Chapter 2: First Hunt (? ?? - Cheot Sanyang)

  The black key felt cool against his worried hand. Jin-Woo looked down at it. He still couldn't quite believe what had happened. One moment, just work. Then, suddenly, this. A task where you might really die.

  He felt so scared. He wasn't a Hunter, not like the others. They had training and powers. He was just Jin-Woo. Now, he had to go into a "Baby Rift" and face something. What even was a Baby Rift? And what kind of creature was the target?

  A heavy feeling of fear made his legs stiff. He wanted to just run away. Pretend it wasn't real. Go back to his quiet, normal life. But the blue words floating in front of him wouldn't let him forget. That life was over.

  [Main Quest: Don't Kick the Bucket on Day One.]

  [Objective: Use the key to enter the Baby Rift and take out the target inside.]

  [Time Left: 71 Hours : 58 Minutes : 32 Seconds]

  The timer kept counting down, soft and steady. It didn't seem to notice how scared he was. He knew he had to do something.

  Jin-Woo's fingers closed gently around the key. As soon as he touched it, the blue words on the screen changed.

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  [Initiate Rift Entry?]

  [Yes / Yes]

  Below the choices, a new line appeared:

  [Failure to Enter Rift within 60 seconds: Quest Failed. Penalty: Immediate Cardiac Arrest.]

  Jin-Woo's breath hitched. Cardiac arrest? His heart stopped? He looked wildly at the two "Yes" options. There was no way out. The System wasn't asking; it was demanding.

  A soft light began to glow from the black key, like a gentle pulse. The air in front of him shimmered, and a dark, swirling opening appeared, like a doorway to somewhere else. It felt strange and a little frightening. This was the Baby Rift. It didn't seem very small or harmless.

  Even though his heart was racing with fear, a quiet feeling of needing to try settled within Jin-Woo. He might be terrified, but he didn't want to just give up. A small spark of courage flickered inside him.

  The blue words changed again, and this time, they offered a little bit of help.

  [Tip: The previous entity posed minimal threat. Expect similar parameters within the designated Rift. Analyze and exploit vulnerabilities.]

  The System felt detached, offering data without warmth. It was a confusing mix.

  Jin-Woo took a slow, careful breath. He started to walk towards the swirling darkness. The air grew cooler as he got closer, and a soft humming sound filled the air. He was just an ordinary boy, stepping into something completely unknown and scary.

  He had to try his best to stay safe.

  The swirling darkness felt like a cool breeze as it surrounded him. One moment the damp alley was behind him, the next he was standing in a dimly lit space. It smelled like wet earth and a faint, sharp scent, like old metal.

  The only sound was the gentle drip of water somewhere in the darkness. Jin-Woo's eyes moved slowly around, trying to see in the gloom. Soft green light came from patches of moss on the rough cave walls. It wasn't very bright.

  He was alone here. For now.

  The blue words were still there, a constant reminder.

  [Main Quest: Don't Kick the Bucket on Day One.]

  [Objective: Eliminate the designated target within the Baby Rift.]

  [Time Left: 71 Hours : 56 Minutes : 58 Seconds]

  "The target," he whispered softly. What could it be? Another weak thing? Something that could actually end you?

  Then, a low growl echoed from the shadows ahead. Two small points of red light glowed in the dark, and the quiet scratching of claws on stone grew closer.

  Jin-Woo's heart beat faster. He wasn't alone. And it sounded like something dangerous was coming.

  The Baby Rift didn't feel gentle at all.