I stared up at Miguel, hovering thirty feet above the cavern floor, flames licking around his legs.
'Arcan, am I seeing this right?' I thought, my eyes tracking Miguel's movements.
『Yes. Confirmed awakening: Flame Propulsion. B-Rank mana, though his speed capability is approaching A-Rank threshold. Problem: he's burning through mana at an unsustainable rate. Estimated depletion in 3 minutes 42 seconds at current consumption.』
Miguel had always been special—I'd sensed those B-Rank reserves the moment my Six Eyes activated. The potential had been there, dormant beneath the surface, waiting for the right catalyst.
The matron roared, drawing my attention back to the immediate threat. Its gnarled fingers twisted as it prepared another spell, green energy coalescing between its palms. A mage-type. Nasty. And exactly the wrong opponent for a newly awakened hunter with zero control.
Well, if we're going all out...
I dropped my porter bag and closed my eyes for a split second.
'Inventory,' I commanded mentally. 'Ossuary Piercer.'
The familiar weight materialized in my hand—bone-white shaft crowned with a dragon's tooth tip, ancient sigils spiraling along its length. The weapon hummed with stored magical energy, resonating with my mana as though greeting an old friend.
"What the hell?" someone muttered behind me. Probably one of the hunters wondering why a porter was suddenly armed with what was clearly a weapon.
I didn't care. My eyes fixed on the matron as its spell grew larger, the acidic green light casting sickly shadows across the chamber.
"Mana Reinforcement," I whispered.
Power surged through my body, muscle fibers strengthening, neural responses accelerating, skeletal structure hardening. A faint blue aura shimmered around me, barely visible unless you knew what to look for.
Tenten shouted something—probably an order to maintain formation—but I was already moving.
The first goblin never saw me coming. The Ossuary Piercer's blade sliced through its throat, the creature's magic core spilling into my palm before its body hit the ground. I pivoted, driving the spear's butt into another goblin's sternum, feeling ribs crack under the impact.
Three more fell in quick succession, the spear's blade weaving patterns of death through the air. My body moved on instinct, each strike flowing into the next with practiced efficiency. Not the clumsy work of a porter, but the deadly grace of a hunter—of my father's son.
"Xavier!" Miguel called from above, his voice a mix of confusion and excitement. "What the fuck, man?"
I grinned up at him, dispatching another goblin without looking. "Talk later!"
The matron finally noticed me carving through its offspring. Its beady eyes narrowed, the spell in its hands redirecting toward me. Perfect. Just what I wanted.
"Keep the small ones off me!" I shouted to no one in particular, sprinting toward the platform.
The matron hurled its spell. I dodged left, feeling the heat as it passed inches from my shoulder. The creature snarled, already preparing another attack.
I reached the base of the platform and leapt, Mana Reinforcement propelling me upward with ease.
"Surprise," I whispered, driving the Ossuary Piercer into its shoulder.
The sigils along the shaft flared bright blue as the weapon's special property activated: Binding Breaker. The matron's spell destabilized, green energy dissipating harmlessly as its magical control faltered.
It roared in pain and rage, swinging its massive club-mace at my head. I ducked under the blow, twisting the spear deeper into its flesh before yanking it free. The matron staggered, dark blood spurting from the wound.
"Xavier!" Miguel shouted again, this time closer. He hovered nearby, flames still dancing around his legs. "Need backup?"
"I got this," I replied, circling the matron. "You're burning too much mana. Dial it back!"
The matron lunged forward, surprisingly fast for its size. Its claws raked the air where I'd been standing a split second before. I countered with a thrust to its abdomen, the Ossuary Piercer biting deep.
The creature's attacks grew more desperate, more physical as I systematically neutralized its magic. Each time it tried to gather mana, I struck, the Ossuary Piercer's Binding Breaker preventing it from stabilizing any spells every five or so hits.
"That's... not standard porter protocol," Tenten called from somewhere below.
I ignored her, focused entirely on the matron. It swung its club in a wide arc, forcing me to backflip off the platform to avoid being crushed. I landed in a crouch, then immediately sprang forward again, driving the spear into the matron's knee.
The joint buckled. The matron howled, collapsing onto one leg. I pressed the advantage, leaping onto its back and jamming the spear through the base of its skull.
"Fall," I whispered as the sigils flared one final time.
The matron's body convulsed, magic and life draining away simultaneously. It toppled forward, crashing face-first onto the platform with me still perched on its back. I rode the corpse down like a surfer, ending in a casual crouch atop the dead matron.
Silence fell across the chamber. The remaining goblins, seeing their matron defeated, scattered into hidden tunnels, their shrieks fading into the distance.
I wiped black ichor from the Ossuary Piercer's blade, surveying the carnage below. The hunters stood frozen, staring up at me with expressions ranging from shock to suspicion to grudging respect.
Miguel descended slowly, the flames around his legs flickering as he struggled to control his new power. He landed beside the platform, looking up at me with wide eyes.
"Dude," he said, shaking his head. "What the actual fuck?"
I hopped down from the matron's corpse, trying to suppress the grin threatening to break across my face. "Could ask you the same thing, rocket man."
Miguel's face split into a massive smile. "I flew, X! Did you see that shit? I fucking flew!"
"Hard to miss," I said dryly.
『Hidden Quest Completed: Matron's Demise
Eliminate the goblin matron before it completes its magical evolution.
Reward: Skill Point +150』
Behind us, the hunters remained frozen in various states of disbelief. Shikamaru had abandoned his usual slouch, standing straight with his hands forming an analytical circle. Diana, still recovering from Miguel's rescue, sat on a rock with her mouth slightly open. Even the normally stoic healer—Sasha—looked stunned, her healing staff dangling forgotten at her side.
Tenten approached slowly, her steel-gray eyes wider than I'd seen them. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she stopped a few feet away, gaze flicking between me and the spear in my hand.
"You're not porters," she said. It wasn't a question.
I shrugged, twirling the Ossuary Piercer once before letting it rest against my shoulder. "We came in as porters."
Miguel punched my arm. "Dude! Since when can you fight like that? And what is that weapon? And why didn't you tell me? And—"
"Later," I said, nodding toward the hunters. "We've got an audience."
Tenten cleared her throat, visibly composing herself. Her blush deepened momentarily when our eyes met, but she straightened her shoulders and adopted a professional tone.
"Right. Well. The dungeon is completed." She glanced at the dead matron, then back at me. "We should head back before the gate closes."
Shikamaru wandered over, hands shoved in his pockets but eyes sharp with interest. "Troublesome," he muttered, though the slight upward curve of his lips suggested he found our revelation more intriguing than annoying. "I'm guessing you've got ranks the Association doesn't know about?"
"I'm registered D-Rank," I said truthfully. "Miguel here isn't registered at all."
"Until today," Miguel added. "Man, my mom is gonna kill me."
Tenten studied me with new intensity, her professional demeanor barely masking her curiosity. "We should move. Questions can wait until we're out of the gate."
She turned to address the full team. "Standard extraction formation. Collect cores and any valuable drops. Leave the rest." Her eyes lingered on me. "Valentine, Gonzalez—you're with me at point."
The trek back through the dungeon felt different than the way in. I kept to myself, watching Miguel flex his newly awakened powers by hopping short distances with controlled bursts from his feet. The hunters maintained formation but kept shooting glances our way—some curious, others wary. Only Shikamaru seemed unsurprised, his eyes occasionally meeting mine with calculation.
The goblin matron's core weighed heavily in my pocket—a solid C-Rank specimen worth at least nine thousand dollars. I'd snagged it during the chaos, and no one had questioned my right to it. Hunter's privilege—kill it, claim it.
When we finally reached the gate entrance, a rippling tear in reality that cast everything in sickly yellow light, I felt the familiar sensation of passing through dimensions. The air compressed around us, reality bent, and then we stood blinking in the late afternoon sun.
Diana, the hunter Miguel had saved, brushed dirt from her armor and cleared her throat. "Well, that was... educational."
Marcus nodded gruffly. "Good work everyone. Especially you two." He gestured toward Miguel and me. "Don't often see instinct like that in rookies."
"Not rookies," Kendra corrected. "Porters. Or whatever they actually are."
Tenten intervened before the conversation could turn confrontational. "Payment will be transferred to your accounts within 48 hours, as per usual. Core values will be assessed and distributed evenly."
The hunters nodded, gathering their gear and drifting toward their vehicles. Javier clapped me on the shoulder as he passed. "Nice work back there, man. The way you moved? Badass."
Lee, the youngest hunter on the team, stared at us with undisguised admiration before Sasha tugged him away. "Come on, fanboy. They're not going to sign autographs."
Diana lingered, fidgeting with the strap of her bag. Her eyes darted between the ground and Miguel's face. "Hey, um, I just wanted to say thanks again. For the save."
Miguel's face split into that easy grin of his. "No problem. Just glad I figured out how to fly before you became goblin chow."
She laughed, the sound slightly nervous. "Yeah, me too." She pulled out her phone, thumbs tapping quickly. "I was thinking—maybe we could stay in touch? You know, in case you have questions about the whole hunter awakening thing." She glanced up at him through dark lashes. "Here's my number."
Miguel's eyes widened slightly before his smile returned, even broader. "Sure, yeah. Let me put it in."
"Cool." She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anyway, thanks again." She turned to leave, then looked back. "Oh, and if you ever want to team up for a hunt..."
"I'll let you know," Miguel promised.
We watched them drive away, leaving just the four of us in the empty parking lot: Miguel, Shikamaru, Tenten, and me. Awkward silence settled over us like a blanket.
"So," Tenten finally said, crossing her arms. "Not porters."
I shrugged. "We carried your bags."
"And killed the matron," she added. "And flew." She nodded at Miguel.
Miguel looked down at his feet, as if expecting them to burst into flames again. "That part's new. Like, really new. As in, hour ago new."
Shikamaru slouched against a concrete pillar, hands in his pockets. "Awakening during combat. Rare. Troublesome, but impressive."
Tenten shifted her weight, eyes darting between us. "I've got to drop these essence stones off at the Association for processing, but... anyone hungry? After that, I mean."
Miguel's stomach growled audibly. "God, yes. I'm starving. Is this normal? Feeling like I could eat an entire buffet?"
"Mana depletion increases caloric needs," Shikamaru explained. "Your body needs fuel to replenish."
Tenten nodded. "First awakening burns through reserves fast. Food helps."
I checked my watch—6:09 PM.
"Yeah, I could eat too," I said. "But we're two hours from central LA, and I've got to get home before Noel starts worrying." I glanced at Miguel. "Plus, this guy's going to crash hard once the adrenaline wears off."
Shikamaru pushed himself off the pillar with a lazy stretch. "There's a hunter bar downtown. Cliff's Hideaway. Low-key place, decent food. Meet there at ten?"
Miguel's stomach growled again, louder this time. "Ten? Man, I might die of starvation by then."
"We'll grab drive-through on the way," I promised. "You need calories anyway."
"I know that place," Tenten said, twirling a throwing knife between her fingers. "It's near my family's shop."
Shikamaru yawned, already walking toward a silver Prius parked at the edge of the lot. "Ten o'clock. Don't be late. I hate waiting."
"Says the guy who's last to everything," Tenten called after him. He responded with a lazy backward wave without turning around.
Miguel clapped me on the shoulder. "I'll wait in the car, X. Give you two a minute." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before heading toward my Mustang, his gait still unsteady from mana depletion.
When he was out of earshot, I turned back to Tenten.
"Thanks," I said quietly. "For not freaking out back there. And if we could keep our abilities on the down-low, I'd appreciate it."
She couldn't quite meet my eyes, her gaze settling somewhere around my chin. The blush intensified. "Sure... you have your reasons."
I gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you. I really mean that."
Her eyes widened slightly, finally meeting mine for a brief moment before darting away again. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, knife disappearing somewhere into her outfit.
"Yeah, well..." she cleared her throat, squaring her shoulders. "Thank me by not being late. Cliff's Hideaway gets crowded on Thursdays."
"We'll be there," I promised, backing toward my car. "Ten sharp."