Awakening Of The Forgotten World

Dain descended the worn stone staircase, his boots echoing against the cold, lifeless rock. The only light came from the eerie blue torches lining the walls, their glow barely illuminating the path ahead.

Every step felt heavier, the weight of the dungeon pressing against his very being.

A system notification appeared.

[Warning: Curse Level Increasing]

• Cursed energy detected. Your mind will weaken the deeper you go.

• Unstable entities ahead.

Dain exhaled sharply.

The deeper he went, the more the curse would take hold.

He had felt something like this before—the unnatural pressure of the Guardian of Valdros' dungeon.

But this was different.

This dungeon wasn't just watching him.

It was pulling him in.

At the bottom of the staircase, the tunnel opened into a vast chamber, its high ceiling barely visible in the dim light.

Massive stone pillars, cracked and broken, loomed over the area. Shattered weapons and rusted armor lay scattered across the floor, remnants of battles long forgotten.

But the strangest thing—was the mist.

A thick, black fog clung to the floor, shifting unnaturally as if it were alive.

Dain hesitated.

A notification flashed.

[Cursed Fog Detected: Hall of the Fallen]

• Stepping into the fog will weaken your mental resistance.

• Entities hidden within.

Dain gritted his teeth.

He had no choice—he had to go through.

He took a step forward.

And immediately regretted it.

The moment his foot touched the black mist, a chill shot up his spine.

His vision blurred, his thoughts fuzzed—

And then—whispers.

Soft at first. Distant.

Then closer.

And closer.

Dain's heart pounded. He gripped Silverlight tightly, forcing himself to move.

With each step, the whispers grew louder—

Until he could finally make out the words.

"Why do you walk among the dead?"

"You should not be here."

"Join us."

Dain clenched his teeth.

This wasn't just some illusion.

The curse was trying to break him.

A new notification appeared.

[Mental Resistance Check: Success]

• You have resisted the initial effects of the curse.

Dain exhaled sharply.

He had fought monsters. Beasts. Undead knights.

But this?

This was something else.

And he had no idea how deep it went.

Then—the whispers stopped.

And the fog moved.

Dain's eyes narrowed. He raised Silverlight, scanning the mist.

Something was there.

A system notification appeared.

[Entity Detected: Wraith of the Hollow (Lv.14)]

• Health: 200/200

• Threat Level: High

• Status: Incorporeal, Cursed

Dain barely had time to react before the shadow lunged.

The wraith emerged from the mist, its form shifting, a dark figure wreathed in black tendrils.

No legs. Only shadow.

Its eyes burned with a cold blue flame.

And then—it attacked.

Dain dodged left as a claw of pure darkness slashed through the air.

The attack missed—but the air hummed with energy where it had passed.

That would have been lethal.

Dain countered instantly, swinging Silverlight.

The blade flashed, cutting through the wraith's form—

But it didn't connect like normal.

Instead, the blade passed through it, like cutting through mist.

Dain's eyes widened.

"It's not fully solid?"

A notification appeared.

[Attack Resistance: Physical attacks are 50% less effective.]

Damn it.

He needed a new strategy.

The wraith lunged again.

Dain barely had time to parry, but the force still sent him skidding backward.

A notification appeared.

[Health: 85/120]

Too strong.

Too fast.

But then—he noticed it.

Silverlight was glowing.

Brighter than before.

A new notification appeared.

[Silverlight's Holy Aura Resonates with the Curse]

• Cursed entities take 20% additional damage.

Dain's eyes narrowed.

So the sword could hurt it after all.

He tightened his grip.

Then—he charged.

The wraith shrieked, its clawed hands twisting toward Dain.

But this time—Dain didn't dodge.

Instead—he met the attack head-on.

Silverlight glowed with divine energy, cutting through the air like a comet.

The blade sliced through the wraith's chest—

And this time, it felt real.

The wraith howled, its form shuddering violently.

A system notification appeared.

[Critical Hit! 82 Damage Dealt]

Dain twisted the blade, driving it deeper.

The wraith convulsed, its form flickering—

Then—it collapsed into mist.

A final notification appeared.

[Enemy Defeated: Wraith of the Hollow]

+300 Experience Gained

Dain exhaled, lowering Silverlight.

His heartbeat was racing.

That fight had been something else entirely.

He wasn't just fighting monsters.

He was fighting the curse itself.

And it wasn't going to stop.

Dain looked around the chamber.

The fog had thinned slightly, but the air still felt heavy.

And then—another system notification appeared.

[Dungeon Status: Curse Level Increased]

• The deeper you go, the stronger the curse becomes.

• More entities detected ahead.

Dain wiped sweat from his brow.

If the wraith had been just the beginning…

Then what lay deeper?

He looked toward the far end of the chamber, where another stone staircase led even further down.

A cold breeze whispered past him.

The dungeon was waiting.

Dain tightened his grip on Silverlight.

Then—he moved forward.

Straight into the heart of the curse.