The conversation shifted as they walked back toward the hotel district, discussing potential strategies for both the Tower and the Fracture. Jae-Hyun knew he had two major goals now—reach Level 50 and defeat the Floor 30 Guardian.
Ahri, meanwhile, had her own challenge: leveling up fast enough to keep up with him.
As they reached their hotel, Ahri stretched her arms above her head. “Alright, I need to get some rest before grinding tomorrow. Don’t do anything reckless.”
“No promises,” Jae-Hyun said, smirking.
Ahri rolled her eyes but didn’t walk away. Instead, she hesitated for a brief second before nodding toward the entrance. “See you tomorrow.”
Jae-Hyun pushed open the door, stepping into the dimly lit lobby. A strange, lingering feeling crept over him as he walked toward the elevator. It wasn’t fear, nor was it paranoia—it was the distinct sense that something was watching him.
He glanced around, but nothing seemed out of place. The lobby was quiet, save for a few other people milling about. Shaking the thought off, he stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for his floor.
A heavy silence settled in as the doors closed. He exhaled, rubbing his temple. I’m just exhausted. That’s all.
The elevator reached his floor, and as he stepped into the hallway, he let out a slow breath. The path ahead was clear, but something told him things were only going to get harder from here.
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Jae-Hyun swiped his keycard and pushed open the door to his hotel room. The space was simple but comfortable—nothing extravagant, just enough to rest and prepare for what lay ahead. He tossed his coat over the back of a chair and exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders to ease the lingering tension from the day’s events.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, he pulled up his system interface. The Path to Hell quest still lingered at the forefront, its text pulsing slightly as if demanding his attention.
A Path to Hell – Quest Available.
The door remains closed. To unlock the path, complete the following:
* Reach Level 50
* Defeat the Floor 30 Guardian in a single challenge
His gaze lingered on the requirements. This wasn’t just another quest. This was a trial—one designed to push him past his limits before he could even access whatever lay beyond that door. And yet, something about it felt different from any other system notification he’d encountered before.
Jae-Hyun tapped on the quest details, but much of the information remained blurred out, locked behind system restrictions. He scowled. Whatever was at the end of this path, the system wasn’t making it easy for him to uncover.
Then, the screen flickered.
A distortion rippled across the interface, the usual crisp text momentarily warping. A static-like hum buzzed faintly in his ears, just at the edge of perception. Then, for a split second, new text appeared beneath the quest details—jagged, fragmented, and barely readable.
The threshold nears… The eyes remain upon you…
Jae-Hyun’s entire body tensed.
Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the message was gone. His interface returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
He stared at the screen for several seconds, his mind racing. That hadn’t been a system error. The quest itself—or something beyond it—was actively responding to his progress.
A chill crawled up his spine.
He wasn’t just progressing toward the Path to Hell. Something—or someone—was watching his every move.
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Jae-Hyun closed his interface and stood, shaking off the lingering unease. You’re overthinking this. He stripped off his clothes and changed into something more comfortable, settling into bed. Tomorrow, he’d focus on leveling up. That was the only thing that mattered for now.
Just as he closed his eyes, his phone buzzed.
Frowning, he reached for it, expecting a message from Ahri or maybe Mi-Rae. But when he checked the screen, his grip on the device tightened.
Reject the quest. Walk away.
Jae-Hyun’s pulse quickened. His gaze flicked between the message and the glowing interface still hovering faintly in the air beside him.
Before he could type a response, another message arrived.
You don’t understand what’s waiting for you. Turn back now.
The room suddenly felt colder.
Jae-Hyun sat up, his instincts on high alert. His eyes flicked around the darkened room, searching for any sign that something—or someone—was watching him. The cold sensation lingered, pressing against his skin like an unseen weight.
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The phone vibrated again.
This is your only warning.
A strange static crackled through his phone’s speaker before the screen flickered and the messages vanished, leaving no trace of their existence.
Jae-Hyun narrowed his eyes. His gut told him this wasn’t a bluff. Whoever had sent those messages knew something about the Path to Hell—and they didn’t want him to reach it.
He placed the phone on the nightstand, exhaling slowly. Backing down wasn’t an option.
If anything, this just confirmed it—he was on the right path.
A sharp knock echoed in his mind, and suddenly, his vision wavered. His surroundings blurred, the cold dissipating as his body jolted upright.
He was still in his hotel room.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he stared at the phone on his nightstand, its screen blank. The eerie messages were gone. His interface hovered beside him, unchanged. The chilling sensation that had gripped him moments ago was absent, leaving only the distant hum of the city outside.
Jae-Hyun ran a hand through his hair, his pulse slowing as realization set in. It was a dream. But no—not just a dream. It felt too vivid, too real. It was as if someone, or something, had reached into his subconscious to deliver a message.
He exhaled, his mind racing. Had the system manipulated his perception? Had it been a warning? Or was something else watching him, waiting for him to act?
Whatever lay beyond that door, he would be the one to open it.
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The next morning, Jae-Hyun awoke feeling more drained than rested. The memory of the dream still clung to him, vivid and unsettling. He ran a hand through his hair and sat up, letting out a deep breath. It was too real. Too deliberate. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone—or something—had reached out to him through it.
Dismissing the lingering thoughts, he changed into his gear and made his way downstairs, planning to leave the hotel and begin his usual training routine. However, as he passed the reception desk, the hotel receptionist looked up and called out to him.
"Mr. Jae-Hyun, a letter was left for you and your companion," she said, sliding a neatly folded envelope across the counter.
Jae-Hyun's brows furrowed. "A letter?"
"Yes," the receptionist confirmed. "Someone dropped it off late last night. They gave no name, only instructions that it was meant for you."
A cold sensation prickled down his spine. No one should have known he was staying here. He hesitated for only a moment before taking the envelope and unfolding it.
The moment his eyes scanned the contents, his expression darkened.
Jae-Hyun,
You should have stayed in the shadows. Now you’ve forced my hand.
Meet me at the old training grounds in the outskirts this evening. Alone.
If you don’t, Mi-Rae will suffer the consequences.
You know what I’m capable of.
Tae-Jun.
Jae-Hyun’s grip tightened around the paper, his knuckles turning white. His blood ran cold, but not from fear—from rage.
Tae-Jun.
For a moment, the world around him blurred. His breath was steady, but his heart pounded violently in his chest. The paper crumpled under his tightening grip—he wanted to rip it apart, but it wouldn’t change a damn thing. Did his meeting with Mi-Rae give him away? Had Tae-Jun realized it was him that day?
None of that mattered now. The truth was clear: Tae-Jun knew. And now, he was issuing a threat.
Jae-Hyun’s plans for the day evaporated. Training, preparations, everything else—none of it mattered anymore. His thoughts raced as he tried to piece together his next move. He knew that he was nowhere near strong enough to face Tae-Jun head-on, but that didn’t change what needed to be done.
He needed to prepare. Fast.
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Without wasting another second, Jae-Hyun pulled up his system interface, navigating to the shop. He quickly purchased as many mana and healing potions as he could carry, stacking his inventory with essentials. If things went south, he wouldn’t let himself be caught unprepared. Then, he checked his weapons—no enhancements, no upgrades. If he was going to stand a chance, he needed better gear, but there wasn’t enough time for that.
Even after stocking up, a sense of unease gnawed at him. Wanting to be as prepared as possible, he left the hotel and visited several supply shops in the district, hoping to find something—anything—that could give him an extra edge.
But it was of no luck. Nothing stood out as particularly useful, and the shopkeepers offered him the same basic supplies he already had. He clicked his tongue in frustration. No shortcuts, then. He’d have to face this with what he had.
First, potions—mana and healing, as many as he could carry. If things went south, he wouldn’t let himself be caught unprepared. Then, he checked his weapons. No enhancements. No upgrades. If he was going to stand a chance, he needed better gear, but there wasn’t enough time for that.
Maybe he could push his level further? Try his luck with some loot boxes? It was a gamble, but every little advantage mattered now.
His fingers hovered over his system interface. He contemplated reaching out to Ahri—should he tell her?
No. It wouldn’t change anything. This was his fight. His problem.
If anything, she would only try to stop him. He couldn't afford to let that happen.
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As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Jae-Hyun arrived at the designated location. The old training grounds, a long-abandoned area just beyond the city limits, sat in eerie silence. It was a place he once knew well, but now, it felt almost foreign.
He waited. The minutes dragged on. Then, a shift in the air sent his instincts flaring.
A presence. Behind him.
Before he could turn, his body tensed as a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. His vision darkened, his balance wavered, and the last thing he saw was an ominous, shadowy figure standing just out of focus—its form shifting, stretching unnaturally, as if it didn’t belong to this world.
Then—darkness.
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Jae-Hyun’s eyes flickered open. The world around him was… wrong. The air was thick, the colors muted, the very space around him shifting in ways that didn’t feel natural.
For some reason, this place felt familiar.
Yet, he had no memory of it.
A suffocating pressure crashed down on him, far worse than anything he had felt before. His limbs felt like they were being crushed under an unseen force, rendering him completely immobile. It was as if the very air around him was conspiring to hold him in place, making even the simplest thought an effort. His breathing grew shallow, his mind screaming at him to move—but his body refused to obey.
Then, a slow, deliberate voice cut through the oppressive silence, coiling around him like a predator savoring its prey.
“Hello, Abyssal Heir.”
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