Ryu looked toward the sky. The black smoke rising between the distant mountains was growing denser. His face was no longer calm like a tourist—there was now a different kind of gleam in his eyes… the gleam that only a hunter carries.
"High-Level Entity, huh? Finally… something worth watching."
The villagers stared at him, caught between hope and fear.
"Sir, don't go there… it's death itself!" an old man said, trembling.
Ryu only gave a faint smile.
"Death is only for those… who can die."
He pulled his golden cloak tighter and stepped forward. With every step, the grass bent beneath him, and a strange pressure spread through the air, as if something great was about to happen.
At the edge of the mountains, the forest had turned into scorched earth. Trees burned and cracked, and in the middle stood a massive black wolf that had made its lair. Black flames burst out around it, and its red eyes glowed with rage.
With one glance, Ryu checked its level. A mocking smile curved on his lips.
"Level 4500? You're not even a warm-up. Fine, let's play a small game."
The wolf wasted no time and leapt at Ryu. Ryu simply snapped his fingers—a transparent barrier formed, and the wolf crashed into it, thrown backward. The ground split with deep cracks.
"Tch tch… so quick to anger?"
Ryu spun his finger. A golden magic circle formed in the air, releasing a gravitational pull. Smaller corrupted monsters were dragged together into one spot—and in the next moment, they disintegrated into dust.
The wolf roared, releasing black fire as it lunged again. Ryu took a single step and teleported directly in front of it. He placed his hand on the wolf's head and spoke softly:
"Sleep."
In an instant, its red eyes went dark, and it collapsed to the ground.
Ryu flicked his hand.
"That's all? Is Hardcore Mode really going to stay this boring?"
Just then, a system window lit up—
[Warning: Sealed Memory Fragment Triggered]
A small blue projection appeared before him. His old avatar stood on a battlefield… thousands of players dying around him, while a gentle smile lingered on his face.
"If I ever return… maybe I can meet all of them again… the ones who forgot me."
Ryu went silent for a moment. The same old pain returned to his eyes. He reached out his hand, but the projection vanished.
"…Are you all here?"
The air was silent. Then a sharp crack thundered. Behind him, a black rift tore open in space. From it poured a cold, terrifying aura that withered the forest trees.
[Emergency Alert: Dimensional Rift Opening – Unknown Boss Entity Emerging]
Ryu turned slowly to look. The rift was expanding, and from it emerged a massive black claw. The ground trembled, trees fell, and the air grew heavy with an eerie pain.
The old arrogant smile returned to his lips. He snapped his fingers—golden light swirled around him.
"Finally… something interesting."
From the rift, a monstrous beast emerged. Its red eyes blazed, its very presence splitting the air.
Ryu stepped forward.
"Warm-up's over… let's play the real game."
The beast lunged toward him. Before they even clashed, a thunderous explosion echoed through the air—
---
Trees shook, dirt scattered. The Rift Beast's body slammed into the ground, leaving massive cracks. It fixed its burning red eyes on Ryu and roared.
Ryu drew his cloak closer, taking a deep breath.
"You've got some style… let's see how long you can keep me entertained."
The beast charged again. Each step made the ground quake, the air fracture. Ryu stood calmly, his eyes casually following every movement.
The beast swung its claw—but in that instant, Ryu was above it, floating in the air. Golden magic symbols circled around him.
"First step… warm-up finished."
A snap. From the ground, a golden spear shot up, piercing the beast's claw. It roared, black lightning bursting from its body.
Ryu smiled. "Do you know how to dance? Fine, let me teach you."
A golden ring formed around the beast, pulling its body inward. But the beast's black aura shattered the ring.
The system blinked—
[Boss Name: Abyssal Rift Beast – Level ???]
[Warning: Power Synchronizing with Dimensional Core]
Ryu laughed and cracked his knuckles.
"Alright then… I won't let myself get bored either."
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the beast. He placed a hand on his chest.
"Break."
A golden shockwave erupted. The beast's body convulsed, a massive wound tearing across it. The forest shattered. The beast kept roaring… but in its red eyes, a strange flicker of memory glowed.
Ryu stopped. He looked into its eyes.
"You… do you know me?"
Half of the beast's monstrous face twisted into a strange, human-like smile.
"…Ryu."
Ryu's eyes widened slightly.
"You… you know my name?"
The beast's red eyes softened for a moment.
"…You wouldn't remember… but we've met before."
Ryu's face grew calm. Curiosity, and a hidden unease, surfaced in his gaze. The forest was silent. The two only stared at each other—a hunter and a beast… who perhaps was not an enemy.
The system notification flashed—
[Secret Quest Unlocked: Forgotten Bonds]
Ryu looked at the screen, then back at the beast. He spoke softly:
"…Interesting. So you're not just monsters."
There was a faint trace of human sorrow on the beast's face. And for the first time… Ryu hesitated before a fight.
—To Be Continued