The hum of the private jet filled the cabin as Juno sat between Jaemin and Hanni. The clouds blurred past the windows, a blanket of mist marking their transition from home to the unknown. They were en route to Vardania, a powerful hunter nation in Eastern Europe, known for its brutal dungeons and elite guilds. This was no ordinary mission—this was the international stage.
Juno glanced down at his clenched fists. Though he now bore power unimaginable for an E-rank, the stigma of his rank still followed him. The system hadn't updated his official stats; the world still saw him as the weakest link.
"Try to relax," Jaemin said, smirking. "You're stiff as a corpse. Again."
"Jaemin…" Hanni muttered, elbowing him lightly.
"What? He was dead once. I'm just saying he needs to enjoy this flight before we get thrown into some medieval torture dungeon."
Despite himself, Juno chuckled. Their banter made it easier to ignore the gnawing anxiety in his chest. He had faced death before—but this mission felt different. Bigger.
---
Upon landing, the team was welcomed at the Vardania Hunter Guild Headquarters—a massive steel and glass structure guarded by statues of ancient beasts. Inside, they were led to a briefing room where hunters from different countries were already assembled.
The Vardanians were tall, heavily armored, and unimpressed. Juno could feel their eyes on him—their sneers barely concealed.
"Why is an E-rank here?" one of them asked aloud. "Is this a joke?"
Another hunter, clad in red armor, scoffed. "Dead weight. I hope you brought a coffin with you."
Juno stayed quiet. His heart thudded in his chest, but he said nothing. He remembered the void. The pain. The rebirth. If they only knew what lived beneath his skin.
Jaemin was less restrained. "You wanna say that again, Red Armor Reject?"
The Vardanians paused, staring at Jaemin with a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"Oh yeah," Jaemin grinned, hands on his hips, "I talk back. Try not to cry."
"Jaemin," Hanni whispered sharply, but her smile betrayed her amusement.
Training began the next day. The international guild divided them by rank. Jaemin was placed with the A-ranks, Hanni with the Bs. Juno? He was benched.
He sat alone in the observation bay, watching them spar. Watching Jaemin flip opponents with graceful fury, Hanni cleaving targets with glowing daggers. Juno's heart burned—not with jealousy, but with longing.
At night, the system would whisper.
[SYSTEM QUEST: TRAIN OR DIE.]
[WARNING: Shadow Strengthening Locked Until Base Stamina Increases.]
He trained in secret. Push-ups, sprints, core work—until his muscles tore and reformed, until sweat burned his eyes. Until he collapsed.
"You're not weak," Hanni said one night, handing him water.
Jaemin joined, tossing him a protein bar. "They think you're a sheep, but you're just a wolf in nap-mode."
"I won't let you two down," Juno said, eyes fierce.
"You already didn't," Jaemin replied.
---
Two weeks later, the final mission was announced. An A-rank dungeon—said to be unstable but manageable. 24 hunters, two guild leaders, one goal: clear it.
They entered in teams. The inside was cold, obsidian black with walls that pulsed like veins. The deeper they went, the darker it became.
That's when the screaming started.
"What's going on?!" shouted one hunter.
The guild leader's voice cracked over comms. "This isn't A-rank. We're getting spikes—power levels matching... S-RANK! IT'S A SPECIALIZED S-RANK DUNGEON!"
Panic set in. Creatures emerged from the shadows—hulking beasts with razor jaws and eyes that glowed like dying stars.
"EVERYONE, FALL BACK!"
But it was too late.
The dungeon began to collapse inward, paths crumbling behind them. A roar echoed from the depths.
The king was awake.
---
Juno stood still.....