"Some secrets are buried for a reason. But I've never been good at following the rules."
Hunter Academy Archives – The First Clue
The scent of aged parchment and ink filled the air as Joshua stepped into the academy's vast underground archives. Rows of towering bookshelves stretched across the room, their surfaces layered with dust—a sign that few students ever came here.
He walked between the aisles, his fingers lightly tracing the spines of old books, searching for any historical records about the academy's underground structure.
The system quest hadn't provided an exact location, but Joshua knew how to approach this.
"The ruins have to be connected to the academy's history."
In his past life, he had spent years honing battlefield tactics and strategy, and part of that was learning to decipher patterns in information.
If the ruins were beneath the academy, that meant they were either deliberately hidden or had been forgotten over time.
He reached a section labeled "Hunter Academy: Structural Evolution."
A smirk played at his lips. This should be useful.
Deciphering the Past
He pulled out several old maps and records, spreading them across a nearby table. His eyes scanned the blueprints of the academy from different time periods.
At first glance, everything seemed normal.
But then—
"There."
His eyes locked onto a subtle inconsistency.
• The oldest blueprint—from over a century ago—showed a large underground chamber beneath the academy's central wing.
• The newer blueprints—ones used today—showed nothing. As if it had been erased from existence.
"So they covered it up."
Joshua leaned back, rubbing his chin.
That meant one of two things:
1. The ruins were abandoned and considered useless.
2. Someone didn't want people finding them.
His instincts told him it was the latter.
And that only made him more interested.
An Unexpected Presence
As he studied the documents, a presence stepped into the archive hall.
Joshua's eyes flicked upward.
Standing a few meters away, brows furrowed slightly in curiosity, was Lee Sung En.
She wasn't in her combat uniform. Instead, she wore a fitted dark-blue academy jacket, her long violet hair cascading over her shoulders. The golden insignia of the Lee family crest rested on her collar, a symbol of her noble lineage.
Joshua didn't react. He simply went back to scanning the documents.
A moment of silence passed.
Then—
"…You don't seem surprised to see me." Her voice was calm but laced with intrigue.
Joshua smirked slightly, still focused on the map. "I sensed you watching me earlier."
Sung En's expression barely changed, but there was the faintest twitch of her lips.
"Observant," she admitted. "But I should be the one asking questions. Why is a 'regular' hunter so interested in the academy's underground structure?"
Joshua met her gaze, unfazed. "Why are you interested in me?"
Sung En blinked.
Her posture stiffened ever so slightly. It was subtle—so subtle that most people wouldn't have noticed. But Joshua did.
For the first time, she was caught off guard.
A second passed before she regained her composure. "…You're avoiding the question."
Joshua chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "And you're dodging mine."
A flicker of annoyance crossed her features, but before she could respond, he stood up, rolling up the map.
"Well, if you're so curious, why don't you come and find out?"
Sung En narrowed her eyes.
Challenge accepted.
The Forgotten Passage
With the clues he had gathered, Joshua made his way toward the old training hall, a rarely used section of the academy that had fallen into disrepair over the years.
It was quiet. Almost too quiet.
Perfect place to hide something.
He approached a wall where, according to the older blueprints, a staircase should have been. But in the current academy structure, it was just a flat, ordinary wall.
"So they sealed it."
Joshua stepped forward, placing his hand against the stone.
[DING!]
[Quest Update: Unlock the Sealed Ruins]
A powerful suppression enchantment is blocking entry.
Solution: Overload the seal with Aura or find an alternative entry method.
"Overload the seal?"
Joshua exhaled, his Aura flaring slightly. He pressed against the stone, pushing his energy into the wall.
At first, nothing happened.
Then—
A low hum resonated through the air.
Faint golden symbols flickered to life across the stone surface, reacting to his Aura. A barrier had definitely been placed here.
And it was old.
Joshua's eyes narrowed.
"If it's reacting to my Aura… then maybe—"
He channeled more power, feeding it into the barrier.
The symbols flashed brighter—then, with a sudden crackling sound, the stone shifted.
A deep rumbling filled the corridor as a hidden doorway revealed itself.
Joshua smirked.
"Got you."
The Warning Left Behind
Stepping inside, Joshua found himself in a narrow underground passageway lined with ancient carvings.
The air was thick with dust and stagnant energy, untouched for who knows how long.
As he moved deeper, his eyes scanned the symbols on the walls.
Then, he saw it.
A warning—etched into the stone in an old hunter dialect.
Joshua traced the words with his fingers, reading aloud:
"To those who walk this path—know that what lies within was never meant to be disturbed."
"The Guardian waits. The seal remains unbroken. Should you enter, you may awaken something beyond your understanding."
Joshua's smirk faltered slightly.
"…So it's not just a ruin."
Whatever was down here… someone wanted it sealed away.
And now, he was about to open that seal.
The system chimed again.
[Quest Update: Enter the Ruins]
Warning: Unknown Guardian presence detected.
Danger Level: ???
Would you like to proceed? [YES] / [NO]
Joshua stared at the glowing "YES" and "NO" options.
For a moment, he considered what this could mean.
Then, he grinned.
And without hesitation—
He pressed YES.
End of Chapter