His clothes were torn, his back still burned from the Night Reaver’s claws, and blood dripped from fresh wounds across his arms.
Yet, he was still standing.
He pulled up his status screen, blinking away the sweat stinging his eyes.
Name: Axel Ravensworth
Level: 5 (+1)
Class: Unassigned
Stats:
- Strength: 9 (+1)
- Agility: 11 (+2) (Phantom Cloak bonus applied)
- Intelligence: 11 (+1)
- Endurance: 10 (+1)
- Luck: 1
Skills:
- [Analyze] (Rank F)
- [Inventory] (Rank F)
- [Predator’s Instinct] (Rank E) – Threat detection within 50 meters.
Trial Status:
- Time Remaining: 4:53:12
Four hours left.
Axel exhaled slowly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. It felt like an eternity.
He had killed six monsters so far, but he knew the worst was yet to come.
A chill crawled up his spine as his Predator’s Instinct pulsed.
Another enemy was nearby. And it wasn’t alone.
Axel gritted his teeth.
No rest. No mercy.
The hunt wasn’t over yet.
He forced himself forward, walking down the deserted, corpse-littered streets.
The city—**or what was left of it—**looked even more distorted than before.
- The blue mist had thickened, twisting unnaturally along the ground like living smoke.
- The sky was darker than it should have been, the stars obscured by pulsing red veins stretching across the clouds.
- Some buildings had started changing, their walls flickering like glitches in reality.
Whatever was happening, it wasn’t just affecting him.
The world itself was evolving.
Axel clenched his fists.
He needed answers. And he needed to survive long enough to get them.
That meant facing whatever was coming next.
Axel turned a corner and froze.
In the distance, two humanoid figures stood in the street.
At first, he thought they were survivors.
Then he saw their eyes.
Pure black.
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Their skin was stretched tight over their faces, like something was wearing a human body as a mask.
A system notification popped up immediately.
[Analyzing Target...]
Axel tensed.
Unlike the Night Reavers, these things weren’t moving like mindless beasts.
They were waiting. Studying him.
Then, one of them smiled.
A shiver ran down Axel’s spine.
He had fought monsters that lunged without hesitation.
But these creatures?
They were patient.
And that made them even more dangerous.
Axel didn’t wait.
He charged first, gripping his Hunting Knife as he sprinted toward the closest Hollowborn.
The creature reacted instantly, tilting its head before vanishing in a blur.
Axel’s eyes widened. What—?!
Pain exploded in his ribs as the Hollowborn reappeared behind him, its fist slamming into his side.
Axel staggered, barely managing to stay on his feet.
It was fast. Faster than anything he had fought before.
No hesitation. Adapt or die.
Axel gritted his teeth, activating [Predator’s Instinct.]
This time, he felt the second Hollowborn move before it struck.
He twisted, barely dodging a clawed hand aimed at his throat.
Spinning on his heel, he slammed the Steel Pipe into its skull.
The Hollowborn stumbled, but didn’t fall.
Instead, it laughed.
Axel’s pulse spiked.
“Okay,” he muttered. “That’s disturbing.”
Then both creatures attacked at once.
Axel dove backward, rolling across the pavement just as two sets of claws slashed through the air.
Too fast.
He needed an opening.
Now.
Axel's mind raced. These things were fast, smart, and coordinated.
That meant one thing—they relied on each other.
If he could separate them, he might have a chance.
His gaze flicked to an abandoned bus near the intersection.
Perfect.
Axel sprinted toward the bus, baiting them into pursuit.
One followed. The other didn’t.
Exactly what he wanted.
As soon as the first Hollowborn reached him, Axel grabbed a loose fire extinguisher from the ground and hurled it straight at its face.
BOOM.
The canister exploded into a cloud of white gas, blinding the creature for a moment.
Axel didn’t hesitate.
He lunged forward, plunging his knife straight into its neck.
The Hollowborn let out a shriek, twisting violently—
But Axel held firm, dragging the blade across its throat.
Black ichor sprayed out.
The creature collapsed.
[Enemy Eliminated: Hollowborn]
- XP Gained: 300
Axel barely had time to turn before the second one attacked.
It was faster now.
Angrier.
Axel blocked a claw strike with his Steel Pipe, but the impact sent him skidding across the pavement.
Too strong.
He wouldn’t last much longer at this rate.
Then, the system window flickered.
[System Awakening Detected.]
- Trial nearing completion.
- Host eligible for Class Assignment.
- System Unlock: Skill Evolution Available.
Axel’s heart pounded.
Class Assignment? Skill Evolution?
Finally.
But first—he had to kill this thing.
Axel took a deep breath.
He had one shot.
The Hollowborn lunged.
Axel ducked under its claws, spinning low before driving his Hunting Knife upward—
Straight into its skull.
The creature convulsed violently before finally going still.
[Enemy Eliminated: Hollowborn]
- XP Gained: 300
Axel staggered back, gasping.
The street fell silent.
The mist began to fade.
And then—
[Trial Challenge #2: Complete.]
- Survived Until Dawn.
- Rewards: 500 XP, Skill Evolution, Class Selection.
Axel collapsed to his knees, laughing weakly.
He had done it.
The Infernal Hunt was over.
But deep in his chest, he knew—the real game was just beginning.