The red gate loomed before Arin like a giant, blood-soaked monolith.It pulsed slowly… almost like a heartbeat.
THUMP.THUMP.THUMP.
Arin placed his hand on it.
Cold.
Too cold.
The moment his fingers touched the surface—the gate pulled him inside with a violent suction.
WHOOSH!
Darkness swallowed him whole.
A Red World
Arin landed on solid ground, coughing as he pushed himself up.
When he opened his eyes, he froze.
He was standing in a vast, endless desert—but the sand wasn't gold.It was crimson, glowing faintly like embers.
Above him, a sky filled with swirling red clouds spun in slow motion, lightning flashing inside them.
"Where… am I?"
A system window appeared immediately.
[ Trial 3 — Crimson Judgment ]
Objective: Survive the GuardianCondition: Only strength matters. No running. No hiding.Reward: Unlock the Dungeon Heart
Arin narrowed his eyes.
"So this one… is a pure battle."
A shadow rose from the sand.
Then another.
Then a third.
And then—
BOOOOOOOM!!
The ground cracked open.
A colossal figure stepped out.
Arin took a step back instinctively.
The creature was nearly four meters tall, body made of black stone with glowing red cracks.Two horns curved backward from its head, and its eyes burned with crimson fire.
A massive greatsword—longer than Arin's entire height—rested on its shoulder.
The system flashed again.
[ Boss: Crimson Guardian — Tier: Peak A-Rank ]
Threat Level: Extreme
Arin's face hardened.
"A-Rank… and peak?""So this dungeon isn't normal at all."
The guardian's footsteps vibrated the entire desert.
BOOM.BOOM.BOOM.
It raised its sword slowly—
and pointed straight at Arin.
Then it spoke, voice echoing like thunder:
"SHOW… YOUR… WORTH."
Arin Activates His Power
Arin inhaled deeply.
"Alright… let's go."
He summoned his aura.
A thin, sharp grey mist wrapped around his arms.The katana formed instantly, shadow-metal shimmering faintly.
And then—
Arin's left eye changed.
A faint, ghostly purple glow lit inside it.
Soul Sense — Activated
Immediately, the entire battlefield lit up in his mind—every grain of moving sandevery shift in the guardian's musclesevery flicker of killing intent.
Arin whispered:
"This… is new."
The First Clash
The guardian vanished.
Arin's eyes widened.
"S–So fast—!"
CRAAAAASH!!!!
The greatsword came down like a falling mountain.
Arin barely rolled aside, sand exploding behind him.
He slashed upward.
His katana struck the guardian's ankle—
CLING!!
The blade bounced off.
Barely a scratch.
Arin gritted his teeth.
"Hard as hell…"
The guardian swung horizontally.
Arin ducked, feeling the blade cut the air above his head.
Then he felt it—
a surge of killing intent behind the guardian's next move.
Soul Sense whispered in his mind:
"Dodge right."
Arin moved instantly.
The Guardian's stomp missed him by inches, creating a mini crater.
Arin grinned a little.
"This skill… is insane."
Arin's First Real Injury
The guardian suddenly punched the ground.
BOOM!!!
Shockwaves exploded outward.
Arin was thrown back, rolling across the sand.
Blood dripped from his lip.
"Tch… strong."
The guardian didn't wait.
It jumped—the entire desert trembled—and came crashing down toward him with the greatsword.
Arin crossed his katana to block—
CRACK!!
His arms trembled violently.
The force sent him sliding back nearly twenty meters, feet digging trenches in the sand.
Arin's breath grew heavy.
"That… almost killed me."
The guardian raised its sword again.
Arin tightened his grip.
Arin Awakens a New Shadow Ability
When the guardian charged again, Arin's shadow trembled.
A whisper rose from beneath him.
"…call us…"
Arin's eyes widened.
The shadow soldier essence he gained earlier—
It wanted to come out.
The guardian swung.
Arin shouted:
"SHADOW STEP!"
His body blurred—turning into black smoke—teleporting behind the guardian.
A new message flashed:
[ New Skill Awakened: Shadow Step (Lv.1) ]
Short-range teleportation through shadows.
Arin didn't waste a second.
He slashed the back of the guardian's knee joint—the only weak spot he sensed.
CRACK!!
A piece finally broke.
The guardian dropped to one knee, roaring.
"GRAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"
Arin exhaled.
"I found your weakness."
He dashed forward again.
The Guardian's Final Attack
The guardian stabbed its sword into the sand.
The entire desert shook.
Red lightning rained down from the sky.
Arin's eyes widened.
"Soul Sense! Show me the safe zone!"
His vision flashed—a tiny circle of unmoving sand appeared far away.
Arin sprinted.The lightning chased him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
He dove—
and rolled into the safe spot just as a massive bolt struck behind him.
The guardian struggled to stand.
Arin rushed in—
jumped—
and drove his grey-aura katana straight into the glowing crack on its chest.
SHIIIIIING!!!
The guardian's body split with a deafening roar.
Red energy burst upward like a fountain of light.
The giant collapsed.
Silence followed.
Then the system rang:
[ Trial 3 — Completed ]
You have defeated the Crimson Guardian.Reward: Access to the Dungeon HeartBonus Reward: Unknown (???).
Arin wiped blood from his cheek…and smiled faintly.
"I did it."
The desert faded.
A glowing staircase of red light appeared ahead, leading deep underground.
Toward the Dungeon Heart—and toward the secret that had been waiting for him since the beginning.