A dark sky loomed over Eltania City, one of the few cities that had survived in the seventy years since the first Metavore invasion. Towering walls encircled the city, lined with guard towers equipped with Core Etherion-powered cannons. Dim neon lights flickered along the narrow streets, where the remaining survivors carried on with their daily lives under the constant threat from beyond. The buildings looked worn, cracks on the roads serving as remnants of past battles. Despite technological advancements, the scars left by the Metavores remained deeply etched in human memory.
Even with the city's defenses intact, fear never truly disappeared. Every day, reports of smaller towns falling to Metavore attacks spread like wildfire. Some people hid behind the protection of Aether Corps, while others struggled to survive in their own way. Core Etherion miners worked tirelessly underground, extracting the precious resource that powered human weapons and technology.
In a dimly lit tavern, three young men sat near a window overlooking the main street. Among them was Deren, a young man with jet-black hair and a sharp but indifferent gaze, seemingly more interested in his tea than in the serious conversation unfolding around him. His face was calm, but his eyes remained ever-watchful of his surroundings.
Across from him, two lively youths leaned forward against the table, their hands moving enthusiastically as they spoke.
"Deren, have you never thought about joining Aether Corps? This is the best chance to become a hero!" Ryn exclaimed, his fists clenched as if he were speaking about a grand destiny that awaited him.
Beside him, Kael smirked. "Forget about being a hero. I'm more interested in becoming famous and catching the attention of the ladies at the academy. Just think about it, Deren—imagine how popular you'd be there. Aether Corps isn't just about fighting; it's a chance to be someone who matters."
Deren let out a long sigh. "Being a hero? Sounds exhausting," he muttered, gazing out the window. "I'd rather live a peaceful life. Mining Core or working as a craftsman is much more profitable. No one's forcing me to stand guard 24/7 or fight until I drop dead."
Ryn scoffed. "You really have no ambition, huh? Aether Corps is the only way to protect humanity! Besides, Nova Academy only accepts those with talent. If you don't enroll, you're throwing away a golden opportunity."
Kael shrugged, flashing a sly grin. "Talent is important, but life is meant to be enjoyed. I just want to get into the academy and see how many girls are drawn to the future elite warriors." He raised his tea cup, as if already envisioning the luxurious life waiting for him inside the academy.
Deren leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanged. "I have no interest in fighting an endless war. Besides, you both know I prefer working behind the scenes. There are plenty of ways to help without being on the front lines."
Their conversation was abruptly cut short when the sound of sirens blared across the city. Instantly, the atmosphere in the tavern changed. The once-calm patrons panicked, some immediately dashing outside in search of shelter. The streetlights flickered—a signal that the city's defense systems were activating.
Deren raised an eyebrow. "That was fast... We were just talking about Aether Corps, and now—"
A deep rumbling echoed from the distance, followed by the unmistakable screams of terror. From the window, a colossal shadow emerged between the buildings. Glowing red eyes burned in the darkness, and a monstrous maw gaped open, revealing razor-sharp fangs that gleamed under the streetlights.
Metavores had arrived.
In the distance, the city's turret cannons ignited, their barrels glowing with crimson energy, ready to unleash a devastating barrage upon the incoming creatures. But not all Metavores were easily felled. Some had evolved—gaining intelligence and strategies sophisticated enough to breach human defenses.
Deren narrowed his eyes, observing the monster's movement. "This... doesn't seem like a normal attack..." he murmured.
Ryn and Kael turned to him, confused, not yet fully grasping the gravity of the situation.
Panic erupted across Eltania City as Metavores surged from multiple directions. The night was filled with screams, the thunderous collapse of buildings, and the wails of sirens, painting a scene of sheer terror. Black smoke billowed from different parts of the city, while defense systems struggled to counter the sudden onslaught. But this attack was unlike the usual skirmishes—the sheer number of Metavores far surpassed previous assaults.
In the midst of the chaos, Deren, Ryn, and Kael dashed through the frantic crowd, dodging civilians desperately searching for shelter. Ryn looked shaken, while Kael constantly glanced back with terror-stricken eyes.
"Deren, we have to get to the bunker!" Ryn shouted, gripping his friend's arm.
Yet, Deren remained calm, his face betraying no hint of fear. Instead, his gaze fixated on a group of Metavores tearing through a nearby building. Their crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness, their massive bodies moving with unnatural speed.
"Didn't you want to be in Aether Corps, Ryn?" Deren mused, his voice laced with amusement. "Well... this is your chance to prove yourself."
Kael, already trembling, stared at Deren in disbelief. "This is no time for jokes! We're going to die if we stay here!"
Ryn nodded frantically. "You need to run too, Deren! Aether Corps are trained for this, but we're not!"
Deren simply shrugged and, without a word, slowed his pace. "You guys go on ahead."
"What?!" Kael turned to him in shock, but before he could say anything more, a Metavore leaped onto the rooftop of a nearby building, its monstrous roar echoing through the streets.
Fear seized them all. Without hesitation, Ryn and Kael spun around and bolted toward the bunker, not waiting for Deren.
Deren let out a small smile, watching his friends vanish into the chaos. This was exactly what he wanted—a chance to act without anyone watching.
His eyes locked onto the approaching Metavore. If this was a surprise attack, no one would notice if he took a Core from one of these monsters. Technically, only those with government licenses were allowed to harvest Cores, but in a situation like this... who would know?
Deren exhaled and took a step forward. "Alright, let's see how strong you really are."
Ensuring that his friends were completely out of sight, Deren reached into his belt and pulled out a small metallic case. From the outside, it looked plain, but once opened, it revealed an array of advanced equipment, meticulously prepared.
With practiced ease, he donned a lightweight combat suit, optimized for speed and flexibility. A large sword was secured on his back, while two pistols hung from his waist. A mask slid over his face, concealing his identity entirely.
Deren stretched his arms, ensuring everything was in place. "Alright," he muttered, his eyes gleaming with a mix of calmness and an excitement he rarely showed. "Time to hunt."
With astonishing speed and precision, Deren launched himself toward the nearest Metavore. But this time, he wasn't just relying on agility.
From his wrist, he activated the Grappling Kinesis System (GKS)—a Core-powered mechanism that fired Etherion-coated cables onto buildings and objects, allowing him to traverse the battlefield with unmatched speed.
With a swift motion, he shot a cable toward a high ruin, using the momentum to propel himself forward. He soared through the air, maneuvering between buildings with controlled precision.
As he neared his first target, he released one of the cables and twisted mid-air, swinging his sword in a powerful arc.
One clean strike—straight through the monster's head.
Deren landed effortlessly, the lifeless creature collapsing behind him. Without wasting time, he dug into the monster's dissolving body and extracted its Core, sealing it inside a high-security container.
"One down."
His gaze swept the battlefield. Metavores roamed the city, tearing through buildings and devouring those who failed to escape. But instead of fear, a small smile formed on Deren's lips.
To him, this wasn't just an attack to be survived—it was an opportunity.
There were more Metavores tonight than usual—which meant more Cores to collect.
"Looks like I can harvest quite a few today..." he mused, his tone light yet filled with intent.
Utilizing GKS, Deren moved swiftly and efficiently, launching himself higher into the city's skyline. From above, he could track the movement of Metavores with clarity, selecting his targets with surgical precision.
Gliding through the air, he aimed for another monster.
One of the Metavores lunged toward him, its gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth.
But Deren fired his cable to another building, pulling himself away just in time, spinning mid-air as he lined up his shot.
With a single pull of the trigger, his Etherion-infused bullets tore through the creature's weak points. The monster plummeted to the ground, lifeless, before it even realized what had happened.
Suddenly, two more Metavores charged from opposite directions, their movements unnervingly fast.
Deren reacted instantly, grappling onto a nearby pillar and launching himself upward, effortlessly dodging their attacks.
Mid-air, he rotated his body, his sword flashing under the dim city lights.
With a single spinning slash, both monsters were cleaved apart in one fluid motion.
Black blood spilled onto the rubble below as their lifeless bodies collapsed. Deren landed between them, silent and composed.
For a moment, he stood atop the ruins, analyzing the battlefield.
The city had turned into a hunting ground.
Screams of humans and roars of Metavores echoed through the streets, but to Deren, this was a goldmine. No one would notice if a few Cores went missing amidst this chaos.
He took a deep breath. "If I collect enough Cores, I won't have to worry about my future. This could be my retirement fund."
Suddenly, from the distance—a much larger Metavore leaped toward him.
Its body was covered in thick, obsidian-blue armor plating, its red eyes glowing intensely in the dark.
Deren smirked. "Ah, now this one looks interesting."
The monster growled, its massive claw swinging down with tremendous force, shattering the ground upon impact. Dust and debris exploded into the air.
But Deren had already moved.
As the dust settled, he stood behind the beast, his sword gleaming under the flickering lights.
With one swift slash, the hardened shell of the monster split open. But it remained standing, thick black blood gushing from its wound. Deren narrowed his eyes, realizing that this one was far tougher than he had anticipated.
He activated the Overdrive mode on his GKS, dramatically increasing his speed and reflexes. Firing his cables upward, he dodged the monster's attacks with movements so fast they were nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye. Swinging behind the beast, he fired a special round from his pistol—an Etherion-coated bullet with high penetration power.
The bullet pierced the monster's weak spot at the nape of its neck, eliciting a thunderous roar before it finally collapsed with a ground-shaking impact.
Deren knelt down, extracting the Core from the dissolving body. It pulsed in his hand, radiating raw energy before he sealed it inside a secure container. His gaze swept across the city, spotting even more Metavores emerging from the shadows.
But rather than fear, a thrill of excitement coursed through him.
A wider smile formed beneath his mask. "This is even easier than I thought. At this rate, I could retire much sooner than expected."
He dashed forward, diving deeper into the battlefield, swinging smoothly between ruins using his GKS. Each leap presented a new opportunity, each strike of his blade brought down Metavores with surgical precision.
This wasn't just survival—this was a hunt. And Deren planned to make the most of it.
After ensuring there were no more Metavores in his immediate vicinity, he swiftly secured the last Core he had harvested inside his specialized storage container. His hands and combat suit were stained with thick black blood, a testament to the monsters he had felled.
Without hesitation, he fired his GKS once more, launching himself onto the rooftop of a nearby building, granting him a clearer view of the city's center.
In the distance, thick plumes of smoke spiraled into the sky. Buildings crumbled under the force of a larger assault than he had initially estimated.
With his sharp gaze, he locked onto the true source of the destruction—a high-tier Metavore stood amidst the ruins.
It was massive, far larger than the others, its body encased in thick, armor-like plating etched with glowing patterns. Unlike common Metavores, this one moved intelligently, avoiding the city's defense turrets with calculated precision.
Deren's heartbeat spiked slightly—not out of fear, but from sheer intrigue.
If he could claim the Core from that powerful creature, its value would be astronomical.
With a Core like that, he could upgrade his equipment far sooner than expected.
"Damn... this is a jackpot."
He prepared to move, considering the best way to take down the beast without drawing too much attention.
But before he could make his move, something else caught his attention.
From afar, a squad of Aether Corps operatives arrived at high speed.
They weren't just regular soldiers—some of them wore specialized gear, only granted to high-ranking members.
One among them moved ahead of the group, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with exceptional agility.
Deren recognized the insignia on their armor.
"So, they finally show up..." he murmured, a small smirk forming beneath his mask.
The Metavore immediately reacted to their arrival, letting out a deafening roar before hurling massive debris toward the Aether Corps.
However, they evaded the attack with flawless coordination, quickly forming a combat formation.
Bright blue energy pulsed from their weapons as they launched a synchronized assault.
Deren exhaled slowly, weighing his options.
If he stayed any longer and tried to take down the monster himself, there was a high chance he'd draw unwanted attention.
The Aether Corps had strict regulations on Core-hunting, and if they caught him with unlicensed Cores, it would be a huge problem.
"Too risky," he decided. "I've already gotten plenty for today."
Without hesitation, he retracted all of his equipment, deactivating GKS and securing his sword back into its compact storage unit.
After ensuring there was nothing suspicious about his appearance, he ruffled his hair, smudged some dirt on his face, and ripped part of his sleeve to make himself appear more disheveled and worn-out.
As the Aether Corps engaged the high-tier Metavore, Deren slipped away, moving toward the evacuated civilians.
He seamlessly blended into the panicked crowd, disguising himself as just another desperate survivor.
From his hidden vantage point, he observed how the Aether Corps fought.
Their teamwork was impeccable, utilizing various Core Etherion-enhanced weapons and technology with absolute precision.
One of them, seemingly a high-ranking officer, launched a strike powerful enough to shatter the Metavore's protective plating in a single blow.
Deren suppressed a chuckle. "Not my style, but not bad."
Remaining still, he feigned exhaustion and mild injury, all while closely analyzing the battle.
Eventually, the Aether Corps managed to subdue the beast with a final coordinated strike.
A brilliant blue explosion erupted from within the Metavore's body as its Core was extracted by one of the commanding officers.
Deren let out a quiet sigh, a tinge of disappointment creeping in.
He had hoped to claim that Core for himself, but he knew better than to be reckless.
"I'll get another one later..." he thought, gradually retreating with the evacuees heading toward the safe zone.
Even as he left, his eyes remained locked on the Aether Corps, memorizing their faces.
"Maybe one day, I'll cross paths with them again... but not as an evacuee."
The streets of the central district lay in ruins.
Smoke still billowed from collapsed buildings, the air thick with the acrid scent of burning debris.
After a battle that had raged fiercely, the city had finally quieted.
The survivors slowly emerged from their shelters, surveying the devastation left behind by the Metavores.
Sobs and cries echoed from every direction.
Some embraced their loved ones, relieved that they had survived.
Others searched desperately among the rubble, hoping to find those who had gone missing.
And Deren?
He simply watched, silent and observant—already planning his next move.