The biting cold seeped from the floor into his body, settling within the dark hollows of his soul. His mind drifted away from the present, retreating into the past as if watching a faded, ancient film titled: "His Life."
He saw himself at five years old, bedridden and struggling with a heart condition. His father never visited, nor did any of his family; he remained alone for an entire week, facing death in total solitude. The scene was then swallowed by darkness, only to reveal another memory at age seven. Everyone was celebrating his younger brother; joy filled every face. He tried to draw near to care for his brother, but his mother snapped at him cruelly: "Stay away from him! You'll make him sick and weak just like you!" He retreated with a shattered heart, wanting nothing but love.
The scenes shifted to his seventeenth year. He went to the "Hunter's Guild" to discover his awakening rank, only to find himself at Rank F-, the absolute worst; he was weaker than even an average human. A month later, his younger brother awakened as an A-Rank, with immense potential to reach S-Rank.
The family held a magnificent celebration, but he was not invited. Instead, he was ordered to remain in his room so his miserable presence wouldn't "spoil" his brother's day. While watching the party on television, he heard the announcer ask his father: "Mr. Laith, you have another son, don't you? Where is he?"
Dayl waited for the words that might save him, but his father replied with a coldness that could shatter stone: "I don't have another son... I only have these strong children." The phone slipped from his hand, his eyes widening in shock. Dayl laughed hysterically, muttering: "Haha... so that's why they forbade me from attending, so I wouldn't be a disgrace to them!" But his tears betrayed him, falling silently down his cheek. From that day on, he became a secluded ghost, speaking to no one and sharing no meals—and they, in turn, never once asked why.
The reel of memories ended, and he woke up to the freezing floor. He rose slowly as a "System Window" appeared before him: [Promotion Successful... You are now D-Rank... The Dungeons now belong to you].
He turned toward the depths of the dungeon, walking for hours until a brilliant light erupted from the end of the cave, revealing a majestic, black "Giant Palace." Above it glowed the sign: [The Palace of Death]. He crossed the sturdy wooden bridge to find a vast courtyard paved with black and white marble, centered by a gray volcanic stone staircase covered in crimson velvet carpet.
He ascended to the second floor, where long corridors were filled with mysterious black paintings. He opened the door to the last room; it was luxurious, with a dark brown bed and walls blending the black of night with the blue of the sea. There was a large desk, a chandelier crafted from "Human Bones," and a fine white carpet.
He turned to the large mirror to see his reflection and was struck with shock! His features had completely changed; his eyes had grown sharper, with a strange redness creeping into his dark blue pupils. His black hair was now streaked with white, making him a mirror image of the "Man" he had met at the moment of his death.
The thread of his thoughts was snapped by a creaking sound in the corridor. He went out to check but found nothing. However, when he returned and turned around inside the room, his eyes widened in absolute horror at the sight before him!