Unseen Rivalry

Henry blinked.

Then he grinned.

"Oh, hell yeah."

He immediately opened his status screen.

A translucent blue interface appeared before him, listing his stats.

[Name]: Henry Gray,

[Rank]: F2,

[EXP]: 120 / 3000,

[HP]: 150 / 150,

[Strength]: 45,

[Agility]: 50,

[Endurance]: 38,

[Perception]: 25,

[Mana]: 15,

[Skill Points]: 60

Henry didn't waste time.

He dumped most of his skill points into Strength and Agility, focusing on raw power and speed.

[Strength +40]

[Agility +20]

As he did this, his strength came up to 85 and his Agility 70.

The moment he confirmed the allocation, his body shook.

His muscles tightened, his breath steadied, and his entire frame felt lighter.

It wasn't just a number increase.

He could feel the difference.

His arms felt stronger. His legs felt faster.

Henry smirked. "Alright, let's see how fast I—"

He took a step.

And almost tripped over his own feet.

His body moved too quickly, the sudden boost in speed throwing off his balance.

"Okay, maybe I should've eased into that," he muttered, catching himself.

Still— it was good.

Very good.

Henry's body ached.

Even though his HP had increased, the damage from before still lingered.

It was the perfect chance to test his new skill.

"Alright… let's see how this works."

He focused on Recovery.

Immediately, a cool sensation spread through his body.

The pain vanished.

The wounds were sealed shut.

His exhaustion disappeared.

Within seconds, he felt good as new.

His eyes widened.

"… Okay, that's actually insane."

This skill wasn't just useful—it was a game-changer.

He could fight longer, harder, without worrying about injuries.

And the best part? No cooldowns.

"Man, this system loves me," Henry laughed, stretching his arms. "Alright. Time to keep moving."

After exiting the dungeon, Henry stepped into the nearest street.

Neo-Veridia was still bustling—even at this hour. Hunters, merchants, and civilians moved through the neon-lit roads, the city pulsing with energy.

For a moment, Henry just stood there, taking it all in.

The last time he had been here, he was just some nobody who had barely gotten his Hunter license.

Now?

Now he was F2.

Now he had a system.

Meanwhile, Somewhere in the Dungeon…

The air was thick with tension. The flickering dungeon lights cast eerie shadows across the stone walls, and the distant growls of beasts echoed through the corridors. Two groups of hunters stood a few floors below, their expressions ranging from confusion to sheer frustration.

One of the groups consisted of four hunters—the same ones who had tried to recruit Henry earlier. They were standing with another, much larger group. This second group was led by a towering man with a great axe slung over his shoulder, his muscles tense with rage. He was F9-ranked, the strongest among them.

"Who the hell is clearing out these floors so fast?" one of the hunters muttered, gripping his dagger tightly.

"It sure as hell ain't us," another spat, kicking a beast carcass that was already rotting.

They had been making their way up the dungeon systematically, but no matter how fast they moved, they kept arriving to floors that had already been cleared. It didn't make sense.

"How many groups went in today?" one of the hunters asked, eyes darting between his companions.

"Two, including us," someone replied.

"Then who's the other one?"

Silence.

The realization hit them like a hammer.

Someone was ahead of them. Someone was alone.

A deep scowl formed on the F9-ranked hunter's face. His name was Boros, and he did not like being outperformed. His great axe shifted slightly as he gritted his teeth, his aura flaring violently.

"Someone's messing with us," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"But who?" one of his subordinates asked. "The only other guy we saw was that idiot who refused to team up."

A pause.

Then, Boros let out a deep, humorless chuckle.

"You mean that F1 nobody?" His eyes glowed with menace. "You're telling me that little rat is clearing these floors before us?"

One of his subordinates hesitated. "It… It shouldn't be possible, but—"

"Enough," Boros snapped, lifting his axe and resting it against his broad shoulder. "If it really is that weakling, then I'm going to find him and make him pay."

The other hunters shuddered.

Boros was not a patient man.

"Move faster," he commanded. "I want to meet this bastard before he reaches the boss."

With that, the group picked up their pace, moving swiftly toward the upper floors.

Somewhere in the Dungeon – 13th Floor Henry exhaled, wiping blood off his cheek. His heart pounded, adrenaline surging through his veins.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he knew one thing: this dungeon was relentless.

Thirteen massive gorilla-like beasts surrounded him.

Their bulging muscles flexed, their glowing red eyes locked onto him. The ground trembled as they moved, their sheer size enough to intimidate most hunters.

But Henry?

He smirked.

"Alright, big guys," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Let's dance."

The first beast lunged.

Henry barely dodged, pivoting just in time to avoid the crushing force of its massive fist slamming into the ground. Dust and debris exploded outward, blinding him for a split second—just enough for another beast to charge from behind.

Pain shot through his side as a thick arm struck him, sending him flying into a stone pillar.

[HP -9]

Henry coughed, shaking off the impact. His body was stronger now, but the beasts weren't weak either.

Another attack came. He ducked, slashed upward, and drove his sword deep into one of the gorilla's arms. It roared, shaking the ground as it tried to shake him off.

[100 EXP Gained]

One down.

Twelve more to go.

The others weren't waiting. Three of them charged at once.

Henry gritted his teeth. His movements were sharper, faster, but he wasn't invincible. He took a step back, then suddenly dashed forward, narrowly avoiding a crushing blow.

He wasn't just fighting.

He was adapting.

Another gorilla lunged, its claws slashing toward his chest. Henry sidestepped and twisted his body at the last second, slicing through its ribcage.

[100 EXP Gained]

But before he could celebrate, another beast tackled him from the side.

[HP -8]

Henry rolled across the ground, his sword clattering beside him. He barely had time to react before another fist came crashing down.

He gritted his teeth, activating Recovery.

A sudden rush of energy surged through him. The wounds on his body were sealed instantly. His exhaustion faded.

The gorillas hesitated, as if sensing the shift.

Henry smirked. "Yeah, I can keep this up all day."

The battle raged on.

It wasn't clean.

It wasn't perfect.

It was sloppy.

Henry took hit after hit, his HP dropping in chunks. But every time he healed, every time he adapted, he fought smarter.

One by one, the beasts fell.

His body ached, his breath was ragged, and his throat felt like sandpaper. But when the last gorilla finally collapsed with a thunderous thud, Henry stood victorious.

[100 EXP Gained]

[100 EXP Gained]

[100 EXP Gained]

…

Total EXP Gained: 4200

Henry leveled up.

His body shuddered as power surged through him. His muscles pulsed, his mind felt sharper, and—

[You have reached F6 Rank.]

[+100 Skill Points]

[All Stats Increased by 30.]

[New Skill Acquired: Dash.]

Henry's breath hitched.

Dash?

He tested it immediately.

The moment he activated it, his entire body blurred.

He moved across the battlefield in less than a second, his speed leaving afterimages behind.

Henry grinned.

This… this was insane.

As he collected the beast crystals, stuffing them into his bag, he exhaled deeply.

He was strong.

Stronger than before.

But he had no idea what was coming for him.

Because somewhere, just a few floors below, a group of furious hunters was closing in fast.

And their leader was not happy.