[Great Skill Acquired: SHADOW PHASE]

• User can become invisible at will.

• Sense and presence drastically reduced.

Raito's eyes widened, breath catching in his throat. "Whoa… that's really useful."

But the system wasn't finished. A new window unfurled, stamped with the dark crest of Greed.

[Greed Analysis: This skill allows the user to absorb, copy, or transform defeated abilities into weapons or artifacts. Each acquisition comes with a cost.]

His grip tightened on the dagger. "So… Greed can even turn an enemy's power into mine." A grin tugged at the corner of his lips, but it faltered just as quickly. He remembered the earlier moment—the surge of uncontrollable hunger, the way his body had nearly turned against him.

A cold sweat traced down his spine. "But that cost… when I almost went berserk…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "If I lose myself to Greed, even once… I may never come back."

The thought terrified him. Yet underneath, excitement burned bright.

"Shadow Phase, stat boosts, mastery increases… This is incredible. Dangerous, yeah…" His smirk returned, sharper this time. "…but incredible."

The glow of the system finally faded, leaving him alone in the silence of the dungeon. Yet it no longer felt empty—every shadow seemed to watch, and every silence seemed to whisper.

Raito wiped the last trace of black ichor from his dagger, exhaling slowly. "Not bad… I actually earned some good skills this time."

He tightened his grip on the glowing blade. "Moving forward, then. No stopping now."

The dungeon shifted around him, bathed in a strange blue glow that rippled along the stone walls. He stepped carefully, senses sharp. His eyes narrowed when he noticed movement ahead.

"…A goblin?"

The small, green creature shivered in the azure light, its beady eyes fixed on him. Raito tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "This is going to be fun."

But the moment he advanced, more goblins appeared—half a dozen of them, pressed flat against the dungeon walls. None dared to move. They didn't attack, didn't growl, didn't even breathe too loudly. Their crude weapons clattered from trembling fingers.

Raito slowed, confusion flickering in his gaze. "Wait… are they scared of me already? Or… something else?"

One goblin's eyes rolled back, its body sliding down to the floor as if paralyzed by terror. The others held their ground, but their fear was obvious.

"Strange," Raito muttered, pulling another dagger from his inventory box. He stepped closer, daggers ready. "What the hell are you so afraid of—"

Then he stopped.

A shadow moved. The air trembled.

Something huge shifted in the depths of the dungeon.

Raito's eyes widened as the blue light spilled across a massive silhouette—its chest broad enough to resemble a wall, its arms thick like tree trunks. The ground shook with each slow step, and in one hand it carried a cleaver so large it scraped the floor with a metallic shriek.

The goblins' fear suddenly made sense.

"…You've got to be kidding me," Raito whispered, daggers raised.

The creature stepped fully into the light.

A Hobgoblin Lord.

Raito's eyes narrowed. Wait a second… goblins?

He frowned, scanning the trembling creatures clinging to the dungeon walls. That doesn't make sense. Goblins are supposed to be on the first floor… not down here.

The thought hit him like a spark. Unless…

His gaze shifted toward the massive shadow rising behind them. The goblins weren't looking at him—they were looking past him, frozen in pure terror.

"Of course," Raito muttered, his grip tightening on his daggers. "They've got a commander."

The regular goblins quivered, pressing their backs to the stone as though their lord's presence alone could crush them. Raito recalled something he had once read—goblins feed on their own kind when they're starving. And Hobgoblins… they're apex predators. Strong enough to rule, cruel enough to devour.

A deep hum filled the air. The dungeon walls pulsed with an eerie blue glow, like veins of light running through living stone. The chamber itself seemed to breathe—slow, heavy, deliberate. Every exhale rattled the torches. The glow caught Raito's daggers, painting his face in cold blue light.

And then the figure rose in full.

Its form was monstrous—shoulders broad enough to block the corridor, fangs jutting from a snarling mouth, muscles shifting like coiled ropes beneath skin the color of stormclouds. Steam hissed from its nostrils as it breathed. Each step cracked the stone beneath its feet.

For a heartbeat, Raito forgot to breathe. The sheer pressure of its presence pressed down like a physical weight.

"A Hobgoblin Lord," he murmured, crimson eyes narrowing. "Nine feet tall, built like a fortress… no wonder the goblins cower."

Indeed, the smaller goblins pressed themselves tighter against the glowing walls, trembling, refusing to move. Their wide eyes weren't on Raito—but on the beast itself. They feared their master more than death.

The Hobgoblin Lord raised its massive wooden club. The weapon looked like a tree trunk stripped bare, scarred with age and kills.

The ground shook with every step it took forward. Thud. Thud. Thud. Each impact echoed through the chamber like a drumbeat of dread.

With a guttural roar, it swung the club downward in a crushing arc.

Raito leapt back just in time—the impact rattled the chamber, dust falling from the ceiling. Cracks spidered across the glowing wall where the club struck.

Raito smirked, rolling his shoulders as if to loosen them. "Big guy, is that all you've got? Don't get me wrong, you're strong. But you're slow. And worse—predictable. Even goblins fight smarter sometimes."

The Hobgoblin bellowed in rage, lifting its club again. This time, it swung sideways, a sweeping strike meant to flatten Raito entirely.

But Raito dashed forward instead of back. His body blurred with speed as he jumped high, the club whooshing past beneath him. His glowing dagger arced down, slicing clean through the Hobgoblin's thick wrist.

Blood sprayed.

The massive green hand hit the floor with a dull, meaty thud—still clutching the club.

Raito landed lightly, eyes gleaming red in the dungeon glow. "Let's see how long you last without that hand."

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