Juno stood still, his breath shallow, the soft hum of the system vibrating through his bones. [System Mission Assigned: Solo Dungeon—B-Rank. Accept or Forfeit. Penalty for Refusal: Vitality Drain 10% daily.]
He had barely recovered from the last raid with Jaemin and Hanni. The weight of the sword he recently purchased from the system still felt foreign in his hand. Yet the moment he clicked "Accept," the world twisted again, and he was swallowed into darkness.
The dungeon felt wrong. The air reeked of dried blood and rusted metal. The walls of the cave pulsed like a living being, veins of glowing red tracing along the walls. Juno activated his system vision and watched as several heat signatures scattered in the distance.
"Shadows... stay alert."
His voice echoed low, and two shadows responded—ghostly specters in humanoid forms. They were from his previous kills, but he hadn't yet mastered commanding them.
A beast charged—a grotesque panther with bone spikes and three red eyes. Juno dodged, barely. The system chimed:
[Stat Check: Agility too low to dodge effectively. Recommended: Strengthen physique.]
"No time for lectures."
The beast pounced again, catching Juno by the side. Pain flared, his ribs cracking. Blood pooled at his lips. He screamed and countered, slicing upward as his shadow moved with him—one distracting, the other stabbing.
He barely survived wave after wave of beasts. Bones cracked, tendons tore, his stamina bar dipped into red. Finally, at the heart of the dungeon, the King emerged.
A ten-foot monster made entirely of molten stone and ash with magma running like veins across its arms. [Dungeon King: Vulkaros. Rank: B+.]
"System, I need backup."
[You are alone. Adapt. Or die.]
The ground ruptured beneath Vulkaros's roar. Juno summoned both shadows again, each charged. He activated his new skill: [Shadow Surge]—temporary enhancement of all shadow abilities for 60 seconds.
The battle raged. His blade shattered halfway through. Vulkaros slammed him into a wall. Juno coughed blood and spit out a tooth. The system activated emergency life support.
[Auto-Regeneration: Activated. Shadow Pool Consumed: 50%.]
The pain didn't stop. Vulkaros summoned molten spears. Juno barely rolled away. Fire scorched his legs.
His vision blurred.
"No... I won't die. Not again!"
With a roar, he surged forward, shadows mimicking his motion. The shadows held Vulkaros's limbs briefly—just long enough. Juno vaulted off a boulder and drove the broken blade hilt-first into Vulkaros's molten skull.
Silence.
Then:
[Victory. Dungeon King Slain. Level Up x2.]
[Shadow Extraction Possible. Proceed?]
He stabbed his hand into the molten remains. "Extract."
The shadow twisted, rippling out. The shape of Vulkaros rose behind him—tall, burning eyes replaced with empty voids. It bowed before him.
Juno collapsed.
---
When he woke up, Jaemin was leaning against the hospital doorframe with arms folded and a dangerous smirk.
"Yo. You nearly died. Again."
Juno blinked. "How—how did you even know I was—"
"I have my ways."
Something changed in Jaemin's gaze. It wasn't playful this time.
"You ever wonder how I joined that last raid?" Jaemin asked, tossing Juno an energy drink.
Juno frowned. "You said you were applying to my school."
Jaemin shrugged. "That wasn't a lie. But I also didn't say that my dad is Han Jaewon. You know… the guildmaster of the Silver Fangs."
Juno froze.
"You're… the heir to one of the five major guilds?"
Jaemin chuckled. "Yeah. I didn't want to say anything. I wanted to see if you'd treat me differently. Guess what? You didn't."
Juno's hands clenched. "Why tell me now?"
Jaemin's smile faded. "Because I saw what you did. I know you're different. The others forgot the raid… I didn't. I saw you command shadows. I saw you change."
Juno stood slowly. "So what now?"
"Now," Jaemin said, leaning in, "we keep secrets. Yours. Mine. We're in this together."
---
Two days later, a formal invitation arrived.
[International Guild Mission: Gate Activity Detected in Belgium. High-priority team requested. Assigned: Juno (Rank E+), Jaemin (Rank B), Hanni (Rank C). Mission: Scouting and First Contact.]
Juno looked at the envelope, then at his system notifications.
[Special Reward Unlocked: Guild Compatibility Boost. New Weapon Shop Tier Available.]
He grinned slightly. "Looks like the world's finally noticing."
Jaemin popped his head into the room. "Ready for Europe?"
Hanni followed, polishing her dual daggers. "Hope you boys can keep up."
Juno's eyes burned with purple light. "Let's go."