The air was thick with iron-scented blood.
Kairo Vale stood among the twitching bodies of the Abyss Crawlers, their limbs broken, their chests collapsed inward like imploded caves. The once hopeless F-rank hunter stared down at his own hands—shaking not from fear, but from the raw surge of power coursing through his veins.
He felt alive.
More alive than ever before.
The system's interface flickered in front of his eyes:
[Essence Absorbed: Abyss Crawler x6]
[Bonus Gained: +9 Strength | +6 Agility | +5 Perception]
[Skill Progress: Devour Essence Lv.1 → Lv.2]
Kairo blinked. "I… I took their power?"
He glanced at his reflection in a shallow pool of blackened water. His pupils had become slightly slitted—like a predator's. His veins glowed faintly beneath his skin with violet energy. His aura, once almost nonexistent, now crackled like caged lightning.
> "Devour Essence…" he murmured, testing the words.
A glowing prompt appeared:
> [Devour Essence – Lv.2]
Consume the soul fragments of defeated monsters to absorb their stats, abilities, and resistances.
Current Limit: 3 essences stored (Expand via leveling up or evolution).
Next Milestone: 10 Devoured – Unlock Passive: Predator Instinct
Kairo's lips curled into a grin.
So that's how the strong get stronger.
And for once, he wasn't left behind.
---
The chamber beyond the one he had fallen into was even darker, the walls slick with black moss and bone dust. Strange glyphs pulsed faintly along the edges, as if the dungeon itself was alive and watching.
He picked up one of the dead Abyss Crawlers' claws, broke it free, and fashioned it into a crude weapon—far better than his broken dagger.
"I have to get out of here," he muttered.
But even as he walked, the system spoke again.
> [Anomaly Detected: Abyss Gate Core Nearby]
Warning: Core Entities are highly volatile and extremely dangerous. Proceed with caution.
Defeating a Core Entity may yield unique rewards or skills.
Kairo paused.
That sounded like suicide. But then again, so did staying trapped in an unregistered anomaly zone.
Besides, if he wanted to get stronger… really stronger… this was his chance.
He moved forward.
---
The hallway twisted unnaturally, as though it had been grown, not built. Every step echoed like it was being swallowed by the dungeon itself. Eventually, he emerged into a circular chamber with an altar in the center—pulsing with violet-black energy.
Floating above it was a creature.
It looked vaguely humanoid, except its face was a blank mask, and wings of tattered shadow spread from its back. Tendrils of energy spiraled from its body like corrupted flames.
[Core Entity: Shadow Reaver – A-Rank]
Kairo's jaw tightened. "That's… an A-Rank?"
He wasn't ready. Not even close.
And yet, his new instincts didn't scream run—they whispered hunt.
> "If I use my new power smartly…" he murmured.
He knelt behind a jagged boulder, trying to study its movement. The Reaver pulsed with rhythmic energy—as if following a pattern. Every five seconds, it dimmed slightly before releasing a burst of shadow.
He waited.
And when the burst faded…
He dashed forward.
Using Shadow Blink, he closed the gap in an instant—appearing behind the Core Entity, his clawed weapon slashing across its back. The blow landed, ripping shadowy essence from the creature's spine.
It screamed.
The air around them exploded with pressure, launching Kairo back into a wall. His ribs cracked from the impact.
-82 HP
Blood trickled from his mouth. The system beeped in warning.
[HP: 19/101]
But the pain felt distant.
> "I did damage. I hurt it."
The Reaver descended like a falling meteor, claws outstretched.
Kairo rolled. Barely. The claw grazed his shoulder—hot fire lancing through his nerves. He screamed and swung wildly, catching the thing in the leg again.
[Devour Opportunity Detected: Minor Essence Fragment]
Kairo didn't hesitate.
Devour.
A surge of power rushed in—small, but useful. His vision cleared. Reflexes sharpened.
He dodged again—closer this time. Smarter.
He began to learn its rhythm.
Strike. Dodge. Blink. Slash. Feed.
Like a dance in blood and smoke.
The Core Entity began to fray at the edges, its movements erratic. One wing tore off and disintegrated. Its mask cracked.
> "Now."
Kairo leaped and drove the crawler-claw into its chest.
The mask shattered.
The Reaver's scream turned into a death-wail—and then it collapsed into shards of essence and light.
[Core Entity Defeated]
[XP Gained: Massive]
[Level Up: Lv.4 → Lv.9]
[Skill Acquired: Shadow Cloak Lv.1]
[Devour Limit Expanded: 3 → 6 Essences]
[Passive Unlocked: Predator Instinct]
Kairo dropped to his knees, panting, shaking with exhaustion—and joy.
"Level 9… already?"
He opened the new skill tab.
> [Shadow Cloak Lv.1] – Envelop yourself in abyssal shadows. Gain +30% movement speed and +50% stealth for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 sec.
> [Predator Instinct] (Passive) – Your perception sharpens while in combat. Enemy weak points glow faintly. Reaction time improved by 40%.
He laughed softly, tears welling in his eyes.
"No more being useless… no more hiding…"
He stood.
For the first time, he felt like a Hunter—not just in title, but in truth.
And as he walked toward the flickering gate that had formed after the Reaver's death, Kairo swore something deep within him had awakened. Not just a skill.
But a path.
One that would lead him from the bottom of the world to the top of the food chain.