Awakening Of The Forgotten World

Dain barely had time to breathe before the ground beneath him began to glow.

A system notification appeared.

[Dungeon Cleared: Ruins of Black Hollow]

• Curse Level: Dispelled

• Dungeon Influence Removed

But below that—

A new message flashed.

[Unique Reward Unlocked: ???]

Dain gritted his teeth, stepping back as the entire throne room trembled.

The stone beneath him shifted, glowing lines of ancient runes appearing along the floor.

And then—

Something rose from the remnants of the Hollow King's throne.

A shimmering sigil, floating in the air like a brand of power.

The moment Dain laid eyes on it, his body froze.

A notification flashed.

[You have been chosen.]

Dain's heartbeat quickened.

"Chosen for what?"

Before he could move—

The sigil rushed toward him.

And everything went white.

Dain's mind was no longer in the dungeon.

Instead—he stood in a world of silver mist.

And before him—stood the Hollow King.

But this time—he was not undead.

He was a man.

Tall, with piercing silver eyes, clad in dark plate armor engraved with runes.

"You fought well."

His voice was not a whisper now.

It was human. Strong. Steady.

Dain stared.

"You're… still here?"

The Hollow King—**or the man he once was—**shook his head.

"Only my memory remains."

He gestured toward the sigil hovering between them.

"And now, I will pass on my last gift."

The sigil burned brighter.

And Dain suddenly understood.

It was a fragment of the Hollow King's power.

A legacy from an era long forgotten.

And now—it was his.

Dain gritted his teeth as the sigil descended toward him.

A system notification appeared.

[You have unlocked: Mark of the Hollow Slayer]

• Unique Class Evolution Detected.

• Title Updated: Hollow Slayer → Warden of the Hollow.

Dain's entire body burned.

The sigil seared into his skin, forming a glowing mark across his left forearm.

The moment it etched itself into him, power flooded his veins.

A new system prompt appeared.

[Mark of the Hollow Slayer – Passive Effect]

• Undead and Cursed Entities take +20% damage from your attacks.

• Increased resistance to mental and soul-based corruption.

• Dungeon Sense Upgraded to Level 2.

Dain staggered back, breathing heavily.

The power was real.

He could feel it.

The Hollow King—his memory—watched in silence.

"Use it well, warrior."

And then—

The vision shattered.

Dain's eyes snapped open.

He was back in the dungeon, standing in the center of the now cleansed throne room.

The cursed flames were gone.

The Hollow King's throne was shattered.

And yet—

The mark on his arm still burned.

A final notification flashed.

[Dungeon Cleared – Final Reward Earned]

• Path to Advanced Evolution Unlocked.

Dain stared at the message.

"Advanced Evolution?"

He didn't have time to dwell on it.

Because at that moment—

The dungeon itself began to collapse.

The walls shook violently, cracks splitting through the stone as the entire dungeon started to break apart.

A system alert flashed.

[Warning: Dungeon Collapse in Progress]

• Time Until Destruction: 2 Minutes.

Dain's eyes widened.

"Of course there's a time limit."

He turned and sprinted toward the exit, his boots pounding against the shaking ground.

Behind him, entire pillars crumbled, falling into the abyss below.

The stairs leading back up were still intact—but barely.

Dain pushed himself faster, his new power surging through him.

He dodged falling debris, leaping over gaps in the stone floor.

A massive chunk of ceiling collapsed ahead—

Dain slid under it at the last second, barely clearing the gap before it sealed the path behind him.

His lungs burned, his muscles screamed—

But the exit was close.

The last stretch of the staircase crumbled just as Dain reached it.

The gap was too wide.

But he had no other choice.

A system notification appeared.

[Skill Activated: Reckless Charge (Lv.1)]

• Temporarily boosts speed and power for one final push.

Dain kicked off the ground.

The skill activated, his body propelled forward faster than ever before.

For a moment—he was weightless.

Then—he slammed into solid ground, rolling into a crouch as he landed on the upper floor.

Behind him—

The entire dungeon collapsed.

A massive shockwave of dust and energy burst outward, sending him staggering forward.

Dain coughed, pushing himself up.

And when the dust finally settled—

The Ruins of Black Hollow were gone.

Only scattered stone and silence remained.

Dain stood there, staring at the ruins that had nearly become his tomb.

A final system notification appeared.

[Dungeon Cleared: Ruins of Black Hollow]

• You are the first to claim this dungeon's power.

• New Title: First Slayer of the Hollow Age.

Dain exhaled slowly.

The weight of the battle, the dungeon, the curse—

Everything settled over him.

He had done it.

He had survived.

And he had changed.

The mark on his arm glowed faintly, a reminder of what he had gained—and what he had lost.

Dain turned his gaze to the horizon.

This was just the beginning.

There were more dungeons.

More secrets hidden in the world.

And now—

He was going to find them all.