A warm haze permeated the air, vestiges of energy from the fallen Wraithbound Knight. The noises of battle were long gone, replaced by only the faint hum of the glowing dungeon core settling into the air.
Asher found himself standing in the middle of the ruined chamber, his body still humming with the strange power he had brought forth. He was breathing evenly, but his mind raced.
There was something about that knight… it knew him.
Not as the street rat Asher Vale, trying to be a Hunter.
But as something else.
Something from his past life.
"Well, that was one hell of a fight," Garret muttered, shattering the silence. He wiped blood from a nick on his forehead and slung his rifle across his back. "Didn't think a damn Lesser Boss would put up that much resistance."
The blonde sniper woman Reina walked toward the dungeon core. "This wasn't an ordinary boss. There was something about it that didn't quite feel … right." She glanced at Asher. "And you. That power you used—what the hell was that?"
Asher's face remained expressionless. "Just instincts."
Garret snorted. "Bullshit. Instincts don't lay a dungeon knight on its ass."
Before anyone could pry too much, a loud beep rang from their earpieces.
"Core stabilization complete. Hunters, prepare for extraction"
A blue light covered them, and in the next moment, the broken dungeon turned into a haze.
Back at Hunter's Gate
The transition back to the surface was discombobulating. As soon as they stepped out of the rift, the air was lighter, less oppressive. The wrecked dungeon had vanished, replaced by the cold, steel walls of the Hunter's Gate facility.
With the arrival of the visiting staff, technicians rushed forwards to scan the returning Hunters, as well as to secure the successfully retrieved dungeon core. A smattering of other higher-ranked Hunters were in the vicinity, watching from behind tinted glass.
Dr. Linara, a man Asher knew among them
She approached, arms crossed, a sharp look on her face.
"Good work. The mission was successful, sure, but…" She looked at Asher. We have a problem."
Garret exhaled. "Lemme guess. It's about the kid?"
Linara nodded. "His Awakening test gave us an ERROR reading already. Now he had shown classified combat capabilities, in his first dungeon raid. That's two anomalies in under twenty-four hours."
The Hunters looked at each other.
"So what does that mean?" Reina asked.
Linara's face remained unchanged. "That means we have to figure out what to do with him."
She turned fully to Asher.
"You fought well. You were a real-time adaptive fight against a Lesser Boss. But more importantly you're different. And we don't know why."
Asher met her eyes, inscrutable. "I don't either."
Linara looked at him hard, then sighed. "Regardless, you survived. That means you are a Hunter."
A holographic screen popped up, showing a digital badge.
Asher Vale – Rank E Hunter
Affiliation: Unregistered
He was officially a Hunter now. But there was one problem.
"You don't have a guild," Linara said. "Hunters who don't have guilds don't last very long. You won't unlock access to many high-level dungeons, and you'll find it more difficult to establish a name for yourself."
Garret leaned on a crate. "If you're looking for options, my guild—Iron Fang—is always looking for talent."
Reina scoffed. "Recruiting already?"
"What? Kid's got potential."
Asher heard, but he'd made his choice.
"For now, I'll be independent," he said.
Garret raised an eyebrow. "You sure? No backup, no resources, and no guild benefits up if you play solo.
"I've worked alone before."
Linara cocked her head a little, but didn't dispute. "Suit yourself. But if you truly want to remain independent, you must register as a Freelancer. That means you can do dungeon contracts, but you'll also have guilds competing against you for resources."
Asher smirked. "Sounds fair."
Linara opened a second screen. "Fine. But there's one more thing."
The air grew heavier.
"Your Awakening test failed. That also means you don't possess a well-known skill or special set of powers. That means you are an unranked variable. And unranked Hunters… don't score high-level jobs unless they earn it."
Asher had expected this. "So what's the test?"
Linara touched the screen, and a new mission log manifested.
Special Freelancer Contract: Dungeon Raid – Category 3 Rift
Mission Type: Solo
Relevant Information: Investigate and cleanse a newly manifested dungeon anomaly.
A solo dungeon mission.
Asher narrowed his eyes. "Why does this sound like a death sentence?"
Linara didn't flinch. "It's not. But it is dangerous. Its Category-3 Rift means that mid-tier dungeon bosses might spawn."
She shut the screen and gazed him straight in the eye. Do you want to work Freelancing Jobs? Prove you can survive alone. Completing this dungeon will unlock all aspects of the Hunter system. If you don't succeed, well… we'll have to chalk up your case to a bad luck."
Garret chuckled. "They're feeding you to the wolves, kid.
Asher smirked. "Good thing I bite back."
Linara turned away. "You leave at dawn. Try not to die."
Later That Night
On the rooftop of a dilapidated structure sat Asher, looking out over the skyline.
Neon lights flashed across the skyscrapers, another dungeon rift pulsed far in the distance like a heartbeat.
This world was different.
But dungeons?
They were the same.
And whatever had occurred in that Awakening pod — whatever power had emerged during that dungeon fight —he had to get to the bottom of it.
Because deep down, he had known the truth.
It must have recognized him, for that Wraithbound Knight started charging at him.
Which meant something out of his past had come with him into this world.
And if that was the case…
And then it was only a matter of time before something worse some looking for him.