In the room of beheaded bodies, blood staining the pillars, Xuan's life flashed before his eyes. He was next, and he knew it.
The strongest hunters from different guilds around the globe were getting their heads eaten, so who was he? A geneless kid who wants to use a small net to catch a shark.
With his right leg cut off, he struggled to crawl toward the purple glowing egg at the altar before the ant king noticed him.
His face was covered in blood. He didn't want to die, but the situation wasn't giving him much of a choice. If only he could eat the god gene—maybe he could survive.
He managed to reach the altar. He rested his bloodied body on it, but just then, the ant king noticed him—right after biting off someone's head.
It began walking toward Xuan, who had tears and blood streaming down his face.
-[You have obtained the God Rare Gene]
-[Evolution Path Obtained]
That was the last message from the blue interface he saw before he watched his head get cleanly cut from his body, blood gushing onto the altar.
---
2 Hours Earlier—
Though in his late 40s, Mr. Shuang was very agile. He was quick enough to handle the punch thrown at him, dodging to the right and counterattacking with his knee.
He didn't give his opponent a chance to breathe and quickly swept the man off his feet. Claps resounded—he had won.
"Nice! Never let old age stop your agility. There are some hunters wanting to see you outside."
Shuang smiled and bowed to his defeated opponent before leaving the fighting box.
Outside the room, three hunters dressed in black suits were waiting for him. The red-haired hunter he had spoken with earlier was among them.
"Mr. Shuang, we heard news of the Blue Sea Guild locating a Rare God Gene, their members were here".
"Rare God? How so?"
"We don't have the details, but it's guarded by ant monsters."
Mr. Shuang stopped walking. He untied his karate wear and hung it on the wall, revealing his muscular, scarred body from years of war in Teras.
"Isn't the Blue Sea Guild among Japan's top guilds?" Shuang asked, smiling.
"Yes, sir. Obtaining such a gene could push them up the global guild rankings—maybe even higher than United States."
Mr. Shuang stayed quiet for a moment. When genes were first discovered, some countries took it upon themselves to rise above others. But it shouldn't be that way. It wasn't supposed to be a competition, but a way to win the war that most had forgotten.
"Sir, shouldn't I send our guild to fetch it?"
"No need."
The hunters in the hallway were shocked by the head of China's guild's reply. He smiled, turned to them, and added,
"Life shouldn't be a competition with others—it's about self-improvement. In times like these, when a new hero is about to be born, we should support their rise. We'll benefit once they succeed," said Mr. Shuang.
"But sir, even the top guilds from Korea and the United States are after this gene."
"Let it be, Jun. Besides, our strongest guild didn't do well with the ant raid—we're still recovering."
"He's right, the white delta guild barely has the man power"
That was all China's head of the guild said before walking away. Top guilds from different countries were after this gene, and they couldn't believe the china were backing out of this chance.
---
The Sanctuary—a place built inside the Gate of Teras. Unlike any other city, it was protected by a mana shield from top to bottom.
Hunters could sell monster cores and other items here. Life was really great—for the strong ones, at least.
(Welcome to the Sanctuary of Teras.)
The female blue-headed A.I. Queen rotated atop the sanctuary, announcing the automated greeting.
The Sanctuary had a controlled weather climate, thanks to the A.I. Queen. It was an interstellar city with hunters from different guilds around the world.
Xuan couldn't believe his eyes. It was his first time inside the Sanctuary of the Teras Gate, and he had already seen three different evolution paths.
One was a man in a dark green monster suit with a tail. The suit even had the ability to switch colors—easily recognizable as the Chameleon's Evolution Path.
"Ah, shit. Hey boy, come help me with this," someone called out.
Xuan could tell the direction of the voice, but when he turned left, there was nobody.
"Down here, you moron," said the dwarf.
As Xuan looked down, he saw a dwarf with a bag of red monster cores. The bag had a hole in it, causing the cores to spill out.
"You need help with the cores, little man?" Xuan asked, smiling as he squatted next to the dwarf.
"What did you just call me?" The dwarf's voice had the tone of a monster killer, briefly stunning Xuan. He quickly corrected himself.
"Uh—I mean, need help with the bag, boss?"
"Of course, you moron! Why else would I call you? Now pack my cores inside this bag quickly. Jesus, kids are losing respect these days."
Xuan did as he was told, but when the dwarf wasn't looking, he hid two cores in his pocket before packing the rest into the sack.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Xuan."
"Ah, a Chinese hunter, eh? Nice to meet you, Xuan. I'm Dwarf—the greatest blacksmith of the Sanctuary. Need a weapon? It'll cost ya." The dwarf smirked, rubbing his fingertips together.
"Well, I don't have any money on me."
"Eh? You walk into the Sanctuary as a broke shit? Scram, moron! Kids nowadays don't even have rich parents. Jesus."
Xuan watched the dwarf walk away, dragging the sack of monster cores along the ground. As he tossed the stolen core up into the air, seven men in black suits walked past him.
Their aura screamed that they belonged to a big-shot guild. Xuan wasn't sure if it was curiosity or something else, but he had been hearing things more clearly than usual lately.
"Whoa, it's the One Autumn Guild from the United States. I heard many big guilds are looking for the Rare God Gene."
"Yeah, me too. I even saw the Devil Tiger Guild from Korea not long ago. Maybe the White Delta Raid will be here soon—who knows?"
"Damn, man. The big shots aren't joking."
"It's a battle of political power—who wouldn't be after it?"
Xuan's ears stretched far and wide across the Sanctuary, and the gossip filled him with excitement.
"One Autumn Guild—isn't that the global top guild right now?"
"Yeah, dude. Getting the God Gene would cement their reign. They're not leaving any space for small guilds to go after it."
"Yeah, whatever's guarding that egg is in for a lot of trouble."
A grin stretched across Xuan's face as he watched the seven hunters walking not too far from him. He was a master thief.
That was how he had fed himself and his little sister for years.
The thought of stealing the God Gene alone—
The smile. The excitement.
Xuan tossed the monster core onto the ground.
He had a bigger fish to catch.
With his little net in a pond full of monsters.