From the darkness (2)

The creature stepped back twice — or what would be steps, if that thing had real feet.

In the presence of light, it looked... thinner. The edges of its body flickered, as if it were evaporating at the seams.

Skinny, translucent, with fake bones showing.

Almost like the light was tearing away the illusion of form.

But even if it looked frail, it was still dangerous.

Very dangerous.

I jumped back, my feet scraping against the dungeon floor.

Behind me, Sung Jin-Woo struggled to stay on his feet. His trembling hand clutched the wound on his shoulder, but he still held onto the dagger.

Faced with fear, he didn't back down.

His eyes were wide, but alive.

''Stay behind the light!'' I yelled. ''It keeps it away, remember?''

''I can… help…'' he muttered, voice low.

''I know. Just try not to die. That helps plenty.''

At the back of the room, I heard the dry crack of something being crushed.

Jisoo's axe sliced through the air with violence.

I caught a glimpse of what he was fighting.

Tentacles.

Long, uneven, slithering across the ceiling like strands of living metal.

They came from the creature itself, connected to it, like veins forced outward. But they pulled back the moment they neared the light from the artifacts.

Jisoo kept them at bay with sheer brute force.

''Shit… so that's what it was'' I said, reaching out to steady the spear. ''One body. Multiple presences.''

[Skill "Defying the Impossible" activated.]

[Adversary identified: high-level Class D.]

[Physical stats temporarily increased.]

[Skill "Blood Mark" activated.]

[Target marked. Regeneration reduced. Damage dealt temporarily increased.]

Luxxion was more concise with the notifications this time than usual.

I took a deep breath.

The creature lunged forward immediately, completely ignoring the beam of light pulsing from the artifact on the ground between us.

My eyes felt like they could see everything. But that was just the adrenaline talking.

I moved while the edge was still mine.

A wide strike.

The tip of the spear scraped against the creature's stitched skin, drawing blood and a shrill screech.

It recoiled, howling.

But only for a moment.

From the shadows, claws emerged.

Three. Four. Five. Six.

All aimed at me.

I rolled to the side. Blocked one. Dodged another.

But the third slashed across my thigh, shallow but sharp.

''Tsk.''

Pain shot up. But it was dulled.

The pain resistance skill was holding steady.

A flash. Something moved in the corner of my vision.

Doyun.

''Got another artifact!'' he shouted, slamming the magic light rod into the ground near me.

The creature screamed. Literally screamed. As if the light burned it from the inside.

I didn't waste time.

I pushed forward. Short thrust. Lateral cut. Hook with the spear's shaft.

It tried to react, but now it was cornered.

Me on one side. Doyun on the other.

Jisoo closing in from the back, with Hana right behind him.

Light surrounded it from all directions. The shadows shrank.

[Stats increased.]

[Stats increased.]

[Stats increased.]

I felt the weight of every one of the creature's attacks.

Its twisted arms moved like boneless whips, snapping through the air, trying to catch me from the sides.

I dodged.

Dropped my stance.

Struck.

The spear's blade drove deep into the monster's narrow, translucent torso.

A roar echoed, bouncing off the walls.

Its rotten flesh clenched, as if trying to spit the weapon out.

But I didn't give it time.

I spun. Slashed.

A perfect arc in the air.

The shaft of the spear struck what looked like an exposed rib, and the creature staggered back, hissing.

It tried to counterattack with one of its spiny appendages.

A tentacle extended toward me like an improvised spear.

I jumped to the side, barely dodging the strike.

[Defying the Impossible: momentum maintained.]

[Blood Mark: 13 seconds remaining.]

''Too fast...''

But even fast, it was wounded.

The shadows at its edges trembled, shapeless.

The light from the nearby magic lantern made its skin nearly translucent—bones floating inside like twigs in black jelly.

It attacked again.

This time in a sequence.

Two, three, four strikes in a row.

Shallow cuts appeared on my side, arms, and legs.

Nothing fatal.

But piling up.

It came from the left.

I braced the spear against the ground and used the shaft to deflect the attack.

The impact echoed through my arms, but it backed off.

Then a golden flash lit up from the side.

''Buff complete!'' I heard Hana's voice.

The next second, heat surged through my veins like liquid fire.

Stats surged again.

And with them, my courage.

Jisoo appeared from behind, axe already raised.

''You got the whole party to yourself?'' he growled.

''Just warming up.''

The creature turned, trying to escape, but the light surrounded it now.

Doyun arrived right after, panting, sword in hand.

''Am I late?'' he asked.

''A bit.''

The three of us moved as one.

I went left, fast like a bullet. Doyun advanced through the center, distracting the creature. Jisoo closed in from the right, the heavy blade of his axe slicing through the air.

The creature spun in desperation. Tentacles whipped out in every direction.

One slammed into the ground beside Jin-Woo, who was still watching—wounded, pale, but lucid.

Hana was with him, hand on his chest, healing him and holding the light artifact like a sacred torch.

''Hang in there, Sung Jin-Woo'' she murmured. ''Just a bit longer.''

''I'm fine…'' he said, though his voice was shaky.

The creature roared.

It leapt back.

Then, with a shriek that made my blood run cold, it tried to launch itself over us.

But it was too late.

''Now!'' I shouted.

Doyun was already on it.

He moved first, slashing at the creature's leg tendons.

It lost balance.

I followed right after.

It wasn't elegant. It wasn't choreographed. But it was enough.

Efficiency is what wins fights.

My spear pierced through its skeletal abdomen.

Doyun spun his sword and drove it straight into the center of the chest—where a heart should've been.

The creature froze.

One last cry. A muffled sound. Like a drowned whisper.

And then, the darkness was sucked back into it.

All of it. Completely.

The creature imploded.

The shadow collapsed into a single point, like smoke being drained through an invisible plug. Its flesh caved in, cracking, dissolving like sludge.

Silence.

And light.

Finally, light everywhere.

I took a deep breath. Looked at the group.

We were whole.

Injured, sweaty, exhausted. But whole.

And alive.

''We lived.'' I said, panting, rolling my sore shoulders. ''Again.''

Jisoo was the first to laugh. That deep, guttural laugh, half relief, half disbelief.

''Shit... That was intense.''

''And disgusting'' Doyun coughed, wiping the blood off his arm with a torn sleeve. ''That thing smelled like walking trash.''

''I almost threw up three times.'' Hana placed her hands on her knees, breathing deeply. ''And not from the wounds.''

Sung Jin-Woo slowly sat up, leaning against the boss room wall, panting.

There was dried blood on his shirt, and his usual bandages looked even dirtier.

[Congratulations. Interference effect has been dispelled.]

[Recalculating environment stability.]

Luxxion's voice rang out in my mind, crystal clear.

[Objectives updated: The three Rank D dungeon were successfully cleared.]

[Main mission progress increased.]

[You've earned the "Key of atonement".]

I sighed, letting a small smile creep in.

''Luxxion, couldn't you have said that before the monster tried to turn me into sashimi?''

[You survived. Information was unnecessary at the time.]

''You're a heartless robot, you know that?''

[Correct.]

I stepped toward Jin-Woo.

He looked up, clearly drained, but with that expression... grateful.

''You came after me.'' he said softly.

I nodded.

''Of course. Couldn't let the team's porter die on his first dungeon, right?''

He chuckled, embarrassed.''

''Even so… thanks. Really.

''We're in this together.'' I held out a hand. ''And speaking of that…''

He raised an eyebrow, curious.

''Want to get something to eat after this?''

Jin-Woo blinked, surprised.

Jisoo stared at me in disbelief. Looked like he thought I was hitting on the guy.

The rest of the group turned all at once.

''A decent meal.'' I continued, shrugging. ''And maybe a talk.''

''A talk?'' he repeated, hesitant.

''Yeah.'' I smiled. ''I need to understand who I'm dealing with…''

That is... before you become the most dangerous thing in this world.

But I didn't say that part. No need for it.

Then Jin-Woo gave a small smile.

''Sure. But only if there's tteokbokki.''