The morning sun never reached Jin's apartment.
Thick curtains kept the world out, and the only light came from the faint glow of the system's interface reflected in his eyes.
Lines of text shimmered before him — silent, cold, and absolute.
[Quest Progress: 99,450 / 100,000]
[Objective: Annihilate all within the portal.]
He stared at the number for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
"Ninety-nine thousand four hundred and fifty…"
His tone was flat, almost mechanical.
The faint hum of mana from his body distorted the air — he hadn't rested in days.
Jin clenched his fist, and faint black wisps leaked from his skin.
"So close…"
He stood, grabbed his coat, and left.
The streets outside buzzed with life — ordinary people, laughing, walking, unaware that a man who had massacred nearly a hundred thousand creatures walked among them.
No one looked at him twice.
Jin stopped before a portal station — a swirling blue gate that led to another realm.
Hunters stood nearby, preparing in groups. But Jin walked past them without a word.
A young hunter stepped forward nervously.
"S-sir, you can't enter that alone, it's a high-tier—"
Jin's eyes shifted toward him, just once.
That single glance froze the man in place.
"Move."
The air thickened as Jin passed through the gate —
and then, the world around him changed.
Inside the portal, darkness stretched infinitely.
The landscape was burned, twisted — a wasteland of bones and fire.
The moment he arrived, monsters screamed from every direction, their eyes glowing crimson.
[Quest Objective Remaining: 550]
[Completion Reward: ???]
Jin's lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile.
"Good. Let's end this."
The first wave came from the left — massive, winged beasts with flesh like obsidian.
Jin didn't even move his feet.
He simply raised his arm.
Dark energy erupted from his palm, swallowing them whole.
When the light faded, only ashes drifted where hundreds had stood.
[Kill Count +423]
[Remaining: 127]
The system flickered before him.
He could feel his heart pounding slower — not from exhaustion, but from control.
Each kill, each drop of blood… was pushing him closer to something.
Something darker.
The ground shook violently.
From the fissures ahead, a monstrous figure emerged — the Boss.
A creature of scales and molten flame, wings of shadow spreading like a storm.
Its eyes burned white-hot.
[Boss Monster: Infernal Drake]
[Rank: A+]
[Estimated Power Level: Fatal]
Jin's gaze sharpened.
His right arm began to shimmer — black veins pulsing under his skin.
"You'll be the last."
The dragon roared, shaking the entire dimension, and charged forward, its claws slicing through the air.
But Jin didn't dodge. He stepped in.
The impact cracked the ground beneath him, yet his stance didn't falter.
Black flames burst from his body, twisting around his arm as he slammed his fist into the creature's jaw —
a thunderous impact that sent shockwaves through the battlefield.
The dragon reeled, screeching.
[Critical Hit!]
[Damage Amplified by Shadow Resonance]
Jin exhaled sharply, his breath fogging the air.
Every strike was deliberate — clean, brutal, perfect.
When the beast tried to retaliate, its claws met a shadow wall that erupted behind Jin like a barrier of pure void.
He moved through the dragon's defenses like a blade through silk.
And then —
silence.
With a single, final blow, the Infernal Drake collapsed.
Its body disintegrated into particles of light… leaving behind a pulsing red orb.
[Boss Defeated]
[Item Acquired: Heart of the Dragon]
[Quest Complete — 100,000/100,000]
Jin stood still, breathing slowly, the ashes swirling around him like snow.
The interface pulsed again.
[You have obtained a rare item.]
[Heart of the Dragon: Allows Rank Evolution when combined with "Tear of Drakar."]
[Evolution item created will not be lower than your current rank.]
Jin's expression barely changed, but his voice came low.
"So that's it…"
He knelt, examining the orb — its warmth seeped into his palm like a living heart.
"Then what rank am I, exactly?"
He stared into the orb, but it offered no answer.
The only sound was the faint whisper of mana.
"And this 'Tear of Drakar'… how hard is it to find?"
The system didn't respond.
Only the wind — if it could even be called that in this empty realm — whispered back.
When Jin exited the portal, the night had returned.
His coat fluttered lightly in the wind as he stepped through the gate.
Hunters nearby stared — pale faces, trembling hands.
"W-wait… he cleared it? Alone?"
"That portal had wiped entire teams…"
Jin ignored them.
He walked past without a glance.
But one figure — hidden in the shadows near the edge of the station — watched him closely.
Hana Ryu.
Her eyes followed every step he took.
"He's… evolving," she whispered. "Faster than anyone I've ever seen."
Jin stopped for a brief second — as if sensing her presence —
then kept walking.
Behind him, the portal collapsed into dust.
The night wind howled softly, carrying away the ashes of the monsters he had erased.
Later, in the silence of his room, the system flickered again.
[Congratulations. Quest Chain Complete.]
[You have reached the threshold for Evolution.]
[Awaiting Fusion Item: Tear of Drakar.]
Jin leaned back, eyes half-closed, shadows flickering across his face.
The faint light of the interface reflected in his pupils like dying stars.
"Tear of Drakar… Heart of the Dragon…"
"What exactly are you trying to make me become?"
The system remained silent.
But Jin could feel it — something deep within him was stirring.
The darkness was shifting, alive, restless.
He smirked faintly, his voice quiet but firm.
"Whatever it is… I'll control it."
The screen pulsed once more —
and then vanished into the dark.