The monster lunged.
Its claws tore through the air—
straight for his neck.
Tia's eyes widened.
Fast.
His body moved.
Instinctively.
He twisted—
barely dodging the attack.
"I… I dodged it…"
A smile slowly formed on his lips.
"I—"
ZWASSS!
The air ripped apart.
"Wha—?!"
BOOM!
Tia was sent flying.
His body slammed hard into the thick wall.
"—ghh!"
Pain exploded across his back.
He dropped to the ground.
What just happened…?
For a moment—
he couldn't breathe.
His vision blurred.
His ears rang.
He dropped to the ground.
Blood slipping out through the corner of his lips.
Cough… cough…
Get up…
His fingers twitched against the cold floor.
But his body refused to respond.
"Tch…!"
He forced his elbow under him.
His arm trembled violently.
"Get… up…"
Slowly—
he pushed himself off the ground.
"I dodged… so how did I still get hit…?"
Suddenly—
From the corner, he caught sight of the monster.
Running his way.
Tia's breath hitched.
I can't dodge this.
I can't fight this thing.
…Move.
…Move, Tia.
Move.
But his body… won't listen…
A sharp pain shot through his ribs.
"—ahh…!"
He collapsed again.
The pen…
Where is it…?
His hand searched the ground blindly.
I should have pressed it…
I shouldn't have been foolish…
Damn it…
Why didn't I just call for help…
His grip on the knife loosened.
THUD!
The monster closed the distance.
Before he could react—
BAM!
Tia's body was slammed across the ground.
"—GHK!"
Pain exploded through his chest.
The world spun.
THUD!
Another hit.
His body rolled helplessly across the floor.
Like trash.
I… I can't win…
This is pointless…
The monster stepped closer again.
Slow.
Certain.
Tia lay there.
Not moving.
His vision dimmed.
My heart… it's racing…
Is this the fear of death…?
Maybe… this is enough…
Maybe I should just—
His fingers twitched.
…No…
All this time… I thought that maybe…
just maybe… one day the world would see who I really am…
My worth.
I wanted a place to belong.
But everything's bullshit…
All bullshit.
The day I fell off that cliff should have been the day I stopped being delusional.
No one's coming to save me.
No one gives a damn about my life.
Now I'm going to die because of my own stupidity.
His lips parted.
No sound came out at first.
Then—
"Ha…"
A dry breath slipped out.
"Heh…"
It caught in his throat.
"…heh…"
His shoulders shook.
"Hah… hehe…"
Hehehehe.
Warm liquid slid down the side of his face.
He didn't wipe it.
His fingers slowly curled—
nails digging into the ground.
Hard enough to hurt.
Slowly, he pulled himself up—
with the last bit of strength left.
His body trembled.
"Hah…!"
His breath hitched sharply.
"Ahh…"
A sharp jolt ran through his side.
His body jerked.
He sucked in a breath—
"—ghh…!"
" spat out the blood in his mouth.
"…What a joke…"
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
His eyes scanned the ground for anything he could use—
a weapon.
Anything.
Then he saw it.
A black stick… lying carelessly on the ground.
He grabbed it.
The footsteps stopped.
Right in front of him.
A shadow fell over his body.
Slowly—
Tia raised his head.
The monster stood above him.
Its claw lifted.
Slowly.
Like the final strike that would end his life.
His fingers tightened around the stick.
He knew he couldn't escape.
Death… is right in front of me.
"…I'm such a dumbass…"
A weak breath left his lips.
"I really thought I'd make it…"
"…only to end up like this."
His grip tightened.
"Tch…"
"So it ends like this...huh?"
His eyes locked onto the monster.
A pause.
"…No."
Something shifted in his gaze.
"…I'm not dying because I'm weak…"
His voice dropped.
"…I'm dying because I refused to face myself."
" Refused to see myself for who I really am "....
"Weak "...
His fingers dug into the stick.
Pain shot through his body—
But he didn't look away.
A crooked smile slowly formed on his lips.
Not confidence.
Something closer to madness.
"So even if I die today…"
He exhaled.
"…then we go down together."
"…. if it's the last thing I do."
DING.
[Condition Fulfilled]
[System Data Processing]
[Analyzing Host…]
Outside the Gate…
*********
"Guide 103, we have successfully managed to neutralize the gate—for twenty minutes."
"You have twenty minutes to bring that kid out."
"If you fail…"
"…both of you will be trapped there forever."
A pause.
"Do you understand?"
"…Yes."
Mr. Lee lowered the communicator slowly.
His gaze fixed on the white gate.
Then—
He stepped forward.
And entered.
The dungeon air wrapped around him instantly.
Cold.
His eyes narrowed.
Quickly, he moved through the narrow passage.
Then stopped.
"…This…"
His gaze locked ahead.
Another passage.
One he didn't recognize.
"…I've raided this dungeon several times…"
"…Was this passage always here?"
His expression hardened.
"…No."
Without hesitation—
He moved forward
*******
Tia stood before the monster.
The claw descended—
Then stopped.
Mid-air.
Frozen.
Tia's breath hitched.
"…What?"
RUMBLE—RUMBLE!
The dungeon shook violently.
Cracks spread across the walls.
The monster staggered.
Its body… flickered.
Like it wasn't real.
Tia's eyes widened.
"…No way…"
The ground beneath him began to break apart.
Pieces of the dungeon… fading.
Disappearing.
Like an illusion collapsing.
His vision blurred.
"…What is this…?"
DING.
[Condition Fulfilled]
[Analyzing Host…]
The shaking intensified.
Tia struggled to stay upright.
"…What did I do…?"
[Processing Complete]
[Host Registered]
A pause.
Then—
DING.
[Final Main Boss Detected]
Tia's pupils trembled.
"…Boss…?"
[Unknown Item Detected]
[Analyzing…]
…
[Error]
[Unable to Identify Owner]
[Item Classification: Unknown]
[Possible Rank: Legendary+]
Tia frowned weakly.
"…What…?"
His fingers twitched.
The black stick lay in his grasp.
"…This… thing…?"
His strength gave out.
His body collapsed.
Darkness gradually embraced him.
The dungeon…
continued to vanish.