The doctor's eyes seemed to bore into his very soul as she walked to his bed, as if searching for any hidden truth. Allen's instincts screamed at him to be cautious, to reveal nothing. He forced a weak smile, trying to appear as harmless as possible.
"How are you the only one that survived?" She asked, her voice cool was sharp. "Among your team mei, you were the weakest! So how did you end up surviving a raid that took the lives of your seniors? Those stronger than you!"
"I...I don't know what you mean," he said, trying to sound confused. "I just woke up here. I don't remember much about the portal raid."
The doctor's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she nodded. "Understandable. You've been through a traumatic experience. We'll get to the details later. For now, let's focus on your...abilities."
Allen's heart skipped a beat. What did she know? What did she suspect? He kept his face neutral, waiting for her next question.
"Tell me, Allen," she said, her voice gentle but probing, "just tell me how did you manage to survive the D-class portal raid? The others didn't make it. You were the sole survivor. What happened out there?"
Allen hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "I...I honestly don't know. I was with the team, and then...and then something happened. I don't remember much. I think I must have gotten lucky."
The doctor's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unreadable. "Lucky?" she repeated. "That's an interesting choice of words. We'll need to run some more tests, see if we can uncover what makes you...special."
Allen's instincts screamed at him to be wary. What did she mean by "special"? What did she suspect about him? He nodded, trying to appear cooperative.
"Of course," he said. "I'll do whatever it takes to understand what happened."
The doctor smiled, her eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and calculation. "Good. I'll send in the team to prepare you for further testing. We'll get to the bottom of this, Allen. Don't worry."
As she turned to leave, Allen felt a shiver run down his spine. What had he just gotten himself into?
The hours passed slowly. Tests came and went — scans, questions, blood samples — all routine on the surface, but Allen could feel it: they weren't looking for injuries. They were looking for secrets.
By the time the sun had set and the corridors grew quiet again, Allen lay in bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The moonlight spilled faintly through the blinds, casting long streaks across the tiled floor. He knew he wouldn't be here come morning.
He had to leave.
Not just because of the system. Not just because of the questions. But because deep down, something was changing. Awakening. And he couldn't let anyone get in the way.
He waited until the shift changed. Until the lights in the hallway dimmed and the sound of footsteps faded to silence.
Then, he moved.
Carefully peeling off the heart monitor, he stood and reached for the oversized coat folded at the end of his bed. He slipped it on, covering the hospital gown. His Shadow Fang dagger remained tucked into the inner lining — just in case.
He opened the door slightly and peeked into the corridor, it was empty.
"Phantom Step," he whispered.
In a silent blur, he was halfway down the hallway, footsteps nonexistent. The thrill of the movement sent a pulse through his legs — precise, powerful.
One corner. Then another.
A passing nurse turned the opposite end. He stepped into the shadows of a supply closet, breath still, waiting. When the coast was clear, he continued, this time taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Down. Down. Down.
Until finally, the emergency exit stood before him.
He pushed it open, slipping into the night. The cold air hit him like a slap, fresh and electric.
Above, the stars blinked.
Behind, the hospital stood quiet.
Allen pulled his coat tighter around him, shadowed eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
"I'm not going to wait for them to decide who I am," he murmured. "I'll find the answers myself."
Then he disappeared into the dark streets , nothing more than a silhouette among shadows , he was no longer the weakest survivor, but something else entirely.
Allen kept to the backstreets, sticking to the alleys and dim-lit paths as he made his way home. His side still ached, but he ignored it — his mind was too full. Thoughts of the dungeon, the system, that monstrous creature... and the eyes of that doctor. Cold and prying.
The night air was crisp, the city quieter than usual. Yet as he turned onto a familiar street near his neighborhood, he noticed something odd. There were a lot of people gathered in the open space between buildings, murmuring anxiously among themselves. Flashlights flicked through the air, casting jittery beams over their worried faces.
Allen slowed, moving closer.
The crowd surrounded something in the center of the square — a swirling rift of dark light. The air around it shimmered, twisted, and warped.
It was definitely a portal.
He stiffened as he approached the edge of the crowd. He heard snippets of conversation:
"They said the call was placed over an hour ago—"
"Still no response from the Slayers?"
"My cousin's inside that building! What if something crawls out?!"
"They're supposed to protect us! Where are they?"
Allen's eyes narrowed. The portal was small and unstable, likely a low-rank breach — but the people didn't know that. All they saw was danger and to panic.
And no Slayers in sight.
He clenched his fists in his coat pockets. If the portal remained unchecked, something would come through.
And even if he didn't want the attention… he couldn't just walk away. Not anymore.
The system's cold, emotionless voice echoed in his mind like a whisper answering his hesitation:
[Hidden Quest Available.]
Quest: Investigate the Unattended Portal
Objective: Eliminate any threats that emerge
Bonus Objective: Clear the portal if possible
Reward: EXP + Item Bonus (Rank Scales with Performance)
Failure: Civilian Casualties Detected / Death
Allen exhaled slowly, stepping back from the crowd and slipping into the shadow of a building.
"I never wanted doing this," he muttered. "But maybe it's time I start acting like what I've become."
He pulled the hood over his head, tightened his grip on the Shadow Fang, and walked into the crowd—toward the portal.
Upon getting to the portal, he was stopped.
"Hey, kid, what do you think you are doing here?" The man — a policeman asked, his voice harsh.
"I am a slayer," Allen muttered, covering his face with his hood — he couldn't be seen.
The man narrowed his eyes,gazing at him intensely. "If you say so, where is your ID?"
"ID?" Allen mumbled. 'Crap, I have forgotten about that entirely.'
"Yes, ID!" The policeman repeated. "You can't call yourself a slayer without that."
"The thing is that I forgot it back home," Allen lied. "There's no way I'll be walking around the street carrying taht on me, is it?"
"Well...."
"You see," Allen said. "Since the slayers aren't here yet, let me do it. You wouldn't want monsters coming out and roaning around, do you?"
The man fell quiet for a while bwfire giving in. "Fine!" He said. "But don't go dying in there."
Allen smirked. "I died once but here I am, still alive," he muttered as he made his way into the portal.