Their Turn to Die
The blood-red mist churned, thick and oppressive, obscuring the dungeon's jagged walls. Yoo Jihwan stood in silence, his gaze fixed ahead. The cold dungeon floor pressed against his boots, yet his body felt oddly detached, as if standing on the border of life and death.
Just moments ago, he had been abandoned. Left to die. And he had died.
Yet here he was, standing once more in the same dungeon, his breath steady, his mind sharper than before.
And now, it was their turn.
His former allies—no, his betrayers—had ventured further into the dungeon without him. They must have assumed he was already dead. Expendable.
Jihwan clenched his fists. His heartbeat was calm, unnaturally so. The system had given him something after his death.
[ You are bearing the Mark of Death. ]
[ For 30 minutes, dungeon creatures will not perceive you as living. ]
A twisted sort of mercy.
The monsters didn't attack him. To them, he was nothing more than a corpse, unworthy of their attention. But his betrayers? They were still prey.
Jihwan moved forward. Silent. Unseen.
---
Screams tore through the dungeon.
Jihwan arrived just in time to witness the chaos.
Lee Hyunwoo, the once-confident A-rank swordsman, swung his blade desperately, cutting through the fog-like forms of the Bloodmist Wraiths. Kim Jisoo, the healer, was backed into a corner, her trembling hands glowing faintly with light. The other two hunters had already fallen—bodies shredded, blood seeping into the mist.
The creatures surrounded them, their eerie whispers filling the air, hungry and unrelenting.
Then—
[ Quest: Do Not Help the Betrayers. ]
[ Reward: Rune of Exit. ]
[ Penalty: Death. ]
Jihwan's breath didn't even hitch. He had no intention of helping them.
"Damn it! Jisoo, heal me!" Hyunwoo barked, his blade slashing wildly.
"I—I can't! My mana—!" Jisoo's voice cracked as panic overtook her.
They were breaking. Desperation clawed at them as the Bloodmist Wraiths circled, striking in unpredictable patterns, their incorporeal forms slipping through attacks before tearing into flesh.
Jihwan remained still.
This was the fate they had chosen the moment they turned their backs on him.
A deep, shuddering breath left his lips. He felt nothing. No sympathy. No hatred.
Just emptiness.
The final screams echoed through the cavern before silence fell once more.
Jihwan stepped forward, his boots splashing in the blood-soaked ground. Hyunwoo's lifeless body lay twisted, his sword still clutched tightly. Jisoo's empty eyes stared into nothingness, her face frozen in terror.
[ Quest Completed. ]
[ Reward Received: Rune of Exit. ]
A cold system message appeared before him.
Then—
[ You may now exit the dungeon. ]
Jihwan exhaled slowly. His fingers flexed, adjusting to the weight of reality.
Without hesitation, he walked toward the dungeon gate. He had no reason to stay.
This time, he had survived.
And next time—he would make sure he never had to rely on luck again.
End of Chapter