The van rattled over broken roads just outside Kareth City. The engine coughed with every bump, and the metal frame creaked like it might fall apart.
In the back sat Rin, tucked in a corner, legs pulled close. The rat — the same injured beast he'd tamed the night before — rested quietly on his shoulder, its breathing slow and steady.
The silence didn't last long.
"Hey, kid," someone across from him finally spoke, a younger hunter with scratched-up gear. "This your first time?"
Rin nodded.
"What's your rank?"
"…F."
That got a few chuckles.
From the front seat, someone twisted around. "Congrats, you're a rare breed," he said with a crooked grin. "Not often we see bottom-feeders come crawling into a dungeon."
Rin said nothing.
The iron-armored leader sitting near the side door just smirked. "Don't listen to them. Hitting the bottom just means there's nothing left to lose."
Rin gave a faint nod, keeping his gaze on the cracked window.
The van screeched to a halt.
Ahead loomed the Kareth Outskirts Goblin Dungeon — an old, overgrown industrial building swallowed by dungeon energy. Its walls pulsed faint green under the setting sun, and jagged mana crystals protruded from crumbling concrete.
The group unloaded. While the hunters checked weapons and gear, the leader walked up and handed Rin a dull, rusty dagger.
"Not sharp enough for a fight," he said. "But it'll work for carving up corpses."
Rin gripped the hilt and nodded.
Inside, the dungeon air shifted immediately. It reeked of blood, rot, and mold. Echoes of guttural goblin chatter bounced off the cracked stone walls.
The team didn't waste time.
They moved efficiently, hacking down goblin scouts and warriors. Their swords flashed, and bodies dropped within seconds.
Rin followed behind, crouching over every corpse they left. His hands trembled at first, but he worked — slicing open goblin chests, digging past bone, and pulling out glowing beast cores one by one.
The rat on his shoulder didn't flinch. It simply sat there, eyes alert.
Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.
By the time they neared a wide chamber lit with flickering green crystals, Rin had nearly a hundred small cores in his pouch — bloody, faintly warm, and pulsing with energy.
The group leader turned just before entering the chamber.
"We're heading into the boss room," he said. "You stay here. Finish what's left."
Rin nodded silently and turned back to his work.
The next goblin — a larger one, with scars across its face — was still warm. Rin knelt, slid the dagger in, and started cutting.
Then the goblin moved.
Fingers twitched.
A low gurgle escaped its throat.
Before Rin could react, the monster lunged — eyes snapping open, blood spilling from its mouth.
The rat hissed sharply, fur standing on end.
The hunting party had just returned.
"Watch out!" the group leader barked, drawing his blade.
Rin froze, knife still in his hand, as the goblin beast surged toward him, claws raised and eyes burning with hate.