The boy ran like his life depended on it.
Because it did.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY—?!"
Behind him, three goblins screeched, their green faces twisted in excitement. One hurled a stone. Another clutched a rusted dagger. The third simply laughed—an ugly, gurgling sound that echoed through the dungeon tunnel.
Han Seo-Jin didn't dare look back.
Wrong turn. Wrong turn. WRONG TURN.
His lungs burned. His legs screamed. Panic drowned out reason as he spotted a dark cave opening ahead.
He dove inside.
Moments later, the goblins rushed past, snarling and swinging wildly at shadows. Seo-Jin waited, holding his breath so hard his chest hurt.
"…Idiots," he whispered.
The moment they were gone, he bolted in the opposite direction—and nearly cried when he saw it.
Light.
The dungeon exit.
He stumbled through and collapsed face-first onto stone.
"Assessment complete."
Seo-Jin groaned weakly.
A man stood nearby, clipboard in hand, wearing the uniform of the Hunter Association Evaluation Department. His expression was flat. Disappointed.
He glanced down at the paper.
Name: Han Seo-Jin
Age: 18
Rank: ★1
Skill: Devour
Weapon: Dagger
The evaluator sighed and wrote one word in red ink.
FAIL
Seo-Jin lay there, unmoving, like a discarded corpse.
That evening, he sat alone on a bench outside the Hunter Association building, staring at nothing.
People passed by laughing. Celebrating. Some cried tears of joy after ranking up.
Seo-Jin stood and walked home.
"Oppa!"
His younger sister, Han Yoo-Ri, ran to the door. Their mother followed, concern written all over her face.
"How did it go?" Yoo-Ri asked, eyes sparkling.
Seo-Jin hesitated.
"…I failed."
The sparkle vanished.
His mother forced a gentle smile. "Seo-Jin, it's okay. There are many jobs in the world. You don't have to—"
"I'm tired."
He walked past them, shut his door, and collapsed onto his bed.
His eyes drifted to the photo frame beside him.
A family picture.
His father stood proudly in hunter gear.
Han Min-Seok — ★4 Hunter. Deceased.
Seo-Jin clenched his fists.
"…I'm sorry, Dad."
A translucent screen appeared before him.
Status Window
STR: 11 AGI: 12 VIT: 14 INT: 15 WILL: 13
Barely above normal.
His gaze dropped to his skill.
Devour
"What a stupid name."
He whispered it. Shouted it. Even swung his dagger like an idiot.
"DEVOUR! DEVOUR! DEVOUR!"
Nothing happened.
"…Useless."
His phone buzzed.
[Kim Do-Hyun]Hey. D-rank dungeon tomorrow. Need a carrier. 5% cut. Interested?
Seo-Jin stared at the message.
Money meant food. Rent. Medicine.
"…Yeah. I'll come."
The next day, the dungeon raid went smoothly.
Seo-Jin stayed back, collecting monster cores like trash.
A goblin core rolled to his feet.
He picked it up—
A window exploded into existence.
Skill: DevourDevour Goblin Core?YES / NO
"WHAT—?!"
He dropped it instantly and spun around.
No ambush.
Heart pounding, he touched it again.
The window returned.
"…Yes."
Choose One Ability:
Dagger Throw
Night Vision
Poison Resistance
"…Night vision."
Consuming…Time Remaining: 1 Hour
Seo-Jin spent the rest of the dungeon in silent panic.
Thirty minutes later, the raid ended.
At home, he collapsed onto his bed.
Seo-Jin lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
Then—
DING
A translucent window bloomed into existence above his chest.
Core Consumed Successfully
Skill Acquired: Night Vision (Minor)
INT +1.25
"…Huh?"
Seo-Jin blinked once.
Twice.
Then he sat up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.
"Stats… increased?"
He summoned his status window again.
INT: 16.25
His breath hitched.
Leveling up in this world was notoriously cruel. Most hunters spent years grinding for a fractional stat increase. Some never improved at all after awakening.
And he had just gained stats…
…from eating a goblin core?
"…I'm not hallucinating, right?"
He waved his hand through the window.
Still there.
Seo-Jin pressed both hands to his face.
Then smiled.
Then laughed.
Then immediately stopped laughing because laughing at midnight in a poor household was suspicious.
"I can… get stronger."
The next morning, Seo-Jin didn't even eat breakfast.
He searched dungeon listings like a man possessed.
[D-Rank Dungeon] – Carriers Needed
[C-Rank Dungeon] – Support Roles Only
[B-Rank Dungeon] – 1★ Logistics Accepted
"…This one."
Three days later, he stood just outside Seoul.
The air buzzed with tension.
A B-Rank Gate loomed before them, pulsing faint red.
Seo-Jin swallowed.
Why are there so many strong people here…
Around him stood ★3 and ★4 hunters—armored, confident, laughing loudly. No ★5s in sight.
"That's strange," Seo-Jin muttered.
A towering man stepped forward, shield resting on his shoulder.
"I'm Kwon Dae-Sung, ★4 Tank. I'll be leading."
No one argued.
They entered the dungeon.
The first wave came quickly.
Goblins.
Dozens of them.
The hunters moved like a machine—magic flared, blades flashed, bodies fell.
Seo-Jin stayed back, heart pounding, clutching his dagger like a lifeline.
"Carrier!" someone shouted. "Cores!"
Seo-Jin rushed forward and picked one up.
A window appeared.
Devour Goblin Core?Core Previously Used.Stat Consumption Available.YES / NO
His lips trembled.
"…Yes."
INT +1.25
Seo-Jin froze.
"…Again?"
He checked his stats.
INT: 17.5
His knees nearly gave out.
The third goblin core.
INT +1.25
Fourth.
INT +1.25
Fifth.
He rubbed his eyes.
INT +0.625
"…Eh?"
A new message appeared.
Diminishing Returns ActivatedSpecies: GoblinEfficiency Reduced
Seo-Jin stared at the screen.
"…It got weaker."
His face scrunched up.
"That's… unfair."
He looked like a child who had just learned candy wasn't infinite.
But even then—
INT: 20.125
That was already abnormal.
He clenched his fist.
Even reduced… it still works.
The raid continued.
Seo-Jin limited himself carefully, pretending to fumble cores, avoiding attention. He couldn't risk suspicion.
After an hour, they reached it.
A massive crimson door, etched with battle scars.
The dungeon went silent.
"…Boss room," someone whispered.
Kwon Dae-Sung raised his shield.
"Formation—"
The door slammed shut.
A spear flew.
It pierced straight through a ★3 hunter's chest.
Blood sprayed.
Someone screamed.
Seo-Jin couldn't move.
On a massive stone throne sat a towering figure.
Green skin. Crimson eyes.
A B-Rank Orc King, lounging casually.
Around it stood several C-Rank Orc Guards.
The Orc King leaned forward.
And smiled.
Seo-Jin's heart dropped.
The Orc King rose from its throne.
Stone cracked beneath its feet.
A pressure like invisible hands crushed down on the room. Seo-Jin's breath caught in his throat as his knees buckled slightly.
"W-what… is that pressure…?"
A ★3 mage stumbled back. "T-that's a B-Rank aura…!"
The Orc King tilted its head, amused.
Then it snapped its fingers.
The C-Rank Orc guards moved.
"FORMATION!" Kwon Dae-Sung roared. "FRONT LINE—!"
Too late.
An orc lunged forward with terrifying speed. Its axe came down like a falling wall.
BOOM!
The tank blocked—barely. The impact sent him skidding back several meters, boots carving deep grooves into the stone.
"HOW is that thing so fast?!"
Seo-Jin's instincts screamed.
Move.
He dove sideways just as a spear whistled past where his head had been a second earlier. It shattered against the wall.
"CARRIER! GET BACK!" someone yelled.
"I'M TRYING!" Seo-Jin screamed internally while scrambling on all fours like his life insurance had expired.
Another orc charged him.
Seo-Jin's vision suddenly sharpened.
The darkness… wasn't dark anymore.
Every movement became clear.
"…So this is Night Vision?"
The orc swung.
Seo-Jin ducked under the axe, the blade shaving off a chunk of his hair.
"AH— TOO CLOSE!"
He stabbed blindly with his dagger.
SHNK
The blade pierced the orc's thigh.
It wasn't lethal—but the monster howled.
Seo-Jin didn't wait.
He ran.
"WHY AM I FASTER THAN BEFORE—?!"
His INT-boosted perception kicked in, allowing him to anticipate movements just enough to survive. Not win. Survive.
Behind him—
CRACK.
The Orc King stood.
It picked up a spear.
And threw it.
The spear tore through the air like a missile.
A ★4 hunter barely twisted aside—but his arm went flying.
Blood sprayed.
Seo-Jin gagged.
This isn't a raid…
This is a massacre.
"RETREAT—!" someone shouted.
There was nowhere to go.
The door was sealed.
The Orc King laughed.
A deep, rumbling sound.
Seo-Jin's hands trembled as he clutched his dagger.
"…Dad," he whispered. "I don't want to die here."
A goblin corpse lay near his feet.
A cracked core glimmered faintly.
His eyes widened.
I can still—
He grabbed it.
Devour Goblin Core?Stat Gain Reduced.YES / NO
"…YES!"
The core dissolved into light.
INT +0.625
His head throbbed—but clarity followed.
The Orc King's movements slowed in his vision.
Not actually slower.
I can see it now.
Seo-Jin sucked in a sharp breath.
"HEY!"
Everyone looked at him.
The Orc King's eyes locked onto Seo-Jin.
Silence.
Then—
It smiled wider.
Seo-Jin immediately regretted opening his mouth.
"…Yeah. Bad idea."
The Orc King pointed at him.
The orcs moved.
Seo-Jin ran.