RYUJIN WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL AFTER TWO DAYS.
HE WALKED OUT OF THE DOORS WITHOUT A WORD, HIS HANDS IN HIS POCKETS, HIS EYES COLD.
"I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS… I NEED POWER. MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE."
THE WORLD WAS STILL AS CHAOTIC AS EVER. GATES WERE OPENING DAILY, MONSTERS POURING OUT.
HUNTERS HAD FAME, MONEY, AND POWER.
BUT RYUJIN DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT.
HE ONLY WANTED REVENGE.
SECRET TRAINING BEGINS
HE BOUGHT A CHEAP WOODEN TRAINING DUMMY AND BROKE IT IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.
HIS BODY WAS ALREADY STRONGER THAN MOST C-CLASS HUNTERS, BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH.
HE KNEW IT.
RYUJIN STARTED VENTURING INTO WILDERNESS NEAR SMALL F-RANK GATES WHERE WEAK MONSTERS ROAMED.
HE KILLED THEM SILENTLY, NEVER REPORTING ANYTHING TO THE ASSOCIATION.
ONE DAY, AFTER KILLING A WOLF-TYPE MONSTER, HE PICKED UP THE MONSTER CORE.
IT WAS WARM, PULSING IN HIS HANDS.
"THIS… THIS FEELS STRANGE…"
THE DISCOVERY
SOMETHING INSIDE HIM WHISPERED TO CRUSH IT.
HE DID.
FLASH!
A SURGE OF BLACK ENERGY SHOT THROUGH HIS BODY.
HIS HEART RACED WILDLY AS HIS STATUS SCREEN AUTOMATICALLY APPEARED:
STRENGTH: 22 → 24
MANA: 180 → 195
RYUJIN FROZE.
"DID… DID I JUST ABSORB ITS POWER?"
HIS HAND TREMBLED AS HE PICKED UP ANOTHER CORE.
HE CRUSHED IT.
FLASH!
ANOTHER WAVE OF ENERGY RUSHED INTO HIM.
A NEW HUNGER
RYUJIN DROPPED TO HIS KNEES, BREATHING HEAVILY.
HIS VEINS FELT LIKE THEY WERE ON FIRE, BUT ALONG WITH THE PAIN…
CAME POWER.
"I CAN… GET STRONGER… LIKE THIS?"
HIS LIPS CURVED INTO A DARK SMILE.
FROM THAT DAY, RYUJIN STARTED HUNTING ALONE, SECRETLY ABSORBING EVERY MONSTER CORE HE COULD FIND.
NO ONE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.
NO ONE COULD STOP HIM.