The alley was silent.
Cold wind drifted between the tall buildings, carrying the distant sounds of the city. Cars passed on the main road, people walked home from work, and neon lights flickered above convenience stores.
But inside the narrow alley…
Reality was distorted.
Kai Draven stood in front of a small swirling vortex of purple light.
A Dungeon Gate.
But unlike the massive gates controlled by the Hunter Association, this one was small—barely the size of a doorway.
A Hidden Gate.
Rare.
Dangerous.
And extremely valuable.
Kai stared at it carefully.
"Why is this here…?"
Hidden gates sometimes appeared when dungeon energy leaked into the real world. They were unstable and usually disappeared within hours.
Which meant one thing.
If Kai didn't enter now…
He might never see it again.
The system window appeared again.
Hidden Dungeon Detected
Difficulty: Unknown
Recommended Action: Enter
Reward Potential: High
Kai smiled slightly.
"Unknown difficulty… huh?"
Before yesterday, he would have run away immediately.
An E-Rank hunter entering an unknown dungeon alone was suicide.
But things were different now.
He looked down at his hands.
Strength flowed through his muscles.
The power he gained from devouring the boss monster still pulsed within him.
And his system ability…
Abyss Devour.
If he killed monsters…
He could devour them.
And grow stronger.
Much stronger.
Kai stepped closer to the gate.
The purple vortex rippled as his shadow stretched across it.
Then—
He stepped inside.
***
Inside the Hidden Dungeon
The moment Kai crossed the gate, the world changed.
The alley vanished.
The city lights disappeared.
Kai found himself standing in a dark forest.
Tall black trees stretched endlessly in every direction.
A thick fog covered the ground.
The air smelled of damp earth and something… rotten.
Kai's instincts screamed.
This place was dangerous.
His system activated immediately.
Dungeon Identified
Name: Shadow Wolf Den
Difficulty: D-Rank
Kai's eyes widened slightly.
"D-Rank…"
That was far stronger than the dungeon he entered earlier.
But strangely…
He wasn't afraid.
Instead, excitement stirred deep inside him.
His Predator Instinct activated automatically.
His vision sharpened.
The world changed.
And suddenly—
He could see glowing red marks in the darkness.
Weak points.
And enemies.
***
The First Hunt
A low growl echoed through the fog.
Kai slowly turned.
Something moved between the trees.
Then the creature stepped forward.
A wolf.
But not a normal one.
Its fur was pitch black.
Its eyes glowed crimson.
Dark smoke leaked from its body.
A Shadow Wolf.
The monster bared its teeth and lunged.
Kai moved instantly.
His body reacted faster than he expected.
He dodged the wolf's claws and slashed his dagger across its neck.
The blade cut deep.
The wolf staggered.
Kai didn't hesitate.
Using Predator Instinct, he saw the glowing weak point on its chest.
He drove his dagger straight into it.
The wolf collapsed.
Dead.
Kai stood there breathing heavily.
Then the system appeared again.
Enemy Defeated
Shadow Wolf Eliminated
Devour Available
Kai stared at the corpse.
A dark aura slowly leaked from it.
Waiting.
He already knew what the system wanted.
Kai placed his hand on the wolf's body.
"…Devour."
***
Abyss Devour
Darkness exploded outward.
Black tendrils burst from Kai's shadow and wrapped around the wolf's body.
The monster dissolved instantly.
Its body breaking apart into thousands of dark particles.
All of them were absorbed into Kai.
Power surged through him again.
Stronger.
Faster.
Better.
Devour Successful
Stat Increase:
Strength +2
Agility +3
Vitality +2
Kai smiled.
"So that's how it works."
The more monsters he devoured…
The stronger he became.
But suddenly—
His Predator Instinct flared again.
Danger.
Kai looked deeper into the forest.
Red glowing marks appeared everywhere.
Dozens of them.
Glowing eyes slowly opened in the darkness.
Growls filled the fog.
Shadow Wolves.
A whole pack.
Kai's smile slowly widened.
Before yesterday, this would have terrified him.
But now…
This was exactly what he wanted.
Because the system displayed one final message.
Multiple Enemies Detected
Bonus Devour Opportunity
Kai raised his dagger.
Darkness moved beneath his feet.
"Perfect."
"The hunt begins."
END OF CHAPTER 4