It was an official royal expedition.
A joint operation between the Hero and his "companions" — emphasis on the quotation marks — to investigate a dangerous Class-B dungeon that had appeared overnight in the western woods.
The objective: assess and clear the threat.
The unspoken reality: babysit Kai so he doesn't cause another natural disaster.
Kai squinted at the glowing cave entrance.
"So this is it? Dungeon of… Glimmering Shadows?"
Yulia corrected him. "No. It's the Dungeon of Dying Trust."
Kai blinked. "That's not ominous at all."
Elira stepped forward, examining the carved runes on the cave wall. "The structure is ancient. Possibly pre-cataclysmic."
Lira knelt, touched the ground. "Only one set of footprints came back out."
"Maybe they forgot their shoes," Kai offered.
No one laughed.
They stepped inside.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the air changed.
The entrance sealed behind them with a dull slam of shifting stone.
Virela smiled faintly. "Classic."
Kai turned. "That's not normal?"
"No," Yulia muttered, already conjuring a light spell. "The dungeon just accepted us. Like… players entering a game."
Kai stared at her. "Okay but like, how many of those games try to eat the party?"
"All of them," Lira said.
The first chamber was wide and echoing, with glowing fungus along the walls and a strange chill in the air.
As they walked, the tension was… unbearable.
Four women. One Kai.
Three of them very aware of the fourth — the demoness walking gracefully at the rear.
"Why is she even here?" Elira snapped over her shoulder.
"I'm representing interspecies diplomacy," Virela said sweetly. "And observing the Hero's… physical aptitude."
"That's my job," Yulia said icily.
"No," Elira said, "that's my job."
"I thought we were supposed to protect him," Lira added, hand near her dagger.
"Maybe we should let the dungeon do it for us," Yulia muttered under her breath.
Kai was sweating.
He was pretty sure the torches weren't even lit yet.
[System Note: Harem Pressure has reached 78%. Recommend strategic distraction.]
Suggested Action: Be dumb. You're good at that.
He clapped his hands. "Okay! Team! Mission vibes! Let's gooooo!"
Virela chuckled.
Yulia sighed.
Elira drew her sword.
Lira stared at him like she was calculating stab angles.
The second chamber was filled with statues — tall stone guardians, all facing inward toward the center.
"Trap," Yulia said instantly.
"Definitely a trap," Elira agreed.
"Confirmed," Lira added, pulling out smoke bombs.
Kai walked directly into the middle.
"Statue bros! You guys alive?"
All four women shouted at once: "GET OUT OF THE—"
Too late.
The statues' eyes lit red.
Their stone arms began to move.
Kai sighed. "Yup. That's on me."
[System Activated: Passive Skill – "Oops, All Combat"]
Enemies aggroed. Allies annoyed. Boss mildly impressed.
The battle was pure chaos.
Elira's flaming sword cut down two statues.
Yulia cast frost sigils mid-air, freezing several in place.
Lira danced through stone legs like a shadow, daggers flashing.
Virela… smiled — and unleashed a dark energy burst that vaporized three golems in a single spell.
Kai stood in the center, spinning in circles, trying not to get stepped on.
"Hey!" he called. "My frying pan's in my bag if anyone needs it!"
"No one needs your—" CRASH!
A statue swung for him. He ducked. It missed and hit another statue, which then collapsed on itself like a domino.
[Critical Hit!]
[You have defeated two enemies via accident. MVP bonus applied.]
When the dust cleared, all the statues were destroyed.
Kai was holding a broken rock and looking proud.
"See? Totally under control."
All four girls stared at him.
He grinned.
The next chamber was darker — filled with fog, whispers, and the faint sound of crying.
Kai squinted into the gloom. "Is that… a kid?"
"No," Lira said, drawing both blades. "It's a mimic illusion."
Yulia cast a scan spell. "It's trying to mimic your memories. To lower your guard."
A voice whispered from the mist.
"Kai… you left us… why?"
Kai froze.
That voice—
It was Hana's.
His childhood friend.
Before he could say anything, Elira grabbed his arm. "Don't listen. Keep walking."
But the voice came again.
"You forgot me, Kai. Just like everyone else."
His hands trembled.
[System Alert: Memory Distortion Field Detected.]
Warning: Mental strain rising. Emotion-triggered magic may surge.
Suddenly, the fog snapped — and a shadow beast lunged from it.
Virela reacted first.
Her hand glowed with violet fire. She whispered, "Back away from him," and launched a blazing spear through the air.
It struck the beast in the chest, pinning it to the dungeon wall. It let out a shriek and vanished into smoke.
The fog cleared.
Kai was pale.
Virela stood close, hand on his chest. "Are you hurt?"
Yulia pushed between them. "He's fine. Stand back."
Elira was already scanning him for curses.
Lira remained silent. Watching. Measuring.
Eventually, they reached the final chamber — a stone altar with glowing runes and a floating crystal.
Kai reached for it.
Elira grabbed his wrist.
"Wait."
He blinked. "What? Why?"
"This entire dungeon's theme is trust. That crystal might not be what it seems."
"Or it might be the key out," Yulia said.
"Or a trap," Lira muttered.
"Or bait," Virela added, watching the others.
Kai looked around.
All of them.
Fierce. Smart. Terrifying.
But none of them trusted each other.
And maybe… they were right not to.
He touched the crystal.
It flared.
And shattered.
The dungeon shook.
The ceiling cracked.
And the world went white.
When Kai opened his eyes… he was outside.
Lying in the grass.
Alone.
No sign of the girls.
No sign of the dungeon.
Just a voice — soft, feminine, and echoing inside his head.
"Choose wisely, Hero. The more you trust… the more they'll hurt you."
He sat up, heart racing.
[System Update: Trial Complete.]
Reward: "Soul Insight – Rank F"
Bonus: One memory fragment unlocked.
In the distance, the others began to appear — one by one, stumbling out of glowing portals.
They didn't speak.
They didn't look at each other.
But every one of them stared at Kai like something had changed.
Something small.
Something dangerous.