Morning sunlight spread across the city.
But the peaceful morning didn't last long.
A loud siren echoed through the streets.
WOOOOOOO—
Citizens looked up in alarm.
Large holographic screens across the city suddenly switched to emergency broadcast mode.
A message appeared.
Hunter Association Alert
A C-Rank Dungeon Gate has appeared in Sector 7.
Hunters are requested to report immediately.
Inside his small apartment, Kai Draven watched the broadcast quietly.
His sister looked worried.
"A C-Rank gate… that's dangerous, right?"
Kai nodded.
"Yes."
C-Rank gates were serious threats.
If they were not cleared quickly, the monsters inside could break out and cause a Dungeon Break.
Entire city blocks could be destroyed.
His sister looked at him carefully.
"You're not thinking of going… right?"
Kai smiled gently.
"I'm just going to watch."
Of course, that was only half the truth.
***
The Gate
An hour later.
Sector 7 had already been sealed off by the Hunter Association.
Police barricades blocked every road.
Military vehicles surrounded the area.
And in the center of the street—
The C-Rank Gate hovered in the air.
A swirling vortex of deep purple energy.
Far larger than the hidden gate Kai entered yesterday.
Dozens of hunters had already gathered.
Most of them were D-Rank or C-Rank.
Kai quietly joined the crowd.
No one paid attention to him.
To them, he was still just an E-Rank hunter.
But one person noticed.
Ronan Blake.
The same man who abandoned Kai in the dungeon.
Ronan frowned when he saw him.
"You again?"
Kai looked at him calmly.
"Good morning."
Ronan stepped closer.
"You should go home," Ronan said quietly. "This isn't a place for weak hunters."
Kai simply shrugged.
"I'm not planning to fight."
That answer seemed to satisfy Ronan slightly.
But deep inside…
Ronan still felt uneasy around him.
Raid Team Formation
A Hunter Association officer stepped forward.
"All hunters listen!"
"This is a C-Rank dungeon."
"We are forming three raid teams."
The officer began reading names.
"Team One leader: C-Rank Hunter Marcus Hale."
A tall armored hunter stepped forward.
"Team Two leader: C-Rank Hunter Elena Frost."
A woman holding a spear raised her hand.
"Team Three leader: C-Rank Hunter Ronan Blake."
Ronan nodded confidently.
Then the officer continued.
"Remaining D-Rank and E-Rank hunters will support the teams."
Kai raised his hand.
The officer glanced at his registration badge.
"E-Rank… Kai Draven?"
Kai nodded.
The officer shrugged.
"Support team. Carry supplies."
Some hunters laughed quietly.
Kai didn't mind.
Because support team members still entered the dungeon.
Which meant…
More monsters.
More devours.
More power.
***
Entering the Gate
The raid teams gathered in front of the swirling portal.
Marcus raised his sword.
"Everyone ready?"
Hunters nodded.
"Enter!"
One by one, the hunters stepped into the gate.
Kai followed quietly behind them.
The moment he crossed the portal—
The world changed again.
Inside the Dungeon
Cold wind howled across a vast canyon.
Rocky cliffs stretched in every direction.
The sky above was dark red.
A battlefield-like landscape.
Kai immediately felt something strange.
His Predator Instinct activated.
But instead of a few monsters…
Dozens of signals appeared.
Red glowing marks everywhere.
Kai's eyes widened.
"This place…"
Was full of monsters.
Marcus shouted orders.
"Formation!"
But before the hunters could organize—
A terrifying roar echoed across the canyon.
The ground trembled.
And from behind the cliffs…
Massive creatures began emerging.
Not wolves.
Not goblins.
But something far worse.
Ogres.
Huge muscular monsters carrying stone clubs.
The system reacted instantly.
Monster Identified
Canyon Ogre
Rank: C
The hunters froze.
Because there weren't just one or two.
There were dozens.
Marcus cursed.
"Damn it… this dungeon is bigger than expected!"
Then he shouted.
"Prepare for battle!"
But Kai was already smiling slightly.
Because the system had displayed something new.
High Energy Targets Detected
Devour Potential: Extreme
Kai looked at the approaching ogres.
His shadow moved slightly beneath his feet.
And he whispered quietly.
"…Perfect."
END OF CHAPTER 8