[System Status Window – Jin Hwan]
— Name: Jin Hwan
— Rank: F
— Class: Beast-Type (Rabbit)
— Title: Golden Ghost (Rumored), Burrow Dancer
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[Level 12]
EXP: 2100 / 10800
Health: 240
Mana: 380
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[Stats]
• Strength: 20
• Agility: 38 (+2)
• Perception: 19
• Endurance: 15
• Intelligence: 17
• Charm: 20
• Luck: 25
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[Skills]
• Rabbit's Mark (Lv. 1)
• Aerial Drift (Lv. 2)
• Rabbit's Wind Aura (Lv. 1)
• Momentum Grace (Lv. 1 – Passive)
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[Active Dungeon Quest]
• Investigate Hidden Gate
• Survive "Burrowed Madness"
• Optional: Complete Without Killing Any Creatures(Pending)
• Sub-Quest: Lure Maddened Swarm to the Core (Complete)
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The towering presence of the Burrowfather loomed above Jin Hwan, silent and serene. Its ancient fur shimmered like starlight. Those enormous moonlit eyes—filled with pain, with memory—gazed directly into his soul.
Jin Hwan placed a hand against its soft chest.
"I don't want to rule you… I just want to understand."
[Bond Request Accepted]
[Golden Interface Sync: Complete]
[Beast-Type Warden Spirit Registered – Partial Integration Achieved]
[New Skill Acquired – Hollow Pact – Burrowfather's Legacy (S-Rank)]
[System Mood: …Did you just adopt a spirit-god rabbit?]
[Passive Bonus: Immunity to Madness Pools – Gained]
[New Dungeon Title: Echo Treader – Gained]
Hollow Pact – Burrowfather's Legacy (S-Rank)Channel beast-spirit power to manifest offensive golden aura strikes. The stronger the bond, the stronger the attack. Can stun beasts.
The golden spirit lowered its head. Then—slowly—it faded into light, entering Jin Hwan's system. A tattoo of interwoven runes appeared briefly on his chest, glowing with golden fire.
"…Thank you," he whispered.
But the stillness didn't last.
A distant scream cut through the dungeon—high and panicked.
❖ Elsewhere in the Dungeon – Junction of Cracked Rails
Joo-Yeon gritted her teeth as another burst of mutated rabbits launched at her flame shield. Her silver-blue fire crackled, but it was flickering.
"Sang-Il, left flank!"
"I'm on it!" the bulky man roared, swinging his reinforced gauntlet like a hammer and shattering three rabbit-beasts mid-leap. But for every one crushed, two more emerged from the shadows.
"They're multiplying too fast," Cho Hana said flatly, one arm bleeding, writing a formation rune with her own blood. "If we don't escape or clear this section, we'll be overrun."
Ryu Hae-Rin, breathing hard, hurled her glaive in a tight arc, cutting through a cluster. "Where the hell is Jin Hwan?!"
"Lost," Joo-Yeon growled, parrying another snap of twisted teeth. "And probably dead!"
❖ Meanwhile – Return Tunnel
Jin Hwan raced back, his breath sharp, body brimming with unfamiliar power. His feet barely touched the ground—Aerial Drift chained with Momentum Grace, letting him twist, pivot, and burst forward with uncanny grace.
The world around him blurred.
But then—
[Optional Quest: Complete Without Killing Any Creatures – STILL ACTIVE]
He skidded to a halt at the tunnel mouth.
Ahead of him—his teammates, bleeding, desperate, surrounded.
The mutated rabbits surged around them like a tide.
And suddenly, the golden interface flashed in front of him again.
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[Quest Status Update]
• Objective: Survive Without Killing – In Progress
• Progress: 82%
• Warning: One offensive strike will invalidate bonus reward.
• Reward: Unknown Legendary Skill──────────────
Jin Hwan clenched his fists.
His first Legendary skill. A once-in-a-lifetime pacifist reward.
But his eyes didn't linger.
He saw Ryu Hae-Rin's arm dislocated, Cho Hana's bloodied notebook torn, Sang-Il holding back two beasts with pure brute force, and Joo-Yeon shielding all of them with her last ounce of mana.
[System Mood: So… what's more important? Your future, or your friends?]
"…Friends," he whispered.
He stepped forward.
"No. I run for them."
And then—
"BURROWFATHER'S LEGACY—AWAKEN!"
Golden light erupted from his chest, coiling like a storm into his hands.
Twin spirals of radiant energy formed into ethereal claw-strikes, echoing the ancient rabbit warden's might.
He leapt into the fray like a living thunderclap.
[System Alert – Pacifist Quest: Failed]
[Mass Enemy Response Triggered – Delayed]
[You have chosen loyalty over reward. New Karma Path Unlocked.]
[System Mood: That's my dumb bunny.]
One by one, mutated rabbits were struck—not killed, but stunned with blinding gold as Jin Hwan swept across the battlefield.
"Get behind me!"
He twirled in the air, striking pressure points. Each beast convulsed and collapsed into unconsciousness. The others hissed and withdrew instinctively.
Joo-Yeon stared. "…What happened to you?"
"Let's say I made a furry friend," he grinned, sweat dripping down his brow. "And I brought his blessing."
Sang-Il dropped to one knee. "You… you glowed like a damn sunbeam."
"I know. Pretty cool, right?"
Cho Hana, bleeding from the lip, gave a slow nod. "…You came back."
Hae-Rin limped forward, smiling faintly. "Took you long enough."
Jin Hwan wiped his brow. The last of the mutated swarm had pulled back—for now.
[System Alert – Boss Room Triggered Ahead]
[Warning: Final Trial – Mutated Den Mother Awaits]
He turned toward the next tunnel—gold shimmering behind his eyes.
"This time… we walk together."