The Howling Chasm was a high density B Rank dungeon located deep in the industrial ruins of Sector Four. It was a massive underground canyon system infested with Silverback Lycans towering werewolf type monsters known for their blinding speed and pack hunting tactics.

It was a dungeon that normally required a full ten man raid team to clear safely.

Gle, Isla and Caleb were doing it with three.

"On your left!" Caleb screamed slamming his wooden staff into the cavern floor. "Gravity Well!"

A localized field of crushing gravity erupted near the canyon wall pinning three massive Silverback Lycans to the dirt. The monsters howled in fury their thick silver fur bristling as they fought against the invisible weight.

Isla did not hesitate. She was a blur of motion her black duster snapping in the wind as she fired her runic pistols. Supersonic bullets of absolute zero energy slammed into the pinned Lycans freezing their heads solid before shattering them into bloody ice.

"Reloading!" Isla shouted dropping the empty magazines and slamming fresh ones into the grips.

"I have the vanguard!" Glen roared.

He was covered in blood and sweat his black combat jacket torn in a dozen places. He was pushing his Level 15 body far beyond its natural limits.

A massive Alpha Lycan standing eight feet tall charged directly at him its jaws snapping wildly.

Glen did not retreat. He activated Lightning Movement and Shadow Step in rapid succession. He dissolved into black mist reappearing directly above the charging Alpha. As he fell he channeled his mana into his heavy black longsword activating Savage Strike.

The crimson aura flared around the blade mixing with the crackling blue lightning. Glen brought the massive sword down with devastating force cleaving the Alpha Lycan perfectly in half from skull to spine.

The monster dissolved into gray ash leaving behind a glowing red core.

Glen hit the ground rolling to absorb the impact and immediately sprang back to his feet. His lungs were burning. His muscles were screaming in agony. They had been fighting non stop for six hours.

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Current Level: 18]

Glen swiped the system notifications away without even reading the stat increases. It was not enough. Level 18 was nothing. He needed to be stronger. He needed to be faster.

"Glen!" Isla yelled firing a barrage of ice bullets to cover his flank. "You are overextending! Fall back to the gravity perimeter!"

"I am fine!" Glen shouted ducking under a massive clawed swipe from another Lycan. He pivoted driving his sword through the monster’s ribs.

He ripped the blade out and grabbed the dying monster by the throat. He plunged his bare hand into its chest gripping its fading spiritual core.

[Target Core Acquired: B Rank Silverback Lycan]

[Analyzing Skills...]

[Skill Detected: Bloodlust (C Rank)]

[Skill Detected: Enhanced Regeneration (B Rank)]

[Would you like to use Skill Predator?]

"Yes" Glen commanded his eyes burning with desperate hunger.

The dark fragment in his core flared. The agonizing surge of energy ripped up his arm draining the Lycan of its essence.

[Skill Stolen: Enhanced Regeneration (B Rank)]

[Description: Passively accelerates cellular repair. Minor wounds heal in seconds. Major wounds heal in minutes. Consumes stamina.]

Glen gasped as the new skill integrated into his system. The deep claw marks on his arms instantly stopped bleeding the torn flesh slowly knitting itself back together. It was a massive upgrade for his survivability but the stamina drain hit him like a physical blow. He stumbled dropping to one knee.

"Mcdonald!" Isla shouted blurring across the cavern. She manifested a short sword of absolute zero ice and decapitated the last two Lycans approaching his position.

The cavern finally fell silent.

The floor was littered with glowing red cores and piles of gray ash.

Caleb collapsed onto a nearby boulder panting heavily. "I am completely empty. If another pack shows up I am going to have to start throwing stones at them or skedaddle out of here."

Isla dissolved her ice sword and walked over to Glen offering him a hand.

Glen looked at her hand for a second before taking it and pulling himself up. He leaned heavily on his black sword his chest heaving.

"You are fighting like a suicide bomber Glen" Isla said her green eyes filled with genuine concern. "You are taking unnecessary risks. You cannot just face tank B Rank monsters to steal their skills. If that Alpha had been a fraction of a second faster it would have taken your head off."

"I have to" Glen gritted his teeth looking at his trembling hands. "You saw the news Isla. The Astra Guild is mobilizing. They are putting together a massive strike force to enter the Red Gate." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"And they are going to get slaughtered" Caleb said wiping sweat from his forehead. "We know that. The Wanderer is setting a trap."

"Exactly" Glen said his dark eyes locking onto Isla. "The Wanderer is going to consume fifty of the strongest Hunters in the city. He is going to absorb their classes their mana and their memories. If we do not get stronger right now by the time that monster walks out of the Red Gate there will be nothing left on Earth that can stop it just like it said back in the Sunken Necropolis."

Isla looked at the piles of monster cores scattered across the cavern. She knew Glen was right. The clock was ticking and the city was walking blindly into a massacre.

"Alright" Isla said her voice hardening with resolve. "Take five minutes to catch your breath. You got a new skill didn’t you?"

"Yeah Enhanced Regeneration, but it drains my stamina reserves."

" That is good and bad, well take take ten minutes instead to regain your stamina. Then we move to the lower levels. We have to clear this entire dungeon before midnight."

Glen nodded gripping his heavy sword. The dread was suffocating but he refused to let it paralyze him. He was going to rip every ounce of power he could from this dungeon. He was going to be ready.

...

The public challenge issued by the Astra Guild sent shockwaves through the entire Mega City.

For the first time in a decade the citizens of Johannesburg were not talking about the corporate wars or the ridiculous price of monster cores. They were talking about survival. The media played Viktor Rostova’s speech on a continuous loop praising the Astra Guild for their bravery while openly questioning the cowardice of the Valor Guild.

Inside the Valor Guild headquarters the atmosphere was toxic.

Elias Vance the S Rank Guild Master sat at the head of a massive obsidian table. He was a mountain of a man with thick scars crisscrossing his face and a heavy battle axe resting against his chair. He did not look angry. He looked murderous.

"They backed us into a corner" a senior Valor executive said sweating profusely under Elias’s glare. "If we do not commit our S Rank Hunters to this joint expedition the public backlash will destroy our stock prices. The Association might even revoke our sector privileges."

"Viktor Rostova is a snake" Elias rumbled his deep voice vibrating the glass of water on the table. "He is using the death of his daughter’s team to score political points. He knows I do not want to send my best men into a Red Gate blind."

"But we have to respond Guild Master" another executive pleaded. "The Ghost of Valor has already killed twenty of our men. If we let Astra take the lead and they actually manage to kill the entity they will take complete control of the city."

Elias leaned back in his chair his scarred fingers drumming against the armrest.

He was an S Rank Berserker. He had survived thirty years in the Towers by trusting his instincts. And right now his instincts were screaming that this was a trap. A B Rank dungeon did not just spontaneously mutate into an S Rank Red Gate. Monsters did not wear human faces and infiltrate guild compounds.

This was something ancient. Something that did not play by the rules of the Awakening system,and he had a suspicion that his friends at Eden knew what the Ghost Of Valor truly was.

"Fine" Elias finally said his voice cold and hard. "We will join their little crusade. Draft fifty of our best A Rank Hunters. Pull them from every active dungeon in the city. I want our S Rank vanguard leading the charge."

"Yes Guild Master" the executives nodded frantically typing on their digital clipboards.

"But hear me clearly" Elias added his eyes narrowing. "We do not trust Astra. When those doors open we let their mages take the vanguard. If this Ghost of Valor is as dangerous as the reports say I want Viktor’s people taking the first hits."

...

Across the city in the luxurious penthouse of the Astra Guild estates The Wanderer watched the news broadcast confirming Valor’s participation.

He was sitting on a velvet couch wearing Elena Rostova’s silk pajamas. He held a glass of synthetic wine swirling the blue liquid slowly.

"Fifty from Astra. Fifty from Valor" The Wanderer whispered using Elena’s soft melodic voice. "One hundred elite vessels. A feast fit for a king."

He took a sip of the wine his empty silver eyes reflecting the neon lights of the city below. The humans were so predictable. Their pride their politics their desperate need to maintain control it made them blind to the abyss opening right beneath their feet.

The Wanderer closed his eyes feeling the connection to his nest. Deep underground inside the sealed Red Gate of the Sunken Necropolis his army of ash fiends was multiplying. The dark mana was saturating the stone turning the ruins into a perfect domain of death.

He just needed to wait a little longer. Let the humans gather their armies. Let them polish their armor and sharpen their swords.

When the gate finally opened he would show them what true despair looked like.