The monsters here were nothing life-threatening. C-rank at best.
But the best part was that I didn't have to lift a finger. Jinhyuk was doing all the physical labor for me.
Despite my sorry attempt to be nice to him just so he'd keep protecting me, he was already doing that anyway, keeping me close by his side without a word.
I guess he's still a hunter through and through, even if our first meeting was a little awkward.
Still, he was sweeping through monsters like dust.
I know he's a B-rank, but if this is how much stronger just one rank above the dungeon's rank, then color me surprised. The gap between ranks must be massive.
He's a pretty good fighter, I'll admit. But his method of fighting was brutal and messy. I don't like it.
The way his fist just punched a hole straight through a monster's chest like it was sand...Blood sprayed all over his clothes.
Didn't that bother him?
Isn't that... inconvenient?
"Look over there," I pointed toward the end of the cave. A golden door stood tall at the far wall, no other paths in sight. "I think that's the exit."
We approached the door, and right before we stepped in, he spoke.
"Hold my hand."
Huh?
What's wrong with him?
"...Why?" I frowned.
I've never held hands with someone before, and the thought of it being with this man felt... wrong.
If I imagined my first hand-holding moment, it'd be with a handsome first boyfriend under the sunset. Someone that looks like Cha Eunwoo. Maybe near the sea. Something fluffy and intimate.
Not...this.
Not in a blood-splattered cave, not with this guy, at least. Though, I guess his face makes up for it?
....
...Okay, I guess he looks just as good as Cha Eunwoo.
"Something's strange about this door," he said. "If you don't hold my hand, we might get separated. For all I know, you could get stuck in a room full of monster—"
I grabbed his hand before he could finish such scary sentence.
"Let's go, then," I said with a bright smile. "Just don't let go, alright? I'd rather not die in the hands of a monster."
He gave me a flat look but didn't say anything.
The moment we stepped through the door, a blinding flash swallowed us whole.
And when the light cleared, he was gone.
He wasn't next to me anymore.
The cold, blood-soaked cave had disappeared. In its place was a small, quiet room that looked way too cozy to be inside a dungeon.
Books covered the walls from top to bottom, and they gave off a faint glow under the warm golden light. In the center of the room, a single notebook floated above a pedestal, like it was waiting for me.
"Jinhyuk-ssi...?" I called out in a small voice.
Of course, no answer.
I already knew he wasn't here, but I still felt nervous. This place was too peaceful. Too suspiciously warm and safe.
Considering we were just in a place full of monsters and blood, I can't feel settled.
It kind of reminded me of the dungeon under my café, now that I think about it. That one also had that strange "I'm-a-Safe-Dungeon" feeling.
"S-System... are you there?" I asked again.
I wasn't expecting help. The system never really helped anyway. It only talks to me when they want to, telling me to do this or that in the form of an emoji. But still, I needed to hear something. Even one of those spammy, annoying blue screens would've been better than this silence.
I was scared.
What if a monster came out of one of those glowing books? What if this whole room was just bait and I was about to get eaten?
I slowly stepped closer to the floating notebook, my heart pounding.
...What kind of dungeon even is this?
[ Quest Activated! ]
[ The Overseer of Stories ]
Please pick up the pen and write your story in the notebook.
Reward:
‣ +5 Vitality,
‣ +3 Focus,
‣ Random Skill
Failure to comply results in death.
I rubbed my eyes.
No. That couldn't be right.
Death...? From failing to write? I know I asked for the system for some comfort, but this...
"You're kidding," I sighed defeatedly.
The longer I stared at the glowing blue screen, the more uncomfortable I felt.
I glanced at the notebook floating above the pedestal. The pen next to it hovered slightly, as if held up by invisible threads. Can't I just ignore the quest?
I didn't want to die here. But I had no choice.
I stepped forward and reached out, hesitating just a second before picking up the pen.
"...What do I even write?" I muttered.
A romance story? A tragedy? A fairytale?
A girl who finds her fated love in another world?
A stalker chasing her ex in the middle of a zombie apocalypse?
Wait, what if there's a specific genre I'm supposed to write? What if I write the wrong one and instantly explode or something?
No. Calm down. Fantasy should be safe, right?
This whole world turned into a fantasy setting anyway. Gates, dungeons, awakenings... It's basically our new reality.
So I'll go with that.
My hand moved on its own, as if guided by instinct. And the story formed in my head before I could stop it.
It began with a girl, born into a peaceful and prosperous kingdom.
The people loved their royal family, and the royal family cherished their people. Under the sunlit skies and golden towers, she lived a quiet life, a little princess surrounded by warmth, laughter, and power.
But peace never lasts. Not in this world.
A border conflict turned into war, and war turned into fire. Her kingdom burned overnight. Her family fell. Her name and title were buried with them. The girl once destined for silk gowns and crown-shaped cookies found herself just another nameless orphan in a crumbling land.
She should have died there.
But the Church found her first.
They called it fate. A miracle. They claimed the light she carried was proof of divine will. And so, the nameless girl was given a new name: Saintess.
They raised her in holy halls, dressed her in white, fed her scripture, and taught her to pray like a weapon. People came from every corner of the continent to witness her blessings. Her voice brought rain to drought-stricken lands. Her hands healed the sick and calmed the cursed. The world called her salvation.
But behind temple doors, she was never more than a vessel.
It wasn't love.
It wasn't safety.
It was control.
The more miracles she performed, the more they took. Her days bled together with sermons and forced smiles. Her light was praised, but never protected.
And then the sky split open.
A blue swirling vortex, unlike any seen before, tore through the heavens. From it poured demonic beasts no human could face.
The Church had no answers. No weapons. No hope in fighting back.
Only the Saintess.
A lone girl who never had a choice.
And she fought. She gave everything she had.
She poured her light into the world until her voice cracked, her knees buckled, and her hands bled.
But no matter how hard she tried... it wasn't enough.
One city fell. Then another. And another.
With every failure, hope curdled into blame. They said she was holding back. That she had hidden power. That she had betrayed the world.
So they took her last form of freedom.
This time, not into a palace or church. But a prison.
Chained in the depths of the abyss where no sunlight reached, they tried to extract the very power from her soul.
They failed.
And time passed.
The world died. The sky crumbled. The gates remained open, swallowing all.
Everyone perished.
Everyone... but her.
The girl once worshipped as a Saintess, now sealed beneath the ruins of a civilization that destroyed itself.
Alone. Forgotten. Undying.