RYUJIN'S EYES SLOWLY OPENED.
THE CEILING ABOVE HIM WAS WHITE, CLEAN, AND BLINDINGLY BRIGHT.
"YOU'RE AWAKE…"
HE TURNED HIS HEAD TO SEE A NURSE SMILING WITH RELIEF.
"YOU'VE BEEN UNCONSCIOUS FOR A WEEK. YOU ALMOST DIED IN THAT DUNGEON…"
A WEEK?
RYUJIN SAT UP SLOWLY, HIS BODY STILL ACHING.
MEMORIES FLOODED BACK—THE FIGHT AGAINST THE GOBLIN CHAMPIONS, HIS WOUNDS, THE PAIN.
BUT THE FINAL FIGHT…
THE GOBLIN LORD…
NOTHING.
HIS MIND WAS BLANK.
"HOW DID I SURVIVE…? HOW AM I EVEN ALIVE…?"
QUESTIONS BURNED INSIDE HIM, BUT HE HAD NO ANSWERS.
THE VISITORS
THE DOOR OPENED.
TWO PEOPLE IN BLACK SUITS ENTERED—HUNTER ASSOCIATION OFFICERS.
THEIR PRESENCE WAS SERIOUS, COLD.
"RYUJIN, WE'RE HERE TO RECORD YOUR DUNGEON EXPERIENCE AND YOUR CLASS RESULTS."
RYUJIN TOOK A BREATH AND NARRATED CALMLY.
"I FOUGHT NORMAL GOBLINS… THEN GOBLIN CHAMPIONS… I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE."
THE OFFICERS GLANCED AT EACH OTHER. SOMETHING WAS OFF, BUT THEY DIDN'T PRESS.
"SHOW YOUR STATUS."
THE STATUS WINDOW
A HOLOGRAPHIC WINDOW INSTANTLY APPEARED BEFORE HIS EYES—VISIBLE TO HIM ALONE.
NO ONE ELSE COULD SEE IT; THAT WAS HOW THE SYSTEM WORKED FOR EVERY HUNTER.
STATUS WINDOWS WERE ABSOLUTELY PRIVATE.
NAME: RYUJIN
CLASS: SHADOW ASCENDANT (???)
LEVEL: 5
STRENGTH: 22
AGILITY: 30
HEALTH: 400
MANA: 180
SKILL: ULTRA INSTINCT (???)
RYUJIN'S EYES NARROWED.
HE DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS "SHADOW ASCENDANT" CLASS MEANT.
THE "???" BESIDE IT MADE HIS CHEST TIGHTEN—THE SYSTEM ITSELF COULDN'T DEFINE HIM.
HE KNEW ONE THING FOR CERTAIN:
THIS ULTRA INSTINCT SKILL HAD SAVED HIS LIFE.
THE COVER-UP
THE OFFICERS WAITED FOR HIS ANSWER.
"YOUR CLASS?"
RYUJIN TOOK A BREATH AND SPOKE FLATLY.
"C-CLASS WARRIOR."
THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BELIEVE HIM.
NO ONE COULD SEE ANOTHER HUNTER'S STATUS SCREEN, SO THEY WROTE DOWN WHAT HE SAID.
"VERY WELL. WE'LL UPDATE OUR RECORDS. REST WELL, RYUJIN."
THEY LEFT THE ROOM, CLOSING THE DOOR BEHIND THEM.
SHADOWED FUTURE
RYUJIN STARED AT HIS REFLECTION IN THE WINDOW.
FOR A SPLIT SECOND, HE SAW BLACK SMOKE CURLING AROUND HIS SHOULDERS…
"SHADOW ASCENDANT… ULTRA INSTINCT… THIS POWER IS MINE ALONE."