The Unknown Battlefield
The A-rank gate stood before them, a massive vortex of swirling darkness, pulsing with an ominous energy that sent occasional ripples through the air. Its surface was unstable, warping the light around it like a fractured mirror.
Seo Mirae exhaled sharply, standing at the front of her assembled squad.
This was routine. An A-rank gate raid.
And yet… something about this gate felt different.
She shook the thought away and turned to her team.
There were fifteen Hunters total, a hand-picked squad of A-rank and high-B-rank Hunters, all highly skilled and experienced.
Their armor gleamed under the artificial lights set up by the Hunter Association's field team, reflecting off the metallic plates of their specialized combat suits. Each suit was lined with mana-conductive fibers, enhancing their mobility and defense against the dangers inside the gate.
At a glance, anyone could see that these were not rookies.
- Three Tanks, standing tall with heavily armored plating and massive shields strapped to their backs.
- Four Swordsmen, their blades strapped across their waists or backs, exuding the calm confidence of seasoned melee fighters.
- Two Scouts, lightly armored but deadly in speed, checking their daggers and short swords with expert precision.
-Three Mages, standing slightly apart, their robes enchanted with defensive runes, glowing faintly with mana.
- Three Support Hunters, one of them a dedicated healer, another specializing in buffs, and the last a hybrid-class buffer and melee fighter.
A well-balanced team, with every role accounted for.
And yet, all eyes were focused on one man.
Kael Ardyn stood at the edge of the squad, his cloak draped over his form, untouched by modern combat gear. His steel-gray eyes were unreadable, scanning the team in a manner that made more than a few Hunters shift uncomfortably.
His presence unnerved them.
"Alright, listen up," Mirae called, her voice cutting through the tension. "You've all been briefed, but let's go over it one more time. This is an A-rank dungeon raid. No unnecessary risks, no deviation from strategy."
She gestured to the gate. "The moment we step in, we establish formation. Tanks in front, Scouts on the flanks, Mages providing ranged support. Swordsmen stay in the second line to engage as needed. Support Hunters, you know your roles."
Her gaze swept across them. "Stay sharp. We clear the dungeon, take down the boss, and get out. Standard protocol. Understood?"
A collective "Yes, ma'am!" rang out from the squad.
Not everyone, however, was focused on Mirae.
A broad-shouldered swordsman with cropped black hair gave Kael a sideways glance, muttering just loud enough for his squadmates to hear.
"We're really bringing this guy along?" he scoffed. "What's he supposed to do? Pray the monsters to death?"
Another Hunter, one of the Scouts, chuckled under his breath.
"Maybe he's a hidden boss. We beat him, and the gate clears itself."
Several of the Hunters smirked, while others remained tense, uncertain.
Kael, however, did not react.
Instead, he simply studied them.
Mirae felt the tension in the air but ignored it for now. Instead, she approached Kael, handing him a sleek black-sheathed sword.
"It's not your old one," she said. "But it'll do for now."
Kael accepted the weapon and slowly unsheathed it.
The blade was well-made—an A-rank Hunter weapon, forged from a mana-conductive alloy. Lightweight, durable, designed for both precision and raw power.
And yet, the moment he gripped it, Kael knew it was nothing compared to his own blade.
It lacked the divine resonance, the weight of centuries of battle.
Still, it was functional. A soldier did not complain about his tools.
"It will suffice," Kael said simply.
The swordsman from earlier scoffed. "You sure you know how to use that, old man?"
Kael turned his gaze toward him, his expression calm, unreadable.
"If you are fortunate," Kael said, his voice smooth and unwavering, "you will never have to find out."
The swordsman's smirk faded slightly.
Mirae stepped between them, not interested in any more distractions.
"We move in two minutes," she said, her tone sharp. "Final checks, then we enter the gate."
The squad dispersed to ready their weapons and gear.
Kael stood still, quietly observing.
Their preparation was efficient.
The Tanks checked their shields and mana barriers, ensuring they could absorb impact. The Mages tested their spell runes, maintaining the precise balance needed for combat. The Scouts adjusted their lightweight armor, ensuring mobility wasn't compromised.
But Kael could see it.
The small flaws. The subtle hesitations between some members. The way certain squadmates watched each other with unease.
A team that lacked complete trust.
It was a well-trained force, but not a perfect one.
He glanced at Mirae. She noticed it too.
Her jaw was tight, her shoulders tense. She trusted them, but she also knew their limits.
Kael's gaze returned to the gate, its swirling energy crackling as if anticipating their arrival.
This battlefield was new, but war was always the same.
And war was the only thing Kael had ever known.
"Time's up." Mirae's voice rang out.
The squad assembled, weapons ready.
Mirae turned to Kael. "Last chance to back out."
Kael met her gaze. "I do not retreat."
Mirae exhaled and nodded. "Then let's move."
She stepped forward.
And one by one, they entered the gate.
---
The moment Mirae stepped forward, the gate reacted.
A low, vibrating hum pulsed through the air, and the dark, swirling energy of the portal expanded slightly, as if drawing them in.
One by one, the Hunters followed after her, stepping into the unknown without hesitation.
Kael watched them enter before taking a final glance at the world behind him.
The cold night sky. The distant city lights.
Then, without another word, he stepped forward—
And the world twisted.
Kael felt a pull, not on his body, but on something deeper.
It was as if reality itself folded around him, warping space and time in ways that felt both unnatural and oddly familiar.
There was no ground, no sky—only movement.
An instant stretched into eternity. Time lost meaning.
And then—
Solid ground.
Kael's boots landed on rough stone, and the world snapped back into place.
The air was thick. Damp. Old.
They had arrived.
---
A cavernous expanse stretched out before them, its vast ceiling obscured by thick, swirling darkness. Massive stone pillars, cracked and eroded by time, loomed like ancient sentinels.
The ground beneath them was uneven, lined with strange, jagged formations that pulsed with faint veins of crimson light.
The air carried a metallic tang—the scent of blood and something unnatural.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
'This place is… unnatural.'
The squad quickly spread out, their movements swift and disciplined.
"Status check," Mirae ordered.
"All good here," one of the Tanks replied, adjusting his stance.
Mana lights flickered to life as one of the Mages activated an illumination spell, casting an eerie, bluish glow over the dungeon's interior.
Kael silently observed the modern Hunters at work.
They moved efficiently, each person settling into their designated roles.
But even so…
Kael could sense it.
Something was wrong.
---
"Standard formation," Mirae commanded, stepping forward.
Tanks took the lead, their massive shields raised. Swordsmen spread out, weapons drawn, prepared for close combat. Scouts moved silently, checking blind spots for movement. Mages positioned themselves strategically, ensuring clear lines of sight for their spells. Support Hunters stayed near the center, providing buffs and healing if needed.
It was a well-practiced maneuver, and Kael noted their cohesion.
And yet…
Kael walked slowly, keeping to the back, his senses fully alert.
This battlefield was different.
And yet, in many ways, it wasn't.
Kael had fought in countless terrains shaped by war—sacred battlegrounds, cursed lands, and cities swallowed by Chaos.
This dungeon was none of those things.
It was unnatural in another way.
Designed. Crafted.
Not a natural cave, nor a living ecosystem.
It was built for something.
For what? Kael did not yet know.
The deeper they moved, the heavier the silence became.
Even the Hunters began to notice it.
One of the Scouts muttered under his breath, "Too quiet."
Another Swordsman nodded. "By now, something should've attacked us."
Mirae frowned, gripping her weapon tighter. "Stay sharp. No assumptions."
Kael kept his expression calm, but inside, his instincts screamed at him.
There was no movement. No distant echoes.
The air was too still.
Kael had walked war-torn ruins where the dead outnumbered the living, but even those places carried the weight of past battles.
This dungeon felt different.
As if it was waiting. Watching.
The squad pressed forward, their steps echoing against the cavern walls.
They had only just begun, and already, the battlefield was setting its terms.
Kael exhaled slowly.
'This world is different from mine. But war… war is always the same.'
---
The silence had stretched on for too long.
The squad moved deeper into the dungeon, their footsteps light yet deliberate, each Hunter instinctively keeping a safe distance from the others—trained to react the moment something went wrong.
Kael remained at the back, his eyes scanning every detail of the environment.
Still no movement. Still no sound.
Then—
A shift in the air.
"Contact."
The single word from one of the Scouts rippled through the squad like a shockwave.
Ahead, the shadows stirred, and something moved.
No, not one thing—many things.
From the cracks in the stone walls, from the unnatural vegetation that pulsed with faint mana, creatures began to emerge.
Their forms twisted, their flesh blackened, their eyes gleaming red with predatory hunger.
They were humanoid, but only in shape.
Their limbs were elongated, their fingers sharpened into jagged claws, and their movements erratic—almost convulsing as they twitched toward the squad.
A low, guttural clicking reverberated through the cavern.
The air grew colder.
"Shades," Mirae muttered.
Kael remained silent.
He had never seen these creatures before, but he had seen their kind.
Not in shape—but in feeling.
These creatures carried the same taint that had touched the horrors of his world.
It was subtle. Distant. But present.
And it set his instincts on edge.
"Formation! Now!" Mirae ordered.
The Hunters snapped into position, their movements crisp, their discipline evident.
Tanks moved forward, shields locking together in a defensive wall. Swordsmen spread out, flanking to prepare for the counterattack. Mages raised their hands, mana gathering as they began casting. Scouts adjusted their stance, ready to strike at weak points. Support Hunters activated buffs, enhancing the team's reaction speed and endurance.
It was flawless execution.
'Impressive,' Kael thought.
But now, it was time to see if their execution matched their ability to adapt.
---
The Shades lurched forward, and the Tanks braced for impact.
Then—they moved faster than expected.
In an instant, the creatures closed the distance, their bodies flickering unnaturally as they avoided direct lines of attack.
They hit the shield wall with unnatural strength, clawing, scraping, their bodies jerking and twitching as if they had no true control over their limbs.
The impact sent a deep, reverberating tremor through the cavern floor.
"Hold!" one of the Tanks, Baek Jin-Woo, shouted, his voice like a war drum.
His shield shimmered with mana reinforcement, absorbing the first blow, but the sheer force of the attack pushed him back.
Another Tank, Choi Min-Seok, dug his boots in and stabilized the formation, forcing the creatures back with a shield bash.
The Swordsmen capitalized.
"Go!"
They darted in, weapons flashing—
And the Shades reacted.
One of the Swordsmen, Lee Han-Sol, swung his blade toward a Shade's torso—only for his sword to pass through empty space.
The creature twisted unnaturally, its body bending in ways that should be impossible.
Before Han-Sol could recover, the Shade's claws lashed out.
He barely dodged, a thin cut slicing across his armor.
"Shit! These things are fast!"
From the backline, the Mages released their spells.
Fire exploded, bathing the front ranks in light, followed by a burst of crackling lightning.
A Shade was hit directly—its form convulsed violently, its skin bubbling before it disintegrated.
The others screeched but kept coming, their movements shifting, adapting.
They were learning.
And Kael saw it immediately.
Kael watched as the Hunters adjusted their strategy in real-time.
The Tanks adapted, focusing on control instead of raw defense. The Swordsmen adjusted their attack timing, waiting for the moment after a creature lunged. The Mages recalibrated, using crowd control spells to slow the Shades instead of focusing on direct damage.
It was fluid, tactical, disciplined.
And yet…
Kael's grip on his sword tightened.
They were too reliant on patterns.
They saw an enemy, assessed its behavior, and adapted accordingly.
But these were not predictable foes.
And Kael could already see it—the moment their system would fail.
---
The battle raged on.
The Shades shrieked and fell, their bodies dissolving with each decisive strike.
The Hunters pressed forward, the flow of battle shifting in their favor.
"We're pushing them back!" one of the Scouts called out.
Mirae didn't respond immediately.
She was frowning.
She felt it too.
Something was wrong.
Then—Kael felt it.
A shift in the mana flow.
For the first time, one of the Shades hesitated.
And then—
The remaining creatures stopped attacking.
For a single, unnatural second, the battlefield fell into eerie silence.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
'No. Not silence.'
It was listening.
It was waiting.
And then, the creatures all turned their heads toward the far end of the cavern.
And moved.
Not toward the Hunters—but away.
"What the hell—?" one of the Tanks, Jin-Woo, started.
The Shades fled, their bodies disappearing into the darkness, retreating deeper into the dungeon.
Kael exhaled slowly.
And Mirae finally said what everyone was thinking.
"They weren't trying to kill us," she murmured.
"They were testing us."
---
The last echoes of the retreating creatures faded into the depths of the dungeon. The cavern was once again silent, but this time, it was different. Heavier. Tainted by something unseen.
Mirae lowered her sword but did not sheathe it. Her heartbeat was steady, controlled, but her mind was racing. Enemies didn't retreat like that. Not in a dungeon, not when they had the upper hand. Dungeons were designed to be closed systems, creatures within driven by primal instincts—to kill, to defend territory, or to obey whatever force had shaped them. But these things...
They had paused.
They had watched.
And then, without a single signal, they had left.
She turned to her squad. Some were still catching their breath, adjusting their stances, rolling their shoulders to shake off the battle's tension. Others remained still, eyes locked on the dark path ahead, waiting for something—anything—to explain what had just happened.
"Status check," she ordered.
Jin-Woo, ever the steady Tank, straightened and rolled his shoulders. "Armor's holding. No serious injuries on my end."
"Same here," Min-Seok added, though his brow was furrowed, his grip on his shield tight.
Han-Sol, the Swordsman who had narrowly avoided losing his arm, let out a slow breath, his hand still gripping his blade a little too tightly.
"That was… different," he muttered. "They moved like they weren't really attacking—like they were figuring out how we fight."
"Figuring us out," the scout, Ji-Hwan, corrected. "They weren't just reacting. They were adapting."
Mirae didn't reply immediately. Her eyes flickered to Kael, who stood at the back, untouched, observing everything with the same unreadable expression he had worn since they entered the dungeon.
He had not spoken during the fight. He had not moved to help. He had simply watched.
She approached him, lowering her voice. "You saw it, didn't you?"
Kael turned his gaze toward her, calm and impassive. "I saw enough."
Mirae exhaled sharply, already irritated by his deliberate vagueness. "What do you think?"
Kael tilted his head slightly, as if considering whether or not to answer. Then, in a measured tone, he spoke.
"They did not fight to win."
The way he said it made something cold settle in her stomach.
Kael took a slow step forward, his gaze drifting toward the corridor where the creatures had disappeared.
"Instinct-driven beasts do not abandon a battle without cause. They had the numbers. The advantage. And yet, they withdrew as if responding to an unseen command." He glanced back at Mirae. "That was not a battle. It was reconnaissance."
Mirae clenched her jaw. She hated that he was right.
One of the Mages, a woman named Eun-Ji, adjusted her staff, her brow furrowed. "I've never heard of dungeon monsters acting like that. It's always either they fight until we kill them, or we wipe them out first."
Jin-Woo wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his gauntlet. "So what the hell does that mean for us?"
No one answered.
The air in the cavern had shifted. The mana was changing.
Kael felt it first, though he gave no visible reaction. A slight disturbance in the natural flow of energy, a subtle shift in the pressure of the battlefield. It was a feeling he had encountered countless times before—when something unseen was beginning to move.
Mirae turned back to the squad. "We proceed with caution. The mission hasn't changed. We move forward, clear the gate boss, and get out. But stay sharp—this dungeon isn't normal."
No one argued.
The squad reorganized, adjusting their formation as they moved forward.
Kael followed, his steps silent, his grip firm on the sword Mirae had given him. He had no attachment to the weapon, but it would serve its purpose—for now. His true blade was still dormant, mending within him, waiting.
He exhaled slowly. This battlefield was new, but war was always the same. And something told him the real battle had not yet begun.
.
.
The dungeon stretched on, its twisting corridors lined with jagged stone and pulsing veins of crimson mana. The air grew heavier with every step, the unnatural silence pressing against them like an unseen weight. No more Shades appeared to ambush them, but that did nothing to ease the tension. If anything, it only deepened the sense of unease.
Kael walked in silence, taking in every detail.
This dungeon was too structured, too deliberate. He had fought in battlefields shaped by magic and gods alike, and this place…
It did not feel natural.
It felt designed.
A fortress with an unknown purpose.
And now, they had reached its heart.
The corridor widened into a massive chamber, the ceiling lost in shadow.
At the center of the room stood a colossal figure, its form barely shifting, as if in deep slumber. Thick, armored plating covered its body, and its head was crowned with a set of curved, jagged horns. Its massive arms rested on the hilt of a sword planted into the ground, the weapon's blade buried deep within the stone beneath it.
A gate boss.
And it was waking up.
Mirae raised a hand, signaling the squad to stop. She took a deep breath, eyes scanning the room before her gaze landed on Kael.
"Anything you sense?" she asked quietly.
Kael's gaze remained fixed on the creature. "It is powerful," he said, his voice calm. "But it is not the true danger of this place."
Mirae didn't like that answer.
She refocused on the present. The mission. They needed to clear this gate before anything unexpected happened.
"Positions!" she ordered.
The squad moved swiftly.
Jin-Woo and Min-Seok took the lead, their shields raised, mana surging through their bodies as they prepared to absorb the first strike. The Swordsmen, including Han-Sol, spread out, their weapons drawn, waiting for an opening. The Scouts flanked wide, ready to attack weak points or serve as distractions. The Mages in the back began charging their spells, and the Supports activated buffs, their mana linking through the team.
Kael remained at the rear, observing.
Their formation was textbook-perfect, their synergy apparent.
It was time to see if their execution matched their preparation.
The ground trembled.
The boss stirred, its massive fingers tightening around its weapon. Then, with an ear-splitting crack, the creature's head jerked upward, two glowing red eyes snapping open.
A deep, guttural roar erupted from its chest, shaking the walls.
And the battle began.
---
Jin-Woo was the first to react.
"Here it comes!"
The creature moved faster than something its size should. Its sword cleaved through the air with devastating force, the sheer wind pressure alone sending dust and debris flying.
Min-Seok intercepted, slamming his shield into the ground, activating his mana barrier. The impact crashed against his defense, the force sending vibrations through his arms, but he held.
The Swordsmen struck next. Han-Sol and two others dashed in, their blades glowing with mana, striking at the boss's exposed sides.
Sparks flew as steel met hardened armor.
The attacks landed, but—
"The hell?!" Han-Sol cursed.
The creature barely reacted.
Its body was unnaturally durable.
"Switch to precision strikes!" Mirae called.
Ji-Hwan, one of the Scouts, moved like a blur, appearing behind the boss, daggers aimed for a joint.
He struck—
And the boss twisted unnaturally, bringing its massive arm around with terrifying speed.
The attack came too fast—Ji-Hwan barely managed to roll away, his escape costing him balance.
Before the boss could follow up, a bolt of fire exploded against its head, followed by a streak of lightning.
Eun-Ji and the other Mages had finished charging.
The boss staggered, its body momentarily enveloped in smoke and crackling electricity.
"Keep the pressure on!" Mirae commanded.
Kael observed everything.
The team was well-trained, their responses sharp.
The Tanks weren't just blocking—they were guiding the boss's attacks. The Swordsmen had shifted their approach, now targeting weaker joints instead of brute force. The Mages adjusted their spell timing, ensuring constant pressure.
They weren't just fighters.
They were soldiers.
And yet—Kael could already see it.
The flaw.
The boss was adapting.
It had barely reacted at first. But now, it was learning.
It changed its stance. Its attacks became less predictable.
The way it moved was... off.
Not just instinct.
Something was controlling its responses.
Mirae saw it too.
"Something's wrong," she muttered.
Kael stepped forward slightly, watching the battle unfold. His grip on his sword tightened.
'This is not a simple dungeon.'
---
The fight pressed on.
The squad's attacks became more aggressive, their strategy shifting to account for the boss's changing patterns.
Then, Mirae saw her opening.
"Now!" she called.
The Mages unleashed their strongest spells, concentrating fire and lightning into one coordinated strike.
The ground shook with the impact.
The boss let out one last roar—before its body collapsed into dust.
The room fell silent.
Mirae let out a breath. "It's over."
The Hunters lowered their weapons, some exhaling in relief.
And then—
Nothing happened.
---
Kael frowned.
Something was missing.
The gate should have begun destabilizing.
The air should have shifted, signaling completion.
But the mana here remained heavy. Unchanged.
Then, the ground rumbled.
The back wall of the chamber shifted, stone scraping against stone as something unlocked.
A passageway.
And beyond it—something waited.
.
.
The echoes of battle still lingered in the chamber, but there was no sense of victory. The squad stood in tense silence, their weapons still drawn, eyes locked on the newly revealed passageway.
The dungeon should have been clearing itself, yet the air remained heavy, saturated with something unnatural. Mana still pulsed through the chamber, undisturbed, as if the fight against the gate boss had never happened.
Jin-Woo was the first to break the silence. "Why isn't the gate closing?" His grip on his shield remained tight, the battle-high in his veins refusing to settle.
Eun-Ji frowned, her fingers still wrapped around her staff. "We killed the boss. It should be over."
It wasn't.
Mirae inhaled deeply, forcing herself to steady her thoughts. Something about this gate was wrong from the beginning—the way the creatures behaved, the unnatural stillness, and now this. She turned to Kael, the one person who had been watching everything without a single hint of surprise.
"You feel it too," she said.
Kael's gaze remained fixed on the passage. "This place does not follow your rules."
She wanted to press him for more, but there was no time. The dungeon was shifting around them.
The passage beyond the boss chamber stretched deep into the unknown, an unnatural tunnel carved into the stone, its walls lined with faintly glowing inscriptions, symbols that flickered between clarity and distortion, as if the dungeon itself couldn't decide whether to reveal its secrets or hide them.
The air within was colder than the rest of the dungeon, the temperature drop noticeable even through their armor.
Min-Seok exhaled sharply.
"We're not seriously going in there, are we?"
Mirae turned to the squad.
"We don't have a choice. The gate's not closing, which means something is still here. If we don't deal with it now, it could lead to a dungeon break."
No one argued.
The consequences of a dungeon break were clear. If the monsters within weren't eliminated, the gate's instability could worsen, causing it to rupture. If that happened, whatever lurked inside would spill into the outside world.
She gave the signal. The squad moved forward.
Kael followed silently, his expression unreadable.
---
The deeper they went, the more the unease tightened around them like a noose.
The tunnel was too long, too quiet. The flickering symbols on the walls seemed to shift when no one was looking, their meaning lost in an ancient language that even the dungeon system refused to translate.
Something was watching them.
Jin-Woo gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance as he walked.
"I hate this place."
Han-Sol, normally the loudest among them, hadn't spoken since they entered. His hand gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles white.
Then, the tunnel ended.
The squad stepped into a vast chamber, a place unlike anything they had seen before.
---
A towering altar stood in the center, carved from the same unnatural stone as the dungeon, yet older, untouched by time. Strange markings spiraled across its surface, pulsing with a slow, steady glow, as if breathing.
And standing before it—a knight in blackened armor.
Its presence was unnatural, yet its stance was almost serene. The Abyssal Knight stood motionless, its massive, runic blade resting against the ground, its head tilted slightly upward, as if gazing at something unseen beyond the stone ceiling.
A tattered cloak barely clung to its frame, its fabric unmoving despite the cold air. Its armor was scarred, battle-worn, yet the being itself did not seem aged.
It did not move.
It did not breathe.
And yet, it was alive.
A pulse of mana rippled from the altar, spreading through the room. The inscriptions on the walls glowed brighter, their silent whispers crawling into the ears of every Hunter present.
Mirae's grip on her weapon tightened.
"What… is that?"
No one answered.
Kael's expression remained unreadable, but inside, his instincts were screaming.
This was not a dungeon boss.
This was something else.
Something that should not be here.
The Abyssal Knight stirred.
A faint, almost imperceptible movement. Its head, which had been lifted skyward in an almost trance-like state, slowly lowered.
Then, its eyes opened.
A deep, unnatural glow burned from within its visor, a piercing gaze that settled upon the squad.
The room seemed to shrink under its stare.
A sound like rusted metal grinding against itself filled the air as the Abyssal Knight lifted its sword.
The Hunters tensed, weapons raised, instincts screaming at them to react.
Then, a voice—not human, not monstrous, but something in between—spoke into the silence.
"…Intruders."
The dungeon itself trembled.
And the Abyssal Knight moved.