Kieran Voss stood at the entrance of the dungeon, a faint unease visible on his face. As his teammates moved ahead, he tried to suppress the anxiety bubbling within him. This was his tenth dungeon expedition, yet he had never truly felt useful. As an F-rank hunter, his abilities were nearly nonexistent. Most of the time, he played a support role, but even that seemed like a burden to his teammates.

  "Hey Kieran! Don't fall behind!" called out Nathan, the team leader. As always, there was a hint of condescension in his voice.

  Gritting his teeth, Kieran quickened his pace. This dungeon was different from the others. It wasn’t even registered in the Hunter Association’s records. But the potential reward was too great, so the team had decided to take the risk.

  The dungeon's interior was dark and eerie. Strange symbols covered the walls, and the air was thick with dampness. As they ventured deeper, the darkness grew denser, and an unsettling cold seeped into their bones.

  "I have a bad feeling about this place," muttered Lila, the team's mage, glancing around nervously.

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  "What, are you scared?" laughed Roland, the warrior. "It's just like any other dungeon. Just a little... gloomier."

  But Kieran had learned to trust his instincts. Something was wrong here.

  Suddenly, something dropped from the ceiling. A massive shadow surrounded the team. Glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness as a monstrous entity emerged.

  "What the hell is that?!" shouted Nathan, drawing his sword.

  The system’s danger warning echoed:

  [Warning! SS-Rank Boss Monster Detected: Shadow God.]

  The team panicked and engaged in battle, but Kieran stayed back. Fear and helplessness paralyzed him. This thing was far beyond their level. They didn’t even have a chance to escape.

  With a single strike, the creature sent Roland flying and effortlessly deflected Nathan’s sword. Lila tried to cast a spell, but before she could, the monster engulfed her in shadows.

  Kieran’s eyes widened. His teammates were falling one by one. And he... he was doing nothing.

  Then, the shadows wrapped around him as well. Whispers slithered into his mind.

  [Do you not want to die?]

  An unknown voice echoed in his ears. Kieran’s heart pounded wildly. He was drowning in fear, yet his will to survive burned fiercely.

  "Yes!" he shouted inwardly.

  [Then accept my power. Are you ready to pay the price?]

  There was no alternative. He didn’t want to die. Clenching his teeth, Kieran responded, "I'm ready!"

  At that moment, the world turned black.

  And Kieran Voss made a pact with the shadows.