The next morning, the academy grounds buzzed with tension.
Dozens of students stood before a massive stone gate carved into the mountainside. Ancient runes glowed faintly across its surface, pulsing like a slow heartbeat.
The Beginner Dungeon.
For many, this would be their first real battle.
For some—it would be their first taste of fear.
"In teams of three to five," an instructor shouted. "Solo entry is prohibited. Dungeon rules apply—no killing teammates, no intentional sabotage. Survival is your responsibility."
Students immediately began grouping up.
Golden and Blue Core students gathered confidently, forming strong teams. Green cores followed, negotiating alliances.
Liam stood alone.
No one approached him.
"Hey… Liam."
Daniel stepped closer, rubbing the back of his neck. "You wanna team up? I already have two others, but—"
Liam shook his head gently. "You should stay with them."
Daniel frowned. "You don't have to—"
"I'll be fine," Liam said calmly.
Daniel hesitated, then nodded. "Be careful."
Liam watched as teams entered one by one, swallowed by the glowing gate.
Finally, only a few students remained.
"Three left," the instructor muttered. "Form a group or forfeit."
A tall girl with short silver hair glanced at Liam, then at the other remaining student.
"…Fine," she said. "Temporary team."
The third student nodded nervously.
Liam accepted without comment.
The gate flared.
And the world shifted.
Cold air rushed over them.
They stood inside a vast stone cavern, moss-covered walls glowing with faint blue light. The dungeon floor stretched endlessly forward, branching into dark tunnels.
A metallic chime echoed.
[Dungeon Entry Confirmed]Difficulty: BeginnerRecommended Level: 5–15Objective: Survive and growHidden Objective: ???
Liam's system reacted instantly.
[Legendary Core Detected: Dungeon Environment Compatible][EXP Gain +200%]
His heartbeat steadied.
Good.
"Stay close," the silver-haired girl said. "I'm Level 8. Wind affinity."
"I'm Level 6," the nervous boy added. "Earth."
Liam nodded. "Level 1."
They stared at him.
"…You're joking," the girl said.
"No."
She clicked her tongue. "Great. Just don't slow us down."
They moved forward.
The first monster emerged quickly—a Stone Fang Rat, its eyes glowing red as it lunged from the shadows.
"Left!" the girl shouted.
Before either of them could act—
Liam stepped forward.
He activated Intermediate Mana Reinforcement, flooding just enough power into his legs.
He moved.
One strike.
The rat's skull shattered against the cavern wall.
Silence.
[Monster Defeated: Stone Fang Rat][EXP Gained][Level Up!]Level 1 → Level 3
The girl stared. "What…?"
Liam exhaled slowly.
So that's how fast it is.
More monsters followed.
Two rats. Then five.
Liam moved with efficiency—no wasted motion, no flashy magic. Each kill fed his core, power flowing smoothly.
Level 3 → Level 5Level 5 → Level 7
His teammates fell behind—not in speed, but in understanding.
"This isn't normal," the earth mage whispered.
Then—
A low growl echoed from the deeper tunnel.
Something heavier approached.
A Stone Fang Alpha.
Larger. Stronger. Deadlier.
The silver-haired girl swallowed. "That's not beginner-level…"
The monster charged.
Liam stepped forward.
At that moment—
[Hostility Spike Detected.][Threat Level: High][Emergency Protocol: Armed Standby]
The Red Core stirred.
Liam raised his hand.
"Stay back."
The Alpha lunged.
Liam released slightly more mana than before.
The impact shook the cavern.
Stone cracked.
The monster collapsed—lifeless.
[Monster Eliminated.][EXP Surge!][Level Up!]Level 7 → Level 10
The dungeon fell quiet.
The silver-haired girl stared at him in disbelief.
"…You're not Level 1."
Liam met her gaze calmly.
"I was."
Deep within the dungeon, unseen—
A counter ticked upward.
And far above, in the academy's monitoring chamber, several instructors stiffened as a single name began climbing the rankings unnaturally fast.
Liam Vale.
The dungeon had begun its test.
And it was already losing.
Deep within the academy's monitoring chamber, dozens of glowing screens hovered in the air.
Each displayed dungeon feeds—mana fluctuations, student vitals, kill counts.
Most names moved slowly.
One name did not.
"…That has to be an error."
An instructor leaned closer, eyes narrowing at the ranking board.
Beginner Dungeon Rankings (Live)
Team Orion — Level Avg: 14
Team Helios — Level Avg: 13
Team Aegis — Level Avg: 12
…
Liam Vale — Level: 10
↑ Rapid Increase
"Solo progress?" another instructor muttered.
"No," a mage replied. "He entered with a temporary team. But look at the kill attribution."
Silence fell.
Nearly every monster kill in that team carried the same name.
Liam Vale.
Principal Arvane stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes lingered on the screen longer than necessary.
"A Yellow Core," he murmured.
The rune beside Liam's name flickered—unstable.
"…Interesting."
Inside the dungeon, Liam stood still.
The silver-haired girl—Aria—finally broke the silence. "You're hiding your level… aren't you?"
Liam wiped monster blood from his knuckles. "Levels change."
"That wasn't an answer."
Before Liam could respond, the dungeon trembled.
A low horn-like sound echoed through the cavern.
[Dungeon Event Triggered.]
[Condition Met: Abnormal Growth Detected.]
The air grew heavier. Mana thickened, pressing down like deep water.
The earth mage's face went pale. "That's not normal. Beginner dungeons don't do this."
A new message appeared before Liam alone.
[Hidden Dungeon Modifier Activated.]
Modifier: Predator Response
Description: Dungeon has identified host as a high-growth entity
Effect: Monster density and elite spawn rate increased
[Warning: Survival probability reduced.]
Liam's lips curved slightly.
So the dungeon fights back.
From the shadows ahead, glowing eyes appeared.
One… then five… then dozens.
Elite variants.
Stone Fang Hunters. Armored hides. Sharpened claws.
Aria staggered back. "We can't fight that many!"
Liam stepped forward.
"You should leave."
She hesitated. "What?"
"I'll draw them."
The earth mage grabbed his arm. "That's suicide!"
Liam looked at them calmly. "If you stay, you die."
Something in his voice made them freeze.
"…Fine," Aria said through clenched teeth. "You better live."
They ran.
The moment they disappeared down a side tunnel—
The monsters charged.
[Emergency Protocol: Combat Escalation]
[Hostile Entities Detected: Multiple]
[Threat Level: Extreme]
[Emergency Quest Issued.]
[Emergency Quest: Survive the Predator Response]
Objective: Eliminate or outlast hostile dungeon entities
Reward: Massive EXP, Skill Awakening Chance
Failure: Death
Liam inhaled slowly.
Mana surged.
His Red Core pulsed harder than ever before—still sealed, but straining.
Not yet…
He activated Intermediate Mana Reinforcement fully.
His movements blurred.
Each strike was precise. Efficient. Ruthless.
Claws shattered. Armor cracked. Stone bodies collapsed.
Level 10 → Level 14
Level 14 → Level 18
Pain lanced through his veins as the mana flow intensified.
The final elite lunged—
Liam caught it midair and slammed it into the ground.
The cavern shook.
Silence followed.
[Emergency Quest: Completed]
[Level Up!]
Level 18 → Level 21
The world shifted.
Liam staggered.
A violent pressure crushed down on his body as mana rewrote flesh and bone.
[Transformation Achieved.]
Stage: First Transformation
Level Range: 21–80
[New Ability Awakening…]
Liam dropped to one knee, breath ragged.
His veins glowed faintly red beneath his skin.
He laughed quietly.
"…So this is a transformation."
Above ground, alarms rang.
On the ranking board—
Liam Vale's name surged upward violently.
Rank 3.
Rank 2.
Then—
It stopped.
Hovering just beneath first place.
Principal Arvane's eyes sharpened.
"A First Transformation… already?"
Deep inside the dungeon, Liam stood slowly.
Power settled into him—heavier, denser, more obedient.
And somewhere in the darkness ahead—
Something older than the dungeon itself
had begun to notice him.