The team all took turns sleeping through the night, Hyun-Jae took the first watch, then Soo-Min, followed by Mira, Daesung, and finally Rylan.
After finishing his shift, Hyun-Jae drifted off beside the small fire. The night air was cool and heavy with the scent of smoke and damp stone. Hours later, he woke up, not fully, just enough to hear faint voices over the crackling embers.
It was Rylan and Daesung. They spoke in hushed tones, probably thinking everyone else was asleep. Hyun-Jae stayed perfectly still, his eyes half-open but his breathing slow and steady.
Rylan's voice came first, smooth and deliberate. "Can you believe that kid? Getting cold feet over a little inscription. He's lucky we even let him tag along."
Daesung gave a quiet snicker. "Yeah. He acts like he's got instincts or something. Please, he's just scared. Probably joined thinking this would be a school trip or something."
Rylan smiled. "Yeah. He's got no business being here. Probably only came 'cause of Soo-Min."
Rylan laughed under his breath. "Yeah, about her... what do you think a girl like that even sees in him? Must be pity. Or maybe she just likes playing protector."
Daesung gave a dark chuckle. "Pretty face though. Shame she's wasting her time. Someone ought to teach her how things really work out here."
Rylan grinned. "Heh, maybe. Guess we'll see after this round."
They stood up after a moment, their boots scraping against the stone.
"Come on," Rylan said quietly. "Let's go check out that slab again. No reason to wait for the others, the loot might already be ours if we're fast."
"Yeah," Daesung replied. "It can't be that hard."
Hyun-Jae opened his eyes. For a few seconds, he just laid there, staring into the dying fire.
"Wouldn't surprise me if he hides behind her again next fight."
Rylan's voice dropped, the tone shifting to something colder, calculating. "Maybe that's not so bad, though. If he panics again, we can use it. Let the beasts go for him first while we clean up.
Daesung smirked. "Heh. Harsh, but smart."
Hyun-Jae's fists clenched under his blanket. The words cut deeper than he expected, not because they were wrong, but because he could hear the truth in their intent. To them, he wasn't part of the team. He was bait.
Then he slowly got up, brushing the dust off his clothes. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he knew he couldn't just let them wander off alone.
Hyun-Jae slipped through the shadows, careful to keep his footsteps silent against the damp stone. The cave was darker now, the firelight long behind him. The only sound was the faint echo of Rylan and Daesung's boots and their low voices bouncing off the walls ahead.
Every few steps, Hyun-Jae would pause, steadying his breath, letting his eyes adjust. The tunnel twisted and narrowed, the air thick with that same stench rot mixed with something metallic, like old blood. It was stronger now, crawling down his throat and clinging to his tongue.
He wanted to call out. To tell them to stop. But he knew Rylan wouldn't listen to him.
So he followed.
They finally reached the chamber where they had found the slab. The two C-ranks stepped into the hollowed space, their silhouettes framed by faint violet runes glowing from the walls, a light that hadn't been there before.
Hyun-Jae pressed himself against the wall, hidden behind a jagged stone pillar. His pulse pounded in his ears. The smell was suffocating now, heavy and wrong, like the cave itself was breathing.
Rylan grinned and brushed the dust from the slab. "Told you. Loot like this doesn't wait for cowards."
Daesung gave a low laugh. "You really think this'll work?"
"Only one way to find out."
Rylan straightened, clearing his throat, and began to read the inscription aloud. The runes along the stone pulsed faintly as his voice echoed through the chamber:
"O servant of the dark,Hear the voice of the daring,We who seek your blessing,Open the gate of hunger,And feast upon the unworthy."
The moment the last word left his mouth, the air shifted, a dull hum vibrating through the floor. The walls trembled slightly, dust raining from the ceiling. Hyun-Jae felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.
The slab began to glow, the violet light turning crimson, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Daesung stepped back, uncertain now. "Uh… was it supposed to do that?"
Rylan's grin faltered but he forced a laugh. "Yeah, just... part of the activation, I think."
But Hyun-Jae could tell. That wasn't the sound of treasure being revealed.
It was something waking up.
A sharp crack echoed through the chamber.
Rylan and Daesung both flinched back as the stone slab began to split down the middle, crimson light seeping through the fissures like liquid fire. The sound wasn't just stone breaking, it was wet, like flesh tearing beneath the surface.
Hyun-Jae's breath hitched. He took a step forward, instinct screaming at him to do something, but his body refused to move. His throat went dry.
The cracks widened.
And then, something pressed against the other side.
It wasn't a shape he could make sense of at first. Just a dark silhouette pushing outward, distorting the runes until they shattered one by one with flashes of dull red light. Then came the sound, low, muffled, like a heartbeat echoing in reverse.
Rylan stumbled back. "What the hell"
From the center of the tear, a thin, withered hand forced its way out. The fingers were long, grey, and cracked like old bark, but when they flexed, Hyun-Jae heard the sound of stretching sinew instead of stone. The hand gripped the edges of the slab, and with a sickening rip, it pulled.
The tear widened, spilling more of that red light into the chamber. The smell hit Hyun-Jae like a wave, decay mixed with iron and something sour, something ancient. His stomach churned.
Daesung moved backward, inching away. "Rylan what is that?!"
Rylan didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the tear, his confidence gone, replaced by pure disbelief.
Something behind the tear moved. A shadow with too many limbs, pressing against the crack, fighting to get through. The withered fingers dug deeper into the stone, breaking off chunks of it like soft clay.
Hyun-Jae's heart pounded painfully in his chest. Every instinct told him to run, but his legs felt glued to the ground.
He realized, too late, that his hesitation, his fear of speaking up, might have just doomed them all.
The thing stepped out from the slab with the sound of chains dragging against stone.Each step it took made the ground hum, the air itself trembling with the echo.
It was humanoid, yes, but only barely. Its proportions were wrong: too tall, limbs too thin, shoulders hunched forward as if the weight of the rusted chains wrapped around its body was dragging it down. Its skin was pale and dry, cracked like porcelain that had been fired too long, and its face,
Its face was blank.
No eyes, no mouth, no nose, just the faint impressions of where those features should've been. Yet somehow Hyun-Jae knew it was looking around.
It tilted its head, almost curiously, the metal bindings clinking softly as it scanned the chamber. Then, without warning, it turned toward Hyun-Jae's direction.
A flicker of panic shot through him, he ducked back behind the nearest pillar, holding his breath.
The creature's neck twisted unnaturally, the cracking of bone filling the silence. Slowly, it raised its hand, the fingers long, sharp, and moving like they had their own will, and clenched them into a fist.
The pillar exploded into fragments.
Hyun-Jae stumbled backward, dust and debris filling his lungs. The shock numbed his mind for a heartbeat, then he looked up, and froze. The creature was staring directly at him now, its faceless head tilted at a disturbing angle.
Chains rattled as it took a step forward.
That's when Rylan's voice cracked through the silence. "You! You followed us?!"
Both he and Daesung had gone pale, their earlier arrogance shattered.
But the creature turned toward them next, its head moving in slow, deliberate jerks. Then, almost as if amused, the faint impression of a smile carved itself across the smooth surface of its face, a jagged, unnatural expression that seemed to appear beneath the skin rather than on it.
The chains along its body began to slither, dragging across the floor like serpents.
Hyun-Jae's heart slammed in his chest. He didn't know what this thing was, but he knew one thing for certain, whatever they'd unleashed wasn't supposed to exist here.
And it had noticed all three of them.
Just as the creature took another slow step forward, a familiar voice boomed through the cavern Aureon's, calm and resonant, cutting through the suffocating tension.
"The first survival trial has ended. Those still standing are to make their way to the nearest exit portal. Follow the light, and you will be transported back."
A line of faint, golden light appeared on the cave floor, tracing its way deeper into the tunnels before turning sharply toward what must've been the way out.
For a heartbeat, none of them moved not even the creature.
Then Rylan hissed, "Forget this!" and bolted after the light. Daesung hesitated only a moment before following him, their footsteps echoing wildly off the stone.
Hyun-Jae glanced back at the creature.
It hadn't moved.
It still stood there, head tilted, those bound chains hanging lifelessly from its arms. But even though it hadn't taken a step, Hyun-Jae felt its unseen eyes on him. Watching. Measuring.
Every instinct screamed at him to run.
He forced his legs to move, chasing after the faint trail of light winding through the tunnels. His breath came ragged, every sound behind him feeling like it might be the creature's chains dragging closer.
But when he risked a glance over his shoulder
The chamber was empty.
The slab was gone.
Only the faint echo of metal on stone lingered in the air as he sprinted toward the exit.
---
They burst out of the tunnel, gasping for air.
Soo-Min and Mira, who had been waiting near the cave's mouth with weapons ready, turned at the sound of pounding footsteps. Their expressions shifted instantly, from relief to confusion.
"Why are you three running like that?" Mira asked, her bow half-drawn.
Rylan didn't answer. He was too busy scanning the area, wild-eyed. Daesung stumbled to a stop beside him, clutching his mace and trying to steady his breathing.
"Where's the exit?" Rylan barked. "The damn light, it ended here!"
Soo-Min frowned, pointing toward the faint shimmer forming in the air near the entrance. "It needs all of us to open. I was waiting for you three, but"
"Wait," she said, noticing Hyun-Jae's face. "What happened in there?"
Hyun-Jae tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat. His lungs burned, his pulse hammered against his ribs. He turned his head back toward the dark tunnel, the faint scent of rust and rot already creeping out.
The sound followed next, clink… clink… clink.
Chains dragging against stone.
Then, it appeared.
The creature emerged from the shadows, its pale frame stooped but disturbingly human-shaped. Chains wrapped around its limbs like living things, scraping the rock with every step. Its hollow eyes flicked up and met theirs.
Soo-Min instinctively stepped closer to Hyun-Jae, while Mira drew an arrow and took aim.
The creature smiled. A slow, broken stretch of skin and shadow that didn't belong on something that once looked human.
The portal finally began to form a swirling rift of light hovering just outside the cave entrance, humming with energy. Relief flickered through the group; it was right there. Salvation, just a few steps away.
Rylan moved first. "Go!" he shouted, sprinting toward it. Daesung followed without hesitation, desperation overtaking reason.
But they never made it.
A sharp clang echoed through the cavern then, in an instant, the creature blurred. The chains dragging behind it snapped taut as it appeared between them and the glowing portal.
It didn't move fast. It didn't need to.
Its head tilted slightly, the dim light reflecting off its chained body as it blocked their only exit.
Soo-Min froze mid-step, her book trembling in her hands. Mira's arrow wavered in the air.
Rylan and Daesung stumbled back, pale-faced.
"Wha, how did it," Daesung's words died in his throat as the creature slowly lifted its head.
Hyun-Jae's heart sank. Even without understanding much about ranks or power levels, he could feel it, an oppressive weight pressing down on his chest, heavier than Aureon's aura had ever been.
This wasn't a C-rank beast. Not even close.
Soo-Min whispered, voice barely audible, "That thing is definitely… it's above B rank."
Everyone froze. Even the others knew what that meant, it was something none of them could possibly touch.
The creature's expression didn't change, but its smile widened, jagged and unnatural. Its voice came next low, distorted, almost curious.
The chains rattled once more as it took a step forward. The ground cracked beneath its heel.
Hyun-Jae now stepped in front of Soo-Min, though his hands were shaking and the small blade he held felt utterly useless.
The portal shimmered behind the monster, still open still so close but now hopelessly unreachable.
Then without warning it the it swung one the chains on its at the party and it extended with its reach.
Hyun-Jae stumbled back from the swing, a shallow cut forming across his forearm. He hissed, instinctively raising his arm to protect himself, while Soo-Min immediately moved to his side.
"Hyun-Jae! Hold still," she called, placing her hands on his arm and opening the book. A soft glow of healing energy spread over the wound, but to her alarm, the cut didn't close. Instead, the glow was absorbed into the Etherea-infused flesh, making it shimmer unnaturally.
Hyun-Jae's brow furrowed. "It… it won't heal. Something's different about this Etherea," he muttered, his grip tightening on his small blade.
The creature didn't move. Its chains lay coiled around its form like heavy serpents, clinking softly as it settled onto the cavern floor. Its head remained tilted, eyes fixed on the group, but its body no longer radiated the overwhelming pressure from before.
"it's… not fully awake," Hyun-Jae whispered to Soo-Min, realizing aloud what the others hadn't yet noticed. "It's been asleep a long time. Its body… it can't control its power yet."
Soo-Min nodded, keeping her eyes on the creature while still maintaining her focus on the unhealing cut. "That's why it hasn't struck again. But we can't stay here. The moment it adapts, we're in real danger."
Rylan and Daesung, who had been frozen in shock, exchanged uneasy glances. Mira's bow remained drawn, her hands trembling slightly, but she didn't let go of the arrow.
Hyun-Jae, though feeling the sting of his Etherea-infused wound, took a deep breath and whispered to himself, This is my chance. We survive now, or we die later.
The creature's expressionless face and the silent clang of its chains filled the cave, a chilling reminder: it was still above their ranks, even in slumber. Yet for the first time, the team realized, they might have a slim window to escape.
Hyun-Jae adjusted his stance slightly, scanning the cave entrance and the shimmering portal beyond. The creature was slow, its movements cumbersome from the long slumber, and he knew one thing clearly: they had to move, and they had to move now.
Mira and Daesung darted toward the portal, slipping through just as Soo-Min grabbed Hyun-Jae took him on her should, and began walking to the end.
Then through the corner of Hyun-Jae's vision his eys widened as he saw Rylan inching closer to the creature, his sword raised high, a confident grin on his face as if the chains and hulking frame before him were nothing more than practice dummies.
The creature's head tilted slightly, its expressionless face turning toward Rylan. The slow, deliberate movement of its chains made a faint metallic groan that echoed against the walls. Hyun-Jae could feel the tension in the air spike, a pulse of unrefined Etherea radiating from it in waves.
For a brief moment, Rylan froze, his grin faltering as he saw the subtle shift in the creature's posture. But stubbornness, and perhaps arrogance, kept him moving forward, sword raised, ignoring the wary looks from Hyun-Jae and the others.
Hyun-Jae's mind raced. It's not fully awake… yet. But if he strikes it, even one miscalculated move could trigger the full power of that thing. He'll get obliterated before any of us can react.
Rylan glanced at him and Soo-Min, eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn't stop. The creature, unnervingly still, seemed to follow Rylan's approach with a faint clinking of its chains.
He raised his blade.
Hyun-Jae barely had time to react. The chains of the creature lashed out with terrifying speed, severing Rylan's arm before he could even scream. That should have been the end but, one of the chains whipped toward Soo-Min, and instinctively, Hyun-Jae shoved her into the portal just in time.
Pain exploded in his chest as another chain impaled him fully, pinning him in place. He gasped, shock and agony twisting his face, his vision blurring as he struggled to remain get upright again. The world around him seemed to tilt, the faint glow of the portal beckoning, but his body refused to move.
For a fleeting moment, all he could think was Soo-Min's safety, and the terrible weight of what his mistake had nearly caused.
His fingers dug into the dirt as he tried to drag himself toward the portal. Each breath came ragged, blood spilling from his mouth as the metallic taste filled his throat. The pain was unbearable, but the sight of the glowing portal kept him moving, inch by inch.
Then
Footsteps. Fast. Panicked.
Rylan.
He didn't even look at him. With a wild, desperate shove, Rylan kicked Hyun-Jae aside, sending him rolling across the rocky ground.
"Move, damn it!" Rylan snarled, clutching his bleeding arm as he bolted toward the portal.
Hyun-Jae hit the ground hard, the impact forcing a choked sound from his throat. He could barely see through the haze of pain, his vision tunneling as Rylan dove through the shimmering light.
For a moment, Hyun-Jae just lay there, half his body slick with blood, the faint hum of the portal growing dim behind him. The creature still loomed near the cave's mouth, unmoving but watching, its head tilting ever so slightly, as if studying the one human who hadn't yet fled.
But he continued again as his trembling fingers reached toward the portal, the light brushing his bloodstained hand so close he could almost feel its pull.
Then came the metallic rattle.
The chains.
Before he could even turn, one of them coiled around his leg like a serpent. His body was yanked backward with brutal force, the breath torn from his lungs as he was dragged across the cold stone. The portal's glow faded behind him, swallowed by darkness.
He hit the ground near the creature's feet, his body screaming in pain. The last thing he saw was its expressionless face leaning close, eyes like empty voids reflecting his own terror.
Then everything went black.
A ding echoed faintly in his mind, cold, mechanical.
[Quest Failed.]
[Reverting progress… restoring to original state.]
The voice was flat, detached, almost familiar. But then, static. Glitches flashed across the dark screen in his mind.
[Error: Administrative Permissions Not Attained.]
[Restoration Incomplete.]
[Redirecting…]
[Returning to the Ethereal Abyss.]
Hyun-Jae's consciousness plummeted, falling, falling through an endless dark expanse streaked with faint silver threads. The sensation wasn't just falling; it was being unmade. Every sound, every thought, every breath dissolved into nothing.
And as the last fragment of his awareness slipped away, the world finally went completely still.