Leo stood there for a long moment, leaning against the wall, forcing air into his aching lungs.
Every breath was a jab to the ribs. His shirt clung to him — sticky with sweat, streaked with his blood. The broken dagger dangled loosely from his fingers, its chipped edge glinting in the faint orange light.
The Goblin Chieftain was dead. That much was certain.
And in any normal dungeon, that would've been his cue to exhale and wait for the magical shimmer-fade of the gate closing. The sweet sight of safety.
But the far end of the chamber stayed stubbornly… still.
He kept glancing that way, almost willing the ripple into existence.
Nothing.
"…Okay," Leo muttered under his breath, "maybe the magic door's just… taking its sweet time."
One minute passed.
Nothing.
Another minute.
Still nothing.
"Yeah. That's not good."
The system's crisp chime broke the silence.
──────────────
[Main Boss Defeated]
[Dungeon Clear Condition: Incomplete]
──────────────
Leo frowned. "Incomplete? What do you mean incomplete? I killed the big green guy with the big sword. That's usually the part where you thank me, roll credits, and send me home."
The system, as usual, ignored him.
He started pacing. His voice rose slightly. "No… no, no, no. This isn't Sung's story. In his run, the dungeon closes after the boss dies. You don't kill the final boss and just… stay trapped."
A cold realization seeped in.
The ruler. That damned ruler.
"This isn't a normal gate," he muttered. "This isn't even in the main plot."
The floor rumbled beneath his boots. A deep vibration, like something massive was waking up far below. Dust drifted down from the ceiling.
"…Uh-oh."
The system chimed again.
──────────────
[Hidden Quest Unlocked]
Title: Trial of the Player
──────────────
Leo's pulse quickened. "…Trial? What is this, a beta test?"
The text shifted before his eyes.
──────────────
Objective: Survive until the end of the Trial.
Time Limit: 24 Hours
──────────────
Leo blinked. "…Twenty-four hours? Here? With broken ribs?"
One final, cheerful ping:
──────────────
Warning: Failure will result in permanent death.
──────────────
He gave a short, incredulous laugh. "Oh, great. As opposed to what — a temporary death? Thanks for the clarification."
The laugh echoed through the chamber… and that's when he realized it wasn't just his voice anymore.
From the dark corridors branching off the throne room came new sounds.
Wet. Dragging. Footsteps.
Dozens of them.
The stench hit next — sour meat and rotting hides.
Shapes moved in the darkness, resolving into twisted silhouettes. Smaller than the Chieftain, but still goblin-like — leaner, twitchier, their glowing eyes locked on him.
A lot of them.
Leo raised his broken dagger. "…You've gotta be kidding me."
He knew he couldn't fight all of them in this state. His body was screaming for rest, but rest meant death.
"Alright, think, Leo. Sung survived worse. Sung had the system. And so do you."
He yanked open his status screen.
──────────────
[Status Window]
Points Available: 5
──────────────
"Perfect. Five little miracle points." His lips twitched into a faint grin. "Let's make them count."
Three points into Agility. Two into Strength.
The change slammed into him like a shot of adrenaline. His muscles tightened, his vision sharpened — every sound, every twitch of movement around him became painfully clear.
"Alright… I can run. I can fight. Mostly run."
The goblins hissed and surged forward.
Leo didn't wait — he darted between the two nearest ones, the boost in speed carrying him farther than they expected. A spear jabbed at his ribs but missed by a hair's breadth.
He wove between pillars, forcing shallow breaths so his ribs wouldn't lock up.
One goblin lunged in his path. He slashed with the broken dagger, catching it in the throat. It stumbled back, gurgling.
Another leapt at him from the side — he ducked low, kicking its knee sideways. Bone popped. It shrieked. He kept running.
Don't stop. Don't think. Just survive. Twenty-four hours…
The timer in his vision ticked away mercilessly.
[23:56:18]
"Yeah," he hissed, "this is gonna suck."
Behind him, their screeches grew sharper, closer. Claws skittered against stone. But ahead — ahead was a narrow, shadow-choked passage, leading deeper into the unknown.
Leo didn't hesitate. "Guess we're going deeper."
The darkness swallowed him whole.
Somewhere deep in the back of his mind, one thought burned steadily:
If I make it out of this, I'm going to kill that damn ruler myself.