Three days after my awakening.
The Hunter Association didn't waste time.
Although they still couldn't classify my exact Rank, they scheduled me for a "Beginner Orientation Raid" — a mandatory trial where new Hunters joined a supervised F-rank Gate to test teamwork, basic survival, and combat control.
Standard procedure.
But this was my chance to blend in, to act weak… at least, for now.
Team Briefing Room – Association Dungeon Branch
"Listen up!" the raid leader barked.
He was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his thirties with a sword slung across his back — a mid-tier C-rank named Han Dae-Shik. Loud. A bit arrogant.
"You're not heroes. You're rookies," he growled. "Stick to formation, don't break line, and most importantly — stay out of my way."
I stood among five others — two E-ranks and three fresh Awakeneds. Most looked nervous. One girl in glasses kept stealing glances at me.
"Aren't you the 'crystal breaker' kid?" she whispered.
I shrugged. "Not me."
Dungeon Gate – Abandoned Subway Tunnel, Seoul Outskirts
[Gate: F-Rank – Active]
[Objective: Exterminate all monsters inside.]
The moment we passed through the portal, cold air hit us. The dungeon resembled an old, broken subway — dark, humid, and echoing with strange noises.
Han Dae-Shik led the group with a cocky grin. "Standard formation! Front guard — with me. Rear support — eyes sharp."
I deliberately stayed in the middle.
Letting others go ahead.
Then came the first enemy.
A Tooth Rat — rodent-like creatures the size of large dogs with glowing red eyes and fang-covered mouths.
Three of them rushed forward from the shadows.
The front two E-ranks froze in panic.
"MOVE!" Han Dae-Shik barked.
One guy swung blindly — the other tripped.
The rats lunged.
Before Han could reach them—
[Skill Activated: Phantom Blink]
I appeared between the rats and the hunters in a flash of shadows, sword already swinging.
SLASH. SLASH.
Clean strikes.
Two heads rolled before they even landed their attack.
The third rat hissed — I ducked and jammed my dagger into its throat.
[Enemies Defeated. +45 EXP.]
Silence followed.
Everyone stared.
Han narrowed his eyes. "...What the hell was that?"
I stood up straight. "Self-defense."
He looked like he wanted to say something — but he nodded. "Don't get cocky, kid."
I didn't answer.
Cocky? No.
I was just warming up.
We advanced deeper into the dungeon, and I let others fight now and then, only stepping in when necessary.
I played the part of the "instinctual rookie" well — hiding my speed, limiting my damage output, keeping my mana signature low.
That girl in glasses leaned closer during a short break. "You're not an F-rank, are you?"
I gave her a grin. "Let's keep that between us."
Final Chamber
What was supposed to be a "safe" F-rank dungeon had something… wrong.
The temperature dropped. Mana pressure thickened.
[Dungeon Mutation Detected.]
[Warning: An E-Rank Field Boss has replaced the final F-Rank target.]
"Shit," Han muttered. "A mutation?"
From the darkness emerged a hulking, lizard-like beast with three eyes and black stone-like scales.
[Stone Drake – E-Rank Elite]
[HP: 1,200]
[Aggression Level: High]
One of the rookies screamed. Another dropped their weapon.
Han raised his sword. "Form up! DO NOT break formation!"
The monster roared and charged.
Han met the beast head-on, slashing at its legs — his sword bounced off.
"Damn it! Too tough—!"
It whipped its tail, sending him flying into a wall.
Blood sprayed.
The rookies panicked. The healer froze. The support mage couldn't chant fast enough.
The beast turned toward them.
No.
[Skill Activated: Phantom Blink]
[Skill Activated: Shadow Step]
I shot forward, faster than anyone could track.
I slid beneath the Drake's belly, sliced through a tendon, then flipped up behind its neck and drove my dagger into the base of its skull.
It howled.
[Critical Hit!]
[Bleed Applied.]
It turned, claws flailing — I jumped, spinning midair, and stabbed again.
[Skill: Piercing Thrust (Lv. 2) – Activated!]
SLAM.
The dagger pierced its eye socket, all the way in.
The beast thrashed… then fell still.
[Field Boss Defeated.]
[Bonus Reward Acquired: Stone Drake Scale x1 | Beast Core (E-Rank)]
[Level Up!]
Silence.
Everyone stared at me.
The healer gasped. The support mage sat down, trembling.
Han Dae-Shik limped forward, blood on his lips.
"You… You killed that thing. Alone."
I said nothing.
He kept staring, then laughed bitterly.
"…You're no rookie. You're a monster."
Back Outside – Association Checkpoint
Han reported the dungeon mutation, and I "downplayed" my role.
But word was already spreading.
A 10-year-old rookie soloed a mutated boss.
Unofficial rank: B+.
The girl in glasses — her name was Mi-Na — caught up to me.
"You should join a guild. You'll be famous in a year."
I looked at her and smiled faintly.
"I don't want fame. I want to be ready."
"Ready for what?"
I didn't answer.
In a dark realm beyond reality…
A Monarch opened one eye early.
A ripple of fate had disturbed the timeline.
Someone awakened too soon.
"Who dares disrupt the balance?"