Dungeon Nexus: Rise of the Silent Walker

Jiho stood on the rooftop, the wind tugging at his coat as he eyed Choi Haeun warily. Her words echoed in his mind: The Guild is after the Nexus cores. The information could change everything, but trusting her? That was a different matter entirely.

"The Nexus cores…" Jiho muttered, the gears in his head turning. "How do you know this?"

Haeun hesitated before replying. "I was part of Seo Gwan's internal team. The higher-ups didn't trust him completely. They had contingencies, and I was one of them. My job was to observe, gather intel, and ensure the Guild's plans stayed on course. When Seo Gwan was killed, I realized they didn't care about loyalty—they only cared about control."

Jiho's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly is this 'plan' you're talking about?"

"Silver Fang wasn't just a rogue guild," Haeun continued, her voice steady despite Jiho's piercing gaze. "They were a puppet. A testing ground. The larger guilds—the ones you haven't seen yet—are consolidating power. Their end goal is simple: control all dungeons through the Nexus cores. With them, they can manipulate dungeon spawns, resources, even the creatures inside."

Jiho processed her words carefully. The Nexus cores—rare artifacts found in deeper dungeons—were poorly understood, even by veteran hunters. Most guilds treated them as trophies or power sources. But controlling all dungeons? That would shift the balance of power entirely.

"And where do I fit into this?" Jiho asked coldly.

Haeun sighed. "You're already on their radar. What you did to Silver Fang was a declaration of war, whether you intended it or not. They won't let you move freely anymore."

Jiho's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Let them try."

Haeun frowned. "You don't get it. They'll come after everything you hold dear—your home, your friends, your family."

At the mention of "family," Jiho's smirk vanished. A flicker of darkness passed through his eyes, the shadows around him rippling as though reacting to his emotions. "I don't have a family."

Haeun paused, carefully studying Jiho's reaction. "Whether you do or don't, they'll use whatever they can find. You're a threat, Jiho. And threats are eliminated."

Jiho fell silent, staring off into the city skyline. For years, he had operated alone, carving out his existence with nothing but his wits and his power. But now, the game had changed. If what Haeun said was true, then larger forces were already moving against him—forces far beyond Silver Fang.

"Why come to me?" Jiho finally asked. "You could have gone to another guild."

"Because I know how guilds work," Haeun said bitterly. "They're corrupt. Selfish. You're the only one I've seen take them down without becoming like them. Besides…" She looked at him carefully. "You're smart enough to know when you need allies."

Jiho let out a humorless chuckle. "Allies? I don't need anyone."

Haeun crossed her arms. "Then you'll lose."

The words hung in the air like a challenge. Jiho didn't respond immediately. He hated to admit it, but she was right. As strong as he was, he couldn't fight a war on every front alone—not against guilds with unlimited resources and armies of hunters. If the Nexus cores were their goal, Jiho would need to gather information, resources, and allies of his own.

"You said they're consolidating power," Jiho said after a moment. "How much time do I have?"

Haeun's expression turned grim. "Not much. Rising Moon has been tasked with recovering the next Nexus core. If they succeed, they'll gain control of the Seoul dungeon network."

"Rising Moon…" Jiho muttered. It wasn't a name he hadn't heard before. A mid-tier guild, infamous for their underhanded tactics and backroom deals. They were exactly the kind of organization that would act as a proxy for someone larger.

"I can get you their location," Haeun said. "But you'll need to move fast."

Jiho stared at her for a long moment. Trusting her was still a gamble, but he couldn't ignore the opportunity. Rising Moon wouldn't just have the Nexus core—they would have answers.

"Fine," Jiho said, turning to face her. "You'll give me the information. But don't think for a second this makes us friends."

"Agreed," Haeun replied, her voice steady. "But this is just the beginning, Jiho. You need to be ready."

Jiho's gaze darkened as he looked out over the city. The Nexus cores, the guild conspiracies, the larger forces at play—all of it pointed to something far greater than what he had faced so far. If he was going to survive, let alone win, he would need to start laying the groundwork for his own power.

The shadows coiled around him once more, as if sharing his resolve.

"Let them come," Jiho murmured to himself. "I'll tear down every last one of them."