Aiden couldn't move.
His heartbeat was a broken engine—stuttering, twitching, threatening to quit with every pulse.
[LIMIT BREACH: DISABLED]
[System Support: Minimal]
[Stamina: Critical]
[Consciousness: Failing]
He pressed a trembling hand to the ground just to stay upright.
The PRIMAL WARDEN loomed over him, each step shaking dust from the cavern ceiling.
The air pressure alone forced Aiden's lungs to tighten.
This thing…
This thing crushed a Ranker like snapping a twig.
Aiden couldn't fight it.
Couldn't run.
He couldn't even stand.
The Warden's glowing eyes locked onto him.
Aiden swallowed hard.
"…Just… end it quick."
The creature bent forward, its massive shadow swallowing him whole.
Aiden felt its hot breath wash over him—like standing too close to a furnace.
His system went berserk:
[UNRECOGNIZED PRESENCE]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ENTITY REQUIRES SYSTEM CLEARANCE: NOT FOUND]
[RECOMMENDED ACTION: REMAIN IMMOVABLE]
"Yeah…" Aiden coughed. "…I figured."
The PRIMAL WARDEN lowered its claw, massive enough to crush his entire torso in one squeeze.
Aiden let his eyes fall half-shut.
Then—
The claw stopped.
Hovering a hair's breadth from his chest.
Aiden blinked, barely believing it.
The Warden's eyes narrowed.
It sniffed him—long, deep, ancient.
Then a rumbling voice shook the cavern:
"…You are… not authorized prey."
Aiden stared in disbelief.
"Not… what?"
The Warden tilted its head, studying him like a strange artifact.
"You are an ERROR."
"Executioners hunt Errors."
"Wardens do not."
Aiden froze.
The thing that just murdered a Ranker in seconds…
wasn't here for him?
He didn't get to relax.
Because the Warden wasn't done.
It reached down—
and grabbed his chest.
Not crushing.
Touching.
Probing.
Aiden's entire body convulsed as the System glitched violently:
[UNAUTHORIZED SCAN DETECTED]
[ENTITY IS READING SYSTEM CORE]
[CRITICAL WARNING]
[YOU ARE BEING CLASSIFIED]
Aiden gasped.
"What—what are you doing?? Stop—!"
The Warden ignored him.
Its claw glowed faintly as it rumbled:
"Verifying anomaly…"
"Confirming…"
"…You are the First."
Aiden's blood went cold.
The First?
First what?
Before he could ask, the Warden straightened and roared—a deafening, ancient sound that cracked the cavern floor.
The System dropped another message:
[PRIMAL WARDEN HAS CHOSEN TO MARK YOU]
[WARNING: FLOOR BOSS MARK IS PERMANENT]
[DO YOU ACCEPT: YES / YES]
Aiden's eyes widened.
"What the hell do you mean accept? I don't even—"
The Warden slammed its claw onto Aiden's chest.
Aiden screamed as blinding heat carved into his skin.
It felt like molten metal branding him.
[MARKING COMPLETE]
[YOU HAVE BEEN CLAIMED BY THE PRIMAL WARDEN]
Aiden collapsed sideways, clutching his chest, breath ragged.
The Warden stepped back.
Then it kneeled.
Aiden froze.
A monster that crushed Rankers…
kneeled.
Its head bowed deeply.
"Grow strong, First."
"Break the false system."
"We will watch."
Aiden could barely process the words.
"Break… the system…?"
But the Warden was already turning away.
It stomped toward the far wall and smashed its fist into it, opening a massive stone doorway.
Then it walked through, vanishing into the shadows.
The entire cavern fell silent.
Aiden lay on the ground, chest burning, vision swimming.
He looked down to see the mark branded into his skin:
A circular symbol—
broken lines—
shattered shapes—
like a fractured sun.
Then the System spoke in a single, terrified whisper:
[You should not exist.]
Aiden spat blood and glared at the flickering notification.
"Yeah… get in line."
He tried to stand—
and collapsed again.
The cavern trembled as something ELSE began moving in the dark.
Aiden's eyes widened as more red lights flickered in the tunnel.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
The System flared:
[NEW THREAT DETECTED]
[FLOOR RESPAWN COMPLETE]
[APPROACHING ENTITIES: 132]
Aiden's heart dropped.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
The horde launched out of the tunnel