The morning sun slowly rose over the city of Neo-Seoul.
Golden light spread across the skyscrapers and reflected off the glass windows of thousands of buildings.
To most people, it looked like an ordinary day.
Office workers rushed through the streets.
Cars filled the highways.
Students walked toward schools.
But somewhere in the middle of that busy city, a young man's life had changed forever.
Kael Draven opened his eyes slowly.
For a moment, he simply stared at the ceiling of his small apartment.
Everything that had happened the previous night replayed in his mind.
The dungeon.
The Goblin King.
The Ogre.
The mysterious system.
His shadow soldiers.
Kael sat up slowly.
His body felt different.
Stronger.
Lighter.
More controlled.
It was as if every muscle inside him had been sharpened.
He raised his hand.
"System."
A blue screen instantly appeared in front of him.
[Forbidden Shadow System]
Host: Kael DravenLevel: 9Rank: F
Shadow Energy: 31
Stored Shadow Soldiers: 8
Goblin Soldiers ×6Goblin King ×1Ogre Soldier ×1
Kael stared at the screen silently.
Yesterday he had been the weakest hunter alive.
Now he controlled a B-rank monster.
If anyone discovered this…
Everything would change.
The Hunter Association would investigate him.
Guilds would hunt him.
Powerful hunters might even try to kill him.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"Then I just won't let them find out."
He closed the system window and stood up.
His apartment was small.
Bare walls.
A single bed.
A tiny kitchen.
But for Kael, it was enough.
After quickly washing his face, he grabbed his phone.
A notification appeared immediately.
Hunter Association – Incident Report Required.
Kael stared at the message.
Right.
The dungeon collapse.
They would definitely want answers.
But Kael wasn't worried.
He had already prepared his explanation.
The raid team died.
The dungeon boss appeared.
He barely survived.
Simple.
Believable.
And most importantly…
It didn't reveal anything about the system.
Kael put on his jacket and left the apartment.
Hunter Association Headquarters
The building towered over the surrounding city blocks.
A massive structure of steel and glass.
Hunters walked in and out constantly.
Some wore heavy armor.
Others carried magical weapons.
Kael walked inside quietly.
The moment he entered, several people glanced at him.
Some recognized him.
The weakest hunter in Neo-Seoul was somewhat famous.
But Kael ignored them.
He walked to the reception desk.
The woman behind it looked up.
"Yes?"
"I'm here to file a dungeon incident report."
She checked her computer.
"Name?"
"Kael Draven."
Her eyebrows rose slightly.
"Oh… you're the survivor from last night's Sector 17 collapse."
Kael nodded.
She typed something quickly.
"Someone will see you shortly."
Kael sat down in the waiting area.
Several hunters nearby whispered.
"That's the guy?"
"The only survivor?"
"No way…"
Kael ignored them.
Ten minutes later, a familiar voice spoke.
"Kael Draven."
Kael looked up.
The silver-haired hunter from last night stood there.
Adrian Vale.
A-rank hunter.
One of the strongest members of the Association.
Adrian gestured toward a hallway.
"Follow me."
Kael stood and followed silently.
They entered a small office.
Adrian closed the door.
Then sat down across from Kael.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Adrian studied him carefully.
Then he finally asked,
"Tell me everything that happened inside that dungeon."
Kael repeated the story he had prepared.
The raid team.
The Goblin King.
The chaos.
The dungeon collapsing.
Adrian listened without interrupting.
When Kael finished, the room fell silent.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"…Interesting."
Kael remained calm.
"What part?"
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You survived."
Kael shrugged.
"Luck."
Adrian watched him for several seconds.
Then he suddenly asked,
"Have you ever heard of irregular awakenings?"
Kael shook his head.
"No."
Adrian didn't respond immediately.
Instead he stood and walked to the window.
"Sometimes…"
He said slowly,
"…hunters evolve."
"Rare cases where someone's power changes unexpectedly."
Kael said nothing.
Adrian turned back.
"Your mana signature is strange."
Kael's heartbeat remained steady.
"I'm F-rank."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"But something about you feels…"
He paused.
"…different."
The room became silent again.
Then Adrian finally sighed.
"Regardless, your report checks out."
Kael stood.
"Am I free to go?"
Adrian nodded.
"For now."
Kael left the office.
But as he walked away, Adrian continued watching him.
Something about that boy…
felt wrong.
Outside the building, Kael stepped into the sunlight.
He exhaled quietly.
"That was close."
He checked his phone again.
Several dungeon requests had appeared.
One caught his attention.
E-Rank DungeonLocation: East Seoul Tunnel ZoneReward: 150,000 Credits
Kael smiled slightly.
Perfect.
A stronger dungeon meant stronger monsters.
And stronger monsters meant…
Stronger shadows.
He accepted the request.
The raid would begin that night.
Night fell quickly over the city.
Several hunters gathered near the entrance of an underground tunnel.
The dungeon gate floated in the air above the road.
This time, Kael stood quietly at the back of the group.
The other hunters barely noticed him.
To them, he was just another weak F-rank.
But inside his shadow…
An army waited.
The raid leader spoke.
"Alright everyone."
"Standard formation."
"Let's clear this quickly."
One by one, the hunters stepped into the gate.
Kael followed.
The world twisted.
And the dungeon appeared around them.
This place looked very different from the last one.
Dark stone tunnels stretched in every direction.
Strange red crystals glowed from the walls.
The air felt heavier.
More dangerous.
The raid leader frowned.
"…Stay alert."
Then a growl echoed through the tunnels.
Low.
Deep.
And much louder than a goblin.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
Because he could already feel it.
Monsters.
Many of them.
Hidden in the darkness.
And somewhere deeper inside the dungeon…
Something stronger waited.
Something that would soon become…
Another shadow.
Kael slowly smiled.
Because tonight…
The shadow army would grow again.