Beno Mark stood before the E-Rank dungeon gate, staring at the swirling energy that separated the real world from the unknown. He clenched his fists. This was his chance—his first step toward strength.
Taking a deep breath, he moved toward the gate. But before he could step in, a towering security guard in black combat gear raised a hand, blocking his path.
"ID and hunter proof," the guard said flatly.
Beno hesitated. "I… I don''t have one."
The guard narrowed his eyes. "Then you''re not getting in."
Frustration swelled inside him. How was he supposed to become stronger if he couldn''t even enter a dungeon? Beno stepped back, dragging himself toward a nearby tree. He sank to the ground, his back against the rough bark, hands gripping his hair. Was there no other way?
He needed to enter. He needed power.
As he sat there, lost in thought, his vision blurred with unshed tears, a shadow fell over him.
"You look lost," a voice said.
Beno glanced up. A girl with a confident smirk and short pink hair stood before him, arms crossed. She wore a black combat suit, a sign of a registered hunter.
"Are you a new hunter?" she asked.
Beno shook his head. "No."
"Then what are you doing here? You get lost or something?"
His voice was quiet, but firm. "I want to enter the dungeon."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Beno''s fists clenched. "To fight those damned creatures and get stronger."
She let out a low whistle, a teasing smile on her lips. "Youthful passion, huh?" Then, her expression turned thoughtful. "Well… maybe I can help."
Turning, she waved toward a small group of hunters gathered near the gate. "Hey, guys! This is Beno Mark. He wants to help us in the dungeon. What do you think?"
An older man, Hunter 1, scratched his chin. "Hmm… actually, we could use an extra pair of hands for carrying mana stones and loot."
"But he has no documents," the girl reminded them.
A younger man, Hunter 3, frowned. "Then how do we get him in?"
Hunter 1 smirked and pulled out a crisp $100 bill. "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it."
Approaching the security guard again, he held up the bill between two fingers. "Look, buddy, let''s make this simple. You let the kid pass, and this is yours."
The guard''s face darkened. "Bribing a gate officer is against the law."
Hunter 1 chuckled. "Come on. Are you really the law''s loyal dog? Or do you want to eat something better than instant noodles tonight?"
The guard hesitated, his fingers twitching before finally snatching the money. With a grunt, he stepped aside. "Get lost before I change my mind."
Hunter 1 grinned. "That''s more like it."
He turned to Beno. "Come on, kid. Let''s go clear this bastard of a dungeon."
As they stepped inside, the air behind them shimmered, sealing the gate shut.
Above the entrance, the words "Survival: 4/4" glowed ominously.
The security guard frowned, his instincts screaming that something was wrong. Then—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A piercing alarm went off.
"Sir!" another guard yelled, eyes wide with horror. "It''s a Cursed Dungeon Gate!"
The guard''s face went pale. A death trap. And they had just let four hunters walk in.
A False Sense of Security
Inside the dungeon, Beno glanced around. The air was damp and thick with the scent of moss and decay. The walls were jagged rock, forming a cave-like structure stretching into the darkness.
"So this is a dungeon…" Beno murmured.
Hunter 1 nodded. "E-Rank gates tend to have cave structures, but sometimes you get cities, forests, or even islands. It depends on the rank."
Hunter 3 smirked. "One day, I''ll be an S-Rank hunter and explore the most dangerous dungeons."
Beno felt something stir inside him. "I''ll do the same."
Hunter 3 laughed. "Oh really? Then I''ll be the first to reach the top."
For the first time in a long while, Beno felt something warm—companionship. But that warmth vanished when Hunter 1 muttered, "Strange… it''s been 15 minutes and we haven''t seen a single monster."
Hunter Girl frowned. "Yeah… this isn''t normal."
Then—
A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the distance.
Beno''s breath hitched. "There… look."
Hunter 1''s eyes gleamed with excitement. "Hah! You were hiding, bastard? Well, today''s your last day!"
Ignoring the girl''s warning, he rushed toward the shadow.
The others followed, their weapons drawn.
When they reached the clearing, they found…
A small, monstrous puppy.
Hunter 1 slashed it in half without hesitation. Blood splattered across the stone floor.
Hunter Girl''s face twisted in disgust. "That was cruel. It was just a baby."
Beno let out a small chuckle. The atmosphere felt lighter.
But then—
A low, guttural growl rumbled through the cave.
The group turned.
Dozens of red eyes blinked in the darkness.
Then, they stepped into the light.
Massive, blood-soaked hounds with iron teeth and thick, matted fur. Saliva dripped from their snarling jaws.
The hunters froze.
Hunter 3''s voice cracked with terror. "Th-this is an E-Rank dungeon, right?"
Hunter 1 swallowed hard. "Take positions. NOW!"
Like arrows, the hounds charged.
A Bloodbath Begins
Hunter 1, the most experienced, moved first. His blade flashed, severing heads and limbs with ease. He didn''t stop, cutting one after another, his sword dripping with fresh blood.
But Beno…
He was paralyzed.
His stomach churned at the sight of torn flesh and severed limbs. His vision swam. Blood… so much blood. He collapsed, vomiting onto the cold stone floor.
"Get back, kid!" Hunter Girl shouted, her voice laced with urgency.
She raised her hands, and a wave of scorching flames erupted from her palms, colliding with the cave walls. The fire roared, searing through the darkness, melting stone and earth, creating a narrow gap in the rock face. The heat was suffocating, the air thick with smoke and ash.
"Get inside! Now!" she commanded, shoving Beno toward the opening.
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Beno hesitated, his eyes darting between the growing wall of hounds and the small gap barely big enough for him to squeeze through.
"But—"
"No ''but''! We''ll handle this! Just stay hidden and don''t make a sound!"
A monstrous howl tore through the cavern as a massive hound lunged forward. The girl barely had time to react, throwing up another burst of flames, forcing the beast back.
Beno clenched his fists. Damn it. He hated this. He hated hiding like a coward while they fought.
But he had no choice.
With a deep breath, he forced himself into the narrow gap, pressing his body against the rough stone, feeling its jagged edges dig into his skin. Through the crack, he could still see them—fighting, struggling, bleeding.
And then, the true nightmare began.
But no matter how hard he tried to look away—he saw everything.
Hunter 1''s movements slowed. He was out of breath. Then—
A massive hound lunged.
It clamped its steel jaws around his arm and tore it clean off.
Hunter 1 screamed in agony. More hounds rushed in, their razor-sharp teeth ripping into his flesh—tearing him apart, limb by limb.
His body was shredded beyond recognition.
Hunter 3 fell to his knees. He vomited. "No… no, no, no, no—"
A shadow loomed behind him.
A 13-foot-tall, three-headed beast emerged from the darkness.
The Boss: Houndler.
Hunter 3 turned to warn the others, but—
His upper body vanished.
A sickening crunch filled the air.
Hunter Girl screamed in fury. Flames exploded from her hands, burning everything in sight.
But the boss didn''t even flinch.
It stepped forward.
As the monstrous three-headed hound loomed over her, its glowing red eyes burning with hunger, Hunter Girl could barely lift her arms. Blood dripped from her wounds, her body trembling from exhaustion. She had given everything—fought, burned, and bled—but it wasn''t enough.
Her vision blurred, but in that final moment, her gaze locked onto Beno, who was still cowering in the narrow gap she had created.
For a split second, it wasn''t Beno she saw.
It was her little brother.
The same desperate eyes. The same helpless look.
The same regret.
Memories flooded her—a boy, younger than Beno, clinging to her hand, begging her not to go on that fateful raid.
A promise she made to return.
A promise she failed to keep.
Her lips trembled, but she forced a soft smile, even as the massive beast''s shadow engulfed her.
"I saved you… That''s all that matters."
Her voice was weak but warm, like a final embrace.
"Beno… Be strong."
The beast struck.
A sickening crunch echoed through the cavern.
Her body vanished within the monster''s gnashing jaws, her final expression one of peace.
Beno''s heart stopped.
His breath hitched.
She… saved him.
And now, she was gone.
Her foot—the only part of her left—landed near the gap, blood pooling beneath it.
A cold shiver crawled down his spine. His stomach twisted. Tears blurred his vision.
She had smiled at him.
She had accepted her fate… just to keep him alive.
Beno bit his lip so hard it bled, his nails digging into his arms. His body trembled, caught between shock and agony.
Why?
Why am so weak?
Why did I just watch?
His breathing grew erratic. His fingers twitched.
His mind screamed, but his body wouldn''t move.
And then…
The three-headed hound slowly turned its gaze toward him.
She was gone. Only her foot remained.
Beno sank into the blood-covered ground. His hands trembled.
"Why am I so weak?"
Tears blurred his vision. He was useless. A coward.
Outside the Dungeon – Luna''s Fear
Luna stood with her arms crossed, anxiously tapping her foot against the ground. The cool evening air carried a sense of unease, but nothing compared to the growing fear in her chest. She had been waiting for Beno Mark and his temporary party to return from the E-rank dungeon, but they were taking longer than expected.
The other hunters around the gate murmured among themselves, glancing occasionally at the dungeon display above the entrance. Luna''s gaze drifted upward, scanning the Survivor Count—her heart froze.
"1/4."
Her breath hitched. One survivor. Three dead.
A sharp chill ran down her spine. Her body stiffened, and her fingers clenched into fists. The realization hit her like a hammer—three hunters were gone. And one was still trapped inside.
Her throat tightened. Was Beno the survivor? Or was he among the dead?
She didn''t want to believe the worst, but her gut twisted painfully.
"No… no, no…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. She felt her heartbeat pounding against her ribs, each second stretching into an eternity.
A nearby guild official noticed the change in the dungeon''s status and immediately called for reinforcements. "A cursed gate… Shit! We need to send a team in now!"
Luna grabbed the man''s arm, her nails digging into his sleeve. "Is there a way to check who the survivor is? Please! Someone is still alive in there!" Her voice trembled, desperation bleeding through.
The official hesitated. "We… we don''t have a way to see inside. The only thing we know is that it''s a cursed dungeon. The monsters inside must be far beyond an E-rank level."
Luna''s vision blurred with panic. Beno… please, please still be alive. She pressed her hands together in a silent prayer, whispering under her breath, "Lord, if you can hear me… don''t take him away. Please."
The red glow of the dungeon entrance flickered ominously, sealing off the horrors within. And inside, Beno Mark was either fighting for his life… or already lost.
The hounds turned to Beno.
The hunt wasn''t over yet.
[END OF CHAPTER 5]
"This chapter wasn''t just about a battle—it was about the harsh reality of weakness in a world that only values strength. Beno''s helplessness, his fear, and his pain… do they remind you of anything? Have you ever felt powerless in a situation where you wished you could do more?
If you relate to Beno''s struggle, let me know in the comments. Share your thoughts, your experiences, or just your support. Every story has a meaning, and every reader sees it differently. Let''s talk about it!