[St. Mary's Hospital - 3rd Floor VIP Wing]
The hallway was quiet. Too quiet.
The nurses stationed at the desk were gone. The security guard was missing.
Kai stepped out of the elevator. He didn't run. He walked with a rhythmic, heavy pace.
His [Monarch's Aura] was screaming. A massive source of mana was sitting right in front of Room 304—Mia's room.
Sitting on a plastic waiting chair that groaned under his weight was a giant.
Gorgon (The Butcher).
He wore a trench coat that barely concealed his massive frame. He was peeling an apple with a knife that looked more like a machete.
Gorgon looked up as Kai approached. He smiled, revealing metal-capped teeth.
"You must be Kai. You're smaller than I expected."
Kai stopped ten meters away. His hands were in his pockets, fists clenched so hard his nails drew blood.
Inside the room behind Gorgon, he could see Mia sleeping peacefully. The machines were humming. She was safe. For now.
"Get away from the door," Kai said. His voice was calm, but the air around him shivered.
"Relax, kid," Gorgon took a bite of the apple. Crunch. "I'm just visiting. Nice kid. Shame about the crystallization. Expensive to treat."
Gorgon stood up. He towered over Kai, casting a long shadow.
The pressure of a C-Rank Tank hit Kai like a physical wave. It was suffocating. If Kai were still a normal F-Rank, his knees would have buckled.
But Kai stood firm.
"What do you want?" Kai asked.
"Lady Elena wants to have a chat," Gorgon said, pointing the knife at Kai. "About Jack. About some... missing property."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't," Gorgon chuckled. "But here's the deal. The Guild is drafting you. Mandatory conscription."
Gorgon pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and threw it at Kai.
It was a Raid Summons.
[Target: C-Rank Dungeon "The Spider's Nest"]
[Role: Porter]
[Time: Tomorrow, 08:00 AM]
"You come with us tomorrow," Gorgon leaned in, his breath smelling of tobacco and raw meat. "We go into the dungeon. We talk. If you give us what we want, maybe you walk out."
"And if I refuse?"
Gorgon glanced back at the glass window of Room 304.
"Accidents happen, Kai. Equipment fails. Power outages occur. Hospitals are dangerous places."
Kai looked at the paper, then at Gorgon.
It was a trap. A blatant, clumsy trap.
They wanted to take him into a C-Rank Dungeon—a lawless zone where cameras didn't work—and torture him until he spilled his secrets. Then they would kill him.
But Kai also saw the opportunity.
If he fought Gorgon here, the hospital would be destroyed. Mia could get hurt. The police would come. He would be a fugitive.
But inside a dungeon...
No cameras. No witnesses.
"Fine," Kai said, picking up the paper. "I'll be there."
Gorgon laughed, a deep, rumbling sound. He patted Kai's shoulder hard enough to bruise.
"Smart choice, rat. Don't be late. Or I'll come back to finish this apple."
Gorgon turned and stomped toward the elevator. As the doors closed, he winked.
Kai stood alone in the hallway.
The "fear" on his face vanished instantly.
"System," Kai whispered.
[STATUS]
Current Level: 10
Shadows: 5/5
New Skill: Shadow Exchange (Ready)
He looked at Mia through the glass.
"Sleep tight, Mia."
He crumpled the summons in his hand until it turned to dust.
"They invited themselves to their own funeral."
[The Next Morning - District 3 Entrance]
The entrance to "The Spider's Nest" was located in an abandoned subway terminal.
A swirling orange portal hummed in the center of the tracks.
Gorgon was already there, flanked by six other Hunters.
Kai scanned them with his [Monarch's Aura].
Two D-Rank Rangers.
Two D+ Rank Fighters.
One C-Rank Healer.
And Gorgon (C-Rank Tank).
This wasn't a raid team. It was a hit squad.
"You actually showed up," Gorgon sneered as Kai walked down the stairs. Kai was wearing his hoodie and the alloy chestplate underneath. He carried a large empty backpack—the uniform of a Porter.
"I didn't have a choice, did I?" Kai mumbled, keeping his head down.
"That's right. You don't." Gorgon signaled his men. "Search him."
One of the Rangers patted Kai down. He took Kai's rusted dagger (the decoy) and tossed it on the tracks.
"He's clean, Boss. Just a backpack."
They didn't find the Enchanted Dagger stored in his Inventory.
And they certainly didn't find the Army hiding in his shadow.
"Alright, ladies!" Gorgon shouted. "Let's move. We have a dungeon to clear... and a rat to skin."
He shoved Kai toward the portal.
"After you, Porter."
Kai stumbled forward, stepping into the swirling vortex.
As the world twisted around him, a notification popped up.
[ENTERING DUNGEON: THE SPIDER'S NEST (Rank C)]
[Warning: Monster Level exceeds user's recorded Rank.]
Kai smiled in the transition void.
Warning?
No, System.
You should be warning them.