Most people fear monsters because they can kill you.I fear them because they remind me of myself.
Both of us… were born hungry. Both of us… just trying to survive.
The stench in the dungeon was heavy, metallic, and wrong—like the air itself had bled out. The torchlight barely reached the walls, swallowed by shadows that moved when they shouldn't. My boots splashed through shallow puddles of black water, sending ripples across the stillness. Somewhere in the dark, something growled.
I tightened my grip on my sword—a rusted E-rank drop that had seen better days. The hilt was wrapped in worn leather that smelled faintly of smoke. My hands were already slick with sweat. Not from fear—…No. I was lying to myself. Definitely from fear.
"Rayan! You dragging your corpse or what?"Jisoo's voice bounced off the stone, sharp and impatient. He didn't turn to look at me. Leaders never look at the ones they expect to die.
"I'm right here," I said, though my voice didn't carry far.
A drop of cold water slid from the ceiling onto my neck. I flinched. My body had been wired for danger ever since the Awakening Gates appeared five years ago, since people like me—Hunters—were shoved into this nightmare for money, glory, or desperation.
Mine was the third.
The tunnel widened into a cavern, and I saw them—twelve Krell Hounds, their bodies a mockery of wolves. Limbs too long, ribs pushing against mottled skin, eyes burning like sickly lanterns.
I should've been terrified. Instead, I thought of her.
Serin's voice echoed in my head, soft and steady: Don't push yourself so far that you can't come home.I could almost smell her tea—cheap green leaves steeped too long, always a little bitter.
But bitter tea was better than an empty chair.
The first fireball went off, painting the cavern in violent orange. Arrows followed, slicing through the stale air. Steel met fang. The others surged forward like a tide of confidence. I stayed at the shore.
That's what E-ranks do. We're not waves—we're driftwood, carried by the current, praying not to sink.
Then one of the hounds broke from the pack, its head snapping toward me.
Its growl was low, a wet, bone-deep rumble. My legs moved back on their own, boots skidding on wet stone. My sword felt suddenly heavier.
It lunged—an arc of muscle, teeth, and hate.
CRACK!
An arrow tore through its skull, spraying hot blood that steamed in the cold air. The body skidded to a halt inches from me, its last breath curling out like smoke.
"Try not to look so useless, yeah?" Jisoo spat without glancing back. "We're not here to babysit."
I forced my jaw to unclench. Forced myself not to snap back. Instead, I stepped around the corpse, feeling its lifeless gaze on my back.
That's when I noticed it—my shadow.
It was wrong. Stretched too far, twisting along the wall like it didn't belong to me. And when I blinked… I thought I saw another pair of eyes open in it.
The Raid Turns
The fight dragged on. My arms ached from swinging at stragglers, my breathing ragged under the stale air. By the time the last hound fell, my mana reserves were nearly gone—what little I had as an E-rank was barely enough for a Quick Step.
We should have left.We didn't.
The cavern's far wall cracked open with a sound like stone screaming. A black doorway unfurled in the air, rippling like the surface of oil.
Jisoo grinned. "Bonus loot room. Jackpot."
Every nerve in my body screamed no. The air pouring from that rift was colder, heavier… hungry.
I thought of Serin again. How she'd frown if she saw me step into something like that. How she'd scold me for chasing danger I couldn't handle.
But medicine costs money. And money hides in danger.
So I followed.
The Double Dungeon
The doorway spat us into a hall lined with statues—giant stone warriors, each holding weapons or instruments. The air smelled older here, like the dust hadn't been disturbed in centuries.
"Spread out. Check for chests," Jisoo ordered.
I stayed close to the entrance. I've read enough raid reports to know—bonus rooms aren't blessings, they're traps with better lighting.
My eyes drifted upward. The statues' stone eyes seemed to follow us.
Then a voice—not spoken, but pressed directly into my head—whispered:
Welcome, Bearer of the Eclipse.
I spun. The others didn't react. Did they not hear it?
The doors slammed shut behind us. The torches in the hall flared to life, bathing the room in gold. The statues began to move.
The Trial
They didn't attack. Instead, a deep, resonant voice filled the hall:
Only those who kneel to the law shall live.
Jisoo scoffed. "Ignore it. Break the statues—"
The nearest one swung its axe. He was dead before he hit the floor.
Panic exploded. Hunters scattered, some fighting, others bolting for the sealed doors.
I froze. Serin's voice was in my head again—not real, just memory: Sometimes survival means knowing when to bow your head.
I dropped to my knees. My forehead touched the cold stone.
The swinging stopped. The statues ignored me, cutting down everyone still standing.
By the end, I was alone in a hall painted with blood. My hands shook, my knees numb from the stone floor.
Then the voice returned:
You may rise, Bearer of the Eclipse.
The Choice
The far wall split open, revealing a pedestal with a black crystal pulsing faintly, like a slow heartbeat.
When I touched it, the world dissolved into shadow.
A window blinked into existence before my eyes:
[Unique System Unlocked: The Eclipse]Condition: Soul-Link DetectedWarning: Power draw will shorten linked soul's lifespan.
My breath caught. Linked soul?
A new notification appeared, and my heart dropped:
Linked Soul: Serin HaRemaining Lifespan: 3 Years — Subject to change with System Usage.
I staggered back. My chest felt too tight, my throat raw.
Power—real power—was finally within my grasp. Enough to keep me alive in this world. Enough to earn the money for her medicine, her safety.
But every step forward would pull her closer to the edge.
And still… I closed my hand around the crystal.
Because without strength, I couldn't protect her at all.
That night, when I stumbled out of the dungeon into the pale light of dawn, the first thing I saw was her—waiting at the gates, hair messy from worry, a thermos of bitter tea in her hands.
She smiled in relief.I smiled back.And told her nothing.