The morning sky above the city was gray and heavy. A cold wind moved slowly through the empty streets leading to the S-Class dungeon gate.
Hundreds of people had gathered near the entrance. Some came out of curiosity. Others came because their families had business there.
The dungeon stood like a giant crack in the air. Dark mist leaked out from it, spreading slowly across the ground. Even from far away, people could feel the danger inside.
Soldiers and awakened hunters stood around the entrance to keep the crowd under control.
But today was not just another day.
Today was a sacrifice ceremony.
Whispers moved through the crowd.
"Did you hear? The Qin family brought their daughter."
"I heard she failed to awaken."
"Poor girl. Being offered to an S-Class dungeon…"
"Families like theirs only care about power."
Near the front of the crowd stood the Qin family. They were one of the powerful families in the city. Expensive clothes, proud faces, and calm expressions. But among them stood one person who looked very different.
Qin Zetian.
She wore a simple white dress. Her hands were tied with a thin silver rope. Her long black hair moved slightly in the wind.
She looked pale, but her back was straight. Her eyes were calm. As if she had already accepted her fate.
Her father, Qin Rong, stood beside her. His expression was cold.
"This is for the family," he said quietly. "You should feel honored."
Zetian did not answer. She had heard those words many times already.
Across from them stood another group.
The Lu family.
At the front was Lu Chen, her fiancé. They had been engaged since childhood. Many people once said they were a perfect match. But now Lu Chen avoided her eyes. He looked uncomfortable.
His mother spoke instead.
"This sacrifice will help stabilize the dungeon barrier," she said. "If it works, many lives will be saved."
Her voice sounded righteous.
But everyone knew the truth. Sacrifices like this were often just experiments.
Zetian slowly looked at Lu Chen.
"Is this what you want?" she asked quietly.
Lu Chen hesitated. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to speak. But then he turned his head away.
"…It's the best choice," he said. Those four words felt colder than the wind.
Something inside Zetian became completely silent.
The dungeon gate rumbled slightly.
A group of hunters began setting up the ritual circle near the entrance. Strange symbols were carved into the ground. Energy crystals were placed at the edges.
One of the hunters spoke loudly. "Begin the preparation!"
The crowd grew quiet. Everyone watched. Some with curiosity, some with excitement, and very few felt sympathy.
Zetian was led toward the center of the ritual circle. The mist from the dungeon rolled closer. It smelled like blood and rust.
The hunters began chanting. Light slowly appeared on the symbols on the ground. The barrier around the dungeon entrance shimmered.
Normally, the barrier kept monsters from leaving the dungeon. But during the ritual, it would be weakened. That was the dangerous part.
A middle-aged hunter raised his hand. "Release the sacrifice."
Qin Rong pushed Zetian forward.
She stumbled slightly but did not fall. The silver rope around her wrists was cut. For the first time that morning, she was free.
But it did not matter.
Behind her was the dungeon.
In front of her was a watching crowd.
There was nowhere to go.
The hunter shouted again. "Begin the offering!"
The ritual circle glowed brighter. Energy waves moved toward the dungeon barrier. The air started shaking. The ground trembled slightly. People stepped back nervously.
Then suddenly... a loud sound cut through the air. The barrier flickered violently.
One of the hunters frowned. "That's strange…"
Another crack appeared.
Then another.
The glowing barrier began to split like glass.
Someone shouted. "The barrier is breaking too early!"
Before anyone could react, the barrier exploded outward. A huge dark shape jumped out of the dungeon.
The monster landed heavily on the ground. The earth shook, and people screamed.
It was a mutant wolf monster. Its body was almost three meters tall. Black fur covered its muscles. Sharp bones grew out of its shoulders like spikes. Its red eyes glowed with hunger. Drool fell from its long fangs.
One hunter shouted in panic. "Everyone move back!"
But it was too late.
The monster had already noticed the crowd. With terrifying speed, it rushed forward. It smashed through a metal barrier like paper.
People began running in every direction.
Screams filled the air.
"Run!"
"It broke the defense line!"
"Where are the S-Class hunters?!"
The monster swiped its giant claw. Two guards were thrown across the ground. Blood splashed on the stone floor.
Zetian stood frozen in the center of the ritual circle. Everything happened too fast.
The monster's red eyes slowly turned toward her. It could smell fear. And she was the closest prey.
Behind her, the Qin family panicked.
"It's coming this way!"
"What do we do?!"
Without hesitation, Qin Rong grabbed Zetian's shoulder.
And pushed her forward.
"Stop it!" His voice was desperate. "Give us time to escape!"
Zetian stumbled toward the monster. For a moment, she did not understand what had happened. Then she heard footsteps behind her. Her family was running away.
Even Lu Chen. He ran with them. Not once did he look back.
The monster roared. Its hot breath smelled like rotten meat. Its claws slammed into the ground only a few meters away.
Zetian fell onto the stone floor. Pain shot through her body. She tried to stand. But the monster was already above her. Its huge mouth opened. Rows of sharp teeth filled her vision.
This was the end.
For the first time that morning, fear appeared in her eyes.
"So this is how I die…"
Her chest hurt. Her body felt weak. Everything around her became slow and quiet. Then suddenly, something strange happened.
Inside her mind, she felt a small crack. Like a door opening. A strange, empty space appeared in her thoughts.
Dark.
Silent.
Endless.
Her fingers twitched. Instinctively, she reached out.
The space responded.
Something inside it moved.
A small bag suddenly appeared beside her. It fell onto the ground. Inside the bag were raw ingredients.
Vegetables.
Meat.
Rice.
Spices.
Zetian blinked in confusion.
"What…?"
Another pull.
More things fell out. Cooking tools, food containers, a sack of flour, and even a bottle of sauce rolled across the stone floor.
The smell of food quickly spread through the air.
The monster's claw stopped. Just before it could crush her. Its nose twitched.
Once.
Twice.
The huge wolf lowered its head. Instead of attacking, it sniffed the food. Its red eyes focused on the raw meat on the ground. The monster licked its lips. Then it slowly looked back at Zetian.
But this time…
It did not attack.
Zetian lay on the ground, breathing hard. Around her were piles of strange food ingredients. The monster stared at them with clear interest. And for the first time since the chaos began, everything suddenly became quiet.
No one understood what had just happened.
Not the crowd.
Not the hunters.
And not even Zetian herself.