Kael stood alone in the cave's gloom, watching dust settle where the hunters had fled. *Why run?* he thought bitterly. *I just wanted them to listen...*
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
Goblins. A Rock-Bear. Hunters in armor. Blue fire. Talking voices in his mind.
"Oh fuck!" he gasped, clutching his head. "This... isn't Earth. This is another world."
His thoughts raced:
- Hunters clearing caves
- Monsters lurking in shadows
- *This cave is a dungeon.*
"Shit!" he kicked a rock. "Whatever happened—I need out. *Now*."
He closed his eyes. *Anis! What is this world?*
[World Structure] Anis replied crisply:
- Hunters: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, SSS+, X (strongest).
- Knights: Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Crystal, Ethereal, VOID(highest).
- Sorcerers: Only 6 exist.
HISS!
A scorpion-tailed beast lunged from the dark!
Kael moved in a blur. "Blue Flame!" SCHLICK! His fiery sword vaporized its head.
Anis—exit. NOW.
[Dungeon Cleared: +123 POINTS]
[POINTS: 126]
Upgrade: STRONG +41, FAST +43, TOUGH +21!
STRONG: 9 → 50 (Rocks cracked under his boots)
FAST: 7 → 50 (Dust hung still as he moved)
TOUGH: 5 → 26
[New Skill: ECHO SENSE]
[Detect all within 300 steps. Radius grows with power.]
Kael activated it instantly.
His mind mapped the cave:
- Dripping water (left)
- Rat bones (right)
- A shattered stone archway (201 steps ahead)
Exit!
He sprinted, wind screaming past his ears.
The archway was real—its gates smashed, hunter bootprints stamped in mud.
*So they broke in... to "clear" this dungeon.*
Anis, what rank were those hunters?
[E-Rank. Lowest professionals.]
Kael froze. E-Rank? He remembered their fire spells, their armored leader. *They felt powerful...*
A razor-edged smile cut his face. Then what am I?
He stepped through the broken arch—
Light. Air. Life.
An endless forest unfurled before him:
- Trees wider than castles
- Vines pulsing with emerald light
- A sky stained gold by twin suns
Kael breathed in wildflowers and damp soil. The dungeon's shadows melted from his skin.
"No more cages," he whispered, blue eyes reflecting the untamed horizon. "This is my world now."
(Chapter 7 Fin)