They all turned toward him.
Every monster on the floor.
Four goblin-types.
Two wolf-like beasts.
And the one crawling across the ceiling like a broken spider.
None of them looked at the crowd. Only him.
Rudo didn't flinch.
He had no weapon. No allies. No safety. Only instinct—and a body that refused to feel hesitation anymore.
Special Hunter: One-Star
Objective: Eliminate Starless Candidate
The system window flickered once, then disappeared.
Rudo glanced at the remaining humans behind him. They were frozen—some pale, some trembling, some praying. None dared move.
Good. They weren't part of this equation.
The monster moved first. Its massive femur-blade swung in a wide arc. Every step it took cracked the stone beneath its feet.
It didn't aim at the humans. Only him.
The humans shrieked and fell to the floor. One girl cried,
"Please, help—"
Rudo ignored her.
He didn't need mercy. He didn't need sympathy. He needed survival.
Step One: Observation
Rudo crouched low, eyes scanning every movement.
The hunter was fast, but predictable in its rhythm. The blade swung in a pattern—heavy right, left, forward, three beats, pause.
The pause—one second—was enough.
He stepped forward. Not away. Forward. Into the hunter's strike.
The bone blade missed by inches. His shoulder grazed the edge, slicing fabric and skin. He didn't flinch.
Predator's Instinct Progress: 47%
The creature adjusted instantly. Faster than expected. Its armored fist slammed the ground where Rudo had been. Shards of stone sprayed.
He rolled to the side, landing low, and grabbed a jagged piece of rubble.
Swinging it, he struck the hunter's knee joint. Metal and bone screeched. The creature staggered—not injured enough, but it had reacted.
He could feel it analyzing him now.
Step Two: Experimentation
Rudo paused briefly.
In previous life, hesitation would have killed me.
In this life, hesitation is the tool.
The hunter lunged again. Faster. Its femur blade aimed directly at his torso.
He leapt backward, but not entirely—he wanted it to see him commit to movement.
Every human reaction could be predicted. But this was a ranked hunter. Unpredictable.
He moved like a shadow. Dodged. Feinted. Rolled. Every motion calculated to test, probe, and exploit the enemy's rhythm.
A glint of light caught his eye—the hunter's shoulder joint, slightly exposed. Weakness.
Predator's Instinct Progress: 53%
He noted it. Stored it. Not yet attacking fully.
Step Three: Manipulation
Rudo glanced at the humans again.
Fear was spreading. Good. Fear is power.
One man whispered, shaking violently,
"He… he's going to die!"
Rudo allowed himself a small smirk.
He could manipulate even fear. Observe how humans overestimate weakness and underestimate ruthlessness.
He moved again. Closer. The hunter adjusted. It noticed him now as more than prey.
It hesitated for one microsecond—enough.
Rudo's hand shot out. Grabbed a rock. Threw it. Not to hit, only to distract. The hunter's attention split—eyes flicked left, then right.
Perfect.
Minor Evolution Unlocked: Tactical Exploitation
The hunter swung faster. He rolled. Caught its arm mid-swing. Pulled. Twisted. Crack. Bone shifted. It roared.
The humans behind him screamed. A child fainted.
Rudo ignored it.
Step Four: First Real Kill
The femur blade swung again. This time he was ready.
Step forward, side slash with jagged rubble. Hit the exposed shoulder joint. Crack. Pop. The creature staggered.
It roared. Recognition, not pain. Recognition that he was not a normal human.
Rudo moved in. Fast. Calculated. No hesitation.
Bone crunched under his grip. Tendons tore. Every strike precise, efficient.
Blood, dark and sticky, splashed across the stone floor.
Kill Confirmed
Predator's Instinct Progress: 65%
Level-Up Pending
The hunter staggered once. Then collapsed. Not dead—but incapacitated. Enough.
Rudo wiped the blood from his hands. Looked at the humans. They didn't dare breathe.
He didn't care. Humanity was fading. That was fine. He had survived. That was all that mattered.
Step Five: New Threat
A rumble shook the corridor. Dust fell from above.
A new system window flickered.
Hidden Condition: Unknown Entity Detected
Floor Difficulty: Increasing
Special Rank: Two-Star Candidate
The humans screamed.
Rudo didn't move.
The monster that fell before was strong. But it wasn't the real test.
Something bigger moved above. Something smarter.
Something that would not make the same mistakes.
Rudo smiled faintly.
Good. Finally, a challenge worthy of him.
He didn't need allies. He didn't need trust. He didn't need mercy.
Everything he had learned in his previous life—betrayal, ruthlessness, calculation—was a weapon now.
The humans behind him didn't matter. They never did.
Pain, blood, fear—these were tools. He would use them all.
The ceiling cracked. A shadow fell over the corridor.
A massive form descended. Larger than the previous hunter. Bone armor fused with stone. Its eyes glowed crimson.
On its chest—a faint star symbol. One-Star.
A true ranked entity. On Floor 1.
Impossible.
The system window appeared again.
Special Hunter Deployed
Rank: Two-Star
Objective: Eliminate Starless Candidate
Note: Extreme Lethality
Rudo's heart remained steady. Calm. Empty.
Humanity Integrity: 82%
Perfect. Enough to act. Not enough to hesitate.
He crouched, prepared.
The first strike came.