The dungeon gate slowly shimmered as the surviving hunters walked out. Bright sunlight replaced the dark red sky of the dungeon. Police sirens and Hunter Association vehicles surrounded the area. Medical teams rushed toward the injured hunters. But something strange happened the moment Kai stepped out. Everyone went silent. Because behind him—A massive creature walked out of the gate. A towering black figure with glowing purple eyes. The Shadow Warlord.
Soldiers immediately raised their weapons. "MONSTER DETECTED!" Rifles aimed at the giant shadow. Hunters stepped back nervously. But Kai calmly raised his hand. "Stand down." The Shadow Warlord stopped moving instantly. It stood behind Kai like a loyal knight. The Hunter Association officers stared in disbelief. One of them whispered, "...What kind of summoning skill is that?"
Marcus Hale walked forward slowly. His armor was damaged. Blood covered parts of his shoulder. But he didn't take his eyes off Kai. "That thing…" He pointed at the Shadow Warlord. "...is the dungeon boss." Kai nodded casually. "Yes." Marcus stared at him. "You… revived it?" Kai thought for a moment. "Something like that." The surrounding hunters began whispering. "That's impossible…" "No summoner can control a monster like that…"
Ronan Blake stepped forward angrily. "This guy is hiding something!" He pointed at Kai. "He killed the boss alone!" The crowd exploded into chaos. "What?!" "Alone?!" Marcus sighed. "...He's telling the truth." Everyone froze. Even the Hunter Association officers looked stunned. Marcus continued, "I saw it myself." "He defeated the boss." Silence fell again. Because this meant something impossible. An E-Rank hunter had defeated a B-Rank dungeon boss.
A black car suddenly arrived at the scene. The doors opened. A tall man stepped out. Wearing a long black coat. His badge displayed the Hunter Association symbol. Director Han. The same man who had watched the dungeon footage earlier. He walked toward Kai slowly. The crowd automatically made space for him. Han stopped in front of Kai. His sharp eyes scanned him from head to toe. Then he looked up at the Shadow Warlord. "...Interesting."
Kai didn't look nervous. He simply waited. Han finally spoke. "Kai Draven." "You are registered as an E-Rank hunter." Kai nodded. "That's correct." Han crossed his arms. "And yet you defeated a B-Rank dungeon boss." Kai shrugged. "Looks like the registration was wrong." Some hunters almost laughed. But Han didn't smile. Instead, he said something serious. "From this moment…" "You will undergo an emergency re-evaluation test."
The surrounding hunters gasped. Because emergency re-evaluations only happened when something extraordinary occurred. Han continued. "If your power is what we believe it is…" "…you may be the fastest rank advancement in hunter history."
Far away, on top of a nearby building… Two figures were watching the scene. Both wore dark cloaks. One of them spoke quietly. "So it's true." "The new abyss user has appeared." The other nodded slowly. "...After all these years." Their eyes focused on Kai. "The world is about to change."
Kai's Thoughts
Kai walked toward the Hunter Association car. The Shadow Warlord followed behind him silently. But inside Kai's mind—The system appeared again. New Quest Available
Quest: Rise of the Abyss
Objective: Reach A-Rank Hunter Status
Reward: New Abyss Evolution
Kai smiled slightly. The game had just become much bigger. And this time… The entire hunter world would be watching.
END OF CHAPTER 15