–
The deeper Harvin went into the dungeon, the heavier the air became.
He noticed the shift in temperature. The stone walls were no longer damp but dry—cracked. Almost like heat was coming from within.
> "Is this… a mutated room?"
Just then, the system warned:
> ⚠️ Mutation Detected
Monster: "Razorback Lizard – E+ Rank"
Threat: Dangerous
Note: Dungeon anomaly. Proceed with extreme caution.
Harvin clenched his hooked steel rebars.
He still had no mana.
No active skills.
Just training, instinct, and pain.
---
The Monster Appears
A hiss echoed.
From the ceiling, something dropped—scaly, fast, and armored.
The Razorback Lizard stood on four limbs. Sharp bone-like fins ran down its spine. Its tail whipped like a blade. Its fangs dripped green venom.
It lunged.
Harvin dodged—barely. The tail grazed his side, tearing cloth and skin.
> ❗HP: 89 → 73
❗Poison Level: Low
> "Tch… if I get hit again, I won't walk out alive."
---
The Brutal Fight
Harvin didn't retreat.
Instead, he charged.
He slammed one rebar into the lizard's jaw, staggering it, then followed with a low sweep. The monster leapt, avoiding it—but Harvin anticipated it.
He threw the second rebar mid-air.
CLANG!
It hit the Razorback's eye. Blood sprayed. The beast howled.
But it retaliated. The tail struck Harvin's back—
CRACK!
He fell to his knees, vision spinning.
> ❗HP: 73 → 28
❗Poison Level: Medium
❗Status: Fractured shoulder, bleeding, stamina low
> "I said… I won't fall. Not before I carve through this thing."
---
The Final Stand
Harvin used the wall to stand.
The monster charged again.
This time, he waited—pretending to collapse.
As the Razorback jumped to strike—
Harvin rolled under, grabbed the fallen rebar, and slammed it into the monster's throat, pinning it to the ground.
The beast thrashed violently, claws tearing into Harvin's arm—
But he didn't let go.
With one final roar of pain and fury, Harvin stabbed again and again until the monster stopped moving.
---
> ✅ [E+ Rank Monster Defeated: Razorback Lizard]
🎖️ EXP Gained: 80
❗System Message:
➤ Due to defeating a higher-rank monster without skills or magic…
➤ Hidden stat unlocked: [Tenacity]
➤ Stat +1: Vitality
➤ Bonus: Future skill development rate increased
---
Harvin: Barely Standing
He fell to his knees.
Breathing ragged.
Blood soaked his pants. His arms were shaking. Vision fading. But he was alive.
> "I… did it…"
> "Vasu… I'm coming back…"
The dungeon door shimmered.
Harvin limped through—dragging himself out.
Beyond His Rank"
City of Rebirth – Kolkata
It had been three months since the Red Gorilla massacre.
Now, Kolkata looked like a city reborn.
The craters were gone. The broken glass, the bloodied walls, the cracked roads—all replaced. Clean white buildings rose again. Smart roads hummed with electric lines. New construction drones flew overhead as engineers and architects guided them.
Hunters patrolled the city.
The citizens smiled again.
But beneath the surface… dungeons were still opening.
---
Scene – Inside an E-Rank Dungeon
"Stay down!"
A guttural scream echoed as Harvin plunged a rusted rebar hook through the wolf monster's skull. Its silver fur shuddered… then stilled.
Harvin stood alone. No support. No magic. His shirt drenched in sweat. His breathing rough.
Around him lay the corpses of six other wolf monsters.
> System Message:
✅ E-Rank Dungeon Cleared
🎖️ Rewards Added: 8 Stat Points, 1 Recovery Potion
Harvin exhaled, leaning on the makeshift weapon.
> "E-rank dungeons… used to take 7 or 8 hunters to clear."
"And I'm doing three in a single day."
He looked at his bandaged hand and cracked a smirk.
> "If I want to grow fast…"
"I need to take a real risk."
---
Scene – Outside C-Rank Dungeon Gate
The dungeon gate pulsed with an ominous green glow.
Harvin stood before it, alone again. Other hunters watched him from a distance, whispering.
"Isn't he E+ rank?"
"He's going to enter that? Alone?"
"He'll die in the first room…"
Harvin ignored them. His grip tightened around his reinforced rods. His hoodie fluttered in the wind.
> "This is the path I chose."
With a deep breath, Harvin stepped inside.
---
Scene – C-Rank Dungeon Interior
The walls were moss-covered. The air was thick with rot and wet stone. Cries echoed in the distance.
Suddenly—
A group of goblins rushed him. Armed with clubs, jagged blades, and snarling teeth.
> "Come."
Harvin ducked, slashed one in the gut, twisted, and cracked another's skull against the stone.
Blood splattered. The goblins wailed. Harvin's body danced between strikes—brutal, relentless, calculated.
He fought like the dagger video he'd memorized months ago.
> ⚔️ 12 Goblins
⚔️ 1 Goblin Captain – slain
> System Message:
✅ Dungeon Core Approached. Prepare for Completion—
⚠️ WARNING: Dungeon Mutation Detected
⛔ Dungeon Rank Evolving: C → B
🧬 Monster Class Shift: Elites Incoming
---
Scene – Dungeon Shift
The dungeon quaked.
Stones cracked. The green moss turned black.
From the dungeon core, an unnatural energy surged outward like a heartbeat—thump-thump… thump-thump…
New portals opened inside the dungeon.
Dozens of Black-Fur Elite Goblins stepped through—twice the size, with glowing red eyes and jagged obsidian weapons.
And behind them…
A Goblin War Chief, wielding a massive greataxe.
Harvin froze.
> "This… isn't normal."
"This is a B-rank boss!"
The War Chief pointed at him.
The goblins roared and charged.
Harvin gritted his teeth. His body screamed from exhaustion.
> "No choice now."
"Either I fight… or die."
He took a step forward.
> "Let's go."