A few days later, Junyeok stood before the entrance of an E-Rank dungeon, hidden deep within the heart of a forest.
"So this is it…"
A faint smile appeared on his face. "Finally found it."
This dungeon had already been cleared one year ago. Because it was low-level and easy, contractors had stripped it clean—no monsters, no treasures, nothing of value left behind.
A place everyone else had abandoned.
"Basically a pile of trash now," Junyeok muttered as he stepped inside, a grim smile creeping onto his face.
But this dungeon was never meant to be important—
Not yet.
Three months from now, during a sudden earthquake, a hidden passage buried deep inside this dungeon would be exposed. That same incident would later be linked to a train accident.
An accident that had taken his mother's life.
Junyeok clenched his jaw, anger and frustration flashing across his face.
"…But not this time."
Letting out a slow breath, he began inspecting the walls, his eyes sharp, his movements deliberate. He ignored the main paths and focused on places others would never bother checking.
Then—
"Found it."
He pressed a specific brick embedded in the wall.
With a low, grinding sound, stone shifted.
A secret passage slowly opened before him.
A wary smile crossed Junyeok's face.
"I can sense it… but this shouldn't be possible," he murmured.
"For a baby echo to use telepathy before reaching adulthood…"
As he stepped inside, a faint presence made itself known.
An Echo.
Normally, echoes were discovered in their infant form, valued mostly for their cute appearance. Over time, as they trained alongside their contractor, they evolved into their intermediate forms, resembling beasts or animals.
Once the bond deepened and their strength reached a threshold, they would awaken into their adult forms—powerful enough to rival most monsters.
But there was another stage.
A stage so rare that it was considered a myth.
The True Form.
Only seventeen people in the entire world had reached it in Junyeok's past life.
Today, that number had dropped to nine.
And standing before him now was an echo connected to that very legend.
"The Three Riddles," Junyeok muttered.
"So this is the condition to form a contract…"
As he moved forward, goblins suddenly poured in, blocking his path.
Again?
Junyeok sighed. "Do they ever stop coming?"
He drew his sword and braced himself.
The first goblin lunged from the shadows, its jagged blade swinging with wild ferocity. Junyeok barely sidestepped, the air slicing across his cheek, and countered with a precise strike to the goblin's neck. The sound of cracking bones echoed through the tunnel.
Two more charged from the left, claws and crude swords raised. Junyeok spun, using the momentum to knock one off balance before delivering a lethal thrust into the other's shoulder. The wounded goblin screamed as it tumbled to the ground.
Another pair attacked together, coordinating their strikes. Junyeok ducked under one swing, rolled past another, and struck with the flat of his blade, sending them crashing into the walls. His arms burned with effort; every move was a calculated gamble. One slip, one misstep, and he could have been shredded.
Sweat dripped down his face. Breathing ragged, he watched as the last goblin lunged, eyes gleaming with murderous intent. Junyeok timed his attack, slicing across its chest just as it opened its mouth to shriek. The echo of the strike reverberated across the stone chamber.
He stood there, blade still dripping, chest heaving.
"…Barely manageable," he muttered.
"If I hadn't trained at NACT, I'd be dead."
A heavy thrum shook the ground.
Something larger emerged from the shadows.
The Goblin Monster.
Its green skin was thick and scarred; muscles bulged under crude armor. Its eyes burned red with pure malice, and the massive greatsword it carried gleamed with menace.
Junyeok narrowed his eyes.
"So you've finally arrived."
The Monster roared, charging like a battering ram. Junyeok barely rolled aside as the blade smashed into the wall, sending stone debris flying. The force knocked him backward several feet, his vision blurred.
He pushed himself up, muscles screaming. Another swing forced him to duck under the edge by mere centimeters. The air itself seemed to compress with the strength behind each strike. Junyeok's arms shook as he tried to keep his footing, every motion consuming every ounce of energy he had.
The Monster feinted, then spun in a whirlwind attack. Junyeok pivoted, parrying one strike while narrowly avoiding another, the clash of steel against steel ringing through the dungeon. His chest heaved; sweat and blood mixed across his face. One wrong move and this would end him.
Finally, an opening appeared. The Monster overextended slightly, and Junyeok charged. He ducked under the swing, rolled, and launched a precise upward strike into the monster's underarm, then pivoted and drove his sword straight through its chest.
The creature let out a final, ear-shattering roar before collapsing to the floor. Stones tumbled from the ceiling as the impact shook the chamber.
Junyeok dropped to his knees, chest burning.
"…Barely."
He wiped his blade and exhaled slowly, muscles trembling. Victory had been earned through sheer precision, training, and luck.
Beyond the fallen monster lay an enormous chamber.
At its center—
A small black dragon, curled peacefully, breathing softly.
"…It looks like a baby?" Junyeok muttered.
The echo opened its eyes.
—You have reached me.
Junyeok stepped forward calmly.
"Let's finish this."
As he looked at the echo, his mind recalled something from his past life—a research book he had found in an A-Rank dungeon, detailing rare echoes. The name he had read there came rushing back.
"Nyxara…" he whispered under his breath.
—Are you ready for the Three Trials of Wisdom?
The echo's voice echoed directly inside his mind.
"Ready?" Junyeok scoffed.
"I was ready the moment I was born again."
The echo smiled—an unsettling, knowing smile.
"You're confident. Let's see how long that lasts."
The trials were brutal.
Each riddle was harder than the last, designed to twist the mind of even the most experienced contractor.
—What is born without form, yet shapes the world?
Junyeok answered with ease: "Willpower."
—What cannot be held, yet carries all weight?
"Responsibility."
—What kills without hands, yet spares the clever?
"Wisdom."
The final riddle came.
—Speak my true name.
Junyeok smiled.
"Nyxara."
Nyxara rolled on the ground, tears streaming down her tiny face.
"How… how is this possible?" she cried, voice trembling.
"For a mere fool like you… to answer all of this?"
Junyeok's face darkened.
"What did you just say to your contractor?" he snapped, anger flashing in his eyes.
With one hand, he slammed the other against it, sending a resounding impact.
Nyxara immediately sat up, trembling, her small body shaking.
A scared expression crossed her face, knowing—instinctively—what Junyeok was capable of and what the future held for her.
Junyeok took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with anticipation. He stepped closer to Nyxara, who shrank slightly, her black scales shimmering faintly under the dim light of the chamber. Their eyes met, and in that instant, both of them understood the magnitude of the moment—their fates intertwined. Junyeok even remembered how he had discovered her name, Nyxara, from a research book he had found in an A-Rank dungeon during his past life.
"Nyxara…" Junyeok whispered softly, his voice steady but filled with determination. "Let's do this. Let's form our contract."
The dragon's small wings trembled, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear, awe, and something like trust. Slowly, she nodded, the faint glow of her body beginning to pulse as if recognizing his intent.
Junyeok lifted his hands, placing them lightly in front of him. Nyxara mirrored the gesture instinctively, stretching out her tiny claws. The moment their palms—or in Nyxara's case, claw tips—almost touched, a spark of energy surged between them.
A warm, golden light spread from Junyeok's chest, while a deep, shadowy aura radiated from Nyxara. The two energies collided and intertwined, weaving into a single shimmering chain of light that stretched between their hearts. Each pulse of the chain seemed to synchronize their breathing, their heartbeat, and even their thoughts.
Junyeok gasped softly, feeling a pull, a tether that was neither physical nor purely magical. It was as if he could feel Nyxara's fear, her confusion, her tiny joy—and she could feel his resolve and the fire that had burned in him for years.
Nyxara's glowing eyes flickered between red and gold, reflecting her rapidly changing emotions. Her tiny body shivered as the chain wrapped around her like a gentle restraint, linking her completely to Junyeok. Every scale on her body shimmered as if bathed in moonlight, her wings folding instinctively around herself while her tail coiled slightly beneath her.
Junyeok's hands hovered near her, almost touching, yet the connection between their hearts felt stronger than any physical bond could be. His pulse raced as he realized the depth of the synchronization—every thought, every feeling mirrored, yet distinct. He could feel her trust solidifying, the hesitation melting away into a quiet, hesitant acceptance.
"Nyxara…" he whispered again, this time with a softer tone. "We're bound now. No matter what comes next, we'll face it together."
A sudden, bright surge of light erupted from the chain, wrapping around both of them and illuminating the chamber with a warm radiance. Junyeok's vision blurred, not from pain, but from the intensity of the bond connecting them. Joy, relief, awe, and a sense of responsibility all collided inside his chest.
Nyxara's small frame shook as tears sparkled along her scales, but this time they were not of fear—they were of acceptance. She sat on the ground, trembling, a scared expression on her face as she realized what this bond meant for her future. Her voice, weak but clear in his mind, whispered:
"I… I understand now. I am yours, in this contract."
Junyeok's lips curved into a determined smile. His heart throbbed in perfect sync with the chain of light that linked them. "And I am yours," he replied firmly, his expression hardening as he silently reminded her of her place.
For a long moment, neither moved. The light of the bond lingered, illuminating the chamber with a gentle glow. It was more than just a contract—it was a promise, a lifeline, a tether that connected not only their strengths but their very souls.
Finally, Nyxara's glow dimmed slightly, her wings flexing as if testing the new limits of her strength. She let out a soft, reverent hiss, and Junyeok chuckled quietly.
"This… this is just the beginning," he said, his eyes alight with excitement and resolve.
The chain of light between them pulsed one last time, sealing their bond. Their fates were now intertwined, their hearts linked, and their journey finally begins after the end.