Corrective measures.Your heart will stop.For some reason, the phrase did not make any sense to Eric but he was not stupid enough to test it. He pushed himself off the bed and walked toward the window, resting his hand against the glass as he looked down at the hospital building below. A daily quest.That meant twenty-four hours.And the day was already slipping away.Nothing in his life had ever come easily for him. Not money. Not safety. Not even survival. He had always been forced to take the longest route, the hardest one.Getting stronger would be no different.‘Others are born with talent,’ he thought.‘I have to earn everything.’〈…〉He lifted his head slightly. “Huh. Were you about to say something?”No response.Eric nodded to himself and turned away from the window.‘Fine.’“It’s no big deal,” he muttered, drawing in a steady breath. He shrugged off his black track jacket. “I’m actually pretty fired up for this.”Then he looked down.And froze.Six matte-black bands circl

At Silver Guild, the Guildmaster, Lorian Hale, stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, sunlight spilling over the city like it had been placed there just for him. His medium length white hair was perfectly styled, skin pale and flawless, wearing a tailored white suit with a long white cloak draped over his shoulders that looked like it was woven for kings.“Here, in Crown City,” he said, voice smooth and full of pride, “I am known as the strongest Hunter alive. Under my command, every Hunter in this guild matches my strength. Three years running, we’ve claimed the top spot in the Hunter competition…”A sigh floated behind him. Nadia, the young blonde lady, stayed silent, knowing better than to interrupt when Lorian indulged in these self-adoring moments.Then he laughed, spreading his hands. “Jarvis… always second. Always chasing me. Hahaha! It’s almost laughable how predictable he is.” His eyes glittered as he turned to her, a grin curving over his sharp features.“A

Eric groaned as he forced himself upright, his body trembling. His leg burned, his ribs screamed, and every joint felt like it had been torn apart and forced back together.Then the sensation vanished all at once〈Pain Nullification Active〉Eric exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders, testing his limbs“…Damn it,” he muttered, irritation seeping into his voice. “I seriously need more training to avoid getting thrown like that.”He leaned against the cavern wall, eye scanning the shadows. Something massive was here. He could feel it, the pressure, feel the weight of it, but he couldn’t see a thing.“Oracle…” Eric murmured, his voice low. “What am I even facing?”〈Threat Identified〉〈Name: Abyssal Spine Tyrant〉〈Classification: C-Rank Elite Monster〉Eric tilted his head back and let out a humorless breath.“A C-Rank Elite Monster,” he repeated. “Right. Sure.”His jaw tightened.“I’m E-Rank, and bare-handed. You realize that, right?”He dragged a hand down his face, forcing a shaky laugh

〈Analysis Complete〉〈Growth triggers confirmed〉〈Perception: Growth detected ×4〉〈Agility: Growth detected ×3〉〈Strength: Growth detected ×1〉〈Defense: Growth detected ×1〉〈Calculating stat progression based on growth alone〉〈Initial state prior to engagement〉〈Strength〉 Rank E 〈• • • • •〉〈Defense〉 Rank E 〈• • • • •〉〈Agility〉 Rank E 〈• • • • O〉〈Perception〉 Rank E 〈• • O O O〉〈Mana〉 Rank E 〈• • • • •〉〈Charm〉 Rank E 〈• • O O O〉〈Applying growth triggers〉〈Perception〉〈Growth detected ×4〉〈Rank advanced: E → D〉〈Current state: D 〈• • • • O〉〉⸻〈Agility〉〈Growth detected ×3〉〈Rank advanced: E → D〉〈Current state: D 〈• • • O O〉〉⸻〈Strength〉〈Growth detected ×1〉〈Rank advanced: E → D〉〈Current state: D 〈• O O O O〉〉⸻〈Defense〉〈Growth detected ×1〉〈Rank advanced: E → D〉〈Current state: D 〈• O O O O〉〉⸻〈Mana〉〈No growth detected〉〈Rank unchanged〉〈Current state: E 〈• • • • •〉〉⸻〈Charm〉〈No growth detected〉〈Rank unchanged〉〈Current state: E 〈• • O O O〉〉Eric stared at the results, his

The air changed as Eric stepped deeper into the cavern.The stone walls narrowed, threads clinging to them like veins. They stretched from floor to ceiling, layered thick enough to dull the sound of his footsteps.He stopped.‘Spider,’ he thought immediately.〈Threat Identified〉〈Name: Graveweave Arachnid〉〈Classification: D-Rank Normal Monster〉Eric didn't move and his invisibility stayed active, his mana flowing in a steady, controlled stream.Then he felt it.A faint vibration ran through the thread beneath his boot.His heart skipped.It sensed that.〈Warning〉〈Thread vibration detected〉〈Enemy possesses spatial awareness〉The air shifted.A massive shape descended silently from the ceiling, eight long legs unfolding as it landed without a sound. Its body was the size of a small car, black and rough like hardened bark, abdomen leaking threads endlessly that stretched across the cavern like a webbed domain.Eric swallowed.‘That thing controls the whole area.’The spider’s head tw