---
The next morning, dawn broke through the stained glass of the old apartment window. Light touched the peeling walls, the cracked kettle, and the tiny photo frame of a family long gone.
Jin-Soo was already awake.
He stood silently in the kitchen, preparing a modest breakfast—one egg, some instant rice, and half a packet of kimchi. He moved carefully, trying not to wake Ha-Eun. Her breathing from the other room was steady, but weak. The kind of sound only he could recognize: shallow but surviving.
She needed better food. Better medicine.
Better air.
A better life.
And to give her that… he needed to hunt again.
But not as the old Jin-Soo.
> As the new one.
---
Three Hours Later – Seoul Hunter Association, Local Branch
He arrived at the outer building in Gangseo district, one of the lesser-used offices where low-tier Hunters gathered for C and D-rank gate contracts. The Association didn't recognize him as anything important—just another E-rank, back from the dead and somehow still breathing.
A few glances were thrown his way.
But none lingered.
"Hey," Jin-Soo said, approaching the front desk. "Any Denguen entry requests today for low-tier fill-ins?"
The staff member, a young guy with spiked hair and heavy eyebags, looked up from his tablet. "Yeah. A D-rank Denguen in Mok-dong opened this morning. It's weak, mostly goblins and minor creatures. You'll be paired with a team of three."
"I'll take it."
The man blinked. "You're sure? You just came out of a high-tier gate yesterday, right?"
"I'm still poor," Jin-Soo replied. "And I still need money."
The man chuckled. "Right. Welcome to Hunter life."
---
An Hour Later – Mok-dong Denguen, Perimeter Zone
It looked ordinary from the outside. The entrance shimmered faintly behind caution tape and metal barricades, nestled inside a collapsed alleyway behind a convenience store. The atmosphere felt tame. Calm.
A perfect disguise for Jin-Soo's test run.
His party was already waiting:
Min-Byul, a sharp-tongued D-rank sword user.
Dae-Hwan, a loud C-rank shield tank.
And Seok-Jin, a spear-wielding B-rank who clearly didn't want to be there.
"You the E-rank?" Seok-Jin asked, unimpressed.
Jin-Soo nodded.
"You stay in the back. We clean, you watch. Don't do anything stupid."
Jin-Soo bowed slightly. "Understood."
He wasn't here to prove himself.
He was here to learn how to hide.
---
Inside the Denguen
The temperature dropped as they passed through the portal. The usual cold fog pressed against their clothes, and the distant echo of footsteps—or claws—echoed faintly.
Goblins began to appear within minutes.
Min-Byul charged in with speed. Her sword danced. Dae-Hwan blocked incoming spears. Seok-Jin moved with practiced efficiency.
Jin-Soo followed quietly.
He watched, not because he was useless—but because that's what they expected of him. No one paid attention to him.
That was good.
> [Monster Essence detected: Weak-class. Absorption unnecessary.]
[Silent Mode: Active – Aura and stat suppression 100%]
He mimicked panic when goblins got close. Pretended to flinch. Even let one scratch his shoulder just enough to bleed.
Min-Byul laughed. "Careful, rookie. These goblins might steal your lunch money."
He smiled back.
It was all an act.
---
Deeper inside, things shifted.
They reached a chamber with unregistered runes etched on the walls—symbols that shimmered faintly with red, like glowing scars. The team paused.
"This… wasn't in the gate briefing," Seok-Jin said.
"I don't like this," Dae-Hwan muttered.
As they debated whether to push forward, Jin-Soo's system activated—
> [Unstable Essence Detected]
[Denguen Mutation: Hidden Boss-class Variant Emergence Expected]
He quietly stepped back.
Then it happened.
A roar shook the entire chamber. The runes flared.
From the shadows, a hulking goblin, easily three times the size of the others, lunged with a war club the size of a human door.
Min-Byul screamed. The tank blocked instinctively—but was thrown into a wall. The boss let out a guttural hiss and charged straight toward the group.
Chaos erupted.
Seok-Jin stabbed at the beast's thigh, but the blade bounced off its skin. Min-Byul slashed at its eyes. It knocked her aside like paper. The tank barely stood, bleeding.
Jin-Soo watched.
They were going to die.
He couldn't afford to reveal everything.
But… he couldn't let them die either.
Especially not if it meant the Association would come looking for whoever survived.
He sighed.
And moved.
---
One second he was behind them.
The next—he was standing directly in front of the mutated goblin, hand raised.
The beast didn't hesitate.
It swung its club with the strength to crush steel.
Jin-Soo caught it.
Barehanded.
There was a moment of silence.
Then—CRACK—the weapon shattered like wood.
Seok-Jin's mouth fell open. "What the hell—?"
Jin-Soo's eyes flared red for a single heartbeat before he shut it down.
He moved like a whisper—dodging, weaving, then slamming his fist into the beast's chest. The shockwave knocked the goblin twenty feet back.
He stepped forward.
> [Absorption Target Locked]
[Assimilating: High Goblin King Variant]
[+220 Strength | +190 Vitality | New Skill: Blood Echo (store pain for explosive retaliation)]
The goblin's body decayed before their eyes.
Jin-Soo turned back to the group, panting slightly, eyes wide as if shocked himself.
"I… I don't know what happened," he lied. "I just… reacted."
None of them responded.
Their mouths were still open.
Min-Byul was the first to speak.
"...You're E-rank?"
He looked at the floor.
"I... don't think I am anymore."
---
That Night – Hunter Forums Explode
> [Thread: E-Rank Hunter Solo'd Hidden Boss?]
> > "He caught the weapon with his hand. HIS HAND."
"This guy isn't ranked properly. That or he's hiding something."
"You sure it wasn't a system bug?"
"I think we just saw the next S-rank."
---
Across the City – Inside a Dark Chamber
A tall man in a black coat watched a paused clip of the aftermath.
Jin-Soo's figure, blurred and distorted by aura suppression, stood above the goblin's broken body.
The man turned to his subordinate.
"Find this hunter," he said.
"Why?"
"Because something is stirring in the shadows of Seoul," he replied. "And it doesn't want to stay hidden."
---
Final Scene – Rooftop, Jin-Soo's Apartment
Jin-Soo sat beneath the stars again.
His hand still glowed faintly.
His system was quiet—but watching.
> [Monarch of Silence – Progress: 24%]
[You have walked unseen, grown in secret. But more eyes turn toward you now.]
He sighed.
"I'll keep hiding," he murmured.
"But if they come for me or my sister… they'll understand what it means to betray someone who had nothing left to lose."
---