The exit gate shimmered at the far end of the chamber, its surface stable once more, glowing with a soft, steady light that signaled the dungeon's completion. The Iron Depths had returned to its original state, at least on the surface. The cracks along the walls had sealed, the vibrations beneath the ground had faded, and the oppressive weight that once filled the space had lifted.
But none of it felt real.
Because what had happened—
Shouldn't have.
---
[ Iron Depths (D-Rank) ]
[ Monsters: Iron Husk (D-Rank), Iron Sentinel (C-Rank), Iron Warden (Boss) ]
[ Recommended Level: 60–90 ]
[ Recommended People: 4–6 ]
[ Status: Cleared ]
[ Distortion Level: Residual (Low) ]
---
Suho stepped forward without hesitation.
Sera followed.
Neither of them spoke.
Because there was nothing simple left to say.
The moment they crossed the gate—
The world returned.
---
The city air hit differently this time.
Lighter.
Normal.
Unaware.
Hunters moved around the gate entrance, some preparing to enter, others discussing previous runs. A few glanced at Suho and Sera as they emerged, noting the absence of a full party, but no one questioned it directly.
To them—
This was just another clear.
---
[ Hunter: Kang Sera ]
[ Lv: 75 (C-Rank) ]
[ Status: Fatigued | Minor Internal Strain ]
---
Sera rolled her shoulder slightly, wincing just enough to confirm the system's reading.
"…That was worse than usual," she muttered.
Suho didn't respond.
Because his attention—
Was elsewhere.
---
The system flickered.
---
[ Warning: Residual Authority Detected ]
[ Source: Unknown ]
[ Tracking… Failed ]
---
His eyes narrowed slightly.
It hadn't disappeared.
Whatever had interfered—
Was still out there.
---
"Hey."
Sera's voice pulled him back.
He looked at her.
She was watching him carefully now, not with suspicion like before, but with awareness. A kind of understanding had settled between them, even if it wasn't fully spoken.
"We should report the dungeon," she said. "At least the abnormal behavior."
Suho paused.
Then—
"…No."
Sera frowned slightly.
"No?" she repeated.
"It won't help."
That answer—
Was too certain.
Sera studied him for a moment, then exhaled quietly.
"…You think they already know."
"Yes."
And that—
Was enough.
---
They began walking away from the gate, the noise of the area fading slightly as they moved further into the city streets. The tension from the dungeon hadn't left, but it had changed form, settling into something quieter, more controlled.
But not gone.
Never gone.
---
Elsewhere—
Inside a secured guild facility—
A screen flickered to life.
---
[ Data Log: Iron Depths Incident ]
[ Observer: Han Jisoo ]
[ Status: Partial Report Submitted ]
---
Jisoo stood in front of the display, his expression unreadable as lines of data scrolled across the screen. The recorded readings from the dungeon appeared incomplete, fragments missing, sections corrupted or overwritten entirely.
Not by error.
But by force.
---
"…He erased parts of it," Jisoo murmured.
---
[ System Log Error ]
[ Data Integrity Compromised ]
[ Cause: Unauthorized Override ]
---
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So it wasn't just control."
It was interference.
At a level the system itself couldn't fully record.
---
The door behind him opened.
Another presence entered the room.
---
[ Hunter: Director Kwon Jae-Min ]
[ Lv: 198 (A-Rank) ]
[ Title: Central Guild Director ]
[ Status: Monitoring High-Risk Anomalies ]
---
"Report."
The voice was calm.
Controlled.
But carried authority.
Jisoo didn't turn immediately.
"…The anomaly is confirmed," he said.
Director Kwon stepped closer, his gaze shifting to the screen.
"Level?"
"Unknown."
"Threat?"
Jisoo paused.
"…Potentially beyond classification."
That—
Was not an answer given lightly.
---
Silence settled in the room.
Heavy.
Measured.
---
"…You're certain?" Kwon asked.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
---
Kwon studied the data for a moment longer, his expression tightening slightly as he processed the fragmented logs.
"…And the hunter?"
Jisoo finally turned.
His gaze steady.
"Still active."
A brief pause.
Then—
"And not hostile."
Kwon didn't respond immediately.
Because that—
Was the most uncertain part.
---
"…Keep observing," he said finally.
"No direct engagement."
Jisoo nodded.
"Understood."
---
Back in the city—
Suho stopped walking.
Suddenly.
Sera noticed immediately.
"…What is it?"
He didn't answer.
Because he felt it again.
---
Not like before.
Not distant.
---
Closer.
---
The system flickered violently.
---
[ Warning: External Signal Detected ]
[ Source: Unknown ]
[ Synchronization Attempt Initiated ]
---
"…This again," Suho thought.
But this time—
It wasn't coming from a dungeon.
---
It was coming from the world itself.
---
Sera stepped closer, her expression sharpening as she noticed the shift in his posture.
"Suho?"
---
Then—
They both saw it.
---
The sky—
Distorted.
---
For just a moment.
---
Like a crack.
---
[ System Alert ]
[ Global Distortion Detected ]
[ Gate Formation: Forced ]
---
A new gate began to form.
Not stable.
Not controlled.
---
Violent.
---
Hunters nearby stopped.
The crowd shifted.
Confusion spread instantly.
Because this—
Wasn't normal.
---
"…That's not how gates appear," Sera said.
No.
It wasn't.
---
The space tore open.
---
A rift—
Unstable—
Pulsing with the same energy they had felt in the dungeon.
---
Something stepped through.
---
Not slowly.
Not cautiously.
---
It forced its way into reality.
---
[ Entity: Unknown ]
[ Lv: ??? ]
[ Rank: ??? ]
[ Type: Non-System Lifeform ]
[ Status: Unregistered | Active ]
---
Silence fell.
Then—
Panic.
---
Because this time—
The dungeon hadn't opened.
---
Something had come out.
---
Suho's eyes narrowed.
For the first time—
Since returning—
His expression changed.
---
"…So it's starting," he said quietly.
---
Beside him—
Sera tightened her grip on her bow.
"…What is?"
---
Suho didn't answer.
---
Because now—
The line between the system—
And reality—
Was breaking.