The echoes of the fallen golem's collapse still reverberated through the dungeon chamber. Thorne stood over the crumbled remains, his breaths heavy, his heart pounding from the adrenaline rush. His hands clenched and unclenched as he processed what had just happened.
[New Ability Unlocked: Eye of Perception]
The system's notification had faded, but its effects lingered. He blinked, and the world before him looked sharper—more detailed. The jagged cracks along the dungeon walls, the faint inscriptions hidden beneath centuries of dust, even the subtle shifts in the air that signaled movement—he could see them all.
"What exactly did I unlock?" Thorne muttered, pressing a hand to his temple as his vision adjusted.
[Eye of Perception: A heightened visual ability that allows the user to detect hidden traps, weak points, and concealed objects.]
It wasn't just sight—it was understanding. His eyes caught details he wouldn't have noticed before. And that meant…
He turned to scan the chamber, focusing on the stone pillars that had helped him in battle. At first glance, they looked like ordinary supports, but with his enhanced sight, faint runic engravings shimmered beneath the surface. Ancient markings, nearly erased by time. And one in particular glowed ever so faintly—a symbol unlike the others.
A hidden mechanism.
He stepped closer, tracing his fingers along the worn surface of the rune. The moment he made contact, the stone shuddered. A deep grinding sound filled the chamber as dust and pebbles crumbled from the ceiling. Then, with a loud click, the ground beneath the golem's remains shifted.
A staircase was revealed.
Thorne's pulse quickened. This wasn't part of an E-rank dungeon's layout. Hidden paths usually belonged to dungeons of higher ranks, protected by mechanisms that only the most observant could uncover.
"Did the system lead me here on purpose?" he wondered aloud. There was no response, but he already knew the answer. The system was pushing him, testing him. And if this path led where he suspected…
He had to find out.
Taking a deep breath, he descended the newly revealed stairs, the flickering glow of his torch barely illuminating the depths. The air grew heavier, colder. The atmosphere changed, charged with an eerie energy. This wasn't just another chamber. This was something else.
As he reached the bottom, the narrow hallway opened into a vast cavern, and before him stood an enormous stone door—engraved with intricate symbols and chained shut with glowing, pulsating runes. It radiated a sinister aura, one that made his skin prickle with unease.
Then, the system spoke.
[C-Rank Dungeon Connection Detected.]
Thorne's breath caught in his throat. A direct link to a C-rank dungeon, hidden within an E-rank trial? That wasn't just rare—it was unheard of. And yet, here it was, staring him in the face.
[New Quest: Investigate the C-Rank Dungeon Connection.]
The risk was obvious. He had barely survived against an E-rank golem. A C-rank dungeon meant stronger monsters, deadlier traps, and the possibility of facing something he wasn't ready for.
But at the same time, his gut told him there was more to this than just difficulty. This was a test—one tied to him and his path as a dungeon conqueror. If he backed down now, what kind of future would he have?
He exhaled slowly, tightening his grip on his weapon. There was only one way forward.
He reached out, placing a hand on the chained door.
And the dungeon responded.
The chains snapped, the runes flared with a blinding light, and a deafening boom signaled the entrance unlocking.
The real trial had just begun.
End of Chapter 2