The Forsaken Awakening

Hunter Hub – Seoul, South Korea

Jinhyuk stood outside the Hunter Registration Office, staring at his HunterNet screen.

[ Solo Raid Request Accepted! ]

[ Dungeon: Blood Library (C-Class, Red Dungeon) ]

Monster Type: Lizardmen

Mob Rank: Low C-Class (Lizardman Warriors, Lizardman Archers)

Mini-Boss: High C-Class (Lizardman General)

Boss: B-Class (Lizardman Sorcerer-King)

Dungeon Type: Red Variant (Anomalous Effects Possible)

Solo Clearance Bonus: +80% Payment

Jinhyuk exhaled.

"A Red Dungeon… this is going to be rough."

Red Dungeons weren't just unstable—they were unpredictable. Monsters could be stronger than their recorded ranks, and dungeon physics could shift randomly.

But the potential rewards were worth it.

If he cleared this solo, it would solidify his B-Class rank and push him closer to A-Class.

"No turning back now."

---

Blood Library – Dungeon Entrance

The Blood Library's gate loomed before him—an ornate, crimson-stained doorway embedded in a ruined temple. Ancient symbols covered the stone, their meanings long forgotten.

A Hunter Regulation Officer glanced at Jinhyuk's solo clearance request.

"Blood Library? Alone?" He let out a low whistle. "Damn, kid. You got guts."

Jinhyuk smirked. "And a death wish, apparently."

The officer chuckled. "Just make sure you come back in one piece."

Jinhyuk stepped forward. The moment his hand touched the glowing red gate—

The world twisted.

A cold gust of mana wrapped around him. The air grew heavier—like something ancient was watching.

Then—he was inside.

---

Inside the Blood Library – The First Encounter

The moment Jinhyuk's boots hit the ground, he knew this wasn't a normal dungeon.

Towering bookshelves stretched endlessly, the air thick with the scent of old parchment and blood. The walls were made of blackened stone, pulsing faintly with red mana.

A chilling hiss echoed through the library.

Jinhyuk turned just in time to see two Lizardmen drop from the bookshelves above.

[ Monster Identified: Lizardman Warriors (C-Rank) ]

They were taller than humans, with dark green scales and obsidian spears. Their slit pupils glowed with eerie intelligence.

Jinhyuk didn't move.

He let them make the first move.

The first Lizardman hissed, then lunged.

Jinhyuk sidestepped at the last second, his shadow twisting beneath him.

"Too slow."

His dagger flashed—

SLASH!

The Lizardman collapsed, black ichor spilling from its throat.

The second Lizardman reacted instantly, swinging its spear in a wide arc.

Jinhyuk ducked, activating Shadow Blink.

He reappeared behind it, forming a shadow spike in his palm.

SHUNK!

The spike pierced through its chest, pinning it to the stone wall.

[ Enemies Defeated. EXP Gained: 22 ]

Jinhyuk let out a breath.

"That was just the welcome party?"

His instincts screamed.

More hissing sounds came from deeper within the library.

They knew he was here.

Jinhyuk grinned.

"Good. Saves me the trouble of looking for them."

With his shadows trailing behind him, he stepped forward.

The real battle was just beginning.

---

The Gatekeeper's Trial

Blood Library – Second Floor

Jinhyuk wiped Lizardman blood from his dagger, exhaling slowly.

[ Enemies Defeated: 9 ]

[ EXP Gained: 76 ]

He stood in the middle of an open reading hall, surrounded by corpses of Lizardmen warriors and archers. Bookshelves had collapsed from the fight, their pages soaked in black ichor.

The first wave had been manageable.

But as he advanced deeper into the library, something felt off.

The air grew heavier, and the dungeon walls shifted subtly, as if the place was alive.

"A normal Red Dungeon shouldn't feel this unnatural."

He glanced at the grand double doors ahead, etched with serpent-like carvings.

[ Warning: Mini-Boss Ahead ]

Jinhyuk tightened his grip on his daggers.

"Let's see what's waiting for me."

He pushed the doors open—

And immediately jumped back.

A massive halberd sliced through the air, missing him by inches.

BOOM!

The impact shattered the stone floor where he had been standing.

From the shadows, a towering figure emerged.

[ Mini-Boss Identified: Lizardman General (High C-Rank) ]

It stood almost three meters tall, its emerald scales reinforced with armor plating. Unlike the normal Lizardmen, its eyes gleamed with intelligence.

It gripped its halberd tightly, raising it again in perfect battle stance.

Jinhyuk exhaled.

"Alright. Let's see what you've got."

---

The Mini-Boss Fight Begins

The Lizardman General moved first.

It charged forward, its massive halberd swinging in a wide arc.

Jinhyuk dodged left, activating Phantom Steps to increase his speed—

But the General anticipated it.

It twisted mid-swing, redirecting the attack faster than expected.

"Shit!"

Jinhyuk barely managed to block, forming a hardened shadow shield in front of him.

CRACK!

The impact sent him skidding backward, his arms shaking from the force.

"This thing isn't just strong… it's skilled."

If he fought normally, he'd lose.

He needed to change the battlefield.

---

Abyssal Domain – The Shadows Take Over

Jinhyuk activated his strongest skill.

[ Skill Activated: Abyssal Domain ]

The entire room darkened.

The torchlights flickered out, replaced by an endless sea of shifting shadows.

The Lizardman General hesitated, its pupils narrowing.

For the first time—it couldn't track him.

Jinhyuk vanished into the darkness.

Then—he struck.

SLASH!

A dagger tore through the General's exposed side.

It roared, spinning around too late.

Jinhyuk was already gone.

Another cut—this time to its leg.

Then another—across its back.

The General swung wildly, but Jinhyuk was everywhere and nowhere.

The shadows swallowed his movements.

He was the hunter now.

---

The Final Blow

The Lizardman General staggered, its breath heavy.

Jinhyuk didn't give it time to recover.

He summoned a dozen shadow spears, hovering in midair.

With a flick of his wrist—

They all shot forward.

SHUNK! SHUNK! SHUNK!

The General let out a final, guttural growl, before collapsing to the ground.

[ Mini-Boss Defeated. EXP Gained: 140 ]

Jinhyuk exhaled sharply.

His mana reserves were low, but he had won.

Then—

The room shook.

The air grew even heavier.

And for the first time—Jinhyuk felt true danger.

The real fight was still ahead.

He turned toward the final set of doors.

The Boss Room.

And whatever was waiting for him inside.