The portal turned red, and I knew we were all going to die.
Not the dramatic "heroes die with honor" kind of death. This would be the messy kind—where an F-rank nobody gets torn apart on live television while fifty million viewers place bets on how long I'd last.
The crimson light pulsed across the cavern walls. My camera drone buzzed overhead, its recording light blinking like a countdown.
"Jake?" My voice cracked. "The portal just—"
But Jake Morrison, B-rank hero and Frost Guild's rising star, was already backing toward the exit.
Behind him, our other "teammates" scrambled to flee.
Marcus Kim, C-rank tank: "That's A-rank minimum! Screw this!"
Sarah Park, D-rank healer: Already running.
Tommy Cho, E-rank scout: "Every man for himself!"
And me—Liam Chen, F-rank porter. The only one frozen in place, watching them abandon formation.
Two hours earlier, I should have known.
The Frost Guild's briefing room was packed with hunters. Twelve of us, from Jake's B-rank down to my pathetic F.
Elena Frost stood at the head of the table, silver hair catching the morning light. Her ice-blue eyes found mine immediately.
"Some of you are wondering why an F-rank porter is here," she said, not breaking eye contact. "Liam Chen isn't just joining this raid. He's the reason for it."
The room went silent.
"Sir?" I managed.
"Our focus groups are clear. Viewers don't connect with perfect heroes." She pulled up my profile—failed promotion tests, part-time porter work, unremarkable in every way. "They connect with struggle. With someone who reminds them of themselves."
Jake laughed. "So he's bait?"
"He's the protagonist," Elena corrected, her smile sharp as winter. "The others protect him. He struggles, survives, maybe even lands a lucky hit. The audience gets invested. Our ratings soar."
She looked directly at me again.
"Five million won. Two hours. Don't die, and try to look appropriately pathetic. That shouldn't be hard."
The others snickered. Even the E-ranks were relieved they weren't the bottom rung.
She thinks I'm her pawn, I thought, keeping my face blank. She'll regret that.
Marcus muttered, "Can he even survive a C-rank gate?"
"The portal is pre-scouted," Elena assured. "Blue-grade, stable. Wolf-type monsters. Even Mr. Chen can manage standing behind you for two hours."
Even Mr. Chen.
Like I was a particularly slow child.
"Think of it this way," Elena added, staring straight at me. "You're about to become the most famous F-rank in Korea. Embrace your role."
Now, standing in a cave reeking of sulfur, my "role" was about to get me killed.
The portal's surface rippled like blood.
Gate Break. Minimum A-rank.
The livestream chat exploded:
[OmegaSlayer]: HOLY SHIT RED PORTAL[DeathBetting]: F-rank dies in 30 seconds[ViewerCount: 67,890,043]
Sixty-seven million watching.
Something pushed through the portal.
A claw the size of a car door, covered in light-eating scales.
Shadow Draconian. Threat level: A-rank.
"MOVE!" Jake screamed at Marcus blocking his escape.
Chen Wei, our C-rank mage, launched a fireball. It splashed harmlessly against scales.
The Draconian moved faster than physics should allow.
Tommy Cho vanished in red mist.
[System Alert: Hunter Tommy Cho - Deceased] [ViewerCount: 82,445,891]
David Yoon charged with his sword. The creature backhanded him into the wall with a wet crack.
[System Alert: Hunter David Yoon - Critical Condition]
"Jake!" Sarah screamed. "You're B-rank! Do something!"
Jake Morrison, tomorrow's hero, turned with terror twisting his face.
"I can't! I'm sorry!"
Lightning trailing behind him, he fled.
Mike and Amy, our other E-ranks, didn't make it five steps. The tail swept them into the wall.
[System Alert: Hunter Mike Johnson - Deceased] [System Alert: Hunter Amy Liu - Deceased]
Then it was just me, abandoned in the center, too terrified to run.
The Draconian tilted its head. Here was prey that wasn't even fleeing.
The chat showed: [Elena_Frost_Official]: ...
She was watching.
The creature raised its claw. Time slowed.
Move!
I threw myself sideways. Rock exploded where I'd been.
But I'd dodged into a corner.
Its backhand caught my chest. Ribs cracked like twigs. I slammed into the wall, blood filling my mouth.
[System Alert: Critical Damage Received] [HP: 50/200] [ViewerCount: 91,234,449]
Through the pain, I saw the others had escaped—except the dead.
The Draconian approached slowly, savoring the kill.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to die as entertainment.
I don't want to die as nobody.
Something inside me shattered like glass.
Light exploded from within—gold and silver intertwining. The cavern filled with system notifications.
[System Notification: Awakening Detected] [System Notification: Dual System Activation] [System Error: Multiple Systems Detected] [Warning: This User Should Not Exist]
[System 1: Leveling System - Initialized] [Level: 1] [HP: 50/200] [MP: 100/100] [Title Acquired: The Abandoned One]
[System 2: Guild Master System - Initialized] [Analyzing Target: Shadow Draconian] [Weakness Detected: Core - Left Chest, Third Scale] [Attack Pattern: Predictable]
I could see everything—the creature's weakness glowing beneath its scales, attack patterns outlined in gold.
The Draconian charged. I rolled left.
[Successful Dodge] [EXP Gained: +100] [Level Up! 1→2] [HP Restored: 75/225]
Just from dodging?
My eyes found scattered equipment. David's sword. Sarah's staff. Mike's spear.
[Guild Master System: Synthesis Available] [Combine Equipment? Y/N]
"Yes!"
Weapons flew toward me, fusing in midair into a glowing divine spear.
[Item Created: Divine Makeshift Spear] [Damage: 500] [Charges: 3]
The Draconian vanished into shadow.
But I already knew where it would appear.
I thrust at empty air—
[Critical Hit! Damage: 15,000] [Level Up! 2→3] [Level Up! 3→4] [Level Up! 4→5]
Purple blood sprayed. The creature shrieked.
We danced—it attacking, me dodging, each near-miss granting experience.
Three spear strikes. Three chunks of HP.
The spear shattered.
[Item Destroyed: Divine Makeshift Spear]
But the Guild Master System highlighted something new:
[Item Detected: B-Rank Lightning Bracer] [Owner: Jake Morrison (Abandoned)] [Distance: 20 meters]
I dove for it, strapped it on while rolling.
[Equipment Acquired: Lightning Bracer (B-Rank)] [Skill Learned: Lightning Strike]
The Draconian charged one final time.
I drove my lightning-wrapped fist into its wounded core.
The explosion threw me backward. The creature swayed, then crashed down.
[System Notification: Shadow Draconian Defeated] [EXP Gained: 50,000] [Level Up! Current Level: 25] [Title Acquired: Dragon Slayer] [Title Acquired: Impossible Odds] [Achievement: First F-Rank to Solo A-Rank Monster]
I stood there, blood dripping, surrounded by corpses. The drone circled, broadcasting to a hundred million viewers.
Jake poked his head from the tunnel. "You... how..."
I threw a rock at him.
"Get out."
He fled again.
The Guild Master System showed me something:
[Guild Master System: Analyzing Viewers] [Total Viewers: 98,234,112] [Guilds Requesting Contact: 892] [S-Rank Viewers: 12] [SS-Rank Viewers: 3] [SSS-Rank Viewers: 1]
[Analyzing SSS-Rank Viewer] [Identity: Elena Frost] [Current Emotion: Intrigued] [Loyalty: -20→+10] [Potential: SSS (95% Locked)] [Note: Target is smiling]
In her office, Elena Frost stood before screens showing the F-rank hunter she'd personally chosen as a sacrifice.
Walking out alone.
Her wine glass had shattered in her grip.
"Interesting," she whispered.
For the first time in years, Elena Frost smiled—genuine and dangerous.
I limped toward the exit, legs shaking but still standing.
The whole world had just watched Frost Guild abandon their weakest member.
They'd watched that same F-rank kill an A-rank monster.
The game had just begun.
And this time, I wasn't playing the victim.
I was supposed to die as Frost Guild's disposable pawn.
Instead, I became the world's first dual-system hunter.
Now every guild wants to own me—and the Ice Queen who threw me away is the one most determined to claim me.
But they're about to learn something important:
The pawn has become the player.