The dungeon's air was thick with moisture, the scent of decay lingering in the dimly lit corridors. The rough stone walls were damp, and distant echoes of unseen creatures filled the oppressive silence. Cyan Frost trudged behind the group, his shoulders burning under the weight of two large sacks filled with Abyssal Essence—dark, crystalline remnants left behind by slain monsters.
He was not a warrior. Not a mage. Not even a proper mercenary. He was the errand boy, hired to collect loot, carry supplies, and dispose of corpses. A glorified slave.
"Move it, Frost," barked Garret, a towering brute clad in dented plate armor. His ugly grin twisted with amusement as he kicked a rock in Cyan's direction. "You get paid to work, not to drag your feet."
Cyan clenched his fists but remained silent. He had learned long ago that arguing only invited more trouble. The others in the party—ten D-rank mercenaries led by Rogan the Crimson Wolf—had no respect for someone like him. He was at the bottom of the hierarchy, weaker than the weakest among them.
But that would change. He just had to endure. For now.
Among the group was a young healer, Elara Vale. Unlike the rest, she had treated Cyan with a measure of kindness. When he was injured, she healed him without mockery. When he was exhausted, she whispered words of encouragement. It didn't mean much, but in this pit of vipers, even a small kindness was a rare thing.
The group advanced deeper into the dungeon, slaying the occasional skeletal warrior or goblin. The mercenaries laughed and boasted as they fought, as if this were nothing but a game. They thought themselves invincible, that no danger could truly threaten them.
They were wrong.
As they entered a vast cavern, an unnatural chill filled the air. The flickering torchlight dimmed, swallowed by an unseen force. Then, a deep growl resonated from the shadows.
A pair of crimson eyes burned in the darkness.
Then another.
And another.
From the depths of the cavern, it emerged.
A monstrous creature twice the size of a bear, its black chitinous hide covered in writhing, abyssal veins. Its elongated limbs ended in razor-sharp claws, each dripping with an eerie, corrosive liquid. Four glowing eyes gleamed with hunger, locking onto the party.
[Abyssal Devourer – Peak C-Rank]
The group froze.
"T-That's not possible…" Rogan's voice trembled. "This dungeon was supposed to be D-rank!"
A nervous gulp echoed from Vance, the rogue. "We need to run."
But the Abyssal Devourer didn't wait. It lunged.
In a single instant, its claws shredded through one of the mercenaries, ripping him apart like wet paper. Blood splattered across the stone floor as screams filled the cavern. The Devourer's tail lashed out, impaling another man through the chest, lifting him into the air before slamming him lifeless onto the ground.
Panic erupted.
The mercenaries scattered like rats, hacking wildly at the monster, but their weapons barely scratched its armored hide. Rogan's sword struck its leg—only for the blade to shatter from the impact. Garret swung his warhammer, but the beast's shadow tendrils wrapped around his limbs, lifting him off the ground before crushing his body into pulp.
Cyan stepped back, heart hammering against his ribs. He had no weapon. No skills. No strength to fight something like this.
He needed to get out.
But before he could move, Rogan grabbed him.
His bloodshot eyes gleamed with desperation.
"Bait," he muttered.
Before Cyan could react, Rogan and Vance hurled him forward—straight toward the monster.
Pain shot through his body as he crashed onto the cold stone floor. Cyan looked up just in time to see the Devourer's eyes lock onto him.
Betrayal burned in his chest. But there was no time for anger.
"Elara!" Cyan shouted, his voice raw. "Heal me!"
Elara hesitated. Then, her lips pressed into a thin line. She stepped back.
"I… I'm sorry."
Cyan's breath caught in his throat.
Even her.
Even she abandoned him.
The Abyssal Devourer lunged.
[Critical Condition Detected. Activating Emergency Protocols…]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind. His vision blurred as a translucent blue screen materialized before him.
[System Bonding…]
[Lifeform in critical state. Host qualification confirmed.]
[Welcome to the System.]
A surge of power flooded Cyan's body, numbing the pain. Time slowed.
[System Contract Initiation: Do you accept the System?]
[Option 1: Accept] [Option 2: Decline]
Cyan hesitated. He had heard of systems—mysterious forces that granted unfathomable strength. But there was always a price.
The Devourer's claws descended toward him.
[Option 2 Selected: Decline.]
[Warning: System entering Forced Activation Mode.]
Agony erupted through his body. Cyan's veins burned, his bones felt like they were breaking apart and reforging themselves. His mind screamed, but he refused to fall.
[User is deemed compatible. System installation proceeding.]
[Status Display Activated.]
[Name: Cyan Frost] [Level: 1] [Class: Unassigned] [Strength: 9] [Agility: 11] [Endurance: 8] [Mana: 3]
[Abilities: None] [Skills: None]
[Emergency Quest: Survive Against the Abyssal Devourer.] [Objective: Land a successful strike on the boss.] [Reward: 50 EXP, Basic Recovery Elixir.]
Cyan's fingers twitched.
He could move.
He rolled aside just as the Devourer's claws tore through the ground where he had lain. His body felt lighter, faster, as if something inside him had awoken.
A rusted sword lay near a fallen mercenary's corpse. Cyan grabbed it.
The Devourer turned toward him, its four eyes narrowing.
Cyan charged.
The blade slashed through the creature's side, black ichor spilling onto the ground.
[Quest Complete.] [Reward Granted: 50 EXP, Basic Recovery Elixir.]
A small vial materialized in his hand. He drank it, warmth flooding through his veins as his wounds began to close.
The Devourer roared in fury.
But Cyan was no longer the same.
He turned toward Rogan and the others. His once icy-blue eyes now gleamed with cold, merciless determination.
They had thrown him away.
Now, it was his turn. The hunt had begun.