Jin stepped into the dim light of another portal.
This time, he chose one of the weaker ones—a mere Rank D gate.
Whispers followed him as he walked past the barricades.
"Is he serious?"
"Why would someone like him bother with such a low-level portal?"
"Maybe he's trying not to draw attention…"
But Jin didn't care.
Their voices faded into the background like meaningless noise.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the world shifted.
A suffocating mist blanketed the dungeon, the smell of damp stone and rotting beasts clinging to the air. The growls of low-level monsters echoed in the distance. For most hunters, these creatures were still a threat. But for Jin… they were nothing.
His shadow rippled beneath him, alive, stretching unnaturally across the floor. With every step, it seemed to breathe—hungry, restless.
The first wave of creatures charged at him—wolf-like beasts with jagged fangs and glowing red eyes.
Jin didn't even bother drawing a weapon.
Crack!
One wolf's skull shattered beneath his fist. Another was ripped apart by the tendrils of darkness that surged out of his shadow like whips, tearing flesh and bone with terrifying ease.
The dungeon shook with the cries of the dying monsters, and soon, silence followed.
But Jin didn't stop. He advanced deeper, slaughtering every beast that stood in his way. With each kill, he felt it—that strange pulse, that sensation he could never explain.
It wasn't just strength.
It was something darker. Something growing.
Finally, he reached the heart of the dungeon.
The boss waited there—a massive armored troll, its body twice the size of a man, its roar shaking the cavern walls. Hunters often needed entire parties to bring down such creatures.
Jin's eyes gleamed coldly.
The troll swung its massive club, the air cracking under its weight. Jin sidestepped with ease, his movements sharp and precise, and drove his fist into the beast's chest. Black flames erupted from his hand, eating through the monster's flesh.
The troll howled, thrashing wildly, but the fight was already over. Shadows surged upward, impaling its body, and with a final scream, the boss collapsed into ash.
And then…
A sound.
Not in the dungeon.
Not in the world.
Inside his head.
A cold, mechanical voice whispered:
[You have fulfilled the requirements.]
[Evolution available.]
[Do you wish to evolve?]
Jin froze. His breath hitched, eyes narrowing.
"…Evolution?"
The word echoed in his mind, foreign yet instinctively understood.
For a brief moment, he hesitated. He had no idea what this system was, no idea why it had chosen him. But his heart told him one thing—this was the path forward.
And Jin never looked back.
"I accept."
The dungeon trembled. His own body burned, his shadow twisting and writhing as if alive. Darkness wrapped around him like a cocoon, crushing, suffocating—and then… liberating.
When it ended, Jin staggered forward, his hands trembling. He looked down. His veins pulsed with a black glow, his power heavier, denser, alive.
The voice returned.
[Evolution complete.]
[Class upgraded: Shadow Hunter → Shadow Master.]
Jin exhaled, a cold smile tugging at his lips. His fists clenched, flames of pure black dancing at his fingertips.
He didn't fully understand it.
But he knew this—he had become something greater.
Something far more dangerous.
And the world would soon learn what that meant.