The cavern fell silent as Itachi stood amidst the carnage, his katana dripping with blood. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to echo a harsh truth he had known all his life: no matter where he was, only the strong survived. The air was thick with the scent of blood and fear, a grim reminder of the reality of this world.
Dongsuk's face contorted with rage and desperation as he barked an order to Kyuhwan. "Attack him, now!" The mage began channeling his light magic, the air around him starting to shimmer with ethereal energy. But before he could release his spell, a flash of steel cut through the air. Itachi's lightning-infused kunai found its mark with deadly precision, embedding itself deep in Kyuhwan's forehead. The mage's eyes widened in shock, his spell dying on his lips as the light faded from them. His body crumpled to the ground, a testament to Itachi's ruthless efficiency.
Driven by a mix of fear and duty, two of Dongsuk's men charged at Itachi. Their weapons glinted in the dim light of the cavern, but Itachi's katana moved faster than their eyes could follow. In a series of fluid motions that spoke of years of training and countless battles, he cut them down effortlessly. Their bodies hadn't even hit the ground before another attacker lunged at Itachi, desperation clear in his eyes. But the Uchiha simply sidestepped the clumsy assault, his movements graceful and deadly. In one smooth motion, Itachi's katana flashed, and the attacker fell, never to rise again.
Before the others could react, Itachi was already moving. His katana sang through the air, landing a clean horizontal slash across another man's torso. The light in the man's eyes faded instantly as he collapsed, joining his fallen comrades on the cavern floor. The remaining two men hesitated, finally sensing the vast difference in power between them and their opponent. Fear etched itself across their faces as they realized the true nature of the threat before them.
Itachi didn't give them time to reconsider. In a flash, he closed the distance, moving so fast he seemed to blur. His katana sliced upward, severing one man's arm before driving deep into his chest. The man's scream of agony was cut short as his body fell limp, crumpling at Itachi's feet like a marionette with its strings cut.
The last man, overcome with panic, made a desperate attempt to retreat. His feet scrambled against the rocky floor of the cavern as he tried to put distance between himself and the demon that had decimated his comrades. But Itachi was faster, appearing before the fleeing man as if materializing from the shadows themselves. Without a word, he plunged his blade through the man's heart. As Itachi twisted the katana and pulled it free, the man gasped, choking on his own blood before falling silent, his eyes staring blankly at the cavern ceiling.
Dongsuk stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief as he watched his entire squad fall to a single E-rank hunter. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his voice trembled as he spoke. "Who... what are you?" he stammered, fear evident in every syllable. "Were you hiding your abilities? Did you defeat the dungeon boss?"
Gathering what remained of his courage, Dongsuk activated his skill "Enhance Power." His muscles bulged, veins popping as he charged at Itachi, believing his C-rank strength would be enough to overcome this mysterious opponent. But Itachi's hand merely flashed to his katana, his expression unchanging. In the blink of an eye, he vanished—a flicker of shadow, moving faster than Dongsuk's eyes could track.
Before Dongsuk could even get close, Itachi reappeared behind him, a flash of steel cutting through the air. Time seemed to stand still for a moment before Dongsuk froze mid-charge, blood spilling from a clean slash across his chest. His eyes widened in disbelief, his enhanced strength proving useless against Itachi's overwhelming skill. Dongsuk's body hit the ground moments later, lifeless, his final thoughts a mixture of regret and incomprehension.
Itachi's voice, cold and emotionless, echoed in the cavern. "Foolish to think strength alone could reach me." His words hung in the air, a chilling epitaph for the fallen.
The carnage proved too much for Jinho. He doubled over, retching violently as his body shook with fear. The expensive armor that had seemed so impressive earlier now looked ridiculous, spattered with dirt and vomit. Itachi glanced at him impassively. "The dungeon is closing. We should leave," he stated matter-of-factly, as if he hadn't just single-handedly massacred an entire squad.
As they prepared to exit, Itachi noticed a message from his system:
[Choose a reward from the list below:
Status recovery
Ability points
Skill: 'Bloodlust' ]
Without hesitation, Itachi selected ability points, immediately allocating them to his HP. He had no need for a skill to instill fear in his enemies; his actions alone were more than sufficient. The system's offer of 'Bloodlust' almost seemed laughable to someone who had lived the life of a shinobi.
Thousands of miles away in Washington, USA, a muscular man named Hwang Dongsoo woke up, his face wet with tears. He sat up in his bed, a sense of inexplicable loss weighing heavily on his heart. The connection between twins, even separated by vast distances, manifested in this moment of unconscious grief. Dongsoo was unaware of the fate that had befallen his brother in a distant dungeon, but the pain of loss echoed across the world.
As Itachi and Jinho emerged from the dungeon, the weight of what had transpired hung between them. The sun seemed too bright after the darkness of the cavern, its warmth a stark contrast to the cold efficiency of Itachi's actions. Jinho stumbled, still pale and shaken, while Itachi moved with the same fluid grace he had displayed in combat.
Itachi's mind briefly flickered to his friends in this new world - Sung Jin-ah with her bright smile and determined spirit, Park Min-woo and his endless enthusiasm for dungeons, and Han Song-yi, a fellow E-rank hunter with dreams of greatness. He wondered how they would react if they knew what he was capable of, what he had just done. Would they look at him with the same fear that now filled Jinho's eyes?
But he pushed the thought aside. In this world, as in his old one, survival came first. Everything else was secondary. The bonds he had formed, the semblance of a normal life he had begun to build - all of it paled in comparison to the fundamental truth of existence. Only the strong survived, and Itachi was determined to be among them, no matter the cost.