**<Lv: 44>**  
**Race**: Death Knight  
**Passive Traits**: [Advanced Swordsmanship], [Natural Healing]  
**Active Traits**: [Reinforcement Skill], [Evolution Skill]  
**Status...**

---

"You’ve got to be kidding me."  

The status window was projected clearly before my eyes.  

After two hours of denial, I finally accepted it.  
Reincarnated into a game.  
Something I’d only ever seen in webtoons or web novels had happened to me.  

---

"Ha..."  

A sigh escaped my lips, carrying a cold chill with it. The breath of the dead, not the living.  
A fresh reminder of the reality that I was now a Death Knight.  

Even my reflection in the spring was grotesque to the point of absurdity.  

What stared back wasn’t a face but a skull reminiscent of a plague doctor’s bird mask from the Middle Ages. Antler-like horns grew from my head, while lifeless white hair hung in disheveled strands.  

Hidden beneath black iron armor, my body was invisible, but I was certain it was all bone underneath. Just like in the game.  

And of all the games, it had to be *72 Dungeon*. To top it off, I’d been dropped into Undead Difficulty, the most brutal mode.  

---

What a miserable situation.  

Still, what should I do now?  

What do you think? First, I survive.  

This was an era dominated by dungeon raids and monster hunts. The moment I was spotted by humans, I’d be hunted down by a subjugation squad.  

The main reason Undead Difficulty was notorious was because of humanity’s unrelenting hostility.  

---

"At least I still have a status window. That’s something."  

The stats displayed were decent.  
But overpowered? Not a chance.  

I was simply an upper-tier undead—a Death Knight.  

The only unique features were my active traits, and even those were just Reinforcement Skill and Evolution Skill.  

---

The original class of this character wasn’t even Death Knight; it was *Reinforcement Specialist*.  

When you activate the undead Easter egg, the type of undead you transform into is randomized. That’s how I ended up here.  

Reinforcement Specialists excel at upgrading weapons or evolving familiars, fighting indirectly by empowering others.  
And now? All my upgraded weapons and familiars were gone.  

Only the active traits remained, lingering as a bitter reminder.  

---

"Well, it’s better than nothing."  

At least my progress hadn’t been reset.  

Evolution Skill, however, was useless for now.  

It couldn’t be applied to me—only to familiars. And I didn’t even have a low-level skeleton minion, let alone a high-ranking lich.  
Basically, a skill with no application.  

Reinforcement Skill, on the other hand?  

Death Knights start with A-grade equipment. If I successfully upgraded my gear, I might just ride the equipment wave to overpowered status.  

---

*Creak, creak.*  
Even pulling the rusted greatsword from its scabbard on my back was a chore. The nails-on-a-chalkboard screech set my teeth on edge.  

Finally freeing the blade, I glanced at it. A notification appeared.  

---

[Black Knight’s Black Iron Greatsword (A)]  
[Durability: 90]  
[Enhancement Chance: 10%]  
[※ Caution! Failure will result in automatic destruction!]  
[Cooldown resets upon failure.]  
[Enhance Black Knight’s Black Iron Greatsword?]  
[YES/NO]  

---

"Destroyed if I fail?"  

I blinked. Surely, I was mistaken. This wasn’t how it worked before.  

In the game, failure only triggered a one-hour cooldown. You could keep retrying until it worked.  

But here? This was reality, and now there was this absurd penalty?  

What about the rest of my equipment...?  

---

[Black Knight’s Black Iron Armor (A)]  
[Enhancement Chance: 4%]  
[※ Caution! Failure will result in automatic destruction!]  

[Black Knight’s Black Iron Gauntlets (A)]  
[Enhancement Chance: 8%]  
[※ Caution! Failure will result in automatic destruction!]  

[Black Knight’s Black Iron Helmet (A)]  
[Enhancement Chance: 6%]  
[※ Caution! Failure will result in automatic destruction!]  

---

The faint hope I’d clung to vanished like smoke in the wind.  

No, I couldn’t let this crush me.  

Let’s think of it this way—what if I didn’t have any traits to begin with? This is still better.  

Stay positive. Stay optimistic.  

Who am I? A Death Knight, nearly impossible to kill.  

I don’t need to eat, sleep, or even use the bathroom. Isn’t that what you’d call a lucky break?  

Housing, food, and basic survival needs? Already solved.  

The real issue now was finding a way to hide from humans.  

---

The forest I was in was clearly dangerous.  

Scattered traps laid by humans and signs of logging were everywhere. It was practically a flashing neon sign: "There’s a human village nearby."  

Wandering around in broad daylight? Might as well call it natural selection.  

On top of that, this spot had a spring.  

Water attracts wild animals, which in turn attract hunters. The traps in the area made that clear.  

For all I knew, someone might have already spotted me through the bushes. I could only hope that wasn’t the case.  

---

'For now, moving around is too risky.'  

During the day, villagers might enter the forest. At night, however, the forest would become dangerous for them.  

If I wanted to avoid being seen, nighttime was my best option.  

On top of that, undead creatures take damage from prolonged sunlight exposure.  

For a Death Knight like me, nighttime would serve as the perfect cover.  

If only I had a stealth ability among my traits... but of course, I got stuck with a sorcerer-based class. Just my luck.  

---

I needed a good hiding spot until nightfall.  

This wasn’t a dense forest, but there had to be places where I could lay low.  

Preferably somewhere an undead could stay out of the sun. Worst case, I’d bury myself alive.  

---

"Hmm?"  

Then, I spotted it.  

A hole obscured by vines and a large boulder loomed in the distance.  

The vines concealed it so well that it was nearly invisible from afar.  

---

"Perfect."  

A naturally hidden hideout. Why wouldn’t I take it?  

***

### Chapter 1 (2)

---

"Hey, rookie. First dungeon expedition?"  
"Uh, yes? Are we really heading to a dungeon?"  
"Who said we’re dungeon divers, you idiot? Quit trembling and straighten up!"  

*Whack! Whack!*  

A heavy hand slapped Henry’s back, almost knocking him over.  
The senior members of the exploration team burst out laughing at the sight.  

---

"Jeez... Why’s this guy acting like such a scared little girl?"  
"If he were born a woman, he’d probably be super popular. Heck, even now, he’s got a fanbase among weirdos with odd preferences."  
"Haha..."  

Henry awkwardly scratched his cheek and chuckled along.  

---

They were part of the Whemad Ivory Exploration Team—a run-of-the-mill group, nothing particularly special.  

Some of them made their living as explorers, but most were just thrill-seekers hoping to strike it rich by finding treasure in ancient ruins.  

Their dedication might have been questionable, but their experience wasn’t.  
Everyone except rookie Henry had been exploring for over a year, and their captain was a seasoned veteran with decades of fieldwork under his belt.  

---

"Captain, is that the spot? The one the villagers mentioned?"  
"Looks like it."  
"Wow, you really can’t tell from a distance. Though it doesn’t look much like a ruin either."  
"Better than nothing, though."  
"Fair enough."  

---

They climbed halfway up the mountain behind the village and found a cave obscured by vines and boulders.  

The entrance was eerie and gloomy, but to seasoned explorers, it felt like a second home.  

The captain led the way in, and the rest of the team followed without hesitation.  

---

‘They’re actually going in there?’  

Henry stood frozen in place.  

He had only ever heard rumors about ancient ruins being hidden in desolate places like this.  
But hearing and seeing were two different things.  

That ominous cave looked just like a dungeon. Were they really going in without a second thought?  

Henry, like many others, had joined with dreams of quick riches. But now, standing in front of the cave, he realized this wasn’t something you could approach half-heartedly.  

---

"What are you doing standing there? Rookie? Hey, rookie! Henry!"  
"Y-Yes, sir!"  
"Damn it. There’s a limit to how clueless a rookie can be. Get moving."  
"Sorry, sir!"  

---

Henry’s footsteps were anything but light as he hurried to catch up.  

Once inside the cave, the lead explorer lit an oil-soaked torch, illuminating the path ahead.  

It wasn’t particularly remarkable; Henry let out a sigh of relief, his nerves easing.  

---

"What? Were you scared?"  
"Uh, yes. A little..."  
"A little, my ass. Your face is pale as a ghost. I get it, though. First time in a place like this, and it feels less like ruins and more like a dungeon, right?"  
"H-How did you know?"  
"Everyone feels that way, rookie. You’re not special."  

---

The cave’s low ceiling amplified their voices, causing them to echo.  
It could’ve been annoyingly loud, but no one said a word to stop them.  

Even for seasoned explorers, darkness stirred an instinctive fear in humans. Chatting like this created a sense of calm amidst the tension.  

---

"Did you think I was joking when I said we were heading into a dungeon?"  
"Haha. Honestly, if you hadn’t said anything, I might’ve thought it was a real dungeon."  
"You wouldn’t have even made it in. You’d have been screaming, ‘Why are we going into a dungeon? We’re an exploration team, not a subjugation squad!’"  

The other explorers chuckled softly at the thought of Henry’s squeaky voice.  

Henry, pretending not to notice, tried to change the subject.  

---

"Uh, there’s no way this place is actually a dungeon, right?"  
"Of course not. You think we came here without any prep? We checked everything in advance."  
"Really? So, it’s definitely not a dungeon?"  
"Stop being such a coward. Think for a second. The villagers said this cave’s been here forever, didn’t they?"  
"Yes, that’s right."  
"You think none of them ever wondered the same thing as you? If this place were suspicious, a subjugation guild would’ve checked it with mana detection ages ago."  

---

There were plenty of ways to determine if a location was a dungeon.  

The most reliable method was mana detection.  
Only sites confirmed through detection were officially registered as dungeons by the subjugation guilds.  

This cave had already been deemed just a cave. It wasn’t even suspected of being ruins.  

The team was only here because the village elder had suggested it as a good spot for explorers to check out during their stay.  

---

"Still... there’s always a chance it could be a dungeon."  
"...What?"  

Henry’s face went pale in an instant.  

His senior struggled to suppress his laughter but continued speaking.  

---

"You know what an irregular dungeon is?"  
"An... irregular dungeon?"  
"Sometimes, there are dungeons that can’t be detected from the outside. Even the best mages can’t explain it. Those are called irregular dungeons. And who knows? This place might just turn out to be one of those."  

---

*Gulp.*  

Henry’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.  

His senior’s eyes glinted mischievously.  

Teasing nervous rookies was a favorite pastime for veterans.  

---

"Irregular dungeons are way more dangerous than regular ones. Didn’t I just say they can’t be detected? Why do you think that is?"  
"Didn’t you just say it was unexplained...?"  
"God, you’re dense. It’s not that there’s no explanation—it’s that there’s no consensus. The most accepted theory from the subjugation guild is mana concealment."  
"Mana concealment?"  
"Exactly. If a dungeon boss can hide its mana, it means it’s intelligent. High-ranking. And every irregular dungeon discovered so far? They’ve been part of the 72 Dungeon series."  
"72 Dungeon?"  

---

The 72 Dungeons—considered the origin of dungeons and humanity’s greatest foe.  

If children feared boogeymen, the 72 Dungeons were the adult equivalent. A universal symbol of terror.  

---

Henry’s lips trembled as he processed the implications.  

If this cave was an irregular dungeon... did that mean it was also part of the 72 Dungeon series?  

---

"If this place is an irregular dungeon, we’re all dead. No exceptions. We’d die screaming our lungs out. Hell, if you cried loudly when you were born, you’d scream even louder when you die."  
"Enough, Jack. Don’t mess with the rookie too much."  
"Yeah, yeah. Judging by his face, one more word and he might wet himself."  

---

*Clank. Clank.*  

At that moment, the faint sound of metal echoed through the cave.  

It wasn’t from the team’s equipment. It came from the darkness beyond.  

---

"Shh!"  

The captain froze, holding up a hand to silence the group.  

One by one, the team caught on to the unusual sound.  

The vice-captain extinguished the torch and switched to a lantern with a dimmer flame.  

Then, as the captain pointed toward the source of the sound, everyone stiffened.  

---

A figure emerged from the shadows, clad in black armor that seemed to merge with the darkness.  

Its face wasn’t human—it was a skull.  

The Death Knight turned its head toward them, its eyes glowing with a menacing, icy blue light.