Night – Seoul Slums, Sector 13
Yeong-su stood at the edge of a forgotten alley, the Black Fang sigil burning faintly on the card in his hand. The city around him was silent—too silent for a place known for its crime, its addicts, its broken.
And yet, he felt it.
Eyes watching.
Air tight with mana.
> "You came," a low voice echoed.
The rogue agent from the tournament stepped from the shadows, his face now fully visible. Sharp jawline, a hunter's stance, and eyes that held death.
> "You don't belong to them," he said.
> "Baekho. The Guild System. The fake ranks and bought promotions. You're not theirs. Not really."
Yeong-su didn't flinch.
> "You watched me fight."
> "I saw more than that," the man said. "I saw the timing of a killer. The movement of someone who's died before."
> "You're not E-rank. You're something they don't have a name for."
---
[System Alert – External Influence Detected]
Warning: Affiliation request from unauthorized faction [Black Fang Guild].
> "What do you want from me?" Yeong-su asked.
> "Nothing yet. Just a truth."
"You keep hiding your power and they'll throw you away the moment you stop performing."
"We don't ask questions. We don't care about your past. We just want monsters dead."
The man reached into his coat and handed Yeong-su a second card — this one metallic, etched with obsidian-black lines.
> "When you're ready to level up for real…" he said, "insert that into your system interface."
Then he vanished.
---
Next Day – Baekho Arena
> "Attention participants! Today's final quarterfinal match will begin shortly!"
The sky was blue, the stands packed, the guild staff relaxed.
But something was wrong.
Yeong-su felt it even before the system buzzed.
---
[System Alert – Gate Disturbance Detected Nearby]
Location: Subterranean Sub-Tier Rift Beneath Baekho Arena Grounds
Status: UNSTABLE GATE BREACH IMMINENT]
---
> 'There's a dungeon… beneath the stadium?!'
Suddenly—
KRAKOOOOM—!
The earth trembled.
The arena floor exploded upward.
A rift tore open mid-air, spewing crimson smoke and a storm of dark mana. Screams filled the stands as monsters poured out—small, twisted goblins followed by two hulking ogres.
> "DUNGEON BREAK!"
"Evacuate civilians!"
"All Hunters to defensive positions!"
From above, Seo Rina leapt into the air, sword drawn, landing in front of the crowd with a burst of moonlight.
> "All trainees—fall back! This is no longer a match. It's war!"
But Yeong-su didn't move.
---
[System Response – Emergency Override Activated]
Skill Unlocked: Shadow Chain Blink (Lv. 1)
Effect: Teleport to any surface within 15 meters that your shadow touches.
Emergency Perk: "Real Combat Protocol" Enabled
– Power Suppression Fully Removed
– Hidden Class Manifestation: 51%
---
A monster noticed him.
A mutated goblin chieftain, its mouth filled with broken glass teeth and a club twice its size, sprinted toward him.
> 'Normal trainees would freeze.'
But Yeong-su didn't freeze.
He vanished.
FLASH!
He reappeared behind the monster.
WHAM.
Phantom Strike hit the base of its skull, causing its body to twist unnaturally.
Before it hit the ground—
Chain Blink. FLASH.
He appeared next to an injured trainee, pulled them out of the way just as an ogre's hammer shattered the pavement.
More screams. Fire. Chaos.
Yeong-su kept moving.
One step ahead of death. Always.
---
Baekho Command Center – Observation Room
> "Who is that?"
"Why isn't his mana signature registering?!"
"He just killed three D-rank monsters in under 30 seconds."
Seo Rina's eyes widened.
> "That's not just talent."
> "That's… a system anomaly."
She turned to her assistant.
> "I want him detained—quietly. I need answers."
---
Aftermath – Rooftop, Alone Again
Smoke drifted into the sky. Emergency mana barriers sealed the breach. Medical teams swarmed the injured.
Yeong-su watched from above.
In his hand, the black card from Black Fang shimmered.
In his system interface, a new message glowed faintly.
---
[Class Evolution Tree – 1st Branch Unlocked]
Class: Ghostwalker (Hidden)
A silent predator between time and space. Born from death. Fed by prediction.
Special Traits Unlocked:
Shadowstep (Lv. 1): Dash through shadows, ignoring terrain
True Foresight (Locked) – See up to 5 seconds into combat future
Perk: Masked Presence – Cannot be scanned or ranked by conventional Guild technology
Class Evolution Path:
> ??? → Ghostwalker → ??? → Warden of the End
---
Yeong-su exhaled, a cold breath misting in front of him.
> "So this is what I really am."
> "Not a rank. Not a guild number."
> "I'm the error they'll never be ready for."