Two days had passed since the incident at the abyss. Harden stirred awake to the sound of familiar voices. Amy and Raizo were chatting nearby, their tones carrying a mix of concern and relief.
"He's awake!" Amy shouted, rushing to Harden's side as he struggled to sit up.
"Hey, you shouldn't move around so much," Amy said, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Quite the restless one, aren't you?" Raizo remarked with a smirk.
"How long was I out?" Harden asked, rubbing his head groggily.
"Two whole days," Raizo replied.
"The battle left you exhausted. You even broke your arm," Amy added.
"But I can move it just fine," Harden said, flexing his arm in disbelief.
"That's because, as soon as we exited the abyss, we were met by a group of healing mages. They treated all of us, though it was too late for those who didn't make it," Amy explained.
"I see," Harden murmured, his expression darkening.
"Afterward, the examiner announced the results. Everyone who survived passed," Raizo continued. "Kyle was the highest-ranked, achieving four-star bronze. You were second, with three-and-a-half stars."
"That guy had to be stingy with stars," Harden muttered under his breath.
"And I came third, with three stars," Raizo added. "But speaking of the fight, what do you remember before you passed out?"
Harden's eyes widened as the memory surfaced. "The spider… It was charging at me!" he said, his voice rising. "Who saved me?" he added in a softer tone.
"Another participant," Raizo said. "He seemed way stronger than all of us combined. As a matter of fact, he defeated the monster with a single slash."
"A single slash?!" Harden exclaimed, shocked.
"Yeah," Raizo replied.
"Then why isn't he ranked first?" Harden asked.
"Well, that's because he wasn't a registered participant. No one knows how he entered the abyss at all. From the organization's findings, he's with the terrorist group known as Cataclysmic Revolt."
"Cataclysmic Revolt?!" Harden shouted, visibly terrified. "You mean the Cataclysmic Revolt that's headed by four X-ranked members?"
"The same," Raizo confirmed.
"That participant who saved you said you were 'an interesting one.' Do you know what he meant?" Raizo asked.
"Nope. I'm not sure," Harden replied.
"I see. In that case, no problem. In fact, I don't want you stressing over this. Just rest like the hospital recommended," Amy interjected. "Oh, I almost forgot—I made something for you!"
"Really? What is it?" Harden asked.
"Curry rice, your favorite," Amy said cheerfully as she handed him a bento box.
"Whoa, thanks a lot, Amy," Harden said, eagerly digging in.
"It's delicious," he commented.
"Yeah, well, there's more where that came from," Amy replied, pulling out another bento box.
"Hey, what about me?" Raizo asked, pouting.
"Break your arm, and you'll get some," Amy teased.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Raizo protested.
As the group laughed and chatted, the door slid open.
"Hawkins!" Harden said, a tinge of excitement in his voice.
"Hey, I was worried when I heard you fainted, but if you've got enough strength to shout like that, you've already recovered," Hawkins said, walking in.
Amy and Raizo greeted Hawkins, who returned their greetings as he approached Harden.
"So, what was it like?" Hawkins asked.
"What was what like?" Harden replied.
"Your first experience in an abyss."
"To be honest, it was a little scary, but it was definitely exciting. I won't deny that fighting in an abyss made my pipe dream seem more realistic. Even though I felt powerless at some points, it was still a rush," Harden admitted.
"Alright, Raizo, I need you to tell me everything that happened in the abyss when Harden passed out," Hawkins said.
Raizo proceeded to recount the events.
"I see. So, the participant who saved Harden is a terrorist, and he did it because he took a liking to Harden," Hawkins summarized.
"That's about it," Amy added.
"Alright, Harden, rest up. There's something I need to take care of," Hawkins said as he exited the hospital.
He drove straight to the HQ of the Mythical Fighters.
"Did you get everything that happened?" a man seated with his back turned asked.
"Yes, sir," Hawkins replied.
"And is it Cataclysmic Revolt?" the man inquired.
"Yes, sir," Hawkins confirmed.
"It seems they're now infiltrating even bronze-ranked abysses. That means no Mythical Fighter is safe. We need to completely destroy this organization."
"Speaking of which, I have a mission for you. I need you to participate in a raid two days from now in an A-rank abyss. It's an unusually high-frequency abyss, so I'm certain Cataclysmic Revolt will make a move. You'll be working alongside another platinum rank—Jayden Spade. Rest assured, I'll look after your brother," the man said.
"Understood, Father," Hawkins replied as he exited the office.
Meanwhile, at the peak of a mountain, a temple-like building guarded by men stood. A figure in a black hoodie with a katana strapped to his waist approached.
"The boss has been expecting you," one of the guards said, gesturing for him to enter.
The hooded man entered without a word and was led to the boss's room.
As he stepped inside, a powerful wind knocked him back. He struggled to stand, wondering, How is there such a strong wind indoors?
When the wind stopped and the dust settled, a towering man with an X-shaped scar on his forehead stood before him. In his hand, he held a massive axe with a blade twice its size.
"Ah, Leo, sorry about that. I was just giving my axe a few swings," the man said with a grin.
"So, did you find anything unusual—anything that'll bring us closer to our goal?" the boss asked.
"The spider seemed influenced by a low-level mythical core, making it stronger than normal," Leo replied.
"If it's a low-level mythical core, it's not worth our time," the boss said dismissively.
"However, I found someone interesting. His name is Harden. He seems to be of the martial arts class, but he used a skill from the assassin's class—the Blink Step, to be precise."
"Interesting," the boss mused. "That means he's either both a martial artist and an assassin, or it's an innate ability. Either way, this Harden boy is our next target".