The next morning, Seo Hyun was escorted to a reinforced training hall inside the Hunter Association complex. The walls were lined with observation windows, and several instructors stood along the edges, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
A single voice called out from the center. "Seo Hyun. E-Rank, correct?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"Then let's begin."
The test was simple in description but exacting in practice.
Each hunter was assessed on three things: mana output, combat reflexes, and survival under controlled dungeon conditions.
Seo Hyun's chest tightened as the simulated dungeon scenario began. Glowing runes etched themselves into the floor, and magically constructed barriers popped into existence. Mannequin targets appeared—crude approximations of goblins and low-tier monsters.
The instructors whispered among themselves. Most would have raised their hands confidently, unleashing spells with maximum mana. Seo Hyun didn't.
He measured. Carefully.
His E-Rank mana reserves were minimal. Even with his sealed wounds, his body was still recovering. Pushing too hard could collapse his limits.
He let the test flow around him. Step, observe, step, observe. Nothing extravagant. Nothing flashy. Just controlled bursts of energy, hitting targets without overexertion.
A sudden warning chimed in his mind—the system.
Not now, he thought. He didn't dare risk anyone noticing.
After several minutes, the final segment arrived: survival.
A simulated dungeon ambush. Three constructs lunged at him at once.
Without hesitation, Seo Hyun weaved between them, barely touching the walls, dodging precisely where their attacks would connect. His mana output remained small, but efficient. Tiny bursts of energy deflected swings and created brief shields that absorbed damage.
The instructors murmured. "E-Rank… unusual dexterity."
When the scenario ended, the panel above him blinked. A green bar indicated his stamina had barely dropped.
The lead examiner stepped forward, eyes scanning his file. "Seo Hyun… your performance is within E-Rank parameters. Barely. But satisfactory. You remain E-Rank."
Seo Hyun nodded, expression neutral.
Inside, however, he felt it—the system's faint pulse, like a smile.
First evaluation complete. Data recorded. New quest will appear soon.
He allowed himself a quiet exhale.
No one knew.
No one could know.
Only him.
And The Answered, lying in wait in the Gravebound Archive.
Seo Hyun had barely stepped away from the Association building when the familiar weight settled behind his thoughts.
The system surfaced without warning.
A translucent screen unfolded in front of his vision, quiet and private.
[Dungeon Quest Detected]
Seo Hyun stopped walking.
His eyes narrowed slightly as the text continued to assemble.
[Quest Type: Mandatory]
[Difficulty: E-Rank]
[Objective: Clear the dungeon and eliminate the boss]
[Failure Condition: Death]
He exhaled slowly.
A dungeon quest already.
His shoulders loosened just a little as a thought crossed his mind.
It's fine, he told himself. I have The Answered.
Before the system could show anything else, a presence leaned into his mind.
Not heavy.
Not divine.
Just… irritatingly relaxed.
"Hm."
Seo Hyun felt it clearly.
The God of Death.
He spoke again, voice lazy, as if reclining somewhere far above, utterly uninterested in propriety.
"You looked relieved just now."
Seo Hyun frowned. "I was assessing my resources."
"Ah."
There was a pause.
Then, unmistakably, the sensation of someone picking their ear with a pinky finger.
"No."
Seo Hyun blinked. "No… what?"
"You can't use those."
The words landed casually.
Too casually.
Seo Hyun's heart skipped. "The Answered?"
"The goblins, yes." The god sounded bored. "Low-grade undead are not permitted for casual deployment during growth-phase quests."
The system reacted instantly.
A new line burned itself onto the screen.
[Restriction Applied]
[Low-grade undead deployment: Disabled]
[Reason: Growth Optimization Protocol]
Seo Hyun's jaw tightened.
"You didn't mention that earlier."
"You didn't ask."
Of course.
The god sighed softly, as if this entire situation mildly inconvenienced him.
"This quest is for you," he continued. "Not for a pile of green corpses swinging clubs at something they don't understand."
Seo Hyun clenched his fists. "Then why give me undead at all?"
The presence leaned closer, amusement seeping into every word.
"Because you'll need them."
A pause.
"Just not yet."
The system chimed once more.
[Additional Condition]
[Solo Engagement Required]
Seo Hyun swallowed.
A brute-class beast. No magic. No army.
Just him.
The god chuckled faintly.
"Think of it as a lesson," he said. "If you can't survive without borrowing death, you don't deserve to command it."
The screen finalized.
The quest was locked in.
Seo Hyun lifted his eyes toward the distant dungeon gate, the faint tremors from deep underground barely perceptible but constant.
He exhaled through his nose.
"Fine," he muttered.
Inside his mind, the God of Death smiled.
"Good."
The system pulsed again, more insistently this time.
Seo Hyun felt a slight pressure behind his eyes as new information slid into place.
[Quest Location Identified]
A map unfolded in his vision, lines sketching themselves in red and grey. The destination was unmistakable.
An abandoned industrial zone on the outskirts of the city.
One structure was highlighted darker than the rest.
A ruined factory.
Rust-eaten walls. Collapsed roofs. A place long forgotten by people and left to rot.
Then something else appeared.
A sharp flash of crimson light condensed in front of Seo Hyun's chest.
A key.
It wasn't physical at first, more like a solidified concept. Jagged edges, uneven teeth, its surface pulsing faintly as if filled with liquid light. The color was deep red, closer to dried blood than paint.
The moment it fully formed, it dropped into his hand.
Cold.
Heavy.
Real.
[Dungeon Access Key Acquired]
[Type: Quest-Locked]
[Color Classification: Red]
[Warning: Forced Entry – Retreat Disabled Until Objective Completion]
Seo Hyun stared at it for a long second.
"So I don't get a choice," he murmured.
The God of Death responded immediately, tone lazy.
"You never do. You just pretend you might."
Seo Hyun slipped the key into his pocket. Even through the fabric, he could feel its presence, a constant reminder pulling him toward the destination.
The map updated.
A countdown appeared beneath it.
[Time Limit: 6 Hours]
Seo Hyun turned toward the city skyline. Somewhere beyond it, steel and concrete lay broken and silent, waiting.
A place where no one would interfere.
A place where something massive was already moving beneath the ground.
He adjusted his jacket, ignoring the dull ache in his sealed wounds.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's see what kind of answer you want this time."
Inside his mind, the God of Death let out a soft, amused hum.
"Try not to die again. I hate paperwork."
Seo Hyun stepped forward.
The ruined factory was already calling him.
Seo Hyun reached the industrial district just as the sun dipped low, staining the sky a dull orange. The streets here were cracked and uneven, weeds pushing through asphalt that hadn't felt footsteps in years.
The factory loomed ahead.
Once, it had been massive. Now it was a carcass.
Half the outer wall had collapsed inward, steel beams bent like broken ribs. Rust crawled over every surface, and shattered windows stared back at him like empty eyes. No warning tape. No guards.
Which meant one thing.
"This isn't a registered dungeon," Seo Hyun murmured.
The red key in his pocket pulsed in response.
As he stepped onto the factory grounds, the air changed.
Not colder. Heavier.
The sounds of the city faded, swallowed by a low vibration running through the ground. Dust trembled along the concrete floor, rippling in tiny waves.
Then the key burned.
Seo Hyun hissed and pulled it out just as it floated from his palm, turning slowly in midair. The red glow intensified, casting warped shadows across the ruined machinery.
A circular gate formed where the factory floor had caved in.
Not shimmering blue like standard dungeons.
Red.
Raw.
Unstable.
The system appeared.
[Quest Dungeon Confirmed]
[Location: Ruined Factory – Subterranean Layer]
[Entry Conditions: Key Required]
[Exit Locked Until Boss Elimination]
Seo Hyun stared into the gate.
Darkness spiraled inward, layered and deep, like something had bored into the earth and refused to leave.
A familiar presence stirred lazily in his mind.
"Ah," the God of Death said. "This one doesn't belong to your Association."
Seo Hyun tightened his grip. "What is it then?"
"A wound," the god replied casually. "Left unattended. They tend to grow teeth."
The vibration beneath his feet intensified.
Something moved below.
Large.
Heavy.
Seo Hyun rolled his shoulders, steadying his breathing. No undead. No backup. Just sealed wounds and whatever strength he could squeeze out of an E-Rank body.
He stepped forward.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the gate snapped shut behind him with a violent pulse.
The factory vanished.
Darkness swallowed everything.
[Dungeon Entry Complete]
Seo Hyun stood alone, the red glow fading, the sound of something massive sliding through stone echoing in the distance.
The hunt had begun.