The sound of metal on stone rang through the cavern.
Clang. Clang.
Lee Ji-hoon's arms trembled as he swung his rusted pickaxe into the side of the wall. A faint crack spread through the mana crystal embedded in the rock, glowing dimly before it chipped loose. Dust clung to his sweat-soaked face, and his gloves were torn at the seams.
Somewhere ahead, the hunters laughed. Their swords still dripped with monster blood, their armor glimmered faintly with enchantments. They looked like heroes carved from steel and fire.
Ji-hoon didn't look at them. He lowered his head and pried the crystal out of the stone, slipping it into the sack at his side.
"Hey, miner!" a voice jeered. "At this rate, we'll be here all night."
More laughter followed. Ji-hoon's shoulders stiffened, but he said nothing. He had learned long ago that words didn't matter. Hunters like them would never respect someone like him—someone with no real skills, no real power.
His license said F-rank. His skills? Spark and Kick. Nothing more than a flicker of static and a clumsy lunge. A joke.
He was only here to collect stones after the fight was done. That was his role. That was all the world ever expected of him.
I never asked to be here, Ji-hoon thought, his jaw tightening. But I need the money. I can't let her die.
A deep voice echoed across the chamber. The guild leader was checking his watch, impatient."All right, job's done. Pack it up."
And then, the ground shook.
The walls split open, cracks glowing with a golden light that spread like veins of fire. Ancient markings bled across the stone, and the corpse of the dungeon boss dissolved into ash.
The hunters froze.
"What the hell…?""This isn't in the raid briefing!"
The cavern floor split apart. Dust and light erupted, revealing a staircase spiraling down into darkness.
A hidden ruin.
The guild leader's eyes snapped toward Ji-hoon, who was crouched near the glowing cracks with his pickaxe. His face twisted with rage."You. What did you do?"
Ji-hoon's head jerked up, startled. "I—I didn't—"
"Shut your mouth!" the leader roared. "You triggered this!"
The others began shouting, fear and greed mixing in their voices. Some wanted to leave, but others—eyes gleaming—talked of treasures that might lie below.
And Ji-hoon? He had no choice. When they descended into the ruin, they shoved him along with them.
The chamber below was unlike anything Ji-hoon had ever seen.
It looked like a cathedral carved from the bones of giants. Statues towered along the walls, faceless guardians with swords raised high. The air was thick with mana, heavy enough to choke. At the far end stood an altar, golden inscriptions pulsing faintly across its surface.
"Jackpot," one hunter whispered, greed burning in his eyes.
But then the door slammed shut behind them.
The statues' eyes glowed crimson.
"Wait… something's wrong—"
The floor erupted. Stone spears shot upward, impaling two hunters where they stood. Their screams ended in a spray of blood. Panic followed.
"It's a trap!""Find a way out!"
The survivors scrambled, clawing at the sealed door.
And in the chaos, Ji-hoon saw it.
Atop the altar, half-buried in dust, was a relic. Broken, black and gold, its surface shimmered faintly with light. His breath caught in his throat. It called to him, like it had been waiting for this moment—waiting for him.
"Don't touch it!" one of the hunters screamed, noticing him."Ji-hoon, get away from there!"
But his legs moved on their own. Trembling, he reached out and brushed his fingers across the relic's cold surface.
And then, everything changed.
The air cracked with power. A system window appeared before Ji-hoon's eyes—but it wasn't like the ones he'd seen before. The letters were jagged, alive, burning into his vision.
[Inheritance of the Forgotten One detected.][Do you wish to walk the Infinite Path?]
His breath hitched. "What… what is this?"
The statues groaned, splitting open. Monsters of stone and shadow dragged themselves from the walls. Hunters screamed, sprinting toward the door.
"Damn miner!""He cursed us—leave him!"
And just like that, they abandoned him.
Ji-hoon collapsed to his knees, clutching the relic to his chest. His whole body shook as tears blurred his vision. His voice broke into a desperate whisper.
"Please… I don't want to die here. If anyone's listening… if there's a god, or… anything at all… give me a chance."
The relic pulsed.
Light swallowed the ruin, black and gold entwined. The monsters shrieked, their bodies unraveling into dust. The System's voice roared in his ears:
[Skill Evolution System unlocked.][All chains have been severed.][The Infinite Path begins.]
And then the world collapsed into darkness.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Ji-hoon's eyes fluttered open to the sterile white ceiling of a hospital room. His arms were wrapped in bandages. His body ached, but he was alive.
Outside the door, voices argued.
"That useless miner killed them!""He must have stolen something!"
Ji-hoon clenched his fists. Same as always. Blamed. Worthless. Powerless.
But then—
A faint glow shimmered before his eyes. A status window.
[Active Skill: Spark (F). Evolvable.][Active Skill: Kick (F). Evolvable.][Unique System: Skill Evolution (∞).]
Ji-hoon's breath caught. His lips trembled as he whispered, almost afraid to believe it.
"…Evolvable?"
The glow reflected in his eyes, brighter than it had ever been. For the first time in his life… his heart raced with hope.