The tower was riddled with deep, jagged cracks that spread across its walls like veins on dying stone.
Each fracture pulsed faintly with a dull, unnatural glow, as if something inside the structure was breathing.
Seung-hoo stepped into the empty hall.
The space was vast and hollow, its ceiling disappearing into darkness above.
The floor was uneven, broken by shattered pillars and scattered rubble.
A cold wind rushed through the corridor, carrying with it the scent of rust and ash.
His hospital gown fluttered violently behind him, snapping against his legs as he moved forward.
Every step echoed.
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
The sound seemed to travel endlessly, bouncing off the cracked walls and returning to him distorted and slow.
Seung-hoo narrowed his eyes and scanned the shadows.
Then he saw them.
A pair of eyes.
Far in the distance, glowing faintly between two broken columns.
They did not blink.
They only watched.
Seung-hoo stopped walking.
His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword as he shifted his stance, turning his body slightly to face the darkness. The wind grew stronger, pushing against him as if trying to force him back.
"…Come out," he muttered.
The silence stretched.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then a low growl echoed through the hall.
More eyes appeared.
One… two… three… then many more, forming a scattered line of glowing points in the darkness. Heavy footsteps followed, slow and deliberate, scraping against the cracked stone floor.
From the shadows emerged distorted figures.
A pack of Level 4 Hobgoblins.
Their bodies were tall and hunched, wrapped in torn armor stained with dark marks.
Rusted blades dragged along the ground as they walked, producing a harsh screech that made Seung-hoo's skin crawl. Their mouths twisted into crooked grins, revealing rows of jagged teeth.
One of them lifted its head and released a hoarse, echoing howl.
The sound filled the tower like a signal.
The wind suddenly died down.
The hall became eerily still.
Seung-hoo took a slow step forward, his hospital gown settling behind him as he raised his sword. His breathing steadied, and his eyes locked onto the nearest hobgoblin.
The monsters spread out, forming a loose circle around him, their glowing eyes never leaving his figure.
He lowered his center of gravity and entered a fighting stance.
The cracked walls of the tower seemed to loom closer, and the faint glow within the fractures intensified, casting long, warped shadows across the floor.
The hobgoblins tightened their grip on their weapons, their growls overlapping into a single, chilling chorus as they advanced toward him.
One of the hobgoblins, a swordsman, attacks Him, its boots scraping loudly against the cracked stone floor as it lunges forward. Seung-hoo reacts instantly, pulling his sword from thin air with a sharp metallic shimmer.
The hobgoblin swings its blade in a wide arc aimed at Seung-hoo's chest.
Seung-hoo twists his body to the side, barely dodging the strike, but the tip of the sword still grazes his arm. A thin line of blood appears through the torn fabric of his hospital gown.
"Ghn—!"
He grunts at the sudden sting and skids backward a few steps, his shoes sliding across the dust-covered hall. The hobgoblin snarls, raising its sword again, confident after landing a hit.
Seung-hoo tightens his grip on his weapon. Electricity begins to crackle faintly along the blade, crawling like living veins of light.
He steps forward and slashes.
The two swords collide with a violent clang.
At the moment of impact, a surge of electric current bursts from Seung-hoo's blade and runs straight through the hobgoblin's weapon.
The creature's body stiffens as sparks dance across its armor. Its eyes widen in shock before the force throws it backward.
The hobgoblin crashes into the far wall of the hallway, stone cracking behind it as it slumps to the ground.
For a brief second, silence hangs in the air.
The other hobgoblins stare at their fallen comrade, their yellow eyes glowing faintly in the dim corridor. Their breathing grows heavier, more aggressive.
One of them steps forward.
Another hobgoblin, an Archer, lifts its bow slowly. The creature pulls an arrow from the quiver on its back, its fingers trembling as it notches it into place. The bow creaks as it draws the string tight, the arrowhead glinting under the flickering light above.
Seung-hoo stands still, his back turned toward the archer as he watches the swordsman struggle on the ground. His chest rises and falls sharply, his stamina already beginning to drain.
The archer releases.
The arrow whistles through the air, cutting a sharp line through the silence of the hallway.
Thud.
The arrow strikes Seung-hoo squarely in the back.
For a moment, it looks like it should pierce straight through him—
But a His System screen flashes into before his eyes.
______________________________________________________
|[ Ding! System Active ]|
|[ System grants indestructible shield around individual for 30 seconds ]|
|[ Uses: 1 / 30 ]|
______________________________________________________
The arrow shatters on impact, breaking into fragments of wood and metal that scatter across the floor. A faint ripple spreads across the invisible barrier surrounding him.
Seung-hoo stiffens at the force, stumbling forward one step as the impact echoes through his body. He exhales slowly, realizing what just happened.
Behind him, the hobgoblin archer lowers its bow in disbelief, its mouth opening in a silent snarl.
The remaining hobgoblins begin to spread out across the cracked hallway, their footsteps echoing as they circle him, weapons raised, eyes locked onto Seung-hoo from every direction.
Seung-hoo turns slowly, his eyes locking onto the hobgoblin Archer that had just fired at him.
The creature freezes under his glare, its fingers tightening around the bowstring.
For a split second, the hallway feels unnaturally still.
Then—
Seung-hoo vanishes.
A faint burst of wind explodes from where he was standing, dust and broken stone lifting into the air. The archer's eyes widen as it looks around in panic, sensing movement but unable to track it.
In the next instant, Seung-hoo is already behind the Archer.
The hobgoblin barely has time to turn its head.
A sharp metallic whisper cuts through the air.
Seung-hoo's blade flashes once.
The Archer's bow slips from its hands and clatters against the floor. Its body sways forward, knees buckling as it collapses, unmoving.
Seung-hoo stands behind it, his sword still extended, electricity fading slowly from the edge of the blade.
The remaining hobgoblins recoil in shock. Their formation breaks as several of them stumble backward, snarling in fear and anger.
One of them roars, slamming its club against the stone floor. Another raises a rusted spear, pointing it straight at Seung-hoo's chest.
Seung-hoo exhales, steadying his breathing. His shoulders rise and fall as sweat drips down his face. The system window flickers faintly beside him, its light reflecting in his eyes.
The cracked hallway trembles as the hobgoblins begin to move again, spreading out with heavy footsteps, weapons scraping along the ground.
Shadows stretch and twist along the walls as they close in, their growls echoing through the broken tower.
Seung-hoo shifts his stance, tightening his grip on his sword, electricity starting to spark once more along the blade as the remaining Hobgoblins advance.