The moment Mira spoke those words, the entire dungeon fell silent.
"A B-Rank monster."
For a few seconds, no one moved.
The hunters stared at the massive creature standing in the center of the chamber. Its huge body looked like living stone, cracked with glowing red lines that pulsed like lava beneath its skin. Each breath it took sounded like grinding rocks.
Someone behind Arin whispered nervously.
"This… this can't be real."
D-Rank dungeons were never supposed to contain monsters this powerful.
If a B-Rank monster appeared in a dungeon like this, it meant only one thing.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Mira gripped her sword tighter.
"Everyone stay calm," she ordered.
But even her voice sounded tense now.
The monster slowly turned its head toward the hunters.
Then it roared.
The sound shook the entire chamber.
Before anyone could react, the creature moved.
Its massive arm slammed into the ground with terrifying force.
BOOM!
The floor exploded into pieces of stone.
Two hunters standing near the front were thrown across the room like rag dolls.
One of them crashed into the wall with a sickening crack.
He didn't get up again.
"P-Position!" Mira shouted.
The hunters quickly tried to form a battle line, but panic had already begun to spread.
This wasn't a fight they were prepared for.
One hunter fired a burst of magic flames toward the monster.
The fire exploded against its chest.
But when the smoke cleared…
The monster was still standing.
Not even a scratch.
"What the hell…?" the hunter muttered in disbelief.
The creature stepped forward again.
Each step made the ground tremble.
Another hunter charged forward with a glowing spear.
"Die!"
He thrust the weapon directly into the monster's chest.
CLANG.
The spear shattered instantly.
The monster grabbed the hunter by the arm.
Then it squeezed.
The man's scream echoed through the chamber.
Arin felt his blood run cold.
This wasn't a battle.
It was a massacre.
The hunters who had looked so powerful just minutes ago now looked completely helpless.
Mira dashed forward and slashed her sword across the monster's arm.
A deep cut appeared.
Dark blood spilled out.
The monster roared angrily.
"Attack its joints!" Mira shouted.
Several hunters launched their strongest abilities.
Lightning.
Fire.
Wind blades.
The chamber filled with explosions of magic.
For a moment, it actually looked like they might win.
But then the monster swung its massive arm.
A wave of force blasted across the room.
Hunters were thrown in every direction.
Arin slammed into the stone wall.
Pain exploded through his body.
He struggled to breathe.
Dust filled the air.
Screams echoed everywhere.
When the dust finally settled, Arin slowly lifted his head.
What he saw made his heart sink.
More than half of the hunters were already dead.
The monster was still standing.
And it looked even angrier now.
Mira knelt on the ground nearby, blood running down her forehead.
She looked up at the creature.
"...Everyone run," she whispered.
But it was already too late.
The monster raised its massive arm again.
Arin tried to move.
But his body wouldn't respond.
His legs felt like stone.
The monster's glowing eyes suddenly locked onto him.
Of all the hunters in the room…
It had chosen him.
Arin's mind went blank.
"So this is how it ends…" he thought.
All those years struggling to survive.
All those dungeon raids.
All those insults.
And now…
He would die here.
The monster stepped closer.
One step.
Then another.
Its shadow covered him completely.
Arin forced himself to stand.
His hands trembled as he raised the small dagger in his grip.
The monster looked almost amused.
A weak F-Rank hunter challenging it.
Pathetic.
Arin knew he couldn't win.
But he still lunged forward.
"AAAH!"
The dagger struck the monster's leg.
CLANG.
The blade snapped in half instantly.
The monster swung its arm.
Arin didn't even see the attack coming.
The impact felt like being hit by a truck.
His body flew across the chamber.
Everything went dark.
Silence.
For a long moment…
There was nothing.
No pain.
No sound.
Just darkness.
Then suddenly—
A strange voice echoed inside his mind.
[System Booting...]
Arin's eyes slowly opened.
He couldn't move his body.
But glowing blue text floated in front of him.
[User detected.]
[Compatibility confirmed.]
[Activating SHADOW SYSTEM.]
Arin blinked weakly.
"W... what?"
More text appeared.
[You have died.]
[Hidden condition fulfilled.]
[Shadow System has chosen you as its host.]
The blue light grew brighter.
[Do you wish to restart?]
YES / NO
Arin stared at the words.
His vision was fading.
If this was some kind of hallucination…
It was his last one.
Slowly…
He whispered one word.
"...Yes."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
Dark energy exploded around his body.
The shadows in the chamber began to move.
And the monster slowly turned its head.
Something had changed.
Something terrifying.
Because the weakest hunter in the world…
Had just awakened.