The air grew heavier.
Each step Arka took felt like walking deeper into something… alive.
Watching.
Waiting.
Drip… drip…
Water echoed from the ceiling.
The stone walls narrowed.
The path ahead—
Darker than before.
Yet Arka didn't stop.
"Stronger monsters should be deeper…"
His voice was calm.
But his senses were on edge.
Ever since he gained Predator's Instinct, everything felt clearer.
Sharper.
More precise.
Every sound.
Every movement.
Every shift in the air.
Then—
He stopped.
"…Something's here."
The ground trembled.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
BOOM!!
Something massive dropped from above.
Dust exploded outward.
Cracks spread across the ground.
And in front of him—
A monster far bigger than anything he had seen.
[Monster Detected]Hobgoblin (Lv. 5) – Elite
"…Level 5."
Arka's eyes narrowed.
That wasn't just higher.
That was overwhelming.
The Hobgoblin stood nearly twice his height.
Muscles bulging.
Skin rough like stone.
A massive iron club rested on its shoulder.
Its red eyes locked onto him.
"GRAAAAA!!"
It charged.
Fast.
Too fast for its size.
"—!!"
Arka jumped back—
BOOOOM!!
The club smashed into the ground.
The impact shattered the stone floor.
Shockwaves rippled outward.
"…That would've killed me."
No doubt.
No hesitation.
Instant death.
The Hobgoblin swung again.
Horizontal.
Wide.
Deadly.
Arka ducked—
But the wind pressure alone—
SLAM!!
Threw him against the wall.
"ARGH—!!"
Pain exploded through his ribs.
Something cracked.
His vision shook.
"This… isn't like before…"
Not goblins.
Not something he could handle easily.
This was different.
This was—
A real fight.
The Hobgoblin didn't stop.
It advanced.
Slow.
Confident.
Like it already knew the outcome.
Arka pushed himself up.
His legs trembled.
Blood trickled from his lips.
"…Good."
He smiled.
Faint.
But real.
"If it's not dangerous…"
"Then what's the point?"
The monster roared again and charged.
This time—
Arka didn't dodge.
"COME!"
CRASH!!
The club came down.
Direct hit.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
[Skill Activated: Absolute Adaptation]First lethal damage negated.
Arka's body was buried in the ground.
Broken.
Bleeding.
But—
Alive.
"…Heh…"
A weak laugh escaped his lips.
"So this is the limit of that skill…"
One chance.
One survival.
Used.
The Hobgoblin raised its club again.
To finish it.
To end him.
But Arka's eyes—
Changed.
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
Calculation.
"I felt it…"
He forced his body to move.
Pain screamed through every nerve.
But he stood.
"The speed."
"The timing."
"The weight of your attack."
The club swung down again—
But this time—
Arka moved.
A step to the side.
Perfect.
Clean.
The attack missed.
"…Got you."
For a split second—
The Hobgoblin's posture opened.
Too wide.
Too exposed.
Arka lunged forward.
Bare hands.
No weapon.
No armor.
Just—
Timing.
He grabbed a sharp shard of broken stone from the ground—
And—
STAB!!
Drove it straight into the monster's throat.
"GRAAAAAAA—!!!"
The Hobgoblin thrashed violently.
Swinging wildly.
Destroying everything around it.
But Arka didn't let go.
He twisted the shard deeper.
Harder.
"DIE!"
CRACK—!!
The monster's movement slowed.
Then—
Stopped.
Its massive body collapsed.
Shaking the ground.
Silence.
Arka stood there.
Breathing heavily.
Covered in blood.
Not all of it his.
"…I won."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
[Boss Defeated][Massive EXP Gained]
[Level Up!][Level Up!][Level Up!][Level Up!]
Energy exploded through his body.
Far stronger than before.
His wounds—
Slowly closing.
His strength—
Multiplying.
Level: 7EXP: 0 / ∞
Arka clenched his fist.
The power felt overwhelming.
Addictive.
Then—
A new notification appeared.
[Skill Evolution Available]Predator's Instinct → Blood Predator (Rare)
Arka stared at it.
"…Evolution?"
His smile slowly widened.
"Now we're talking."
He looked deeper into the dungeon.
Darker.
More dangerous.
More unknown.
But now—
It wasn't fear he felt.
It was hunger.
"Come."
🔥 END OF CHAPTER 4