The Guild's waiting hall buzzed with energy—hunters in sleek armor adjusting weapons, squads laughing as they checked their gear, leaders barking orders like generals before battle.
And then there were the rejects.
Kai sat hunched in the corner, fiddling with the worn straps of his second-hand chestplate. No one spared him a glance except to sneer. He was just another E-rank—barely above an ordinary civilian, weaker than some Guild porters.
Across the hall, Aria leaned against the wall, arms folded. Her staff looked brand new, but only because she'd bought it cheap from a pawnshop. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, but she felt the weight of every dismissive laugh aimed at her. E-rank. Dead weight.
"Oi, you two," a B-rank hunter barked, waving them over. His scarred face curled into a smirk. "You're joining the raid, right? Don't slow us down. Stick to the back and maybe you'll survive. If not…" He shrugged. "Fewer mouths to feed."
Kai forced a smile and bowed slightly. "Understood."
Aria didn't bother to answer. She simply shouldered past him, her pride burning hotter than her fear.
Minutes later, the raid group of twenty stepped through the glowing gate into the dungeon.
---
The air inside was heavy with damp earth and the faint stench of blood. Jagged stone walls pressed in from all sides, glowing faintly with eerie blue moss. The hunters spread out, their footsteps echoing as they marched deeper.
"Easy run," someone chuckled. "C-rank dungeon at most. We'll be home before midnight."
But as they advanced, the atmosphere shifted. The moss-light dimmed. A rumble shook the ground.
Kai's instincts screamed.
Aria tightened her grip on her staff.
From the darkness ahead, countless red eyes blinked open.
"Wait—" Kai started.
The first scream cut him off.
Dozens of wolf-like beasts poured out of the tunnels, fangs glistening, claws tearing through flesh and armor. Hunters fell one by one, their confident shouts turning to cries of panic.
"This… this isn't C-rank!" someone shouted in horror.
Aria blasted a bolt of fire, but the recoil nearly knocked her off her feet. Kai swung a rusty sword, barely scratching a beast's hide.
The gate behind them sealed with a thunderous crash.
Panic spread. "It's a trap! It's a hidden dungeon!"
Blood sprayed across the stone floor. Hunters scattered, but the wolves tore through them like paper.
Kai's heart pounded as he staggered back, his blade shaking. I'm going to die here…
Beside him, Aria's staff snapped in half as a wolf lunged. She fell hard, breathless, staring at the monster's open jaws.
In that moment—when death itself loomed—
a voice neither had ever heard whispered in their minds.
[System initializing…]
[Scanning suitable hosts…]
[Binding complete.]
Floating blue screens flared into existence before their eyes.
Kai's eyes widened.
Aria gasped.
Both read the same impossible words:
[Welcome, Chosen User. Survival begins now.]