The enormous body of the Ironfang Alpha trembled violently.
The glowing spirit blade buried deep within its chest pulsed with celestial light, and cracks spread across the monster's iron-like armor like shattered glass.
For a brief moment, everything inside the dungeon seemed to freeze.
The hunters watching from behind barely dared to breathe.
Then—
CRACK.
The armor finally shattered.
A burst of crimson energy exploded outward as the blade pierced completely through the creature's heart.
The Ironfang Alpha released one final, deafening roar that shook the entire cavern.
Then its enormous body collapsed.
The impact echoed through the dungeon like thunder.
Dust rose into the air.
And slowly… the monster dissolved into shimmering particles of light.
The boss was dead.
Silence followed.
For several long seconds, no one spoke.
Auren still stood where he had landed after the final strike, his slender figure illuminated by the faint glow of the crystals embedded in the cavern walls.
The Celestial Spirit Blade slowly faded in his hand, dissolving into silver mist.
His long silver hair drifted gently across his face as he breathed.
But something was wrong.
The strength that had filled his body moments ago was beginning to vanish.
His legs trembled slightly.
A faint dizziness crept into his mind.
Behind him, the hunters were finally beginning to process what had just happened.
"He… killed it."
"No way…"
"That was the boss monster."
One of the hunters rubbed his eyes.
"Did that really just happen?"
The armored hunter, Garrick, stepped forward slowly, his heavy boots echoing against the cavern floor.
His eyes remained locked on Auren.
"You…"
His voice held a mixture of disbelief and curiosity.
"How did you do that?"
But Auren didn't answer.
Because the system window suddenly exploded with notifications.
---
Dungeon Boss Defeated
Rewards Granted
---
Level Up
Level 1 → Level 4
---
New Skill Acquired
Soul Devour
Allows absorption of monster energy.
---
Another message appeared immediately after.
---
Title Unlocked
Gateborn
---
Effect
Absolute compatibility with dimensional gates.
Enhanced spiritual sensitivity.
---
The glowing windows overlapped each other in Auren's vision.
But the text was becoming harder to read.
His vision was starting to blur.
"Strange…"
Auren lifted a hand slightly, staring at his fingers.
They were trembling.
The power he had used during the fight had felt limitless.
But now it felt like his body had been completely drained.
Like a candle that had burned too brightly.
Behind him, Garrick frowned.
"…Kid?"
Auren tried to answer.
But his voice came out weak.
"I think… I might have overdone it."
The cavern trembled suddenly.
A low rumbling sound spread through the dungeon.
One of the hunters turned quickly toward the far end of the chamber.
"The dungeon's destabilizing!"
Another cursed.
"That's fast!"
Normally, a dungeon would remain stable for a while after the boss died.
But this one was collapsing immediately.
Cracks began spreading across the cavern walls.
Small stones fell from the ceiling.
The glowing crystals flickered.
The hunters quickly began collecting the dropped loot crystals scattered across the ground.
"We need to leave!"
"Grab what you can!"
Garrick looked back at Auren.
The young hunter still stood near the fallen boss, swaying slightly as if struggling to remain upright.
Garrick walked toward him quickly.
"Hey. Can you move?"
Auren tried to take a step.
His knees buckled.
The moment he shifted his weight, the exhaustion crashed into him like a tidal wave.
His vision spun.
The glowing system windows flickered violently.
---
Warning
Energy Depletion Detected
---
Host Condition: Critical Fatigue
---
Auren blinked slowly.
"…Oh."
Then his body collapsed.
If Garrick hadn't reacted instantly, Auren would have slammed face-first into the cavern floor.
Instead, the armored hunter caught him.
The other hunters turned in surprise.
"He fainted?!"
Garrick frowned as he supported Auren's unconscious body.
"Of course he did."
He glanced toward the remains of the battlefield.
"That kid just soloed a boss monster."
Another hunter whistled softly.
"Still insane."
The dungeon trembled again.
A large crack spread across the ceiling.
"Garrick!"
"We need to go!"
The armored hunter adjusted his grip, lifting Auren onto his shoulder.
The boy was surprisingly light.
Almost fragile.
It was hard to believe someone who looked this delicate had just defeated the dungeon boss with such elegant, almost graceful movements.
Garrick shook his head slightly.
"What a weird kid."
He began running toward the glowing dungeon exit forming at the far end of the cavern.
The other hunters followed.
Behind them, the dungeon was beginning to collapse.
Stone pillars cracked.
Chunks of rock crashed to the ground.
The air vibrated violently.
The glowing portal grew brighter.
"Almost there!"
One by one, the hunters leapt through the exit.
Garrick stepped through last.
---
Cold night air replaced the heavy dungeon atmosphere.
The sounds of Neo Aurora City returned instantly.
Cars rushed along the streets.
Neon lights glowed across the towering buildings.
The floating Gate above the subway entrance slowly began to close.
Garrick carefully lowered Auren onto the pavement beside the street.
Several hunters gathered around.
One crouched beside him.
"…He's breathing."
Another nodded.
"Just exhausted."
Auren looked peaceful while unconscious.
His long silver hair spread softly across the ground like moonlight.
Even Garrick had to admit something strange.
The kid looked almost… ethereal.
Like he didn't fully belong in the noisy modern city around them.
One of the hunters glanced toward the closing gate.
"That dungeon ended fast."
Garrick nodded.
"Too fast."
He looked down at Auren again.
"This kid triggered something."
Far above the city, the swirling gate energy faded.
But for a brief moment…
The sky flickered.
A faint ripple spread across the clouds.
Thousands of kilometers away…
Another gate reacted.
Then another.
And another.
Deep within an ancient dimension far beyond Earth…
A massive stone gate slowly began to glow.
An ancient voice echoed through the ruins surrounding it.
"…The Gateborn has appeared."
The giant gate rumbled as it began to open for the first time in thousands of years.
Back in Neo Aurora City, Auren Kairos remained unconscious.
Completely unaware that the simple dungeon he had entered tonight…
Had just awakened something that would change the fate of multiple worlds.