The forest smelled of blood and smoke. The Shadowfang Alpha's corpse loomed like a dark mountain beside the dying fire, its lifeless eyes staring into the night sky. Kael sat slumped against a tree, every muscle aching, Dawnfang resting across his lap.
His breath came in harsh gasps. His wounds were still knitting themselves together, faint pulses of light leaking from the blade as its strange energy worked on him. Even so, exhaustion weighed on his limbs like iron chains.
For a moment, he simply sat there, staring at the monstrous corpse. His heart pounded with disbelief.
He had killed a C-rank.
Him. Kael Ardyn—the boy who once begged mercenaries for scraps of food, who cowered at the sight of armed men, who couldn't even defend his own sister from the cruelty of the world.
Now, a monster stronger than any human he had ever faced lay dead at his feet.
The system's blue panels flickered once more.
[ Level Up! ]
[ Level 8 → Level 9 ]
[ Stat Points Gained: +5 ]
[ Predator's Instinct (Evolved): The senses of a true hunter. Detects hostile intent within 40 meters. Increased reaction speed when facing a stronger opponent. ]
Kael's eyes lingered on the last message. His instincts—the same gift that had always kept him alive when others starved—were now sharper than ever. The shadows around him seemed clearer, each movement in the forest alive to his perception.
But even that didn't shake the heavy truth pressing on his chest.
He had killed again.
Not goblins this time. Not mindless, fragile creatures. But something cunning, powerful, alive. He could still feel the heat of its blood soaking his skin, the resistance of flesh and bone as Dawnfang pierced through.
The weight of it made him tremble. His hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Am I really changing… or am I just becoming a monster myself?
---
Kael's thoughts drifted to Lira. Her thin face, her smile despite the hunger. He had sworn that he would protect her. That he would climb as high as he needed, no matter the cost.
That oath steadied him.
He wasn't killing because he loved it. He wasn't killing because he had no choice.
He was killing so she could live.
Kael forced his trembling hands still. He opened his stat window again and invested the points, his body once more thrumming with power.
> Strength: 20
Agility: 15
Vitality: 20
Perception: 13
Willpower: 12
The changes were obvious. His body felt denser, his grip stronger. The aches in his bones eased under his new vitality. Even breathing seemed easier.
He stood, testing his balance. The exhaustion was still there, but beneath it was a steady, coiled energy, like a predator ready to spring again.
The corpse of the Shadowfang Alpha shimmered, breaking apart into faint motes of blue light as the system began consuming it. From its remains, something solid dropped at Kael's feet.
A crystal the size of his fist, pulsing with faint shadows.
[ Shadowfang Alpha Core (Rare): A concentrated essence of a Dire Beast. Usable for crafting, upgrades, or skill enhancement. ]
Kael picked it up, the energy buzzing against his palm. His mind spun with questions. Crafting? Upgrades? Skill enhancement?
He didn't understand it all yet. But he knew one thing. This was valuable.
Very valuable.
---
The fire had long since died down. Kael glanced at the faint light of dawn creeping through the trees. The night was over, but he knew this was only the beginning.
He sheathed Dawnfang across his back and began walking.
Every step hurt, but his resolve was firm.
The world had given him nothing. No mercy, no protection, no second chances.
The system had changed that. It had given him a weapon, a path, a chance to fight back.
If he wanted to survive—if he wanted to save Lira—he had to keep walking this path.
No matter how much blood it demanded.
---
Hours later, Kael reached the outskirts of the ruined city. The sun hung high now, casting its light on broken towers and empty streets.
Once, this place had been alive with trade, laughter, and life. Now it was nothing but a hunting ground for monsters.
Kael moved cautiously, Predator's Instinct alerting him whenever goblins skulked in the distance. None dared approach after sensing the Alpha's lingering aura clinging to him like a shadow.
He stopped at a shattered fountain, drinking from the stagnant water. The reflection that stared back at him was not the same boy who had entered this nightmare.
His eyes were sharper, colder. His body leaner, honed. He looked like a predator now.
Kael clenched his jaw. "Good. That's what I need to be."
---
A chime interrupted his thoughts.
[ New Quest Unlocked: The Hunter's Path ]
Kael froze. Another quest?
The panel expanded, revealing glowing text.
[ Quest: The Hunter's Path ]
Objective: Survive the next 72 hours in the city ruins. Hunt and defeat at least one D-Rank monster.
Reward: +800 EXP, Skill Unlock, Equipment Box.
Failure: System Termination.
Kael's blood ran cold.
System termination.
He had seen enough to understand what that meant. Not just losing the system. Death. Final, unavoidable death.
His fists clenched. The system wasn't just offering him strength. It was binding him, forcing him down this bloody road whether he wanted to walk it or not.
But deep down, Kael already knew his answer.
He would walk it.
Because the only thing worse than fighting… was going back to being weak.
---
The first day passed in blood.
Kael ambushed goblin packs, his movements sharper now, his instincts guiding him before danger struck. Dawnfang sang through flesh, its crimson glow deepening with each kill.
[ Enemy Defeated. +20 EXP. ]
[ Enemy Defeated. +15 EXP. ]
The system whispered constantly, numbers stacking, his level creeping higher. But each kill also stacked something else inside him—an invisible weight pressing down, daring him to crumble.
By the second night, Kael had stopped trembling. His strikes no longer hesitated. The faces of monsters blurred together.
Every time the system chimed, he whispered the same words under his breath:
For Lira.
---
On the third day, the predator he had been waiting for finally appeared.
A hulking silhouette prowled the streets ahead, its roar echoing between the crumbling buildings. A D-rank.
Kael's heart thundered. Fear clawed at him, begging him to run.
But he stepped forward instead, raising Dawnfang.
The system's cold voice whispered in his ear.
[ Quest Progress: Final Stage. ]
Kael bared his teeth in a grim smile.
"Let's see if I can really call myself a hunter."
---
⚡ End of Chapter 18 ⚡