The Hobgoblin Chieftain howled in pain, clutching its bleeding side.
Jisoo's attack had landed, but the monster wasn't done yet.
Its eyes burned with rage.
It swung wildly, forcing Jisoo to retreat.
"We need to end this now!" Sooyoung yelled, gripping her spear.
Jinhyuk took a deep breath.
My illusions worked, but they're still too weak. If I push too hard, I'll pass out.
But hesitation meant death.
The crossbowman's lifeless body was proof of that.
Jinhyuk had to risk it.
A Desperate Gamble
Jinhyuk focused.
He created **another illusion—**this time, something bigger.
An S-Class hunter.
A towering, armored warrior with a glowing sword, appearing right behind the Chieftain.
The hobgoblin froze.
Come on… believe it…
For a split second, doubt flashed in its eyes.
That was all they needed.
Jisoo and Sooyoung charged.
SLASH!
THRUST!
Jisoo's sword dug deep into its chest. Sooyoung's spear pierced its throat.
The Hobgoblin Chieftain trembled.
Then, with a final, guttural growl, it collapsed.
Dead.
Aftermath
Silence.
Jinhyuk fell to his knees, his body trembling from exhaustion.
His illusions vanished.
Jisoo and Sooyoung panted, staring at the fallen monster.
They had won.
But at a cost.
Jisoo glanced at the crossbowman's corpse. His jaw clenched.
"Let's get out of here."
Jinhyuk nodded, but a sinking feeling remained in his gut.
This dungeon was supposed to be D-Class.
So why had there been a C-Class elite?
Something was wrong.
And this was only the beginning.
---
The dungeon core chamber stood before them, its eerie blue light casting flickering shadows on the walls. Normally, dungeons collapsed once the boss was slain, but this one still felt… unstable.
Jisoo wiped the blood from his sword. "Let's grab proof of the kill and get out of here."
Sooyoung nodded, still shaken. The crossbowman's lifeless body lay nearby, his face frozen in shock.
Jinhyuk barely heard them.
Something was wrong.
This dungeon should be breaking apart, but it's not… Why?
His gaze drifted toward the glowing core.
Then—
A whisper.
A voice that should not exist.
"You are not supposed to be here."
Jinhyuk's breath caught.
The room darkened. The air thickened.
And then—
A shape moved within the core's glow.
A Glimpse of Something Else
It wasn't human.
It wasn't a monster.
It was something worse.
A twisted, shifting figure stood within the light, barely visible, as though existing in another reality.
Its golden eyes locked onto Jinhyuk.
"You saw beyond. You heard the Forgotten One. And now… others will come for you."
A chill ran down his spine.
Jisoo and Sooyoung were talking, but their voices were distant—as if he had stepped outside time.
The figure tilted its head.
Then it whispered:
"Do you think the gates appeared by chance?"
Jinhyuk tried to move.
He couldn't.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
This thing knows about the Forgotten One… Who—no, WHAT—is it?!
The golden eyes narrowed.
Then—
The dungeon shattered.
Escape from the Dungeon
A shockwave of energy exploded from the core.
Jisoo cursed. "Shit! The dungeon is collapsing!"
Jinhyuk stumbled back to reality as the world around them began to crack apart.
The walls crumbled. The ceiling split open.
"RUN!" Sooyoung screamed.
They sprinted toward the exit, dodging falling debris.
Jinhyuk's legs felt like lead. His illusions flickered, unstable after what he had just seen.
Was that real? Was it an illusion? No… It was something else entirely.
They barely made it.
The dungeon's entrance vanished behind them, collapsing in on itself.
A normal dungeon would leave behind a mana crystal core.
This one? Nothing remained.
Only silence.
Jisoo stared at the empty space. "What the hell just happened…?"
Jinhyuk didn't answer.
He wasn't sure he wanted to know.
---
The cold night air hit Jinhyuk's face as they stepped out of the dungeon. The ruined cave behind them was silent—as if it had never existed.
Jisoo was breathing hard, his face pale. "That… wasn't normal."
Sooyoung sat down on a rock, staring at her hands. "We lost someone today." Her voice was flat, exhausted.
The crossbowman's absence hung over them like a shadow.
Jinhyuk clenched his fists.
He wasn't just weak.
He had hesitated.
> If I had acted faster… could I have saved him?
No. That thing in the dungeon was beyond anything a D-Class team should have faced.
Jinhyuk swallowed. "We should report this to the DHR. A C-Class boss in a D-Class gate isn't normal."
Jisoo exhaled sharply. "Yeah… but no one's gonna believe us."
He wasn't wrong.
Guilds, government hunters, and the DHR ignored lower-rank hunters. If they went to report this without proof, they'd be dismissed as cowards or liars.
Jinhyuk looked at the empty space where the dungeon had collapsed.
> No core. No monster remains. No evidence.
If he mentioned the voice from the core…
They'd think he was insane.
---
A Bitter Reward
They gathered what little loot they had collected from the goblins and headed to the Guild Exchange Center.
The staff barely glanced at them before weighing their haul.
After a few minutes, they were given their earnings.
Jisoo: 320,000 won
Sooyoung: 310,000 won
Jinhyuk: 150,000 won
Jinhyuk frowned.
> They reduced my cut again.
Even though his illusions had saved them, he still got the lowest pay.
Jisoo noticed but didn't say anything. This was how the world worked—weaker hunters got scraps.
Jinhyuk took the money and forced a smile. "At least we survived."
Sooyoung gave him a tired look. "Yeah. Barely."
---
Returning Home
Jinhyuk took the late-night train back home. The cold metal seats were mostly empty, except for a few exhausted workers.
His body ached. His mana was drained.
But his mind wouldn't rest.
> What was that thing in the core? Who was the Forgotten One warning me about?
His hands tightened around his bag.
He was weak.
Too weak.
If he wanted to survive… he had to change.
---
A Warm Welcome
When Jinhyuk stepped into his small apartment, he was greeted by a shout.
"HYUNG!"
Jinhwan, his 19-year-old younger brother, ran up with a grin. "You're back late! Did you fight anything cool?"
Jinhyuk forced a chuckle. "Yeah, just some goblins."
Jinhwan pouted. "Boring. At least tell me you got some loot."
Before Jinhyuk could answer, a sharp voice cut in.
"Jinhwan, stop bothering him."
Jinhee, his twin sister, stood in the doorway, arms crossed.
Her sharp eyes scanned Jinhyuk's face—and immediately noticed the exhaustion.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," she said quietly.
Jinhyuk sighed. "I'm fine."
Jinhwan frowned. "You look like hell, hyung."
Before Jinhyuk could answer, a soft voice came from the kitchen.
"Jinhyuk, is that you?"
His mother, Seo Mira, stepped out, wiping her hands on her apron. She smiled. "You're just in time. I made dinner."
Jinhyuk's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten all day.
"Sit down before it gets cold," his father, Jin Sangho, added, stepping out of the back room. His tired face brightened slightly at the sight of his son.
Jinhyuk hesitated.
The dungeon. The battle. The voice from the core.
For a moment, he thought about telling them.
But then he saw their worried faces.
> They don't need to know.
He forced a smile. "Smells great, Mom."
For now… he would keep his secrets.