The C-rank gate was in an abandoned parking structure on the west side of the city.
We'd picked it from the job board because it was close, because it had been open for three days without any casualties, and because the estimated monster density was low. Perfect for a first-timer.
Kael looked at the shimmering blue-white oval hovering between two concrete pillars.
"You ready?"
"No."
"Good. Let's go."
He stepped through. I followed.
---
The dungeon was a forest.
Not a cave, like the B-rank gate with Iron Maw. This was an actual forest—towering trees with silver bark, a canopy of purple leaves, soft moss underfoot. The air smelled like pine and damp earth. Somewhere in the distance, water flowed.
I stopped walking.
"This is a dungeon?"
"C-rank dungeons are more stable than B-rank. They often mimic real environments." Kael looked around. "Forests. Deserts. Ruins. It's the higher ranks that get weird."
"Weird how?"
"A-rank dungeons sometimes have gravity fluctuations. S-rank dungeons have been known to shift geometry mid-clear." He shrugged. "You'll find out eventually."
"Comforting."
"I try."
---
We walked for about ten minutes before we found our first monsters.
They were wolves. Big ones—the size of small horses—with grey fur and glowing red eyes. Five of them, circling a clearing, their heads low and ears flat.
"C-rank shadow wolves," Kael said quietly. "Fast. Pack hunters. They'll try to surround you."
"How do I fight them?"
"With your body. You don't have a weapon yet."
"I don't have a weapon."
"Nope." He stepped back. "This is your fight. I'll watch."
"You're not going to help?"
"I'm going to make sure you don't die. There's a difference." He leaned against a tree. "Go on. Show me what you've learned."
I looked at the wolves. They'd noticed me. Five pairs of red eyes locked onto my position.
Okay. Let's see what this body can do.
---
The lead wolf lunged.
I didn't dodge.
I let it hit me.
Its claws raked across my chest—and bounced off. The fabric of my shirt tore, but underneath, my skin barely marked. A faint red line, nothing more. The wolf's eyes widened. It had expected to tear through flesh. Instead, it felt like clawing granite.
Vitality 72. Endurance passive. Quick Recovery.
I grabbed the wolf by the throat.
"You hit like a cub," I said.
Then I threw it into a tree.
The impact cracked the trunk. The wolf slid down, dazed. The other four stared at me, frozen.
Kael whistled softly from the treeline. "Okay. That was new."
"I didn't know I could do that."
"Neither did the wolves."
---
The pack recovered quickly. They were C-rank monsters—not smart enough to run from something they didn't understand. The remaining four circled, low growls rumbling in their throats.
The largest one—the alpha of this group—charged from my left.
I let it come.
Predator's Focus.
Time slowed.
I saw the alpha's claws extended, aiming for my ribs. I saw its jaws opening for a follow-up bite. I saw the other three wolves holding back, waiting for an opening.
They're testing me.
I caught the alpha's front leg mid-swing. My fingers closed around its ankle. The bone creaked.
Predator's Focus ended.
I twisted.
The wolf yelped—a high, pained sound—and I swung it into the ground. The impact sent up a cloud of moss and dirt. I didn't let go. I lifted it again and slammed it down a second time.
The other wolves hesitated.
I looked at them.
"Next?"
They ran.
All four of them, tails between their legs, disappearing into the purple foliage.
I released the alpha's leg. It scrambled to its feet and limped after its pack.
Kael walked over, examining the torn sleeve of my shirt.
"Not a scratch."
"They scratched my shirt."
"Your shirt, not your skin." He poked my chest where the claws had hit. "Vitality 72 is no joke. Those wolves would have gutted a normal E-rank. You didn't even flinch."
"I felt it. It just didn't hurt much."
"That's the difference between training and real combat. Your body is ready. Your mind is catching up." He grinned. "Now stop showing off and let's find more."
We walked deeper into the forest.
The purple canopy above filtered the light into strange shadows. The moss underfoot was soft, almost spongy. I felt good. Confident. Maybe too confident.
I can take hits, I thought. Those wolves couldn't even scratch me. Maybe I don't need to dodge at all.
Kael glanced at me. "You're getting cocky."
"I'm not."
"You are. I can see it in your walk." He shook his head. "Don't. You're not a tanker. You just have high vitality for your level."
"I can take a hit."
"You can take a hit. Maybe two. But sustained damage will wear you down." He pointed ahead. "And there's always something stronger."
I opened my mouth to respond, but the System interrupted.
A blue screen flashed in front of my eyes.
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
New feature unlocked: Health Bar & Vitality Armor
Health Bar: Displays your current HP (Health Points).
· Base HP: 1,200 (Vitality 72 × 15 + Summoner's Vitality bonus)
Vitality Armor: Passive damage reduction from your Vitality stat.
· Current damage reduction: 35%
· Each hit you take reduces Vitality Armor temporarily.
· When Vitality Armor reaches 0, damage reduction drops significantly.
Warning: You are not a Tanker class. Your Vitality Armor regenerates slowly outside combat. Relying on it too heavily will get you killed.
---
I stared at the screen.
A small bar appeared at the edge of my vision—green, with a number next to it.
[HP: 1,200/1,200]
Beneath it, a thinner bar, grey.
[Vitality Armor: 100%]
Then I noticed something else. At the bottom of the screen, a log of recent damage.
---
[COMBAT LOG]
Shadow Wolf (C-rank) claw strike – Damage: 45
Damage reduced by Vitality Armor (35%) – Final damage: 29
Vitality Armor reduced by 8%
Shadow Wolf (C-rank) claw strike – Damage: 38
Damage reduced by Vitality Armor (35%) – Final damage: 25
Vitality Armor reduced by 7%
Shadow Wolf (C-rank) claw strike – Damage: 52
Damage reduced by Vitality Armor (35%) – Final damage: 34
Vitality Armor reduced by 9%
---
I stopped walking.
"Kael."
"Yeah?"
"The System just showed me a health bar. And something called Vitality Armor."
Kael turned to look at me. His golden eyes narrowed.
"Ah. That means you've taken enough damage for the System to think you need to see it."
"Taken enough damage? I barely felt those hits."
"Barely felt isn't the same as no damage." He walked back to me and tapped the air where my health bar was floating. "Every time you get hit, your Vitality Armor decreases. When it runs out, you start taking real damage. And you're not a tanker, Arlen. Your health pool is decent, but it's not infinite."
I looked at the Vitality Armor bar again.
[Vitality Armor: 76%]
That first pack of wolves had taken 24% of my armor. I hadn't even noticed.
"I thought I was invincible," I admitted.
"You're not. You're just harder to kill than most." Kael smiled, but his voice was serious. "That's a good thing. But don't let it make you stupid. The moment you stop dodging is the moment you start dying."
I took a breath.
"Okay. What's my health pool?"
"System should show you."
I focused on the health bar. It expanded.
---
[STATUS DETAILS]
Health Points (HP): 1,200/1,200
· Base: Vitality 72 × 15 = 1,080
· Summoner's Vitality bonus: +120
Vitality Armor: 76%
· Passive damage reduction: 35%
· Regeneration rate: 5% per minute outside combat
Warning: Vitality Armor does not regenerate during combat.
---
"Seventy-six percent left," I said.
"From one pack of wolves. Imagine three packs. Or a boss." Kael started walking again. "Dodge more. Tank less. That's an order."
"Yes, sir."
"Don't 'sir' me. It's weird."
We found another pack twenty minutes later.
Eight wolves this time, circling a dead deer. Their fur was darker than the first group—almost black—and their eyes burned brighter. But they were different. Larger. More muscular. Their fangs were longer, and a faint red glow pulsed from their chests.
"Greater Shadow Wolves," Kael said quietly. "Still C-rank, but high C-rank. Tougher than the ones you just fought. Faster. Meaner."
"How many?"
"Eight. The big one in the back is the pack leader—still C-rank, but close to the border. One good fight and it could evolve to B-rank."
I looked at the pack leader. It was massive—shoulder height level with my chest. Its fur was streaked with silver, and its eyes burned like embers.
No sword. Just my hands.
I flexed my fingers.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to ask for a weapon?"
"I don't have one."
"Good answer." He leaned against a tree. "Your fight. Remember—dodge."
---
The first wolf came at me fast.
I dodged.
Its claws whistled past my ear. I pivoted, drove my fist into its ribs. The impact sent a shock through my arm, but the wolf yelped and stumbled back.
Predator's Focus.
Time slowed.
Three wolves were coming from the left. Two from the right. The pack leader was hanging back, watching.
They're coordinating.
I moved.
I ducked under a set of claws, drove my shoulder into a wolf's chest, and threw it into another. The two collided and fell in a heap. I spun, kicked a third wolf in the jaw—felt teeth crack under my boot.
Predator's Focus ended.
The wolves were disorganized now. I pressed the advantage.
A wolf lunged at my leg. I jumped over it, landed, and kicked it in the ribs. It slid across the moss.
Another wolf tried to bite my arm. I let it—then grabbed its snout with both hands and twisted. The wolf's neck turned. It collapsed.
Combat log flashed.
Greater Shadow Wolf bite – Damage: 48
Damage reduced by Vitality Armor (35%) – Final damage: 31
Vitality Armor reduced by 8%
Current Vitality Armor: 68%
Current HP: 1,200/1,200
---
Six wolves down. Two left—the pack leader and one large female.
The female charged.
I sidestepped, punched her in the throat. She gagged, stumbled, turned, snapped at my face. I leaned back—her teeth grazed my cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
Bite (glancing) – Damage: 18
Vitality Armor reduced by 3%
Current Vitality Armor: 65%
The female collapsed. I finished her with a knee to the skull.
The pack leader stared at me.
It was bigger than the others—shoulder height level with my chest. Its fur was thick, matted with old blood. Its eyes weren't red like the others. They were orange, flickering like dying coals.
High C-rank. Borderline B.
It charged.
---
Predator's Focus.
Time slowed to a crawl.
The pack leader's claws extended. Its jaws opened. I saw the muscles in its shoulders bunch, saw the trajectory of its attack. This one was different—faster, more precise. It wasn't just lunging. It was aiming.
I dropped to the ground.
The wolf sailed over me. I rolled, came up behind it, and drove my elbow into its spine.
Predator's Focus ended.
The wolf roared—a deep, guttural sound—and spun. Its tail caught me in the chest. I flew backward, hit a tree, and slid down.
Tail strike – Damage: 92
Damage reduced by Vitality Armor (35%) – Final damage: 60
Vitality Armor reduced by 16%
Current Vitality Armor: 49%
Current HP: 1,140/1,200
I gasped. That one had hurt. Not badly—but I'd felt it. A dull ache spreading through my ribs.
The armor is dropping fast. This is still C-rank?
Kael's voice called out from the treeline. "Greater Shadow Wolves hit harder than normal ones. Their claws have a minor armor-piercing effect. You can't tank them like the first pack."
Armor-piercing?
I looked at the combat log again. The damage reduction was still 35%, but the base damage was higher. Much higher.
The System confirmed it.
Greater Shadow Wolf tail strike – Base damage: 92
Armor-piercing reduces Vitality Armor effectiveness by 10%
Effective damage reduction: 25%
Final damage: 69
Vitality Armor reduced by 18%
Current Vitality Armor: 47%
---
I need to dodge more.
The pack leader charged again.
I rolled to the side. Its claws tore into the tree where I'd been sitting. Wood splintered.
I got to my feet, fists ready.
You're not a tanker. These aren't normal wolves.
I dodged the next swipe. Punched its leg. Dodged again. Kicked its shoulder.
Dodge. Don't tank.
The pack leader was slowing. Bleeding from half a dozen wounds. Its orange eyes were fading.
It lunged one last time.
I stepped inside its reach, grabbed its head with both hands, and twisted.
The wolf collapsed.
---
[BATTLE COMPLETE]
Enemies defeated: 7x Greater Shadow Wolves (C-rank, high), 1x Greater Shadow Wolf Leader (C-rank, peak)
Experience gained: 2,200 EXP
Drops:
· 6x Shadow Cores (C-rank)
· 1x Greater Shadow Core (C-rank, high quality)
· 1x Alpha Fang (material, improved)
· 1x Skill Fragment: Shadow Resistance (4/5)
Vitality Armor: 47% (regenerating)
HP: 1,140/1,200 (regenerating)
---
I leaned against a tree, breathing hard. My knuckles were bruised. My shirt was in shreds. But I was alive.
Kael walked over, hands in his pockets.
"Better."
"Better?"
"You dodged more. Took fewer hits. Your armor lasted longer." He looked at my health bar. "Sixty-nine damage from that tail strike. If you'd taken that without armor, you'd be down almost 6% of your health. And that was just one hit."
"I noticed."
"Greater Shadow Wolves are no joke. Even for C-rank, they're dangerous." He handed me a water bottle. "Now drink. We've got more to kill. And try to keep your armor above 40%. Once it drops below that, the next hit will hurt. A lot."
I looked at my Vitality Armor bar. 47%. Slowly ticking up.
"Let's keep going," I said