The gate pulsed like a wound in the world, swirling with cold light. Hunters gathered before it, weapons gleaming, armor rattling faintly.
The emblem of the Association glowed faintly on the steel barricades set up around the portal, warning citizens to keep their distance.
And in front of that gate stood Adrian Arden.
Seventeen years old. Youngest A-rank hunter in the nation. Son of the Arden family, whose empire thrived on artifact trade.
He had no need to announce himself. His name had already spread across forums and news feeds. A genius. A prodigy. Some said a miracle.
Others whispered of connections, of manipulation. But none could deny the results. His skills and stats spoke for themselves.
Adrian's expression was calm, almost bored, as if the anticipation vibrating through the other hunters could not touch him.
He ran a hand through his dark hair and smiled faintly, the kind of smile that suggested he was already playing a game no one else understood.
The raid leader, a thick-set man with a jagged scar down his jaw, cleared his throat. "Listen up. This is a C-rank dungeon. A nest-type. Expect coordinated monsters, traps, and possibly a core guardian. Stay in formation, keep communication clear. Arden, you'll be mid-line support."
The leader's tone carried respect, but it was tempered. Not warmth, but caution. Nobody wanted to anger the Arden heir. Nobody wanted to stand too close either.
Adrian inclined his head politely. "Understood."
A soft chuckle rippled in his thoughts. Nyxil's voice, warm, indulgent, and just a little mocking. Look at them. They treat you like a dangerous blade. Useful, but best kept at arm's length.
That's fine, Adrian thought. I prefer distance.
The hunters entered the gate.
The world bent, air thickening into something sharp and metallic. The dungeon walls stretched high, jagged stone webbed with glowing veins of crystal.
The ground pulsed faintly underfoot, as though the entire cavern was breathing.
> [Dungeon: C-Rank Hive – Razorfang Gnolls]
The first howl came from the darkness. Red eyes flickered in the shadows, dozens of them, circling. The stench of blood and unwashed fur filled the cavern.
The hunters raised their weapons. The tanks braced their shields, healers murmured incantations, and ranged fighters drew their bows.
Adrian stood in the middle, posture loose, expression unreadable.
The gnolls surged forward, snarling, wielding jagged spears and rusted blades. The clash was immediate, steel against bone, fire against claw. The formation held, every hunter in their place.
Until Adrian moved.
His fingers twitched. A loose stone, unnoticed at the edge of the battlefield, lifted into the air. Minor Telekinesis: Cost 20 mana. Remaining: 1,680/1,700.
With a subtle flick, he sent it skittering across the floor. Just enough to catch a tank's heel.
The shield wavered. A gnoll slammed through the gap, tearing into the back line.
Shouts erupted. The formation buckled, chaos rippling outward like a crack in glass.
Adrian watched with cool detachment, lips curved in a smile that never reached his eyes.
> [Minor Deed: Sabotage. +20 Bonus EXP.]<
Nyxil's voice hummed with delight. Already stirring trouble? You really cannot resist, can you?
Chaos breeds opportunity, Adrian answered inwardly. Besides, if they cannot adapt to one slip, they do not deserve the rank.
The gnoll lunged for a healer. Adrian raised a hand, shadow forming into a gauntlet around his arm. Shadow Gauntlet Strike: Cost 40 mana. Remaining: 1,640/1,700.
He snapped it forward, the conjured fist striking the beast square in the jaw, snapping its neck.
The healer gasped, spared at the last second.
"Th-thank you!"
Adrian only smiled faintly. To them, he looked like a savior. They did not know he had been the reason for the danger in the first place.
> [Minor Deed: Hidden Assistance. +10 Bonus EXP.]<
The fight raged on. Arrows pierced gnoll throats, fireballs roared, shields crashed. Adrian slipped through the chaos like a ghost. His Stealth Walk blurred his presence, his Charm Aura bent gazes away.
He plucked monsters from the edges of the battle with gauntlet strikes and bursts of telekinesis, ensuring each kill seemed incidental, never central.
Every action fed the quiet stream of rewards. Small bonuses, invisible to anyone but him.
The hunters began to regain rhythm. The leader barked orders, dragging the line back into formation. Still, unease lingered. Some looked at Adrian, their eyes flicking between awe and uncertainty.
By the time the last gnoll fell, silence weighed heavy on the cavern. Blood steamed on the stone floor. The dungeon core pulsed faintly in the chamber ahead.
The leader exhaled, wiping his blade clean. "Good work. Stay sharp, there may be a guardian near the core." His gaze landed on Adrian for a brief moment. There was no accusation there, but neither was there ease.
Adrian only smiled. Calm. Polite. Innocent.
The hunters pushed deeper into the hive. The air grew heavier, choked with the stench of rot and fur.
Crystals embedded in the walls glowed faintly red, casting twisted shadows across the jagged stone.
Every step closer to the core chamber carried a weight, as if the dungeon itself were warning them to turn back.
Adrian walked at the rear, silent, hands tucked into his pockets. His eyes flicked from wall to wall, tracing the faint shimmer of mana currents.
Nyxil's voice purred at the edge of his thoughts. It waits ahead. Stronger than the others. More… interesting.
The leader raised a fist, halting the group. Before them stretched the heart of the hive. A massive cavern yawned open, the core glowing like a bleeding sun at its center.
And from the shadows beneath it, the guardian emerged.
A Razorfang Gnoll Chieftain, twice the height of a man, its body armored with bone plates, its single crimson eye gleaming with malice. It howled, the sound shaking dust from the ceiling.
The hunters tightened formation, shields locking, bows raised.
"Positions!" the leader barked.
Adrian's smile was faint, unreadable. His fingers twitched.