Chapter 2 – The First Hunt
The ice cracked like thunder.
Shards rained across the stone floor as the Demonic Wyrm's claws twitched, its body trembling under the strain of breaking free. Kael stumbled backward, hands trembling as the System's message pulsed before his eyes.
> [Tutorial Quest: Kill the Boss Monster]
Remaining Time: 09:59
Ten minutes.
He glanced at the beast—its maw frozen mid-snarl, fangs the size of swords—and his throat went dry.
"How the hell am I supposed to kill that?"
The System didn't answer. Instead, faint blue runes appeared on his forearm, glowing like fire beneath his skin. A sharp, burning sensation followed, and new text appeared.
> [Skill Unlocked: Adaptive Instinct Lv.1]
Allows the user to analyze weaknesses in hostile entities.
Kael's vision blurred. Symbols overlapped, focusing on the Wyrm's body.
Small crimson cracks appeared around its chest and underbelly—weak points.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The Wyrm roared again, shattering the last of the ice. The sound hit him like a physical blow, dust exploding from the ceiling.
Kael dove behind a fallen pillar just as the creature's tail smashed into the ground, splintering stone like glass.
> [HP: 72%]
The message blinked red. He hadn't even been hit directly.
He pressed a hand to his head, panting. "Think, Kael. You've cleaned enough dungeons to know how these things fight…"
The creature inhaled deeply, mana swirling in its throat.
"Oh no."
He sprinted as a beam of black fire tore across the chamber, vaporizing everything in its path. The heat seared his back as he rolled behind another boulder.
The System chimed again.
> [New Option Available: Weapon Creation]
Materials required: Monster Essence (1).
"Monster Essence? I don't—"
He stopped. His hand brushed against a chunk of frozen crystal—the remnant of an earlier slain monster. The same bluish glow pulsed faintly within.
Kael grabbed it.
> [Material Detected.]
Weapon Type: Choose.
His mind raced. Sword. Spear. Dagger.
He thought of the cleaners who mocked him, who threw scraps his way as payment.
"Dagger," he hissed.
Light erupted in his grip. The crystal melted into liquid mana, reforming into a blade that shimmered between reality and shadow. Its edge looked unstable, like it existed halfway in another dimension.
> [Weapon Created: Abyssal Dagger Lv.0]
Trait: Absorbs energy from slain foes.
Kael's lips curled into a grin. "Now we're talking."
He dashed forward, instincts screaming at him to move. The Wyrm's tail slammed down, barely missing his head. He rolled, sprang up, and plunged the dagger into one of the glowing cracks under its chest.
The blade sank deeper than it should have. The Wyrm shrieked, thrashing violently.
> [Critical Strike!]
[HP: 54% → 68%]
His eyes widened as his wounds began to close. The dagger pulsed—drinking the monster's energy.
"So you feed on death too, huh?"
The creature lunged, and Kael ducked beneath its snapping jaws. The dagger cut again—once, twice, again. He moved like someone possessed, every dodge guided by an invisible rhythm, his body responding faster than his mind.
> [Adaptive Instinct Lv.1 → Lv.2]
The Wyrm reeled backward, its chest riddled with glowing cuts.
Kael leapt, driving the dagger straight into its skull.
For a heartbeat, everything froze. Then—
> [Boss Monster Defeated.]
[Tutorial Quest Complete.]
Reward: Skill "Devourer's Core" unlocked.
Kael collapsed to the floor, gasping. The dagger dissolved, absorbed back into his arm as a faint light crawled across his veins.
> [New Skill Acquired: Devourer's Core Lv.1]
Converts absorbed energy into permanent stat increases.
He stared at his trembling hands, a slow, disbelieving smile spreading across his face.
For the first time, he wasn't a cleaner. He wasn't trash.
He was a Hunter.
No—something beyond that.
As the Wyrm's body turned to ash, the dungeon trembled and began to fade. The exit portal opened ahead, glowing like dawn.
Kael stood, shadows curling faintly around his feet.
"Let's see how high I can climb," he murmured.
And he stepped through the light.
End of Chapter 2