The Forsaken Awakening

Jinhyuk's breathing was still ragged as he followed the others out of the cavern. The battle was over, but the weight of what had just happened lingered.

One of their hunters was dead.

A D-Class dungeon shouldn't have had an Elite Variant.

Something was very wrong with this place.

Hyejin took the lead, her bow still in hand, glancing around with sharp eyes. Daehyun, injured but stubborn, trudged forward without asking for help. The other remaining hunter—Lee Sanghoon—stayed eerily quiet, his hands still trembling.

Jinhyuk swallowed hard. He needed to say something.

"...We should leave before another one shows up," he finally said.

No one disagreed.

As they moved, Jinhyuk felt it again.

That subtle, gnawing sensation.

Like something unseen was watching them.

He turned back, eyes narrowing at the Bloodmoon Wolf's corpse.

For a second—

He thought he saw shadows shifting.

But when he blinked, it was gone.

Jinhyuk clenched his fist and kept walking.

An Unwanted Discovery

After what felt like hours, they finally reached the dungeon's entrance.

The outside world never felt so refreshing.

Daehyun dropped to the ground with a groan. "I swear to god… this was the worst dungeon I've ever been in."

"No kidding," Hyejin muttered, wiping sweat from her brow.

Jinhyuk sat down, his body aching. The system notification still lingered in his mind.

[Level 2 (30/200 EXP)]

[New Skill Acquired: "Mind Break (D-Rank)"]

His illusions had changed.

Before, they were just tricks—fake images.

Now?

He could force his illusions into a monster's mind. Make them feel pain. See death.

It was terrifying.

And exhilarating.

If I keep leveling up… how strong can I actually become?

But before he could dwell on it—

A low chime echoed in his ears.

[You have earned a Dungeon Contribution Reward.]

[Do you wish to claim it now?]

Jinhyuk's brows furrowed.

Contribution Reward?

He had never heard of this before. Normally, loot drops depended on damage dealt or final hits.

This felt… different.

Cautiously, he selected [Yes].

A new notification appeared.

[You have obtained a Dungeon Relic: "Bloodmoon Fang."]

A small red gemstone materialized in his palm.

Jinhyuk stared. "What the…"

The others turned to look.

Hyejin's eyes widened. "Wait… is that—?"

Before she could finish, a voice interrupted.

"Jinhyuk."

Jinhyuk flinched.

Daehyun was standing, staring directly at him.

His gaze was sharp—too sharp.

"That drop," Daehyun said slowly. "It's from the Bloodmoon Wolf, isn't it?"

Jinhyuk hesitated. "I… think so."

Daehyun's eyes narrowed.

Then—he smirked.

"You really are full of surprises, aren't you?"

Jinhyuk's stomach twisted.

Something in Daehyun's expression had changed.

Not admiration.

Not relief.

Interest.

And that was dangerous.

An Unwelcome Invitation

They parted ways at the dungeon's exit.

Hyejin and Sanghoon left first, both eager to get away.

Daehyun, however, waited.

Just as Jinhyuk turned to leave, Daehyun spoke.

"Jinhyuk."

He froze.

Daehyun smiled. "You should come with me."

Jinhyuk blinked. "Come… with you?"

Daehyun nodded. "To my guild."

Jinhyuk's mind blanked.

Guild? He's trying to recruit me?

The Azure Fang Guild.

One of South Korea's mid-tier guilds, ranked just below the Top 7.

A place for ambitious hunters. Ruthless ones.

Why me? I'm just a D-Class hunter.

Jinhyuk frowned. "I appreciate the offer, but—"

Daehyun raised a hand.

"You don't have to answer now."

He leaned in slightly.

"But think about it. You just got a high-rank relic. You're growing stronger. And that means… you're going to stand out."

Jinhyuk's stomach twisted.

Daehyun's smirk deepened.

"And trust me, Jinhyuk—when you stand out, the wrong people start paying attention."

Jinhyuk's throat went dry.

Daehyun patted his shoulder. "Think about it."

Then he walked away.

Jinhyuk stood frozen.

What… just happened?

He had no interest in joining a guild.

But now, Daehyun was watching him.

And worse—he was right.

Jinhyuk was drawing attention.

And that… was very, very dangerous.

A New Mission

Jinhyuk returned home, thoughts racing.

But just as he sat on his bed—

A new notification appeared.

[New Mission Assigned.]

Jinhyuk froze.

Not from the system.

This one was different.

He opened it.

[Mission from Seongjun: Infiltrate the DHR.]

Objective: Become an employee of the Department of Hunter Regulations.

Requirements: Must prove exceptional skills & survive a C-Class dungeon alone.

Time Limit: 3 Months.

Failure Consequence: Unspecified.

Jinhyuk stared.

His blood ran cold.

Then—

A new message.

[From: Seongjun]

"Jinhyuk. You have three months to enter the DHR. I don't care how you do it. But if you fail—"

"You won't get a second chance."

Jinhyuk's hands shook.

...What have I gotten myself into?