I never asked for this.
One minute, I was crawling out of that Gate broken, burned, and bleeding like a ghost nobody cared about.
The next, the world was different.
Quiet, but heavy.
Like something was watching.
Like something was waiting.
I sat down on a cracked curb and caught my breath.
Then it hit me.
A flicker of light—almost like a glitch in the corner of my vision.
I blinked.
A window appeared.
Black, sleek, with glowing white letters.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
"Welcome, Crispin David."
No, this wasn't a dream.
This was real.
I tapped the window with a shaky finger.
Stats, skills, quests.
My life was suddenly a video game.
[LEVEL] 1 — D-Class Hunter
[HP] 100
[MP] 30
[STR] 5
[AGI] 6
[INT] 4
And underneath, a quest blinked:
[Quest] Enter Gate and survive. [Completed]
I scoffed.
Great. A system that tells me what I already survived.
Then a new quest popped up.
[Quest] Clear the Southbridge Gate (Dungeon). Difficulty: Low. Reward: Experience + Item Drop.
Hell yeah.
If this thing wanted me to play along, fine. I'd play.
The city streets were a battleground.
The Gate wasn't just some doorway.
It was a nightmare leaking into our world.
Monsters crawling out in packs, killing anyone stupid enough to stand their ground.
But this time, I had a system.
A power.
And a shot.
I headed toward the Gate location marked on the map glowing in my vision.
My hands tingled with that strange ember fire.
My first real test.
When I arrived, a group of hunters was already battling a pack of low-level monstersmutated dogs with razor claws and glowing eyes.
I hung back.
Watching.
Calculating.
They were fast, but disorganized.
I could do better.
A beast lunged at me.
I didn't think.
I burned.
Fire exploded from my palms, searing flesh and fur.
The beast screamed and collapsed.
The others stared.
A smirk crept across my face.
I wasn't just a D-Class anymore.
The system buzzed.
[Level Up Available]
Hell yes.
I took my first step into something bigger.
But I had no idea just how deep the rabbit hole went Alright, boss! Here's the next chunk of Chapter 3 — Crispin stepping into his first quests, feeling the rush of leveling up, and the harsh realities of the Hunter world crashing in. Ready? Let's roll.
The moment I crushed that mutating dog with flames, everything changed.
The other hunters looked at me like I was some kind of freak — a D-Class showing off.
I didn't care.
A surge of adrenaline rushed through me. The system's interface hovered in my vision, showing EXP gained, stats ticking upward.
[EXP Gained: 150]
[Current EXP: 150 / 300]
My hands still burned faintly. Not pain power.
I scanned the battlefield. More beasts coming.
The others weren't ready.
One hunter, a woman with a sniper rifle, shouted, "Watch your backs!"
I felt the system buzz again.
[New Skill Unlocked: Flame Burst]
A skill? Already?
I barely had time to think before another dog leapt at me, teeth bared.
I clenched my fist, and a ball of flame exploded outward.
The beasts screamed, scattering in panic.
The hunters regrouped, giving me wary glances.
I knew what they were thinking: "Who the hell is this rookie?"
I grinned.
We pushed deeper into the Gate.
The city behind us blurred into shadows.
Inside, the ruins were cold, dark crawling with monsters desperate and dangerous.
I kept my system open, watching quests and stats, tracking every heartbeat.
Every kill.
Every move.
We came to a dead end.
A massive monster blocked the path a grotesque giant with scales like iron and claws sharp as razors.
The other hunters hesitated.
I stepped forward.
My hands burned brighter.
"Let's see what you've got," I muttered.
The fight was brutal.
The beast swung a massive claw.
I dodged, barely.
My flames clashed with its iron scales.
The system buzzed madly.
[Skill Activated: Flame Burst]
[Damage: 500]
The beast roared, staggering.
I pressed the attack.
Burnout surged through me — black fire licking my skin but fueling my strength.
The hunters rallied, attacking the beast's exposed sides.
Finally, with a shattering roar, the beast fell.
The Gate trembled.
Light flashed.
The system chimed:
[Quest Complete: Clear the Southbridge Gate]
[Reward: Experience + Rare Item]
That night, I sat alone on the rooftop, city lights flickering beneath me.
The system glowed softly.
[Level Up Available]
I clenched my fists.
This was just the start.
Something deeper lurked in the Gates.
Something they didn't want me to find.