In a world where monsters pour through dimensional rifts and hunters are humanity’s last hope, Kael was just another weak scavenger—until the dungeon that should’ve killed him... gave him power.

Left for dead. Betrayed by his own guild. Revived by a System born from the shadows.

Now, Kael doesn’t hunt monsters. He controls them.

With undead guardians at his command and a growing army of souls, Kael will climb through the ranks, infiltrate the corrupt guilds, and face the secret overlords ruling the portals—those known only as the System Lords.

They thought he was dead.
They were right… but something else came back.

The Dragoon Guild was not the only force watching Kael's return.


Far above the neon-lit streets, within a sealed council chamber, five holographic sigils hovered in a circle—each one representing a major guild.


An elderly woman in white robes leaned forward. Her voice was cold.


> "A survivor with a Shadow Core... do you know what that means?"


A masked figure replied, "It means the system has chosen a successor. And that's a threat to all of us."


> "He's unregistered. Untethered. Dangerous."


> "We'll watch him first. See how far he climbs."


Myrla moved among the crowds in disguise. Her guild had placed her on indefinite leave after she questioned Kael's death report.


Her breath caught. She reread the message three times.


She turned toward the industrial sector of Juren—toward the only place Kael would go in hiding.


Kael crouched beside a map marked with guild territories and portal activity. Strings connected districts. Circles surrounded names.


"Varon… Elrik… even the Crimson Chair…"


> [Servant 1: Shadow Guardian – Stable]


[Servant 2: Silent Blade – Infiltration Type]


He melted into the floor and reappeared in another part of the room, completely silent.


The system had gifted him stealth, speed… now he needed information.


> [New Target: Infiltrate Guild Archives – Dragoon Branch]


"You hear about the guy who survived a dungeon collapse?" one whispered.


"That's a rumor. Nobody survives a rank-B collapse…"


"What if it's true? What if he has one of the original system seeds?"


She saw it—a faint black shimmer crossing the rooftops.


Kael dropped silently into a warehouse rooftop, reviewing what he had stolen from the archives.


> [System Confirmed: Kill Order – Subject: Kael Virek]


He vanished into the shadows, eyes glowing.


📌 Next: Chapter 6 – Blood and Betrayal


Chapter 5 - Whisper of the Guilds