Chapter 4: A Monster Among Monsters

The dungeon, once filled with panicked voices and the clashing of blades, had gone eerily silent.

All eyes were on me.

The E-Rank nobody who had just slashed a Hobgoblin Chieftain.

The creature staggered backward, clutching its wound. Dark green blood oozed from the gash I left across its chest. Its yellow eyes, once filled with mindless rage, were now sharp and calculating.

I could feel it.

For the first time, the monster recognized me as a threat.

It let out a low growl, gripping its massive club with both hands.

Then—it charged.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each step shook the dungeon floor. The air cracked as its club swung down like a meteor.

Slow.

It was so slow.

To everyone else, the Chieftain was a blur, its attacks unavoidable.

To me, it was like watching someone move in slow motion.

I had already seen its speed. Learned its attacks. Mastered its strength.

At the very last second, I twisted my body, dodging the club by an inch. The ground where I stood exploded into dust and debris.

And in that instant—I counterattacked.

My sword flashed.

SLASH!

A deep gash opened along the Chieftain's side.

The monster roared in pain, but I was already moving again. I ducked under its wild swing, leapt onto its arm, and ran up its body.

In one smooth motion, I flipped into the air—and drove my blade into its skull.

CRACK!

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, the light in the Chieftain's eyes flickered. Its massive body trembled. The club slipped from its hands.

And then—it collapsed.

The unstoppable boss monster was dead.

And I had killed it.

—

Silence. Then Chaos.

The other hunters were frozen in shock.

I pulled my blade from the Chieftain's skull, landing softly on the dungeon floor. The blood dripped down my weapon, forming a pool at my feet.

No one spoke.

Then—

"WHAT THE HELL DID WE JUST WITNESS?!" Hiro's voice shattered the silence.

The students erupted.

"That was impossible!"

"An E-Rank can't do that!"

"That thing should've wiped us all out, but… he…"

I could feel their gazes boring into me—fear, confusion, suspicion.

I sighed internally.

Of course, they wouldn't believe it. A weak, low-ranked student suddenly moving like an elite hunter? They weren't wrong to be afraid.

Hiro stalked toward me, his fists clenched.

"You're hiding something," he said, his voice low.

I met his gaze, staying silent.

He wasn't wrong.

I was hiding something. I was a cheat. An anomaly. A monster among humans.

But no one needed to know that.

I simply shrugged. "Luck."

Hiro's eye twitched. "Bullshit."

Before he could push further, a familiar ding echoed in my mind.

[You have leveled up!]

I blinked. A new wave of energy surged through my body. Stronger. Faster. Sharper.

I clenched my fists, feeling the power rush through me.

This was only the beginning.

—

System Notification: New Skill Acquired

Before I could fully process the level-up, another message appeared in my mind.

[New Skill Unlocked: Predator's Instinct]

— You instinctively recognize threats, weaknesses, and optimal attack strategies in real-time. The stronger your opponent, the stronger your instincts become.

My breath hitched.

This wasn't a skill I copied. It was something new. Something… that felt like it was made just for me.

I glanced at the Chieftain's corpse.

Then at my trembling classmates.

A realization hit me.

I wasn't just learning skills. I was evolving.

—

Outside the Dungeon – Guild Arrival

By the time we exited the dungeon, a squad of professional hunters was already waiting for us.

A Gate Anomaly like this—where a higher-ranked monster appeared in a lower-ranked dungeon—was a huge deal. It meant something was wrong with the system.

The lead hunter, a tall man in black armor, stepped forward. His sharp eyes scanned the group before landing on me.

"You," he said, voice firm. "Report."

I stayed silent.

Hiro, still shaken, answered for me. "The Chieftain appeared out of nowhere. It killed one of us instantly… but he killed it."

The hunter's eyes narrowed. "An E-Rank?"

Hiro nodded.

The hunter's gaze locked onto me, calculating. He didn't believe it either.

And then—

[Skill Observed: Aura Suppression]

[Reproducing Skill… 100%]

[Skill Mastered: Aura Suppression]

The moment I saw him suppress his power, I copied it.

Instantly, I erased my presence, making myself seem weaker than I really was.

The hunter frowned, but after a moment, he scoffed. "Must've been a fluke."

I held back a smirk.

Even professionals couldn't see through me.

—

The Road to the Top Begins

That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Today, I killed my first boss.

Today, I awakened something inside me.

Today, I took my first step toward becoming the strongest.

Tomorrow?

Tomorrow, I'd hunt again.

Because I wasn't an E-Rank. I was a monster.

And soon, the world would know.

—