In the shadows of a crumbling city, a young boy named Kael toiled under the unforgiving sun, his back bent against the weight of heavy crates. Every step was a reminder of the burden he bore—not the crates, but the knowledge that his sister lay ill at home, her breaths growing shallower with each passing day.
"Look at him, the little transporter!" a voice jeered behind him. Kael winced but kept moving, feeling the mocking laughter of seasoned hunters sear into his back. They were warriors, draped in armor that gleamed with promise, their weapons sharp enough to cut through monsters. The call of the dungeon had awakened their power, and Kael was nothing more than a shadow in their eyes.
"Oi, kid!" a hunter called out, his voice dripping with contempt. "Shouldn't you be in the nursery, playing with sticks?"
Laughter followed. Kael tightened his grip on the crate, his knuckles turning white as he fought the urge to respond. He couldn't afford distractions. Not when his sister was wasting away at home, her fever climbing higher with each day.
"You hear me?" The leader of the hunters, a tall man with a scarred face, approached him. "Why don't you leave the heavy lifting to the real men?" His eyes gleamed with condescension as he slammed a fist on Kael's shoulder, nearly making him drop the crate.
"I'm not here to play games," Kael muttered, his voice barely audible. His throat felt dry, but he refused to show weakness. Not here. Not now.
The scarred leader leaned in, smirking. "Good. Because if you keep this up, you'll be nothing but dust in the wind."
Kael bit his lip, feeling the weight of their stares. But what could he do? Each day that passed without money for his sister's medicine brought her closer to death. The thought of her pale face flashed in his mind, her weak, fragile body huddled beneath thin blankets. He needed the gold. He needed the dungeon.
Later that evening, as dusk painted the sky, Kael stood at the gates of the dungeon, his heart hammering in his chest. He had joined the group of hunters—his only chance to make the kind of money that could save her. They didn't welcome him, of course.
"Keep up, burden," the leader growled. "You're just here to carry our loot. Don't slow us down."
Kael said nothing, but his pulse quickened as they ventured inside. The air grew thick, the scent of damp earth and decay filling his lungs. The deeper they went, the darker it became. Shadows shifted around them, and for the first time, Kael felt the enormity of what he had signed up for.
"I thought you said you were ready for this," one of the hunters sneered, looking back at him. "You're shaking like a leaf."
Kael swallowed hard. "I-I'm fine." His voice wavered, betraying his fear.
"Fine, huh?" the scarred leader said, grinning as they approached a group of low-level monsters. He raised his sword. "Watch and learn, kid."
The monsters rushed forward, their roars shaking the stone walls. The hunters met them head-on, steel clashing against claws and fangs. Kael hung back, his heart pounding, watching as the hunters effortlessly cut through the creatures.
"Too slow!" one hunter shouted, laughing as he hacked into a beast's side. "This is what real strength looks like, burden! You think you can keep up with us?"
Kael took a hesitant step forward, but doubt gnawed at his resolve. What was he doing here? He didn't belong in the dungeon, fighting monsters. He was just a boy trying to save his sister. His knees trembled.
"Keep moving!" another hunter barked at him as they pushed deeper into the dungeon. "Or you'll be left behind!"
Hours passed in a blur of violence and noise. Kael's breath was ragged, his muscles aching from carrying their supplies, and he was struggling to stay upright. The hunters, on the other hand, were unfazed, laughing as they mocked the creatures they felled.
But as they approached the boss room, an unsettling silence fell over the group. The vast chamber loomed ahead, bathed in an eerie glow that made Kael's skin crawl.
"Something's not right," one of the hunters muttered.
The leader stepped forward, his sword raised. "Shut up. It's just another monster. We've got this."
But as they crossed into the chamber, a voice rumbled through the air—deep and cold, like the breath of death itself. "Welcome, intruders…"
Kael's blood ran cold. Monsters didn't speak. They weren't supposed to.
"What… what the hell is this?" one of the hunters whispered, his confidence faltering.
The creature on the throne stirred, its eyes gleaming with malicious intent. The hunters hesitated, fear creeping into their eyes.
"Attack, now!" the leader shouted, but his voice cracked with panic.
Before they could act, the boss monster rose with terrifying speed, its laughter booming through the chamber. It struck with savage precision, and one by one, the hunters fell. Their screams echoed in the darkness as the monster toyed with them, savoring their terror.
Kael was frozen, his legs refusing to move. The carnage around him blurred into chaos, and all he could think of was his sister—her face, her smile, her life slipping away because of him.
As the world tilted and darkness closed in, a voice pierced through the haze, deep and ancient. "Awaken, Kael."
A surge of power flooded through him, igniting something deep within his soul. "Awaken the system," the voice commanded, binding itself to him like a lifeline.
With a gasp, Kael staggered to his feet, trembling but alive. Energy crackled around him, the system awakening in response. He felt it—the Architect's power surging through his veins, a gift born from the depths of despair.
The boss monster loomed before him, but this time, Kael wasn't running.
"Not today," he whispered, clenching his fists as he stepped forward, his heart blazing with determination. For his sister, for himself—he would fight.
And this time, he wouldn't fail.