"Brother, are you sure you want to go today?" Ara clutched the edge of his worn jacket, her small fingers trembling. Her big, dark eyes shimmered with uncertainty as she looked up at him.
Jinwoo Rael stood silently at the door. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes, those determined dark eyes, spoke volumes. "I have to, Ara. There's nothing left for me here. I got fired yesterday, and we have no money left."
Ara's voice quivered. "But... the Tower is dangerous. People die there, Jin... Please... we can find another way. I don't need a good school. I just need you."
Those words pierced through Jin's heart like knives. But he had made his decision. His hand gently brushed her hair back. "I'll come back, Ara. And when I do, I'll make sure you never have to worry again."
---
The area around the Korean Tower Gate was a bustling fortress. Guild soldiers, reporters, merchant stalls, and low-ranking hunters filled the perimeter. Giant digital boards displayed the current floor status: [19th Floor Cleared. Awaiting Next Access Window].
Jin slipped past the crowds. He wasn't wearing hunter gear, just cheap sports shoes and a discount store hoodie. No one noticed him. He was a nobody. An F-rank with no prospects. Perfectly invisible.
He placed his hand on the massive, glowing crystal embedded in the center of the gate.
[Access Denied – Floor 20 Locked]
Jin blinked. That wasn't what he meant to do. He removed his hand.
"I... I want to go in," he whispered to no one.
Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through his skull. He staggered back, clutching his head.
[You are attempting to enter the Tower without party clearance.]
[Analyzing Rank... F-Rank Confirmed. No Party. No License. Floor 1 Entry Permitted.]
The crystal pulsed.
A circle of blinding light opened beneath his feet. Then he vanished.
---
When Jin opened his eyes, the air felt... different. Thin. Cold. Silent.
He stood in a vast forest drenched in pale silver light. Trees with glass-like leaves rustled above him, even though there was no wind. A moon with three rings hovered in the sky. This wasn't Earth. This was Floor 1.
[You have entered Floor 1: The Forest of the Forgotten.]
[Role Assigned: Orphaned Villager]
[Objective: Investigate the Vanishing Children of Eriwood Village. Save the village or destroy its curse. Time Remaining: 3 Days.]
Jin's vision flickered. A new interface blinked into view, right in front of him.
[The Monarch of Shadows has chosen you. Initiating System Installation.]
[Installation 2%... 12%... 37%...]
He dropped to one knee. His bones screamed. His skin burned. And then...
[System Installation Complete. Welcome, Heir of the Fallen Monarch.]
[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Step Lv.1] [Skill Unlocked: Soul Drain Lv.1] [Passive: Dark Resilience Lv.1]
Jin gasped for breath. His body felt lighter, like he'd shed invisible chains. He clenched his fists.
A soft voice echoed in his mind: "Save them, if you can... or let them die if you must. But you will walk where gods once fell."
---
The village was quiet. Wooden homes sagged under the weight of time. Old women stared from windows, their eyes hollow. Children were nowhere in sight.
Jin walked through the mud path until a man in armor blocked his way.
"You. What's your business in Eriwood?"
Jin bowed slightly. "I'm an orphan from the eastern hills. I heard children here were going missing. I came to help."
The soldier's suspicious gaze narrowed. "We have no use for outsiders. Go back. There's nothing but death here."
[Sub-Quest: Gain the Trust of Eriwood's People – Optional Reward Available]
Jin stared at the notification. He clenched his fists.
"I'll stay. Even if it's just me."
---
That night, Jin helped fix the roof of a collapsed barn. He handed out food from what little he had. And when he heard a child crying in the forest, he ran without thinking.
He found her—a little girl no older than Ara—caught in brambles. But when he lifted her, her eyes turned pitch black.
"You should have let me sleep..." she whispered.
A skeletal hand burst from the ground beneath them.
[Boss Encounter Initiated: Gravedaughter, Hollowed Wraith of Floor 1]
Jin leapt back, instinctively activating his first skill.
[Shadow Step Lv.1 – Activated]
His body flickered, dodging the swipe of the undead creature. Shadows swirled beneath his feet.
[Skill: Soul Drain Lv.1 – Activated]
Dark tendrils lanced into the wraith's chest. The air turned colder. The creature screamed as shadows clung to it like chains.
Jin coughed blood. The skill tore into his stamina. But the pain in his chest—the rage, the sorrow, the desperation—was stronger.
"Die!"
He brought a jagged stone down on the creature's core.
The forest went still.
[Boss Defeated. First Floor Clear Conditions – Partial Completion Achieved.]
[Would you like to continue exploring? You have 48 hours remaining.]
He fell to his knees. The girl had vanished. In her place, a locket lay buried in the dirt. Inside was a picture of the girl and her parents, smiling before the village began to rot.
Jin stared at it.
"I won't let your story end like this."
To be continue...