The Choice

The world changed ten years ago, when the first dungeon appeared in Seoul, South Korea.

It was a massive gate that opened in the middle of the city, unleashing hordes of monsters that slaughtered thousands of people. The military and the police were powerless to stop them, and the world watched in horror as the city was turned into a bloodbath.

But then, something miraculous happened.

A group of ordinary people, who had been hiding in a nearby building, suddenly felt a surge of power within them. They felt their bodies and minds transform, granting them supernatural abilities and skills. They felt a new sense of purpose and courage, as they realized they were chosen by fate to fight against the monsters.

They were the first hunters.

They emerged from their hiding place, and charged into the battlefield. They used their newfound powers to slay the monsters, and pushed them back into the dungeon. They reached the gate, and entered it without hesitation. They fought their way through the dungeon, until they reached the final boss: a giant dragon that spewed fire and death.

They fought bravely, but they were outnumbered and outmatched. They suffered heavy casualties, and only a few of them survived. But they managed to kill the dragon, and complete the dungeon. They returned to the real world, covered in blood and glory.

They were hailed as heroes, and received fame and fortune. They also received a message from a mysterious entity, who called itself the System. It congratulated them for clearing the dungeon, and rewarded them with items and experience points. It also told them that they could level up their powers by completing more dungeons, and that there were many more dungeons waiting for them around the world.

The System also warned them that they were not the only ones who had awakened as hunters. There were others like them, who had different abilities and motivations. Some of them were allies, who wanted to cooperate and protect humanity. Some of them were enemies, who wanted to compete and dominate others. And some of them were neutral, who wanted to live their own lives.

The System also told them that they had a choice: to accept their destiny as hunters, or to reject it and return to their normal lives. But it also told them that once they made their choice, there was no going back.

The first hunters chose to accept their destiny.

They formed guilds and associations, and dedicated themselves to exploring dungeons and fighting monsters. They became celebrities and leaders, and influenced the world with their actions. They also faced challenges and dangers, from both inside and outside the dungeons. They made friends and enemies, allies and rivals. They lived thrilling and adventurous lives.

They became legends.

But not everyone was happy with their choice.

Some people envied them, and hated them for their power and privilege. Some people feared them, and distrusted them for their unpredictability and violence. Some people exploited them, and used them for their own agendas and benefits.

And some people ignored them, and tried to live their normal lives as if nothing had changed.

Ichiro was one of those people.

He didn't care about hunters or dungeons or monsters. He only cared about one thing: his sister Yui.

He loved her more than anything in the world, and he would do anything for her.

He promised his parents that he would protect her, before they died in a car accident when he was six years old.

He promised himself that he would protect her, when he became an orphan and had to take care of her by himself.

He promised her that he would protect her, when he enrolled in a prestigious highschool on a scholarship and hoped to give her a better future.

He kept his promise, until today.

Today was the day when everything went wrong.

Today was the day when he broke his promise.

Today was the day when he ran for his life with his sister in his arms, chased by a pack of wolves that wanted to kill them both.

***

"Run faster!"

"I'm trying!"

Ichiro sprinted through the streets of Tokyo, dodging cars and people as he carried his sister on his back. He could hear the howls of the wolves behind him, getting closer and closer with every second.

He cursed under his breath as he looked around for an escape route. He had been on his way home from school with Yui when he saw a crowd of people gathered around a large gate that had appeared out of nowhere in front of a shopping mall. He recognized it as a dungeon gate, one of those things that hunters entered to fight monsters.

He didn't pay much attention to it at first. He had seen many dungeon gates before in other cities around the world. He knew they were dangerous places that only hunters could enter safely. He also knew they were none of his business. He was not a hunter, and he had no interest in becoming one. He had his own problems to deal with, like paying the rent and buying food for him and his sister.

He was about to walk away from the gate, when he heard a loud roar coming from inside it. He turned around, and saw a huge wolf emerge from the gate, followed by several smaller ones. They had red eyes and black fur, and they looked vicious and hungry.

They also looked angry.

They looked at the crowd of people, and snarled. They looked at Ichiro and Yui, and growled.

They looked like they wanted to kill them all.

Ichiro didn't waste any time. He grabbed his sister, who was holding a drawing she had made for him at school, and ran. He ran as fast as he could, hoping to find a safe place to hide.

But the wolves were faster.

They chased after him, ignoring the other people who screamed and ran away from them. They focused on Ichiro and Yui, as if they had a grudge against them. They bit and clawed at anyone who got in their way, leaving a trail of blood and corpses behind them.

They were not normal wolves.

They were monsters.

Ichiro didn't know why they were after him and his sister. He didn't know why they had escaped from the dungeon. He didn't know why there were no hunters around to stop them.

He only knew one thing: he had to protect his sister.

He ran for what seemed like an eternity, but he knew he couldn't keep it up forever. He was getting tired, and his legs were hurting. He could feel his sister's weight on his back, and her breath on his neck. He could hear her voice in his ear, whispering words of encouragement and love.

He loved her so much.

He wished he could stop running, and hug her tightly. He wished he could tell her everything was going to be okay, and that they would make it out alive. He wished he could keep his promise to her, and to himself.

But he couldn't.

He knew it was hopeless.

He knew they were doomed.

He knew they were going to die.

He reached a dead end, a narrow alley with no exit. He stopped running, and turned around. He saw the wolves blocking the entrance of the alley, baring their teeth and drooling. They looked at him and his sister with malice and hunger.

They looked like they wanted to tear them apart.

Ichiro felt a surge of fear and despair in his chest. He hugged his sister closer to him, and felt her trembling in his arms. He looked into her eyes, and saw tears streaming down her face. He smiled weakly at her, and tried to sound calm.

"Yui... I'm sorry."

She shook her head, and sobbed.

"No... don't say that... please..."

He kissed her forehead, and whispered in her ear.

"I love you."

She hugged him back, and whispered back.

"I love you too."

They closed their eyes, and waited for the end.

But then, something miraculous happened.

A voice rang in their ears, clear and gentle.

"Hello."

They opened their eyes, and saw a white sheep standing in front of them. It had pale fur and lamb's legs and feet. It wore a dark mask that covered half of its face. It carried a bow on its back, which glowed with a soft light.

It was Lamb, the peaceful aspect of death.

It looked at them with curiosity and kindness.

"Do you want to die?"

Ichiro blinked in confusion. He didn't understand what was going on. He didn't understand who or what this creature was. He didn't understand why it was asking him such a question.

He only understood one thing: it was not a wolf.

It was not an enemy.

It was a friend.

He nodded slowly, hoping for a miracle.

"Yes."

Lamb smiled gently at him, and nodded back.

"Okay."

It raised its bow, and aimed an arrow at his chest.

It pulled the string, and released it.

The arrow flew towards him, faster than the eye could see.

It pierced his heart, without any pain or resistance.

It granted him a swift release from the mortal realm.

It killed him instantly.

Yui screamed in horror as she saw her brother fall to the ground, lifeless. She reached out to him, but felt another hand grab her shoulder. She turned around, and saw another creature standing behind her. It was a black wolf, bigger than any she had ever seen. It had red eyes and black fur, and it looked vicious and hungry.

It was Wolf, the violent aspect of death.

It looked at her with malice and hunger.

"Do you want to live?"

Yui blinked in confusion. She didn't understand what was going on. She didn't understand who or what this creature was. She didn't understand why it was asking