He found himself standing in the middle of a dense forest. The tall trees surrounded him from all directions, and the light fog flowed between the branches as if they hid secrets within their depths.
He looked around cautiously, his heart beating fast. **"What is this place?"** he muttered in a faint voice.
There was no time to think much, because a low roar followed by the sound of rustling leaves coming from behind made him jolt.
He turned quickly and found himself facing yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.
Wolves.
There wasn't just one, but several wolves creeping from among the trees, their fangs bared, and their eyes filled with hunger and aggression.
His heart pounded wildly, but he didn't let fear paralyze him. He took a step back and prepared to fight. He didn't know how things would go, but he had no other choice.
—
At first, it was like a struggle for survival.
The first wolf leaped at him with lightning speed. He barely managed to dodge, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the claws that tore his shirt sleeve and wounded his arm.
**"Damn it!"** he shouted as he pushed the wolf away before quickly regaining his balance.
He had no weapon, so he relied on his hands and his newfound instinct, which he had received as a reward. Still, it wasn't easy.
Every attack he made was instinctive, but it wasn't enough to end the battle quickly. The wolves were more agile, and he had to constantly evade their attacks, which quickly drained his energy.
After a series of violent skirmishes, he managed to kill the first wolf by breaking its neck. But before he could catch his breath, another attacked him.
Minutes passed like hours. His body began to tire, his breath quickened, and his muscles ached from the constant movement.
He killed the second wolf, then the third, then the fourth…
But the pain began to pile up. Wounds covered his arms and shoulders, and his knee nearly buckled multiple times from exhaustion.
Sweat poured from his forehead, and his arm grew partially numb from fatigue.
By the time he killed the fourteenth wolf, he could barely stand straight. His body hurt from every side, but he knew it wasn't over yet.
When the last two wolves appeared, he immediately knew they were different.
Their size was larger, their muscles more defined, and their eyes held not just the ferocity of ordinary wolves, but a deadly intelligence.
They gave him no chance to catch his breath.
The moment he steadied himself, the first attacked with insane speed—its sharp claws tearing through his shirt and nearly grazing his side. He barely dodged the attack but couldn't avoid the second strike that sent him crashing to the ground.
He felt his back slam hard into the dirt, the wolf now directly atop him, its fangs glinting in the moonlight piercing the forest.
Swiftly, he raised his hands and gripped the wolf's jaws, pushing back with all his strength. But the wolf was stronger than he'd expected, and the pressure crushing his hands was overwhelming.
His arms began to tremble. Inch by inch, the fangs drew closer to his face…
Yet, at the last moment, he remembered something.
The instinct of battle.
He stopped resisting head-on. In one fluid motion, he drove his knee upward, striking the wolf's belly and forcing it to yelp and recoil briefly.
He didn't waste the opening. Rolling swiftly, he grabbed a nearby rock and delivered a crushing blow to the wolf's skull—once, twice, again—until the wolf lay motionless.
There was no time to celebrate. The second wolf was already charging.
Mustering his final shreds of strength, he planted his feet. As the wolf lunged, he bent at the last second, seized its thighs, and used its own momentum to flip it onto its back.
The wolf hit the ground hard. With a decisive move, Joseph ended the fight with one final strike.
—
When it was over, Joseph stood amid the battlefield, gasping, his heart wild, his body utterly spent.
He had no energy left—barely enough to twitch his fingers.
But… he'd done it.
Before he could process what happened, everything around him began dissolving, as if the forest itself were evaporating.
The next instant, he was back in the real world, collapsing to his knees from exhaustion.
He exhaled sharply, then muttered between ragged breaths:
"…That was hell."
Joseph could barely stand after exiting the labyrinth. His breaths remained labored, his body screaming from fatigue. It felt like he'd fought an actual war—but before he could reflect further, a new card materialized before him, floating silently in the air.
He hesitated before reaching out to grab it. Flipping it over, he read the inscribed words:
**"Reward: Soul Daggers."**
The moment he finished reading, a strange energy surged through him, as if something new had been etched into his soul. Suddenly, two sleek black daggers appeared—crafted from an eerie, faintly glowing material.
He cautiously touched them, and instantly, he felt a profound connection, as if they were extensions of himself. The second he willed them away, the daggers vanished without a trace.
"I can summon and hide them whenever I want?"* he muttered to himself before a faint smile touched his lips. This reward… wasn't bad at all.
But that wasn't all.
He looked at his hands, where two walnut-sized cores pulsed with a faint glow. He knew what they were—the cores of the last two wolves he'd killed.
Magic beast cores were famously valuable, used in everything from crafting enchanted tools to strengthening equipment. Though he didn't know much about the market, he was sure he could sell them for a decent price.
—
Soon after, he headed to a shop that bought magic cores. The store was small but specialized, and though the shopkeeper eyed him skeptically at first, the moment Joseph placed the two cores on the counter, the man's expression shifted to interest.
*"Cores from warrior-class wolves? Not bad. I'll buy them for this price."*
After some haggling, Joseph left the shop with a respectable sum of money, feeling satisfied. It wasn't a fortune, but it was a solid start.
—
By the time he finally reached his apartment, he was so exhausted he could barely lift his hand to knock. He sighed, then rapped three times.
From inside, a familiar voice called out—his younger sister's, laced with worry and curiosity:
*"Who is it?"*
Despite his fatigue, he smiled slightly and replied softly, *"It's me."*
A brief silence followed before the door swung open. Standing there was a girl with long hair and wide eyes brimming with shock.
*"Joseph?!"*
She didn't give him a chance to respond before throwing herself into his arms, hugging him tightly as if she couldn't believe he was real.
He stiffened for a moment, but the warmth of her embrace melted him. He raised a hand and gently patted her head. *"I'm okay. Don't worry."*
She pulled back to look at him, her eyes swimming with emotion. *"Where were you?! I've been so alone!"*
They stepped inside together and sat on the couch, where Joseph began recounting what happened. He didn't tell her everything, but he explained he'd been hospitalized for a while—and now, he was back.
She told him she'd spent a few days at her friend's house but couldn't stop worrying about him.
*"I was so alone here… and I was afraid you wouldn't come back."*
Joseph looked at her for a moment, then smiled gently. *"I'm here now, and I won't disappear again."*
Despite his reassurance, he knew this promise might be hard to keep.
—
Soon, he could no longer keep his eyes open. Exhaustion dragged him forcefully toward sleep, so he stood and said: *"I'm tired… I'm going to bed."*
*"Alright, rest well."*
He entered his room, collapsed onto the bed, and within seconds, sank into a deep sleep.
But the rest didn't last long.
He awoke in darkness and found the Entity before him.
He exhaled sharply, then scanned his surroundings warily before speaking in a frustrated voice: *"Why am I here again? What do you want from me this time?"*
From the shadows, the mysterious Entity reappeared, its calm voice laced with faint mockery: *"Did you enjoy it?"*
Joseph narrowed his eyes. *"What do you mean?"*
The Entity smiled—though its features remained unclear. *"The new skill… and the change in you. You've grown stronger. Your muscles are more defined than before."*
Joseph remembered how he'd felt waking up in the hospital, how his body had seemed slightly different. It wasn't a drastic transformation, but it was a start.
He sighed and nodded. *"Yes… you're right."*
The Entity slowly advanced toward him, then spoke in a low voice laced with hidden threat:
*"Then... listen carefully, weakling. You'll continue doing what you've been doing every day, without stopping. Otherwise..."*
It paused briefly before continuing in an even colder tone:
*"You'll never see the light of life again."*
A chill ran down Joseph's spine. He wasn't entirely sure what it meant, but he didn't need further explanation.
He swallowed hard, then murmured: *"Alright... I understand."*
---
Joseph slowly opened his eyes to the dim morning light filtering through his window curtains. He exhaled deeply, the exhaustion from recent events still clinging to his body. But he didn't allow himself to linger in bed.
With heavy steps, he rose and headed straight to the bathroom. Standing under the hot shower, he felt some tension leave his muscles. He remained there for half an hour—the hot water easing his physical pain while his mind focused on one thing: his next move.
After drying off quickly, he began his morning routine:
99 push-ups... 99 sit-ups...
His body protested, but Joseph didn't stop. Each time he pushed himself to the limit, he remembered what he'd endured. Weakness was no longer an option.
When finished, he collapsed briefly on the floor, breathing heavily, then stood to examine himself in the mirror. He could see progress in his physique, but it still wasn't enough.
*"This still isn't sufficient."*
After dressing, he grabbed his phone and started researching specialized guardian companies that handled labyrinths. He knew this step was crucial to growing stronger—but just as he was about to take action, he heard the door open.
---
His sister entered, her face alight with excitement as she waved a paper triumphantly:
*"Joseph! I got a perfect score on my math test!"*
He looked at her for a moment before offering a rare, faint smile. He wasn't one for emotional displays, but pride flickered in his chest.
*"Well done. I knew you could do it."*
She laughed, plopping onto the couch beside him, then launched into another story:
*"Also, something hilarious happened today! My friend slipped on the stairs in front of everyone! We tried to help her, but she was laughing at herself harder than we were!"*
Joseph chuckled quietly. Laughter had been scarce lately, but seeing her joy was... refreshing.
Yet a moment later, his expression sobered. He met her gaze seriously:
*"By the way... I've been thinking of joining a guardian company."*
The instant those words left his mouth, her entire demeanor shifted. Anxiety flooded her eyes, all traces of excitement vanishing.
*"Guardian companies? But... aren't they dangerous?"*
Joseph nodded, but replied calmly:
*"I need this. I can't stay in one place forever."*
His sister stared at him, searching for the right words, but found none. Finally, she sighed and whispered:
*"Just... be careful, okay?"*
Joseph smiled and gently placed a hand on her head.
*"Don't worry, everything will be fine."*
Despite his reassuring words, he knew things wouldn't be that simple.
But he had no intention of retreating.
---
In his room, Joseph sat on his chair, phone in hand, scrolling through guardian companies and sending applications. But most major organizations wouldn't accept a weak pawn like him.
As he stared at the screen, a card suddenly materialized in the air before him. He reached for it, and before he could touch it, words slowly appeared:
**"White Labyrinth Mission (Intermediate Rank): Slay the Three-Tailed Scorpion in the Poisoned Forest Labyrinth."**
Joseph studied it calmly, then stood and grabbed his jacket. He left his house, heading for an isolated area outside the city.
In the center of the abandoned lot, Joseph took out the card, and it opened a white gateway to an intermediate-ranked labyrinth.
He paused before it for a moment, then exhaled softly. This time, no unseen force dragged him inside like before—he was choosing to enter of his own will.
*"Alright, let's begin."*