"28!" Arya called out urgently.
"What is it?" 28 asked, turning toward him.
"The cave door… it's not there anymore," Arya said, his voice uneasy.
The others turned back, only to find the same thing—the entrance had completely disappeared.
A heavy silence followed.
"I've heard about something like this before…" 89 finally spoke. "This type of phenomenon is rare, but… it means one thing—until we kill the boss, we can't leave."
The realization hit them all at once.
45 frowned. "The monsters in this Dungeon are different… and far more powerful than usual. And there's something else…" He hesitated before continuing. "Time flows differently here. In our world, one hour here equals one week outside. Normally, portal timezones are the same, but this one… it's different."
89 clenched his fists. "Then we have no choice. We move forward."
With no other option, the squad pressed on, deeper into the ruined city, where danger lurked beyond the shadows.
Arya had never been in a situation like this before. He had taken on this mission for the money, but now, it was a matter of do or die.
He followed the squad as they ventured deeper into the city. There were no monsters, only abandoned houses and eerie purple flames flickering in the darkness. The sound of crackling fire echoed through the silent streets.
They walked for thirty minutes before reaching what seemed like the city's center.
"Let's take a break here," 89 said.
Just as the squad settled down, Arya's eyes widened in shock.
"89… look over there!" he whispered.
The entire squad turned to where he was pointing—and froze in disbelief.
"What… the hell?" 28 muttered.
They were back at the same location where they started.
It made no sense. They had been walking straight the entire time. There were no turns, no loops—yet they had returned to the beginning.
And then, they saw something even more terrifying.
Up ahead, figures were walking deeper into the city. The squad watched in silence as the group moved forward…
They looked exactly like them.
Arya's heart pounded. "89… is this some kind of illusion? Because I swear… I see myself walking ahead."
89's face was tense. "I've never seen anything like this before. This isn't a simple illusion. This is a time loop."
45 swallowed hard. "Or worse… it's not just an illusion. Something is playing with us. And whatever it is… it's still here."
99 crossed his arms, frustration clear in his voice. "If we keep moving, we'll just end up back here again. There's no point unless we find the monster responsible for this. But the problem is… we can't sense monsters here."
45 shook his head. "That's because this isn't normal magic or just an illusion. If we don't find the monster controlling this, we'll never escape."
Arya clenched his fists. "So… we're trapped in some kind of illusion?"
"No," 45 corrected, his tone grim. "The entire city itself is an illusion."
28 frowned. "But how do we even know a monster is behind this? So far, all we've seen are illusions—no enemies, no threats. Nothing."
45 exhaled sharply. "I can't break this illusion directly. But if a monster is behind this, then it has to be nearby. Which means…" He paused, scanning the empty streets. "It's hiding."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Then, in a chilling realization, he added, "Something has been following us this whole time."
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed behind them.
Arya and 28 turned around instantly—and what they saw left them speechless.
Their eyes widened in shock as they saw duplicates of themselves standing there. The same faces, the same weapons, the same squad members… but now behind them instead of ahead.
"What the hell…?" Arya whispered. "I thought I was looking into a mirror."
89's voice was sharp. "Stay alert! This could be an illusion… or something far worse."
He quickly assessed the situation, his instincts screaming danger.
"They aren't just copies," he muttered. "They might be the monsters behind this…"
99 stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly. "Then let's wipe them out. They're just fakes—they can't possibly have our strength."
Before anyone could stop him, 99 charged ahead.
Yellow energy flared around his sword as he raised it high, leaping into the air for a powerful strike.
"Wait, 99! Don't rush in!" 89 shouted, but it was too late.
The duplicate squad reacted instantly. The tanks moved forward, raising their shields in perfect formation—just like 99's own team would have.
A massive defensive barrier formed above them.
99's sword collided with the shield, unleashing a shockwave of energy. The impact sent out a burst of power, shaking the ground beneath them.
Arya staggered backward, feeling the force of the collision. "That energy… it's insane!"
Meanwhile, 89's duplicate dashed toward him, blade slicing through the air.
"89! Look out!" Arya shouted.
Before the attack could land, 45 reacted swiftly, casting air magic.
A powerful gust shot forward, slamming into the duplicate and knocking it back.
99 was also forced backward, landing near his squad. He gritted his teeth. "Damn it… they took my attack head-on."
89 narrowed his eyes, realizing the terrifying truth. "They're not just copying our bodies… they're copying our powers too."
"And worse…" 45 added grimly.
"They might be even stronger than us."
45 raised his hand, flames swirling around his palm. "I'll use my fire magic to blind them. 99, attack from behind. Tanks, support him."
99 smirked. "This time, I'll kill that bastard."
With a single motion, 45 unleashed a wave of fire. The burning magic roared forward, engulfing the duplicates in bright flames. The duplicate tank stepped forward, raising a massive shield to block the attack. But just as they braced against the fire—
99 struck.
He dashed behind them, sword gleaming with energy. The duplicate of 89 turned sharply, sensing the attack. "He's coming from behind!"
But before he could react—
The real 89 blocked his way, stepping right in front of him. "You won't stop him this time," he said coldly. "If you want to stop 99, you'll have to kill me first."
The other squad members were still fighting, but the duplicate tank had created a massive barrier, preventing the real tanks from breaking through. Their weapons clashed against it, but it wouldn't crack.
Meanwhile, 99 had already broken through the enemy's defenses. With one precise slash, he drove his sword straight through the duplicate D-rank swordsman's chest. The blade pierced through, emerging from the back in a spray of dark mist.
The duplicate fell.
"One down," 99 said, pulling out his sword. "Now it's your—"
A sudden cough.
The real D-rank swordsman fell to his knees.
Blood dripped from his mouth, staining his hands as he clutched his chest—at the exact same spot where the duplicate had been pierced.
"What's happening to him?" 28 shouted in panic.
The archers grabbed him, trying to support him, but blood continued to spill from his chest.
"45! Help him!"
89's eyes widened. "Tank and 99, come with me! We'll cover them. 45, go there fast—we'll handle this!"
45 nodded and rushed toward the fallen swordsman, his hands glowing with healing magic. "Move aside!" He placed his hands on the wounded man, channeling power into him. But a moment later, his face darkened.
"...He's gone. I can't save him."
Silence.
Arya's breath hitched. Fear wrapped around his chest like a cold chain.
Then, realization struck 45.
His head snapped up. "Stop! Don't kill them!"
99 froze mid-attack. "What?!"
"If we kill them, we die too!" 45 shouted. "Just like the D-rank swordsman!"
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.
99 gritted his teeth. "Then what do we do?! If we don't finish them, they'll kill us!"
89 clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm. "For now… we defend. No risks."
Everyone took a step back, shifting into a defensive stance.
The battle wasn't about power anymore. It was about survival.
Then suddenly, from behind, an arrow shot through the air at full speed—silent, deadly.
Arya was in the path of the attack, but no one noticed.
At that exact moment, his luck saved him. Just as the arrow was about to strike, his sword slipped from his grip due to his fear. Instinctively, he bent down to grab it, and in that split second, the arrow whizzed past him, barely grazing his clothes.
But Arya's relief was short-lived.
The arrow didn't stop.
Right in front of him, a C-rank Archer was kneeling, still holding onto the lifeless body of the fallen swordsman. He had no time to react.
The arrow struck the back of his head.
A sickening sound followed.
His body went still before slumping forward.
Arya's breath caught in his throat. He had just watched someone die—right in front of his eyes.
Then, all were shocked as they turned back and saw the archer lying dead, an arrow piercing through his head.
Even the S-Rankers hadn't sensed the attack—it was too fast, too precise.
A C-Ranker standing beside 28 trembled. "What is happening…?" His voice was filled with fear.
The arrow had come from behind them, but there was no one there.
Arya stood frozen, his mind racing. If his sword hadn't fallen at that exact moment… if he hadn't bent down to pick it up… he would have been the one lying dead instead.
He swallowed hard. "I… I don't know. But my luck saved me."
28 exhaled sharply. "This time, maybe. But next time? Luck won't save you forever."
Arya tightened his grip on his sword, his fingers trembling but firm. He looked ahead, determination burning in his chest.
"I won't fear death," he muttered under his breath. "No matter what… I will survive this S-Rank mission."