The air crackled with static as the portal shimmered, spitting me out into the cold night. The twisted forest and the slain Guardian were gone, replaced by the familiar bustle of city streets. Neon lights flickered on billboards, and the hum of cars filled the distance. None of it mattered.
I was stronger now—much stronger.
My body ached, still recovering from the battle, but most of my wounds had healed thanks to the Abyssal Chaos System. I looked down at my hands, flexing them, feeling the raw power coursing through my veins. With each kill, I absorbed more strength, more abilities, and I knew that this was just the beginning.
The towering structure of the Apex Order loomed before me, a skyscraper shimmering with metallic lines and glowing sigils. This was where Hunters like me got ranked, where they measured our strength and allowed access to more dangerous gates—the ones that held real power. And I was done playing small.
As I entered the building, the automated doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a vast hall filled with holographic displays. Hunters filled the space, some waiting for assignments, others bragging about their latest kills. Their chatter was a dull hum in the background, meaningless noise to me.
I strode toward the reception desk, where a woman in silver glasses glanced at me.
"Name?"
"Luca," I said curtly.
She tapped at her screen, and her eyes widened slightly as she read the data. "You're returning from a high-level gate… alone?" Suspicion crept into her voice.
I didn't flinch. "My team didn't make it," I said smoothly. "It was chaos inside."
She studied me for a moment, but I kept my expression neutral. Then, she cleared her throat. "Proceed to the evaluation chamber. You're due for a rank reassessment."
I nodded and walked deeper into the building, past rows of Hunters who stared as I passed, whispering to one another. Let them talk. Soon, they would know who was really at the top.
The elevator took me to a cold, sterile chamber where a glowing console waited. I placed my hand against the interface, and the system began scanning me, pulling data from my body, cataloging my strength.
Hunter Evaluation in Progress.
Moments later, a display flashed in front of me:
Hunter Name: Luca Cross
Rank: A (formerly B)
Abilities: Eclipse Blade, Shadow Step, Bloodthirst
Evaluation: Exceptional combat prowess. Authorized for high-level gate clearance.
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. A-Rank. This was the key to entering stronger gates—the kind that held the monsters I needed to face to truly rise in power. With each kill, I would grow even stronger, absorbing their abilities through Sovereign's Harvest. No one knew about my system, and no one needed to.
As I turned to leave, a voice called out behind me.
"Luca Cross?"
I spun around, my hand instinctively hovering near where my blade would appear. Two men approached, both dressed in black suits, their faces obscured by dark sunglasses despite the night.
"Who's asking?" I said, my voice cold.
One of them stepped forward, his voice calm and measured. "I'm Agent Kaspar. This is Agent Darius. We represent The Sovereign Watch. We've been tasked with investigating certain anomalies related to gate incidents."
I studied them closely, noting their rigid posture, the subtle way they scanned me for any reaction. They weren't ordinary Hunters. The Sovereign Watch was a shadowy organization known for monitoring high-level Hunters, especially those with questionable behavior.
"What's this about?" I asked, keeping my tone flat.
Kaspar's eyes flickered behind his glasses. "We're looking into the disappearance of two Hunters—Aria Lane and Ghost Fen. You were the last to see them alive."
My heart pounded for a brief second, but I kept my face impassive. They had no proof, and as long as they didn't know about the Abyssal Chaos System, I was untouchable.
"They didn't make it out of the gate," I said, letting a note of false regret slip into my voice. "There was a Guardian—a powerful one. We fought, but… things got out of control."
Kaspar exchanged a glance with Darius. "No bodies were recovered. No traces at all."
I shrugged. "The gate collapsed as I killed the Guardian. Maybe it consumed them."
There was a long pause, the tension between us thickening. Finally, Kaspar nodded slowly. "Gates are unpredictable. Sometimes, they don't leave anything behind."
"Exactly," I said, meeting his gaze. "It was out of my control."
The agents stared at me for another long moment, and I could feel them trying to gauge if I was telling the truth. They wouldn't get anything from me. Not now. Not ever.
"We'll be keeping an eye on you, Luca," Kaspar said finally, his tone carrying a veiled warning.
"Do what you have to," I replied, turning on my heel. "I'm not going anywhere."
As I exited the building, the night air hit my face, cold and biting. The conversation lingered in my mind, but I pushed it aside. Kaspar and his men might think they could monitor me, but they had no idea what I was capable of.
I pulled up the interface of my system, glancing at my stats once more.
Luca Cross
Level: 20
Strength: 120
Agility: 110
Health: 1000
Abilities: Eclipse Blade, Shadow Step, Sovereign's Harvest, Bloodthirst
I closed the system with a grin. With my new rank, the gates would only get more dangerous. And that meant more power. No one, not Kaspar, not anyone, would stop me from climbing to the top.