Dail prepared for his attack, a cold, mysterious smile etched upon his face. In the blink of an eye, the hunter found Dail behind his back, drawing daggers from his vest; they were coated in the lethal venom of Black Mambas. He lunged at the hunter's back, but the hunter was sharper; he evaded with his massive axe, swinging it through the air to keep Dail at bay. Dail leapt back twice, then threw his daggers to the ground, deciding to use "Whips" to exploit the space. With lightning speed, he snagged the hunter's leg unnoticed and jerked him backward. The hunter slammed his axe into the ground to halt his slide, but Dail was ready; he lunged forward and delivered a brutal kick—BOOM!—into the hunter's back, sending him crashing into the wall and leaving deep cracks in the stone.
The hunter rose, spitting dark blood from his gut, and smiled:
— The Hunter: "You are clever and strong, but you won't be able to defeat me!"
The hunter surged with power, an invisible blue barrier forming around his shoulders. He charged, punching Dail in the shoulder and causing a sickening fracture. Dail immediately grabbed the hunter's hand as his bone broke, wrapped his legs around the hunter's neck, and slammed him backward, delivering a crushing blow to the head. Dail leapt back, clutching his broken arm; he stared at it for a few seconds, then snapped the bone back into place with cold ruthlessness, showing no pity for himself. The hunter stood again, swaying from the impact, as Dail drew a long scythe. Driven by the shadows, Dail lunged to claim the hunter's head, but a sudden sword blocked his path.
Dail retreated into the shadows, clinging to the ceiling as he glared at the intruder: an S-Rank hunter.
— Dail: "Tche... annoying reinforcements! Damn it!"
The man was from the world-renowned "Axe Guild"—long yellow hair tied back, dressed in white, with piercing blue eyes; he was of Elf lineage. Dail dropped to the ground, eyeing the squad of five high-rankers.
— Dail: "What brings the annoying ranks here? Do you think entering dungeons licensed to others is simply permitted for you?"
The yellow-haired man replied calmly:
— Rian: "Yes, it is permitted. If you didn't know that, I shall teach you this way."
— Dail (mockingly): "To hell with you and the laws you've created!"
A handsome, massive high-ranker with brown hair stepped forward to offer a healing potion to the collapsed hunter.
— The Large Hunter: "George, what were you thinking when you attacked him?"
— George (injured): "Sorry... but he was very strong. It was fun fighting him."
George stood up and turned to Dail:
— George: "You, boy... those you just killed were wanted by all hunters. They were organ traffickers who threw hunters to monsters. Your actions won't be punished. I assume you were avenging a friend?"
Dail erupted into a hysterical laugh that echoed through the room:
— Dail: "No! I didn't do it for friends. I did it for someone who died long ago!"
He added coldly:
— Dail: "It's over then. I'm leaving. My work here is done. I came to settle a score, and I'm finished."
He turned to leave, but they stopped him.
— Rian: "I want you to join our guild. You possess great power."
Dail looked at him with pure contempt:
— Dail: "Get out of my face, you long-eared freak! I don't speak to, nor do I like living with, humans."
— George: "And you? Are you not human?"
— Dail: "No, I am not! I abandoned your race long ago... your filthy race known for selfishness, exploitation, and greed. I don't want to share your wretched blood; there is nothing worthy in any of you!"
The group stood stunned by his hatred as he walked away, followed by his shadows.
— George: "He is clever and strong. If only he could join us."
Dail went to the Hunter Headquarters, searching for a mission to silence the hunger gnawing at his insides—his intense desire to spill blood.
— Dail to the clerk: "Is there an A-Rank mission or dungeon I can enter?"
She handed him the permit, only for him to find the group he had just left standing behind him.
— Rian: "What luck! You'll be joining us on the mission we are heading to."
— Dail: "Damn you and your annoying mission!"
He walked out, the group laughing behind him. One hunter tried to place a hand on his shoulder as a joke, but instantly froze from the cold and pulled back. Dail didn't even feel the hand; he was consumed with thoughts of revenge and his upgraded system. He could now extract and upgrade power from dead hunters—a prospect he relished.
— Rian to the frozen hunter: "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
The hunter turned, his face pale:
— The Hunter: "He is cold... completely cold, as if he were dead, not alive!"
Shocked, Rian grabbed Dail's arm; he found a very faint pulse and a body devoid of any warmth. Dail finally looked up at Rian:
— Dail: "Do you always touch others without permission? It's disgusting. Learn some privacy."
He yanked his arm back and snarled, "Don't touch me again. I hate human hands!"
They entered the dungeon—a vast desert inhabited by monstrous, distorted creatures with unrecognizable faces. Suddenly, a massive beast appeared. Before Rian could move, Dail lunged with his scythe—BOOM!—cleaving it in two while screaming insanely:
— Dail: "I want more! I want to see red! This isn't enough! Come out, all of you!"
He let out a roar that sent the monsters fleeing in terror. Dail's skin flushed deep red, and the black star on his neck bled into his face through dark veins. He tore through them one by one, decapitating some and shredding others, screaming: "I want more! I am never full! Where is the strongest?!"
The hunters stood in awe of his invincible killing instinct.
— Rian: "Can a human this age become such a beast? What has he lived through to become this horrific at only seventeen?"
Seconds later, the area was empty and drenched in blood. Dail stood atop the corpses with a smile:
— Dail: "Yes... this is comfortable. Power... no one stands in my way."
He descended, ignoring their stares:
— Dail: "I'm out. Goodbye. I hope we never meet again; you look like bacteria moving from place to place looking for a host."
Back at the guild, a terrified Rian told the story to the guild doctor. The doctor was shocked:
— The Doctor: "His condition is critical. People like him live in an unconscious instinct; they have crossed the threshold of death before. The desire to spill blood burns in their minds to crush anyone who might hurt them. As for his low temperature, it is due to his uncontrolled power. If he doesn't find a wise person to guide him, he will become a starving beast focused only on survival."
Rian decided he would recruit Dail at any cost. Meanwhile, Dail returned to his bleak mansion and stood before the mirror, which showed an older, more hateful version of himself.
— The Reflection: "Be stronger... then no one will hurt you. Everyone will kneel."
— Dail (smiling): "Yes."
Dail fell into a deep sleep, but it brought no peace. His reflection in the mirror slowly transformed into a skull, whispering:
— The Skull: "And your end... shall be Hell."