The Forsaken Awakening

Seoul, South Korea – One Day After the Solo Raid

Jinhyuk sat at a small café near the Hunter Hub, stirring his coffee absentmindedly. His mind wasn't on training or dungeons this time.

It was on money.

He opened his HunterNet account and checked his earnings from the last raid.

[ Dungeon Clearance Payment: 4,500,000₩ (Approx. $3,400 USD) ]

[ Bonus for Solo Clearance: 1,500,000₩ ]

[ Item Sales (Low-Grade Dungeon Cores, Skeleton Fragments): 2,800,000₩ ]

Total Earnings: 8,800,000₩ (~$6,700 USD)

A decent amount.

But not enough.

Jinhyuk transferred 4,000,000₩ to Taesuk's family.

[ Payment Confirmed. ]

He leaned back with a sigh. That covers their rent and expenses for the month.

Taesuk had saved his life, and after the injury that ended his hunting career, he couldn't work anymore. Jinhyuk had promised to help.

It wasn't just about paying off guilt.

It was about responsibility.

That left him with about 4,800,000₩ (~$3,600 USD).

Sounds like a lot, but—

Dungeon gear maintenance (armor repairs, dagger sharpening, potions): -1,500,000₩

Living expenses (rent, food, bills): -1,200,000₩

Mana potion stock for next raid: -800,000₩

Final amount left: 1,300,000₩ (~$980 USD).

"Tch." Jinhyuk rubbed his temples. Not enough.

Solo raids paid well, but they were dangerous and exhausting. He couldn't afford to take long breaks, and he still needed better equipment if he planned to tackle C-Class dungeons alone.

"Guess I better hurry to my next raid."

He finished his coffee, pulled up HunterNet, and accepted a new dungeon request.

---

Dungeon Selection – Preparing for the Next Solo Raid

[ Dungeon Request Accepted! ]

[ Dungeon: Shadowfang Den (D-Class, High Difficulty) ]

Monster Type: Mutated Beasts

Recommended Party Size: 3-5 Hunters

Solo Clearance Bonus: +50% Payment

"A beast-type dungeon, huh?" Jinhyuk muttered. Good chance to test my new abilities.

This dungeon was one step harder than his last solo raid.

But that's exactly what he wanted.

He grabbed his gear and headed out.

Time to make more money.

Time to get even stronger.

---

The Shadowfang Den – A True Solo Challenge

The Shadowfang Den was far from the city, located deep within a forest clearing surrounded by jagged rocks. Unlike the eerie ruins of his last dungeon, this entrance felt wild, primal. The air smelled of damp earth and old blood.

Jinhyuk adjusted his daggers and stepped toward the swirling blue portal.

A Hunter Regulation Officer standing nearby glanced at him. "Solo raid again?"

Jinhyuk nodded. "Yeah."

The officer sighed, shaking his head. "You solo hunters are either brave or suicidal. Good luck in there."

Jinhyuk smirked. "I'll take the first one."

Then, without hesitation, he stepped through the gate.

---

Inside the Dungeon – The Hunt Begins

The dungeon air was thick and humid, filled with the faint growl of unseen predators. The ground was covered in damp moss, and twisted trees loomed overhead, their branches curling like grasping claws.

A low snarl echoed through the cavern.

Jinhyuk focused his perception. His new B-Class awareness made it easier to sense the subtle shifts in the dungeon's atmosphere.

"They're watching me."

The Shadowfang Beasts weren't normal monsters. These creatures hunted in packs.

[ Monster Identified: Shadowfang Prowler (D+ Rank) ]

Jinhyuk's system flashed an alert.

[ Warning! These creatures use pack tactics and flank their targets. ]

A branch snapped.

Then—movement.

Four black-furred creatures burst from the undergrowth, their glowing yellow eyes locked onto him. Their bodies blurred as they moved, their muscles perfectly tuned for ambush hunting.

Jinhyuk smiled.

"Let's see how well they hunt in my domain."

---

The Fight – A Battle of Shadows

The first beast lunged.

Jinhyuk sidestepped, twisting his body as a shadow dagger formed in his hand.

SLASH!

The blade cut deep, but the creature barely slowed down.

"Fast regeneration?" Jinhyuk thought. This just got interesting.

The second and third beasts attacked together.

Jinhyuk activated Phantom Steps, his body blurring as he dashed between them.

A shadow tendril shot from the ground, grabbing the third beast's leg mid-lunge.

Before it could react—

SHWIK!

Jinhyuk's dagger pierced its throat.

[ Shadowfang Prowler Defeated! ]

[ EXP Gained: 14 ]

The remaining two beasts circled him cautiously, their ears twitching.

Jinhyuk smirked. They're learning.

But so was he.

---

Pushing His Abilities – Shadow Summoning

Jinhyuk focused his mana, activating his newest skill.

[ Skill Activated: Shadow Summoning ]

A dark mist swirled, and from the shadows—

The slain Shadowfang Prowler rose again.

Its eyes burned with ghostly energy, its movements stiff but controlled.

The two remaining beasts hesitated, clearly confused.

Jinhyuk chuckled. Looks like even monsters can feel fear.

"Attack."

The summoned Shadowfang Prowler lunged at its former packmates.

One beast tried to dodge, but Jinhyuk teleported with Shadow Blink, appearing right beside it.

SLASH!

His dagger cut across its ribs, and the summoned beast finished the job, tearing into its throat.

The last Shadowfang Prowler panicked, turning to flee—

But Jinhyuk raised his hand.

His shadows stretched, forming a dozen spikes.

With a flick of his wrist—

The spikes impaled the beast mid-run.

[ All Enemies Defeated. ]

Jinhyuk exhaled, feeling the rush of victory.

Then his summoned creature dissolved, fading into the shadows.

"So they don't last long… makes sense."

Shadow Summoning was still weak. Right now, he could only revive basic monsters for a few minutes.

But what if he could summon stronger creatures?

A flicker of excitement passed through him.

"This skill might be the key to something much bigger."

---

The Mini-Boss – Alpha Shadowfang

As he moved deeper into the dungeon, the atmosphere shifted.

The air grew heavier, the sounds of the jungle fading into silence.

Then—a deep growl.

Jinhyuk's instincts screamed.

A pair of massive red eyes opened in the darkness.

From the shadows, a towering beast stepped forward.

[ Mini-Boss Identified: Alpha Shadowfang (C-Rank Variant) ]

The beast was twice the size of the ones he fought earlier. Its fur rippled like living shadows, and its claws glowed with mana-infused energy.

This was a real challenge.

Jinhyuk cracked his neck, a grin forming.

"Finally, something worth fighting."

The Alpha roared—

And the final battle began.