Morning arrived quietly over Ironhold City.
A pale golden light spread across the massive stone walls while hunters prepared for another dangerous day.
Outside the northern gate, Arin stood calmly beside the road leading into the forest.
He watched the distant mountains in silence.
Somewhere beyond those trees…
The Dark Hollow Dungeon waited.
Footsteps approached from behind.
"You're earlier than I expected."
Lyra's voice carried a hint of surprise.
Arin turned slightly.
Lyra stood there with her silver hair tied neatly behind her back. Her armor reflected the early sunlight, and the sword at her waist moved gently as she walked.
Behind her came the rest of the team.
Borin looked half asleep but still carried his enormous axe like it weighed nothing.
Sel followed quietly, his mage robes fluttering lightly in the wind.
"Everyone ready?" Lyra asked.
Borin cracked his neck loudly.
"I've been ready since breakfast."
Sel simply nodded.
Lyra looked at Arin.
"You sure you still want to do this mission?"
Arin's expression didn't change.
"Of course."
Lyra studied him for a moment before sighing.
"Alright then. Let's move."
The group left the city gates behind them and began walking toward the forest.
The further they traveled, the quieter the world became.
Stone roads slowly turned into dirt paths.
The noise of Ironhold disappeared.
Soon the only sounds left were wind through the trees and distant animal calls.
After nearly two hours of travel, the forest began to thin.
Massive rocky cliffs appeared ahead.
The land suddenly dropped into a deep canyon carved through the earth.
Cold mist slowly drifted upward from the darkness below.
Lyra stopped walking.
"We're here."
Arin stepped closer to the edge.
The entrance to Dark Hollow Dungeon looked like a massive crack in the world itself.
A giant cavern opening stretched into complete darkness.
Cold air flowed outward from the entrance like the breath of some ancient creature.
Even Borin looked slightly serious now.
"Still creepy every time," he muttered.
Sel raised his staff slightly.
Faint magical light illuminated the area around them.
Arin felt it immediately.
The energy here was different.
The system reacted instantly.
[Dungeon Zone Detected.]
[Mana Density: High.]
[Environmental Stability: Unpredictable.]
Arin narrowed his eyes.
"So this is a dungeon."
Lyra stepped forward and drew her sword.
Her voice became firm.
"From this point forward, no mistakes."
She pointed toward the dark entrance.
"Dungeon rules."
Borin raised a finger.
"Rule one — never wander off alone."
Sel added quietly,
"Rule two — always watch the shadows."
Lyra finished the list.
"And rule three… trust your instincts."
She looked at Arin.
"Understood?"
Arin nodded.
"Understood."
With that, the group stepped into the dungeon.
The moment they entered, the temperature dropped sharply.
Moist stone walls surrounded the narrow tunnel.
Strange blue crystals grew naturally along the walls, providing faint light throughout the cavern.
Water dripped slowly from the ceiling.
Each drop echoed loudly in the silent dungeon.
Borin sniffed the air.
"Yeah… definitely monsters nearby."
The system displayed another message.
[Monster activity detected.]
[Distance: 40 meters.]
Lyra raised a hand.
"Stop."
Everyone froze instantly.
A low growling sound echoed through the tunnel ahead.
Then another.
And another.
Multiple glowing eyes slowly appeared within the darkness.
Arin counted them silently.
One…
Two…
Three…
Six.
The creatures stepped forward.
Large wolf-like monsters emerged from the shadows.
But they were far from normal animals.
Their bodies were twisted by dark mana.
Bone spikes protruded from their backs.
Their eyes glowed an unnatural red.
Sel spoke quietly.
"Corrupted Wolves."
The system confirmed the identification.
[Target: Corrupted Wolf]
[Level: 14]
[Threat Level: Low.]
Borin grinned widely.
"Finally some fun."
The wolves attacked first.
Two of them lunged directly toward Borin.
The giant warrior laughed loudly.
"COME ON!"
His axe swung through the air with incredible force.
CRASH!
One wolf was cut in half instantly.
Black blood splattered across the stone floor.
The second wolf tried to leap over him.
Borin simply punched it mid-air.
The creature slammed against the wall and collapsed.
Meanwhile, Lyra moved like a flash of silver.
Her sword danced through the air with precise movements.
One strike.
Two strikes.
Two wolves fell without even touching her.
Sel raised his staff calmly.
A glowing circle formed beneath his feet.
"Fire Bolt."
Three flaming projectiles shot forward.
The remaining wolves burned instantly.
The battle ended within seconds.
Arin observed everything carefully.
Their teamwork was efficient.
Experienced.
But the final wolf suddenly turned toward him.
It lunged forward with terrifying speed.
Its claws aimed directly at his throat.
Future Sight activated.
A faint vision appeared in Arin's mind.
The attack happened before it even started.
Arin stepped aside smoothly.
The wolf flew past him.
His hand shot forward.
He grabbed the monster's neck mid-air.
CRACK.
The creature collapsed instantly.
Silence returned to the tunnel.
Borin whistled.
"Well damn."
Lyra looked at Arin with new interest.
"You handled that easily."
Arin shrugged.
"It wasn't very strong."
The system displayed notifications.
[+80 EXP]
[+80 EXP]
But Sel suddenly raised his hand.
"Wait."
His eyes scanned the deeper tunnels.
"The mana flow is changing."
Lyra frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Sel pointed into the darkness.
"The dungeon energy is increasing."
That shouldn't happen near the entrance.
Arin felt it too.
Something deep inside the dungeon…
Was moving.
Then the ground trembled slightly.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Borin tightened his grip on his axe.
"Uh… that's new."
A deep rumbling noise echoed through the tunnels.
Like something massive crawling beneath the stone.
The system suddenly flashed red.
[Warning.]
[Large entity approaching.]
Arin slowly turned toward the darkness ahead.
Two enormous glowing eyes opened within the shadows.
Something huge…
Was coming toward them.