Chapter 4: First System-Granted Skill – Predator’s Hunger

The dungeon walls trembled as I stepped forward, power thrumming through my veins.

Lilith was gone—for now—but the mark she left on me remained. The contract had changed me, and with that change came something far more important.

The System recognized me.

> [You are no longer a standard NPC.]

[Unique Evolution: Abyssal Revenant]

[New System Path Unlocked: Predator's Hunger]

A low growl rumbled in my chest.

I could feel it.

The pull.

A gnawing hunger deep in my core. Not just for food, not for mana, but something else.

Something more.

The System didn't just upgrade me.

It had given me an instinct.

A drive to consume.

And I intended to feed.

The First Hunt

The dungeon's corridors stretched ahead, dark and winding, but I knew I wasn't alone.

They were here.

Players.

A small guild, no more than six members, had entered the dungeon while I was with Lilith.

Their voices echoed faintly, their footsteps light, cautious.

They were looking for loot.

For experience.

For me.

I grinned.

This would be fun.

> [Predator's Hunger Activated.]

[Tracking Targets…]

A wave of sensory information hit me all at once—six heartbeats, six breathing patterns, six sets of nervous system responses.

I could feel them.

Smell their unease.

Fear was already setting in.

Perfect.

The First Kill

I moved like a shadow, faster than anything they could react to.

The first player never even saw me coming.

He was a rogue, level 38—sneaky, well-equipped, but nothing compared to me.

I snapped his neck before he could scream.

> [Player 'ShadowFang' has been slain.]

[Predator's Hunger Activated.]

[Absorbing Target's Strength…]

A rush of power hit me.

His stats—his dexterity, agility, even his memories—flowed into me.

I shuddered.

It felt good.

Too good.

The System flashed again.

> [Skill Acquired: Shadow Step (Rank B) – Move between shadows instantly.]

[Skill Acquired: Silent Kill (Rank C) – Lethal backstab grants 50% crit boost.]

I grinned, testing the ability immediately.

I melted into the darkness—and reappeared behind the next target.

A mage.

She barely had time to turn before my claws tore through her chest.

> [Player 'ArcanaMist' has been slain.]

[Predator's Hunger Activated.]

Their screams began.

Now the others knew.

But it was already too late.

The Bloodbath

Panic spread fast.

I let them run.

Not out of mercy—no.

Out of cruelty.

Because the hunt was more satisfying this way.

One by one, I took them apart.

The warrior fell next, bisected from shoulder to hip.

The archer tried to climb the rocks—I pulled him down and tore his throat out.

The last two?

They begged.

I let them.

Because their fear was delicious.

Then I ripped their souls apart.

> [All enemies eliminated.]

[Predator's Hunger fully activated.]

[Stat Boost: Strength +10 | Agility +8 | Mana +12]

I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders as the last of their power settled into me.

I was stronger.

Faster.

More.

And I wanted more.

The World Notices

A server-wide notification popped up.

> [Warning! The Dungeon of Eternal Night has undergone an abnormal event.]

[Multiple high-ranked players have been slain by an unknown NPC.]

[Investigate with caution.]

I laughed.

They still thought I was an NPC.

Good.

Let them.

It would make their deaths all the sweeter.

I turned, stepping deeper into the dungeon.

Because I could sense them coming.

The real hunters.

Guild leaders. High-level players.

The ones who thought they were untouchable.

I was going to prove them wrong.

One kill at a time.

The bodies had barely hit the ground before the next notification appeared.

> [Warning: You have consumed multiple player entities in a short time.]

[Predator's Hunger is evolving.]

[New Passive Ability: Gluttony – Absorbing enemies restores health, stamina, and increases skill proficiency permanently.]

A deep shudder ran through me.

This wasn't just power.

This was addiction.

The more I killed, the stronger I became. The more I fed, the hungrier I got.

And I had no intention of stopping.

The Aftermath – Power's Price

I glanced down at the corpses around me.

Their gear still shimmered with faint magical auras—equipment worth a fortune in the real world.

Once, I would have looted them like any other player.

Now?

I didn't need it.

I had become stronger than any enchanted weapon or armor. Their power was inside me.

> [Total Power Absorbed: +34 Strength | +21 Agility | +27 Intelligence | +9 Skills]

I clenched my fists, feeling the rush of stolen abilities settling into my bones.

Shadow Step. Silent Kill. Mana Burst. Combat Awareness.

They had spent months grinding for these skills.

I had taken them in seconds.

This was better than leveling up.

This was evolution.

A dark chuckle rumbled in my chest.

I was rewriting the game's rules.

And no one even knew yet

The Guilds Take Notice

In the real world, high-ranked players were already panicking.

The system had outed me.

Guild chats and player forums were exploding with theories.

> [Server Announcement: Unknown NPC Anomaly Detected in Dungeon of Eternal Night]

[Top players: "This has to be a bug."]

[Developers: "Investigation in progress."]

[Guild Leader Celestia: "This ends now. I'm leading a raid to wipe it out."]

Celestia.

The Ice Queen.

The woman who betrayed me.

A sharp edge of fury cut through me.

I had hated her before.

Now?

I wanted to hear her scream.

And she was coming to me.

Perfect.

Hunting the Hunters

My instincts flared.

More players were entering the dungeon.

A second team.

Not weaklings this time.

No.

These were high-level raiders.

They moved with precision, clearing mobs quickly, their coordination flawless.

A real threat.

> [Predator's Hunger Activated.]

[Scanning Targets…]

[Warning: Average Player Level – 70+]

I smiled.

This would be my real test.

I moved, faster than before, my body flickering through the darkness.

I could have attacked immediately.

I could have butchered them like the others.

But this time…

I wanted to play.

Psychological Warfare

I didn't strike.

Not yet.

Instead, I stalked them.

I let them hear me—just enough to make them uneasy.

> "Something's here."

"Hold formation."

"The NPC's AI shouldn't be this advanced."

They couldn't see me.

But I saw everything.

A tank in full plate armor, a dual-blade assassin, a fire mage, and two support healers.

A balanced raid team.

The perfect meal.

I struck without warning.

> [Silent Kill Activated.]

I tore the assassin's throat out before he could react.

The mage screamed as blood sprayed across his robes.

The tank whirled, shield raised.

Too slow.

I blinked behind him—Shadow Step.

I slammed my claws into his back, driving straight through his armor, ripping out his spine.

> [Critical Damage.]

[Player 'IronWall' has been slain.]

The fire mage barely finished his incantation before I sank my teeth into his skull.

Mana flooded my veins.

> [New Skill Absorbed: Infernal Burst (Rank A) – Unleash explosive flames that incinerate everything in a 10-meter radius.]

The healers ran.

Smart.

But pointless.

I let them flee.

Only so I could hunt them down later.

A Taste of True Power

My body thrummed with energy.

The dungeon felt different.

It was responding to me.

Like I was becoming part of it.

Then, the system flashed again.

> [Predator's Hunger Evolution: Stage Two Unlocked.]

[New Ability Acquired – Domain of the Abyss.]

A deep rumble echoed through the dungeon.

The air shifted.

And I knew—this place was no longer just a dungeon.

It was mine.

And when Celestia arrived?

She would learn the true meaning of terror.

I would break her.

Piece by piece.