[INSIDE THE DUNGEON]
I pulled my sword out of the monster's body and stepped back before it dissolved. The thing let out this awful choking noise before turning into smoke like all the others. My arm felt a little sore, but nothing serious. I rolled my shoulder once.
How many was that today?
I didn't know anymore. Enough that I should be tired. But I wasn't. Not really.
These D-rank monsters weren't scary. Not after all the training. Not after remembering the creepy smile of that statue 'oh man i am feeling anxious now'
"Jin-Woo!"
I looked over. Joohee was walking toward me, carefully stepping around bits of broken stone and leftover blood.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
She always asks that. Every time.
"I'm okay," I said, wiping the edge of my blade on a torn piece of cloth. "Looks like we're done here anyway."
She nodded, but she still looked tense. She never relaxes fully in dungeons. Even when things are going smoothly, her eyes keep moving like she's expecting something bad to happen.
I get it.
The raid's almost over…
But something didn't feel finished.
I glanced around the cavern again. I have checked every nook and cranny of this dungeon The hidden entrance should've been here already.
So where is it?
Am i forgetting something?
Before I could think it through—
"Hey! There's another entrance over here!"
My stomach dropped.
I turned.
A few hunters were gathered near the far wall, kicking away loose rocks. Behind them, slowly becoming visible—
A stone gate.
I stared at it.
That wasn't there before.
I know it wasn't.
For a second, I wondered if I was losing it. If maybe I'd imagined checking that area. But no. I had been careful.
Hunters started crowding around it.
"Woah… that's real?"
"A double dungeon?"
"I thought that was just a rumor."
They sounded excited. Like kids who just found a secret room.
I didn't feel excited.
The leader stepped forward. "Normally, we should report this to the Association and wait for instructions."
A few people nodded.
"But if we do that, another team might take over. and share drops."
That changed the mood fast.
Money. It always comes back to money.
He sighed. "We'll vote."
People split up almost immediately. Some stepped back. Some moved forward.
I didn't hesitate. I walked to the forward side.
If I don't go in, none of this happens.
Nine forward.
Eight retreat.
Way too close.
I stepped toward the leader quietly. "Boss… why not let the ones who want to retreat stay here? If something happens inside, they can report it right away."
He looked at me for a moment. Probably wondering why I was thinking that far ahead.
Then he nodded. "Alright. That's reasonable."
He raised his voice. "Those who want to retreat, stay here. If we don't send a signal in seven minutes, report to the Association."
Seven minutes.
I knew seven minutes wouldn't matter.
Joohee moved toward the retreat side.
Then the leader frowned. "Joohee, you're the healer. You should come."
She froze.
It wasn't dramatic. She didn't gasp or anything. But her shoulders went stiff. Her fingers tightened around her staff. I could see her breathing change.
She didn't want to go.
I stepped closer to the leader again and kept my voice low. "She only joins low-level dungeons because she's scared of higher-ranked monsters. If she panics inside, it'll make things worse."
He hesitated.
Looked at her.
Then exhaled. "Fine. Stay."
The relief on her face was so obvious it almost hurt to look at.
After he walked away, she came to me quietly.
"Thank you," she said. "Only you… really know."
I shrugged. "Just treat me to a meal later."
I tried to sound casual.
For half a second, an image of blonde hair flashed through my head.
I only have one innocent heart and there are to many cute and beautiful women in this world
Joohee nodded softly. "O-Okay."
She looked down as she stepped back, like she felt guilty for not going in.
I didn't say anything else.
The nine of us who voted forward walked toward the gate.
The closer we got, the quieter everyone became.
The tunnel past the gate was colder. Not freezing. Just… wrong. The air felt heavier in my lungs.
No one was joking anymore.
When we reached the end of the passage, there it was.
A huge stone door.
It didn't belong here.
That was my first thought.
Caves don't have doors.
Not like that.
The carvings on it were detailed — figures kneeling, symbols I couldn't read. It didn't look like something monsters built.
"What is this?" someone muttered.
"This feels dangerous."
I agreed.
The leader tried to keep his voice steady. "After coming this far, you want to go back? Anyone who wants to leave can."
No one moved.
Greed is stronger than fear. At least at first.
One of the hunters stepped forward and pushed the door.
It didn't swing open easily. It dragged. The sound of stone grinding against stone echoed too loudly in the silence.
We stepped inside.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—
Blue flames lit up along the walls.
One by one.
The chamber filled with cold light.
And that's when I felt it.
That pressure.
Not physical. Not exactly.
Just this heavy awareness.
Like something inside the room had noticed us.
I swallowed.
I knew what was about to happen.
But standing there, actually breathing that air, hearing the echoes of our footsteps…
It felt very different from knowing it as a story.
And for the first time since entering the dungeon—
I wasn't calm.
[A/n: can anyone comment and tell if this fic is ok or not it's my first time writing fanfic honestly as a reader i will rate it 1.5/5 and this chapter sound's way to ai doesn't it and also no one comment on my goated upload schedule]