Inside the Adventurer’s Guild…

The guild was as lively as ever.

Adventurers filled the hall.

Some were drinking.

Some were arguing.

Others were searching for quests.

Near the reception desk, a group of adventurers gathered around a table.

“Hey, hey, Lark.”

A young woman with crimson hair nudged her companion.

“See him?”

Lark looked up from the quest board.

“What is it, Mari?”

Mari pointed toward the reception area.

A young man stood there speaking with one of the receptionists.

He wore a black leather jacket over dark training clothes.

A katana rested at his waist.

“That kid.”

Mari leaned forward.

“Is he new?”

Lark narrowed his eyes.

“Seems like it.”

The young man looked to be around seventeen.

Far younger than most adventurers present.

“Probably a rookie.”

“Maybe.”

A blonde scout sitting nearby suddenly perked up.

“Ooh.”

A mischievous grin appeared on her face.

“He’s handsome.”

Mari immediately nodded.

“He really is.”

The scout stood up.

“I’ll go introduce myself.”

Lark rolled his eyes.

“You say that every time.”

Before Rose could take a step, a large figure approached the table.

The wooden floor creaked beneath his weight.

A massive man carrying a battle axe stopped beside them.

“There you are.”

Rose groaned.

“Please tell me you found something good.”

Colt grinned.

“I did.”

He placed a quest parchment on the table.

The group immediately leaned closer.

Mari’s eyes widened.

“An A-Rank quest?”

Lark grabbed the parchment.

His expression became serious.

“A-Rank Dungeon Exploration.”

The large man nodded.

“Newly discovered dungeon.”

Rose whistled.

“That’s dangerous.”

“It pays well.”

The warrior tapped the reward section.

“And all we need to do is eliminate the dungeon boss and bring back one Silver Fang.”

Mari crossed her arms.

“Nothing is ever that simple.”

The group laughed.

Several hours later, they arrived at the dungeon entrance.

Rose pointed ahead.

“Hey, isn’t that the new kid?”

The others looked over.

The same young man from the guild stood near the entrance.

“What is he doing here?” Mari asked.

“Isn’t he a rookie?”

Then the guards stepped aside.

Allowing him to enter.

Alone.

Mari nearly choked.

“What?!”

“They allowed him in solo?”

Lark kept his eyes on the young man.

“You guys didn’t notice?”

“What?”

“The jacket.”

The others looked confused.

“That black leather isn’t ordinary.”

His eyes narrowed.

“It looks like the hide of at least a B-Rank beast.”

Then he pointed toward the katana.

“And that sword isn’t cheap either.”

“A custom-made weapon.”

Colt folded his arms.

“He looks like a rookie.”

“But my instincts are telling me he’s experienced.”

Mari frowned.

“Even then, solo diving a newly discovered A-Rank dungeon?”

“Isn’t he trying to kill himself?”

Rose grinned.

“If we find him, let’s recruit him.”

Nobody bothered responding.

Inside the dungeon…

“Mari! Cast the buff!”

Lark’s shout echoed through the corridor.

“On it!”

Mari immediately raised her staff.

A green magic circle appeared beneath the party.

“Strength Boost.”

“Agility Boost.”

A warm light covered the group.

“Four beasts incoming!” Rose shouted.

The scout jumped backward while throwing several daggers.

The blades struck one of the monsters, slowing its charge.

“I’ve been blinded!”

Lark swung his sword toward the darkness.

“Colt! Hold them back!”

“Leave it to me!”

Colt stepped forward.

His massive shield slammed into the ground.

BOOM!

The impact shook the corridor.

Four Blood Hounds crashed against the shield.

The black-furred monsters snarled as they tried to break through.

“Damn ugly mutts.”

Colt pushed forward with all his strength.

The Blood Hounds were dangerous monsters.

A single one was only D-Rank.

But they hunted in packs.

A Blood Hound pack was considered a B-Rank threat.

Meanwhile, Mari finished chanting.

Two magic circles appeared before her.

“Double Cast.”

One red.

One green.

The circles began spinning.

“Flame Tornado!”

The two spells merged together.

A spinning pillar of fire burst forward.

WHOOSH!

The corridor filled with flames.

The Blood Hounds let out pained cries.

Moments later, only charred corpses remained.

Silence returned to the dungeon.

“We’re clear.”

Lark lowered his sword.

“Finally.”

Rose let out a sigh of relief.

After collecting materials, the party moved into a nearby safe zone.

Everyone collapsed onto the ground.

The battle had been exhausting.

Rose stretched her arms.

“Isn’t there way too many Blood Hounds in this dungeon?”

Mari nodded.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

Lark frowned.

“And what caused the blindness?”

“A Creeper.”

The group grimaced.

A Creeper was a bat-like monster capable of releasing dust that temporarily blinded its victims.

Normally, they were only C-Rank monsters.

Annoying.

But not particularly dangerous.

The problem was when they worked together with stronger monsters.

Like Blood Hounds.

Mari leaned against the wall.

“This dungeon feels strange.”

Lark nodded.

“Yeah.”

“It doesn’t feel like a normal dungeon.”

The swordsman looked deeper into the darkness.

“It’s almost like several different dungeons have been merged together.”

A heavy silence followed.

No one liked that possibility.

Mixed dungeons were unpredictable.

And unpredictable usually meant deadly.

Eventually Colt stood.

His armor clanked loudly.

“Well, worrying won’t help.”

He grabbed his shield.

“We only have one floor left.”

The others nodded.

At the deepest floor waited the dungeon boss.

The Silver Fang.

A powerful monster whose fang was needed to complete their quest.

Lark stood up and rested his sword on his shoulder.

“Then let’s finish this.”

The party gathered their equipment.

After one final check, they descended to the final floor.

None of them noticed the pair of golden eyes watching them from deeper within the darkness.

Waiting.

Observing.

When Rose finished scouting the next floor, she returned with a confused expression.

“It’s empty.”

The party froze.

“What?”

Rose nodded.

“I checked twice.”

“There aren’t any monsters.”

“Not even one.”

Lark frowned.

That made no sense.

According to the guild report, the final floor should have been filled with Blood Hounds and Hell Hounds protecting the dungeon boss.

Yet Rose had found nothing.

The party cautiously descended.

The massive cavern stretched before them.

Silent.

Empty.

Not a single monster could be seen.

“This is strange.”

Mari tightened her grip on her staff.

“Where are all the monsters?”

Lark slowly drew his sword.

“As far as the guild knows, this floor should be filled with Blood Hounds and Hell Hounds.”

The silence only became heavier.

Then Colt suddenly looked upward.

His eyes widened.

“EVERYONE SCATTER!”

The shout exploded through the cavern.

Without hesitation, Colt lunged toward Rose.

He tackled her out of the way.

BOOM!

Something massive slammed into the ground where she had been standing.

The entire cavern shook.

Cracks spread through the stone floor.

Dust and smoke exploded outward.

Everyone instinctively retreated.

“What was that?!”

Rose shouted.

The dust slowly settled.

Then they saw it.

Two golden eyes.

Watching them.

A massive wolf emerged from the smoke.

Black fur covered its body.

Its muscles rippled beneath its dark coat.

The monster stood nearly three meters tall.

Its golden eyes glowed like molten gold.

Each movement carried terrifying power.

The pressure alone made it difficult to breathe.

The entire party froze.

Lark’s face turned pale.

“No…”

His grip tightened around his sword.

“What the hell is that doing here?”

The answer came immediately.

Dark Wolf.

A Special Category monster.

An A-Rank creature.

A beast many adventurers considered a pseudo S-Rank threat.

The sort of monster that required multiple elite parties to defeat safely.

The sort of monster that absolutely should not be inside an A-Rank dungeon.

Mari froze.

Fear filled her eyes.

Even her breathing became shaky.

“M-Mari…”

Lark forced himself to stay calm.

“Mari!”

She flinched.

“T-That’s a Dark Wolf…”

“I know!”

Lark shouted.

“Cast Resistance Magic!”

Several magic circles appeared around the party.

“Fear Resistance.”

“Mental Resistance.”

A warm light covered everyone.

The suffocating pressure eased slightly.

“Colt!”

“Shield ready!”

“Rose!”

“Detection active.”

A faint glow covered the scout’s eyes.

The Dark Wolf remained completely still.

Watching.

Waiting.

Almost as if it were judging them.

Then—

It vanished.

Lark’s eyes widened.

“Colt!”

BOOM!

A massive tail whipped through the air.

The strike slammed into Colt’s shield.

For a brief moment, the warrior held his ground.

Then the shield shattered.

Colt was hurled across the cavern like a ragdoll.

His body crashed into the stone wall.

The impact left a spiderweb of cracks behind him.

“COLT!”

Before anyone could react, the Dark Wolf moved again.

Its claws flashed.

Rose barely managed to raise her daggers.

Too slow.

Slash!

Blood sprayed through the air.

The scout was thrown backward, crashing into the cavern floor.

“ROSE!”

Mari immediately began casting healing magic.

The Dark Wolf ignored her.

Its golden eyes shifted toward the remaining two adventurers.

Then it disappeared once more.

Lark’s instincts screamed.

“Dodge!”

He tackled Mari aside.

A black blur passed between them.

The shockwave alone tore through their armor.

Both were sent tumbling across the ground.

Pain exploded through Lark’s ribs.

Mari cried out as she hit the stone floor.

The Dark Wolf landed gracefully several meters away.

Not a single scratch marked its body.

It had crippled the entire party.

And it hadn’t even used its full strength.

Colt was unconscious.

Rose lay bleeding heavily.

Mari’s staff trembled so badly she could barely hold it.

Even Lark struggled to stand.

The Dark Wolf remained completely still.

Watching.

Waiting.

As though judging whether they were worthy prey.

Then Rose’s expression changed.

Confusion.

Followed by horror.

“L-Lark…”

Her voice trembled.

“What is it?”

She swallowed.

“The mana signature…”

Cold sweat rolled down her face.

“It’s not alone.”

Silence.

The entire party froze.

Then..

One pair of golden eyes appeared within the darkness.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

The shadows of the cavern slowly came alive.

Golden eyes opened everywhere.

Watching.

Waiting.

Hunting.

The party’s faces turned pale.

Lark’s heart sank.

The guild report had been wrong.

Terribly wrong.

They weren’t facing the dungeon boss.

They had walked into its territory.

Lark slowly looked around the cavern.

Golden eyes stared back from every direction.

There were too many.

Far too many.

Even at full strength, their party would never have survived this.

Now?

Colt was unconscious.

Rose was bleeding.

Mari was barely holding herself together.

And Lark himself could hardly stand.

There was no strategy.

No escape.

No hope.

The Wolves began stepping forward.

Slowly.

Patiently.

Like predators approaching wounded prey.

The sound of claws scraping against stone echoed throughout the cavern.

One step.

Then another.

Then another.

There was nothing waiting for them now….

Except death.