Jinhyuk arrived at the meeting point early, his mind running through possible battle strategies. His illusions were still weak, but every fight was an opportunity to improve.
Kang Jisoo and the others arrived soon after.
Kang Jisoo: The C-Class swordsman, their leader.
Sooyoung: The spear-wielding woman, precise and efficient.
Young Man (Crossbow User): Quiet but deadly from a distance.
"Alright," Jisoo said, checking his gear. "Standard D-Class dungeon. Ruined fortress. Mostly goblins. Should be easy."
Jinhyuk nodded.
That was the plan.
But plans rarely survived reality.
A Strange Dungeon Entrance
The moment they entered the dungeon, something felt off.
Dungeons always had a predictable atmosphere. This one didn't.
The air was heavy. The walls were cracked, ancient. The torches flickered with an unnatural blue glow.
Sooyoung frowned. "This doesn't feel like a normal D-Class dungeon."
Jisoo hesitated. "Could be just the environment. Let's proceed carefully."
They moved forward in formation, weapons drawn.
Silence.
No goblins. No movement. Nothing.
The First Signs of Trouble
As they approached the inner chamber, Jinhyuk felt something.
A presence.
His skin prickled. His illusions, weak as they were, reacted to something unseen.
"Wait," he whispered. "Something's wrong."
The group halted.
Then—
A roar.
A massive figure stepped out of the shadows.
It wasn't a goblin.
It wasn't supposed to be here.
A Monster Beyond Their Rank
The creature stood at least two meters tall.
A hobgoblin chieftain.
Not a regular hobgoblin.
An elite variant.
Its muscles bulged. Its eyes burned with cunning intelligence. A massive rusted cleaver rested on its shoulder.
Jisoo's face drained of color.
"This… this is C-Class at minimum."
Jinhyuk's heart pounded.
D-Class dungeons weren't supposed to have C-Class monsters.
Something was wrong with this Gate.
And they were trapped inside.
The hobgoblin grinned.
Then it charged.
---
The Hobgoblin Chieftain charged with terrifying speed.
Jisoo barely had time to raise his sword before the massive cleaver came crashing down.
BOOM!
The impact shattered the ground, sending shockwaves through the chamber. Jisoo was flung backward, barely dodging a fatal blow.
"This thing is too strong!" Sooyoung shouted, gripping her spear tightly.
Jinhyuk's mind raced.
A D-Class team versus a C-Class elite… We're outmatched.
But they had no choice.
The dungeon had sealed itself.
The Battle Begins
The crossbowman fired a bolt straight at the Chieftain's eye.
THUNK!
The hobgoblin caught it midair.
Then, with a flick of its wrist, it hurled the bolt back.
Straight into the crossbowman's chest.
Blood sprayed across the stone floor.
He staggered, gasping. "I—"
Before he could finish, the hobgoblin was on him.
SLASH!
The cleaver cut clean through.
The crossbowman collapsed.
Dead.
A Moment of Horror
Jinhyuk froze.
He's dead. Just like that.
It wasn't like the weak goblins they had fought before. This was real. Brutal.
Sooyoung screamed, thrusting her spear. The Chieftain blocked it with ease, knocking her back.
Jisoo gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! We have to kill this thing before it kills us!"
But how?
They were outmatched.
Jinhyuk's hands trembled. His illusions were too weak to fight head-on.
Then he remembered.
Illusions aren't for direct combat… They're for deception.
His eyes narrowed.
If they couldn't overpower it—they had to outsmart it.
Jinhyuk's Plan
He took a deep breath.
Then, he activated his ability.
A phantom Jinhyuk appeared beside him.
Then another.
Then another.
The hobgoblin blinked in confusion.
The illusions rushed forward.
The Chieftain swung its cleaver—but hit nothing but air.
It roared in frustration.
That was Jinhyuk's chance.
Come on… believe it…
He created an illusion of Jisoo and Sooyoung attacking from the left.
The Chieftain turned—leaving its right side exposed.
Jisoo saw the opening.
He lunged.
SLASH!
His sword bit deep into the hobgoblin's ribs.
It howled in pain.
For the first time, they had a chance.