Rain slicked streets, neon signs flickering like dying fireflies, and the faint hum of a city that never actually slept. Chicago wasn't supposed to be magical—or dangerous in any obvious way—but there were things lurking in the cracks of reality that normal humans walked past every day, smiling, scrolling, oblivious.
Jace Harlow had seen them. He just didn't think they'd see him back.
He ducked under the overhang of a convenience store, water dripping from the brim of his hoodie, and cursed under his breath. A "normal" Thursday had been turned sideways the moment a low-level dungeon—rumored, whispered about in online forums by bored urban explorers—spawned in the abandoned subway tunnels downtown. And, naturally, he'd been stupid enough to wander in.
"Alright, Jace," he muttered, pulling his phone from his pocket. Not that it mattered. GPS didn't work underground, not in here. His screen blinked with the activation of the System interface, the thing that had—somehow—chosen him three weeks ago.
System. He still didn't fully understand it. The little AI prompt floating above his wrist like a miniature hologram said something about a "Demonic Werewolf System," which sounded like either a joke or a death sentence. But there it was. And every dungeon, every drop of energy he'd felt since then, confirmed it wasn't some crappy AR app.
You have entered a dungeon.
Recommended combat level: 2
Reward: 50 Aura, 1 Random System Skill.
Easy enough for the AI to say. But the thing was—level 2 didn't feel easy. Not when the shadows themselves moved like sentient predators, eyes glowing faint red in the darkness, their forms vaguely humanoid, vaguely wolfish.
Jace's first instinct was to run. Second was to check if he could actually fight. He pressed the "Skill Acquisition" button the System offered, a holographic menu spinning in front of him.
Skill pool: Inititate Pack
Description: Form a bond with a demonic werewolf entity. Unlock transformation and enhanced senses.
He blinked. Bond with a demonic… werewolf? Yeah, no. That sounded terrible. But before he could overthink it, a pair of shadow-creatures lunged from the tunnel ahead, teeth bared, claws scraping the concrete.
Reflex kicked in. The System pulsed.
Pack Activation: Initiated.
Jace felt it before he saw it—a surge in his senses, a deep rumble from somewhere in his chest, like the low growl of some feral animal syncing with his heartbeat. His vision sharpened. Colors popped. He could see the faint aura trails of the enemies, each one marked with a soft crimson glow.
He swiped the Skill Selection, fingers trembling.
Shadow Fang: Unlocked. Next Action: Bite—infuse with aura, convert enemy energy into personal power.
"Okay, let's… just do this," Jace muttered.
He leapt forward, instinct overriding thought. The first creature yelped, jaw snapping shut around empty air as Jace's claws—manifesting through the System's power—ripped into its side. Aura spilled, feeding into him like liquid fire, and he felt the raw power of his body shift. His bones hummed, muscles pulsing with a rhythm that wasn't entirely human.
By the time the second creature charged, he was already moving faster than his eyes could comfortably track. A blur of silver and shadow, teeth and claw, and then it was down.
Experience gained: 25
Aura gained: 50
Not bad for a first fight. But Jace didn't stick around to celebrate. He knew this was just the start. Level 2 dungeon or not, the city was full of these things now, and the System had… expectations.
Back in the alley, he leaned against the brick wall, panting, hoodie soaked through, staring at the little floating AI.
"You… you're insane," he muttered.
You are now bound to the Demonic Werewolf System. Continue to complete dungeons, grow your pack, and unlock greater powers. Failure may result in death or permanent system loss.
Yeah, reassuring.
He checked his inventory. Two glowing slivers of what the System called Aura, a skill token, and an unfamiliar feeling of something deep in his chest—a hunger he hadn't had before. Not hunger for food. Hunger for power. And maybe… for the hunt.
He didn't know why, but part of him liked that feeling. Liked it a lot.
The city around him was quiet again, rain tapping a soft rhythm on neon-lit asphalt. Normal people walked past, umbrellas held high, phones in hand, unaware that a new predator was learning to hunt among them.
Jace pushed off the wall. Dungeon exits were supposed to close after a few hours. This one? He wasn't leaving without understanding it. Or surviving it. Whichever came first.
And as he approached the subway entrance again, he could feel it. Something watching him from the shadows. Not just a monster. Something bigger. Something smart. Something that smelled like danger and victory at the same time.
Level 3 dungeon detected nearby.
Recommendation: Extreme caution.
Jace smirked, teeth glinting faintly in the neon light. "Caution is boring."
He stepped into the darkness.