The moment he stepped through the gate, Jae-won knew the rules had changed.
Gone was the open battlefield of Floor 1. This was tight. Confined. Dangerous.
Walls of jagged black stone boxed him in on every side. The sky was gone—replaced with torchlight and dripping ceilings. Crude barricades lined the stone corridors. Bones, rusted weapons, half-eaten limbs.
And laughter.
High-pitched. Hungry.
---
[Floor 2 – The Goblin Fortress]
Objective: Reach the inner sanctum and eliminate the Goblin Warlord.
---
Jae-won crouched low, eyes sharp.
> "No map. No allies. No light."
He smiled.
> "Perfect."
---
The first pack came at him like shadows.
Five goblins, no warning. Dual-wielding rusted daggers. They didn't scream. They didn't charge stupidly. They flanked. One came from the ceiling.
Jae-won moved like water. Parried the first blade with his forearm. Broke the second goblin's leg with a sweep. Crushed the third's windpipe with a heel drop.
But the fourth got him.
A blade scraped across his ribs.
Not deep, but the burn told him it was poisoned.
He backstepped, breathing sharp. The goblins hissed, circling.
He grinned.
> "Faster than I expected. Good."
---
Two more packs came.
He adapted.
Adaptive Flow kicked in harder this time—his movement sharpening mid-fight. He started using goblins as shields, throwing bodies into their own blades. His counters turned surgical.
But they never stopped coming.
Each hallway led to another choke point. Each door triggered another ambush. Arrows from the shadows. Firebombs. Net traps. Every time he caught his breath, the fortress punished him.
By the time he reached the inner gate, he was limping.
Blood stained his side. Poison numbed his fingers.
> "Damn…"
Then came the worst of them.
---
A roar split the stone halls.
Not goblin.
Warlord.
It wasn't just big.
It was armored. Intelligent. Holding a massive greatclub that looked like it had been carved from a dragon's femur. Its eyes were a deep, tactical yellow.
And behind it—goblins in robes. Mages.
Fire lit the tunnels. Chains erupted from runes on the walls, trying to bind him in place.
Jae-won dodged left. Then right.
But he was slower now. Wounded. His Absolute stat couldn't carry him through this clean.
The Warlord charged.
Jae-won raised his arms to block.
The club hit him like a collapsing building.
---
[You have taken 89 Damage.]
[WARNING: Core instability rising.]
---
He was slammed through a stone wall.
Buried in rubble.
Breathing shallow.
For a second, just one—he thought maybe this was it.
Then something inside him pulsed.
A familiar weight.
Garlan's Core.
Still in his inventory. Untouched. Unused.
> "Guess it's time."
He gripped the shard with one hand. Blood ran down his wrist.
> "System. Absorb it."
---
[Garlan's Reaver Core has been activated.]
[Warning: Mutation process unstable.]
[Core merging with Absolute stat…]
---
Pain tore through his spine.
His veins lit up with violet light. His bones groaned and snapped. Something in his chest cracked and reformed. His muscles rippled—denser, sharper.
Blackened bone began to grow across his forearms, forming jagged plates. His right eye shifted—glowing faint red.
His heartbeat slowed.
Calmed.
Then he stood.
No pain.
No fear.
Just hunger.
---
[Mutation Complete.]
You have awakened: Reaver Form (Stage 1)
Bone Plate (Passive): Arms gain reinforced defense and explosive power.
Predator Eye (Active): Temporarily slows the perception of enemies within 5 meters.
---
Jae-won walked out of the rubble.
The goblins stopped.
The Warlord froze.
Then they came anyway.
He welcomed it.
---
The first goblin leapt—he caught it mid-air and crushed its head like fruit.
A fireball was thrown—he slapped it back at the caster.
The Warlord roared and rushed him.
Jae-won activated Predator Eye.
To the Warlord, it was like moving through syrup.
To Jae-won, it was like time slowed down.
He sidestepped, slid low, and drove a bone-plated fist straight through the Warlord's knee.
Then up. Into the jaw. Bone shattered.
He finished with a roundhouse that slammed the boss into the stone gate behind them—caving it in with the force.
> "Not enough."
He walked through the fire and blood, tearing down the rest like a reaper through wheat.
---
[Goblin Warlord Defeated!]
[Level Up! +6 Stat Points Earned.]
[Level Up! +6 Stat Points Earned.]
[Title Gained: Bone-Fused]
[Floor 2 Cleared. Portal Unlocked.]
---
Jae-won stood in the center of the fortress, bathed in silence.
He looked at his new arm—bone-plated, humming with potential.
> "We're just getting started."
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE – KIM JAE-WON]
Level: 7
Class: Apex Conductor
Core Stat – Absolute: 52
Stat Points: 0
Skills:
Adaptive Flow (Unique)
Predator Eye (Active)
Mutations:
Bone Plate (Passive)
Titles:
First Breaker
Bone-Fused – "You fused monster Core into your being. Evolution is no longer optional."
Items: None
Status: UNBOUND
EXP to next level: 6/80
---