The holographic projection of the Great Goddess flickered once—light scattering like pixels dissolving—before she clapped her hands together with a bright, almost childishly triumphant smile.
"And before this message ends—here's a little welcome gift from your beloved Goddess! Try not to cry."
A soft chime followed.
[You have received: 1,600 Crystals]
Knox blinked.
"…That's literally a full ten-pull."
The hologram Goddess gave him a thumbs-up, sparkling.
"Well, that's everything! Enjoy your new system, don't get addicted, and please don't blame me when you lose all your crystals. Bye-bye~!"
With a cheerful wave, the hologram flickered and vanished—
leaving Knox alone in his room, staring at the floating UI that screamed gacha game trauma.
Silence settled.
Then—
DING!
A new notification materialized in front of him, written in deep obsidian glyphs trimmed with royal purple:
[A new dungeon has appeared!]
[Dungeon of Shadow Armies – Entry Unlocked]
Knox stared at the glowing words, expression frozen somewhere between excitement and dread.
"…No way."
A dungeon.
A dungeon with that name, of all things.
His mind immediately flashed to Solo Leveling—to the moment Sung Jin-Woo first met Igris, the Blood-Red Commander. To the empty halls, the oppressive silence, the oppressive statues… and the overwhelming, absolutely traumatizing mini-boss experiences.
Knox exhaled sharply.
"So that's how we're doing things, huh? First gacha, now a dungeon named after shadow armies. What next? A limited banner featuring Igris himself?"
But the more he thought about it, the more the pieces clicked.
A dungeon like this…
If the pattern followed the novel and manhwa even loosely—
Then inside, there might be…
Shadow soldiers.
Maybe even Igris himself.
Maybe even an opportunity to "claim" them after defeating them.
His pulse quickened.
"And if this is the first one," he muttered, leaning back on his hands, "then the higher-tier dungeons—the big ones with the real commanders—might show up later."
He swallowed, half thrilled, half terrified.
"That's… actually insane."
A shadow-themed EX-rank skill.
A dungeon system clearly designed to sync with it.
And a gacha system on top of that.
Knox rubbed his temples slowly.
"This world is really trying to speedrun turning me into a final boss, huh…"
But even so—
His lips tugged into a small, excited grin.
Because deep down, he knew one thing for certain:
Whatever waited inside that dungeon…
It was going to change everything.
DING!
A soft chime echoed beside him.
[Enter the Dungeon?]
YES — NO
Knox didn't even hesitate.
"Yeah, like I'm saying no to that."
His finger tapped YES, and his entire body dissolved—not painfully, but in that sleek, holographic shhhrrrp animation you'd expect from a sci-fi teleportation sequence. For half a second, Knox swore he saw his own pixels scattering like glitter.
Then—
He opened his eyes.
The air was cold. Heavy. Ancient.
He stood inside a massive stone corridor—tall pillars, cracked marble tiles, braziers burning with blue flames, and a ceiling so high it vanished into darkness. The atmosphere felt eerily familiar… too familiar.
"…Oh you've got to be kidding me."
This was practically a copy-paste of the dungeon from Solo Leveling—the one where Igris resided.
Knox inhaled quietly, closing his eyes.
He stretched out his senses, letting his Newtype instincts bloom—like quiet ripples spreading through still water. And there it was.
A pressure.
A presence.
A sharp, towering aura sitting far ahead, deep inside the labyrinth of halls.
A warrior's aura—cold, disciplined, impossibly proud.
Knox's lips curled slightly.
"Yeah. That's Igris."
Even if this wasn't the exact same dungeon, the signature was unmistakable. The air itself practically vibrated with martial intent.
But before he could take a single step—
CLANK.
CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.
Armored footsteps echoed from both sides of the corridor.
Knox's eyes snapped open.
Dozens of knight-shaped monsters emerged from the shadows—full iron plate, glowing visors, rusted swords, halberds, and shields. Their movements were stiff but purposeful. Exactly like the knight mobs from the Igris dungeon in the manhwa.
"…Well. I was expecting them, but still."
His posture shifted, shoulders relaxing as a thin smile tugged at his lips. "Can't say I'm disappointed."
A faint pulse of mana flickered around him.
With a smooth, practiced motion, Knox reached into his inventory—a soft ripple of warped space—and gripped the handle of his katana as it materialized into his hand. The polished blade hummed quietly, eager.
His expression sharpened—serious now, focused, calm.
"Alright then," he exhaled, stepping forward as the knights raised their weapons.
"Let's dance."
The journey through the corridor wasn't worth narrating blow-by-blow—mostly because the enemies weren't worth remembering.
A few armored knights lunged out from the darkness, their movements rigid, their armor echoing that familiar clank-clank straight out of Solo Leveling's early dungeons. Knox cut through them with smooth, practiced motions, each clash brief and unspectacular. After the third wave, he didn't even bother sighing.
Okay, that's enough warm-up mobs, he thought dryly, sheathing his katana with a soft click. (If I describe this any longer, even the author will fall asleep.)
Eventually, the endless stone hall opened into a massive chamber—and there it stood.
A colossal double door, carved with archaic runes and flanked by cold, towering statues. The air grew heavier, thicker. A faint, oppressive pressure seeped from the cracks between the doors… and Knox instantly felt his stomach twist.
Not from fear.
From PTSD.
"…No way," Knox whispered, a hand slowly rising to his forehead. "You've got to be kidding me."
Because the door didn't give Solo Leveling vibes.
It gave Elden Ring meets Dark Souls vibes.
The kind of ominous, overly dramatic, 'you're about to lose 200k runes because you got greedy and went for one more hit' vibes.
His eyelid twitched.
Great. Perfect. Exactly what I needed today. If a health bar shows up at the bottom of my vision, I swear I'm uninstalling this world.
He took one step closer—the ground rumbled, faint motes of shadow drifting from the cracks of the ancient gate like black embers.
Another step—the pressure sharpened, like a blade hovering just above his spine.
Knox exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"…Igris."
He closed his eyes for a moment, steadying his breath.
Then, with one hand on the cold, giant handle, he pushed.
The heavy doors groaned open, the sound echoing like a boss-room cutscene cue.
And Knox walked inside
. A suffocating stillness pressed down on him the moment Knox stepped through the fog-shrouded threshold.
The chamber was vast—cathedral-like in height, yet eerily hollow. Cold flames burned in sconces along the walls, casting a crimson wash over everything. And at the very end of that long, silent hall…
…he sat.
A knight clad in blood-red armor, motionless as a monument, yet radiating a presence so heavy it felt like gravity itself bent around him. The armor was old—worn, scratched, yet impossibly regal. A tattered cape draped from his shoulders like a remnant of long-forgotten dignity. His gauntleted hands rested on the pommel of a massive greatsword, the blade planted between his feet, as though guarding a throne he would never abandon.
And he was on a throne—an ornate stone seat carved with motifs of conquest and ruin, towering behind him like a silent mausoleum to fallen kings.
No movement.
No breath.
But the aura… the aura was unmistakably alive.
A predatory stillness seeped from the red knight, sharp enough that Knox felt the hair on his arms stand.
So this is him… Blood-Red Commander Igris
A commander who needed no introduction—silent, loyal, unyielding. The kind of foe who didn't need to roar to strike fear. His very presence said enough.
Knox exhaled softly, fingers tightening around the hilt of his katana.
His heartbeat steadied. His stance sharpened.
Whatever joke lingered died the moment those crimson flames reflected in Igris's helmet visor.
This was no game screen.
This was a duel, waiting to begin.