The stench of blood and rot clung to the damp dungeon air like a curse.
Kairo Vale stood still, his chest heaving, black jacket clinging to his sweat-drenched body. In his trembling hands, he gripped a chipped dagger—its edge cracked, barely good enough to peel an apple, let alone slay a beast.
"Dammit…" he muttered under his breath, glaring at the corpse of a horned goblin at his feet. He had only managed to kill it because it was already half-dead from someone else's attack.
Even the loot had already been stripped.
Above him, the translucent blue interface of the Hunter Association system blinked coldly:
[Enemy Defeated – XP: 0]
[Contributed Damage: 3%]
Laughter echoed from deeper within the dungeon.
"Hey, F-rank! You planning to finish the dungeon or stand there collecting pity points?"
Kairo looked up slowly.
Three other hunters—his party—stood at the edge of the corridor, bathed in the purple glow of the mana crystals embedded in the walls. They wore sleek armor, enchanted boots, and carried weapons that shimmered with magical runes.
In contrast, Kairo looked like a stray who had wandered into a battlefield.
"Sorry…" he said, voice low.
Jax, the team leader, sneered. "Don't apologize. Just stay out of the way and don't screw this up. If another one of us gets hurt covering your useless ass, I swear I'll leave you behind."
Kairo bit down the words rising in his throat. He needed this. Even a low-tier gate like this paid better than sitting at home waiting for a miracle. Rent was due. His sister's medication was running out.
"I understand," he said instead.
The group moved on, leaving Kairo to trail behind them like a ghost.
---
Five years ago, dungeons began to appear all over the world. Some called it the "Awakening." Others called it the end.
Those who survived the first year were labeled Hunters, people gifted with stats and skills, tasked with entering these gates to slay monsters, collect resources, and prevent dungeon breaks that could wipe out cities.
Kairo had been among the first to awaken. But instead of fireballs or sword mastery, he got [Shadow Blink Lv.1]—a skill with a 24-hour cooldown and barely 2 meters of range.
Useless.
In a world of superhumans, he was a crawling insect.
---
The team reached the final chamber of the dungeon. It was a wide, circular hall lined with twisted stone pillars. In the center stood a hulking creature—a Dreadfang Minotaur, its body a mass of muscle and scars, its horns glowing crimson.
"Okay," Jax said, drawing his broadsword. "This one's mine. You two flank from the sides. Kairo…"
He didn't even bother finishing the sentence.
Kairo knew his role: stay out of the way.
The battle began with a roar. Magic clashed with brute force. Sparks flew. The Minotaur swung its massive axe, sending shockwaves across the floor.
Kairo watched from the edge, eyes scanning the fight, waiting for a chance to help, to prove he wasn't just dead weight.
Then—
CRACK!
The floor beneath him collapsed.
"Kairo!" someone shouted, but it was too late.
He plummeted into darkness.
---
He landed hard, bones jolting from the impact.
Groaning, Kairo opened his eyes. He was in a hidden chamber—an unregistered level, something that should never happen in a low-tier gate.
His system buzzed in confusion.
[Warning: Dungeon anomaly detected.]
[Entering Unknown-Class Zone.]
Kairo's eyes widened.
Unknown-Class?
Only S-Rank or higher dungeons had anomalies like this. This wasn't supposed to exist. He turned to climb back up—but the hole above had sealed itself shut.
Then came the noise.
Shrrrkk… shrrkkk…
A dozen glowing red eyes blinked open in the shadows. Shapes emerged—thin, spindly creatures with elongated limbs and claws that scraped the stone.
"W-what the hell…"
[Monsters Detected: Abyss Crawlers – B-Rank]
His heart dropped. He couldn't fight B-Ranks. He couldn't even handle E-Ranks on his own.
Still, he raised his dagger. "Come on… I won't die here…"
They lunged.
Kairo slashed, dodged, rolled. He cut one, only to be slashed across the chest by another. Pain burned. Blood spilled.
He screamed.
He fell.
Darkness pulled him under.
---
[Vital Signs Critical]
[System Override Engaged]
Somewhere in the void between life and death, Kairo floated—weightless and cold.
Then came the voice.
It wasn't human. It echoed inside his skull like thunder and static fused together.
> "You have been chosen."
> "Assimilating soul fragment… synchronizing Ascension System…"
> "Do you wish to live?"
Kairo gasped, vision flashing.
"Y-Yes… I want to live…"
> "Then rise, Predator."
> [Unique Class Unlocked: Abyss Ascendant]
[System Online: True Level-Up Activated]
[Skill Acquired: Devour Essence Lv.1]
Kairo's body arched. A pulse of pure black light exploded from his chest. The monsters surrounding him screamed as their essence was ripped from their bodies and absorbed into his core.
He stood.
Bloodied, battered… but alive.
His eyes glowed violet.
The interface blinked again.
[Level Up: Lv.1 → Lv.4]
[Stat Points +12]
[Skill Points +3]
And for the first time in his life, Kairo smiled.