---
The wind was sharp outside the rift gate, cutting through cheap armor and worn jackets. A group of rookie Sealers stood nervously before a pulsing blue portal, their first official raid just minutes away.
Rin stood among them, chewing the inside of his cheek—not out of fear, but hunger. The memory of that unread reward burned in his mind.
> [Reward: The Best Thing You've Ever Tasted – Consumed Upon Acceptance]
[Status: Unused]
He hadn't touched it.
Not yet.
---
The Team
A tall girl with spiky pink hair swung her mace around lazily. "I'm gonna rank up today. If I kill the most monsters, the Guild might sponsor me."
A boy behind her scoffed. "Dream on. This is just an E-rank. You'll be lucky if we see more than three goblins."
Someone else muttered, "We're here for money, not glory. Get in, get cores, get out."
Their leader stood off to the side: a D-rank Sealer named Garun. Broad shoulders, square jaw, cold stare. His armor gleamed, even though his eyes didn't.
"This is just a warm-up," Garun said flatly. "Stay close. Follow orders. And don't slow us down."
He looked straight at Rin when he said that last part.
---
The Gossip
Two rookies whispered behind Rin, not very quietly.
"Hey… isn't that the guy who scored E-rank yesterday?"
"Seriously? I thought this raid was for actual Sealers, not failed lunchboxes."
"Better tell him to stay in the back before his fat gets us all killed."
Rin didn't respond. He just adjusted the straps on his bag and kept his eyes on the portal. His stomach growled. But not just from hunger.
---
Into the Dungeon
The portal shimmered, and one by one, they stepped through.
Cold. Damp. Meat-slick stone.
A narrow tunnel stretched ahead, dripping with red mist. The dungeon felt… too quiet.
Then the growls started.
Low. Guttural. Hungry.
---
The Raid Begins
The team moved fast—Garun was a machine. He sliced down the first monster, a fleshy hyena-beast, with one swing of his broad saber. The rookies followed behind, cutting down goblins, snapping bone-snakes, and gathering cores.
Even Rin helped, though he hung back. He poked one goblin through the ear with his Forkspear.
> [+40 EXP]
"Nice stick," one rookie sneered. "Bet it doubles as a snack."
Rin rolled his eyes.
---
The Shift
Hours passed. The deeper they went, the stranger the dungeon felt. The walls pulsed, almost breathing. The meat grew darker.
Then—the air shifted. Everything went silent.
A strange bell rang in Rin's ears.
GONG.
A ripple cracked through the floor.
> [WARNING: Spatial Rift Detected]
[A Second Dungeon Has Appeared!]
"What? That's impossible!" Garun shouted. "A dungeon inside a dungeon?!"
But it was too late. A black portal tore open in the middle of the corridor, wind shrieking.
One by one, they were pulled in—screaming, flailing, weapons spinning.
Rin was the last.
He didn't scream.
But he shook.
---
The Fall
Darkness swallowed him. A moment later, light.
He landed hard on stone.
Around him, the others groaned, checking themselves.
Then they looked up.
The sky above them was blood-red. Spires of black bone surrounded the area. Strange, silver-eyed wolves watched from the cliffs.
> [Welcome to B-Rank Dungeon: Maw of the Forgotten]
Everyone froze.
"No… no no no—this is wrong," someone gasped. "This is a B-rank! We're all gonna die!"
Even Garun looked shaken.
Rin's hands trembled.
His legs refused to move for a second.
A B-rank? He wasn't ready. He was E-rank. Barely above powerless. This wasn't a test anymore. This was a grave.
But then he thought of his sister.
The warmth in her voice. The smile when she bit into that food he created.
He swallowed hard, clenched his jaw.
"I'm not dying here," he whispered.
Not like this.
[To Be Continued]
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