The ground trembled beneath their feet.
From the swirling crimson mist, the Rift's final guardian emerged—towering, monstrous, a grotesque fusion of bone, sinew, and nightmare.
Its jaws split unnaturally, rows of serrated teeth dripping black venom, while crimson eyes burned with mindless hunger.
[Rift Boss: Carrion Devourer — Level 10]
"Positions!" Min Joon-seok barked, spear raised.
The team moved instantly. The dagger-wielder flanked left. The archer took position. Min Joon-seok held the frontline. And Seo Ara, cold and unreadable, stepped forward with eerie calm, her silver blade glinting in the Rift's light.
Jin Seok-woo moved too—heart pounding, breath sharp. His legs felt heavy, but his will held.
The creature lunged—unnaturally fast.
"Quickstep!"
Seok-woo vanished from its path, reappearing meters away, breath ragged. He barely registered the close call.
The team struck back—arrows burst in flames, blades cut deep, but the monster's hide deflected most attacks. It roared, releasing a shockwave that sent the dagger-wielder sprawling and knocked the archer into jagged rock.
Min Joon-seok held the line—but only barely.
And then—she moved.
Seo Ara.
One breath she stood still—then she was gone, moving with impossible speed. Her silver blade sliced through the beast's armor in a flash of icy light. Black ichor sprayed.
Her face never changed. Eyes cold. Steps flawless.
The beast retaliated wildly—jagged limbs lashing. Seo Ara twisted, but a shallow cut scored her side. Blood fell.
The others were too slow to help.
Seok-woo didn't think—his body obeyed before thought could form. He dashed forward, grabbed a broken bone shard from the ground, and triggered Quickstep again.
He reappeared behind the monster and, with a roar, drove the shard deep into its exposed joint.
The creature howled.
"Now!" Min Joon-seok yelled.
Seo Ara's blade flashed once more. The others converged. Together—spear, blade, arrow—they brought the monster crashing down in a screeching heap of shattered bone and black blood.
[Boss Defeated. +500 XP]
[Level Up: Lv. 4]
[Stat Points +3. Skill Points +1]
Seok-woo gasped, sweat streaming down his face.
But then—another chime.
[New Ability Acquired: Predator's Instinct (Lv. 1)]
Your will to survive sharpens your senses. When facing lethal threats, gain heightened perception and increased agility.
His breath caught.
His body thrummed with something new—his vision sharpened, his hearing cleared. Every sound, every flicker of motion felt clearer, faster. His reflexes—better.
It wasn't just leveling up.
It was evolution.
The Rift began to dissolve. The red haze faded into nothingness. The ground beneath their feet stabilized.
Min Joon-seok offered him a hand. "Not bad," he said, pulling Seok-woo upright.
The others murmured agreement.
Except Seo Ara.
She said nothing—only stared. Her cold gray eyes fixed on him with something unreadable. Calculating. Measuring.
No one asked about his crest. No one realized the absence of divine power.
His secret remained intact.
For now.
And as the Rift collapsed behind them, Jin Seok-woo exhaled—heart steady, new power simmering under his skin.