Chapter Four - I Need To Get Stronger (2)

The initial leveling-up, after the surprisingly easy defeat of Yoo Yeonhee's clone, felt profoundly unsettling to Kim Jin-Hyuk. The victory, a fleeting moment of triumph against a relatively weak opponent, a mere shadow of the true threat he faced, triggered a surge of power that left him profoundly disoriented. The system's terse "[You have leveled up]" notification, initially a source of mild surprise, quickly devolved into a monotonous, almost mocking refrain as he delved deeper into the dungeon's oppressive depths. Each fallen steel wolf, each dispatched goblin, each insignificant life extinguished, was met with the same curt digital announcement, a stark counterpoint to the grim, brutal reality of his surroundings. The rhythmic repetition, however, served a purpose; it fueled his strength, transforming him into an efficient, almost emotionless killing machine. This transformation was not a choice, but a necessity, a grim evolution driven by the ever-present, looming threat of the unnamed enemy that haunted his every waking moment. The No Emotion skill, his constant, unwavering companion, acted as a stoic sentinel against the tide of fear that threatened to consume him. It was a shield, undeniably, but it was also a cage, a self-imposed prison that isolated him from the raw, visceral experience of combat, leaving him adrift in a sea of detached efficiency.

The hunt for the dungeon boss stretched into an agonizing eternity, ten hours that felt like an age, each moment dragging on, weighted down by the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon. The dungeon itself was a labyrinth, a claustrophobic maze of twisting corridors and shadowed chambers, each turn revealing more of the same bleak, desolate landscape. The air hung heavy with the stench of blood and decay, a pervasive odor that clung to the very stones, a constant, sickening reminder of the relentless violence that permeated this subterranean realm. The silence, broken only by the occasional drip of water or the distant scuttling of unseen creatures, amplified the tension, creating a palpable sense of dread. Then, a wave of mana, a tangible force that resonated deep within his very bones, crashed over him, far surpassing even the potent energy he had sensed emanating from Yoo Yeonhee's clone. It was a palpable manifestation of the boss's presence, a chilling harbinger of the impending confrontation, a stark warning that the true test of his strength was about to begin. The system's almost casual "[The No Emotion skill is taking effect]" notification offered little comfort; it was a cold, clinical statement of fact, devoid of any emotional resonance, a stark reminder of the emotional detachment that had become his reality.

His instinctive reaction was swift, brutal, and efficient. He hurled his dagger, a blur of motion guided by instinct and honed skill, towards the evolved steel wolf. The creature, a grotesque parody of nature, a twisted mockery of life, stood before him, its fur matted with dried blood, its eyes burning with a feral intensity that spoke of countless battles and countless victims. Its body, slick with the viscous fluid of its recent kills, seemed to writhe with unnatural energy, a testament to its corrupted nature. His attack, though precise and deadly, was met with a contemptuous sneer, a silent display of utter disregard for his puny efforts. The steel wolf, with an agility that belied its immense size and brutal strength, effortlessly evaded the dagger, its powerful hind legs propelling it forward in a swift, devastating kick. Kim Jin-Hyuk was sent sprawling, the impact jarring his very core, sending a shockwave through his body.

The wolf's subsequent attack was swift and merciless, a brutal display of predatory efficiency. Razor-sharp claws, honed to a deadly point through countless battles, tore into his stomach, ripping through flesh and muscle with horrifying ease. A searing agony ripped through him, a wave of pain so intense it threatened to shatter his carefully constructed composure, to breach the emotional dam he had built around his heart. He tasted blood, the warm, metallic tang of his own lifeblood coating his lips, and the world swam before his eyes, blurring into a chaotic vortex of pain and disorientation. Just as he felt himself succumbing to the darkness, surrendering to the overwhelming tide of pain and exhaustion, a flash of steel, a merciful intervention from an unseen savior, ended the wolf's reign of terror. A sword, wielded with deadly precision, sliced through the creature's neck, severing its life force, and the monstrous beast collapsed, its body shuddering in its final death throes. The sudden silence that followed was deafening, a stark contrast to the brutal violence that had just transpired. The silence, however, was not peaceful; it was heavy with the weight of his near-death experience, the stark reminder of his own vulnerability.

The system's pronouncements – "[The dungeon has been successfully cleared!]", "[Contributors: 1. Kim Jin-Hyuk, 2. Yoo Yeonhee. The award has been split up!]" – felt distant, hollow echoes in the aftermath of the brutal encounter. They were mere digital pronouncements, devoid of any emotional significance, failing to penetrate the emotional numbness that had settled over him. The subsequent cascade of "[You have leveled up]" notifications only served to underscore the detachment he felt, the growing chasm between his physical prowess and his emotional emptiness. His stats, now permanently fixed at twenty-six, were a testament to his power, a cold, hard fact that provided little solace. They were a stark reminder of the emotional void at his core, the price he had paid for his strength, the sacrifice he had made in exchange for his power.

He awoke in the sterile, clinical environment of a hospital bed, drenched in sweat, the harrowing events of the dungeon replaying vividly in his mind, each detail etched into his memory with brutal clarity. The deep gash across his stomach served as a grim reminder of his near-death experience, a physical manifestation of the vulnerability he had so painstakingly suppressed, a stark contrast to the invulnerability he had cultivated through his relentless training and the No Emotion skill. The unsettling question, "Why am I scared?", echoed in his mind, a dissonant note in the symphony of his carefully controlled existence, a terrifying intrusion into the calm he had worked so hard to maintain. The system's blunt announcement, "[The No Emotion has been removed temporarily]", was a chilling revelation, a confirmation of his deepest fears, a stark reminder of his own mortality. The temporary lapse in his emotional shield had unleashed a torrent of pent-up emotion, a flood of feelings he had suppressed for so long.

His frustration, long suppressed, exploded in a destructive outburst, a furious punch that shattered the hospital wall, sending a shower of rocks and debris crashing to the floor. The sheer force of the blow was astonishing; his knuckles remained miraculously unscathed, a stark contrast to the raw, untamed power that surged through him. The sudden commotion brought a wave of terrified doctors rushing into the room, their faces pale with fear and astonishment. A young female doctor, her eyes wide with fear, stammered a question, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and disbelief. The head doctor, his initial smile replaced by a look of sheer horror, let out a guttural exclamation, "H*ly shit!", a testament to the devastation wrought by Kim Jin-Hyuk's uncontrolled rage, a visceral reaction to the overwhelming emotions that had been unleashed. The head doctor, his face pale with the fear of losing his job, frantically tried to ascertain what had happened, his voice laced with desperate pleas, his composure shattered by the scene before him. Kim Jin-Hyuk, still reeling from the adrenaline rush and the sudden return of his emotions, could only manage a shaky, unconvincing, "I— broke it accidentally," a feeble attempt to explain the inexplicable, a testament to the disorientation he felt.

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