"Only five out of a billion. That's how rare it is. And yet, those who transcend are never free."
As soon as Allen entered the portal, the red gate flared.
For a fraction of a second, it shifted—warping, pulsating—before settling into an otherworldly blue. A collective gasp rolled through the assembled hunters and staff outside. But just as fast, it ended. The gate, as if spurning its own transformation, blazed red once more.
Then, silence.
Allen stumbled forward, barely keeping himself upright. His vision was a blur, his limbs screaming in protest. Blood—his and his fallen comrades'—coated his tattered gear. Before he could collapse, a firm hand caught his shoulder.
"You made it." The voice was smooth, controlled. But underneath, there was an edge of steel.
Amelia Varis, the guild leader of Ironclad, stood before him.
She was tall, lean, with an air of absolute authority. Silver hair pulled into a high ponytail, a black combat coat draped over her shoulders. Her golden eyes bore into him, sharp and calculating.
Allen exhaled heavily. "Yeah. Barely."
The murmurs around them intensified. The moment Allen had stepped out alone, every hunter, every staff member knew what it meant. He was the sole survivor.
A healer moved forward, his hands glowing with warm mana. Allen flinched at the sudden touch but didn't resist. The pain dulled, wounds closing, but the exhaustion remained. His mana, once brimming with borrowed power, felt hollow.
Amelia wasted no time. "With me. Now."
The weight of her words left no room for argument. He was escorted to a private tent, away from prying eyes. Inside, a single chair and a table separated them. Amelia sat first, gesturing for him to do the same.
"Tell me everything."
Allen paused, running his hand through the blood-matted hair. He knew what she really meant. It wasn't just about the raid or the red gate. It was about him. His ability.
"It was an A-rank dungeon," he started. "No. higher. The readings were wrong from the start. We were overwhelmed the moment we stepped in. The boss. it was beyond what we could handle."
Amelia didn't interrupt. She let him speak, absorbing every detail. The casualties. The ambushes. The boss fight. How Kael had pushed back the reapers, how Nora had been torn apart. How, in the end, only he remained.
Then came the question he was dreading.
"Did anyone see?"
Allen's jaw tightened. "Only Kael."
A long pause. Then, Amelia leaned back, exhaling slowly. "And?"
Allen shook his head. "Doesn't matter. He's dead."
He wasn't quite sure if he was trying to convince her or himself.
Amelia said nothing for a second. Then she pulled out this sleek black tablet and slid it across the table.
On it was a list. Five names. Each one had a singular designation next to them:
Transcendent."Five people out of a billion," she murmured. "That's how rare you are, Allen."His throat parched.
"The Apex guild leader, Dante Mercer. You know what he is, don't you?" Amelia continued, voice laced with something unreadable. "An S-rank hunter who can elevate his mana level to its absolute limit. No one's ever seen what his true rank would be. People call it a blessing. I call it a curse."
Allen swallowed hard. He knew where this was going.
"People want to own us," he muttered.
Amelia's eyes went dark. "Own, dissect, experiment on—you name it. Governments, corporations, rogue factions. To them, you're not a hunter. You're an anomaly to be studied."
The weight of her words settled over him. He had known. Deep down, he had always known. That was why he had never revealed his ability outside of absolute necessity. And why, if Kael had survived—
He clenched his fists.
No. Kael was gone. It didn't matter.Amelia leaned forward, speaking in a hushed voice. "You lucked out. That red gate would've collapsed on you and no one would ever have known. But you managed to get out. So listen carefully—" she locked eyes with him "—keep your damn ability hidden."Allen nodded once. "Got it."
The tent flap rustled, and a commotion outside drew their attention. A hunter rushed in, breathless. "The gate—it's gone!"
Amelia shot to her feet. "What?"
Allen followed her outside. Where the red gate had loomed, pulsing with ominous energy, there was now... nothing. No debris. No magical residue. Just empty space, as if the gate had never existed.
Chills ran down Allen's spine.
Because if the gate was gone, then whatever—or whoever—was inside it had been erased from existence.
The last trace of Kael had vanished.