The monster moved slowly through the darkness.
Its glowing red eyes locked onto Ethan.
A deep growl echoed through the wasteland.
Ethan's heart pounded so loudly he could hear it in his ears.
"I have to run…"
But when he tried to move, his legs refused.
The system message appeared again in front of his eyes.
[Quest Active]
First Hunt
Kill your first monster.
Reward: Shadow Skill
Failure: Death
Ethan clenched his fists.
"So running isn't an option…"
The monster stepped closer.
It looked similar to the dead wolf monster beside him, but this one was alive and clearly stronger.
Its claws scraped the ground as it slowly circled him.
Ethan forced himself to breathe.
"Think… think…"
Suddenly he noticed something.
The system had changed his body.
He could feel it.
His muscles felt lighter.
Stronger.
Even his vision seemed sharper.
"Did the system really increase my strength?"
The monster suddenly lunged.
"ROOOAR!"
Ethan reacted instinctively.
He jumped to the side.
The monster crashed into the ground where he had been standing seconds earlier.
"Too slow!"
Ethan was shocked.
Before the system, he would never have moved that fast.
But now he could.
The monster quickly turned and attacked again.
This time Ethan grabbed a broken metal rod from the ground.
As the monster leaped toward him—
He swung.
CLANG!
The rod hit the monster's jaw.
The beast howled in pain.
But it wasn't enough.
The monster was still alive.
And now it was angry.
Very angry.
It rushed toward Ethan again.
This time faster.
Ethan barely dodged.
The claws tore through his jacket and cut his shoulder.
Pain exploded through his body.
"AAH!"
Blood dripped onto the ground.
Ethan stumbled backward.
"If I make one mistake… I die."
Fear filled his chest.
But then…
Another system message appeared.
[Skill Activated]
Shadow Absorption
A dark energy suddenly spread from Ethan's body.
The shadow beneath his feet began to move.
Like liquid darkness.
Ethan stared at it in shock.
"My shadow… is moving?"
The monster attacked again.
But this time Ethan didn't run.
He stepped forward.
The shadow beneath him suddenly stretched toward the monster.
Wrapping around its legs.
The monster roared and struggled.
But it couldn't move.
Ethan raised the metal rod.
His hands trembled.
He had never killed anything before.
But if he didn't…
He would die.
"I'm sorry."
CRACK!
The rod smashed into the monster's skull.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Finally the monster collapsed.
Silence returned to the wasteland.
Ethan stood there breathing heavily.
Then the system appeared again.
[Monster Eliminated]
[Level Up]
[Level 2 Reached]
Ethan's eyes widened.
"Level… up?"
A warm energy flowed through his body.
His wounds slowly began to heal.
Another message appeared.
[Reward Unlocked]
Shadow Skill: Shadow Step
Ethan stared at the glowing words in front of him.
He had done it.
He had killed his first monster.
But he didn't know…
Far away on top of the city wall…
A woman was watching him.
Her icy blue eyes narrowed.
She wore the uniform of Iron City Academy's elite hunters.
Her name was Aria Frost.
And she had just witnessed something impossible.
"A shadow ability…?"
Her voice was cold.
"That power was supposed to be extinct."
She looked at Ethan in the distance.
"Who are you…?"
Back in the wasteland, Ethan had no idea.
His life was about to become far more dangerous than fighting monsters.
Because now…
Hunters were watching him.
To Be Continued…