“Damn it!

Ugh

, I just missed it.”

Alexei let out a deep sigh, and I could tell she was frustrated. Relaxing her face, she adapted to the situation. I was surprised she wasn’t eyeing the dagger greedily or longingly. Given how close we both were to the dagger, it would only be natural to feel at least some desire for it.

Yet, she relented far more easily than I had anticipated.

She groaned and ruffled her hair in exasperation. Her shoulders slumped regretfully, making her disappointment even more obvious.

“Shit! I swear, I had a feeling about this!

Ugh!

"

It was clear how much losing this opportunity pained her.

Well, I understand why she would be this upset.

Alexei had taken a considerable risk by walking opposite the arrow’s direction for nearly three hours. She probably was thinking if she had arrived just a bit earlier, the dagger would have been hers.

What should I say?

I couldn’t think of anything that seemed appropriate.

“Uh, sorry?”

Alexei shook her head slowly, her voice drained of energy. “No, you don’t need to apologize for anything. It’s my fault for arriving late.”

She was right. Truth be told, I only apologized because I didn’t know how else to respond, not because I felt any guilt.

Now that I think about it, how did Alexei even find her way here?

Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned this dagger went undiscovered in her previous life. She only learned about its existence from the emperor after she had reached the sixteenth floor.

The fact that Alexei claimed she had a feeling indicated some kind of instinct had guided her here.

What caused this shift? Did the butterfly effect from Ha Hee-Jeong’s return cause this?

“What are you doing?”

Alexei’s annoyed voice snapped me back to the present. I looked at her and noticed she was staring at me, brows furrowed.

“Are you not going to grab the dagger? We don’t have all the time in the world. Who knows how long it’ll take to reach the fortress? Also, even though we arrived separately, it would probably be smarter to head back together.”

She glanced at me suspiciously, seemingly wary.

“Don’t tell me you’re waiting for me to leave because you think I’ll try to stab you in the back for the dagger.”

“Huh? No, I was just thinking about something. We should stick together. I’ll grab it real quick.”

“Alright, I’ll wait here. But hurry up. We don’t know how long the trek to the fortress will take.”

I nodded silently and walked toward the dagger. I had no intention of separating from Alexei—at least, not yet. Sure, traveling with her might be a bit awkward, but considering the challenges ahead, having a strong ally wasn’t a bad idea.

Plus, if those damn dinosaur-like humanoids made another appearance, it would be easier to fight them as a duo.

Whatever. Wait, is this even water?

As soon as I approached the lake, I noticed something strange. Even under the bright moonlight, the water was thick and dark, more like a dense fog than a liquid. It rippled as if something might suddenly emerge from its depths.

I tensed, crossing the stone bridge cautiously. To my relief, I made it to the island without issue.

I guess I need to pull out the dagger.

The dagger was embedded blade-first into an ominous monument etched with strange symbols. The eerie atmosphere made me hesitate, so I took a moment to inspect the monument closely.

Hmm... I can’t decipher any of this.

Realizing there was no point in lingering, I turned my attention back to the dagger. It looked nearly identical to the replica I carried. It was a simple, unadorned silver blade, the hilt similarly wrapped in plain and unassuming rough leather.

I stepped closer, and a notification window popped up.

[Lung Shark’s Dagger] [Unique]

- The favored weapon of Lung Shark, the Shadow of the End.

- Separates into two daggers on command.

- Though modest in appearance, it harbors an unknown power.

- Automatic defense against two physical attacks (Cooldown time: 150 hours).

- Grants Agility +4 while carried.

- Grants Master of Shadows (growth-type skill) lvl 1 while carried.

- (Warning: Can only be used up to the sixteenth floor.)

I was shocked. It was the real dagger, not another replica. As I scanned the dagger’s description, I couldn’t help but murmur in awe.

“Wow.”

Everything about it was superior to the replica. It boosted my agility by another two points and automatically blocked one more attack per cooldown.

However, what caught my attention the most was the new skill. Instead of Shadow Veil, the new dagger granted a skill named Master of Shadows, which I could only imagine was an upgraded Shadow Veil. The new skill sounded immensely powerful. If skills were assigned ranks, I assumed Master of Shadows would likely be classified as an A or even S-tier skill.

Its attributes were remarkable, as expected from a Unique item tied to a hidden mission.

Still, it’s a bit disappointing.

The dagger could only be used up to the sixteenth floor just as Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned. I assumed it was due to its status as a divine artifact.

Attempting to avoid getting too attached, I had tried to think of it as just another temporary quest item, but now that I was staring at it, the desire to keep it only grew. I almost regretted checking the description.

Well, at least I can use it until I finish the sixteenth floor.

Well, even if I couldn’t find a way to keep the original, I could always rely on the replica.

After organizing my thoughts, I reached out and grasped the dagger. Contrary to my expectations, it slid out smoothly. Almost immediately, the notification window updated itself.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has discovered Lung Shark’s Dagger, summoning the Shadow Wraith. To claim ownership of the dagger, he must defeat the wraith.]

Of course, it can’t be simple. I knew it seemed too easy.

The lake’s dark waters began to churn violently, and the stone bridge I had crossed disappeared beneath the swelling surface.

“Hey! Are you alright? What’s happening? Why is the lake changing?”

Alexei’s frantic shout echoed from the other side of the lake, but I couldn’t afford to be distracted.

From the center of the disturbed waters, a large black mass began to rise. It shifted and fluctuated, growing and shrinking, struggling to solidify into a recognizable form.

That must be the Shadow Wraith.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

I gripped my axe tighter and unhesitatingly charged forward. This wasn’t the time for an honorable duel and let my opponent fully materialize. I cut through the formless mass swiftly and decisively.

What?

To my surprise, my axe encountered no resistance. It felt as if I were slicing through a cloud of smoke.

I had imbued lightning into my strike, so even if a physical attack was useless, the wraith should still have taken some damage. Unexpectedly, the wraith seemed unaffected, and its form continued to solidify, becoming more defined.

How should I deal with it?

I quickly weighed my options.

I had already tried striking it with lightning and my axe—neither seemed to work. If I couldn’t figure out how to harm this thing, there was no way I could defeat it.

As I pondered, the Shadow Wraith finished taking shape. Its arms lacked hands, instead ending in razor-sharp blades. In place of a face, it had a smooth, featureless head with no eyes, nose, or mouth. Instead of legs, its elongated torso clung to the ground.

Moving with an eerie fluidity, it approached me and thrust its blade-looking arm forward like a spear.

Fuck.

I instinctively stepped back to avoid the strike. Seeing that I couldn’t retreat fast enough, I swung my axe in a defensive maneuver, hoping to parry its attack, but my weapon once again passed through its arm as if it were mist.

In contrast, I felt a sharp sting when the wraith’s arm brushed past my wrist.

So, it can hit me, but I can’t hit it. Fantastic.

Escape wasn’t an option given how small this island was. I dodged left and right, constantly shifting my position to avoid its relentless strikes.

Fortunately, the wraith didn’t seem particularly strong and its movements were easy enough to read. Though I couldn’t land a hit, I was confident I wouldn’t be injured as long as I maintained my focus. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

Do I need to use this specific dagger?

I immediately tested my hypothesis, but even Lung Shark’s Dagger fared no better. The blade merely passed through the ghostly limb, just as my axe had.

Damn it, this didn’t work either.

Then, in another flash of inspiration, a new idea crossed my mind.

It’s called a Shadow Wraith, perhaps I need to attack the shadow itself?

I shifted my gaze to the wraith’s shadow. Unlike its nebulous, ever-shifting form, its shadow was far more tangible and solid.

Fuck, how did I not realize this sooner?

I had been so preoccupied with figuring out how to directly strike the creature that I hadn’t considered any other avenue of approach, no matter how obvious. Now it was time for the real fight to begin.

The wraith swung its arm in a wide arc, and I ducked beneath the strike before surging forward into the opening it had exposed.

Wait, what?

Suddenly, another arm shot out from the creature’s torso, catching me off guard. The wraith made one critical mistake, however. Although the average climber wouldn’t be able to react in time, I easily adjusted my momentum and dodged the strike.

Still maintaining the force from my initial charge, I unleashed a bolt of lightning at the wraith’s shadow before fluidly shifting to the left. The lightning struck the shadow first.

Yes, the shadow is the key to success.

Though the wraith made no sound, it recoiled as if in pain.

I raised my axe and brought it down on the shadow. The blade struck the ground, although it felt more like my axe had struck flesh—soft and yielding—rather than hitting solid earth.

Eerily silent, the wraith’s shadow writhed and convulsed, struggling against the inevitable. Moments later, the lake’s black waters rose and pulled the shadow into its embrace. A notification window then appeared, signaling the end of the encounter.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has defeated the Shadow Wraith, granting him temporary ownership of Lung Shark’s Dagger.]

Just like before, the surface of the lake began to churn violently. The dark energy covering the waters began to gather, before rising and swirling toward me.

This time, however, I sensed no malice. I instinctively extended the dagger, and the black mass was absorbed into the blade before vanishing entirely.

The lake, once thick and black, now appeared rather normal, its waters clear and crystalline. The stone bridge reappeared, stretching across the now-transparent lake. The Shadow Wraith seemed to have been responsible for the lake’s ominous hue.

Anyway, it was time to move on. Stowing the dagger’s replica into my mimic’s pouch, I secured the real Lung Shark’s Dagger at my waist.

Crossing the now-visible bridge, I offered Alexei a small smile.

“All done. Let’s get going.”

“Was the monster you fought part of the hidden mission tied to the dagger?”

“Yeah. Seems like since it was part of a hidden mission the tower wasn’t just going to just hand it over without a challenge.”

“Getting here was hard enough already, but damn, the tower really never makes anything easy, does it?”

Alexei let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head at the tower’s relentless trials.

At that moment, a notification window appeared before us.

[Kwon Su-Hyeok’s party is the first to arrive at Fort Pogoren.]

Finally.

I felt the tension that had been building inside me begin to ease. Everything we had set out to achieve on the fifteenth floor had been accomplished. Our party had reached the fortress first, and I had secured the hidden mission’s dagger. Now all that I had to do was travel to the fortress.

As I quietly savored the moment, another notification suddenly appeared.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has obtained Lung Shark’s Dagger, dispelling the veil. From now on, invaders will be able to track the dagger’s location. The enemy’s pursuit will intensify as time progresses.]

[Follow the arrow toward Fort Pogoren. Time remaining: 5 hours 25 minutes.]

So the attacks are going to intensify?

Ha Hee-Jeong hadn’t warned me about this side effect, but I couldn’t blame her. Nobody had finished this hidden mission in her previous life. She couldn’t be expected to predict everything hidden in the tower.

As the cold, dispassionate voice that accompanied the message ended, I glanced at Alexei. She had likely received the same notification due to our proximity.

For half a second, we stared at each other in silence.

“Run!”

Not needing any further impetus, we both immediately sprinted toward the direction of the arrow.

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has acquired Lung Shark’s Dagger. The hidden missions ‘Lung Shark’s Dagger’ and ‘True Target’ will now be connected.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has gained a new skill. Master of Shadows is now lvl 2.」