Chapter 15 : Beyond the Gates
837 Words
The dungeon became silent.
Three Iron Wolves stood before Ethan.
Their metallic fur reflected the dim light of the underground cave.
Their eyes were filled with hunger.
A few minutes ago, Ethan had struggled against a single D-rank monster.
His body had been pushed to its limit.
But now...
Something had changed.
The first battle had taught him something.
He wasn't the same person who entered the dungeon.
The system had not given him overwhelming power.
It had given him the ability to grow.
And every battle was proof of that growth.
The three wolves moved.
This time, Ethan did not hesitate.
The first Iron Wolf rushed forward.
Ethan stepped aside effortlessly.
The difference was obvious.
Before, the wolf's movements had been difficult to follow.
Now...
They were slower.
More predictable.
Ethan moved behind it and struck with his dagger.
The attack landed perfectly.
The wolf collapsed.
[D-Rank Iron Wolf defeated.]
[Experience gained.]
Before the notification even disappeared, the second wolf attacked.
Ethan turned.
The creature opened its jaws.
But Ethan was already moving.
He used the wolf's momentum against it.
A quick movement.
A precise strike.
The second wolf fell.
The third one hesitated.
For the first time...
The monster showed fear.
Ethan noticed.
Even monsters could recognize danger.
The wolf growled and charged desperately.
But Ethan was no longer the same hunter who struggled against the first one.
He stepped forward.
The dagger moved.
This time it directly sliced it into halves.
The battle ended.
[Three D-Rank Monsters defeated.]
[Experience accumulated.]
[Level increased.]
[Level: 4]
Ethan stood among the dead monsters.
He stared at the notification.
Three D-rank monsters.
Alone.
A few days ago, such a thing would have been impossible.
He looked at his hands.
The system's growth wasn't just changing his body.
It was changing his confidence.
A new notification appeared.
[Additional rewards available.]
[Resources detected.]
[Iron Wolf materials can be extracted.]
Ethan looked at the bodies.
This time, he finally had enough time.
The system began extracting.
[Iron Wolf Core obtained.]
[Iron Fur obtained.]
[Monster Essence obtained.]
Ethan looked at the items.
These things could be sold.
They could become money.
Or perhaps something even more valuable.
But before he could examine them further...
A strange feeling appeared.
The dungeon shook slightly.
Ethan looked deeper into the cave.
Something was wrong.
The system displayed:
[Warning.]
[Unknown energy detected deeper within dungeon.]
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"Unknown?"
That word was never a good sign.
Meanwhile...
Far away from Ethan's dungeon...
A completely different crisis was unfolding.
Inside the headquarters of the two largest guilds in the country, an emergency meeting was taking place.
Two people sat across from each other.
Both were legendary figures.
Both controlled some of the strongest hunters in the nation.
The first was the guild master of Titan Guild.
Victor Kane.
A man famous for leading countless successful high-level raids.
Across from him sat the guild master of Eclipse Guild.
Adrian Cross.
A calm but terrifyingly intelligent hunter who managed one of the most powerful organizations in the country.
Neither man looked relaxed.
Because the information in front of them was something that could change the entire nation.
A massive screen displayed a single message.
GATE DETECTED
RANK: A
The room was silent.
Finally, Victor spoke.
"An A-rank gate..."
He clenched his fist.
"This is a disaster."
Adrian looked at the screen.
"Not just a disaster."
He corrected.
"A warning."
Everyone knew the danger of high-ranked gates.
The lower the rank, the more manageable the monsters inside.
But A-rank gates were different.
They contained creatures capable of destroying entire cities if left unchecked.
And the worst part...
The country did not have many hunters capable of handling them.
Adrian looked at the report.
"How many S-rank hunters do we currently have?"
The room became quiet.
A representative answered.
"Nine."
Only nine.
The entire country had only nine S-rank hunters.
Nine people standing at the peak of humanity's power.
Victor frowned.
"And how many are available?"
"Currently..."
The representative hesitated.
"Only five."
Silence.
Some were overseas.
Some were injured.
Some were already handling other threats.
Victor leaned back.
"Five S-ranks against an A-rank gate."
He sighed.
"Those numbers are not comforting."
Adrian looked thoughtful.
"The problem isn't only the gate."
Victor looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"The timing."
Adrian tapped the Redfall report on the table.
"The strange dungeon mutation."
"The unknown shrine."
"The survival of that E-rank hunter."
Victor frowned.
"You think they're connected?"
"I don't know."
Adrian looked toward the window.
"But too many unusual things are happening at once."
The world had always been dangerous.
But recently...
Something was changing.
Dungeons were becoming unpredictable.
Monsters were evolving.
And unknown powers were appearing.
Back inside the dungeon...
Ethan continued deeper.
Unaware that powerful people were discussing disasters.
Unaware that an A-rank gate had opened.
Unaware that the world was approaching a dangerous era.
He only knew one thing.
The system had given him a second chance.
And he would use it.
No matter what waited ahead.
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