The air inside the dungeon bit like cold metal, sharp with the scent of steel and damp stone.
As Jaehyuk and Nayeon crossed the threshold, the world dimmed into shades of gray and blue. The torches lining the walls sputtered like dying fireflies, their glow barely holding back the dark. Each step echoed endlessly, swallowed by the cavern's throat.
> [Entering Dungeon: C+ Rank — "Cavern of the Howlers"]
Recommended Party Members: 6–8
Two people. Against a swarm.
Jaehyuk adjusted his gloves, scanning the shadows ahead. "Stay close," he murmured. "They'll come the moment they hear us breathe."
Nayeon nodded, knuckles whitening around her sword hilt. Her weapon shimmered faintly, silver light spilling across the stones fragile, beautiful, and trembling just like her hands. She tried to look composed, but Jaehyuk caught the fear in her pulse.
Then came the sound.
A piercing shriek shattered the stillness, echoing through the cavern walls.
Eyes appeared in the dark dozens of them, red and gleaming like dying coals.
> [Detected: Howler Beast — C+ Rank]
"Three on the left," Jaehyuk muttered, dropping into stance.
The first beast lunged. His dagger flashed, slicing through its throat before it could even howl.
Blood hissed against the cold stone as Nayeon sprinted past him, her blade bursting into a streak of light. One clean swing and the second Howler split apart, dissolving into particles of ash-blue flame.
The third came from the blind side.
Jaehyuk turned just in time, claws grazing his arm. Pain flared hot, sharp and his vision flickered red.
> [Warning: Health 63%]
"Tch." He hissed between his teeth. "Heal!"
"Right!"
Her hands glowed. "—[Light Mend]!"
Warm light surged over him, knitting the wound closed almost instantly. Before he could thank her, the ground shook beneath their feet.
The air thickened. His vision blurred and then the system lit up crimson.
> [Aegis Console Prototype: Overclock Mode Triggered]
[User Status Unstable -Synchronizing Core Functions…]
[Codename: ZERO - Status Amplification: +250%]
[New Skill Unlocked - Predator's Instinct (Lv.1)]
A raw surge of power tore through him. It wasn't just energy it was alive, pulsing like fire under his skin.
Jaehyuk staggered, gripping his weapon as sparks crawled up his arm.
For a heartbeat, the world froze.
Every sound dulled. Every heartbeat slowed. Every motion fractured into frames.
> [Skill Activated — Predator's Instinct]
"...What the hell," he breathed.
The next beast stepped out of the mist — massive, snarling, its body pulsing with faint red veins. He could see it all now: the weak joints, the fragile tendons, the glowing core behind its ribs.
A map of death written just for him.
He moved.
The dagger struck in a blur one, two, three every hit landing where it mattered. The Howler didn't even have time to scream before dissolving into blue fragments.
Nayeon stood frozen, eyes wide. "H-how did you..?"
Jaehyuk's breath came slow and steady. The static faded from his fingertips. "Just a new trick."
The system's hum lingered, faint and rhythmic.
> [+230 Soulmarks Acquired]
[Skill "Predator's Instinct" Proficiency +7%]
[Synchronization Rate: 18%]
Nayeon sheathed her sword, still staring at him like she was trying to solve an equation that shouldn't exist. "You're not normal, are you?"
Jaehyuk gave a quiet, humorless laugh. "Normal people don't survive in this world."
They walked deeper into the cavern.
Her swordlight shimmered silver, his shadow followed light and dark, pulse and silence, blending as one.
And somewhere within the quiet hum of the dungeon, the Aegis Console stirred fully awake, its true host finally claimed.