The association building felt smaller than it did yesterday.
Or maybe it was just quieter.
Jin Tae-Hyuk stood near the glass doors, watching people move past him. Hunters in gear. Staff with tablets. A pair of rookies arguing over rank assignments.
Normal.
Too normal.
He slid his hands into his pockets and leaned slightly against the wall, eyes half-lidded like he wasn't paying attention.
But he was.
He always was.
Footsteps stopped in front of him.
He didn't look up immediately.
"…You're really going to act like nothing happened?"
Seo-Yun.
Her voice was steady, but it sat too tight in her throat.
Tae-Hyuk let out a quiet breath, then lifted his gaze.
"You're still here?"
Not the answer she wanted.
Her eyes hardened. "Answer the question."
He tilted his head slightly, studying her. Up close, it was clearer. She hadn't slept. There was a faint discoloration under her eyes, and her lips were pressed together like she was holding something back.
"Which question?" he asked, his voice detached and cold.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"Do-Jin." *her voice trembled prior to her crying.*
Just his name. Nothing else.
Tae-Hyuk's expression didn't change.
"He died."
Her jaw tightened. "I know that."
"Then what are you asking?" *he asked bored out of his mind, like it was nothing.*
For a moment, she just stared at him. Like she was trying to find something human to grab onto.
"I was healing him," she said slowly. "His condition was stabilizing. The bleeding was under control."
A step closer.
"And then everything collapsed. All at once." *she sniffles as her nose droops with snot.*
Tae-Hyuk watched her carefully. Not her words. Her breathing. The way her shoulders lifted slightly with each inhale.
"You're good," he said.
She blinked. "What?" *her brown eyes twinkled.*
"At healing," he clarified. "You would've saved him." *
That landed harder than he expected. Not because of what he said, but because of how he said it. Calm. Certain.
Her voice dropped. "Then why didn't I?"
Tae-Hyuk shrugged. "Maybe you weren't good enough." *he insulted her.*
She stepped forward.
Fast.
For a second, it looked like she might hit him.
Her hand twitched, rising just slightly before she forced it down again.
"…Don't do that," she said. "Don't try to twist this."
Tae-Hyuk held her gaze for a moment.
Then he spoke again.
"You want the truth?"
She didn't answer. But she didn't look away either.
He stepped closer. Not aggressively. Just enough that his voice didn't need to carry.
"I could've saved him." *He declared bodly.*
There was silence between them.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
"…And?"
"I didn't."
No hesitation. No excuse.
Just that.
Seo-Yun's breath caught.
"…Why?" *Her face scrunched up with confusion.*
Tae-Hyuk's lips curved slightly. Not a smile.
Something thinner.
"Because I didn't need to."
The words hung between them.
Heavy.
Ugly.
Real.
She shook her head slowly, like she was trying to reject what she was hearing.
"You're insane."
"Probably." *He shrugged his shoulders.*
He stepped past her.
Like the conversation was over.
"Stay away from me," she said quietly.
He didn't stop.
"You won't." *His voice carried out certainty.*
That made her turn.
"What?"
He glanced back just enough for her to see his expression.
"You saw something, didn't you?"
A pause.
Her eyes flickered.
"…Saw what?"
Tae-Hyuk held her gaze for a second longer.
Then turned away.
"Doesn't matter." * he cut off mid sentence.*
And he walked out.
The dungeon opened two hours later.
Lower rank. Smaller. But unstable.
Exactly what he wanted.
Tae-Hyuk stepped inside alone.
The air here was different. Dry, but stale. Like it hadn't moved in years. The walls were uneven, jagged in places, like the stone had been forced apart instead of carved. Cracks ran along the surface, deep and irregular.
Something moved behind one of them.
He stopped.
Listened.
A faint scraping sound echoed from the wall to his right. Slow. Dragging.
Then silence.
[Dungeon Detected: Low Rank]
Instability: High
Warning: Irregular Spawn Patterns
"…Good." *he muttered.*
His fingers tightened slightly around the dagger.
[Debt System Active]
Outstanding Debt: 5 Years
Options: Borrow / Transfer / Accumulate
"No one to take the hit for me this time," he murmured.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Guess I'll have to be careful."
The wall to his right split open.
Not cleanly.
The stone cracked outward, fragments breaking off as something forced its way through. A creature crawled out slowly, dragging one arm behind it like it didn't fully work.
Its body was thick, compact. Muscles packed tightly under gray skin that looked almost rubbery. Its face was wrong. The jaw was too wide, teeth uneven and layered, some broken, some too long. Its eyes were small and deep-set, barely reflecting the dim light.
It stared at him.
Then it moved.
Fast.
Faster than its body suggested it could.
It launched forward, claws aimed straight for his midsection.
Tae-Hyuk stepped back instinctively, but not far enough.
The claws grazed his side, tearing fabric and skin. A sharp line of pain flared, hot and immediate.
"…Tch."
He didn't retreat further.
Instead, he stepped forward.
Inside its reach.
The creature's arm jerked, trying to adjust mid-swing, but it was too slow.
Tae-Hyuk drove his dagger into its abdomen.
The blade didn't slide in easily.
The muscle resisted, thick and dense.
He pushed harder.
The creature let out a low, choking sound, its jaw snapping toward his face.
He turned his head sharply. Teeth scraped past his cheek, close enough that he felt the heat of its breath.
His grip tightened.
He twisted the blade.
That did it.
The resistance gave, and the dagger sank deeper.
The creature's body jerked violently, slamming backward into the wall. The impact echoed through the narrow corridor.
Tae-Hyuk didn't pull away.
He followed.
Pressed in.
Then yanked the blade free and drove it upward under its jaw.
This time it went through clean.
The creature froze.
Then collapsed.
He stepped back, breathing slightly heavier.
"…Not weak."
[Combat Log Updated]
Enemies Eliminated: 1
Damage Taken: Minor
He wiped the blade against the creature's body, then straightened.
More movement.
Different direction this time.
Behind him.
He turned just as two more creatures emerged from separate cracks. These ones were larger. Their arms were shorter but thicker, their shoulders hunched forward.
Their legs were bent, coiled with tension.
Stronger.
They didn't hesitate.
One rushed low, aiming for his legs. The other came in from the side, arm swinging wide.
Tae-Hyuk shifted his weight.
The low one reached him first.
He jumped, barely clearing it as its claws scraped under his boots. As he came down, he twisted his body mid-air and slashed across the second creature's face.
The blade cut, but not deep enough.
It staggered, more surprised than hurt.
He landed and didn't stop moving.
The first creature was already turning, faster than he expected.
"…Faster than before."
It lunged again.
He raised his arm to block, but the impact still drove him back half a step. The force traveled up his arm, rattling his shoulder.
He exhaled sharply.
"Strong too."
[System Prompt]
Borrow Power Available
Cost: Muscular Strain (Severe)
"Not yet."
He let his arm give slightly under the pressure.
The creature leaned in.
Committed.
That was the mistake.
Tae-Hyuk shifted his footing, dropping his weight and stepping to the side at the same time.
The creature stumbled forward.
He moved with it.
His dagger carved across the back of its knee.
Deep.
The leg gave out immediately.
It collapsed with a harsh, scraping sound.
Before it could recover, Tae-Hyuk dropped onto it, driving his knee into its back to pin it down.
It thrashed, trying to turn.
Too slow.
He grabbed its head and forced it down.
"Stay still." *He said smugly as he choked it with his thighs.*
Then drove the blade into its spine.
The body jerked once.
Then went limp.
The second creature charged again.
No hesitation this time.
Tae-Hyuk stood, turning just as it swung.
He raised his dagger to parry, but the force knocked his arm wide. Pain shot through his wrist.
"…Damn."
The creature pressed forward, trying to overwhelm him with sheer strength.
Tae-Hyuk stepped in instead of back.
Too close for it to swing properly.
He slammed his forehead into its face.
A dull crack.
The creature recoiled just enough.
He didn't waste it.
The dagger drove straight into its eye.
This time, it went in clean.
The creature collapsed at his feet.
Silence returned.
For a moment.
Tae-Hyuk stood there, breathing steadily now, his arm still throbbing slightly.
[Combat Log Updated]
Enemies Eliminated: 3
Performance: Above Average
"…Still inefficient."
He rolled his shoulder once, then froze.
Something else was there.
Not like the others.
Heavier.
Slower.
But aware.
He turned slowly.
From deeper in the dungeon, something stepped into view.
It was taller than the others. Broader. Its posture was almost… human.
Its skin was darker, stretched tight over defined muscle. Its arms hung longer than they should, ending in thick, curved claws that looked more like bone than keratin.
Its face was the worst part.
Not twisted.
Not broken.
Just… wrong.
Too still.
Its eyes locked onto him, unblinking.
It wasn't twitching like the others.
It wasn't rushing.
It was watching.
Studying.
Tae-Hyuk's grip tightened slightly.
[Warning: Elite Monster Detected]
"…Finally."
This time, he smiled.
Not out of boredom.
But interest.
He adjusted his stance, shifting his weight slightly onto the balls of his feet.
"Let's see," he said quietly,
"…how much you're worth."
The monster moved.
And Tae-Hyuk moved with it..