The soft click of a door unlocking broke the quiet hum of the apartment hallway.
Xavier turned the key, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. He shut it behind him with a quiet sigh, his shoulders finally relaxing. The scent of home—clean linen, old wood, and faint traces of dog shampoo—filled his lungs.
He reached up and pulled the tattered red hood from his head, tossing it carelessly onto the nearby coat rack. "Whew\..." he exhaled, running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "Glad that ended as smoothly as it did."
The chaos of Central Park still echoed in his mind—monsters, shockwaves, and the Boss's roar ringing in his ears. But somehow, he'd made it out without blowing his cover. Barely.
"If a higher-ranked Hunter had shown up..." he muttered, walking into his living room, "...I would've been screwed. There's no way I could've lied or played dumb in front of someone like that."
Sure, exposure could open doors—invitations to guilds, fast-tracked promotions, even fame. But he didn't want rumors to spread about himself, the last thing he needed was to be labeled a freak.
Especially when he was officially just an E Rank.
"Reawakening," he said to himself, the word foreign yet oddly fitting.
There had been stories, of course. Cases where a Hunter underwent a second awakening and suddenly broke through their limitations, gaining immense power overnight. It was rare. Unheard of, even. But not impossible.
He stood in the doorway for a long moment, thoughts circling like vultures.
Was the system part of his Reawakening? Or was it something else entirely?
It wasn't just enhancing his strength—it was accelerating his growth. Guiding him. Giving him skills. Equipment. Even rewards.
Everything came with a price.
What was the catch?
A sharp bark snapped him out of his spiral.
"Boxer!" Xavier looked down with a grin.
The muscular pit bull padded over with tail wagging and tongue out, bumping his head affectionately against Xavier's leg.
Xavier knelt to scratch behind his ears. "Hey, buddy. You miss me?"
Then it hit him.
"Oh crap!" He scrambled upright. "I forgot to feed you today!"
Boxer barked again, this time with judgment.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Xavier said, dashing into the kitchen in a panic. "Don't look at me like that!"
He fumbled through cabinets and the fridge, tossing together a bowl of Boxer's favorite dry mix and some freshly cooked meat he'd made the night before.
Boxer sat patiently behind him, ears perked up, practically vibrating with anticipation.
Setting the bowl down, Xavier smiled as the dog immediately dove in.
"Easy, boy," he chuckled, sitting on the floor beside him. "Try not to inhale it."
He watched for a moment, then leaned back on his elbows with a long sigh. The tension from earlier finally started to dissolve.
His mind wandered again.
To the system. To the power.
It was changing everything. He didn't know how or why, or what it would ask of him later.
But right now?
Right now, it was making him stronger.
And that was all that mattered.
.
.
.
[End Of Volume 2]