
And on its surface, glowing with an eerie light, were words written in an unknown language.
Yet somehow—he could understand them.
> [Do you wish to survive?]
Jinhyuk gasped for breath, his entire body trembling. The sound of the hobgoblin's roar was distant now, as if muffled by invisible walls.
Was this… another illusion? No. This was something else.
His instincts screamed at him. He didn't have time to question it.
With shaking hands, he reached out—and pushed the door open.
The moment he did—
A surge of energy unlike anything he had ever felt before flooded his body.
And everything went dark.
---
Darkness.
Jinhyuk's body felt weightless, as if he were floating in an abyss. His limbs wouldn't move. His breath felt trapped in his chest.
Then—a voice.
> "You have chosen to survive."
A flicker of light pierced the void.
Jinhyuk gasped as his body was pulled downward, like being yanked into an unseen current. His surroundings shifted violently, and suddenly—
He was somewhere else.
A vast, endless hall of stone and shadow. Towering pillars lined the space, each covered in strange, glowing engravings. The ceiling stretched into darkness, while the floor beneath him was cold, ancient stone.
At the far end of the hall, a throne stood—massive, cracked with age, yet radiating an oppressive presence.
And on it sat a figure.
A man—or something resembling one—clad in tattered obsidian robes, his face obscured beneath a hood. His presence alone sent a deep, primal fear into Jinhyuk's bones.
The figure slowly lifted its head. Two piercing silver eyes locked onto Jinhyuk.
> "Kneel."
The sheer weight of that single word crushed down on him like a tidal wave. Jinhyuk gasped, his legs buckling. His body refused to resist.
> "You are weak," the figure continued, his voice deep, ancient, and layered with something inhuman. "Unworthy. Yet you have opened the door."
Jinhyuk clenched his teeth. "Who… are you?"
> "The Forgotten."
The name echoed in the chamber. The figure stood, stepping down from the throne. His movements were slow, deliberate, yet filled with overwhelming authority.
> "You wish to change your fate. But power is not given freely. It is taken, stolen, or earned."
Jinhyuk's heart pounded. "Then… what do I have to do?"
The Forgotten raised his hand. The air trembled as three black doors materialized before Jinhyuk. Each door bore an inscription.
> [Door of Sacrifice]
[Door of Trial]
[Door of Submission]
Jinhyuk swallowed hard.
> "Choose."
Each door radiated an eerie aura. He could feel their meanings in his bones.
[Door of Sacrifice] — It demanded something precious in return. A cost he may not be willing to pay.
[Door of Trial] — A challenge where failure meant death.
[Door of Submission] — Power without struggle… but at a cost he couldn't yet see.
Jinhyuk's fingers curled into a fist. There was only one choice.
> He stepped toward the Door of Trial.
The Forgotten let out a soft chuckle. "Foolish, yet brave."
The door creaked open.
And then—the world twisted again.
---
The Trial Begins
When Jinhyuk's vision cleared, he found himself standing in a massive stone coliseum. The sky above was a swirling storm of red and black.
The stands were empty. The only thing in the arena was him… and something else.
A massive creature stood at the far end of the coliseum. Its twisted, skeletal body was draped in dark iron armor, and in its hands, it held a rusted greatsword the size of a car.
Its hollow eyes burned with soulless fire.
> [Trial of the Forgotten]
Defeat the Guardian or Die.
Jinhyuk's breath hitched. This isn't fair.
The Guardian lifted its sword. The air howled as it swung.
Jinhyuk barely moved in time. The blade slammed into the ground where he stood a moment ago, shattering stone and sending shockwaves through the air.
If that had hit him, he would have died instantly.
His heartbeat roared in his ears. His body trembled.
He had no sword. No armor. Just his illusions.
How the hell was he supposed to win?
The Guardian turned toward him, raising its sword again.
And Jinhyuk realized—he had no choice but to fight.