Rain fell slowly over the broken streets of Haneul City.
Min Jae-hyun pulled his thin jacket tighter as he walked toward the Hunter Association building. His shoes were worn, his pockets almost empty, and his stomach hadn't been full in days.
Still, he forced himself forward.
Because today was raid day.
And raid day meant money.
Even if it was barely enough to survive.
Inside the Association hall, hunters gathered in small groups. Armor clinked. Weapons rested on shoulders. Confident laughter filled the air.
Jae-hyun stayed near the wall.
Nobody called him over. Nobody ever did.
A large screen displayed raid teams.
Dungeon Rank: D-Class Gate
Location: East District Subway Collapse
Participants Needed: 12
A loud voice shouted, "Need one more porter!"
A few hunters looked around.
Their eyes landed on Jae-hyun.
One of them sighed. "You. Weak guy. Come."
Jae-hyun bowed slightly.
"Yes, sir."
He wasn't even offended anymore.
Porter.
Not fighter. Not hunter.
Just someone who carried bags, picked up monster crystals, and tried not to die.
He had awakened three years ago.
Rank F.
The lowest possible rank.
Some said it was worse than not awakening at all.
Because it gave false hope.
The dungeon entrance glowed in the middle of a collapsed subway tunnel.
A blue wall of light shimmered like water.
Hunters stepped through one by one.
Jae-hyun followed last.
Inside, the air felt colder.
Stone corridors stretched ahead, lit by glowing moss. The smell of damp earth and monster blood lingered in the air.
"Stay behind," the team leader said. "If you run, we don't save you."
Jae-hyun nodded.
He always nodded.
The group moved deeper.
Soon, monsters appeared.
Goblin-type creatures crawled from side tunnels, shrieking. The hunters cut them down easily. Steel flashed. Magic exploded. Within seconds, bodies dropped.
Jae-hyun watched silently.
Every time he saw real hunters fight, he felt the same thing.
A mix of awe… and distance.
Like he didn't belong in this world.
They reached a wider chamber.
The leader frowned. "Boss room already?"
The ground shook slightly.
Then the wall cracked.
A massive creature stepped out.
Not goblin.
Not D-rank.
A Stone Troll.
At least C-rank.
The hunters froze.
"Why is this here?" someone whispered.
The troll roared and slammed its fist down. The impact shattered stone. One hunter screamed as the shockwave threw him against the wall.
Chaos erupted.
"Fall back!"
"Shield up!"
"Magic now!"
Spells hit the troll, but it barely slowed. Its stone skin absorbed most attacks.
Another swing.
Another hunter down.
Jae-hyun's hands trembled as he grabbed the supply pack.
He knew this situation.
This was how weak hunters died.
Not in heroic battles.
But in mistakes.
The leader shouted, "Retreat! Gate is unstable!"
Everyone ran.
Jae-hyun ran too.
But he was slower.
Always slower.
The troll's shadow covered him.
He turned.
For a moment, time felt quiet.
He thought of unpaid hospital bills.
Of his younger sister studying late at night.
Of the promise he made to protect her.
The troll's fist came down.
Jae-hyun closed his eyes.
Darkness.
Then a sound.
Not outside.
Inside his head.
[You have met the condition.]
Jae-hyun's eyes snapped open.
He was lying on cold stone.
The dungeon was silent.
No troll.
No hunters.
No exit.
Only a floating blue window in front of him.
[Echo System Activated]
[Host: Min Jae-hyun]
[Status: Alive]
[Reward: First Echo Granted]
"What… is this?"
Another message appeared.
[You have survived certain death.]
[From this moment, you may claim Echoes of defeated beings.]
[Your strength will grow endlessly.]
Jae-hyun stared at the screen.
"Is this… a skill?"
Then a rumble shook the chamber.
The Stone Troll stepped from the shadows again.
Alive.
Angrier.
Jae-hyun's legs refused to move.
The system window flashed.
[Tutorial Objective]
Defeat the Stone Troll
Reward: Survival
"I can't… I'm F-rank…"
The troll roared and charged.
Another message appeared.
[First Echo Released]
A black mist burst from Jae-hyun's chest.
It twisted in the air.
Then formed into a shape.
A wolf.
Made of shadow.
Its eyes glowed white.
Jae-hyun froze.
The wolf lunged.
It tore into the troll's leg with unnatural strength. The troll staggered.
The wolf attacked again.
And again.
It moved faster than any beast Jae-hyun had ever seen.
The troll swung wildly, but its attacks passed through parts of the wolf's body like smoke.
Minutes later, the giant monster crashed to the ground.
The chamber fell silent.
A new window appeared.
[Stone Troll defeated]
[Echo available for extraction]
Jae-hyun whispered, "Extract…"
Black energy flowed from the troll's body and into his hand.
Another message appeared.
[New Echo Acquired: Stone Troll]
[You may summon this Echo in battle.]
Jae-hyun stared at his shaking hands.
He wasn't just a weak hunter anymore.
Something had changed.
Something huge.
A final window appeared.
[Welcome, Echo Hunter.]
[Your ascension begins now.]
And far beyond the dungeon…
Something ancient opened its eyes.