Sung Daeho leaned against the tree trunk, his body still catching its breath from the chase. The rustling leaves above him did little to silence the storm in his chest—not fear, but adrenaline. And something else.
Excitement.
Ever since his red panel updated and revealed the new features, his mind hadn't stopped spinning. The skill shop. The cooldown modifier. The ability to forge skills into something entirely new.
And now, it was time to act.
> [Free Skill (C-Rank) – Available]
He opened the panel and scrolled swiftly through the available C-rank skills. His finger hovered over a few choices—Combat Sense, Wind Grip, Venom Fang—but none of them offered what he truly needed.
Not speed. Not strength. Not damage.
Invisibility.
Then he saw it.
> [Stealth – C-Rank]
Description: Hides the user's presence completely from monsters of C-rank and below, and hunters of B-rank and below.
Movement does not break stealth. Duration: 30 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.
Daeho smirked.
"This is it."
With a single tap, he claimed the Stealth skill. A surge of warmth flooded his veins for a moment, and then the new ability settled into his interface.
Immediately, a forging prompt popped up at the top of the panel.
> [Skill Forge – 1 Free Use Available]
➤ Select any two skills.
Daeho didn't hesitate.
He selected Super Speed and Stealth.
A warning message flashed:
> ⚠️ Warning: Skill forge is irreversible. Proceed?
He tapped "Yes."
The panel glowed red-hot for a moment, then pulsed like a heartbeat. Then it dimmed, replaced by a dark gray notification window.
> [Forge Complete – New Skill Created]
Skill: Shadow Step
Rank: S-Rank
Description:
1. Able to hide from all monsters under S-rank, and hunters under SS-rank.
2. Can enter through any gap of at least 1 cm².
3. Movement speed increased to 500 m/s while active.
Duration: 1 Hour
Cooldown: 1 Hour
Daeho's mouth went dry.
He read the description again.
And again.
"Five. Hundred. Meters per second…"
He almost laughed in disbelief. That was faster than a bullet.
And the ability to hide from nearly every monster and most hunters?
This wasn't just stealth or speed. This was something else entirely.
This was phantom-level power.
Then he checked the skill market price of Shadow Step, just out of curiosity.
> Market Value: ₩900,000,000
Daeho whistled. "Nearly a billion won. And I just… made it."
He stared at the red glow of his panel.
It wasn't just rare.
It wasn't even legendary.
It was impossible. No system was supposed to work like this. His red panel was beyond the world's understanding.
And he was only getting started.
He tapped on Kali's interface and selected the new Shadow Step skill.
> [Copy/Paste Ability – Target: Kali]
➤ Success.
Kali's body shimmered briefly, and Daeho could feel the familiar bond tighten between them. Now both of them had the same terrifying movement and concealment power.
"Let's go, Kali."
The wolf's eyes gleamed with understanding.
---
They returned to the edge of the Orc Village in total silence.
The three Guard Orcs remained at their posts—tall, hulking creatures with thick muscle, jagged armor, and eyes that scanned the forest with newfound caution.
But they saw nothing.
Daeho activated Shadow Step. His body melted into the air like a ghost. Kali did the same.
There was no shimmer, no sound, no presence. Even the birds in the trees didn't react to their passing.
At 500 m/s, they closed the gap in less than a second.
Before the first Guard Orc even sensed movement, Daeho's daggers were already inside his throat, twisting and severing the spine. The orc dropped like a felled tree.
The second and third orcs looked over in confusion—right as Kali tore into one's leg, tripping him. Daeho appeared behind the last orc like a shadow, slicing his Achilles tendon, then vanishing again.
Within fourteen seconds, the three Guard Orcs were dead.
No roars.
No screams.
Only silence.
---
And then something stirred in Daeho's blood.
A familiar itch. The same intoxication from earlier.
He turned to Kali. "What do you say? Clean sweep?"
Kali growled softly—agreement.
They advanced toward the village.
What followed was not a battle.
It was an execution.
The orcs—C-rank monsters by nature—were strong and brutal. But they never saw what hit them. One by one, they fell. Daeho and Kali moved like ghosts, teleporting from house to house, silencing the village with surgical precision.
Some orcs died while eating.
Others died while patrolling.
A few died mid-swing, unable to comprehend the blur that carved through their hearts.
It was a massacre—clean, efficient, and utterly one-sided.
An hour later, Daeho stood at the center of the now quiet Orc Village.
Blood soaked the soil, but none of it was his.
> [Orcs Defeated: 106]
Achievement Unlocked: "One-Man Army" – Slay 100+ C-rank monsters in one raid.
> Reward: B-Rank Item – Phantom Daggers
Description: Twin black daggers forged from obsidian steel. Increased lethality. Enchanted with edge-honing effect.
B-Rank Item – Shadow Trench Coat
Description: Jet-black long coat with defense enchantment. Resistant to blades and minor magic. Conceals motion.
Cursed Inventory Ring
Description: Contains a 10m³ storage space. Can store any physical item not living.
Daeho stood still, reading each notification as they popped up.
Then he burst out laughing.
"This… This is insane!"
He pulled out the trench coat first. It was jet-black, smooth to the touch, with faint glimmering runes on the inside hem. He put it on and found it fit perfectly, coming just past his knees.
"Damn, I look cool."
Next, he checked the daggers. Sleek, curved, and sharper than anything he'd ever wielded.
With a flick, they disappeared into the inventory ring, which he placed on his finger.
"Ten cubic meters of storage… I could carry a car in here."
He walked around the empty village, looting the orc monster cores—each worth a hefty sum—placing them into the ring as well.
Then he turned to the village's large wooden gate.
Behind him lay over a hundred dead monsters.
But it wasn't victory he felt most.
It was curiosity.
He tapped his panel again.
> [Dungeon Rank: D-Rank]
[Monster Grade: C-Rank]
[Final Objective: Destroy Defenses – COMPLETE]
[Exit Portal – Activated]
Daeho frowned.
"This doesn't make sense. If all the monsters were C-rank, then how is this still registered as a D-rank dungeon?"
The mana levels… the monster strength… Even the structure of the orc village had more in common with mid-tier C-rank missions.
Unless…
"…Unless this dungeon is misclassified."
Or even more disturbing—
"Someone is hiding the true nature of certain dungeons."
He clenched his fists.
Misclassified dungeons were dangerous. If E or D-rank hunters came here expecting weak monsters, they'd be slaughtered.
Like how he had died in that chameleon dungeon.
Like how many others probably have.
He narrowed his eyes.
This needed investigation.
But not now.
He turned toward the glowing exit portal hovering near the edge of the village. As he stepped through, the world bent around him again.
The forest vanished.
---