The air crackled with energy. Standing in the midst of what once was the Rift's center, Asher's body thrummed with the energy he had consumed. The world around him had changed — he could sense it, in the marrow of his bones.
The Rift was no more, but the power was still there.
And it was his.
He inhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. Flexing his twitching fingers as he adapted to the raw energy running through his veins. This wasn't the kind of magic he'd used to wield in his past life. This was different.
Stronger.
Wilder.
It was unbound by mana, and the rules of this world's Awakening System. It was different in every respect.
Something that was born from the Rift itself.
The Aftermath of Power
A rumbling from far away shook the remnants of the dungeon. Where it had once been stumbled over the wreckage of The Rift, now it was a great gaping black void, shards of The Rift's frantically unstable[2] energy flaring and pulsing like fire flies.
Asher knew that he couldn't remain here. Whatever had occurred — whatever he had done — it had broken something fundamental in this world.
And he wasn't the only one to notice.
As he was about to take his leave, he felt a weak presence at the very corners of his senses. It was not the Watcher this time. It was something new.
A whisper of movement. A ripple in space.
Someone — or something — was watching him.
He squinted his eyes, peering into the darkness. But there was nothing. Just the distant buzz of energy.
For now.
He took a sharp breath, then stepped out of the Rift.
In a heartbeat, the real world came back.
Asher stumbled out of the Rift and was met with the acrid smell of melting metal and distant wailing of sirens.
Freelancer enforcers surrounded the outer edge with their weapons lowered but on standby. They had been expecting him.
A familiar voice called out.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Still Alive."
Asher looked around, seeing Garret propped up against a military vehicle with his arms crossed. His demeanor was a combination of relief and wariness.
"You were in there a long time," Garret said as he pushed off the car. "We were afraid we'd have to add you to the files of other lost Freelancers."
Asher simply shrugged. "I had things to do."
Garret raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Well, whatever you did in there, it wasn't subtle.'" He pointed to where the Rift used to be. The whole damn thing fell apart." That's not normal."
Asher already knew that. He could feel it. Whatever had happened deep inside the Rift had altered something elemental within him—and within the world itself.
But he wasn't necessarily going to explain that to Garret.
Before he could answer, another voice interrupted.
"Freelancer Vale."
Then a woman in a black officer's coat stepped forward, her look cold and analytical. Her badge glimmered beneath the industrial lights—Hunter's Guild Enforcement Division.
Asher's body tensed slightly. He had expected this.
"You are to officially report for debriefing of this mission," she continued, there was no argue in her tone. "The Rift collapse is considered to be an anomaly, and you were the only one inside when it occurred.
Asher met her gaze evenly. "And if I refuse?"
"You don't have that option."
Garret let out a low whistle. "Damn, kid. You just keep getting in trouble."
Asher let out a breath and wiped a hand through his hair. He wasn't stupid. If the Hunter's Guild was looking in their direction, it means things had gotten to be a danger.
But he had no choice.
He needed answers.
And perhaps, just perhaps, the Guild had some to give.
"Fine," he said finally. "Let's get this over with."
The Hunter's Guild – A New Threat
The headquarters of the Hunter's Guild was a far cry from the Freelancer center. It wasn't dilapidated or obscured in an abandoned part of town. It was a steel-and-glass behemoth, a gargantuan edifice that reared above the city like the shrine of a deity of might.
Asher had never been inside one. Freelancers weren't typically permitted to.
As soon as he stepped inside he felt the heaviness of the place above him. Burdened and strewn across the halls were they that rubbed their arms together, armed enforcers, every bit more powerful than the hallowed halls' common Hunters.
They weren't just warriors.
They were watchdogs.
He was escorted into a darkened room, where a solitary table stood in the middle. Across the table sat a wiry woman with piercing silver eyes and razor-bladed features, blipping through a file on a glowing screen.
"Enchanter Asher Vale," she told him, her voice almost smooth but also unreadable. "Born in the lower districts. No recorded Awakening. Freelancer status really two days ago."
She shut the file and glanced at him.
"And then, within 48 hours, you single-handedly clear a Category-4 Rift, resulting in a total collapse of the anomaly; this shouldn't be possible."
She leaned forward. "So tell me, Vale. What the hell are you?"
Asher smirked slightly. "Just, you know, a guy trying to make a living."
The woman's face did not budge. "You're lying. And you know it."
A silence stretched between them.
Then, after a pause, she tapped the table. A holographic video feed projected in the air.
Footage from what seemed to be Rift surveillance.
Asher's blood ran cold.
It revealed him — within the Rift — standing before the glowing core. His form burned with energy, his eyes seething with the strength of the Rift itself as it fell down around him.
The footage was grainy, messed up by the anomaly, but it was clear enough.
Too clear.
The woman's gaze hardened.
"This isn't normal," she said. "And neither are you."
Asher didn't respond. His mind was already racing.
The Guild had footage of him taking the Rift's power. So they knew that he was different. And if they perceived him as a threat…
This could end badly.
The woman drummed her fingers on the table. "You have two options, Vale."
"As for option one: You agree to a full Guild evaluation. We test you, we run analysis on your abilities, and we determine if you're a threat or not to the system.'
Asher clenched his jaw. "And option two?"
The woman's silver eyes became dark.
"You disappear."
A challenge. A warning.
Asher exhaled slowly. He could sense the power inside of him, still rushing from the Rift, still altering him.
He would not let anyone tie him down any longer. Not the Guild. Not the rulers of this world. Not anyone.
He reclined in his chair and smiled.
"I will take my chances with option one."
The woman looked him over for a moment, then nodded.
"Good."
She rose from her seat, gesturing at the doors, where guards were standing. "Prepare him for testing."
Outwardly, Asher was calm, but his mind was sharp inside.
The Hunter's Guild had questions to ask of him.
They were curious about what he was.
But what they didn't know… was that even Asher was still figuring that out.
And by the time they discovered the truth, it might be too late to do anything about it.