At that moment, a system notification flickered in my vision.
[ System Notice ]
An object in your possession is reacting to your presence…
—
A faint, eerie glow pulsed from my inventory.
I frowned and summoned the source into my palm.
A dark, weathered key materialized—one I didn't recall obtaining. Ancient inscriptions marked its surface, glowing faintly as if whispering a forgotten truth.
Then, the system's voice echoed in my mind:
***
[A-Rank Labyrinth Key – The Forsaken Ruins]
Grants entry to the A-Rank Labyrinth, an abandoned domain filled with lost relics and forgotten horrors. Only those who seek power beyond mortal limits should enter.
Restrictions:
Entry Requirement: A-Rank or higher.
Unstable Spatial Integrity: Exiting may not be possible until specific conditions are met.
-
Rewards:
1. Abyssal Dominion (Awakening Rate +15%) – Your control over the Abyss deepens, allowing you to harness more of your Abyss Monarch Form without risk of losing yourself.
2. Sovereign's Grasp (Passive Skill) – Grants the ability to exert Abyssal influence over lesser creatures and weakened enemies, allowing limited control over them.
3. Umbral Vestige (Unique Armor) – A living armor forged from abyssal remnants. It passively enhances stealth, resistance to spiritual attacks, and regenerates durability over time.
4. Lost Monarch's Relic (??? - Evolvable) – A mysterious artifact from the ruins, resonating with your presence. Its true power remains sealed.
+50 Stat Points – A direct increase in raw power, allowing further growth.
-
Would you like to enter?
[ Yes ] / [ No ]
***
Without hesitation, I chose [ Yes ].
-
[ System Notice ]
Entry Confirmed. Activating the Forsaken Ruins…
The moment I chose Yes, the world around me shattered.
A pulse of energy surged through my body, and the cityscape dissolved like fragile glass. My senses twisted—gravity shifted—I felt weightless, yet something was dragging me down.
Then—
Thud!
I landed on solid ground.
The air was thick, heavy with the scent of decay. A strange coldness wrapped around me, sending a chill down my spine.
I straightened, scanning my surroundings.
[ The Forsaken Ruins ]
The labyrinth was vast. Massive stone corridors stretched endlessly, their walls covered in faded inscriptions and bloodstained carvings. Cracked pillars lined the pathways, remnants of an ancient civilization lost to time. A dim, eerie glow emanated from ghostly torches, flickering despite the lack of wind.
-
[ System Notice ]
You have entered the Forsaken Ruins.
Survival Time Limit:Unlimited
Objective:Reach the Core Chamber.
Additional Challenge:The longer you stay, the stronger the curse becomes.
-
My eyes narrowed.
A curse?
Before I could process that, another notification appeared
***
[Curse of the Forgotten]
A lingering curse binds the Forsaken Ruins. Its effects will intensify over time.
Current Effect: Memory Erosion (1%)
Minor disorientation.
Faint echoes of forgotten voices.
***
I froze.
Memory erosion?
Already, I could hear faint whispers drifting through the ruins—distorted, fragmented words that made no sense.
I clenched my fists.
This dungeon was different. More than just a physical trial—it was an assault on the mind.
I had to move.
Standing still would only make things worse.
I summoned Umbral Fang, its dark edge gleaming under the dim torchlight. Shadows coiled around the blade, eager, waiting.
Then, without hesitation, I stepped forward, into the depths of the unknown.
The whispers grew louder as I moved deeper into the ruins.
They weren't ordinary voices. They were fragments—disjointed, broken words that held no clear meaning, yet pressed against my mind like lingering ghosts.
"…run…"
"…forgotten…"
"…it's coming…"
I ignored them, keeping my grip tight on Umbral Fang.
The corridors twisted unnaturally, some bending at impossible angles, others leading to dead ends where walls seemed to shift when I wasn't looking.
A labyrinth in the truest sense.
The curse was subtle at first—just faint disorientation. But the more I walked, the more I noticed the way my thoughts felt sluggish, like something was trying to strip away my sense of direction.
I needed to counter it.
Activating Phantom Dash, I teleported a short distance forward, displacing my position before the curse could take full effect. The whispers hesitated, as if startled by my movement.
"…he resists…?"
I didn't stop.
The path ahead opened into a vast hall, its towering ceiling cracked and crumbling. Massive statues lined the walls—ancient figures clad in armor, their expressions twisted in agony.
At the far end, a black obelisk pulsed with an ominous glow.
And in front of it is a figure stood, draped in tattered robes, its face hidden beneath a rusted hood. Shadows bled from its form, pooling like ink across the floor.
The moment I stepped closer, a notification appeared.
***
[ Boss Identified – Forgotten Sentinel ]
Type: Cursed Guardian
Rank:A+
Abilities: ???
***
The Forgotten Sentinel raised its head.
A metallic groan echoed through the ruins as its rusted greatsword scraped against the ground.
The whispers erupted into screams.
Then, It charged.
The Forgotten Sentinel moved faster than something its size should have been capable of. One moment, it was standing before the obelisk—the next, it was in front of me.
Its massive rusted greatsword swung in a brutal arc, cutting through the air with a low, metallic wail.
I barely had time to react.
Phantom Dash—
I vanished in a flicker of shadows, reappearing just outside the blade's reach. The impact of the swing shattered the stone floor, sending debris flying.
"Strong."
It wasn't just its size that was dangerous.
The sheer force behind that strike could have cleaved me in two.
The Sentinel didn't pause. It pivoted sharply, dragging its greatsword through the ground before swinging again, faster this time.
But I was ready.
I activated Predator's Instinct—and the world slowed.
The subtle shifts in its stance, the angle of its swing, even the way the air around it distorted from sheer speed—all of it became clear.
"Too wide."
I twisted my body, ducking under the blade and closing the distance in a single step.
The moment I was within range, I struck.
Umbral Fang—Shadow Infusion.
Darkness surged into the dagger, sharpening its edge. I drove it forward, aiming for the Sentinel's exposed side.
The blade pierced through.
But instead of flesh—
I felt nothing.
A flicker of warning in my mind—
MOVE!
I barely jumped back in time as the Sentinel's free hand swung at me like a wrecking ball. Even with my enhanced speed, the sheer wind force behind it nearly sent me flying.
"What the hell…?"
I glanced at its wound—and saw nothing.
No damage. No cut.
It was as if I had stabbed into empty space.
And then—
A notification appeared.