The Window, still floating infront of Seung-hoo,
It didn't fade.
It didn't move.
It stayed exactly where it was, clear and undeniable.
Seung-hoo stared at it in silence.
His heart skipped a beat.
"…So everyone really didn't see the Window," he whispered.
Slowly, he looked away from the window and glanced at his teammates.
Seo-yeon was already walking ahead with the others, her back turned to him. None of them reacted to the Window or the shim.
None of them paused. None of them showed even the slightest sign that they could see what he was seeing.
To them…
He had just been standing there, staring at empty air.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
They can't see it.
They never could.
The realization hit him fully for the first time.
Everyone else heard nothing.
Everyone else saw nothing.
Only him.
Seung-hoo swallowed and hurried after them.
"I-I'm so sorry," he said quickly, bowing his head a little as he caught up. "I won't space out again."
When Seung-hoo said that, the Window disappeared
Seo-yeon glanced back at him with a suspicious look but didn't press him further. The group continued deeper into the cave, their footsteps echoing softly against the stone walls.
Seung-hoo walked behind them, the equipment bag heavy on his shoulders.
He lowered his voice so no one else could hear.
"…Find three yellow crystals…"
His eyes scanned the cave walls as they moved forward. The caves tourchs lighting the path with bright but distant light. But there were no yellow ones in sight. Not yet.
"…Why are they question marks?"
Every quest before had shown something. Even if it was vague, there was always a limit. A time. A clear reward.
This one showed nothing.
No explanation.
No warning.
No countdown.
It made his chest feel tight.
"Is this because of the second Rift…?" he muttered.
The image of the three hollowed-out slots flashed in his mind again. Three empty spaces carved into stone. Three missing pieces.
"…Three crystals," he said quietly. "Wait, does that mean... The crystals, three crystals, three hollowed out slots...the crystals belong in those hollowed slots" finally realizing
The cave grew darker as they moved farther in. The light from the entrance was long gone now, replaced only by the dim glow of scattered crystals in the walls. Shadows stretched across the ground, and the air felt heavier with each step.
His fingers tightened around the strap of the bag on his shoulder.
The dripping of water echoed somewhere far away in the cave, slow and steady like a heartbeat. The others spread out slightly, checking their surroundings, unaware that something else had already begun.
Seung-hoo took a slow breath.
The glowing window remained in front of him as they moved deeper into the unknown cave, its words burned clearly into his vision.
Then a shim only he could hear rang out
______________________________________________________
|[ Ding! System Active ]|
|[ New Quest Available ]|
|[ Quest: Find 3 Yellow Crystals In The Cave ]|
|[ Quest Ranking: Normal ]|
|[ Reward: Item box ]|
|[ Time: ??? ]|
|[ Penalty for failing: Deduction from Skill Max-level Growth ]|
|[ Item box ]|
--Lets User have a pocket dimension that can store physical items--
|[ Time: ??? ]|
______________________________________________________
"Item box…?" Seung-hoo muttered under his breath as he followed the others deeper into the cave, the heavy equipment bag bouncing lightly against his back.
His eyes flicked back to the window in front of him.
Find 3 Yellow Crystals In The Cave.
"…Wait," he whispered. "What if I use Eye of Truth to find them?"
The thought struck him all at once.
If the crystals were hidden, then there was no point wandering blindly.
Seung-hoo slowed his steps slightly and focused.
Then he activated Eye of Truth.
The world shifted.
The cave around him changed into layers of light and outlines. Walls became translucent with glowing paths running through them like veins. Several cave entrances appeared in his vision—but every single one of them was blocked off, sealed by thick stone and heavy mana.
"…So we're trapped in one area," he murmured.
Then, in the center of his vision, something different appeared.
A faint but distinct glow.
Yellow.
Right in the middle of the chamber, buried deep within the stone floor.
"It's one crystal," Seung-hoo said aloud without thinking. "a crystal!"
Before anyone could respond—
A low growl echoed through the cave.
Metal scraped against stone.
From the shadows, several shapes emerged, their bodies low to the ground and eyes glowing faintly.
Hound wolves.
Their bodies were covered in rough metal armor plates fused to their skin, making them look like living weapons. Their claws dug into the rock with sharp screeches as they spread out in a semicircle around the team.
—Hound wolves primarily existed in cave-type Rifts. Their metallic hides allowed them to survive against stronger monsters and physical attacks—
"everyone, in formation!" Hyun-wu shouted.
Three of the metal-armored hounds charged straight at the tank.
Hyun-wu planted his feet and raised his massive shield just in time.
The wolves slammed into it with violent force.
The impact shook the cave.
Hyun-wu grunted and pushed forward, using the weight of his shield to crush one of the hounds down into the stone floor. The creature went limp and slid away.
At the same time, two more hounds leaped toward Seo-yeon.
Her eyes narrowed.
In one smooth motion, she drew her dagger and vanished forward in a blur. A single flash of steel cut through the air.
The two hounds collapsed almost instantly, their armored bodies split cleanly as she landed lightly behind them.
"…So fast," Seung-hoo thought.
That was the difference of an A-rank hunter.
Another hound slipped past the front line and rushed toward their mage, Baek Ah-jin.
He turned sharply, staff glowing.
A fireball formed in his palm and shot forward.
The hound was engulfed in flames mid-leap and fell to the ground, smoking and motionless.
The cave filled with the smell of scorched metal.
But the battle wasn't over.
Two remaining hounds moved silently behind Seung-hoo.
Their armored paws made almost no sound.
They lunged at him from both sides.
Seung-hoo felt it before he saw it.
His body reacted on instinct.
As someone who had once reached unimaginable heights, his senses moved before thought.
He turned sharply and struck the first hound with a single punchin the head, the head was smashed to pieces.
The second hound froze for a split second, stunned by what it had just seen.
Then it turned and ran.
"…Too slow," Seung-hoo whispered.
He raised two fingers and channeled a tiny spark of lightning.
A thin bolt flicked through the air and struck the fleeing hound.
The creature convulsed once and collapsed, smoke rising faintly from its armor.
Silence returned to the cave.
Everyone turned toward Seung-hoo.
He stood there as if nothing had happened.
Seo-yeon's eyes narrowed.
She noticed something no one else did.
Blood slowly dripping from his hand.
"…When did he move?" she thought.
Seung-hoo quickly wiped his hand against the cave wall, turning away so the others wouldn't see.
No one questioned him.
But Seo-yeon stayed quiet, watching him carefully.
After the fight, Seung-hoo activated Eye of Truth again.
The glowing point reappeared in his vision.
The crystal was still there—buried in stone.
"…Found it," he murmured.
But then reality hit him.
He couldn't use his lightning or strange abilities in front of everyone.
And he didn't have any tool.
He turned toward the group hesitantly.
"Uh… can I borrow the pickaxe we brought?"
Kim Bak-un, their mage, looked up. "Why do you need an pickaxe for?"
"For… uhh… mining," Seung-hoo answered nervously.
Kim frowned. "Mining? In the middle of a cave Rift?"
"It's just… a feeling," Seung-hoo said, scratching his cheek. "There might be something useful in the wall."
Kim studied him for a moment, clearly suspicious.
"…Fine," he said at last. "But don't waste time."
Seung-hoo took the pickaxe and walked toward the spot only he could see.
Kim followed behind him at a distance, curiosity growing.
Seung-hoo raised the pickaxe and swung.
Clang.
Stone cracked.
Again.
Clang.
Small pieces of rock fell to the floor.
He kept striking the same spot, again and again, sweat forming on his brow.
Nearly a minute passed.
Then—
When he swung one more time, a faint yellow light shone through the cracked stone.
Seung-hoo froze.
"…There."
Kim's eyes widened.
"…What?"
The stone crumbled away, revealing a glowing yellow crystal embedded inside.
Kim stared in disbelief.
"A crystal…? But guides said there are no materials in cave Rifts?"
Seung-hoo stood silently, staring at the crystal, his heart beating faster.
Then, a shim rang out
______________________________________________________
|[ Ding! System Activated ]|
|[ Crystals Found: 1 / 3 ]|
|[ Quest: Find 3 Yellow crystals ]|
|[ Quest Ranking: Normal ]|
|[ Reward: Item box ]|
|[ Time: ??? ]|
|[ Penalty for failing: Deduction from Skill Max-level Growth ]|
|[ Time left: ??? ]|
______________________________________________________