The Hidden Gate

The forest felt quieter now, but it wasn't peace—just the kind of stillness that came before something went wrong. The soft chirping of distant birds faded with each step as Seokhyun and Aine made their way back through the trail.

Aine stayed close, her pace matching his as they walked in silence. There was something about her now that felt different—like she wasn't just a student in Class D anymore. The events of the day seemed to have left their mark on her, and though she still carried herself with that quiet grace, there was something in her eyes. Curiosity. Or maybe caution.

"We should be close to the return path," Aine said, brushing a branch aside. "There was a boundary crystal around here."

Seokhyun nodded faintly, but his eyes remained locked ahead. Something felt off. The trail was wrong—overgrown, twisted in places it hadn't been before. The markers were gone, or maybe moved.

Then he saw it.

A break in the trees. Stone. Worn, cracked, and half-buried beneath the forest floor. An archway carved into a jagged rock face, wide enough for a carriage but sunken with time. Vines clung to its sides, and strange symbols were etched faintly across the stone.

Aine slowed. "This… this wasn't here before, was it?"

"No," Seokhyun said, taking a step forward.

[ALERT – SYSTEM DETECTED HIDDEN DUNGEON: "Forgotten Gate"]

[This location is not mapped. Danger Level: Unknown]

[A unique quest is now available.]

[QUEST – "Into the Forgotten"]

Objective: Enter the dungeon and discover its secret.

Optional: Survive.

Rewards: ???

The system screen pulsed again.

[WARNING – This dungeon is unregistered. Normal escape methods are disabled.]

His eyes narrowed.

They were already caught.

"Aine," he said, voice even, "we should turn back."

She glanced over her shoulder. The path behind them… was gone.

Thick fog now curled between the trees, obscuring the way they came. The boundary had shifted. The forest had moved.

"No…" she whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen…"

Seokhyun's system pulsed again.

[New Title Unlocked: Dungeon Breaker – First Discovery of the Forgotten Gate]

The system chimed as a notification popped up, a familiar sound he hadn't expected so soon.

[System Override Initiated – Mana Signature Confirmed]

[Mana: 10]

His mana had already been unlocked, triggered by his first kill, but now it hummed in his veins. That sensation—the warmth that was both alien and part of him—stirred again. His senses heightened as the arcane energy pulsed inside him. He could feel it now, flowing through his body.

Aine stumbled back, shielding her eyes as the entrance lit faintly with soft blue light—arcane lines pulsing on the stone walls.

"…You just awakened your mana," she said, stunned. "But how? No incantation. No resonance…"

He didn't answer. The system was louder now.

[ENTERING DUNGEON – TIMER BEGINS]

[Dungeon Auto-Lock in: 00:59… 00:58…]

"We have to go in," Seokhyun said. "Now."

She looked afraid, but nodded.

Together, they stepped through the crumbling arch.

The world twisted.

Inside was darkness, then torchlight—cold and flickering, embedded into walls of stone and obsidian. The air was ancient, humming with something that felt wrong. Not magical. Not natural.

They were underground now.

Seokhyun's system chimed again.

[Dungeon Objectives Loaded]

Reach the Bottom Floor

Kill 50 Monsters

Eliminate ???

[Bonus: Trait Fragments detected]

His eyes scanned the narrow hallway ahead. The ground sloped downward, broken tiles leading deeper into shadow.

He could feel it already.

His first real test.

Not survival class. Not goblins.

A dungeon.

A real one.

And this time, he wouldn't walk out unchanged.