Arriving at the Black Hollow Lead

(Samuel's POV)

The SUV rolled to a slow stop near an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by overgrown trees and cracked pavement. The place was quiet—too quiet—but that was expected. We weren't dealing with some ordinary location.

This was the first step toward Black Hollow Dungeon.

I reached into my coat pocket, pulling out a thick wad of cash, and tossed it into the front seat where Marco sat.

"Your payment, as promised."

Marco grabbed the cash without hesitation, flipping through it before tucking it away. He chuckled, giving me a knowing look.

"You two are something else," he said, lighting a cigarette. "Most people who hear about Black Hollow run the other way. But you? You're diving in like it's a damn holiday trip."

Henry smirked, opening the door and stepping out first.

"That's because we're not like most people."

I followed suit, stepping out and stretching my arms as the cold Eastern European air bit at my skin.

Marco leaned against the car, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"Well, I'd say 'good luck'—but honestly?" He grinned. "You're gonna need more than that."

I grinned back, closing the door behind me.

"We'll be fine." I turned, glancing at Henry. "Let's get moving."

With Marco paid and our destination set, we walked toward the underground contact waiting for us inside the warehouse.

The hunt for Black Hollow Dungeon had officially begun.

As Marco's SUV disappeared into the distance, the faint glow of its taillights fading into the darkness, Henry turned to me with a smirk.

"So," he started, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "why don't you give us some great poetry? You were always so damn good at it."

I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Still trying to squeeze poetry out of me after all these years, huh?" I sighed, rolling my shoulders. "Fine. You want poetry? I'll give you poetry."

I closed my eyes, breathing in the cold Eastern European air, letting the moment settle before speaking.

"A man once walked, shackled in chains,

His soul torn, drowning in pains.

Yet from the fire, he rose anew,

A phantom reborn, with a world to subdue."

Henry raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Betrayed by love, deceived by fate,

He carved his name through fire and hate.

No grave could hold him, no past could bind,

For he was the storm, unchained in mind."

Henry let out a low whistle, impressed. "Damn, you still got it."

I smirked, shoving my hands into my coat pockets.

"Of course I do. Some things don't change."

Henry chuckled, shaking his head as we walked toward the warehouse doors.

"A storm, huh?" He glanced at me. "Well then, Samuel, let's see just how strong this storm can get."

With that, we pushed open the doors to our next challenge, stepping further into the unknown.

As Henry and I stepped forward, the heavy warehouse doors creaked open, revealing the dark interior. The air was thick, carrying the scent of dust, rusted metal, and something ancient—something wrong.

Then, suddenly—

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

A translucent blue screen materialized before us, the glowing text sharp and urgent.

---

⚠ URGENT SYSTEM ALERT ⚠

Black Hollow Dungeon Detected!

Status: Unstable

Threat Level: ??? (Unclassified Danger)

Special Condition: Time Distortion Present

Warning: Entry to this dungeon is irreversible until conditions are met.

Recommended Action:

☠ Proceed with EXTREME caution. ☠

---

Henry read the screen, then exhaled sharply, rubbing his jaw.

"'Unstable' and 'Unclassified Danger'—yeah, that's exactly what I wanted to hear," he muttered sarcastically.

I smirked. "At this point, do we ever get normal dungeon warnings?"

Henry chuckled. "Good point."

I focused on the time distortion part. That was the real issue. If time worked differently inside, we could step in for a day and return years later… or worse, step in for a few minutes and experience centuries inside.

Henry caught my expression. "It's risky, but we're still going in, aren't we?"

I rolled my shoulders, grinning as my Abyssal Gauntlets pulsed with dark energy.

"Damn right we are."

Without hesitation, I closed the notification and stepped further into the unknown.

The hunt for Black Hollow Dungeon had officially begun.

The system notification faded, leaving behind an eerie silence. The warehouse around us was nothing but a hollow shell, rusted metal beams stretching toward the ceiling, shattered glass windows letting in faint streaks of moonlight. But we weren't here for the warehouse.

We were here for what lay beneath it.

Henry let out a low whistle, his golden eyes scanning the space.

"So… where's the entrance? Because I don't see a glowing portal or a creepy staircase leading to hell."

I smirked. "That's because this dungeon doesn't want to be found."

He raised an eyebrow. "Then how the hell do we get in?"

I reached into my inventory, pulling out a small black coin engraved with a symbol of an abyssal eye.

"Volkov gave me this," I said, tossing it in my palm. "Apparently, it's the key to the Black Hollow Dungeon."

Henry crossed his arms. "And how exactly does it work?"

I grinned and tossed the coin onto the ground.

The moment it hit the warehouse floor, the air shifted.

The temperature plummeted—from a crisp night breeze to an unnatural, suffocating cold. The shadows around us stretched unnaturally, bending toward the coin like they were being sucked in.

Then—

A low, guttural groan echoed through the warehouse, as if the very earth was waking up.

The ground beneath the coin fractured, cracks spiderwebbing outward before collapsing inward, revealing a spiraling abyss.

A black void.

A gateway to something ancient.

Henry exhaled. "Well, that's definitely a dungeon entrance."

I smirked, stepping toward the edge. "Shall we?"

Henry rolled his shoulders. "After you."

Without hesitation, I jumped into the abyss.

The darkness swallowed us whole.

And Black Hollow Dungeon claimed its next challengers.