From the darkness (1)

We entered.

The boss room door shut behind us with a dry thud.

Almost symbolic.

It was like the sound said: "there's no turning back."

But no one really flinched at that.

''Stay sharp.'' I said.

''Most redundant phrase in the world,'' Jisoo shot back, gripping the axe with both hands. ''You think we'd relax in here?''

''I'm just saying... the air feels wrong. I've got a bad feeling.''

Jisoo slowly turned his head, looking at me over his shoulder.

"A feeling? What, you a medium now?''

Doyun gave a muffled laugh.

Song Hana didn't say anything, but raised an eyebrow.

Sung Jin-Woo, on the other hand, just glanced sideways, looking cautious.

I shrugged.

''He wasn't wrong last time. Besides… this darkness…'' Jisoo sighed. ''Reinforce formation. Now.''

The formation shifted.

This time, we grouped even closer.

Sung Jin-Woo stood in the center, holding the magical light artifact — a glowing stone mounted on a short metal rod, bright enough to push back the darkness around us.

Hana and Doyun followed right behind.

Me and Jisoo at the front, weapons ready, alert.

But even with that…

The room was too dark.

Shadows dripped from the walls like thick oil.

There was none of the usual glow from mana crystals or enchanted runes in the stone.

No.

Nothing clearly visible.

Just the sound of our breathing and the muffled thud of cautious steps.

[Environment analysis complete.]

Luxxion started.

[Presence scan: no vital signs beyond group members and the boss.]

[Boss presence confirmed. No reinforcements detected.]

''No reinforcements?'' I whispered. ''And what about that "external forces interfering with the dungeon structure" thing?''

[Is the user mocking me?]

I didn't answer.

He didn't seem to care.

[Anyway, the analysis is ongoing.]

''Great. As always, impeccable timing.'' I said.

''Talking to yourself again?'' Doyun remarked.

''Genius habit. Pretend you understand everything.''

I waved my free hand.

He looked like he was about to say something.

''Ignore it. Focus on the situation.''

But Jisoo spoke first, eyes locked straight ahead.

And then… it happened.

A sound. Sharp.

It seemed to come from the friction of something.

Sung Jin-Woo instinctively raised the light, and the responsible for the sound appeared.

A creature.

Just for a second. But it was enough.

It was thin. Long.

Almost inhuman.

The arms were unnaturally stretched, pulled tight like cords ready to snap, poised to strike.

The skin looked too tight over its body, like it wasn't made for it — uneven stitches crossed its chest and neck, giving the impression that someone had slapped it together in a rush using leftovers from something else.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the shadow swallowed it completely.

[Interference detected. Anomalous source confirmed.]

''Tight formation! Watch the flanks and openings!'' Jisoo commanded.

The creature appeared to the right.

Jisoo turned and struck — missed by inches. The thing pulled back before impact.

Another strike. From the left.

Doyun blocked. Flames burst off the steel of his blade.

Another.

From behind.

Hana was nearly hit, but I intercepted with my spear. The creature dodged like liquid, melting back into the darkness.

Sung Jin-Woo trembled slightly, fingers clenched tightly around the light staff.

He was the only fixed point in the chaos.

The creature attacked on loop.

In and out of darkness.

Slithered like a living urban legend.

It wasn't powerful... but it was fast.

Evasive. Cowardly.

I was starting to notice a pattern — were D-rank monsters more speed-focused?

Or was I just "lucky" enough to face every apprentice of Usain Bolt?

''Light, then…'' I thought out loud. ''We need to use the light.''

My head turned toward Jin-Woo.

An idea. Simple to execute. Quick.

And expensive as hell, above all.

''Jisoo!''

''What?!''

He blocked another strike, this one aimed at his neck.

I kept going:

''Get ready to throw more money into the team budget.''

The horror in his expression couldn't be described in words.

Money was a delicate subject for that man.

''What the hell do you mean by that?''

I didn't answer him.

''Sung Jin-Woo!'' I started. ''The light artifacts. Throw them! Toss them around! Now! I want this place glowing like Christmas in Gangnam!''

''What?!'' Jin-Woo's eyes widened.

''Trust me!'' I yelled. ''And Jisoo… I don't want my pay this time.''

''What?!'' now it was Jisoo's turn to shout, even louder.

He looked like he wanted to say something else.

But Jin-Woo was already moving, fumbling through his bag for the artifacts.

One, two, three… he positioned himself to throw the first.

That's when the darkness moved.

The others noticed too late.

Instinctively, my body tensed.

I moved.

''Hana!''

Doyun and I shouted almost at the same time, breaking formation despite Jisoo's protests.

But I was wrong.

The direction… the trajectory…

The target wasn't the mage.

It was the light.

''Aargh''

It was Jin-Woo.

Something — a bullet?

No, a tiny harpoon...? — shot through the air in a straight line, right through the formation's gap.

It pierced just above his chest, between the collarbone and shoulder, embedding itself with a dull, wet thud.

The small dagger he carried hadn't even been drawn.

He couldn't defend.

He screamed. His hand went to the thing, trying to pull it out.

At that same instant, trailing the harpoon — or whatever the hell it was — a black thread, tinged with shimmering blue in the darkness, stretched taut.

And then he was pulled.

Jin-Woo was yanked like freshly hooked bait.

He shot past the group at absurd speed.

Doyun, returning to position, got knocked down like a bowling pin.

Hana fell with a muffled cry.

Only Jisoo and I stayed upright.

''Shit!'' I heard Jisoo curse, eyes scanning for the creature.

The darkness moved. Pulsed. Breathed with them inside it.

And the only thing I could think?

The protagonist had been taken.

And with him, our only chance of keeping any control.

Then came the sounds.

Wet snaps, the shuffle of something dragging, claws against stone.

CLAC.

THUD.

Breathing.

Not just one.

It was intermittent, like two presences fighting for space in that darkness.

And I couldn't see anything.

My eyes strained for shape. Outline. Anything.

Nothing.

My brain went into overdrive. Jin-Woo could be getting torn apart. He could already be dead. He could be getting dragged to some disgusting nest, wrapped like a piece of prey.

Maybe that was it. Maybe this was the end of the mission.

Maybe the creature had left the dungeon to start hunting down every Rank E porter in the world.

Okay. Maybe I was being a bit dramatic.

Maybe...

''Luxxion.''

[Yes.]

''Tell me he's alive.''

[Presence detected. Still active. Status: critical, but stable.]

''And where is he? Can you infer?''

[Yes.]

[He's seven meters ahead. Three degrees to the right.]

I turned.

All I saw was darkness.

Even so, suddenly, something clicked.

The formation we'd used earlier — the tighter, more defensive one — was useless if the thing ignored all movement logic and jumped straight for the light source.

A few steps from me, I heard the sound of Jisoo's axe slicing through air — and something else.

A dry crack.

A muffled roar.

He was fighting.

Alone. The thing hadn't gone for Doyun or Hana.

For a second, my mind froze.

If Sung Jin-Woo was with the creature… then what was Jisoo fighting?

My eyes narrowed toward the dark.

''Luxxion... you said there was only one presence besides ours.''

[No additional signals detected.]

''Then why is he fighting?''

Silence.

The kind of silence not even an AI can pretend is normal.

I clicked my tongue and looked at Doyun.

He was getting back up, one sleeve torn and a nasty gash on his shoulder.

But he was steady.

Steady enough to understand when I gave him a subtle chin nod.

He nodded back.

Leapt, pulling Hana with him toward the backpack.

Good.

Now it was my turn to screw up.

''Luxxion…''

[I advise against any movement toward the darkness without support.]

''You got a better plan?''

[…]

''That's what I thought.''

I dove in.

The darkness swallowed me like ice water.

Every step felt… somehow wrong. Like time stretched between each footfall.

I glanced over my shoulder.

Doyun and the others were still there. But they seemed far.

Too far.

Even though I'd only taken four steps.

[Spatial interference detected.]

''Thanks for letting me know now. Very forward of you.''

Then came the pain.

Thin cuts, like needles slicing the skin.

One after another.

Tears on my sleeves, my shoulder, my ribs.

None fatal.

My eyes adjusted. Not fully, but enough.

My perception burned with every wave of adrenaline.

I sensed the pattern. Anticipated the strike.

It was my only option.

The spear's blade spun in the dark, a silver streak cutting the void.

And then I stumbled.

Something solid. Warm. I nearly slipped.

''Ugh…''

Sung Jin Woo.

He was lying there, trembling dagger in hand.

The wound on his shoulder, and another on his forehead and cheek, bled freely, but his eyes were still open.

He blinked slowly, lips dry.

''A trap… it's playing with you...''

That was all he managed to say.

CRAASH.

Something falling. Something breaking. Rocks.

But I didn't have time to ask questions.

Because the creature was coming.

Bloodthirsty.

Ravenous.

Right at me.

I saw its eyes up close for the first time. No — not eyes. 

Slits. Like darkness had grown teeth.

But just as I turned to intercept —

THUNK!

A flash.

A light artifact dropped at my feet. From above.

A perfect arc, thrown like a fated arrow.

Doyun.

The light exploded into the dark, revealing the creature's silhouette mere inches from me.

And I...

I twisted my body in a way that would make any chiropractor scream.

The spear sliced the air.

The creature shrieked.

My vision blurred with the pain in my gut.

[Skill "Pain Resistance" leveled up to 2.]

Great timing, damn it.

But I didn't think about that.

All I thought about...

was killing that thing.