The surroundings were dark and eerily silent—no sound, no movement. Then suddenly, footsteps echoed through the emptiness. Something was coming.
Arya's eyes darted around, searching for the source. Then, all at once, red eyes appeared in the darkness, countless pairs glaring at him. Shadow Hounds. He was surrounded.
His heart pounded, then for a brief moment, it felt like it stopped. Fear gripped him. Running was not an option—if he tried, he would die. His luck wouldn't save him this time. Even if he dodged a few attacks, how long could he last? His mana was nearly depleted.
He took a slow step back, but the Shadow Hounds crept closer, their growls sending shivers down his spine. Their glowing eyes burned with hunger. Each step he took, they matched, closing in like predators cornering their prey.
Then—his back hit a wall. He stumbled, collapsing to the ground, now sitting helplessly as the beasts surrounded him. Trapped. No escape.
His breath came in ragged gasps. Am I going to die here?
Fear threatened to paralyze him, but he gritted his teeth. "I can't die here," he whispered, gripping his sword tightly.
The Shadow Hounds lunged.
Before he could react, his hand pressed against the wall behind him. Something clicked. A hidden mechanism?
Just as a hound leaped to tear into him, the floor beneath him gave way. He fell.
The last thing he saw before the floor sealed shut was the Shadow Hound slamming into the wall, missing him by inches.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
Arya kept falling. Darkness surrounded him, thick and suffocating. He couldn't see, couldn't tell how far he had fallen. Then—thud! He hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his body.
Groaning, he tried to move, but everything was pitch black. His sword—where was it? If he could find it, he could use it to generate some light. He crawled, feeling around in the darkness. Occasionally, he bumped into something, tripping and falling before standing up again.
Minutes passed before his hand finally brushed against the cold steel of his sword. He grabbed it tightly, releasing a faint pulse of mana. The blade glowed, casting dim light around him.
Now he could see.
The room was covered in thick dust, untouched for ages. Spiderwebs clung to the walls, and scattered debris hinted at a long-forgotten past. In the dim glow, Arya spotted an old wooden bed and a table—signs that someone had once lived here.
Curious, he approached the table and found a worn-out book. Its pages were brittle, some burned or missing. The language was unfamiliar, but one thing stood out—the date: 1015.
His eyes widened. This book was written 1,000 years ago…
He took the notebook, determined to decipher it later. Turning toward the only door in the room, he pushed it. It wouldn't budge. A seal? A hidden mechanism? He pushed harder.
Click.
The door finally creaked open.
Blinding light flooded in, forcing Arya to shield his eyes. After a few seconds, his vision adjusted, and what he saw left him speechless.
Outside the room was a breathtaking palace, its walls gleaming under the golden light. It was like stepping into another world.
But when he turned back—his heart pounded. The room he had just left was still old, abandoned, decayed.
How…?
It was as if two completely different places existed side by side.
Stepping forward cautiously, he found himself in a vast, empty hallway. Silence filled the air, and a strange feeling crept over him.
Something was off.
Arya climbed the stairs cautiously, his mind racing. Something was wrong. He had felt it for a while now—a presence lurking, watching him. This isn't luck. It can't be a coincidence again and again. Someone wanted me here.
He reached the upper floor and walked forward, still thinking about the notebook he found. Eventually, he came across a massive door. He hesitated before pushing it open, stepping inside.
That's when he noticed something strange. Ever since they entered the palace, the hallways and doors seemed endless, looping infinitely. Is this an illusion? He touched the walls, feeling their cold, solid texture. No… this is real. But I'm missing something.
He pressed on. After a few minutes, he spotted a familiar figure ahead—99. Arya's eyes widened in relief.
"99! Hey! Over here!" he called out, his voice echoing through the corridor.
99 stopped and turned, his expression unreadable. But Arya quickly noticed something was wrong. 28 was missing.
Arya ran up to him, slightly out of breath. "Where's 28? You two were together before."
99 didn't respond immediately. Inside, he was debating. If I tell him 28 is dead, he'll start asking questions… His grip tightened on his sword. Should I kill him too? He's just an E-ranker. Weak. I can use him as a shield if something goes wrong. If he dies, it's not my problem. That's just how the world works.
Arya's sharp eyes caught 99's hand gripping his sword tightly. He felt uneasy. He wasn't sure what happened to 28, but something wasn't right. He had planned to tell 99 about the notebook, but now… he hesitated. I can't trust him.
Instead, Arya kept his expression neutral. "99, what's wrong? What are you thinking? Where is 28?"
99 finally spoke, his voice casual. "Oh, we got separated while fighting the Shadow Hounds. I was looking for you too."
Arya frowned. His words don't match his expression… something's off.
Arya's doubt deepened. He knew something was wrong. 99 was hiding something. But he didn't push for answers—if 99 was behind 28's disappearance, confronting him now would be reckless. An S-ranker against an E-ranker? He stood no chance.
For now, he had no other choice but to go along.
"Let's go," 99 said. "We need to get there before it's too late. And don't worry about 28—I'm sure he's fine. We'll find him soon."
But inside, 99 smirked. What a fool. He doesn't know his friend is already dead. Now, it's his turn to die for me.
He motioned for Arya to follow, and they moved forward.
Arya trailed behind, his thoughts racing. Something changed. Before, he wasn't like this. Now… it's like he's a different person. Something happened when I wasn't there. But what? And I can't even ask him…
They finally reached a massive door. Unlike the others, this one was different—larger, more ominous.
The final door.