The Forsaken Awakening

Somewhere Between the Dungeon and Reality…

Jinhyuk drifted in a void of darkness and silence.

His body felt weightless. His thoughts were scattered.

Images of the fight with the Servant of The Forgotten flashed in his mind.

He had lost.

Not just lost—he was completely powerless.

"Unworthy."

The word echoed in his skull, over and over.

He gritted his teeth. I'm not weak.

But even as he thought that, the reality of his defeat crushed him.

Then—

A bright light erupted, forcing his eyes open.

And suddenly—he was back in reality.

---

Hunter Hub – Dungeon Exit Zone

Jinhyuk gasped, staggering forward out of the collapsing portal.

He barely caught himself before falling to his knees.

The Hunter Regulation Officers nearby immediately noticed.

"Holy shit! He actually came out alive!" one of them muttered.

Another officer rushed over. "Get a healer! He looks like hell!"

Jinhyuk ignored them.

He could barely stand. His body ached everywhere, and his mana reserves were dangerously low.

But that wasn't what mattered.

His mind was racing.

"That thing… it was real."

The Servant of The Forgotten wasn't just a hallucination.

It had been watching him. Testing him.

And he had failed.

A notification pinged in his system window.

[ Dungeon Cleared – Blood Library (Red Variant) ]

[ Solo Clearance Bonus Applied ]

[ EXP Gained: 480 ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Level 19 → Level 23 ]

[ New Skill Acquired: Shadow Reinforcement (Abyssal) ]

Enhances all shadow abilities.

Shadows become more resistant to light-based attacks.

Allows minor physical reinforcement using shadow energy.

Jinhyuk barely processed the massive power boost.

Because no matter how much stronger he had become—

It wasn't enough.

---

One Day Later – Jinhyuk's Apartment

Jinhyuk sat on his bed, staring at his hands.

His body had mostly recovered. His mana reserves had fully restored.

But the feeling of powerlessness still lingered.

"I thought reaching B-Class would make me safe."

"I thought I was getting closer to the top."

"But I wasn't even close."

He clenched his fists.

The Servant of The Forgotten had held back.

And still, he had been completely destroyed.

If I fought someone like that in a real-life battle, I'd be dead.

He exhaled, his breath shaky.

"I need to go beyond B-Class."

A new goal crystallized in his mind.

He needed to reach A-Class. Fast.

Because one day, the Servant would return.

And when it did—

He would be ready.

---

"A New Goal – The Road to A-Class

Seoul, South Korea – One Week After the Blood Library Raid

Jinhyuk sat in a quiet café, his hood pulled low to avoid drawing attention. His coffee had gone cold, untouched as he stared at the system window floating before him.

---

[ System Status – Jin Jinhyuk ] (Updated Progress)

[ Level: 23 ]

Next Level: 15/280 EXP

[ Stats ] (Current vs. Previous in Parentheses)

Strength: 52 (↑ from 43)

Agility: 65 (↑ from 57)

Endurance: 48 (↑ from 40)

Mana: 120 (↑ from 95)

Perception: 72 (↑ from 63)

---

[ New Skill Acquired ]

Shadow Reinforcement (Abyssal) [Passive] (New!)

Enhances all shadow-based abilities.

Shadows are now resistant to light-based attacks.

Allows minor physical reinforcement using shadow energy.

---

Jinhyuk exhaled, closing the system window.

His stats had skyrocketed.

The Blood Library Raid had pushed him beyond B-Class.

But even with all this progress…

"I still lost."

His mind replayed the battle with the Servant of The Forgotten.

No matter how strong he had become, it wasn't enough.

The Servant had been on another level entirely.

If I met an enemy like that outside a dungeon, I'd be dead.

Jinhyuk clenched his fists.

"I need to reach A-Class. Fast."

But getting there meant a new level of training.

Solo dungeons wouldn't be enough anymore.

He needed something bigger.

---

The Rumors – Jinhyuk's Growing Fame

As he sat in the café, he couldn't help but overhear whispers from nearby hunters.

"You heard about that solo hunter? The guy who cleared the Blood Library alone?"

"Yeah, Jin Jinhyuk. They're calling him the 'Shadow Phantom.'"

"Bullshit. A B-Class hunter can't clear a Red Dungeon alone."

"Well, he did. And apparently, the DHR is looking into him now."

Jinhyuk frowned.

The Department of Hunter Regulations?

That wasn't good.

He had tried to lay low, but after the Red Dungeon, it was impossible.

His fame was growing too fast.

If the DHR got involved, things could get complicated.

Especially because of Seongjun.

The Black Wolf Syndicate's leader—the man who was forcing him into this mission.

And he hadn't contacted Jinhyuk since the mission started.

That was even worse.

"Tch." Jinhyuk rubbed his temples. "I don't have time to deal with this."

Right now, he needed to focus on training.

If the DHR or Seongjun came knocking, he needed to be strong enough to protect himself.

---

Next Step – A-Class Training Begins

Jinhyuk left the café, pulling up HunterNet on his phone.

He searched for high-risk dungeons—something that would push him beyond his limits.

Then, he found it.

[ Dungeon Request Accepted! ]

[ Dungeon: Black Serpent Nest (High C-Class, Near B-Class)]

Monster Type: Mutated Serpents

Mob Rank: High C-Class

Boss: B-Class Mutant Serpent Queen

Solo Clearance Bonus: +100% Payment

Jinhyuk smirked.

"This should be perfect."

If he could solo clear a High C-Class Dungeon with a B-Class boss, then he was one step closer to A-Class.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

"Time to stop hesitating."

With that, he headed for the next raid—one that would push him further than ever before.