Chapter 2: Chapter 2
The rusted greatsword descended like a falling guillotine.
Glen did not scream. His mind operating on years of ingrained survival instincts calculated the trajectory of the massive blade in a fraction of a second. He unclasped the heavy buckles of his porter backpack and let the fifty pounds of monster cores drop to the stone floor. Freed from the crushing weight he threw his body backward diving into the damp dirt just as the massive iron weapon slammed into the ground where he had been standing.
The impact shattered the stone floor sending razor sharp fragments of rock flying through the air. One piece sliced across Glen’s cheek drawing a thin line of warm blood but he ignored the sting. He scrambled to his feet his eyes locked on the Blood Iron Hobgoblin.
The monster ripped its sword from the crater and turned its burning red eyes toward him. It let out a guttural roar that vibrated deep in Glen’s chest. It was preparing to swing again and this time Glen knew he could not dodge. His F Rank physical stats were simply too low. His legs felt like lead. He was going to die in this dark damp cavern and his mother was going to die in a hospital bed because he could not pay her bills.
A sudden crackle of electricity split the heavy air.
The smell of ozone flooded the cavern overpowering the stench of monster blood and damp earth. A blinding flash of blue light illuminated the dark stone walls. Before the Hobgoblin could bring its weapon down a figure materialized out of thin air standing directly between Glen and the towering monster.
It was an A Rank Hunter. He wore sleek silver armor adorned with the crest of the local guild branch. Sparks of raw blue lightning danced across his shoulders and down the length of his twin short swords. He had been patrolling the upper levels of the dungeon when the mana fracture occurred and had rushed down to find the source of the anomaly.
"Get back kid" the Hunter shouted his voice echoing with absolute authority. "This is a C Rank mutation. You do not belong here."
Glen did not need to be told twice. He scrambled backward pressing his back against the cold cavern wall. He watched with wide eyes as the A Rank Hunter engaged the monster. This was a level of combat Glen had only ever seen on television broadcasts.
"Lightning Movement" the Hunter commanded.
His body dissolved into a blur of blue electricity. He darted around the massive Hobgoblin striking its thick iron armor with blinding speed. Sparks flew as the twin swords carved deep glowing trenches into the monster’s plating. The sheer speed and power of the A Rank skill were breathtaking. Glen watched the flow of mana passively analyzing it with his Mimic class. He could feel the shape of the skill in his mind but it was hollow empty and useless just like always.
The Hunter was incredibly fast but the Blood Iron Hobgoblin was a creature born from a dungeon mutation. It did not feel pain. It only felt pure unadulterated rage.
As the Hunter darted in for another strike aiming for the joints in the armor the Hobgoblin suddenly stopped trying to track his movements. Instead it gripped its massive greatsword with both hands planted its feet firmly into the stone and let out a deafening roar. A thick aura of crimson mana erupted from the monster’s body coating its weapon in a terrifying blood red light.
"Savage Strike" the system prompt flashed above the monster’s head.
The Hobgoblin swung its sword in a massive horizontal arc. It did not aim for the Hunter directly. It aimed for the space the Hunter was moving into predicting his trajectory with terrifying combat instinct. The sheer force of the swing created a shockwave of compressed air that ripped through the cavern tearing the glowing blue moss from the walls.
The A Rank Hunter realized his mistake a fraction of a second too late. He tried to alter his trajectory but the crimson shockwave slammed into his chest. The sound of shattering ribs echoed through the cavern like a gunshot. The Hunter was thrown backward like a broken doll crashing into the stone wall just a few feet away from Glen.
The sleek silver armor was completely crushed caved inward by the sheer kinetic force. The Hunter coughed up a massive amount of dark blood his twin swords clattering uselessly to the floor. The brilliant blue lightning faded from his body leaving only the dim crimson glow of the mutated cavern.
The Hobgoblin slowly dragged its greatsword across the floor turning its massive armored head toward the two humans.
Glen looked at the dying man. The Hunter reached out a trembling hand his fingers slick with his own blood. "Run" the man choked out his eyes glazing over as his life force faded. "Run kid."
Glen turned to sprint toward the dark tunnel behind him. He pushed his F Rank legs as hard as they could go desperate to escape the death zone. He just needed to reach the upper levels. He just needed to survive.
But the Hobgoblin was not going to let its prey escape. The monster raised its massive iron plated foot and stomped it into the ground sending a violent tremor through the cavern.
The shockwave hit the unstable ceiling above the tunnel entrance. Massive boulders collapsed in a deafening roar completely sealing the only exit. The blast of displaced air and falling rock caught Glen mid stride throwing him violently backward. He crashed hard against the jagged cavern wall the breath knocked completely out of his lungs. He slid down the stone landing in a crumpled heap right next to the dying A Rank Hunter.
Glen gasped for air his vision swimming with dark spots. The tunnel was gone. A wall of solid rock now blocked his path. The heavy footsteps of the Hobgoblin echoed closer and closer shaking the ground with every step. There was nowhere left to run.
Desperate to stand Glen blindly reached out his hand to push himself up off the floor. His bare palm slipped on the wet stone and slammed flat into the warm pooling blood of the fallen A Rank Hunter.
He was just trying to stand. He did not activate his class. He did not expect anything to happen.
But the world stopped.
The dull gray light of his spiritual Core located deep within his chest suddenly violently contracted. It felt like a black hole had opened inside his ribs pulling all the ambient mana in the room toward him. The gray mana shattered replaced by a terrifying consuming darkness.
A holographic system screen materialized in front of his eyes. It was not the standard blue interface. It was pitch black with text written in burning crimson.
System Error.
Anomaly Detected in User Core.
Class Restriction Bypassed.
Hidden Condition Met: Direct Contact with High Tier Blood.
F Rank Mimic is evolving.
Glen gasped as a surge of agonizing heat flooded his veins. It was not the gentle warmth of an awakening. It felt like his DNA was being ripped apart and stitched back together by a violent unseen force. His muscles spasmed his vision flashing white.
Class Evolution Complete.
Unique Class Unlocked: Skill Predator.
Core Capacity: 1 of 3 Slots Filled.
Skill Acquired: Lightning Movement A Rank.
Status: Permanent.
The pain vanished replaced by an intoxicating overwhelming rush of pure power. Glen looked down at his hand still resting in the Hunter’s blood. Sparks of blue electricity crackled across his fingertips. It was not a weak imitation. It was not a temporary copy. It was the real thing. It was his.
The Blood Iron Hobgoblin loomed over him raising its greatsword for the execution strike. The crimson aura flared around the blade ready to cleave Glen in half.
Glen looked up. The fear that had gripped him his entire life the quiet suppression he had used to survive the slums it all evaporated in a single heartbeat. A cold dark smirk spread across his face.
The massive blade came crashing down.
"Lightning Movement" Glen whispered.
His body dissolved into a flash of blue electricity. The greatsword slammed into the empty stone floor shattering the rock where Glen had been kneeling a millisecond before. Dust and debris exploded outward.
Glen reappeared twenty feet away standing perfectly still. The blue lightning danced across his cheap leather armor illuminating the dark cavern. He felt lighter faster more alive than he had ever felt in his entire eighteen years of existence. The world seemed to move in slow motion.
But his analytical mind was already working. Lightning Movement gave him incredible speed and evasion but he had no weapon. He had no offensive power to pierce the monster’s thick iron armor. If he just ran around dodging eventually his mana would run out and the monster would crush him.
He needed a weapon. He needed a strike.
He looked at the crater the Hobgoblin had created earlier when fighting the A Rank Hunter. The Hunter’s twin swords had carved deep trenches into the monster’s armor drawing thick black monster blood that now stained the jagged edge of the crater.
Glen understood the rules of his new class now. He needed blood. He needed contact.
The Hobgoblin roared in confusion spinning around to face the boy who was suddenly moving like an elite Hunter. It raised its sword channeling its crimson mana for another devastating attack.
Glen vanished in another flash of blue lightning. He reappeared directly beside the crater sliding under the monster’s massive guard. He intentionally slammed his bare hand into the monster’s spilled black blood.
His dark Core pulsed with violent hunger.
Skill Acquired: Savage Strike C Rank.
Status: Permanent.
Core Capacity: 2 of 3 Slots Filled.
A dark crimson aura flared around Glen’s right arm mixing with the crackling blue lightning. He stood up facing the towering mutated boss. He had speed, and now he had the ability to strike.
But as he looked at the massive iron plated monster he realized a terrifying truth. Having the skills was not enough. His base stats were still too low. The fight was far from over.
