The wind whispered through the narrow alleyways as Harvin moved silently, his eyes scanning the walls for the mark he'd heard rumors about.
An unclaimed dungeon.
No guild tag. No protective barrier. No waiting line of registered hunters. Just a dark crack between two half-collapsed buildings in an abandoned zone of the city.
> "This… is it."
Harvin stood before the portal. The dungeon gate shimmered with a faint bluish hue—barely noticeable unless you were close. It wasn't protected by any monitoring drones, which meant it hadn't been reported to the Hunter Association yet.
He glanced at the system window floating beside him.
---
> 🔷 Dungeon Detected: E-Rank (Unregistered)
> Difficulty: Low
Recommended Level: 5+
⚠ "Proceed with caution. Dungeon boss unknown."
➤ [Enter Dungeon]
➤ [Leave]
---
Harvin smiled grimly.
> "I'm not running anymore."
He selected [Enter Dungeon].
---
Scene Shift – Inside the Dungeon
A cold wind swept through the entrance tunnel. The air smelled of rusted iron and damp soil. Harvin gripped the two sharpened hooked rebars he'd found during the penalty quest—his only weapons aside from raw determination.
The cave ahead was dimly lit by glowing moss on the walls. The faint sound of skittering echoed deep within.
> "Time to hunt."
Suddenly, a pair of red eyes blinked in the dark.
[System Alert: Hostile detected – Cave Scavenger (Lv.6)]
Harvin crouched low. The scavenger lunged, its mandibles wide and dripping venom—but Harvin moved first. With a precise sidestep, he rammed one hook into the creature's neck and ripped it sideways.
Green blood sprayed across the stone floor.
> "One down."
As soon as he turned around, three more emerged from the shadows.
> "Let's see how many I need to grow again."
---
In the heart of danger, Harvin wasn't just fighting monsters—
– "Dungeon of the Forgotten Teeth"
The scavenger creatures hissed in unison, their long limbs scraping across the jagged cave floor. Harvin could feel his heart thumping against his ribs like a war drum.
> "Three enemies. I have two hooked rebars. Let's do this."
He dashed forward before fear could catch up to him.
The first scavenger lunged, but Harvin pivoted, sliding under its legs and driving a hook into its belly. It shrieked, twisting in pain, but he had already yanked it back and sliced across the neck.
[+12 XP – Cave Scavenger Defeated]
The second one pounced from the side. Harvin raised his left arm instinctively—and paid the price. Its sharp claw gashed his shoulder.
"AGHH!"
Blood ran down his arm, but he gritted his teeth and drove his right-hand hook into its eye socket.
[+13 XP – Cave Scavenger Defeated]
The last one hesitated, sensing something strange. Harvin was limping, bleeding, and exhausted—but he was still standing.
And grinning.
> "You scared now?"
The scavenger lunged. Harvin didn't dodge this time. Instead, he dropped to one knee and let it leap over him.
Then he sprang upward and drove both hooks straight into its spine as it passed.
[+13 XP – Cave Scavenger Defeated]
The monster collapsed mid-scream.
---
Minutes Later…
Harvin leaned against the damp wall, his chest heaving.
The system screen blinked in front of him.
---
> 🧱 [LEVEL UP]
➤ Level: 7 → 9
➤ EXP: 00/90
✅ Strength +4
✅ Agility +3
✅ Vitality +2
✅ Stat points gained: +4
🎯 Dungeon Progress: 3/18 Enemies Defeated
---
Harvin's hands trembled—not with fear, but with something he hadn't felt in weeks.
Hope.
> "So… this is it. If I kill more, I grow. I don't need someone to give me power. I just have to take it."
He are inter in
Deeper.
Darker.
Stronger.