Awakening Of The Forgotten World

The first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, painting the ruined landscape in hues of orange and gold.

Dain stood on a crumbling outcrop of stone, staring at what remained of the Ruins of Black Hollow.

The once-cursed dungeon was gone, its massive underground chambers collapsed, leaving behind nothing but shattered pillars and half-buried ruins.

And yet—

Dain could still feel it.

The Mark of the Hollow Slayer pulsed faintly on his forearm, a constant reminder that the curse had not fully vanished.

A system notification appeared.

[Dungeon Cleared: Ruins of Black Hollow]

• Status: Collapsed, No Longer Accessible.

• Impact on the World: Unknown.

Dain's jaw tightened.

"Impact on the world?"

That meant this dungeon wasn't just an isolated event.

Something was changing.

And now—he was a part of it.

Dain opened his system interface, scanning his updated stats.

A series of notifications flashed.

[Level Up!]

Level: 13 → 15

[New Title Earned: First Slayer of the Hollow Age]

• Increases damage against undead and cursed entities by 10%.

• Recognized by certain factions.

[New Skill Unlocked: Hollow Ward (Lv.1)]

• Creates a barrier that repels low-level cursed entities.

• Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Dain exhaled slowly.

His power had increased.

But more importantly—his presence in this world had changed.

This title. This "First Slayer of the Hollow Age"—

It meant that others might take notice of him.

He wasn't just a nameless wanderer anymore.

He was someone who had done the impossible.

And that kind of recognition—came with consequences.

Before Dain could take another step, a new message appeared.

[World Event Update Detected]

Dain's eyes narrowed.

This was different.

System messages were usually personal, related only to his progress.

But this—was something bigger.

A new window opened.

[World Event: The Awakening of the Hollow Age]

• The collapse of the Ruins of Black Hollow has weakened ancient seals.

• Cursed forces are stirring across the land.

• Powerful factions will soon take action.

Dain's breath caught.

He hadn't just cleared a dungeon.

He had changed the world.

And now—others would come looking.

For him.

For what he had done.

For what he had unleashed.

Dain took a final look at the ruined landscape, then turned toward the distant road.

The village of Eldrin's Hollow was far behind him now.

And ahead—a vast, unknown world awaited.

A system prompt appeared.

[New Quest Unlocked: A Hunter's Path]

• Objective: Seek out other dungeons tied to the Hollow Age.

• Reward: ???

Dain smirked faintly.

So this was only the beginning.

He adjusted the strap of his satchel, his fingers tightening around Silverlight's hilt.

Then, without another glance back—

He stepped onto the road.

And walked toward the next adventure.

Dain had been walking for nearly a day.

The road stretched ahead, winding through dense forests and rolling hills. He was far beyond Eldrin's Hollow now, treading into lands he had never seen before.

And yet—he wasn't alone.

A system notification flashed.

[Warning: Unknown Entities Tracking You]

• Distance: 300 meters behind you.

• Threat Level: Unknown.

Dain's fingers tensed around Silverlight.

He had sensed it for hours now—the feeling of being watched.

Whoever they were, they weren't just wandering travelers.

They were following him.

And now, it was time to confront them.

Dain stepped off the main road, slipping into the shadows of the trees.

He moved quickly, taking cover behind an ancient oak, keeping his breathing steady.

And then—he waited.

Minutes passed.

Then—footsteps.

Soft. Measured.

Not clumsy bandits or mindless monsters.

These people knew what they were doing.

A faint whisper carried through the air.

"He's nearby."

Dain's eyes narrowed.

They knew he had stopped.

So he had one chance to act first.

Without hesitation—he moved.

Dain burst from cover, Silverlight flashing in the dappled sunlight.

The first figure reacted instantly, leaping backward as Dain's blade sliced through the air where he had stood.

The second figure—a woman clad in light armor—drew twin daggers.

"He's fast!" she shouted.

Dain didn't give them time to regroup.

He pressed forward, aiming for the man.

A system notification flashed.

[Enemy Identified: Faction Operatives – Hollow Seekers]

• Threat Level: Moderate-High

• Affiliation: Unknown

"Hollow Seekers?"

Dain didn't have time to think.

The man raised a curved blade, deflecting Dain's strike with practiced ease.

And then—the woman lunged from behind.

Dain barely twisted in time, her dagger skimming past his ribs.

[Health: 135/160]

Dain gritted his teeth.

They weren't just random mercenaries.

They were trained.

And they were here for him.

The two Hollow Seekers moved in unison, their attacks perfectly synchronized.

Dain was forced onto the defensive, parrying one strike, dodging another.

Then—an opening.

The woman overextended on a lunge.

Dain took advantage.

His blade flashed upward, cutting across her shoulder.

[Direct Hit! 70 Damage Dealt]

She staggered back, cursing.

"Damn it—he's stronger than we thought!"

The man stepped between them, adjusting his stance.

"We have our orders."

"Take him alive."

Dain's eyes narrowed.

"Take me alive?"

So they didn't just want to kill him.

They wanted to capture him.

Which meant—they knew who he was.

Dain exhaled slowly, centering himself.

A notification appeared.

[New Skill Activated: Warden's Focus (Lv.1)]

• Temporarily increases precision against multiple opponents.

His vision sharpened.

The man moved first, slashing at Dain's side.

Dain stepped inside his guard, deflecting the attack and countering with a brutal knee to the ribs.

The man grunted, stumbling.

The woman tried to strike while Dain was occupied—

But he had already read her movements.

He twisted, catching her wrist mid-strike—

Then slammed the hilt of Silverlight into her stomach.

She collapsed, gasping.

A notification flashed.

[Enemy Neutralized: Faction Operative]

Dain turned back to the remaining fighter.

The man held his ground, breathing hard.

But Dain could see it—

He knew he had lost.

Dain pointed his blade at his opponent.

"Who sent you?"

The man hesitated.

Then—he smirked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

And before Dain could react—

The man threw something at the ground.

A burst of smoke exploded into the air.

When it cleared—he was gone.

Dain stood there, Silverlight lowered, heart still pounding.

The woman remained unconscious at his feet.

A system notification flashed.

[Hollow Seekers Defeated: 1 Captured, 1 Escaped]

Dain's mind raced.

Who were the Hollow Seekers?

Why were they hunting him?

And more importantly—who was giving them orders?

A final system message appeared.

[Quest Updated: A Hunter's Path]

• New Objective: Interrogate the captured Hollow Seeker.

Dain glanced down at the unconscious woman.

Looks like he was about to get some answers.

And for the first time since leaving Eldrin's Hollow—

He had a new target.