The moment Kang Jinwoo took a step forward, the dungeon reacted.
The air thickened.
Not with mana—but with hesitation.
The goblins were small creatures. Green-skinned, hunched, armed with crude blades and clubs. Individually weak. Dangerous only in numbers.
They were supposed to charge.
Instead, they backed away.
One of them dropped its weapon.
Another tripped over a rock while retreating.
Jinwoo stopped walking.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
He looked around.
The dungeon was a narrow cavern system, dimly lit by bioluminescent moss. The stench of blood and damp stone hung in the air. Normally, monsters would rush intruders the instant they appeared.
But now—
They were watching him.
The goblins' yellow eyes were wide. Their bodies trembled, muscles tight as if ready to flee rather than attack.
Then Jinwoo felt it.
A faint pressure brushing against his senses.
Not hostility.
Evaluation.
The dungeon was trying to measure him.
[Scanning intruder…]
[Level detected: 1]
[Threat assessment… FAILED]
The system paused.
The goblins screamed.
They turned and ran.
Not tactically.
Not in formation.
They ran like prey that had glimpsed a predator it was never meant to face.
Jinwoo blinked once.
"…So that's how it is."
He stepped forward again.
This time, the ground cracked beneath his foot.
Mana rippled outward in a silent wave.
The fleeing goblins collapsed mid-run. Their bodies slammed into the cavern walls as if struck by an invisible force. Bones shattered. Skulls cracked.
They died without understanding why.
Jinwoo frowned.
"That won't do."
He had wanted to test himself.
Not erase the room.
He adjusted his breathing, pulling the compressed power deeper inward. Containing it. Folding it tighter.
Only then did he raise his hand.
A single goblin—slower than the rest—stumbled near the cavern entrance.
Jinwoo flicked his finger.
The air snapped.
The goblin's head vanished.
No blood splatter.
No aftermath.
Just… gone.
Jinwoo stared at his hand.
"…At Level One," he muttered.
His status window flickered into existence on its own.
Name: Kang Jinwoo
Level: 1
Rank: F
Status: UNSTABLE VARIABLE
[Notice: Dungeon synchronization failing]
The dungeon shook.
From deeper within the cavern, something roared.
Not a goblin.
Too deep.
Too heavy.
A boss monster awakening far earlier than it should have.
Jinwoo smiled faintly.
"Good."
He rolled his shoulders and began walking forward.
"If even the dungeon is panicking…"
His footsteps echoed through the cavern.
"…then I'm on the right path."
Far outside, the gate monitoring screen flickered violently.
And for the first time in recorded history, a low-rank dungeon sent out a warning it was never designed to give.
[Emergency Notice]
[Gate C-17 status: UNABLE TO CALIBRATE THREAT]