Chapter 2 – The First Hunt
The forest inside the Gate was silent. Too silent.
The kind of silence that pressed down on your chest and made your breathing sound too loud in your own ears.
Kael Veynar wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist, his grip tightening around the chipped dagger he had spent nearly all his money to buy. The weapon looked pathetic against the backdrop of the Tower's endless cruelty. The blade was cracked from his last fight with the smaller goblins. Its handle was sticky with blood, both his and theirs.
He should have been terrified. Any other E-rank would have turned tail and run the moment the System announced the presence of a mini-boss. But Kael didn't move. His crimson eyes stayed locked on the monster ahead of him.
It was massive. A head taller than Kael, with sinewy green muscles that looked like they'd been carved from stone. Scar tissue crossed its chest, proof of countless battles. Its yellow eyes glowed with animal fury as it snarled, baring jagged fangs.
In its gnarled hand, it held a rusted iron club — thick, crude, and yet heavy enough that a single blow could crush Kael into the dirt. The stench of rotting meat clung to the monster, choking the air around it.
Mini-Boss: Goblin Captain
Danger Rating: D-rank
Kael swallowed, his throat dry. D-rank… and I'm still stuck at E.
By every rule of the Tower, he should be dead. The weak weren't meant to challenge the strong. That was the natural order.
And yet, here he was.
"…If I can devour you," Kael muttered under his breath, his voice trembling yet firm, "then this will be the real beginning."
The Captain roared, the sound shaking the trees, birds scattering from the canopy. Then it charged.
The earth quaked under its weight as the club swung down with bone-crushing force. Kael barely rolled to the side, the impact cracking the ground where he had just stood. Dirt and shards of stone flew up, one slicing his cheek open.
"Kh—!" He hissed as pain flared, but forced himself to move. His dagger lashed out, slashing at the goblin's thigh. The blade barely dug in, a shallow cut that only enraged the beast.
The Captain's roar thundered in his ears. It backhanded its club sideways. Kael ducked, but the sheer wind pressure sent him sprawling across the dirt. His lungs screamed as he scrambled back to his feet.
Damn it… my body can't keep up. Not yet. But—
A whisper echoed in his mind. Cold, alluring.
[Authority: Gluttony resonates.]
Kael's pupils dilated. His breathing steadied. The fear didn't vanish — no, it became fuel. His heart pounded harder, every beat pumping raw determination through his veins.
The Captain charged again. This time, Kael didn't dodge backward. He dashed forward, lowering his body to slip under the monstrous swing. The dagger flashed, cutting across the Captain's ribs. Blood sprayed, but the wound was shallow again.
Kael's dagger cracked further. One more hit and it would snap.
The goblin howled in fury, frothing at the mouth, and brought its club down like a hammer. Kael braced, twisting aside — the club grazed his shoulder, sending searing pain down his arm. His vision blurred for a second, stars flashing at the edge of his sight.
No… I can't lose here. Not now. Not before I've even begun.
Gritting his teeth, Kael forced his legs to move. His body screamed in protest, but he leapt forward once more. This time he aimed higher. As the Captain raised its weapon for another swing, Kael lunged at its exposed chest and drove his dagger deep into its side.
"DIE!"
The blade sank halfway before snapping in two with a sharp crack. But it was enough. The Goblin Captain's roar turned into a gurgling shriek as dark blood poured out. Its massive body staggered, swaying on its feet.
Then—
[Authority: Gluttony Activated.]
The corpse convulsed. A black, mist-like essence seeped from its skin, tendrils of energy writhing like smoke. Kael's eyes widened as the mist rushed into him, flooding his veins.
"Ugh—ahh!" He gasped as his body convulsed, a burning sensation tearing through his muscles, his bones creaking under the pressure. For a moment, it felt as if he would burst apart. But then—
The pain melted into exhilaration.
Kael's senses sharpened. The world became clearer. He could feel his muscles hardening, his movements growing lighter, faster. His lips curled into a smile, wild and unrestrained.
A System window appeared before his eyes.
[Player: Kael Veynar]
Class: ??? (Error: Unregistered)
Level: 2
Title: The Nameless One
Sponsor: Ancient Primordial of Hunger
Stats:
Strength: 18 (+5)
Agility: 19 (+6)
Vitality: 11 (+1)
Mana: 11 (+1)
Luck: 10
Authority: [Gluttony]
Skill Slots: Locked
Kael stared at the glowing words. His heart thudded in his chest.
"…This power…" He clenched his fists, feeling the new strength surging in them. The broken dagger fell from his hand, clattering uselessly against the ground.
The Goblin Captain's corpse collapsed, its hollow eyes staring lifelessly at the boy who had devoured its essence.
Kael stepped closer, his expression darkening, and whispered almost reverently:
"…This really is the beginning."
The forest fell silent once more. But within Kael's chest, something had awakened. Hunger. Not for food, but for strength — and for everything the Tower had stolen from him.
And now, with Gluttony at his side, he intended to take it all back.