Rising Of The F-Class Hero

After exiting the tower, I made my way toward the newly established Hero Association.

The streets were eerily quiet, with only a few survivors wandering around. Most people either hid in shelters or spent their time in the towers, desperately trying to level up. I wasn't like them, but I still had to check in.

The Hero Association was nothing grand. It was just a reinforced building surrounded by guards in scavenged armor. The so-called 'heroes' inside were just people trying to survive, like me. I stepped inside, the familiar scent of old paper and damp air filling my nose.

A receptionist glanced up at me from behind a worn-out desk. "Back again?" she asked, barely looking interested.

I placed my Hero ID on the counter. "Potential evaluation test results."

She tapped on her screen, waiting for my data to process. A few seconds later, she raised an eyebrow. "F-Class, huh?"

I shrugged. "Not surprising."

She sighed, handing my ID back. "Well, you're officially registered now. Good luck out there. You'll need it."

I didn't bother responding. Instead, I turned on my heel and left. I had no time to waste.

I needed money.

My sister was about to start high school, and I was responsible for paying her fees. We had been running low on funds, and my last chance at making some quick cash had been interrupted by that damn Abyss Hound.

The goblins I had killed earlier still had valuable parts, if their bodies were intact. There was no guarantee they hadn't been eaten, but I had to try. Even a few recovered materials would help.

I hurried back to the Abyss Tower. A massive structure loomed before me, so large its peak vanished into the sky. Its width rivaled the Great Wall of China, an imposing monument to the end of the world. Guards stood at the entrance, watching the steady flow of challengers come and go.

As I approached, one of them recognized me. "Huh? You just left an hour ago. What, changed your mind already?"

I clicked my tongue. "Had some unfinished business."

The guard chuckled but waved me through. I flashed my Hero ID, and the gate opened. Without hesitation, I stepped inside, feeling the familiar pull of the System's magic wrap around me.

Darkness. Then, light.

I was back.

The cold, stale air of the tower greeted me as I made my way through the ruined corridors. The place was eerily silent. No sign of the Abyss Hound. Either it had wandered off or found something else to hunt. Either way, I wasn't complaining.

Reaching the site of my earlier battle, I scanned the area. The goblin corpses were still there, untouched.

Lucky.

Without wasting time, I pulled out my knife and got to work. Goblin fangs, claws, and hides could fetch a decent price if sold to the right people. I didn't have the strength to hunt stronger monsters, so I had to make the most of what I could kill.

As I worked, my mind drifted back to my sister. She deserved a normal life, but that wasn't possible in this world. The best I could do was make sure she had enough to get by. And for that, I needed to keep going.

Suddenly, the air around me rippled. A strange sensation washed over me, like the fabric of reality itself had shifted. My breath caught in my throat as an unseen force pressed against my skin.

Then, out of nowhere, a man fell before me.

He hit the ground hard, his body limp, as if he had been dropped from nowhere. Dust and debris scattered upon impact. My instincts screamed at me to move, but I stood frozen, gripping my knife.

Who the hell was this?

His clothes were strange, nothing like the armor or rags most people wore. He didn't have a weapon, nor did he seem injured. But something about him felt… off. Like he didn't belong here.

Suddenly, his fingers twitched. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and hazy. Then, with a weak, trembling voice, he spoke.

"Please... s-someone... you..." The man's voice was weak, barely a whisper, his breath ragged and uneven. Blood dripped from his trembling lips as his fading eyes locked onto mine, desperation burning within them.

"I... I hereby give you... all my powers... everything..." His body convulsed, fingers twitching as he struggled to hold on, to finish his plea. A choking gasp escaped him, his strength failing.

"Please... save her..."

With those final, broken words, his body went still.

Before I could even react, a familiar chime echoed in my head.

[System Alert: New Request Received]

A translucent screen appeared before me.

[Request: UNKNOWN]

[You have been granted a unique opportunity. Accept?]

[YES] [NO]

I hesitated. This was the first time I had ever seen something like this. A completely unknown request. My finger hovered over the "YES" button, unsure if this was a trap or an opportunity. But in the end, I clicked it.

[ERROR. Unknown variable detected.]

My stomach twisted.

[World transferring...]

A new message appeared, the text flashing in ominous red.

[Teleporting to the assigned request location.]

The world around me blurred, and a violent force yanked me off my feet. My vision distorted, colors blending into a vortex of light and shadow.

[WARNING: You are not strong enough for the request.]

Then, two new quests appeared before my eyes.

[Quest: Get Stronger.]

[Quest: Defeat the DemonBorn.]

Before I could even process what was happening, the tower vanished, and I was somewhere else entirely.

The System had transported me to another world, the world of the dying man. A world that had already been conquered by the demons of the Abyss Towers.

That's when the nightmare truly began.

A deafening roar shook the air, making my entire body freeze for a moment. Then I heard it, the sound of something massive moving in the distance. I turned my head and saw it.

A shadow. A monster. A nightmare.

Glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness. The ground cracked beneath its enormous claws. Its body was covered in dark, shifting armor, and its presence alone sent shivers down my spine.

The Demonborn had found me.

And now, I was running for my life.

"Why me?!" I shouted, dodging past broken walls and barely avoiding getting crushed by falling debris. "I'm an F-Class! What the hell am I supposed to do against that?!"

The monster didn't care. It let out another roar and lunged forward, closing the distance between us in an instant. My instincts screamed at me.

Move! Move!

I barely managed to throw myself to the side as a massive claw slammed into the ground where I had been a second ago. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, throwing chunks of stone and dirt in every direction. My ears rang from the sound.

This wasn't a fight. This was a slaughter.

I scrambled to my feet and ran even faster, pushing my body past its limits. My legs burned. My lungs ached. But I refused to stop.

I didn't know where I was going. I didn't have a plan. All I knew was that if I stopped running, I was dead.

And just like that, my life changed forever.