The air inside the dungeon was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by Kiran’s cautious footsteps. The ancient stone walls pulsed with faint blue lines of **mana**, casting flickering shadows across the passage. Dust hung in the air, disturbed for the first time in what could have been centuries.


    (So. **I fell into a hidden dungeon.** The Akashic Record says it’s Level **15+**, and I’m Level **6**.)


    {Chance of Survival: 4%}


    Kiran’s eyelid **twitched.**


    (That’s lower than I expected.)


    The **ceiling rumbled**, and loose debris tumbled down, cutting off the collapsed sinkhole above. His **only** way out was forward.


    He took a deep breath. "Alright. Time to see what fresh **hell** I just walked into."


    ---


    The first chamber was lined with **statues**.


    They stood in perfect formation—**humanoid**, with elongated limbs and empty, hollow eyes. Each one clutched a **stone spear**, their expressions frozen in eternal vigilance.


    (Okay. Statues. Not creepy at all.)


    Kiran **inched forward.** His instincts screamed at him.


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    Then—


    **A notification appeared.**


    {Dungeon Trial Initiated: Guardian''s Awakening.}


    {Objective: Survive.}


    Kiran **swallowed.**


    (…That can’t be good.)


    ---


    **Stone cracked.**


    One by one, the **statues turned their heads** toward him. Their hollow eyes flared with an unnatural **blue light**.


    Then, as one—


    **They moved.**


    ---


    Kiran **dodged** just in time.


    A **spear** slammed into the ground where he had been standing, splitting the stone floor with a deafening **crack**.


    The nearest statue lunged, its movements unnatural, like a puppet with its strings pulled too tight.


    {Dungeon Entity: Awakened Guardian.}


    {Level: 12.}


    Kiran’s stomach **dropped.**


    (I''m not strong enough for this!)


    The statues **closed in**, cutting off his escape.


    Then—his **bad luck activated.**


    A **rumbling** sound echoed through the chamber.


    The ceiling **split**—and an **entire section collapsed.**


    Dust and debris rained down, crushing several statues beneath massive slabs of rock. The remaining ones froze for a split second, as if **recalculating.**


    Kiran stared.


    (…Did my luck just **save** me?)


    Then the ground **tilted.**


    The entire **floor** cracked apart, sending him tumbling into the darkness below.


    ---


    **Impact.**


    Pain **exploded** through Kiran’s body as he crashed into something **hard**. He groaned, rolling onto his back.


    {Level Up!}


    {Level: 6 → 7}


    "Why do I keep leveling up from **falling**?!"


    The glow of the mana-infused walls flickered, revealing a **new chamber**.


    Unlike the one above, this one was **different.**


    Ancient carvings covered the walls, depicting **creatures and warriors**—some wielding weapons of light, others transforming into monstrous forms. A massive **stone tablet** stood in the center, radiating a faint golden glow.


    Kiran staggered to his feet, his pulse **quickening.**


    {Special Opportunity Detected: Class Advancement Clue.}


    His breath caught.


    (This might be it. This might tell me **how to evolve my class.**)


    He stepped forward—


    And then the **tablet spoke.**


    {“O lost one who walks the path of chaos… prove your worth.”}


    The air **shifted.**


    A **golden light** gathered in front of him, swirling like a storm.


    Then—something **stepped out.**


    A figure clad in **tattered armor**, its eyes **burning** with blue fire.


    Kiran’s heart **stopped.**


    {Trial of the Forgotten Knight Initiated.}


    {Enemy Detected: Guardian of the Lost.}


    {Level: 20.}


    (Oh. **Oh no.**)


    The knight **raised its sword.**


    Kiran barely had time to react before it **attacked.**