The morning air was crisp, brushing against Kael's face as he stepped out of his apartment. His chest throbbed faintly with the golden warmth, subtle but persistent, like a heartbeat just beneath the skin. He flexed his fingers, half-expecting something to happen. Nothing did.
Not yet, he thought.
He made his way to the guild hall, careful to keep to the shadows. The streets were busier than usual. Merchants shouted to passersby, and hunters hurried along, some carrying heavy packs, others chatting excitedly about yesterday's raids. Kael ignored them all. He had learned that invisibility—blending in—was far safer than being noticed.
---
Inside the guild hall, the assignments for the day were posted. Most were routine: E-rank dungeons that promised minimal danger and even smaller rewards. Kael scanned the board, noting a new dungeon that had been added unexpectedly: a narrow cave labeled only as "Abandoned Mines – Low Risk."
He frowned. Something about the note felt off. No guild master signature, no confirmation. Yet it was there, available for anyone willing to take it.
"Going for the new one?" a voice called behind him.
Kael turned slightly. It was a fellow E-rank hunter, a boy slightly taller than him with bright eyes and a cocky grin.
"Maybe," Kael said cautiously. He didn't want to draw attention.
The other hunter shrugged. "I'll stick to the usual caves. Don't want to get eaten alive by whatever's hiding in there."
Kael kept quiet. There was something about the note, about the dungeon, that tugged at him. Something… waiting.
---
The dungeon entrance was barely more than a collapsed mine shaft. The wood supports had rotted, stone walls were cracked, and faint echoes of falling debris could be heard within. Kael stepped carefully over the threshold, the faint pulse in his chest flaring ever so slightly.
[Unknown Presence Detected.]
He froze. No visible system window appeared, only the quiet hum beneath his skin. He flexed his fingers slowly, the warmth responding to his movement.
It's just a feeling… nothing more, he told himself.
---
The corridors inside twisted unpredictably, narrow tunnels opening into small chambers filled with dust and debris. Kael kept to the back, watching the others move ahead. The low-level monsters here were the same he had fought countless times: small, weak, and predictable. Yet he noticed something strange.
A faint golden shimmer flickered in the corner of his vision. It wasn't a monster, not exactly. The walls themselves seemed… alive, faintly pulsing with light, as if responding to him.
Kael crouched, brushing a loose stone aside. The shimmer intensified, reflecting off tiny crystal veins in the rock.
[Passive Skill Triggered: Dragon Core Observation Lv.1]
Kael's heart skipped a beat. The system again? No window, no alerts, just the soft, undeniable pulse in his chest. He exhaled slowly.
So this is what's been happening…
---
Deeper into the mine, he noticed a narrow corridor branching off from the main path. The others didn't see it—they moved forward, focused on the monsters and loot. Kael hesitated. Something about the side path called to him, the faint golden pulse growing slightly stronger.
He stepped into the corridor. The air here was colder, heavier, and quiet. Too quiet. He crouched, eyes scanning the walls, floor, and ceiling. A faint movement caught his eye: a tiny creature, almost invisible, its eyes glowing faintly gold.
Kael's fingers itched. Normally, he would ignore it, but something told him to watch.
The creature didn't attack. Instead, it moved with precise, deliberate steps, leading him deeper into the corridor. Kael followed slowly, careful not to alarm it. The pulse in his chest matched the creature's movement.
It's guiding me, he realized.
---
The corridor opened into a small chamber, hidden from the main dungeon path. In the center, a stone pedestal glimmered faintly, veins of crystal running through it. The golden pulse was strongest here.
Kael approached cautiously, hand hovering over the stone. The warmth in his chest flared, bright and insistent.
[New Skill Available: Dragon Core Recognition Lv.1]
[Potential Growth Detected: High]
He froze. No visible text, no flashy animation. Just… awareness. Something ancient, subtle, and patient. Kael had never felt anything like it.
A small laugh escaped him—soft, almost incredulous. "So… it's true."
The pulse continued, faintly vibrating in rhythm with his heartbeat. He realized this was the first step, small and quiet, in a path he didn't yet understand.
---
By the time Kael returned to the main corridor, the other hunters were nowhere near noticing anything unusual. They moved past, complaining about how dull the dungeon was. Kael stayed quiet, blending in as always.
But inside him, something had shifted. The warmth in his chest was stronger now, and the faint golden pulse lingered, a whisper promising growth, change, and power yet to come.
He stepped out of the dungeon into the sunlight, blinking against the brightness. The city seemed ordinary, yet Kael couldn't shake the feeling that it—and he—was no longer the same.
Something is awakening, he thought. And I'm part of it now.
The faint shimmer at the edge of his vision appeared again, gone the moment he tried to focus on it. Kael smiled faintly. He didn't know what it meant yet, but he would discover it, slowly, quietly, in his own time.
And he would be ready when the world finally noticed him.
---