The tremor in the air lasted only a few seconds, but to Sung Jinwoo it felt like the world itself had taken a deep breath.
He stood on the balcony of his quiet home overlooking Seoul, watching the skyline shimmer under the light of dawn. The birds had stopped singing. The wind that usually rolled in from the Han River had gone completely still. It was as if the city was waiting for something to happen.
Jinwoo's hand closed slowly around the railing. His eyes, dark and calm, glowed faintly with that familiar glint of shadow. For years, he had tried to forget that light.
But now, the System was calling him again.
"System message detected," the voice whispered within his mind.
It was not loud or harsh. It was calm, almost hesitant, like a sleeping beast waking after a thousand years.
Jinwoo did not move. He simply watched as small flickers of light appeared in the sky above the distant buildings. One by one, they formed into shapes — circles of blue light, twisting slowly.
Dungeons.
He could feel their mana radiating through the atmosphere.
It was nothing like the unstable, crude portals that appeared years ago. These were alive, structured, perfect. The energy flowing from them was layered, pulsing in patterns that only the System could create.
He whispered to himself, "The Second Wave."
For the first time since the world had been restored, Sung Jinwoo felt a chill deep in his bones.
---
Across the world, emergency alerts sounded. The Global Hunter Command broadcast messages in every language. Hunters began to mobilize, some cheering for the return of dungeons, others terrified of what it meant.
In the middle of that chaos, Jinwoo stayed still.
He knew the pattern.
Every rise of mana had a purpose. The System never acted randomly.
If the dungeons were returning, it meant something inside them was growing stronger. Something wanted to be found.
---
Three hours later, he stood before one of the portals at the edge of Incheon.
It was classified as E Rank, but the air surrounding it felt like an ocean pressing against him. Hunters had already gathered behind barricades, whispering nervously.
"Hunter Sung Jinwoo?" one of the officers asked, recognizing him immediately. "Are you here to lead the raid?"
Jinwoo gave no answer. He simply looked at the portal. The swirling blue light reflected in his eyes like a memory he wished had stayed buried.
The officer continued hesitantly, "The readings are unstable. The mana inside this gate is… increasing every minute."
Jinwoo nodded once. "Then it is not E Rank anymore."
The ground shivered. The portal expanded slightly, as if hearing his words.
---
When he stepped through, the world changed.
Darkness folded around him like a curtain closing. The familiar scent of mana filled his lungs — raw, ancient, alive.
He had entered countless dungeons in his life, but this one felt different. The energy was thick enough to feel like water pressing against his skin.
The interior resembled an endless cavern filled with pale crystals. They hummed faintly, lighting his path with a dim glow.
Each step echoed across the emptiness.
Then came the sound — slow, dragging breaths.
He turned his gaze toward the far wall. A creature was crouched there, its body hidden behind broken stone. Its mana signature felt wrong.
Jinwoo had seen E Rank monsters before. They were weak, clumsy, afraid. But this one's presence burned in the air like fire.
As he moved closer, the creature stood up.
It looked almost human. Its skin was pale and cracked like dry earth. Its eyes were red slits glowing faintly.
And when it opened its mouth, Jinwoo saw nothing but shadow inside.
A message appeared before his eyes.
Warning: Mutated Entity Detected.
Classification: Unknown. Estimated Rank — S.
Jinwoo frowned. "An S Rank inside an E Rank gate. So it begins."
The monster roared.
Crystals shattered around the cavern. Waves of mana rolled outward. Jinwoo raised his hand, summoning a small fragment of shadow to test his power.
For a brief moment, the darkness gathered under his feet. The familiar comfort of the System wrapped around him. His body felt lighter.
He could sense every movement of the beast — its breath, its heartbeat, even the rage hiding behind its glare.
The battle started with a single step.
The creature lunged forward, claws slicing through the air. Jinwoo dodged, his movements calm and efficient. He struck once, his fist coated in mana, and the monster flew backward into the wall.
But it rose again immediately.
Each hit that should have ended the fight only seemed to make it stronger. It absorbed mana from the shattered crystals, growing larger.
Jinwoo realized this was not a simple beast.
It was evolving inside the dungeon.
---
For several minutes, the cavern became a storm of light and shadow. Jinwoo moved like a phantom, every attack precise. The creature's roars echoed until the entire dungeon shook.
He ended the fight with a silent gesture.
"Arise."
The shadow stretched from the ground and swallowed the monster whole. The light in its eyes faded. Silence returned.
Jinwoo stood alone again, breathing softly. The System's voice whispered once more.
Experience acquired.
Evolution threshold: 89 percent.
He closed his eyes. The voice was stronger now, less hesitant. The System was watching him again, testing him.
---
When he exited the gate, the sky was darker than before. Clouds of mana drifted over the city like a storm.
Hunters and soldiers stared at him in silence.
"The gate has been cleared," he said quietly.
Then he looked up. Beyond the clouds, he could feel something vast stirring — a presence that made even the shadows around him tremble.
Agnorath.
He did not speak the name, but he knew it. The Second Wave was not a random event. It was the beginning of another war.
---
That night, Sung Jinwoo returned home and sat alone in the darkness of his room.
He placed his hand over his chest and closed his eyes.
He could hear the faint heartbeat of the System.
And beneath it, another voice whispered, colder and deeper.
"You cannot stop what has begun."
Jinwoo opened his eyes slowly.
"If that is true," he said, "then I will end it myself."
Outside, the city lights flickered.
The Second Wave had begun.