The dragon introduced himself as Draco and explained that hunters had captured his entire family. His voice was sad as he told me how dangerous the hunters were. He said the hunters we'd face were part of the lower badge rank because higher-ranked hunters only fight powerful enemies.
"This means," Draco said seriously, "we must defeat the lower badge hunters first. But don't think they're weak—they're still very dangerous."
I nodded. "I understand." I knew I had a powerful system to help me, but I couldn't underestimate my enemies. If I let my guard down, I could fail, and too much was at stake.
As we traveled, a huge city came into view. Tall walls surrounded it, and the size of it amazed me. The buildings were massive, and the city stretched far and wide. Draco landed outside the city gates, and I quickly put on a dark cloak to hide my identity.
When I looked around, I noticed many guards at the gates. Some were walking around, while others stood on high posts, watching carefully. Turning to Draco, I gave him a nod.
"I'll go ahead. Stay hidden for now," I said.
"Be careful," Draco warned. "Call me if you need help."
I nodded again and joined the line of people waiting to enter the city. As I waited, I noticed everyone was showing a silver bar to the guards to get inside. My heart sank—I didn't have one. Suddenly, a glowing screen appeared in front of me.
[DO YOU WANT TO PURCHASE A SILVER BAR?]
I thought YES, and a silver bar appeared in my hand. It looked just like the ones the other people had. I showed it to the guard, who let me pass without any problems.
Once I entered the city, I saw how busy it was. People were everywhere—vendors selling things, kids playing, and groups of people talking. But I stayed focused. I knew if a fight broke out, innocent people could get hurt. I decided to use my teleportation magic to move everyone to safety if things got out of hand.
As I walked, I noticed a crowd gathering nearby. Curious, I moved closer to see what was happening. My heart sank when I saw a beast from the bear clan tied up and injured, its back covered in scars. Anger bubbled inside me. How could they treat a living creature like this?
I was about to step forward when someone tapped my shoulder.
"Don't do anything foolish," a familiar voice said.
I turned around and was surprised to see Sufon standing there.
"Sufon? What are you doing here?" I asked, lowering my voice.
"Let's talk somewhere private," he said, leading me to a quiet alley. Once we were alone, he looked at me with a serious expression.
"Herman, I know you're strong, but you don't understand the danger here. The hunters are powerful, especially in their own territory. If you fight them, they'll come after all of us. We'll all die," he warned.
His fear was obvious, but I couldn't let it stop me. "Are you saying we should do nothing? Just let them keep capturing and hurting others? What's the point of me being a protector if I don't protect anyone?"
"I'm not saying it's right," Sufon said. "But the hunters are ruthless. If you go against them, you'll bring disaster on everyone."
I stepped closer, looking him in the eye. "I've been fighting for years to protect people in my world. I know what it's like to be scared, but I'd rather die fighting for what's right than live in fear. If you're too afraid to act, then step aside."
"Herman…" Sufon said softly. "We're just trying to survive. We don't want trouble. That's why we stay quiet."
I turned to leave, but his words stuck with me. Even if they were afraid, it didn't mean doing nothing was right. The creatures trapped here deserved freedom, and I wasn't going to stand by and let them suffer.
I reached the gates of a grand palace. The building was enormous, with guards standing in front of a large gate.
"Where's your hunter card?" one of them asked. "You can't enter without one."
I pulled a fake hunter card from my pocket and showed it to them. After checking it, they let me pass.
Inside, the palace was filled with people dressed for a party. Laughter and music echoed through the halls. I scanned the crowd, looking for the royal family or the hunters.
[IDENTITY INFORMATION ACTIVATED]
A screen appeared in front of me, showing the names and details of everyone in the room. But even with the system's help, I couldn't find the royal family or the hunters.
I noticed people staring at me, probably because my cloak didn't match the fancy clothes everyone else was wearing. Suddenly, a guard and a royal escort approached me. I recognized the escort immediately.
[STOP MOTION ACTIVATED]
In an instant, time froze. The entire room became silent, and everyone except the royal escort and I stopped moving.
"What's going on? Who are you? Why is no one moving?" the escort shouted, panic on his face.
I didn't answer. Instead, I walked closer to him. Seeing this, he turned and tried to run.
[IMMOBILIZE ACTIVATED]
His body froze mid-step. His eyes widened in terror, and veins bulged in his neck as he tried to scream, but no sound came out.
"Please," he begged. "Don't kill me. I'll do anything you want!"
"Where are the beasts and other captives being held?" I asked coldly.
"In the underground cells!" he blurted out.
[IMMOBILIZE DEACTIVATED]
"Take me there. Now," I ordered.
The escort led me through hidden corridors until we reached the underground prison. What I saw shocked me—giant cells filled with beasts and creatures from all races. Some looked defeated, while others glared at me, their eyes full of silent hope.
[STOP MOTION DEACTIVATED]
Time resumed, and I prepared for what was coming next. This was just the beginning.