[BEFORE THE DUNGEON RAID]
Jinwoo sat on the couch, lost in thought.
How do I even get the System?
Wasn't the only reason the original Jinwoo received it because he never gave up? Even after facing countless life-and-death situations during his dungeon raids?
I didn't go through that much hardship. My training helped a lot… but those were only D- or E-ranked dungeons.
But Ashborn needs a vessel strong enough to resist the other Monarchs. That means the Double Dungeon is guaranteed to give someone the System.
So… should I just grit my teeth and hope I don't die before getting it?
If I remember correctly, the original Jinwoo got the System when there were barely two seconds left before his death.
Maybe I'm overthinking this. When that thing was screaming in my mind about fate… I was in a black void. It looked eerily similar to Ashborn's Monarch Domain.
Maybe that wasn't a coincidence.
I should calm down. Go there. Endure until my last breath with everything I have.
Because either I die there…
Or I die during the Monarchs' invasion a few years later.
As that thought settled in, images of Jinah, Mom, and Dad flashed through my mind.
I can't.
I have to save them.
I will survive this.I will obtain the System.
For my family.
[IN THE DUNGEON]
"What the heck? The lights turned on by themselves?"
"First time seeing a dungeon like this."
The hunters' expressions shifted to shock as torches along the walls ignited on their own. The entire place resembled an ancient temple. The interior was a massive dome, far too large to be natural.
At the deepest part of the dome sat a gigantic statue on a throne. Around the walls stood dozens of other large statues, looming silently.
The hunters slowly calmed down and split up to explore.
"There isn't a single monster here."
"Forget monsters, I can't even see a bug. And isn't this place way too clean for an ancient temple?"
One of the hunters called everyone over to a strange statue. It had wings and held a tablet with something engraved on it.
The Architect.
The thought flashed through my mind instantly.
On the tablet, simple verses were written in the Rune alphabet:
The Rules of the Karutenon Temple
First Law: Worship the god.Second Law: Exalt the god.Third Law: Prove your piety.
Those who do not follow these rules must not leave the temple alive.
The moment I finished reading, a loud thud echoed across the dome.
"The door!! The door is closed!!"
At the same time, one hunter scoffed.
"I'm going home. You guys can deal with the boss or treasure or whatever."
He started walking toward the exit.
The instant he stepped forward, one of the knight statues moved. Its mace swung down faster than the eye could follow.
I grabbed a stone and hurled it at his knees, making him stumble before he reached the door.
The mace slammed down where he had been standing.
The hunter barely survived and scrambled back, tears streaming down his face.
"What the hell?! Does that mean every statue in here can move?!"
"We have to fight those things?!"
"I couldn't even see that swing! How are we supposed to survive?!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
"Are you idiots?!" I shouted. "It's obvious we have to follow the rules if we want to live and get out of here!"
Even as I said it, doubt gnawed at me.
The real nightmare has only just begun… how am I supposed to survive this?
Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw it.
The giant statue's eyes… moved.
Oh sh—
"Get down!!"
I kicked the legs of the two hunters nearest to me, forcing them to fall, and threw myself flat on the ground.
The giant statue's eyes glowed red.
Years of instinct kicked in, and the hunters dropped just in time.
A red beam shot across the room.
The hunter at the very back wasn't fast enough.
In an instant, he was burned to ash.
The smell of scorched flesh filled the dome.
I can't save everyone.
[A/N: anyone any thought's or things i can try to improve on]