Part 1: Blood, Reports, and the System's Truth
Blackthorn City – Central Guild HQ, 3rd Floor Operations Command
The room was silent except for the static hum of monitors.
Six senior officers stood around a glowing projection of the collapsed dungeon zone.
Red marks bled across the map like open wounds. Names were tagged to corpses. Squad formations. Tactical movements. Even kill counts—until the final section.
Then… nothing.
The last twenty-three minutes were pure blackout.
Even the surveillance drones had gone static.
One man in a military coat leaned forward.
"Every team we sent down there was slaughtered. Zero survivors officially recorded. Explain that to me."
A pale woman in a long coat, clearly a senior analyst, shifted uncomfortably.
"We have reason to believe… one made it out."
A pause.
The officers turned.
"Name?"
She hesitated.
"Unregistered Awakener. No Hunter license. No class logs in the public system."
A whisper passed through the command room like a breath before a storm.
"He's a rogue."
"No," the analyst said. "He's worse."
She tapped a control rune.
The display flickered—and a still image appeared: a broken tunnel cam with a shadowed figure standing over the corpse of a C-rank dungeon boss.
One hand held a shattered blade. The other bled black fire.
The system tag read: [Class: Unknown] [Level: Hidden] [Data: Corrupted]
The general leaned back slowly.
"Get the Council on the line."
Meanwhile – Blackthorn City, Outer Residential Block 7
Riven stood shirtless in a half-collapsed apartment bathroom, scrubbing dried blood off his arms with cold water.
The cracked mirror reflected someone new.
Stronger.
Sharper.
But unfamiliar.
He was up five levels now. His physical stats had surged. His eyes were sharper, his muscles more responsive, his entire nervous system dancing with energy every time the system whispered.
But the biggest change?
He felt seen—by something far above the Guilds.
The system had never spoken to him before.
Now, it spoke like it knew him.
[System Advisory]
"You have survived where others fell. Your path diverges from the preset classes of this world."
[Notice: Class Tree Branching Detected]
→ Shadow Reaver is evolving toward its first specialization.
Choose one path:
Nightblade – Speed-oriented assassin with critical strike multipliers.
Umbral Stalker – Stealth mastery and energy drain specialization.
Void Warden – Hybrid DPS/control with minor summoning potential.
Riven stared at the list.
Each one was lethal.
But one called to him deeper than the others.
He reached out mentally.
[Specialization Chosen: Umbral Stalker]
[Unique Skill Acquired: Veil Eater – Consume ambient mana and stealth fields for regeneration]
[Stat Bonuses: +4 Agility, +2 Perception, +2 Vitality]
[Warning: Class path is not officially recognized by Guild System Authority]
[Your growth is now monitored by Unbound Algorithm]
He leaned against the wall.
So this was it.
He was no longer walking the same system roads as everyone else.
He'd stepped off the path.
And now there was no turning back.
Across the City – Lyra Veyne's Private Training Room
Lyra dropped her blade again.
It hit the floor with a dull metallic clang.
Her breath fogged in the cold air.
She'd trained for hours straight—every motion clean, every strike flawless.
But her thoughts kept circling back.
Riven Kael.
The name wasn't common. She knew it was him.
And if it was…
Then he'd changed.
The boy she remembered from training academy? Quiet. Overlooked. No stats. No presence.
Now?
He'd moved like a ghost. Shadow-stepped behind her before she could react.
No Hunter under B-rank should be able to do that.
And his eyes…
She couldn't forget the look.
Cold. Calm. Calculated.
But beneath it—grief. Rage. And something worse.
Resolve.
He was going to break this world's rules.
And part of her wasn't sure if she wanted to stop him.
Back to Riven – City Edge, Slum Alley
Riven pulled on a dark coat and slipped into the street crowd.
His system had already erased his registered identity. It masked his mana signature, suppressed his level, and cloaked his class tag under an "error flag."
He was, officially, a nobody again.
But that wouldn't last.
[New Directive Available]
[Nearby Dungeon Detected: Hidden Gate – Class D+]
[Boss: Flame-Scaled Devourer – Rare Drop: Crimson Core]
Recommended: Solo Clear
Reward: +1 Rare Skill Unlock
Accept Mission?
Riven exhaled slowly.
"Accept."
[Mission Accepted]
[Dungeon Gate Location: Stormpipe Sector – 2km]
[Reminder: You are currently being tracked.]
His eyes flicked to the rooftops.
He didn't see anyone.
But he knew the Guild had eyes everywhere.
Didn't matter.
Let them watch.
They'd see what a real system glitch looked like soon enough.
Part 2: The Solo Run That Changed Everything
Location: Hidden Gate – Stormpipe Sector
[Class D+ – Flame-Scaled Devourer's Nest]
Clear Rate: 2.1% (Solo)
The air beyond the gate shimmered like rippling heat.
Riven stepped into the dungeon and was immediately struck by the atmosphere. Unlike the earthy, rotting cold of the previous dungeon, this one pulsed with dry heat—like a furnace waiting to explode.
Blackened metal walls. Molten pipes dripping with glowing magma. Ash scattered across cracked ground like snow.
It was an abandoned industrial zone—repurposed by the system, twisted into a flaming hell.
[System Sync Confirmed]
[Solo Dungeon Activated]
Objective: Defeat the Flame-Scaled Devourer
Optional: Clear all elite mobs – Reward: Bonus XP + Rare Drop Chance
Dungeon Difficulty: High (for current level)
Proceed?
Riven grinned.
"Let's see what this unbound system really does."
[Quest Accepted]
He moved forward. Shadows rippled beneath his feet.
First Encounter – Infernal Fangbeasts
Three of them. Hunched. Red-hot scales. Fire leaking from their mouths like steam.
Normal D-Rank Hunters would group up to handle one.
Riven dashed straight in.
[Skill: Void Dash – Active]
[Skill: Shadow Rend – Active]
He blinked behind the first beast mid-lunge, swept his blade upward, and carved through the neck in a single strike.
The second leapt.
He stepped back—not away from the strike, but into the shadows cast by the first beast's falling body.
[Trait: Umbral Instinct – Passive Triggered]
→ Shadow terrain increases dodge effectiveness by +20%
He twisted, spun under the claws, and drove his dagger upward into its ribs.
Fire sprayed, but didn't touch him.
The third beast turned to flee.
He didn't let it.
[New Skill Triggered: Veil Eater]
[Effect: Consumes ambient mana field – Restores HP + MP]
Riven breathed in. Shadows coiled around his skin. The dungeon's fire dimmed, just for a second.
He stood over the burning corpses.
[3x Infernal Fangbeasts Eliminated]
[XP Gained: 920]
[Level Up: 5 → 6]
[Skill Slot Unlocked]
[Choose New Skill:]
Shadow Chain – Trap enemies with a binding chain of darkness.
Essence Overdrive – Burn current MP for temporary stat boost.
Ghostwalk – Passive: Chance to auto-dodge incoming attack by slipping into shadow.
Riven chose without hesitation.
Ghostwalk.
This wasn't just about power.
It was about staying alive long enough to reach it.
Mid-Dungeon – Core Zone, Furnace Hall
Fifteen more enemies later, he stood at the massive entrance to the boss chamber.
His health was low. His MP was lower.
But his level had risen to 7.
His stats had surged. He'd put most of his points into Agility, Perception, and Vitality.
He needed to see, dodge, and survive.
[Dungeon Boss Detected – Scanning…]
Name: Flame-Scaled Devourer
Rank: D+ Elite Mutation
HP: 18,900
Skills: Fire Burst, Tail Lash, Scorching Roar
Drop Rate: 3% chance for Rare Class Item – Crimson Core
Survival Chance (Solo, Level 7): 18%
Most would retreat.
Riven stepped forward.
Boss Fight – Arena Core
The chamber lit up as he entered.
Lava poured through channel grooves in the floor.
And then—it rose.
Ten feet tall. Quadraped. Tail like a spiked whip. Every movement shed embers. Its eyes glowed like furnaces.
The Flame-Scaled Devourer let out a roar that cracked the tiles.
[Boss Battle Initiated]
[Timer Begins – 20 minutes]
The beast charged.
Riven ducked under its claws, shadows wrapping around his body like a second skin.
[Ghostwalk – Triggered – Dodge Success +5% Critical Strike Bonus]
He dashed beneath it, slashed at its underbelly—then rolled out as fire exploded from its gullet.
He used Void Dash to leap over the lava channel, lured the beast across—
—and triggered Shadow Chain behind it.
The floor erupted in black coils.
The boss roared in pain as its limbs were bound.
Riven didn't hesitate.
He activated Essence Overdrive for the first time.
A massive stat surge hit his body.
He felt faster than light.
He dashed in, blade glowing with a dark pulse, and slashed a deep cut through its throat scales.
Then again.
And again.
The chain broke.
The beast whipped its tail and smashed him into a wall.
[HP Reduced: -220]
[Status: Injured – Fractured Rib]
Critical!
He coughed blood.
The beast roared again—charging with its full weight.
Riven didn't run.
He planted his feet.
[New Passive Triggered – Umbral Will]
→ When HP < 30%, gain +15% Agility + temporary invulnerability (2 sec)
Time slowed.
He blinked behind the beast with Void Dash, rotated his blade, and stabbed it straight into the base of the skull—just as the shadows surged.
A second of silence.
Then:
[Boss Defeated: Flame-Scaled Devourer]
[XP Gained: 6,300]
[Level Up! 7 → 9]
[Loot Drop: CRIMSON CORE – Rare Class Artifact]
The boss collapsed in a mountain of flame and ash.
Riven collapsed to one knee.
Breathing hard. Laughing harder.
Aftermath – Dungeon Collapse Phase
He grabbed the core, tucked it into his satchel, and limped toward the gate's exit point as the dungeon began to collapse around him.
[Mission Complete]
[Class Evolution Path Progress: +12%]
[Artifact Bonus Detected – Unique Class Enhancement Pending]
[Crimson Core – Equip? Y/N]
He tapped yes.
And felt the fire burn into his veins.
Outside – Guild Surveillance HQ
A bored technician stared at the screen, where a blurry figure emerged from a class D+ gate… alone.
He sat up straighter.
"Ma'am. You're gonna want to see this."
A moment later, a figure in a black Guild cloak stepped into view—senior authority.
She frowned.
"Is that…?"
The screen zoomed.
Black coat. Gray eyes. Shadows dripping off his hands. A rare boss core embedded into his armguard.
No team. No official badge. No identity tag.
But alive.
And stronger.
Far too strong for a Level 9.
She leaned forward and whispered:
"Riven Kael."