The portal pulsed behind him once… twice… before vanishing in a quiet shimmer of light, as if it had never been there at all.
Allen stumbled out of the alley, his clothes torn and bloodied, arms and legs trembling from exhaustion. Every breath he took burned, and his vision blurred briefly before steadying. By the time he reached outside, the sun was already up, casting golden rays over the surrounding buildings.
'It's already morning' He thought, amused by the fact that he spent the whole night in the dungeon.
"Kid!"
The familiar voice cut through the fog in his head.
Allen looked up.
The police officer from earlier — the one who had warned him before he'd gone in — was standing at the alley's edge, eyes wide. Relief washed over his weathered face the moment he saw Allen still breathing. And there was still no sight of the slayers nearby.
"You're alive," the officer exhaled, jogging over. "Damn it, I thought we lost you in there."
Allen gave a tired nod, forcing himself to stand straighter. "Barely made it. That thing… it wasn't just some wild beast. They were more organized than I thought."
The officer cursed under his breath. "I figured it wasn't normal the moment the readings spiked. We were about to call in backup when the portal just—closed."
"I handled it," Allen said quietly.
"You handled it," the officer repeated in disbelief. He looked Allen over, noting the gashes, the grime, the blood caked on his hands. "You really did go in alone and cleared it."
"I couldn't wait. Someone had to do it."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. The officer's stern look softened.
"You've got guts, Allen. Or maybe you're just crazy. Either way… thank you. If that thing had come out into the streets…"
Allen didn't reply. His eyes were distant, still caught somewhere between the shadows and blood of the dungeon.
The officer reached into his coat and pulled out a small card. "Here. If anyone gives you trouble for what you did tonight — Guild, authorities, whoever — tell them Officer Gray sent you. I'll file the initial report myself."
Allen took the card without a word, nodding.
"Get yourself patched up, kid," Gray said, stepping back. "And next time… try not to be a damn hero."
Allen managed a small, tired smile. "I'll try."
And then he turned and walked away, disappearing down the quiet street — one step at a time.
-----
The apartment building was silent when Allen finally reached it. The stairs creaked under his weight, and each step felt like a mile. The door clicked open, and a familiar voice called out softly, "Allen?"
Mia.
Allen stepped inside. "Yeah… it's me."
In an instant, his little sister was running toward him. She stopped just before crashing into him, eyes widening at the sight of his battered form.
"Y-you're hurt!" she gasped, reaching for him. "What happened?!"
Allen managed a tired chuckle, gently ruffling her hair with his good hand. "It's nothing. Just a tough day."
"Tough day?" She asked, beginning to frown. "I went to the hospital this early morning to check up on you and you weren't there. The entire hospital building is looking for you, they said you disappeared last night. Where did you go? Why are you injured?"
"I had to leave the hospital last night because I do want anymore unnecessary tests to be done on me," he muttered, making his way to the couch and collapsing onto it with a groan. His body screamed for rest, but seeing Mia's worried face made him fight to stay awake. "I had wanted to come back home immediately but I saw a portal that had appeared in the middle of the street, I had to do something. Do you dare blame your brother for being kindhearted?"
Mia sighed. She had always told her brother to be kind no matter what. "I'll get the first-aid kit!" she said, already dashing into the bathroom.
While she gathered supplies, Allen stared up at the ceiling, the events replaying in his head. The trembling walls. That final moment when he drove the broken dagger into the beast's eye.
His fingers curled slightly at the memory.
He'd done it.... He had survived.
To think that a day would come when he'll be clearing dungeons alone... It was nearly impossible.
Mia returned and carefully began treating his wounds. "I never asked you not to do good deeds but your life is more important to me than any other thing, please," she whispered, her voice trembling. " What if something happens to you? What if you hadn't come back?"
"I promised I would," he replied softly. "And I always keep my promises."
They didn't say anything for a while after that. Mia quietly cleaned his cuts while Allen rested his head against the armrest. Her small hands trembled, but she didn't stop.
Finally, she said, "You're not just doing this for me, are you?"
Allen opened one eye. "What do you mean?"
"You… you want to prove yourself. To them... To the organization."
Allen looked away. "Maybe."
"Then promise me one more thing."
He turned to face her.
"Don't die trying."
He stared at her for a long moment before nodding.
"I promise."
"Okay, that's fine," Mia said and stood up. "Someone bought dinner for us last night, it's in the fridge. "I'll be heading out with my friends later so I won't be at home."
Allen glancing at her noticed that she was now less worried about him so he nodded. "That is fine, you can go and do what you want but be careful out there. I'll help myself with the breakfast later," he replied.
Mia nodded with a faint smile. "Take care Allen," she said and went to her room.
Allen sat there for a while, his mind drifting back to the system. He had leveled up from his last fight so he was curious to know how much stronger he had become... And also, the progress of the system.
'Show me my stats.'
Ding!
Name: Allen
Class: Hidden
Level: 3
HP: 150/150
MP: 60/60
Strength: 15
Agility: 14
Endurance: 14
Intelligence: 11
Mana:10
--------
SKILLS:
—Death drive (passive)
—Soul piercer (Active)
—Phantom step
—Blood instinct (passive)
ITEMS:
—Shadow fang dagger
—Basic health potion x3
—Tainted core fragment
—Skill core fragment
—Cloak of the hollow
---
Staring at the system, it wasn't that bad but he was still not strong.... He knew it, he needed not to be told.
*Sigh*
"I still need to get stronger, mehn."
>>>>>
Meanwhile, at the Guild Headquarters…
A sharp knock echoed through the dark office.
"Come in," a voice said.
A man in a black uniform entered, holding a tablet.
"Report from the outskirts," he said, handing it over. "The D-Class dungeon that appeared suddenly… it's been cleared."
The woman behind the desk arched an eyebrow. "Already? Which Guild sent the team?"
"No Guild. It was a solo clearance."
A pause.
Her fingers drummed against the desk. "Who?"
The man hesitated. "Allen, an E-Class slayer. No known affiliations."
"E-Class? Solo clearance of a dungeon by an E-class slayer?" She narrowed her eyes. "Keep an eye on him. This one might be… different."