Sin-Joo didn’t seem to care at all. He simply said, "Then she’ll die there. So what? We’re all doomed to die anyway. Do you really think we’ll make it out of this?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"The Abysses… Why do you think they exist, Takuya? I feel so empty. Why do I feel like this? Ever since I got here, everything has become clear to me. We’re lost. This is the beginning of the end. We are living through the apocalypse. No one will escape."
This new, depressing side of my friend was seriously messing with me. It had to be that mark above his head, making him completely pessimistic. That cursed sigil had snuffed out his will to fight.
I turned my burning gaze to Ryn Valen. A Paladin… One could only become one after surviving a descent into an Abyss. But even touching one of those rifts in space-time had a fatality rate of around 99 percent according to Dungeon Now’s statistics. Most people died instantly upon contact. And an even tinier fraction of that one percent ever returned from the Abyss at all. Those chosen by fate often came back… changed. Almost none of them spoke about their experience. The Elysian Wardens were outright forbidden from discussing it. Some returned with magical abilities, but... at the cost of their sanity. There were cases of fallen Paladins going berserk, causing devastation so extreme that entire armies were needed to bring them down.
In short: surviving the Abyss was nearly impossible. That made a Paladin’s status all the more legendary. The rarer they were, the higher their demand.
Which brought me to my question. "What is a powerful Paladin like you doing here? This is just an A-Dungeon."
The Paladin didn’t even glance at me. He kept walking. No response.
"What are you really doing here?" I pressed.
With every step he took, his armor let out a soft metallic rattle.
"What I’m really doing?" Ryn Valen suddenly let out a sharp, almost theatrical laugh. He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. "I’m fulfilling my quest. What else did you think I was here for?"
I stared into the distance, my mind racing. A dungeon quest? Or did he mean something else?
Sin-Joo must have read the question on my face, because he stepped beside me and pulled up his Nexus-Link—a device every monster hunter owned. Except me. It was way too expensive. It looked like a smartwatch with a built-in holo-projector, capable of scanning the Nexus’ magical energy, connecting to the Dungeon Now data network, and serving as an organizer for monster hunters.
Sin-Joo opened the quest log and shared the quest with me. A notification popped up on my Dungeon Now account. I opened the app on my phone and saw a message from Sin-Joo in my inbox.
It was the shared quest:
The Everland amusement park has turned into a living nightmare. A dark force has taken root there, twisting it into a hellish dimension. A squad from our guild was dispatched to investigate the threat, but we lost all contact with them.
We fear the worst. Your mission is to uncover what happened to our squad.
(If they’re dead, collect their guild badges and bring them back to us so their families can find peace. Also, the badges are made of gold... just saying.)
But that’s not all. At the heart of the corruption lurks a horror known as Nihilith the Puppeteer. This demonic puppet master is said to be the source of the darkness. He controls the amusement park staff trapped in the dungeon like living puppets, drawing immense power from their suffering. Eliminate Nihilith and stabilize the dimensional rift using the Gorex? Stabilizer 3000X (included in the quest kit).
This isn’t exactly a walk in the park... but still, it’s just an A-Dungeon. Even noobs probably won’t die... probably.
-
Find the missing Elysian Warden squad:
- Investigate the fate of the missing members
- Collect their guild badges (0/5)
-
Defeat Nihilith the Puppeteer (0/1)
-
Stabilize the dimensional rift using the Gorex? Stabilizer 3000X (0/1)
2,000 K-Coins
Qualification for Follow-Up Quest: The Ascent to the Elysian Wardens
[Runeblade of the Aspirant]
Description: "It cuts through foes. Well, at least the weakest ones."
Effects:
+2 Attack Power
+1% Attack Speed
Deals bonus damage to enemies below 20% HP (because even newbies know to finish off the low-health target first)
Type: one-handed dagger, Item Level: 5 (rare)
Binds on pickup
Okay, got it. We’re noobs. I sighed. But this was the chance. For five years, it had been my dream to fight as a monster hunter for the Elysian Wardens. This was my ticket in. I accepted the quest and glanced between Sin-Joo and the Paladin. Was that why he was here? To find his guild’s missing squad? On his shoulder, next to the massive monster-hunting sword, hung a glowing device that looked like an influencer’s tripod. That had to be the Gorex Stabilizer, I figured.
"Hey, Takuya?"
Hye-Rin placed her warm hand on my shoulder, looking at me from the side. Her jet-black hair shimmered silver under the rising moonlight, and her dark, almond-shaped eyes were mesmerizing.
"We’re risking our damn lives for a lousy 2,000 Kay C’s. Why don’t we just keep the guild badges and melt the gold down ourselves? That’d easily triple our payout."
She was joking, obviously trying to lighten the mood, so I played along.
"I like the way you think," I said. "Problem is, Ryn heard us. And if he rats us out to his guild, we’re screwed."
But Ryn didn’t look like he was paying any attention to our conversation. In fact, he seemed completely uninterested in engaging with us at all.
"Shut your damn mouths," he said, listening to the sounds of the night.
We were following a winding path that once led through a lush, zoo-like safari filled with dangerous predators, all safely observed from armored vehicles. Now, the same path led us into a dark and eerie forest (without the protection of a reinforced safari truck). This part of the park had become completely overgrown and wild, abandoned to nature.
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I knew exactly why I enjoyed these stupid conversations so much, I thought. Because the moment you started listening to the silence, everything around you became unnerving. The snapping of twigs. The rustling in the undergrowth behind you. It made you instantly paranoid.
Somewhere in the branches above, an owl hooted. Its eerie calls echoed through the trees, singing a lonely, mournful tune.
But the worst part? The wooden roller coaster in the distance.
A single cart still rode along the track. And every time it neared, you could hear ghostly laughter drifting through the ice-cold night. Was Nihilith riding that coaster, having the time of his life?
The distant laughter faded into the silence. But it wouldn’t stay gone for long.
Suddenly, the owl stopped hooting.Not gradually, not like a natural pause, but abruptly, like a breath cut short.
Everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
I halted, looking around. The rest of the group had also stopped. It was as if we had all been struck by the same unshakable feeling... that we were no longer alone.
Then it came again. A crack. Closer this time. Much closer.
The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once, like an unseen hunter moving silently through the darkness. I snapped my head left, then right, but the thick underbrush revealed nothing.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered, barely more than a breath.
But before anyone could answer, something huge burst from the undergrowth.
The beast stood right in front of us, baring its fangs and growling.
That isn’t a wolf, it's a…
"Hellhounds," Sin-Joo muttered. "Low-tier demon mobs. Standard in A- and B-rank dungeons. Not exactly hard, but lethal enough if you suck. Like us."
I turned to Sin-Joo for a second. Did he seriously not feel even a little afraid of that thing? Because I was freaking out over here, and all he did was point at it with the enthusiasm of a guy ordering a pizza.
"Roughly 350 HP each. Two attacks. First one’s Savage Bite: deals moderate physical damage but applies a stacking Bleed. Second’s Howl of the Hunt, buffs their attack power and aggro-links every Hellhound in range, which, by the way, is unlimited. Meaning if there’s a hundred of them, they’re all coming for us now."
I swallowed hard. "Okay, but… if they’re just standard mobs, we can take them, right?"
Sin-Joo just stared at me, eyes hollow, voice completely void of hope. "Takuya. We have old, rusty knives. Do you know what you don’t bring to a pack mob fight? Knives. It’s like showing up to a gunfight with a wet sock."
I clenched my teeth and locked eyes with the beast. It was massive. Muscles rippled beneath its dark, smoke-like fur. Rusted iron chains clanked against its broad chest, the heavy collar around its neck etched with strange, ancient runes. Oh, and minor detail... I almost forgot.
THREE. FUCKING. HEADS.
Not just one. Three. All wreathed in shifting black mist, snapping and growling like they were in a permanent argument with each other. Their jagged teeth gleamed like razors. And those burning crimson eyes... they weren’t just watching us. They were hungry.
A deep, eerie howl pierced the air, his second attack, Howl of the Hunt. And suddenly, like a haunting chorus, the same menacing sound echoed from all directions.
We were surrounded.
"Run!"
Of all people, it was Ryn Valen who shouted.
But before I could take a single step, searing pain tore through my shoulder.
With a heavy thud, I was yanked to the ground.
A second time in this damn dungeon.
I’m such a noob.
Of course, I was going to die here.
That was the last thought that crossed my mind right before I felt the beast’s rancid breath hot against my throat. Desperate, I rammed the handle of my knife into its snout with every ounce of strength I had left.
It stunned one of its three heads for barely a second,but the other two were still lunging, snapping at me, fighting over which one would get the first bite.
Then, a forest of fangs came crashing toward me.
I seized the hellhound by its rusted iron collar, gripping it tight as I shoved it back with everything I had. But it was a three-headed beast...! While I held one head at bay, the other two snapped and lunged, jaws stretching wide to tear into me. The sheer will of the demon, its relentless hunger to rip me apart, was overwhelming.
I was losing. My arms trembled, my strength fading fast. This thing... it was stronger than I could have ever imagined.
It was going to kill me. Any second now.
Then, a deafening gunshot shattered the night. Muzzle fire flared in the darkness. Hye-Rin stood firm, feet planted, gripping her service pistol with both hands. Another shot rang out, and the bullet struck the hellhound in the side.
A spray of caustic blood splattered onto my arm, burning straight through my sleeve and searing my skin.
The creature howled in agony and leapt off me, but it was far from finished.
"Watch out!"
Dae-Won’s voice boomed through the chaos just as another beast lunged from the shadows. With a brutal crash, Dae-Won slammed his shield down on the beast, sending it howling to the ground. Then Sin-Joo (our usually quiet companion) let out a raw, furious scream. The mark above his head blazed, reflecting his rising rage. He charged, knife in hand, and stabbed the beast over and over in the chest, each strike driving deeper than the last. The monster spasmed violently in a pool of its own dark demonic blood. The thick, corrupted liquid splattered in all directions, scorching Sin-Joo’s arms, chest, even his face.
But he didn’t seem to notice.
What the hell was wrong with him?
I hated to admit it, but deep down, I felt something ugly stirring inside me. Rage. I was angry. Angry that Sin-Joo was stronger than me. Braver than me.
Three hellhounds already lay dead, their bodies dissolving into ash on the wind. But it wasn’t over. Not even close. More of them emerged from the shadows of the forest.
Ten... twelve... maybe even fifteen.
They encircled us, glowing red eyes flickering like embers in the darkness. The hellhound Hye-Rin had shot was back on its feet. The shadowy demonic aura had healed its wounds. It was ready to fight again. And before I could react, its hungry eyes locked onto me again, muscles coiling like a drawn bow, ready to strike.
A blinding light erupted through the darkness like a bolt of lightning.
The hellhound, mid-lunge, froze in the air for a split second. An instant later, it was cleaved clean in half. Its clawed limbs hit the ground first. Then, for a brief moment, its head and torso hovered motionless in the air before dissolving into a cloud of demonic ash. And it wasn’t just that one hellhound.
Everywhere around us, the same thing was happening. A wave of radiant, holy light burned through the battlefield, eradicating everything demonic in its path. And at the center of this hellish spectacle, he appeared.
Ryn Valen.
The holy Paladin.
His oversized sword still glowed with the divine energy of his last attack. He stood tall, his silhouette outlined by a soft, golden aura, giving him an almost otherworldly presence. With one smooth motion, he spun his sword, letting it whirl through the air before locking it back into place on his back with a satisfying click.
"Holy Retribution," Sin-Joo muttered. But instead of awe, his voice was flat. Completely deadpan. I glanced at him. He looked like a hardcore gamer who had been leading his raid team for the past 36 hours straight, running on nothing but instant ramen, energy drinks, and sheer determination, trying to secure a server-first clear on a high-end raid, only to get wiped at 1% boss HP because some AFK healer stood in the AoE like it was a damn buff zone. He had the defeated expression of a man questioning all his life choices. "Forty-five percent of his total mana pool, one-minute cooldown, probably reduced to forty seconds with some OP Pala perk. Range is, what, thirty meters? Damage multiplier’s gotta be cracked. And, oh wow, look, the effect duration is ten seconds, which means he’s running an enhanced ability rune. Who could have possibly seen that coming?"
I blinked at him, still shaking as I forced myself to my feet. An AoE holy attack, wiping out all enemies in one move. I could barely process what I had just witnessed. "Well… isn’t that kind of amazing?"
Sin-Joo groaned. "Sure, whatever. Wow. So cool. Who cares? Not like I’m ever gonna be a Paladin anyway. I mean, just look at me." He gestured at himself in slow motion, as if presenting the sheer tragedy of his existence. "I’ve got a doom sigil over my head, I’m as good as dead, and I swear to God, I can physically feel my stamina draining out of me. I’m tired. Just kill me already."
"Sin-Joo, don’t say that." I placed a hand on his shoulder, but he turned away.
Despite his relentless self-pity, I noticed something. Even through all the grumbling, even through the soul-crushing, debuff-fueled despair… Sin-Joo was still analyzing every little detail of the spell. Because deep down, even if he couldn’t admit it, he still cared. Deep down, he was still the geek who dreamed of one day becoming a Paladin.
Fuck. We had survived the mob wave, but it was obvious that something was seriously wrong with Sin-Joo. We had ignored the symbol above his head for too long. It was eating away at him, little by little. Like real depression, only in fast-forward.
A dark realization crept over me. If we didn’t do something, he would suffer the same fate as anyone with severe depression who never got therapy, medication, or treatment. And in that moment, it became clear: I hadn’t just been given a quest by the Elysian Wardens. There was a second quest now.
I had to find a way to save my friend.