Lucas pressed [Accept].
The moment his finger touched the glowing interface, a bright vortex of blue light erupted around Andre's body, engulfing him in a swirling storm of energy. The air crackled with an otherworldly force, sending a shiver down Lucas's spine.
Then it happened.
Andre's body jerked violently. His fingers twitched. His labored breaths deepened.
Then, in front of Lucas's disbelieving eyes, the fatal wounds began to mend.
The gaping gashes that should have ensured his death sealed shut. His shattered bones realigned with sickening cracks. The color returned to his face, flushing away the sickly pallor of near death.
A few seconds ago, Andre had been knocking on death's door.
Now, he was sitting up.
Lucas staggered back, his mind struggling to process the sheer impossibility of what he was witnessing.
Andre lifted his hands, staring at them in mute astonishment. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze toward Lucas.
And when he spoke, his voice was... different.
"Your orders, sir?"
Lucas's stomach twisted into a knot.
He took an involuntary step back. "W-what?"
Andre didn't blink. His gaze was unwavering, filled with a strange, eerie reverence that hadn't been there before.
Lucas felt a cold sweat drip down his spine. This isn't normal.
Before he could demand an explanation, a new window appeared.
[System Creator Skill Activated!] [You have created a special system for Andre: "Evolution System"!]
[Skill Explanation:]
You can grant a person a system if they fulfill a specific and rare condition.
Once granted a system, they become your minion.
As they kill monsters and level up, their power increases independently.
You can issue commands, and they must obey.
Additionally, 1% of their total power is permanently absorbed by you.
Lucas's pulse froze.
He wasn't just giving someone a system he was owning them.
And not only that he would grow stronger just by letting them fight.
He lifted his gaze back to Andre, who was still kneeling, still waiting for his command like a soldier awaiting orders.
His mouth went dry.
"…Andre?" His voice was cautious, uncertain.
"Yes, sir." Andre responded immediately, his tone firm, yet… strangely devoid of hesitation.
Lucas's stomach churned. This isn't right.
Andre had never spoken like this before. He was a normal guy. A fellow C-rank hunter someone who cursed when he was frustrated, laughed when he was nervous, and panicked when faced with death.
But now… now he looked at Lucas as if he were something greater.
Like a master.
Lucas's fingers twitched.
"What… what do you feel right now?" he asked.
Andre paused. "I feel… stronger. Clearer. My mind is sharper, my body is lighter. And…" He hesitated before adding, "I feel the need to obey you."
Lucas's breath hitched.
That single word sent a chill crawling up his spine. Obey?
And then he heard footsteps.
From the dark depths of the dungeon, more creatures began emerging. Their glowing eyes flickered like torches in the shadows, their guttural growls reverberating through the cavern walls.
Lucas had no time to think. No time to doubt.
Because survival came first.
He swallowed, forcing down his unease. "Andre."
"Yes, sir."
Lucas hesitated for only a fraction of a second before giving his first command.
"…Kill them all."
Andre's lips curled into a slow, predatory grin. "With pleasure."
---
Lucas could barely breathe as he watched Andre throw himself at the monsters, his movements fueled by something far beyond sheer survival instinct.
It wasn't just a battle it was a slaughter.
Andre was still a C-rank hunter, nothing more, nothing less. His stats hadn't skyrocketed, nor had he suddenly gained overwhelming power. But the way he moved... the way he fought...
It was monstrous.
The air smelled of blood.
A wolf lunged at him, its fangs bared and eyes wild, but before it could reach him, Andre sidestepped with eerie precision and slammed his fist into its ribs. The sickening sound of bones snapping filled the dungeon. The beast yelped in agony, but before it could react
Crack!
Andre stomped on its skull, crushing it under his boot as if it were nothing but a fragile twig.
Lucas felt his stomach churn. What the hell happened to him?
"Andre! Are you okay?!" he called out.
Andre didn't respond. He was panting, his body trembling but not from exhaustion. His eyes darted wildly, filled with something Lucas could only describe as hunger.
Then, suddenly
From the darkness of the dungeon, three enormous wolves stepped forward, their eyes glowing red, their bodies twice the size of the ones Andre had just killed.
They weren't normal monsters.
They were Dungeon Sub-Bosses.
Andre took a step back, his breathing ragged. For the first time since his brutal rampage began, a flicker of hesitation crossed his face.
Lucas clenched his fists. Shit. This isn't good.
Andre might be strong, but a C-rank hunter couldn't possibly defeat three sub-bosses alone.
The wolves didn't wait.
One of them lunged.
Andre barely managed to dodge, but the second one was already closing in. Before he could react, its razor-sharp claws tore through his arm, sending blood splattering across the stone floor.
"Gah!!"
Andre collapsed to one knee, clutching his wound. His vision blurred. His mind:
I'm going to die.
His strength wasn't enough. His body wasn't enough. This wasn't like before.
Then
"Andre! Take this!"
Something shimmered in the dim light.
Lucas's dagger landed at his feet.
It was nothing special. Just a well-sharpened blade. A weapon that shouldn't have mattered against these beasts.
But it was all he had.
Then, a voice cut through his despair.
"Kill the weak wolf over there!"
Andre's eyes darted to the side. A smaller wolf. Weaker. Slower. Easier to kill.
There was no time to think.
Andre grabbed the dagger and dashed forward, pushing past the pain in his arm. The weak wolf snarled and leapt
SHLK!
The dagger sank deep into its throat, cutting through muscle and bone.
The wolf twitched. Screamed. Then fell silent.
And the moment it died
[Congratulations! Your minion Andre has risen to Level 2!]
Lucas's eyes widened as new text appeared.
[You can allocate 5 Development Points.]
"Wait, what? I can level him up?!"
A blue screen materialized before him, displaying three stats:
Strength
Agility
Mana
There was no time to hesitate.
"All points into Strength!"
The instant he made the selection
Andre froze as something unseen coursed through his body.
His muscles tightened. His veins pulsed. Raw power surged through his limbs.
His pain vanished.
His exhaustion evaporated.
He clenched his fists and in that moment.
He was stronger.
Much stronger.
The wolves must have sensed it too, because for a brief moment, they hesitated.
Andre grinned.
"Now this… this is interesting."
He launched himself forward.
The first wolf barely had time to react before Andre's fist slammed into its face with enough force to cave in its skull.
CRACK!
Its body went limp before it even hit the ground.
The second wolf lunged in retaliation, but Andre moving faster than before grabbed it by the throat, lifted it off the ground, and smashed it into the dungeon wall.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Lucas watched, stunned. He had never seen anything like this.
This wasn't just a hunter growing stronger.
This was something else.
Something terrifying.
An Unnatural Awakening
Andre stood among the corpses, his breath slow and steady. His once torn arm was now barely a scratch.
Lucas swallowed hard.
He wanted to be excited. He wanted to be relieved that they had survived.
But something about the way Andre stood... the way he smiled...
It made his skin crawl.
"Andre…" Lucas called hesitantly.
Andre turned to him, his bloodstained face illuminated by the faint dungeon light. His eyes once filled with life now held something else entirely.
Something cold.
Something inhuman.
Then, in a voice devoid of hesitation, he asked:
"Who's next?"