Jaden never understood why the world hated him, but he'd grown used to it.
F-Rank Hunters were disposable. Jaden was something worse: the example. The one instructors referenced when they said, "Don't end up like him."
Today's dungeon was supposed to be a simple clear. A mold-stained F-Rank gate in a forgotten alley. But the moment he entered, the air changed—warped, heavy, wrong. The walls twitched like broken text. Static crawled inside his skull.
And then the Glitchspawn dropped from the ceiling.
Four arms. Mandibles dripping black venom. The kind of monster that didn't belong in an F-Rank gate.
His party screamed and ran.
Jaden stayed because he couldn't move.
The creature pinned him, venom hissing inches from his throat. His ribs cracked. Blood filled his mouth. His vision blurred.
And then—
A whisper.
Cold. Familiar. Impossible.
"Again… the weakest version of me dies first."
Jaden didn't know what the voice meant. But somewhere inside him, something ancient flinched awake.
A black window flickered into existence:
[System Error]
[Initialization… Failed]
[Searching for compatible identity…]
The monster lunged—
And for the first time in his miserable life, Jaden moved like someone who wasn't F-Rank.
Someone who wasn't human.
Someone who remembered fire.