The morning sun broke gently over the horizon as Sung Daeho awoke, filled with purpose. The air felt sharper than usual, the excitement of what lay ahead buzzing in his veins. Today marked the start of a new chapter—his first solo dungeon raid.
Without wasting a moment, he got dressed in light athletic wear and stepped out into the crisp morning air. The city was still waking up, and the nearby public park was quiet—perfect for a warm-up.
He stretched, ran a few laps around the track, and practiced dagger maneuvers—sharpening his control over speed, angles, and striking points. After twenty solid minutes of warm-up, sweat beaded on his forehead.
Then he returned home and stood beneath a cold shower, letting the shock of the water wake up every nerve in his body.
After drying off, he donned his light combat suit, strapped his dual daggers to his sides, and called out softly:
"Kali."
The wolf appeared at full size, eyes alert, energy brimming.
Daeho jumped on his back. "Shincheon Gate. Let's go."
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The distance to Shincheon Substation Gate #27 was nearly 90 kilometers, but with Kali's full super speed, they zipped across highways and countryside in under seven minutes.
As they arrived near the gate checkpoint, hunters and association staff turned to look. Not many E or D-rankers could ride a Dire Wolf.
Daeho dismounted, showed his C-rank Hunter ID, and got a nod from the gate officer.
"Solo entry confirmed. Dungeon is stabilized. Good luck inside."
At 10:00 AM sharp, Daeho stepped into the solo dungeon.
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The world shifted.
A dense, ancient forest stretched around him—thick trees, towering vines, and a strange mist hanging low. The scent of moss and wild beasts clung to the air.
> [Dungeon Type: Forest Infiltration]
Objective: Destroy Orc Village Defenses
Tasks:
– Eliminate 30 Goblins (0/30)
– Eliminate 4 Guard Orcs (0/4)
Bonus: Unknown
Daeho grinned. "Time to hunt."
He and Kali activated super speed and dashed deeper into the forest.
The goblins were scattered in small patrol units of 2 to 3. They didn't even have a chance to scream.
Each time Daeho spotted one, he closed the distance in the blink of an eye, his twin daggers flashing with precision. Kali, moving in parallel, tore through them with claw and fang.
One.
Five.
Ten.
By the time Daeho checked again, he had already taken out more than 30 goblins. But he kept going, intoxicated by the thrill. They moved faster, swept deeper into goblin territory, and the kill count kept rising.
When the dust settled, he stood surrounded by over a hundred dead goblins.
> [Kill Count: 104 Goblins]
Hidden Reward Unlocked!
➤ Item Obtained: Skill Down Remover (1-Time Use )( Works on Any Rank Skill)
Daeho stared at the glowing red icon hovering in his interface. "A skill down remover?"
It was one of the most valuable and rarest items for awakeners—something that could remove cooldowns, limitations, or duration caps from any skill once.
He didn't use it immediately.
"No need to rush… this'll be useful later," he said, storing it in his inventory.
He and Kali then took a moment to collect all the goblin cores, which would fetch a decent price from the association later.
---
With the goblins down, Daeho proceeded toward the Orc Village, which lay further into the forest. The terrain opened up, revealing a primitive but fortified settlement made of stone and massive logs.
He crouched on a cliff edge, scanning the village.
Four Guard Orcs, each nearly 3 meters tall, stood near the only entrance. Their green skin was armored with bones and metal scraps, and they wielded brutal axes the size of tree trunks.
"Tch... all four are standing together," he muttered.
Daeho had hoped to pick them off one by one, but the narrow canyon leading into the village gave them the advantage. A head-on attack would be suicide.
Then he smirked.
"Let's play a little."
He picked up a nearby goblin corpse from his inventory and tossed it, using his full strength, far into the woods—just close enough to be noticed.
One of the Orc Guards grunted and walked toward the noise, axe in hand.
Perfect.
The moment the orc entered the trees and stepped out of view of his allies, Daeho and Kali pounced from above.
"Full speed—strike the neck!" Daeho shouted.
With his daggers ready, he dashed between the orc's legs, slicing behind the knees before flipping upward and jamming both blades into a weak point just under the jaw—something he remembered from a dungeon guidebook.
Kali bit into the orc's shoulder, tearing tendons, while Daeho continued targeting pressure points and joints.
But the orc's defense was no joke.
Even with perfect strikes and full-speed mobility, it took four minutes of relentless slashing, dodging, and precise targeting to bring the beast down.
> [Guard Orc Defeated – 1/4]
Daeho panted, crouching beside the corpse as he extracted the glowing green core from its chest.
But before he could stand up—
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
He turned his head.
The other three Guard Orcs were charging into the forest, alerted by the noise.
"Damn it… they came too soon."
Without hesitating, Daeho grabbed the core, whistled sharply, and shouted: "Kali! Retreat!"
They vanished into the trees, sprinting with everything they had. The crashing footsteps behind them shook the ground, but neither Daeho nor Kali looked back.
They had completed half the mission—and they would return, smarter and stronger, to finish the job.
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