few days passed. One by one, all newly appointed knights were summoned to the town hall. When we arrived, the atmosphere was tense—this wasn't another test.
This was our first real assignment.
We were divided into squads. When my name was called, I glanced at the roster. My group consisted of Ha-rin, Kim Hyun, Taehyuk, and Jihwan.
An instructor addressed us. "Your mission is simple. Eliminate any nearby monsters you encounter and deal with any threats that may endanger the kingdom."
No sparring. No rankings. Real danger.
"Prepare yourselves," he finished. "You depart immediately."
We traveled deeper into the forest, cutting down weaker monsters along the way. Goblins. Wolves. Nothing we couldn't handle.
Then we found it.
A massive cave entrance carved into the hillside, dark and silent.
Kim Jihwan stepped forward immediately. "What are you all standing around for? Let's go in."
Ha-rin frowned. "I don't know… this feels risky. What if we get lost inside?"
Jihwan waved her off. "If we do, they'll just send someone to retrieve us. It's not a big deal."
She hesitated, then nodded. "I guess… you're right."
We entered the cave. Darkness swallowed us almost instantly. Jihwan raised his hand, flames blooming to life and illuminating the rough stone walls.
The tunnel split into four paths. After a brief pause, we chose the middle path.
That was our mistake.
The moment we stepped in, monsters poured out from every direction—goblins, wolves, ogres, all closing in at once.
Taehyuk moved first. He cut through them relentlessly, his blade flashing as bodies fell one after another. Jihwan followed, switching between fire and water magic, while Ha-rin cast spells alongside him, supporting and attacking in perfect rhythm. I joined in, striking down anything that slipped past them.
Then—silence.
All at once, the monsters fled, scattering into the tunnels like they were running from something worse.
Something stepped forward. A tall, twisted figure with blackened skin and burning eyes. A demon.
Taehyuk stiffened. "How did a demon end up here? Shouldn't they be in the underworld?"
Jihwan scoffed. "Who cares? We still have to kill it."
Taehyuk didn't hesitate. He vanished in a burst of speed and struck—but the demon blocked his blade with ease.
My chest tightened. I activated Future Sight. The demon turned toward me and charged. I barely dodged, feeling its presence rush past me. I tried to counter—too slow.
Suddenly, it changed direction.
"Ha-rin—!"
The demon lunged and drove its blade into her.
"Ha-rin!"
She cried out and collapsed. Jihwan rushed to her side instantly, hands glowing as he began healing her wounds.
That left only Taehyuk and me.
The demon moved again—
In the blink of an eye, it was in front of me.
I couldn't react. I closed my eyes, bracing for the end.
Clang.
Steel rang out. Taehyuk stood between us, his sword locked against the demon's attack.
"Don't give up now!" he shouted.
But my thoughts weren't on the demon. Not even on Taehyuk. My eyes scanned the battlefield desperately.
Where is Hyun?
He was supposed to be with us. But no matter where I looked—I couldn't find him anywhere.
I forced Hyun out of my mind and focused on the fight again. I pushed Future Sight to its limit—dodging, countering, attacking wherever I could. Taehyuk pressed relentlessly, forcing the demon back. Bit by bit, we wore it down.
Finally, overwhelmed from both sides, the demon collapsed.
It was over.
Exhaustion crashed over me as I turned to Ha-rin. She was stable, thanks to Jihwan's healing.
Then a system notification appeared.
[You have slain a Mid-Level Demon.]
"…That was only mid-level?" I muttered.
Another message appeared.
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 40]
Before I could react, a final notification appeared.
[New Skill Acquired: Instinct]
Effect: User loses consciousness and enters a berserk state, greatly increasing strength and speed. Attacks any hostile presence encountered.
Drawback: Can only be used once per day.
I swallowed. A last-resort skill… one I hope I never have to use.
We exited the cave. That's when we saw them. Hyun stood ahead of us—alongside Kim Min-jae, Park Soo-ah, and Yoon Ah-ra, the same people I had helped during the second phase.
"Oh," Hyun said casually. "So that's where you guys went. I was wondering what happened."
"You were supposed to be with us," I snapped. "We could've really used your help."
He shrugged. "Relax."
"…Never mind," I muttered.
We began walking together, heading deeper into the forest in search of more monsters.
Then we encountered two strangers ahead—one boy, one girl.
Hyun slowed. "It's finally starting," he said quietly.
Before I could react—
A loud crash. A scream.
I spun around.
My blood ran cold. Yoon Ah-ra collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Hyun stood over her.
I charged with everything I had. My sword struck… and bounced off. Nothing.
Hyun didn't even flinch. He smiled faintly.
"Is that your best shot?"
Hyun stepped toward the other two.
"They're with me," he said. "We've been working together."
I activated Eagle Eye, scanning their stats.
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
My vision flickered. They were… too strong.
"Why?" I shouted. "Why betray us?"
Beneath that calm expression, Hyun's eyes gleamed.
"Betray you? I was never on your side to begin with," he said. Then he smirked. "And since it doesn't matter anymore, I'll tell you something interesting."
"I have a unique skill—Absolute Defense. No attack can harm me."
He spread his arms slightly. "So stop struggling. Give up."
I thought. I tried every strategy I could imagine. Every possible outcome.
We lost.
Then Taehyuk surged forward with incredible speed.
The girl moved faster. She countered him in an instant, striking him down before any of us could react.
Jihwan didn't give up. He launched spell after spell from range. Fire. Water. Lightning. Every attack was blocked by the boy. He looked injured at first—but slowly, unnervingly, he regenerated.
"…Should we kill them?" the boy asked casually.
Hyun shook his head. "No. Let them live. It doesn't matter anymore. The four nations are going to fall soon anyway."