The Forsaken Awakening

Jinhyuk gritted his teeth, pressing a hand against his bleeding side. The battle had been brutal, but something felt off. These mutated beasts were too organized, too coordinated.

This wasn't a normal D-Class dungeon.

Minho raised his shield, scanning the mist. "Something's still here."

As if on cue, the ground trembled.

A low, guttural growl rumbled through the air, deeper than before. The party whipped around, weapons raised.

From the shadows of the swamp, something massive emerged.

A black-furred creature, twice the size of the others. Scarred, its fangs gleaming. Its eyes… intelligent.

[ Mini-Boss Identified: Alpha Miststalker ]

[ C-Class Variant – Mutated ]

Jinhyuk's breath hitched. C-Class?

They were not ready for this.

"Formation!" Minho barked, but before they could react—

The Alpha moved.

A black blur.

It was fast. Faster than a C-Class should be.

It slammed into Minho, sending him flying into a tree.

"Minho!" Mirae shouted.

Jinhyuk didn't hesitate. He activated his illusions.

The Alpha's vision wavered, but it didn't stop.

It knew.

Shit—it's resistant?!

Jiwon cast a fire spell—

The beast vanished into the mist.

Then—it was behind her.

"Move!" Hyesung lunged, but—

Too late.

The Alpha's claws raked across Jiwon's back.

She screamed, collapsing.

Blood splattered onto the swamp floor.

Jinhyuk's heart pounded.

Think. THINK.

They couldn't outrun it. They couldn't outpower it.

But they could outsmart it.

---

Jinhyuk's Gamble

Jinhyuk forced his mana outward. His illusion skill was too weak to fully deceive the Alpha—

But he could layer it.

The mist thickened.

For everyone else, nothing changed.

But for the Alpha—

Jinhyuk made it see two versions of everyone.

Double images.

Confusion flickered in its yellow eyes.

Jinhyuk gritted his teeth. This was his limit.

"Mirae! Now!"

An arrow whistled through the air.

The Alpha dodged left—

Straight into Hyesung's blades.

SLASH!

A deep cut across its shoulder.

The beast staggered, enraged.

"Jiwon! Hit it with everything!"

The injured magician forced herself up.

"Inferno Burst!"

Flames erupted, swallowing the Alpha whole.

The creature shrieked, thrashing—

And Jinhyuk moved.

Summoning every ounce of mana left, he hardened his shadow into a single, deadly spear.

He lunged forward.

And drove it straight into the Alpha's chest.

CRACK!

The beast let out a final, guttural cry—

Then collapsed.

The dungeon trembled.

And then—

[ Boss Defeated. Dungeon Clear. ]

[ You Have Leveled Up! ]

---

Aftermath – Growth & Realization

Jinhyuk staggered, panting. His body screamed in exhaustion, his mana drained.

[ Level 6 → Level 7 ]

[ New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Reinforcement (Passive) ]

"We… won?" Hyesung muttered, staring at the fallen Alpha.

Minho groaned, pushing himself up. "Barely."

Jiwon was still bleeding, but Mirae was already tending to her.

Jinhyuk took a deep breath. They survived.

But the real problem wasn't the fight.

It was the mutation.

Someone was tampering with the dungeon.

And Jinhyuk had a sinking suspicion about who.

He didn't say it out loud. The Black Wolf Syndicate wasn't supposed to exist.

Their leader, Seongjun, was supposed to be dead.

And yet, here Jinhyuk was, stuck in a mission he didn't understand, forced to follow orders from a ghost.

For now, he'd play along.

Until he was strong enough to make his own choices.

He glanced at his trembling hands, then clenched them into fists.

"Not yet. But soon."

Soon, he'd stop being afraid.

---

Jinhyuk wiped sweat from his forehead, his body still shaking from the battle. The Alpha Miststalker lay dead, its fur still smoldering from Jiwon's flames.

The dungeon trembled, a sign that it was collapsing.

[ Dungeon Clear. Exit Portal Unlocked. ]

A shimmering blue portal appeared at the dungeon's center.

"We're done here," Minho said, wincing as he rolled his shoulder. He had taken a hard hit earlier but was still standing.

"Everyone, move out before this place collapses."

Jinhyuk sighed in relief. Finally.

---

Returning to the Hunter Hub

The moment they stepped through the exit portal, fresh air hit Jinhyuk's face.

They were back at the Hunter Hub, standing outside the dungeon gate. The sun was still shining—only a few hours had passed, but it felt like days since they entered.

A Hunter Regulation Officer approached. "Report?"

Minho nodded. "Dungeon cleared. No casualties, but injuries sustained."

The officer jotted something down. "Good work. Payment will be processed to your accounts shortly."

Jinhyuk checked his system.

[ Raid Complete. Total EXP Gained: 42 ]

[ Level 7 → Level 8 ]

[ Mana Capacity Increased. Shadow Manipulation Strengthened. ]

A solid gain, but he still had a long way to go.

"Alright, I'm getting a drink," Hyesung groaned, stretching. "Jinhyuk, you coming?"

Jinhyuk shook his head. "Nah. Gotta prepare for my next raid."

Minho raised an eyebrow. "Already? You just fought a damn mutated Alpha."

Jinhyuk smiled tiredly. "No time to waste."

He had two months to reach B-Class.

There was no room for rest.

---

Jinhyuk dove straight into the next dungeon the very next day.

1st Raid: D-Class Dungeon (Forest Biome) – Goblin Fortress

Team: Mirae (Archer), Han Jiwon (Magician), New Tank & Swordsman

Boss: Goblin Warchief

Jinhyuk's Progress:

Used illusions to make goblins attack each other.

Shadow Manipulation improved—created shadow spikes to slow enemies.

Leveled Up: 8 → 9

---

2nd Raid: C-Class Dungeon (Underground Caverns) – Venomous Basilisk

Team: Different temporary C-Class team

Boss: Venomous Basilisk (Highly Poisonous)

Jinhyuk's Challenge:

Used illusions to make the Basilisk attack fake targets.

Shadow armor unlocked—used to resist poison for a short time.

Earned Rare Poison Resistance Skill

Leveled Up: 9 → 10

---

3rd Raid: D-Class Dungeon (Ruins Biome) – Cursed Skeleton Knight

Jinhyuk's Role:

Solo Training Attempt

Tested illusion layering—tricked undead into fighting shadows.

Leveled Up: 10 → 11

New Skill: Phantom Steps (Increased Evasion & Speed)

---

4th Raid: C-Class Dungeon (Ice Caverns) – Frost Revenant

Jinhyuk's Progress:

Worked with a B-Class team to experience higher-tier combat.

Shadow weapons improved—formed multiple spears at once.

Leveled Up: 11 → 12

---

Two Weeks Later – Halfway to B-Class

Jinhyuk stood inside the Hunter Hub, scanning his updated status.

[ Level: 12 → 14 ]

[ New Skills: ]

Phantom Steps (Evasion Boost)

Shadow Reinforcement (Improved Combat Ability)

Mana Affinity Increased (Illusions Last Longer)

He exhaled. He was getting closer.

"Two more weeks," he muttered. "I need to hit at least Level 17."

His next target?

A High-Risk C-Class Dungeon.

Time to push even harder.