Ten minutes ago, Vance was telling a tearful story about how he "heroically tried to save that poor Porter."
Now, the "dead man" was standing in front of him, perfectly intact, wearing a faint, mocking smile.
The crowd around them began to whisper.
"Is that the Porter?" "I thought he was dead." "Didn't Vance say he was torn to shreds?"
Vance's face turned a deep, blotchy red. He glanced at the Dungeon Management Bureau (DMB) officer, then back at Kai. If this kid talked—if he revealed that Vance had abandoned his team and cut the escape rope—his Hunter license would be revoked. He might even face jail time.
In the Hunter industry, reputation was currency. "Coward" was a bankruptcy filing.
Vance suppressed the shock and murderous intent rising in his chest. He marched up to Kai, lowered his voice, and hissed through his teeth.
"You little cockroach... how are you alive?"
Kai didn't answer immediately. He just looked at the C-Rank Hunter. Before today, Vance had been a mountain—an untouchable figure of authority. But after tasting true power and slaughtering a Dungeon Boss, Vance looked... small.
The System didn't tag Vance as [Edible], but that didn't stop Kai from looking at him with disgust.
"My pay," Kai said calmly, extending a hand. "And a bonus. For my... silence."
"You're dreaming," Vance sneered, his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword. "I could shut you up right now—"
"That officer is looking right at us," Kai said, raising his voice slightly, feigning innocence. "Captain Vance, surely you want to discuss how, when the Warlord charged, you pushed me into—"
"Shut up!" Vance panicked, cutting him off.
The whispers grew louder. The DMB officer had stopped writing and was frowning in their direction.
Vance gritted his teeth, a vein bulging on his forehead. He knew he was checkmated. By an F-Rank.
"How much?"
"Ten thousand credits," Kai stated. It was the standard pay for ten porter runs.
"You're insane!"
"Or," Kai continued, his eyes cold and dead, "I go tell that officer how you triggered the collapse to cover your own tracks."
Vance took a deep, shuddering breath. He pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling with rage. "Fine. Take it and get lost. If I see you on a raid again, you won't be so lucky."
[Ding!][Transfer Received: 10,000 Credits.]
Kai glanced at the notification. He smirked. "Pleasure doing business, Captain. Oh, and one more thing."
Kai leaned in close, whispering so only Vance could hear.
"That Warlord? He tasted a little... tough."
He pulled back, leaving Vance staring at him in sheer horror and confusion, and vanished into the crowd.
Two Hours Later. City Center Hospital.
The hospital corridors smelled of antiseptic and hopelessness. This was the "Mana Pathology Ward." Since the dungeons appeared, a disease called "Mana Necrosis" had plagued humanity. Regular bodies couldn't handle the radiation from the rifts; their organs slowly shut down.
Kai's mother, Eileen, had been here for three years.
Kai pushed open the door to Room 302. His mother looked tiny in the hospital bed, her skin pale as paper, her breathing shallow.
"Kai?" Eileen opened her eyes. "You're back... early. You're not hurt?"
Kai subconsciously adjusted his jacket to hide the torn shirt underneath. He sat by the bed and took her cold hand. "I'm fine, Mom. The team was strong today. Easy money."
He lied. He had died and come back.
"That's good..." Eileen smiled weakly. "The hospital bill... is due soon, isn't it? If it's too much, just take me home. I'm tired of being a burden."
"Don't say that." Kai pulled out his phone, showing her the balance. "Look. The Captain gave me a huge bonus. We're covered for the month."
Eileen's eyes lit up for a second, then dimmed. Ten thousand credits kept the bed, but it didn't cure the disease. To cure Mana Necrosis, they needed a "Holy Elixir." Market price: Five million credits.
Kai watched his mother sleep, his hand gripping the C-Rank Monster Core in his pocket.
That core was worth $50,000. It was a fortune to a porter, but peanuts compared to what he needed.
He needed to get stronger. He needed to hunt.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his stomach. It wasn't normal hunger. It felt like acid was eating his insides.
[WARNING: Energy Reserves Critical.][Talent "Gluttony" Side Effect Triggered: Starvation Mode.][You must consume High-Grade Organic Matter within 24 hours.][Failure Consequence: Autophagy (The System will consume the Host's muscle mass for fuel).]
Kai doubled over, gasping. Eat me? If he didn't feed the System, the System would feed on him.
He looked at a wilting potted plant on the bedside table. For a second, it didn't look like a plant; it looked like a glowing green snack. He had the sudden, violent urge to shove the dirt and roots into his mouth.
No.
Kai rushed into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. His pupils were slit, like a reptile's.
He wasn't a victim anymore. He was a predator. And predators had to eat.
"System," Kai whispered to his reflection. "Show me the nearest Low-Rank Dungeon."
A blue map overlaid his vision.
[Scan Complete.][Nearest Rift: Abandoned Subway Station (E-Rank).][ inhabitants: Giant Rats, Slimes, Poison Spiders.]
Kai wiped his face, a dark grin spreading across his lips.
"Rats," he muttered, his stomach roaring in anticipation. "Looks like I'm having fast food tonight."