Morning sunlight crept through the cracks of Raine’s ruined blinds, though it barely reached beyond the clutter inside. Azhareth sat cross-legged on the floor with Rai curled beside him, the small behemoth snoring softly in his puppy form as Azhareth opened another cola.

  A knock came at the door.

  Rhythmically polite. Predictable.

  Everhart Butler.

  Azhareth opened the door while holding a half-eaten sandwich.

  The butler stood there with a silver trolley piled with covered dishes and two full crates of ice-cold cola.

  “Good morning, Teacher,” he said, bowing. “Miss Everhart will not be training today—she has been summoned to a high-priority hunter summit. However…” He gestured elegantly to the food. “Your feast, as ordered.”

  Azhareth nodded. “Good. Bring it in.”

  The butler pushed the trolley in, paused mid-step, and looked around the dark apartment. He stared at the dead lightbulbs. The dusty ceiling fan. The dark corners that swallowed morning light.

  “…Teacher, forgive my boldness, but…”

  He straightened himself stiffly.

  “Do you prefer to live in the dark?”

  Azhareth blinked once.

  “No.”

  The butler nodded slowly, as though absorbing an ancient secret.

  “Then Everhart Conglomerate will arrange a more suitable accommodation for you. Something with lighting. And ventilation. And—”

  Azhareth burst into quiet laughter.

  He turned his head toward the open window, where Mira stood watering her basil plant next door. She caught his eye and gave him a warm little wave before returning to her herbs.

  Azhareth exhaled with rare softness.

  “There’s no better place than here.”

  The butler glanced at Mira, then at Azhareth, then at the broken ceiling light, then at Mira again.

  “…Duly noted,” he said, bowing deeply before retreating in utter confusion.

  Rai hopped onto the pile of feast dishes, puffing out his chest proudly.

  Azhareth flicked his forehead. “No, you don’t get the first pick.”

  Rai growled dramatically in protest.

  Life was good—

  But the world outside was trembling.

  Rina adjusted her coat as she walked through ARES Headquarters, her steps echoing against marble floors. Normally, people barely glanced at her.

  Today?

  Whispers trailed behind her like a shadow.

  “That’s Everhart.”

  “The one who killed the titan.”

  “Did you see the footage? She moved like lightning itself…”

  “No, they’re exaggerating—she must’ve just been lucky.”

  A paparazzi drone hovered too close.

  One ARES guard swatted it down like a fly.

  Rina sighed.

  Just a few days ago, she was another elite hunter.

  Now every corridor felt like an arena.

  Her team followed behind her—Syelph adjusting her spear straps, Kira checking corridor corners out of habit.

  “Dael’s still not here?” Rina asked.

  Kira rolled her eyes.

  “The academy called him about a kid manifesting mana. He sprinted out screaming about ‘magical revolution.’”

  Rina pinched her nose. “Fine. Let him obsess.”

  They reached the auditorium doors.

  Inside were the strongest hunters alive.

  As Rina entered, the air thickened.

  Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

  Three figures at the front turned toward her:

  A mage with hair like starlight, robes shimmering with arcane constellations.

  A mountain of a man with arms thicker than most people’s torsos.

  A silver-haired duelist whose very presence felt like a blade’s edge.

  Astra offered a graceful nod.

  “Miss Everhart. Congratulations on slaying the titan-class behemoth.”

  Bromm grinned.

  “Not many walk away from a creature like that. Well struck.”

  Before Rina could respond, a scoff cut through the air.

  Kain Mallor — SS Rank, notorious ego.

  “Lucky she arrived first,” he said loudly. “If I fought that behemoth, it would’ve lasted ten seconds.”

  Several hunters snickered.

  Rina didn’t argue.

  Didn’t glare.

  Didn’t acknowledge.

  She simply gave a tiny, amused smirk.

  Kain bristled like a child denied attention.

  Eris murmured to Astra,

  “She’s growing. Confidence suits her.”

  The lights dimmed.

  The briefing began.

  The Director of ARES projected a hologram above the table.

  A dungeon portal, swirling sickly green, pulsed like a diseased heart.

  “Last night,” the Director began, “This portal appeared. Initial assessment: rank undetermined. We sent twenty A-rank scouts.”

  He tapped the screen.

  Bodies collapsed instantly.

  Flesh blackened.

  Armors melted.

  The drone camera corroded into nothing.

  Gasps rippled through the hall.

  Bromm growled.

  “A toxin dungeon? Hasn’t been one in decades.”

  Astra frowned deeply.

  “This is not wild mana. The effect is too controlled.”

  Rina felt her stomach knot.

  Controlled… like Gorvath’s rage had been controlled.

  ARES continued:

  “We captured one image before the drone dissolved.”

  The screen shifted.

  A giant rat-like creature.

  Golden eyes.

  Crown of crystallized plague.

  Sitting proudly atop bones.

  Silence.

  Eris exhaled sharply.

  “…The hell is that?”

  Director:

  “We don’t know. It matches no known dungeon species. No bestiary entries. No historical monster records.”

  Rina whispered, almost involuntarily:

  “Just like the behemoth…”

  High-ranking hunters exchanged uneasy looks.

  Patterns.

  Connections.

  Unknown monsters materializing from nowhere.

  A world changing beneath their feet.

  Director:

  “Your objective is containment and reconnaissance.

  If even a fraction of that toxin leaks—

  the capital will fall.”

  The entire room stiffened.

  Bromm cracked his knuckles.

  “Then we break it before it spreads.”

  Kain smirked.

  “Let’s hope this mission is more exciting than the titan one.”

  Rina ignored him again.

  The Director closed the meeting with finality.

  “All S–SSS ranks must prepare immediately. Dismissed.”

  As hunters filed out, Rina approached the Director.

  “Sir,” she said quietly, “may I request the drone recording?”

  He raised a brow.

  “For analysis?”

  Rina nodded.

  “Yes. I want to examine its movement pattern. The way it uses its environment. Any clues will help.”

  After what she did to Gorvath, he didn’t hesitate.

  “Granted. I’ll send it to you privately.”

  Rina bowed and stepped away.

  Inside her chest, she whispered:

  Teacher… maybe you’ll see something I can’t.

  Rina reunited with her team in the hallway.

  Kira muttered,

  “That thing looks worse than the titan.”

  Syelph swallowed.

  “Rina… we’ll be with you. Whatever happens.”

  Rina’s lips softened into a real smile.

  “I know.”

  Her phone vibrated.

  She checked it.

  DUNGEON RANK UPDATE:

  SSS-RANK VERIFIED.

  ALL HIGH-RANK HUNTERS ON ALERT.

  Rina stared at the screen a moment longer than needed.

  “SSS again…” she whispered.

  Her eyes drifted toward the nearest window.

  Outside, a faint toxic-green shimmer hovered on the horizon.

  She exhaled slowly. “Teacher…

  you might understand this better than anyone.”

  The sky rumbled—

  not with thunder,

  but with something twisted and diseased stirring in the distance.