Carter stumbled after Sergeant Lila Voss, his legs barely keeping up with her brisk, determined pace. The devastation around them was overwhelming. Fires raged unchecked, casting long shadows against the jagged remnants of buildings. The cacophony of battle—roaring monsters, the screams of the injured, and the hum of energy weapons—filled the air. Carter's heart pounded as he struggled to process the chaos.
"Move faster!" Lila barked, glancing over her shoulder. Her grip on his arm was firm, dragging him along whenever his steps faltered. "We don't have time for you to fall apart."
Carter's breath came in ragged gasps. "Where are we even going?" he demanded, the words barely audible over the noise.
"To the safe zone," Lila snapped. "Assuming it's still standing."
"Safe zone?" Carter repeated, his mind racing. He didn't remember anything about a safe zone. Then again, he had spent most of his life avoiding Hunters and their world. He was a scavenger, not a fighter. Not like her.
Lila didn't answer. Her attention was focused on the street ahead. They darted through an alley, emerging onto a wider road. The scene before them was pure carnage. Hunters clashed with monsters of all shapes and sizes, their weapons blazing. A massive serpent-like creature coiled around a toppled skyscraper, its scales gleaming in the fiery light. It let out a deafening roar, and the Hunters below scattered as it unleashed a torrent of searing flames.
"You have got to be kidding me," Carter muttered.
Lila didn't slow down. She veered sharply, pulling Carter into another alley just as a smaller monster leapt into their path. The creature, a four-legged abomination with jagged spikes protruding from its back, let out a guttural growl. Lila didn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, she unsheathed her blade and brought it down in a sweeping arc. The monster crumpled to the ground, its body twitching as black ichor pooled beneath it.
Carter stared at the scene, his mouth dry. He'd never seen someone fight like that before. "How… how are you so calm?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Lila wiped the blade on her armored thigh. "Because panicking gets you killed," she said curtly. "Now shut up and keep moving."
Carter bit back a retort. He wasn't in any position to argue. The sheer ferocity of the monsters made it clear that without Lila, he wouldn't survive another five minutes.
As they continued through the war-torn streets, Carter began to notice something strange. Despite the chaos around them, no monsters attacked them directly. He could see them lurking in the shadows, their glowing eyes tracking his every move, but they stayed back. It was as if an invisible barrier kept them at bay.
Finally, Carter couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Why aren't they coming after us?" he asked.
Lila glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "You really don't know, do you?" she said.
"Know what?"
"Your 'Unranked' status," she said. "It's not just some weird system glitch. Monsters can sense it. And they hate it."
Carter frowned. "Hate it? Why?"
"Because it breaks the rules," Lila said. "You're outside the system. The monsters don't know how to deal with you, and that terrifies them. They'd rather avoid you than risk it."
Carter's mind raced as he tried to process her words. He'd always thought of the system as an unchangeable part of life, a rigid framework that governed everything from combat rankings to resource allocation. The idea that someone could exist outside of it was almost unthinkable.
"So… they won't attack me?" he asked cautiously.
"Not unless you provoke them," Lila said. "But don't get cocky. That 'protection' only goes so far. Higher-level monsters won't care. And if the portal's boss shows up, we're all screwed."
"Boss?" Carter repeated, his stomach sinking.
Lila didn't answer. Her jaw tightened, and she picked up the pace.
They reached the safe zone an hour later. Carter had expected some kind of fortress, a heavily fortified stronghold teeming with Hunters. Instead, he found himself staring at a battered barricade made from hastily assembled scrap metal and debris. A handful of Hunters stood guard, their faces grim as they scanned the horizon.
"This is the safe zone?" Carter asked incredulously.
"It's what's left of it," Lila said. "Most of the Hunters are still out in the field, trying to contain the portal break."
They passed through the barricade, and Carter immediately noticed the tension in the air. Civilians huddled together in makeshift shelters, their faces pale with fear. Children cried softly, their parents trying in vain to comfort them. The few Hunters who remained inside the safe zone looked exhausted, their armor scorched and battered.
Lila led Carter to a small tent near the center of the zone. Inside, a middle-aged man with a stern expression sat behind a cluttered desk, his fingers flying across a tablet. He looked up as they entered, his eyes narrowing.
"Sergeant Voss," he said. "You're late."
"I had to make a detour," Lila replied, jerking her thumb toward Carter. "Found this guy in the middle of the chaos. He's Unranked."
The man's eyes widened slightly. "Unranked? Are you sure?"
"Positive," Lila said. "The monsters wouldn't go near him."
The man leaned back in his chair, studying Carter with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "What's your name, kid?"
"Carter Hayes," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Well, Carter," the man said, "I don't know how much you understand about what's happening, but your status makes you a very interesting anomaly. And in times like these, interesting anomalies can either be a blessing or a curse."
"Great," Carter muttered. "Just what I needed."
The hours dragged on. Carter stayed in the tent, listening as Lila and the other Hunters strategized. He learned that the portal break was worse than anyone had anticipated. The monsters were multiplying faster than expected, and the energy readings from the portal suggested that a high-level boss monster was imminent.
"If that boss crosses over, we're done for," one of the Hunters said grimly. "We don't have the manpower to stop it."
"We have to hold out until reinforcements arrive," Lila said. "It's our only option."
Carter felt a pang of guilt as he listened. He was sitting here, useless, while these people risked their lives to protect the city. But what could he do? He was Unranked, barely capable of fending off a single low-level monster. He wasn't a hero. He was just… Carter.
As night fell, the tension in the safe zone reached a breaking point. The ground shook as another wave of monsters attacked the barricade. The Hunters rushed out to meet them, their weapons blazing. Carter watched from the tent, his fists clenched. He hated feeling so helpless.
And then the air around him seemed to freeze.