Jack didn't leave.
Even after the creature dissolved… even after the system messages faded…
He stayed.
Standing in the middle of the silent construction site, gripping the Null Edge, his breathing slowly stabilizing.
"…There's more," he said quietly.
The system had said Hidden Node.
And this place—
Still didn't feel normal.
The air hadn't returned to what it was before.
It was still heavy.
Still wrong.
Jack activated Numerical Insight again.
The world shifted.
Lines.
So many lines.
They ran across the ground, through the walls, even into the air itself. But now—compared to before—they were clearer.
Sharper.
And converging.
Jack's eyes followed them.
"They're pointing… somewhere."
All the lines—
All the invisible calculations—
They led deeper into the construction site.
Toward the unfinished building.
Jack tightened his grip on the dagger.
"…Guess I don't have a choice."
He stepped forward.
Each step felt like crossing an invisible boundary.
The deeper he went, the quieter it became.
No wind.
No distant traffic.
Nothing.
Just—
Silence.
Then—
[Hidden Node Located]
Jack stopped.
Right in front of him—
Nothing.
Just empty space.
"…Seriously?" he frowned.
But his eyes didn't lie.
The numbers didn't lie.
There—
At a precise coordinate—
Something existed.
Just… not visible.
Jack slowly raised his hand.
"Let's see what you are…"
He touched the air.
And reality—
Cracked.
A ripple spread outward like glass breaking under pressure.
The empty space distorted.
Twisted.
Then—
It opened.
A dark entrance formed in front of him.
Like a tear in the world.
Inside—
Only darkness.
Cold air rushed out.
Jack's heart pounded.
"…This is insane."
[Node Activated]
[Subspace Instance Unlocked]
Jack let out a breath.
"…Subspace?"
He looked at the entrance again.
Every instinct screamed at him to walk away.
To go home.
To pretend none of this existed.
But—
He tightened his grip on the dagger.
"No."
His eyes hardened.
"I didn't come this far to stop now."
And without hesitation—
He stepped inside.
The world flipped.
For a brief moment—
There was no up.
No down.
No sound.
Then—
THUD.
Jack landed on solid ground.
He groaned, pushing himself up.
"…Where am I…"
He looked around.
And froze.
This wasn't the construction site anymore.
It was a ruin.
A massive underground structure, stretching far beyond what should exist beneath the city.
Broken pillars.
Cracked stone floors.
Ancient symbols carved into the walls.
"…A dungeon…" Jack whispered.
The air here felt different.
Denser.
Charged.
And then—
[Instance Dungeon Detected]
[Name: Fragmented Node – Level 1]
[Recommended Level: 1–3]
Jack let out a short laugh.
"…At least I'm not underleveled."
But something about this place—
Felt dangerous.
More dangerous than before.
He took a step forward.
Crunch.
Jack looked down.
Bones.
Old.
Dry.
"…Yeah… definitely dangerous."
He moved carefully.
Every step calculated.
Every movement precise.
Numerical Insight stayed active.
He scanned everything.
Distances.
Angles.
Shadows.
Nothing moved.
Too quiet.
"…That's not good," Jack muttered.
Then—
A sound.
Skreeeeech…
Jack's body tensed instantly.
From the darkness ahead—
Shapes emerged.
Not one.
Three.
The same type of creatures.
Twisted.
Faceless.
But smaller.
Faster.
[Corrupted Fragments x3]
Jack exhaled slowly.
"…Of course it's not going to be easy."
The creatures spread out.
Surrounding him.
Jack's grip tightened on the dagger.
"Alright…"
His voice was calm.
Focused.
"Round two."
They attacked.
All at once.
Jack moved.
Not panicked.
Not desperate.
Controlled.
He stepped forward—
Dodged the first.
Turned—
Slashed the second.
SHING!
The blade connected.
A clean hit.
The creature glitched—
But didn't fall.
"Not enough damage…"
The third lunged from behind.
Jack twisted—
Barely avoiding it.
"…Too fast."
His mind accelerated.
Calculating.
Adapting.
Patterns formed.
"They're synchronized…"
A rhythm.
A sequence.
Jack smiled slightly.
"…Got you."
Next attack—
He didn't dodge randomly.
He predicted.
First left.
Then right.
Then behind.
Perfect.
He moved before they did.
Step.
Turn.
Strike.
CRACK!
One shattered.
"Two left."
The remaining creatures reacted faster.
More aggressive.
But Jack—
Was faster now.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Everything made sense.
Every movement—
A number.
Every attack—
A calculation.
"End this."
He dashed forward.
A precise step—
A perfect angle—
And—
SLASH!
Second one shattered.
The last creature hesitated.
For the first time—
It showed weakness.
Jack didn't waste it.
He lunged.
Clean.
Direct.
CRACK!
Silence returned.
Jack stood there, breathing heavily.
"…That was… easier."
Not easy.
But easier than before.
He was improving.
Fast.
Too fast.
Then—
[Enemies Eliminated]
[Experience Gained]
[Level Up!]
A warm surge flowed through his body.
Fatigue faded slightly.
His mind sharpened further.
"…Level 2," he whispered.
Then—
[Loot Generated]
Three small lights appeared.
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"…More drops?"
The lights solidified.
Items.
[Item 1: Minor Healing Potion]
[Item 2: Minor Healing Potion]
[Item 3: Fragment Core]
Jack picked them up.
The potions glowed faintly red.
"…That'll help."
But the third item—
The core—
It pulsed.
Stronger than the others.
[Fragment Core]
Type: Material
Description: Contains condensed corrupted energy. Can be used for upgrades.
Jack's eyes narrowed.
"…Upgrades?"
Before he could think further—
The ground trembled.
Jack froze.
"…What now?"
From deeper within the ruins—
A presence emerged.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Watching.
Then—
[Warning]
[Boss Entity Detected]
Jack slowly turned toward the darkness ahead.
A massive shadow moved.
And for the first time—
Jack felt it.
Fear.
But instead of stepping back—
He smiled.
"…Now this is getting interesting."
He tightened his grip on the dagger.
And stepped forward.