Thalen awoke to the persistent beep of a heart monitor and the scent of antiseptic. His whole body felt like it had been chewed up and spit out by a war god with indigestion.
Pain pulsed through every muscle, every joint, and even his eyelashes seemed to ache.
His eyes fluttered open to a cracked ceiling tile above him and flickering fluorescent lights. He was in a hospital—or at least, something that passed for one in the underfunded hunter districts. IV tubes snaked into his arm, and his torso was wrapped tightly in bandages.
"Well, look who decided to live," muttered a familiar voice.
He turned his head—too fast—and groaned as the pain shot through his neck.
A nurse stood in the doorway, arms crossed, expression somewhere between annoyed and impressed. "You're lucky. Most E-ranks don't leave a dungeon in more than one piece. Especially not after being body-checked by a dungeon boss."
Thalen blinked. "I made it out?"
"Barely. The auto-exit spell on your bracelet activated just as you were flying through the gate. Whoever enchanted that thing deserves a medal—or a raise. You should be dead."
Thalen groaned, shifting slightly. "The others?"
The nurse's smirk dropped.
"No official reports yet. But no one else came out. Just you. And…" She hesitated, then pointed to the corner of the room.
Thalen turned his head.
There it was. A small tray. And on it—a severed, armored finger with a storage ring still attached, sealed inside a containment ward.
Thalen exhaled. "Oh. Right."
[Hidden quest completed]
[The quest granter skill upgraded to rank C]
[New skill unlocked: Stealth Master (Rank C)]
[New skill unlocked: Eye of Desire]
As if summoned by the thought, a soft chime echoed in his mind, followed by a cool whisper of information.
[Skill: Stealth Master — Rank C]
You move like a shadow and blend with your surroundings. C-rank threats have a 60% reduced chance to detect you while not attacking.
[Skill: Eye of Desire]
Allows you to sense the desires and hidden motives of others.
( Passive)May reveal rare loot within dungeons
Thalen's heart thumped. This wasn't just some glitch or fever dream. He had leveled up—for real. A quest system. A real skill system.
He grinned, teeth clenched from pain. Finally, he thought. Something's going right.
Then the door burst open.
A man in a sleek black suit stepped in, flanked by two heavily armed guards. The guild emblem shone on his chest.
"Thalen Gray?" the man asked coldly. "Guild Investigator Rane. We need to ask you a few questions. Starting with what exactly happened to C-rank hunter Leo Vann."
Thalen swallowed. Right. Consequences.
He sat up slowly, grimacing as the wounds screamed
Rane didn't sit. "C-rank hunter Leo Vann. Last seen alive near you. And now… he's not
Thalen's ribs ached with every breath as he sat in the stiff hospital bed. Guild Investigator Rane stood just inside the door, arms crossed, expression unreadable. Two silent guards flanked him like statues with pulse rifles.
"The official report says you were ejected from the dungeon," Rane said, tapping at his datapad. "Explain."
Thalen didn't look at him. His eyes were fixed on the sealed containment ward to his right, the severed armored finger resting within like a cursed relic.
"I didn't escape," he said. "The monster—centipede thing—hit me. Hard. I was sprinting toward the gate, and it slammed me in the back like a freight train. The next thing I remember, I was airborne. I landed just past the threshold. Crashed into the wall."
"Then what?"
"I blacked out."
Rane nodded slowly. "The gate maintenance workers found you. One of them swears you cleared the gate by inches. They dragged you clear just before it collapsed behind you."
Thalen didn't speak. The ache in his body was matched only by the memory of that impact—the monster's tail, that last glimpse of crimson light, the weightless moment between death and survival.
He had literally been knocked out of the dungeon. If it weren't for the gate workers outside, he'd have bled out on the tiles.
Rane shifted his stance. "And the rest of the team?"
Thalen's jaw tightened. "Gone. Chadric got swallowed. Bianca… I don't even know what happened to her. The twins missed every shot. Leo tried to hold the line, but he got slammed across the room. When I saw him again—he wasn't moving."
"And the finger?" Rane asked, glancing at the sealed ward.
Thalen took a breath. "I thought he was already dead. I figured if I made it out, the ring might be worth something. I panicked. It was survival instinct, not theft."
Rane's gaze lingered a moment too long.
But then he nodded. "No system anomaly. No registered spell use. No visible skill activation on your log."
Thalen said nothing.
[System Concealment Protocol: ACTIVE]
Private quests and hidden evolutions are masked from external detection.
He wanted to laugh. His system was hiding him better than a dozen lawyers could.
"So here's where we stand," Rane said, voice brisk now. "The Guild won't pursue charges. We're classifying this as a 'lucky escape under exceptional trauma.' However, you're now under watch. Your equipment will be scanned before and after every dungeon run. And if you so much as sneeze suspiciously, we'll know."
Thalen gave a tired smile. "I'll bring tissues."
Rane didn't laugh. He turned on his heel and exited with his guards close behind.
As the door began to hiss shut behind Rane, Thalen's voice stopped him.
"Wait."
Rane turned, eyes cold and sharp. "What now?"
Thalen nodded toward the containment tray. "The finger… can I keep the ring?"
Rane's gaze sharpened. "You want to keep a severed finger?"
"Not the finger," Thalen winced. "The ring. It's basically a dungeon Mary Poppins bag. Leo might've stashed emergency supplies or a map in there. Could be useful."
Rane's lips twitched, but his tone stayed icy. "We'll scan it. If it's clean and free of contraband, you get it back. Under strict supervision. You open it in front of us. No solo adventures with it."
Thalen smirked. "Got it. No solo adventures."
Rane nodded curtly. "Good. And if you so much as try something funny—"
"—I'll lose the ring and maybe my limbs. Loud and clear."
Rane turned sharply and stalked out, leaving Thalen staring at the tray.
"Well, Leo," Thalen muttered, "looks like you're my new weird souvenir. Great company."
.....