The third wolf came at me from above.
I barely had time to register the movement before it was already falling, claws extended, aiming for my neck. Smart. Using the trees to flank me while I was focused on the ground. In my first life, this exact ambush had killed a C-rank hunter I'd been partying with. He never saw it coming.
I did.
I threw myself sideways, the wolf's claws missing my throat by inches. It landed where I'd been standing and immediately pivoted for another strike.
Too slow.
My blade was already moving, mana concentrated at the tip in that needle-point focus I'd discovered. The sword punched through the wolf's shoulder, disrupting whatever spiritual energy held its form together.
[Spirit Wolf Lv. 18 defeated. 48 EXP gained.]
Three down. My mana was at maybe 20%. And I could hear at least a dozen more moving through the trees.
I needed to be smarter about this. Brute forcing my way through with mana strikes would leave me empty before I even reached the Alpha, let alone the Forest Guardian boss. Think. What did I know about the Silverwood Den?
In my original timeline, I'd cleared this dungeon exactly once, in a party of seven. We'd fought conservatively, pulling wolves one or two at a time, retreating when things got dangerous. Safe. Slow. Boring. We'd missed everything important.
But I'd heard stories later. From hunters who'd discovered the dungeon's secrets years after it first appeared. The spirit wolves were territorial. They had patrol routes, safe zones, hunting grounds. If you knew the patterns, you could navigate the forest without fighting everything at once.
And there was a shrine. Hidden deep in the forest, surrounded by wolves. In my timeline, it had been discovered in 2027 by an S-rank hunter who'd soloed the dungeon for fun. Inside that shrine was something the system labeled as [???].
Nobody knew what it was. The S-rank hunter had tried to take it and been forcibly ejected from the dungeon with a system warning about "disturbing the forest's balance." But that was in the future. Right now, the dungeon was fresh. The rules might be different.
Worth investigating.
I closed my eyes and listened. Howls to my left. Three, maybe four wolves. Howls behind me. Two. Silence to my right—either empty or an ambush waiting to happen. Straight ahead... nothing. Just the whisper of wind through silver leaves.
The shrine would be at the heart of the forest. Dead center of the dungeon. I opened my eyes and started forward, moving quietly through the undergrowth.
Stealth in a dungeon full of spirit wolves with supernatural senses was... challenging.
But I had twenty years of experience sneaking through demon territory. I knew how to move without disturbing the air, how to step without making sound, how to breathe so shallowly that even enhanced hearing couldn't track me. The wolves could sense spiritual energy, but my mana pool was so pathetic they probably registered me as barely worth hunting.
Good. Let them underestimate me.
I passed three patrols without being spotted. Each time, I held my breath and waited for them to pass, their ghostly forms drifting between trees like smoke. My status window kept track of my progress:
[DUNGEON EXPLORATION: 15%]
Monsters Defeated: 3/47 Optional Objectives Discovered: 0/3
Forty-seven total monsters. That lined up with what I remembered. Three optional objectives though—that was new. Or maybe not. Maybe my party had just never found them.
The forest grew denser as I moved toward the center. The trees here were ancient, their trunks wider than cars, their branches forming a canopy so thick that even the perpetual twilight barely penetrated. And the spiritual energy was stronger. It pressed against my skin like a physical weight, making each breath feel heavy.
A notification appeared:
[WARNING: ENTERING RESTRICTED ZONE]
The forest's guardians grow restless. Turn back or face their wrath.
Yeah, that wasn't ominous at all. I kept moving.
The shrine appeared suddenly, like it had just decided to exist. One moment there was empty forest, the next—a small stone structure, maybe three meters tall, covered in moss and ancient carvings. It pulsed with spiritual energy so dense I could see it, waves of silver light radiating outward.
And surrounding it, lying in perfect formation like some kind of ritual... twelve spirit wolves. All of them level 20 or above. All of them staring directly at me.
"Shit."
They didn't attack. Just watched. Waiting. Testing.
I took a step forward. As one, the wolves stood. Their hackles raised, spiritual energy crackling around them like lightning. Another step. They growled, a sound that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
This was a challenge. A trial. Defeat them, and I could access the shrine. Fail, and I'd be torn apart.
My mana was still at 20%. Maybe enough for five, six concentrated strikes. Against twelve wolves. The smart move was to retreat. Come back later with better stats. But I'd never been good at smart moves.
I drew my sword. "Alright," I said to the wolves. "Let's dance."
They came at me all at once. No pack tactics. No strategy. Just pure overwhelming force. In my first life, this would've killed me in seconds. Now? I had twenty years of fighting impossible odds.
The first wolf lunged for my throat. I sidestepped and drove my blade through the second wolf's eye socket. Mana concentrated to a point. Clean kill.
[Spirit Wolf Lv. 20 defeated. 55 EXP gained.]
Eleven left.
Three wolves converged on my position. I threw myself forward, under their attacks, and rolled between the legs of a fourth wolf. It snapped at me, jaws closing on empty air. My blade found its throat.
[Spirit Wolf Lv. 21 defeated. 58 EXP gained.]
Ten. My mana hit 15%.
A wolf's claws raked across my back. My armor held, but the impact drove me to my knees. Pain exploded up my spine. I twisted, blade coming up in a desperate parry, barely deflecting another wolf's bite. The force of it sent my sword flying from my hands.
Unarmed. Surrounded. Mana almost empty. The wolves circled, sensing victory. I laughed.
Because they'd made a mistake. They thought I needed mana to be dangerous. Wrong.
I caught the nearest lunging wolf mid-air, fingers digging into its spiritual form. Channel just a tiny bit of mana into your hands, just enough to make contact, and suddenly the intangible becomes tangible. The wolf struggled. I slammed it into the ground and crushed its skull with a rock.
[Spirit Wolf Lv. 19 defeated. 52 EXP gained.]
I grabbed my fallen sword and channeled my last dregs of mana. One more strike. Maybe two. I waited until two charged together, then pivoted, using one wolf's momentum to throw it into the other. They tangled, snarling. My blade took both their heads in one swing.
[Spirit Wolf Lv. 20 defeated. 55 EXP gained.][Spirit Wolf Lv. 20 defeated. 55 EXP gained.]
Seven left. Mana: 3%.
My vision was starting to blur from mana exhaustion. But I was smiling. Because the wolves were scared now. They'd come here expecting easy prey; they'd found a monster.
"Come on!" I shouted, voice raw. "Is that all you've got?"
The largest wolf—level 23—howled and charged. The others followed. I met them head-on.
When the last wolf dissolved into silver mist, I collapsed.
[Spirit Wolf Lv. 23 defeated. 63 EXP gained.][Spirit Wolf Lv. 21 defeated. 58 EXP gained.][Spirit Wolf Lv. 20 defeated. 55 EXP gained.][Spirit Wolf Lv. 19 defeated. 52 EXP gained.][Spirit Wolf Lv. 20 defeated. 55 EXP gained.][Spirit Wolf Lv. 22 defeated. 60 EXP gained.][Spirit Wolf Lv. 21 defeated. 58 EXP gained.]
[LEVEL UP! Level 16 → Level 17][LEVEL UP! Level 17 → Level 18][Stat points available: 10]
I lay on my back, staring at the twilight sky. Blood dripped from a dozen cuts. My armor was shredded. My mana was completely empty. But I'd won.
A notification appeared:
[OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]
Shrine Guardians DefeatedYou may now approach the shrine.
Warning: The shrine's power is not meant for mortals. Proceed with caution.
I dragged myself to my feet. Everything hurt. Health was below 30%. I limped toward the shrine. At its base, nestled in a small alcove, was an orb pulsing with silver light. My hand moved toward it involuntarily.
The moment my fingers touched the orb, my vision exploded into white. Images flooded my mind: An ancient forest. A guardian spirit. Humans arriving. The guardian's rage. The gates opening. A prison and a monument both.
Power was offered. But power came with a price.
The vision faded. The orb dissolved into particles of light that flowed into my chest.
[UNIQUE SKILL ACQUIRED]
[Spirit Sight Lv.1]You can perceive spiritual entities and energy flows invisible to others.
Effect: Spiritual beings can no longer hide from you.
Effect: Mana efficiency increased by 10%.
[WARNING: SHRINE TRIAL INCOMPLETE]
You have claimed the shrine's gift but not earned its blessing. The Forest Guardian awakens.
The ground shook. A roar echoed through the forest. Well. Shit. I'd pissed off the boss.
The Forest Guardian emerged from the trees—nature itself taking physical form. Thirty feet tall. Twisted wood, stone, and silver fire. Level 30. Boss-tier.
I was level 18, half-dead, and out of mana.
"Hey there, big guy. I don't suppose we can talk about this?"
The Guardian raised one massive fist and brought it down like a meteor. I dove aside. The impact cratered the ground.
"Guess not."
The Guardian charged. I ran—not away, but toward it. I knew a secret from the original timeline. The Guardian was nearly invincible from the front, but it had a weak point: a fist-sized knot of pure spiritual energy at the base of its neck.
Getting to it was the problem.
The Guardian caught me with a kick that sent me flying into a tree. I hit hard enough to crack the trunk.
[Health: 28%]
I forced myself up. Blood in my mouth. Broken rib. The Guardian prepared to flatten me. No mana. No special abilities. Just me and twenty years of experience.
I ran at the Guardian's leg, jumped, and grabbed onto the moss covering its knee. It roared, shaking violently, but I was already climbing. It slammed itself against a tree to crush me, but I swung around to its back just in time.
There it was. The core.
I couldn't infuse my blade, but I had [Spirit Sight]. I could see the exact point where a physical strike would destabilize the whole structure. I pulled back my sword and drove it into that exact spot with every ounce of strength I had left.
The blade shattered the core. The Guardian froze, then began to collapse, wood and stone breaking apart like a puppet with cut strings.
I jumped, hit the ground hard, and rolled.
[Forest Guardian Lv. 30 defeated. 500 EXP gained.][LEVEL UP! Level 18 → Level 19][LEVEL UP! Level 19 → Level 20][Stat points available: 20]
[BONUS OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: Defeat the Forest Guardian solo]
[D-RANK DUNGEON CLEARED]Time: 47 minutes, 23 seconds New Record: Solo Clear
[DUNGEON REWARDS]
1,000 Gold
[Rare Skill Book: Advanced Mana Circulation]
[Spirit Guardian's Heart] (Legendary Crafting Material)
[Title Acquired: Forest Conqueror]
[TITLE EFFECT: Forest Conqueror] +5% damage against nature-type enemies. Spirit wolves will not attack you unprovoked.
[SPECIAL REWARD]For completing a D-rank dungeon solo while E-rank:
[Unique Item: Ring of the Forest Guardian] +5 to all stats. Passive: Mana regeneration increased by 20%. Special: Once per day, summon a Spirit Wolf for 10 minutes.
I stared at the ring. +5 to all stats was massive. I slipped it on.
Strength: 22 → 27 | Agility: 19 → 24 | Endurance: 19 → 24 | Mana: 12 → 17 | Luck: 8 → 13
I needed to get out before I passed out. I limped toward the exit portal.
The forest preserve was dark when I emerged. The group of D-rank hunters from before were still there. They turned when the portal hissed open. Their expressions when they saw me—bloodied, battered, but alive—were priceless.
"You..." The tank stepped forward. "You're alive? You solo cleared it?"
"Not anymore," I said, showing my level 20 status.
"But that's impossible," the mage whispered. "The clear time says forty-seven minutes. Our best party time is two hours!"
I shrugged, wincing as my broken rib flared. "Guess I got lucky."
I limped toward my bike. Behind me, word was already spreading. By tomorrow, every guild in Seoul would know about the E-rank who solo cleared a D-rank dungeon in record time.
My phone buzzed.
Tae-Sung:"Dude, did you just clear the Silverwood Den SOLO? The Association app is going crazy!"
Unknown:"Han Do-Hyun. This is Guild Master Choi Yeon-Hee of Phoenix Guild. We need to talk."
Unknown:"The Shadow Broker wishes to meet. Same coffee shop. Tonight."
The Shadow Broker. I wasn't supposed to meet him for three more months. The timeline was changing.
I typed back to the Shadow Broker: "One hour."
[TIMELINE DEVIATION DETECTED]Fate Distortion Level: 15/100
Major timeline changes detected. The future is significantly different from your memories. New Quest Available: "Butterfly's Wings"
Fifteen percent. I'd changed fifteen percent of the timeline just by being faster. What would happen at 100%? Would the Collapse still happen? I pushed those thoughts aside. I had a meeting with the Shadow Broker. Time to see how deep this rabbit hole went.