Cael slipped deeper into the cave, moving in complete silence—so quiet it felt like even the air couldn't notice him.
He muttered under his breath, "I should've burned those bodies back there… If they find them, they might track me into this cave."
His legs felt heavy from all the running. Exhaustion crushed his chest like a weight.
He found a large rock and sat down, trying to steady his breathing.
But the moment his back touched the stone…
A strange magic pulse burst out.
The cave trembled violently.
Cael's eyes widened.
"F*ck… seriously?" he whispered. "Why is everything happening today? First, I didn't bring my sword. Then the bandits… and now this cave is full of who-knows-what traps."
He jumped to his feet and sprinted toward the cave entrance.
But before he could get far, a loud crash echoed behind him.
Rocks fell from above—massive chunks—blocking the way out completely.
Cael froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
"…No," he whispered.
He ran up to the collapsed exit and tried to find a gap, tried to move stones, tried anything.
But it was useless.
There was no way out.
His shoulders dropped.
Defeated, Cael stepped back and sank to the ground.
At that point, the only thing he could do was hope.
Hope that someone from the people who escaped earlier would bring help… and come back for him.
His eyes burned from exhaustion.
Even in the middle of chaos, his body demanded rest.
And soon… Cael's eyelids grew heavy.
Slowly, he fell asleep.
Meanwhile — Academy City
A terrified woman arrived at the city gates with several others behind her. They were breathing heavily, pale with fear, running toward the guards as if their lives still depended on it.
She rushed up to one of the guards.
"H-Help… please!"
The guard immediately stepped forward, alarmed by her condition.
"Hey! Are you okay? What happened? Why are you all shaking like this?"
The woman shook her head, wiping tears from her face.
"Don't worry about us… There's a boy—we need to save him!"
The guard frowned. "A boy? What do you mean?"
The woman swallowed hard and forced the words out.
"There was another boy with us. He stayed behind so we could escape. Please… come with me. We have to save him before those bandits kill him."
"He's going to join the academy soon… he's going to be a student!"
The guard's face turned serious instantly.
"Tell me everything. Every detail."
The woman explained what had happened.
And the moment she was done, the guard wasted no time.
He rushed straight to headquarters to gather a rescue team.
Meanwhile — Inside the Cave
Cael was asleep when his ears suddenly caught something.
Voices.
Rough voices… close ones.
A man shouted angrily:
"That f*cking boy really did us good! Three men are dead! I swear, I'll pluck his eye out while he's still alive… then I'll torment him!"
Cael's eyes snapped open instantly.
His body went stiff.
His senses sharpened in an instant.
That voice…
It was the one-eyed man from earlier.
Cael's heartbeat spiked.
Thank God the cave collapsed…
If it hadn't, those bandits would've already killed him.
But Cael knew the truth.
It was only a matter of time before something else went wrong.
Or before the cave itself killed him.
So he made a decision.
If he was trapped here… then he had no choice but to go deeper.
Maybe he'd find another exit.
Maybe he'd find something useful.
Or maybe…
He'd find his death.
Cael started walking forward, step after step.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The cave stretched endlessly, like it had no end at all.
As he walked, he began noticing strange things.
Statues.
Large statues carved into the rock—some looked like gods, others like demons.
Cael slowed down and stared at them.
"…Why are there so many statues here?"
The air felt heavier the deeper he went.
Almost like the cave itself was watching him.
Still, Cael pushed forward.
And then…
He saw it.
A massive golden door, towering over him.
It looked ancient.
Sacred.
And completely out of place inside an E-rank dungeon.
Cael stared.
"What… is this?"
"And why have I never heard about this in the game?"
He stepped closer and reached for the door.
But the moment his hand touched it—
A message appeared.
------------------------
[System]
Access Denied.
Requirement Not Met.
------------------------
Cael's eyes narrowed.
"…Access Denied?"
It was the first time he'd ever seen that message.
His stomach tightened.
How did anyone miss this?
A cave this massive… and a door like that?
Reluctantly, Cael took a step back.
He turned around, ready to leave.
But then—
A voice whispered behind him.
"You are not strong enough…"
Cael froze.
He tried to turn—
But his vision blurred.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And he collapsed.
Meanwhile — Academy City
The guard was now accompanied by one of the academy's instructors, heading toward the forest.
The instructor spoke while running.
"Are you sure that boy is someone who's going to join the academy?"
The guard nodded firmly.
"Yes. The woman said he's going to be an academy student soon."
The instructor clicked his tongue.
"Damn it…"
"We can't let an academy student die."
"There's always a chance that boy could become someone important to the academy."
"No matter what… we will save him."
With that, the instructor picked up speed, sprinting toward the forest without hesitation.
Meanwhile — The Bandits
The one-eyed bandit slammed his fist against a tree.
"F*CK! Where is that boy?!"
The men around him flinched.
They were terrified—not just of the guards…
But of him.
He was the type to kill his own allies if he lost control.
Then, the one-eyed man's gaze shifted toward the cave entrance.
"…Maybe he ran into the cave?"
He stared for a moment longer and then turned to his boss.
"But it collapsed. He might've died in there."
The boss still looked furious, but after a moment, he spat on the ground.
"Lucky bastard… dying buried instead of getting killed by me."
He turned around sharply.
"We're leaving."
"No point staying here. Those people escaped earlier—there's a chance they've already contacted the guards."
"If we get caught… we're dead."
With that, the bandits retreated.
Back Inside the Cave
Time passed.
Silence returned.
Then, the air began to distort.
The cave's surroundings twisted, as if reality itself was being bent.
And then—
There was nothing left.
Only Cael…
Lying unconscious on the ground.
Unaware of the world.
Unaware of what he had just awakened.