The tour had started like any other school activity.
The dungeon's air was thick, heavier than usual. Jihoon could feel it in his lungs, like breathing through syrup. The stone walls of the Hollow Realm were covered in glowing veins of blue mana, pulsing slowly like a heartbeat. This was no ordinary cave — it was a fragment of another world.
Their teacher, Instructor Baek, stood in front of the class with hands behind his back, speaking clearly.
"Alright, listen up. This is an E-rank dungeon, fully cleared, and temporarily stabilized. It's safe — no monsters, no core aggression. That's why the Academy is using it for field study."
Students nodded, some half-listening, others whispering or taking pictures with their watches. Jihoon stayed silent, watching the glowing walls.
Baek continued, voice rising to catch the drifting attention.
"Now, a quick history refresher. Dungeons aren't just random portals — they're connected to a place we call the Hollow Realm. Some believe it's a different dimension. Others think it's another world with its own sky, stars, and laws of nature."
He pointed upward.
"Scientists sent rockets upward. Every time, they crashed. Some say it's due to mana density messing with gravity. Others think the realm is rejecting foreign tech."
He turned back to the class.
"What we know is this: Mana fuels our abilities, but to ordinary people, it's poisonous. Lethal. They can last an three hours at most here before they faint or worse. And thats why only the awakened students could participate in the dungeon tour. And That's also why when a dungeon opens near a civilian zone, it's evacuated immediately."
Baek's face turned grim.
"Even if the monsters don't come out, mana radiation spreads. It eats at the body. Kills silently. That's why clearing dungeons is a priority. The core must be destroyed — that shuts the gate. But remember: after destroying it, you have two hours to get out before it collapses."
He pointed toward a glowing sphere behind protective barriers.
"We left this one intact. It's safe — pacified. We use it for training and experiments."
Jihoon stood near the back of the group, arms crossed, the words slipping through his ears like fog. He wasn't really listening.
He was watching.
The Others… they weren't here. Not like in the real world, where shadows always clung to his vision. Only one remained — the same one from last night, It hadn't spoken since.
Jihoon's heart wouldn't settle.
And then it happened.
The ground shook.
Mr. Han's head snapped toward the dungeon's core — a swirling black crystal suspended on an obsidian pedestal. It pulsed violently, mana flaring like wildfire.
Out of nowhere, a rip tore open in the air beside the crystal.
Not a portal.
A fracture.
From that crack, something monstrous stepped through.
A Titan.
7 stories tall. Gray body. Runic scars burned across its skin. Its hollow black eyes landed on Jihoon immediately.
"STAY BACK!" Mr. Han shouted, golden energy exploding around him.
Students screamed. Some fell. Others tried to run, but panic made their legs useless.
The Titan moved, swinging a massive mana axe down on the group. Mr. Han summoned a golden barrier just in time. The axe cracked the dome with a booming thud, mana sparks flying like fireworks.
Jihoon's eyes widened.
"The Others' warning...
This was what they meant."
The Titan wasn't here for destruction.
It was here for him.
Mr. Han turned, face pale. "Everyone — RUN!"
The dungeon's walls groaned. Mana density spiked. The very air twisted with pressure.
"It's collapsing!" a student screamed.
The students bolted for the exit gate. Jihoon tried to follow — but his feet refused to move.
The Titan lifted its axe again.
In one swift movement, it cleaved the group in half.
Half of Jihoon's classmates vanished in an instant.
Gone.
The survivors ran blindly, some crying, some yelling, but they didn't look back.
When they neared the gate —
The Titan teleported .
It appeared right in front of them.
"NO!" Mr. Han stepped forward, blood dripping from his nose. "Run!!"
He summoned another golden wall, barely stopping the axe's second swing. But his body was trembling now. He couldn't last long.
That's when Jihoon felt it again — the pull.
A whisper behind his ear.
> "Make the pact," said the Other.
"Now, or you die here."
Jihoon clenched his fists. "What do you want?!"
> "A piece of you. It's temporary. A small price. A nail. A finger. Choose now."
The gate was flickering. Mr. Han's barrier cracked.
Jihoon tore off one of his thumbnails with a wince and threw it into the air.
> "Accepted," said the Other.
A circle of runes lit up beneath Jihoon's feet. The world around him bent like liquid.
In a flash —
He was gone.
---
He slammed into the floor of his bedroom, gasping.
His vision swam.
He was alive.
Blood dripped from his hand.
Then —
A shimmer in the air.
The Titan.
It was watching him.
Trapped.
Unable to cross.
But it saw him.
It knew him now.
A sound dinged.
A system window popped up before his eyes:
---
🔷 System Notification
‣ Temporary Pact Detected.
‣ Supernatural Bond Acknowledged.
🔷 You have entered the path of the Forbidden.
🔷Requirement: make a contract with a nethrak(completed)
🔷Level Up!
→ Level 1 → Level 2
---
He looked at his reflection.
His irises shimmered — silver rings now danced with black threads.
He wasn't normal anymore.
Not to humans.
Not to the Others.
He belonged… in between.