2025-04-08 20:16:39Leo walked with calculative steps, his grip tight around the hilt of his light dagger. Before him stretched a gaping, worm-like tunnel, wide and pulsating faintly with an unnatural energy. The air felt colder the closer he got to it, as if the tunnel exhaled death itself. He paused at the entrance, his eyes narrowing at the darkness that stretched downward in a spiral.
"If this is the second floor," he muttered, "then it's probably ten times worse than the last."
Every sense screamed caution, but Leo knew he had no choice. The mission must be completed—and besides, that damn internal backlash wasn't going to give him much of a break. He tiptoed forward, dagger poised, feet silent against the stone.
The walls shimmered faintly with embedded stones—some dull, others glowing faintly with colors ranging from icy blue to pale green. As he walked deeper, he noticed the luminous stones were getting smaller.
"Wouldn't hurt to take a few," he muttered, reaching up to pry three larger stones from the wall. He weighed them in his hand. "Might be worth something."
But then he frowned. "Where the hell do I keep these? I can’t carry them forever."
Ding!
[System Notification: Host has access to a Personal Vault. All non-consumable items may be stored safely.]
Leo smirked. "About damn time you said something useful. Store stones."
The stones glowed and vanished into digital particles before disappearing into the air. The tunnel was darker now without them, but he pressed on.
Five steps further, a noise stopped him cold.
SSSSLLLRK—SSHHH—SSSSSSK—
Slithering. Multiple. Quick. Close.
Ding!
[WARNING: Multiple Nightscale Crawlers detected ahead.]
[Objective: Eliminate all Nightscale Crawlers to unlock floor access.]
[Reward: +1 Stat Point | Night Hunter Passive Skill Scroll | 100 EXP]
Leo clenched his dagger and cursed. "Couldn't be something that sleeps peacefully, huh?"
From the shadows ahead, the beasts emerged—dozens of them. Each crawler was nearly the length of his torso, sleek and pitch black with reflective scales. Their mouths split open vertically, revealing rows of shimmering, curved fangs. Neon green venom dripped from their fangs onto the floor, burning small holes in the stone.
The first one lunged.
Leo sidestepped, slashing down with his dagger, but the crawler twisted midair and slithered up the wall like a serpent. Another came from behind, and another from the side. He barely parried one before being knocked to the floor by another.
His back hit the ground hard, the air rushing from his lungs. A crawler leapt at his face—he rolled and stabbed blindly, feeling his blade sink into something soft.
Screeeee!
The creature screamed and convulsed before bursting into a sickly green mist.
Leo scrambled to his feet, breathing hard. "They're coordinated... dammit."
He slashed, dodged, ducked—one cut across his arm made him hiss in pain. The venom from the tip of a fang grazed him, and his muscles spasmed slightly.
"One more hit and I’m toast..." he muttered.
They were too many. He couldn't keep up. His lungs burned. His dagger felt heavier with every swing. A crawler sank its fangs into his boot—he screamed and kicked wildly, stabbing down.
[HP Critical.]
[Vital Signs Unstable.]
"Is this it?! Is this where I die?!" he yelled through clenched teeth.
Ding!
[Emergency Protocol Activated. Temporary Skill Awakened: Arc Spark Blade]
[Duration: 3 Minutes. Cooldown: 24 Hours.]
Suddenly, Leo’s dagger pulsed with electric blue energy. Sparks danced along the blade, crackling in the silence.
He blinked. "Whoa. This—this feels—"
He didn't finish. A crawler sprang at him, but Leo swung the now-sparking dagger. The blade slashed through the air—and the creature exploded into ash, its body disintegrating with a shriek.
He didn’t hesitate.
With a feral roar, Leo spun into motion, his limbs fueled by adrenaline and the strange energy. Each strike was followed by a burst of electricity that burned through the creatures. Their shrieks echoed like dying sirens.
One leapt from above. Leo twisted, impaling it mid-air. Another crawled along the wall. He threw the dagger like a javelin—crackling energy split the tunnel and the crawler combusted mid-crawl.
"Come on! Who’s next?!" he screamed.
He slashed. Sprinted. Jumped. Rolled. He became a blur of motion, a deadly force of light and sound.
And then...
Silence.
The tunnel was littered with burnt scales and twitching remains.
Leo panted, falling to one knee.
[All Beasts Eliminated. Objective Complete.]
[Reward Unlocked.]
[+1 Stat Point Earned.]
[Item Received: Night Hunter Passive Skill Scroll]
[EXP Gained: 100. Level Progress: 100/200]
Leo stared at the notifications, then at his shaking hands. The light from the Arc Spark Blade faded, and the dagger returned to its normal, dull glow.
He exhaled deeply. "I... actually survived."
He wiped blood and grime from his face and looked around.
"System... show me the scroll."
[Item: Night Hunter Passive Skill Scroll]
[Effect: Increases visibility in low-light environments, boosts evasion against dark-aligned creatures by 15%. Permanent once activated.]
Leo grinned. "I’ll take it. Activate."
The scroll disintegrated in his hand, the energy seeping into his skin. His eyes shimmered briefly before returning to normal.
[Skill Acquired: Night Hunter (Passive)]
He leaned against the wall, finally able to breathe without fear of being attacked.
And just as he started to rest...
The ground beneath him shook.
KRUMMMM—
From the darkness ahead, a larger presence stirred.
Ding!
[Warning: Mid-Boss Creature Approaching. Prepare for Battle.]
Leo’s grin faded.
"You’ve got to be freaking kidding me."
He stood up, wiped his dagger clean, and squared his shoulders.
"Alright, bring it on. If I’m gonna die, I’m taking something ugly with me."
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
INTO THE RIFT
The morning air hung heavy over Cinder Valley, thick with fog and the iron-scent of distant magic. The sun had barely crept over the jagged horizon, casting long shadows across the group of armed hunters that stood like sentinels on the rocky edge. Clad in a chaotic medley of armor, robes, and reinforced suits, they ranged in power from battle-hardened D-class to the almost mythical S-class. And amidst them, like a drop of ink in a vat of steel, stood Leo—the sole F-class hunter.Leo swallowed, adjusting the strap of his light pack and wondering, not for the first time, how the hell he’d been roped into this suicide mission. His hood shadowed his face, and his fingers flexed around the dagger at his side—a pitiful weapon compared to the arsenal carried by those around him.A man stepped forward from the group. Tall and broad-shouldered with a cruel scar coiling from wrist to bicep, the leader’s presence silenced murmurs before he even spoke. His voice, when it came, rolled like thunder
Task
Leo sat heavily on the now manageable bed. The now thick sci-fi walls of the cottage did little to block out the forest's ambient noise: crickets chirping in rhythm, the distant hoot of an owl, and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. With a sigh, he dismissed the creaking around him and focused his gaze forward. The moment of truth had arrived."System interface," he muttered.A familiar blue screen shimmered into existence in front of his eyes. Its glow softly illuminated his face as line after line of data scrolled past. He leaned in, eyes narrowing with anticipation. At the top of the interface, nestled between his basic info and the experience bar, was a glowing box labeled [Mission Rewards]. A grin began to tug at the corners of his mouth.He tapped it.A cascading list unfurled in the center of the window:+25 Stat PointsNew Passive Trait: EndureNew Skill: Level SenseTitle Earned: Unlikely SlayerItem: Skill Orb (Uncommon) His eyes caught the last item—Skill Orb. The
A mess
The air outside the Central Government Guild office was sharp with the scent of steel and city grime, the late afternoon sun bleeding orange across the concrete sidewalks. The hum of engines, chatter from passing hunters, and the distant whistle of automated transports painted a symphony of civilization's pulse. Amid the chaos, Leo tucked his hands into the pockets of his worn hoodie, shoulders slightly hunched, eyes fixed on the ground.His thoughts spun in quiet disarray. How did the system manage to block out its own traces from the memory extraction? The Rift data had been partially preserved, yet every moment the system had intervened was a complete void. Not even a flicker. It was as though the system had slipped through reality's fingers.Leo sighed, kicking a stray pebble. "Well, it’s not my headache," he muttered to himself. "As long as the system stays hidden, I should be fine."His eyes flickered with realization."Oh right!" he said out loud, snapping his fingers. "The mis
No complaints
"Sir, something’s jamming the signal!""Stabilize it!" Haruki barked."We can’t! It’s like... it’s like part of his memory is actively resisting extraction!"On the screen, Leo's figure blurred.The Rift twisted unnaturally, and the final moments of the fight were shrouded behind a veil of static and darkness.No matter what the technicians did, they couldn’t pierce through it.Leo, meanwhile, gritted his teeth against the pain pounding inside his skull.He could feel the System inside him — awake, furious, shielding him.{INTEGRITY MAINTAINED. SENSITIVE MEMORY SEALED.}Another surge of static rolled across the monitors.Haruki raised a hand calmly. "End the extraction."The machines powered down with a dying whine. The humming circlet unlocked itself from Leo's forehead with a click. The restraints loosened.For a moment, Leo sat there, gasping for air, drenched in cold sweat, his head swimming with nausea. Every nerve ending felt raw, exposed.A couple of technicians hurried forward
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: MEMORY LANE
Two heavily armored guards escorted Leo down a narrow, dimly lit hallway. The walls were a sterile white, but the flickering overhead lights cast long, eerie shadows along the floor, making every step feel like a march toward execution.At the end of the hall stood a thick, metallic door — massive, imposing, humming faintly with energy.One of the guards stepped forward, pressed his hand against a glowing blue panel.With a hydraulic hiss, the door slid open, revealing the Memory Analysis Chamber.Leo’s breath hitched.The room was like something out of a science fiction nightmare.Cold. Metallic. Inhuman.Banks of monitors lined the far walls, displaying static-ridden images and streams of unreadable data. The scent of disinfectant was so strong it stung his nostrils. At the center of the room was the chair.It wasn’t just any chair — it looked like a mechanical throne, dark steel with thick leather straps dangling ominously from the armrests and footrests.Above it, a spider-like ar
CHAPTER TWELVE: ECHOES OF TRUTH
Leo stared at the man in front of him, his mind whirling with disbelief.The resemblance was uncanny—broad-shouldered, only that this version of Chef Chu was quite muscular, but with the same sharp brown eyes, the same thin lips that quirked when amused."Chef Chu." The name slipped out before he could stop it, like a reflex from deep confusion.The man said nothing at first. His face remained an impassive mask, betraying no emotion. Then, in a slow, calculated gesture, he motioned for Leo to sit.Director Varnes stood rigidly at attention beside him, and to his right, Kale smirked with barely concealed disdain. The sterile office, illuminated by thin bands of light from the ceiling, felt colder with every second that passed.Without wasting time, the man straightened his stance, folding his arms neatly behind his back."My name," he began, voice low and authoritative, "is Haruki Chuu. Acting President of the Central Government Guild."Leo’s brows twitched. "Haruki Chuu? So Chef Chuu w
CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE GUILD'S GRASP
At exactly one hour past Kale’s departure, the silence outside the infirmary shattered with the synchronized thud of boots. Five men dressed in pitch-black uniforms approached Leo, each one towering over him like walking tanks. Their suits shimmered faintly in the sun, armored yet seamless. Black combat gloves, steel-toed boots, and dark shades that masked their expressions — the complete image of elite enforcement.Compared to Leo’s lean frame, they were gargantuan, with shoulders so broad they could cast shadows over him. The emblem of the Central Government Guild was etched in silver on their left shoulders. One of them motioned, and without a word, Leo fell into step, flanked on all sides as they guided him toward a waiting black van. The same emblem was displayed boldly across the doors — a silver eye encased in a circle, watching everything.Leo felt their aura — steady, cold, suffocating. These men were far above his level. He could sense the difference, even if he couldn’t quan
CHAPTER TEN: VISITOR
The first thing Leo felt was the stiffness in his limbs. Then the soft humming of fluorescent lights. The antiseptic scent of the hospital wafted into his nostrils, grounding him in the present. His body was oddly light, and his chest didn’t hurt as much as he expected. He blinked groggily, his vision sharpening just in time to catch sight of Captain Draegon and Vice-Captain Nyx standing at the foot of his bed.“You’re awake,” Draegon said, voice calm and composed.Leo opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a low groan. His throat was dry, and his head still felt like it had been through a war zone.Draegon stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Leo’s shoulder, keeping him from sitting up too quickly. “Easy. You’ve been out for two days.”Leo frowned. “Two days?”Nyx gave a curt nod. “We found you in the inner floor of a Rift in Darkvale Forest. Barely breathing. Your vitals were a mess, but… now?” She narrowed her eyes slightly. “It’s like your wounds vanished overni
CHAPTER NINE: Did He Take Them Down?
The air was thick with tension as the team of D-class hunters approached the source of the unstable energy. The team halted in front of a small opening, eyeing the swirling, unstable void that stretched open before them. It was a mysterious phenomenon, one that none of them had encountered before, and the air felt charged with danger.Captain Alexander Draegon stood at the front, his sharp green eyes scanning the Rift. At 6'2", he was a tall, imposing figure with short-cropped dark brown hair and a chiseled jawline that hinted at his no-nonsense attitude. His combat specialization was swordsmanship, and he wielded a long, sleek blade that hummed with an ancient aura."I don't like this," Captain Draegon muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, instinctively ready for a fight. "There's something off about this Rift."Beside him, Vice-Captain Nyx frowned, her piercing amber eyes flicking to the swirling Rift. Elara was young but capable—quick-
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