Rantaro stood in front of the dungeon entrance, his heart pounding.
"This is it," he muttered under his breath. "Let's do this."
---
Scene Shift — A Mysterious Figure
Far away, a figure cloaked in darkness felt a ripple in the air — a familiar, dangerous aura.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "No... It can't be… him…"
Panic flickered in his eyes as he sent a fragment of his aura across space, reaching toward the dungeon.
He closed his eyes, feeling the response.
It's him. I know it is.
---
Scene Shift — Back to Rantaro
The Dark Snake reared up, its obsidian-black scales reflecting no light, its fangs dripping venom. It hissed, coiling its massive body with crushing force.
Rantaro dashed forward, blade swinging with precision — CLANG! Sparks flew, but the blade barely nicked the surface.
He narrowed his eyes.
"This isn't a normal B-rank monster..."
The snake lunged, fangs aimed at his throat. Rantaro dodged by inches — but not fast enough.
A whip-like tail slammed into his ribs, CRACK! The air rushed from his lungs as pain seared through his side.
He stumbled back, clutching his wound.
This thing... it's even stronger than the Minotaur.
And yet, a grin tugged at his lips.
"I'm actually... enjoying this."
He charged again, blade flashing like a shadow — relentless, sharp, calculated.
Strike after strike landed — swift slashes to the underbelly, the eyes, the gaps in its scales — but the beast barely flinched.
Then came the counterattack.
The snake coiled and snapped forward, jaws wide. Rantaro vanished just before impact, reappearing in its blind spot.
But not fast enough.
Another hit — direct.
Bones snapped. The world blurred.
He gritted his teeth, pushed through the pain, and whispered,
"Shadow Form: Active."
He faded into smoke — a blur of motion — reappearing in a dozen places at once, slicing from every angle.
Cut. Cut. Cut. Like death by a thousand needles.
The beast thrashed, unable to follow his speed.
Moments later, it let out a final screech before collapsing in a pool of darkness.
Rantaro stood over the corpse, breathing hard... then fell to his knees as the last of his adrenaline left him.
---
Scene Shift — The Figure Again
The distant figure staggered.
His hand trembled.
"It really is him..."
---
Scene Shift — Rantaro Wakes Up
His eyes opened slowly, everything hazy.
A voice echoed in his mind:
"Host, congratulations! You've unlocked: Dark Berserk."
He groaned. "Dark Berserk...? This power... it's overwhelming. I can feel it raging inside me — but I can't hold it for long..."
"Daily task complete. As a reward, Host receives: Dark Sword."
He glanced at his inventory, stunned.
"Hmm. A dark sword?"
"Host, you've reached Level 60."
"What? Already?"
"Your restricted skill is now unlocked. Do you want to know more?"
"Yes," he said quickly.
New Skill: Demon Transformation
Allows the host to take on a demonic form, far surpassing human limits.
Can be deactivated at will.
---
Current Status Window
Strength: 94
Speed: 90
Intelligence: 62
Skills: Dark Step (70% Mastery), Demon Transformation (1% Mastery)
Class: None
Rank: C
Aura: None
Level: 60
Dark Sword Style: 37% Mastery
Dark Berserk: 1%
Stat Points: 99
---
Later that day, a thought crossed his mind:
What if I sold that monster's body?
He did. He made 1 million credits from it.
That night, he casually told his sister,
"I have 1 million in my account."
Xiyau nearly dropped her bowl. "WHAT?! Are you serious?!"
Rantaro smirked. "Dead serious."
---
Next Morning
Ding-dong!
Xiyau opened the door to find Jiuji holding a box of pastries.
"Morning! Got these for you and your brother. Where's the lazy guy?"
"He's still sleeping," she said.
"Then I'll fix that."
Jiuji marched to Rantaro's room.
"HEY! WAKE UP! It's already 7!"
"Mmm... five more minutes, Xiyau..."
"It's not Xiyau — it's ME!"
Rantaro shot up. "Jiuji?!"
"Yup! Heard you're buying a house."
"Wait... how?"
"Xiyau told me!" Jiuji grinned.
(Flashback)
"I'll make sure we get the best house!" Xiyau had said, giving a confident thumbs-up.
(Back to present)
"...That's what she meant by thumbs-up?" Rantaro sighed. "She always mixes stuff up."
Jiuji laughed. "So, what now?"
"There's a house for sale near mine. You should check it out."
"Bet. Let's go."
---
Scene Shift — After Moving In
Rantaro sat on the couch, scrolling through his notifications.
"Host, complete your daily task: Kill an A-rank beast."
He smirked. "Time to get to work."
He pulled up the mission list.
A-rank Dungeon detected. Entry Requirement: Proof of defeating a B-rank monster.
He chuckled.
"Good thing I didn't get rid of that corpse..."