Chapter 4: No Way Out

The Air Thickens

The silence after the roar was deafening.

The ground had stopped shaking, but the tension in the air remained—a static-like hum pressing against their skin.

Ryosuke's breath came slow and shallow. His fingers tightened around his notebook, but he didn't write. There were no words for this.

Miyeon took another step back, gripping her staff. "That wasn't a goblin."

Sungho said nothing, but his knuckles had turned white around his spear.

The others shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting between each other.

For the first time since entering the dungeon, no one spoke.

Jung Hwan broke the silence with a scoff. "You're all acting like we just heard a dragon."

Sungho turned to him, his voice low. "Did you not feel that? The mana presence wasn't normal."

Jung Hwan rolled his shoulders, unfazed. "It's probably just a larger variant. Maybe a hobgoblin or an elite spawn."

Sungho's expression darkened. "You're guessing. We should leave."

"Leave?" Minjae let out a loud laugh, stepping up beside Jung Hwan. "We haven't even found the damn treasure room yet."

Ryosuke's stomach turned. They were still thinking about loot.

Miyeon scoffed. "This is why low-rank Hunters always die. You let greed blind you."

The D-rank archers shifted awkwardly, exchanging glances. Some of the E-rank members looked outright terrified.

Sungho took a step toward the tunnel they came from. "I don't care what you do. I'm leaving."

Jung Hwan's sword was out in an instant.

The metal scraped against the cave floor, the sound unnaturally loud in the silence.

"No one's leaving," he said.

Sungho's grip tightened on his spear. "You're not in charge, Jung Hwan."

Jung Hwan smirked. "Then go. See how far you make it alone."

Sungho hesitated.

Because he knew.

Something was waiting.

The First Signs of Doom

The uneasy stalemate was broken when one of the D-rank rangers turned toward the tunnel.

"Screw this, I'm not dying over some goblins—"

The moment he turned, his body froze.

His breath hitched. His shoulders trembled.

And then—

A clawed hand erupted from the darkness, dragging him away.

The only sound was a gurgled scream.

Everyone whirled around, weapons raised—but the tunnel was already empty.

Only a smear of blood remained.

The temperature in the dungeon seemed to drop.

Miyeon muttered a spell, her staff trembling. "What… was that?"

No one answered.

Because none of them had seen it.

Sungho took an instinctive step back.

Ryosuke felt it first.

Something was still there.

Watching.

Waiting.

🔹 [Enhanced Perception Activated]

A breath. A flicker of movement.

Ryosuke spun to the left. "MOVE—"

A blur of darkness lunged forward.

The Attack Begins

Chaos erupted.

The creature moved too fast. It slammed into one of the E-rank Hunters, ripping into their throat before they could scream.

Blood sprayed across the cave walls.

Jung Hwan roared, swinging his sword in a wide arc. His blade clashed against something hard—chitinous.

A shape flickered into the dim light—black carapace, elongated limbs, and too many eyes.

🔹 [Analyzing…]

🔹 [ERROR – No Data Available]

Ryosuke stumbled back.

The System wasn't recognizing it.

That never happened.

Jung Hwan cursed, pulling back. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING?!"

It moved again.

Sungho thrust his spear toward its midsection, but the tip bounced off as if hitting metal.

Miyeon fired a light spell, but the creature flickered, avoiding it entirely.

And then—

It was behind them.

Minjae, the C-rank tank, barely had time to raise his shield before it slammed into him.

The impact sent him flying back, his body hitting the wall with a sickening crunch.

He didn't get up.

The party froze.

Ryosuke's hands were shaking.

He had seen monsters before.

This wasn't one.

This was something else.

The Final Trap

Sungho's voice was hoarse. "This is—this is a mutation. A gate corruption."

Miyeon was already backing up. "We need to run."

Jung Hwan gritted his teeth. "Then MOVE—"

The tunnel behind them collapsed.

The entrance—their only way out—was gone.

Dust filled the air as the only light sources flickered.

Ryosuke's stomach dropped.

🔹 [WARNING – EXIT BLOCKED.]

🔹 [FORCED DUNGEON CLEAR CONDITION ACTIVATED.]

They weren't leaving until everything inside was dead.

And judging by the gleam of the creature's many eyes…

That included them.