Zihad's feet touched down on the moss-covered stone with a faint tap, his figure materializing just inside the entrance of a forgotten ruin.
[Zone: Whispering Catacombs]
The atmosphere shifted immediately. The temperature dropped, the light dimmed, and a haunting wind seemed to echo words that couldn't quite be understood. It was the kind of place that warned you to turn back—unless you were sure you were ready.
He took one slow step forward. The entrance sealed shut behind him with a grinding screech of ancient stone.
There would be no turning back now.
"This is a solo-dungeon," Zihad muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the intricate carvings on the walls. He had found this place by piecing together obscure clues dropped by random NPCs in three different villages.
No other player had likely stepped foot here yet.
The Phantom Reaper class had certain… advantages. One of them being his passive skill [Whispers of the Lost]—which highlighted hidden paths, long-forgotten quests, and dangerous content that ordinary players might never discover.
[Warning: Whispering Catacombs is a Level 25+ Dungeon. Recommended Party: 4–6 players.]
Zihad was Level 17.
He grinned.
"Let's see if this place lives up to the warning."
He unsheathed his spectral blade, [Veilrend], and activated [Wraith Cloak]—his body turned translucent for five seconds as he sprinted deeper into the catacombs.
The first room came alive with the sound of creaking bones. Five skeletal sentinels emerged from the ground, their eyes glowing an eerie violet.
[Elite: Sentinel Boneguard - Lv. 26]
[Elite: Sentinel Boneguard - Lv. 27]
Zihad didn't hesitate. He launched into a seamless combo—[Phantom Slash] → [Reaper Step] → [Soul Shred].
The battlefield turned chaotic. Bones shattered, violet energy burst into streaks across the chamber, and the clinking of swords rang out with chilling echoes.
One by one, the elites fell. But they didn't stay down.
[Revival Aura Detected: Boneguards will respawn indefinitely unless Source Node is destroyed.]
Zihad's eyes flicked to the back of the room. A pulsing orb embedded in a decayed altar.
"Found you."
He darted through the chaos, ignoring the newly reformed boneguards. With a dive-roll and a burst of [Shadow Blink], he reached the altar and drove his blade into the orb.
CRACK.
The glow ceased. The boneguards crumbled instantly, and the room fell silent.
Zihad exhaled, winded but grinning.
"That was fun."
Meanwhile, in the Real World…
Zidan paced nervously in front of the living room TV. News headlines scrolled across the bottom of the screen.
"Dream Land's Secret Class User Trends Worldwide—Speculations Point to Developer's Hand"
"Reports of Hidden Dungeons and One-Player Clears Spark Debates Over Game Fairness"
He turned toward his mother. "I still can't believe he's doing this solo."
His mom shook her head. "He was always quiet. Never wanted the spotlight."
Zidan sighed. "Still... if someone finds out it's him—"
The screen cut to a blurry video of the Phantom Reaper defeating a dungeon boss with precise movements no player at that level should be able to manage.
Even experts on game balance were calling it unnatural.
Zidan's grip on the remote tightened. "Zihad... just how far ahead are you planning?"
Back in the Game…
Zihad had entered the second level of the dungeon.
The walls were narrower here, breathing room scarce. Faint runes pulsed on the ground as the air seemed to watch him.
Then the system voice rang out:
[You have been marked by the Eye of the Forgotten.]
[You are being observed.]
Zihad stopped. The weight of unseen eyes pressed down like a curse. He knew this mechanic. This wasn't a regular dungeon.
It was one of the game's Sentient Dungeons—a system he'd designed himself.
They evolved.
They remembered.
And worse… they learned.
He drew both blades, eyes narrowing.
"Now it's getting interesting."
Elsewhere, in a Secret Google Headquarters Meeting Room…
The CEO of Google tapped a finger against the desk. "So… the AI layer he added is learning faster than anticipated."
An engineer replied, "Yes, sir. Especially in the Whispering Catacombs zone. It's reacting to player behavior in real-time. And Zihad is giving it far more data than it was trained for."
The CEO smiled. "He's pushing his own creation beyond its limits. Just like I expected."
Another advisor asked, "Should we be concerned?"
The CEO shook his head. "Not yet. He hasn't activated the deeper layers. But we need to be ready. This game might become something more than a simulation."
Back to Zihad…
He had reached the third and final chamber.
The boss waited.
[Dungeon Boss: The Watcher of the Forgotten - Lv. 30 - Sentient Entity]
Its form was strange—shifting shadows with eyes across every limb. Its health bar was three layers thick.
As the chamber sealed shut, the dungeon whispered to him:
"Welcome home, creator."
Zihad's breath caught in his throat.
That wasn't part of the programming.
He didn't hesitate.
[Shadow Wings: Phantom Reaper Ultimate Skill Activated]
His body was engulfed in black and violet energy as shadowy wings burst from his back.
The fight had just begun.
And it would shake even the foundations of his own game.
To be continued in Chapter 20...
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