The Awakening of Red Eye

Zaren's eyes flared with an eerie red glow as he unlocked his new ability—Red Eye. The entire dungeon trembled under the force of his newfound power. The Demon Lord, who had once stood confidently before the hunters, took an involuntary step back, his expression twisting into pure terror.

In a fraction of a second, his legs were severed. He barely had time to process the pain before realizing—he couldn't regenerate. Panic set in. The Demon Lord's eyes darted toward Zaren, and what he saw made his entire being shudder.

Behind Zaren, a black entity with a twisted, creepy smile loomed, just as it had when Zaren had died in his previous world. The sight of it shook the Demon Lord to his core.

"No... that can't be... it's impossible!"

Fear overtook him, and in desperation, he tried to crawl away, slithering toward any chance of escape.

The other hunters—Varric, Maria, and Noric—watched in frozen horror. This wasn't Zaren anymore. The way he stared, his crimson gaze piercing through the Demon Lord's soul, felt inhuman.

"Who... is this guy?" Varric whispered, barely able to contain his unease.

Maria, sensing something far beyond their understanding, noticed Zaren's aura had turned blood-red, pulsating with immense power. Even the walls of the dungeon were shaking under his presence.

The Demon Lord kept slithering away, but Zaren appeared before him in an instant, his death stare locking onto his prey. The black entity behind him grinned wider, its presence growing more menacing.

"You called us weak, didn't you?" Zaren spoke, his voice deeper, laced with an eerie calm. "Then what does that make you now?"

With a simple flick of his hand, a burst of flames engulfed the Demon Lord's body. The monstrous being screamed in agony, his body writhing in torment.

"Please! I beg you! Have mercy! Spare me!"

Zaren tilted his head, watching him suffer, and extinguished the flames with a thought. He stepped forward, his red flame sword shimmering, and with a single flash of pure power, he sliced off one of the Demon Lord's arms.

The Demon Lord shrieked.

"Forgive me! Please!"

But Zaren's expression didn't waver. "You killed my friend." He gave a slow, sinister smile. "And now, you ask for mercy?"

With another flash, his other arm fell to the ground.

"Please... end it... this pain... I can't take it anymore!"

Zaren cut him across the chest, the flames burning into his flesh. The hunters could do nothing but watch—this wasn't the Zaren they knew. He was a devil.

Finally, Zaren raised his sword, its red flames roaring, and beheaded the Demon Lord in one swift motion. The severed head fell to the ground, but even in death, the Demon Lord's lips trembled.

"That black entity... if it's truly him... then this man is..."

And then, he faded into oblivion.

Aftermath of the Dungeon Battle

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Maria exhaled shakily. "Is it over?"

Zaren, his eyes shifting back to their usual blue, turned to her and simply nodded. "Yeah."

Then, his body collapsed to one knee, exhaustion washing over him.

Maria couldn't hold back her tears. Their Guild Master, Mario, was dead. So was Corvin. Many of their comrades had perished.

Varric picked up the unconscious Vice Guild Master of celestis guild, his expression dark with grief. Noric carried their healer, who was already dead.

Zaren bent down, lifting Mario's lifeless body. He couldn't afford to show his emotions, but deep inside, he felt his chest tighten.

They had won. But at what cost?

Return to the Kingdom

As they stepped into the kingdom, the streets fell into hushed whispers. The people, expecting victory, gasped at the sight of the fallen hunters.

When they reached the palace, the King awaited them.

Varric stepped forward, his voice hollow. "Your Majesty, we have cleared the dungeon."

The King smiled, but as he scanned the group, his expression changed.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

Noric stepped forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "We were the only ones who survived, Your Majesty."

Varric, unable to contain his emotions anymore, silently cried.

The King's face darkened. He looked at the hunters and understood.

"They lost something no one should ever lose… their friends."

His gaze shifted to Zaren. "Who struck the final blow?"

Zaren stepped forward, his head bowed. "I did, Your Majesty."

The King nodded. "And Corvin?"

At the mention of his friend's name, memories flashed in Zaren's mind—Corvin, waking up early, training with him, smiling, full of dreams.

Zaren's eyes filled with tears, but his face remained unreadable.

The King sighed. "I'm sorry, hunter. I didn't know."

Maria wiped her eyes and spoke. "Your Majesty, may we take our comrades' bodies for their funerals?"

The King, moved by their loss, nodded. "They gave their lives for this kingdom. I have already arranged everything for their honor."

Zaren felt a pit grow in his stomach. How would he face Corvin's father, Brannor?

The King placed a comforting hand on Zaren's shoulder. "For now, rest. You have done more than enough."

The hunters knelt before the King. "Yes, Your Majesty."

As they left the palace, Zaren found himself deep in thought.

"So… this is what it means to be a hunter?"

The King watched them leave, but his eyes remained fixed on Zaren.

"Something is different about him," he thought.

That new aura, the sheer power radiating off him—it was almost unnatural.

"Could his rank have increased?"

Turning to his right-hand man, the King gave an order. "Go and check Zaren's rank immediately."

Zaren walked, his mind consumed by grief. Maria gently touched his shoulder.

"I know we don't talk much, but I understand your pain," she said softly. "We all lost someone today."

Zaren sighed. "I only had the anger of my friend's death driving me."

Maria hesitated before speaking. "But the Demon Lord… he mentioned something about that dark entity."

Zaren froze, memories rushing back—the moment he died in his world, the creepy grin of that black entity.

Before he could process it, the King's right-hand man arrived, panting.

"Hunter Zaren, place your hand on this device," he said urgently.

Zaren, puzzled, thought to himself: "Has my rank increased?"

He summoned his system, and it confirmed: "Yes, sir. Your new rank is SSS-rank."

His eyes widened.

"The first… SSS-rank hunter in the kingdom?"

As he placed his hand on the device, the crystal glowed for a moment before revealing his rank:

SSS-RANK.

A stunned silence followed.

Then, an explosion of voices—

"A new SSS-rank hunter!"

The world had just changed.

(Chapter 14 Fin)