GETTING STRONGER

Zero clenched his fists as he walked through the dimly lit dungeon corridor. The previous night's encounter had left him unsettled. The mysterious group was strong, far stronger than he had anticipated. They would seek revenge—of that, he was certain.

"I need to get stronger," he muttered under his breath.

With renewed determination, he stepped into the next F-rank dungeon at dawn. The dungeon smelled of damp earth, and the air was thick with the sound of scuttling creatures. He gripped the newly acquired dagger from the Hunter Association, its blade gleaming faintly in the weak dungeon light.

A shadow moved. His God-Eyesight skill activated, and he quickly scanned the incoming threat—a spider beast, its attributes all at 3. A minor obstacle. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, slashing cleanly through the creature's exoskeleton. Its shriek echoed through the cavern as it collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

One kill. Then another. And another.

By the time he reached the deeper chambers, he had slain twenty spider beasts, each kill pushing his skills further. A notification from his system confirmed his progress: 2 attribute points gained. He allocated them to stamina, feeling an immediate surge of endurance. His body felt lighter, more efficient. He was improving.

Finally, he stood before the massive doors of the boss chamber. With a deep breath, he pushed them open.

Inside, the Spider Beast Queen loomed over a grotesque throne, her body a monstrous fusion of human and arachnid. Her green, eerie eyes fixated on him, her jagged teeth parting in what could almost be a smile. The air thickened with a venomous aura.

But Zero wasn't alone.

In the shadows, figures lurked, their hushed whispers barely audible. He didn't turn his head, but his senses picked up their presence.

"This boy is reckless," one of them murmured.

"Let's wait until he's exhausted," another replied. "We'll take him and the Spider Queen's corpse."

Zero's lips curled into a smirk. Fools.

He activated his skill—Blindness. Shadows swirled around his fingers as dark energy coalesced. With a burst of speed, he charged at the Spider Beast Queen, his dagger poised to strike. She moved with surprising agility, dodging at the last moment and retaliating with a venomous projectile. He barely managed to evade, flipping backward just in time.

The Queen lunged, her sharp claws slashing toward him. But Zero was ready. He ducked under the attack, pivoted, and delivered a precise cut to her side. Green ichor spilled onto the ground. Enraged, she shrieked and attempted another strike, but Zero was already behind her. He drove his blade into her abdomen, then twisted it before pulling out and slashing her neck in one fluid motion.

The Queen let out a final, ear-piercing wail before collapsing.

A notification flashed before his eyes: 3 attribute points gained.

He immediately allocated them to defense, feeling his body harden against potential future attacks. But that wasn't all—another notification appeared.

New skill unlocked: Shadow Hide (E-Rank) Allows the user to disappear and reappear anywhere within a 20-meter radius.

Zero chuckled. Perfect.

He turned his gaze to the shadows where his uninvited guests still hid. "Aren't you going to come out?" he taunted. "Well, well, well... It seems you're quite skilled at lurking, but hand over the Spider Queen's corpse, or you won't be leaving here alive."

The figures stepped forward. Five men, their expressions dark and menacing.

"You talk too much, boy," one of them growled. "Hand over the corpse, and maybe we'll let you go."

Zero smirked. "Oh really? You're actually trying to threaten me? Do you think I'm weak?"

"Shut up and give it to us!" another one shouted.

Zero's smirk widened. "Actually, I just unlocked a new skill. I think I'll test it on you."

Before they could react, he vanished from their sight.

A sharp gasp filled the room as one of them felt cold steel slicing across his throat. Blood sprayed as his body crumpled to the ground. The remaining four stumbled back in horror.

"Everybody, watch out!" one of them screamed. "He's not just an F-ranker—his skill is mysterious!"

Panic set in. They fired their elemental attacks wildly, desperate to hit something, anything. But Zero was untouchable, weaving through their frantic attacks like a shadow. One by one, he cut them down, each kill cleaner than the last. The floor was soon littered with lifeless bodies.

Only two remained, their eyes wide with terror.

"Please, no! Let us go! We'll quit this job—we won't ever stand in your way again!"

Zero tilted his head, pretending to consider their plea. Then, he chuckled darkly. "Fine. You can go."

Relief washed over their faces as they turned to flee.

Zero's eyes gleamed with cold amusement. He raised his hand, his Blindness skill activating once more. Darkness enveloped them, and in their panic, they stumbled blindly.

"Did you really think I'd let you live?" he whispered.

A clean slash. A final gurgle. Silence.

Zero wiped his dagger clean and knelt to collect their loot. He counted the money—$1,000. Not bad.

A new notification appeared.

2 attribute points gained.

He allocated them to agility, feeling his speed sharpen even further.

Satisfied, he opened his system panel and reviewed his progress.

------------------SYSTEM-----------------

HOST NAME: ZERO (E-RANK)

ELEMENT POWER: DARK ELEMENT

AGE: 20 YEARS OLD

STRENGTH: 5

AGILITY: 5

STAMINA: 5

DEFENSE: 5

ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 0

SKILLS: BLINDNESS(D), SHADOW HIDE(E), GOD EYESIGHT(SSS)

Zero smirked. He was growing stronger. But this was just the beginning.