Twenty years ago, the sky broke.
At least, that was how most historians described it.
Without warning, cracks appeared in the sky across different parts of the world. They looked like glowing fractures in space itself, shimmering like broken glass floating in the air.
No one understood what they were.
Until the monsters came out.
The first city to fall was Busan.
Witnesses reported creatures crawling out of the glowing cracks. Massive beasts covered in scales, claws sharper than steel, and eyes filled with endless hunger.
Bullets barely scratched them.
Missiles only slowed them down.
Within six hours, the city was gone.
Over three hundred thousand people died that day.
And that was only the beginning.
The world was thrown into chaos.
Governments collapsed.
Entire armies were destroyed.
Humanity was on the verge of extinction.
Then, something miraculous happened.
Some humans began to awaken powers.
They gained abilities that defied the laws of physics.
Superhuman strength.
Magic.
Unnatural speed.
Powers capable of fighting the monsters pouring out of the mysterious dimensional gates.
Those humans became known as Hunters.
Hunters quickly became the most important people in the world.
They formed guilds.
Protected cities.
Entered the dimensional gates to clear the monster-infested dungeons before they could break into the real world.
Over time, a ranking system was created to measure their power.
F Rank.
E Rank.
D Rank.
C Rank.
B Rank.
A Rank.
And finally—
S Rank.
Each rank represented a massive difference in power.
S-rank hunters were treated like living gods.
They had wealth, fame, and influence beyond imagination.
Meanwhile, those at the bottom…
barely survived.
And among the lowest of them all…
there was one name known throughout the hunter community.
Kael Draven.
The weakest hunter alive.
Rain poured heavily over the city of Neo-Seoul.
The streets glowed under neon lights as cars rushed past.
Inside a cheap underground bar near the Hunter Association building, loud laughter echoed through the room.
Several hunters sat around a large wooden table.
Drinks covered the surface.
One of the men suddenly pointed toward a corner.
"Hey!"
"Look who showed up!"
Another hunter turned his head.
Then another.
Soon everyone in the bar looked toward the same direction.
A young man sat alone at a small table.
His clothes were simple.
Black jacket.
Dark jeans.
Messy black hair partially covering tired eyes.
Kael Draven.
The moment someone recognized him—
The laughter exploded.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"No way! The legendary F-rank!"
"The weakest hunter in the country!"
One of the hunters leaned back in his chair, wiping tears from his eyes.
"Damn, I thought he quit already!"
Another added mockingly.
"I heard even goblins almost killed him last week."
"Is that true, Kael?"
Kael quietly continued eating his cheap bowl of noodles.
He didn't respond.
Didn't even look at them.
After five years of being a hunter, insults like these had become normal.
Once…
they used to hurt.
Now…
they barely mattered.
Because the hunters mocking him weren't wrong.
Kael Draven was weak.
Painfully weak.
Five years ago, when dimensional gates began appearing across the world, Kael had hoped his life would change.
He dreamed of becoming a powerful hunter.
Someone who could protect people.
Someone respected.
But reality was cruel.
During his awakening test, the machine measuring his power produced the lowest reading possible.
F Rank.
The weakest rank a hunter could have.
So weak that most guilds refused to recruit him.
So weak that even beginner hunters laughed at him.
Kael finished his noodles quietly.
Then stood up.
As he walked toward the exit, another hunter called out.
"Hey Kael!"
"Try not to die in the next dungeon, alright?"
The entire bar burst into laughter again.
Kael pushed open the door and stepped outside.
Cold rain greeted him.
The city streets shimmered under neon lights and giant digital screens.
One massive screen displayed the image of a famous S-rank hunter.
"Breaking News: S-Rank Hunter Elena Storm defeats Dragon-Class Monster in Tokyo Gate."
Crowds gathered below the screen, cheering.
Kael watched silently for a moment.
That world…
felt impossibly far away.
He pulled out his phone.
A notification had just appeared.
[DUNGEON RAID REQUEST]
Location: Sector 17 Industrial Zone
Dungeon Rank: F
Participants Needed: 5
Reward: 50,000 Credits
Kael stared at the screen.
Fifty thousand credits.
Enough to pay rent.
Enough to survive another month.
He sighed.
"…Guess I don't have a choice."
He pressed Accept.
A map appeared immediately, marking the dungeon's location.
Sector 17.
An abandoned industrial area on the edge of the city.
Most likely a small goblin nest.
Dangerous.
But manageable.
At least…
that's what he hoped.
Kael put his phone away and began walking through the rain.
High above the city, a faint glowing crack floated silently in the sky.
One of the many dimensional gates watching over the world.
Kael didn't know it yet.
But tonight…
his life was about to change forever.
Thirty minutes later…
Kael arrived at Sector 17.
The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, but the industrial district still looked miserable.
Rust covered most of the abandoned factories.
Broken glass littered the ground.
Old machines stood silent like the skeletons of a forgotten era.
But in the center of the area…
something very different stood out.
A glowing blue vortex floated several meters above the ground.
The Dungeon Gate.
It looked like a swirling storm made of pure energy. Dark blue light twisted endlessly inside the portal as if space itself had been folded inward.
Kael stopped several meters away.
Even after five years, the sight still made him uneasy.
Dimensional gates were humanity's greatest threat.
If monsters inside a dungeon weren't cleared quickly, the gate could break.
And when that happened…
The monsters inside would spill into the real world.
Destroying everything nearby.
That's why hunters existed.
To enter those gates and clear the monsters before disaster happened.
Kael looked around.
Four other hunters were already waiting near the gate.
They stood in a loose group, talking casually.
One of them noticed Kael approaching.
The man's expression instantly turned annoyed.
"Oh great…"
He sighed loudly.
"An F-rank."
Another hunter laughed.
"Seriously?"
"They sent him?"
Kael walked closer.
The hunters looked him over like he was some kind of useless baggage.
The tallest among them stepped forward.
He looked about thirty years old.
Muscular build.
Large battle axe resting on his shoulder.
"Name?" the man asked.
"Kael Draven."
The man nodded slightly.
"Brock."
He pointed to the others.
"Mira. Mage. E-rank."
A young woman with short brown hair raised her staff slightly.
"Tyler and Jun. E-rank fighters."
Two young men holding swords nodded.
Then Brock looked back at Kael.
"And you're the famous F-rank."
Kael simply nodded.
Brock crossed his arms.
"Listen carefully."
"You stay behind us."
"You don't rush forward."
"You don't act like a hero."
"If things go wrong…"
He shrugged.
"You're on your own."
Kael had heard the same speech many times before.
He simply replied.
"Understood."
Brock looked satisfied.
"Good."
He turned toward the gate.
"Everyone ready?"
The group nodded.
Brock stepped forward first and entered the swirling blue portal.
His body disappeared instantly.
One by one, the others followed.
Tyler.
Jun.
Mira.
Kael took a deep breath.
Then stepped forward.
The moment he crossed the gate—
The world twisted.
A strange pressure squeezed his body.
His vision blurred for a second.
Then the scenery changed completely.
Kael found himself standing inside a large underground cave.
Cold air filled the space.
The walls were rough stone.
The ground was damp.
And the smell…
was terrible.
Rotting meat and blood filled the air.
Mira raised her staff.
A small glowing orb of light floated above her hand, illuminating the cave.
"Definitely a goblin dungeon," she said.
Brock grinned.
"Perfect."
"Easy money."
Just as he finished speaking—
A high-pitched scream echoed through the cave.
"SKREEEEE!"
A small green creature jumped out from behind a rock.
A goblin.
About the size of a child.
Green skin.
Long ears.
Sharp teeth dripping with saliva.
Its yellow eyes burned with hunger.
Tyler reacted instantly.
His sword flashed.
SLASH!
The goblin's head rolled across the ground.
Dark blood splattered everywhere.
Jun laughed.
"That was pathetic."
But more screams followed.
"SKREEEEE!"
"SKREEEE!"
Several goblins rushed out from deeper inside the cave.
Five.
Then ten.
Brock raised his axe.
"Alright."
"Let's clear this place."
The hunters rushed forward.
Steel clashed.
Magic exploded.
Tyler cut through goblins with precise strikes.
Jun moved quickly beside him.
Mira fired bolts of magic that blasted goblins off their feet.
Brock smashed skulls with his massive axe.
The monsters fell one after another.
Kael stayed behind them.
He only attacked when a goblin slipped past the others.
Even then…
the fight was difficult.
One goblin lunged at him.
Kael barely dodged.
He stabbed his dagger forward.
The blade pierced the creature's throat.
Black blood spilled across his hands.
The goblin collapsed.
Kael breathed heavily.
Even fighting weak monsters like this…
was dangerous for him.
That was the reality of being an F-rank hunter.
The battle continued for nearly twenty minutes.
Bodies of goblins began piling up across the cave floor.
Finally…
the screams stopped.
Silence returned.
Jun wiped blood from his sword.
"Too easy."
Tyler nodded.
"This dungeon is basically free money."
Brock leaned his axe against his shoulder.
"Let's find the core room and finish this."
But Mira looked uneasy.
She stared deeper into the cave.
"…Something feels wrong."
Brock frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Goblin dungeons are usually bigger."
She pointed ahead.
"But this one feels… strange."
Before anyone could respond—
The ground trembled.
BOOM.
Everyone froze.
Another tremor followed.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Heavy footsteps echoed from deeper inside the cave.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Brock's expression slowly changed.
"…That's not a goblin."
From the darkness ahead—
Two glowing red eyes appeared.
Then the massive shape stepped into the light.
It was enormous.
Nearly three meters tall.
Muscles bulged under thick green skin.
Huge tusks curved from its mouth.
And in its hand—
A giant bone club.
Mira's face turned pale.
"That's impossible…"
Brock whispered slowly.
"…Goblin King."
Silence filled the cave.
Goblin Kings did not appear in F-rank dungeons.
Ever.
Something was terribly wrong.
The monster raised its head.
Then roared with terrifying force.
"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!"
And the nightmare had just begun.
The roar of the Goblin King shook the entire cave.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Small rocks rolled across the ground as the massive creature stepped forward.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Each step echoed like thunder.
The hunters froze.
No one expected a Goblin King to appear in an F-rank dungeon.
Not even Brock.
The D-rank hunter tightened his grip on his axe.
"Damn it…"
"This dungeon is broken."
Jun whispered nervously.
"Brock… what do we do?"
Brock's face turned serious.
"We fight."
"If we run now, it'll chase us to the gate."
Mira's hands trembled slightly as she raised her staff.
"That thing is at least C-rank."
Those words sent a chill through everyone.
C-rank monsters normally required entire squads of experienced hunters.
But here they were…
Five low-rank hunters.
Inside a small dungeon.
Facing a monster far stronger than any of them.
The Goblin King slammed its club against the ground.
BOOM!
The cave shook violently.
Then the monster charged.
"MOVE!" Brock shouted.
The giant club crashed down.
BOOM!
The ground exploded.
Tyler barely rolled away in time.
Jun jumped backward.
Brock rushed forward with his axe.
"ATTACK!"
His axe struck the Goblin King's leg.
CLANG!
The sound was like metal hitting rock.
Brock's eyes widened.
"Too tough!"
The Goblin King swung its arm.
BAM!
Brock was thrown across the cave.
He crashed into a stone wall and collapsed.
"BROCK!" Mira screamed.
Tyler and Jun attacked from both sides.
Their swords struck the monster repeatedly.
SLASH!
SLASH!
But the wounds were shallow.
The Goblin King grabbed Tyler.
The young hunter screamed.
"HELP—"
CRACK!
His body went limp.
The monster threw the corpse aside like trash.
Kael felt his stomach twist.
Tyler…
was dead.
Jun froze.
Fear filled his eyes.
The Goblin King turned toward him slowly.
Then the club swung down.
BOOM!
Jun disappeared beneath the impact.
Blood splashed across the cave floor.
Two hunters dead in seconds.
Mira panicked.
She fired a powerful magic bolt.
The spell struck the monster's chest.
BOOM!
Smoke filled the air.
But when it cleared…
The Goblin King was still standing.
Barely injured.
The monster roared again and charged toward her.
Brock tried to stand.
"RUN!"
But it was too late.
The club swung.
Mira's scream echoed through the cave.
Then suddenly stopped.
Silence fell.
Four hunters.
Dead.
Only one remained.
Kael Draven.
The Goblin King slowly turned its head.
Its glowing red eyes locked onto him.
Kael's heart pounded violently.
"I can't win…"
He knew that.
An F-rank hunter fighting a monster like this…
was impossible.
Still…
Kael slowly stood.
His hands trembled slightly as he gripped his dagger.
"If I'm going to die…"
"…I won't die running."
The Goblin King roared and charged.
Kael rushed forward too.
"AAAAAH!"
He dodged the club swing.
The dagger stabbed into the monster's leg.
The blade barely pierced the skin.
The Goblin King backhanded him instantly.
BAM!
Kael's body slammed against the cave wall.
Pain exploded through his chest.
His ribs cracked.
Blood filled his mouth.
He collapsed to the ground.
His vision blurred.
The Goblin King walked toward him slowly.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Each step felt like the sound of death approaching.
Kael tried to move.
But his body refused.
"…So this is it…"
The monster raised its club high above its head.
Kael closed his eyes.
Then suddenly—
A strange sound echoed inside his mind.
DING
Kael's eyes snapped open.
A cold mechanical voice spoke.
[System detected.]
Kael froze.
"What…?"
The voice continued.
[Host condition: Critical.]
[Life signs: Near death.]
[Hidden protocol activated.]
A glowing blue screen appeared before him.
Floating in the air.
Just like a game interface.
[The Forbidden System has chosen you.]
Kael stared at it in disbelief.
The Goblin King's club began falling.
[Initializing system…]
[10%]
[30%]
[50%]
The club descended closer.
Kael's heart pounded.
"Is this… real…?"
[70%]
[90%]
The monster roared as the weapon dropped toward Kael's body.
Then—
DING
[System Initialization Complete.]
[Welcome, Host.]
[You have been granted the power of the Forbidden Shadow System.]
The club smashed into the ground.
BOOM!
But Kael…
was no longer there.
The Goblin King looked confused.
Then suddenly—
A voice spoke behind it.
"…Let's try this."
The monster turned.
Kael stood several meters away.
Black shadows flowed around his body like living smoke.
His eyes glowed faintly red.
Another system message appeared.
[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Devour.]
The shadows inside the cave began moving.
They crawled across the ground toward Kael.
The darkness gathered around him.
The Goblin King roared and charged.
But Kael no longer looked afraid.
For the first time in his life…
Kael smiled.
Because he finally understood something.
The weakest hunter in the world…
was about to become something far more terrifying.
And the monster standing before him—
Was about to become his first shadow.