Kael groaned as he forced his eyes open.
Sunlight spilled across the room, sharp enough to make him squint. A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes, slow but persistent, like something was drilling into his skull.
"I feel like shit…"
His voice came out dry.
He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling before his gaze slowly drifted across the room. It wasn't anything special. Just a regular bedroom. A bed, a wardrobe tucked into the corner, and at the far end, a sleek gaming setup that looked far more expensive than everything else combined.
The rest of the room told a different story, though...
Clothes were flung across the floor. Snack wrappers littered the desk and corners. An old pizza box sat open near the wall, the smell faint but unpleasant enough to linger in the air.
Kael groaned again as a sharp pain shot through his head. He turned away from the light, dragging a hand through his messy brown hair and gripping it slightly.
"What happened last night…"
His memory felt off. Foggy. Like something was there, but just out of reach.
"And why does my body feel like I got beaten up…"
Every part of him ached. His muscles felt heavy, sore in a way that didn't match a normal night. It felt as if someone had used him as a punching bag for several hours and then tucked him back into bed.
He exhaled slowly. "I need water."
Pushing himself up took more effort than expected. His body felt sluggish as he swung his legs off the bed and stood. The moment his foot touched the floor, something shifted beneath it.
Slippery.
"Oh shi—"
His balance gave out instantly. His body tilted backward before he could react, his hand shooting out to grab onto something, anything.
There was nothing.
He fell hard, the back of his head slamming against something solid with a sharp crack.
For a brief moment, everything went quiet.
Then the pain hit.
Not the kind of pain from just hitting your head. This was something else entirely. It exploded inside his skull, violent and overwhelming.
Kael's mouth widened, but no sound came out.
It felt like something was tearing through his mind, like his skull had been split apart and something unseen was forcing information into it. Images, voices, emotions, all crashing into him at once.
Too much. Far too much.
He tried to scream, but his throat wouldn't work. He tried to move, to grab his head, but his body refused to respond. All he could do was endure it.
The pain stretched on, suffocating, endless.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
Kael lay on the floor, chest heaving, his body drenched in sweat. For a moment, he couldn't think straight. Couldn't even breathe properly.
Then his eyes snapped open.
"Lyra."
The name left his mouth before he even realized it.
He pushed himself up and rushed toward the door, ignoring the ache in his body. His hand was just about to reach the handle when it swung open.
Kael froze.
A girl stood there, around his age. Brown hair, green eyes. On closer look, their features were similar, almost like reflections, but where his were plain, hers stood out. She was beautiful.
"Lyra—"
He didn't hesitate.
The moment he saw her, something inside him broke loose. He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.
She stiffened instantly. "Ew—what are you doing?" she said, trying to push him away. "Get off me, Kael. You stink."
He barely registered her words. His arms tightened without him realizing it.
"You're okay…" His voice cracked. "Thank God you're okay…"
Warm tears slid down his cheeks.
Lyra frowned at first, still resisting, but then she paused. Her expression shifted as she noticed his shoulders were shaking and something wet was soaking her back.
Is he... crying?
The irritation faded, replaced by concern. Slowly, she stopped pushing him away and instead placed a hand on his back, patting him gently.
"Hey… what's wrong?" her voice softened. "Did something happen?"
Kael tried to speak. "I… I…"
The words refused to come out properly. His chest felt tight, his thoughts tangled, yet he couldn't quite explain where those emotions were suddenly flooding in from, why his chest was tightening, or why he was even in tears and acting this way.
Lyra watched him for a moment before asking, "…Did you have a bad dream?"
Kael froze.
A bad dream.
He swallowed. "…Yeah. A bad dream… yeah."
They stayed like that for a while before he slowly pulled away, putting some distance between them. Silence settled in, thick and awkward.
Both of them avoided eye contact.
Kael scratched the back of his head, his thoughts racing. Why did I just do that…
He opened his mouth to say something, but at the same time, Lyra also spoke.
"Um—"
They both stopped.
Silence again.
Kael cleared his throat. "You go ahead."
Lyra hesitated slightly before speaking. "I just came to tell you… food is ready."
"Oh." Kael nodded quickly. "Okay. I'll be there soon."
"Alright."
She turned and left almost immediately, the door shutting behind her.
Kael stood there, staring at it. The tension slowly faded, but confusion took its place.
"What… was that?"
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly.
Moments ago, something had forced its way into his head. Not just information. Memories.
Along with them came emotions. Heavy ones. Pain. Loss. Loneliness. Misery. They hit him before the memories even made sense.
And somehow, he knew exactly who they were about.
Lyra.
His chest suddenly started to tighten as he felt a sudden sense of urgency. Like something terrible had happened to her. Like he had lost her.
And when she walked in just now, he didn't think. He just moved.
Kael clenched his fist. "What the hell is going on…"
As if responding to his thoughts, something surfaced from deep within his mind, clearer this time.
Not fragments.
A memory.
His memory.
But it didn't belong to now.
It felt distant. Far away.
Years ahead.
Twenty years, to be precise.
Kael's breath caught. His face turned pale as sweat gathered on his skin, his pupils trembling.
"…What…"
His voice came out hollow.
"What the hell is this…?"
...
The memories didn't come gently.
At first, it was only fragments. A voice here, a face there, a strange feeling he couldn't place. Then, without warning, everything crashed in at once.
Kael dropped to the floor, his back pressing against the bed as if it could hold him together. His knees drew up instinctively, palms flat against the cold tiles. His eyes remained open, but he wasn't seeing his room anymore instead he was seeing something else entirely.
Lyra at eighteen, sitting on the worn couch in their living room. A hunter's badge rested proudly on her chest, catching the light as she smiled through her exhaustion. She told him they didn't need to worry about money anymore now she had became a hunter.
The memory unfolded vividly in his mind, as if he were reliving it through his own eyes. And in that moment, he felt the emotions.
Not happiness nor pride, it was rather something darker.... Jealousy.
The memory shifted, time moving forward like a scene he couldn't pause. Lyra returned from the tower again and again, each time more battered than the last. Bruises, cuts, exhaustion written all over her, yet she never stopped. She cooked, cleaned, held the house together, and still found the strength to visit their mother at the hospital.
And him?
He saw himself too. Sitting in front of a screen, lost in games, day after day. Doing nothing. Contributing nothing. Just existing while everything around him slowly fell apart.
The days blurred into years, repeating the same pattern until one day, something changed.
That memory was sharper than the rest.
Lyra came back worse than usual. This time, she didn't bother hiding her injuries behind oversized clothes and a forced smile.
There was anger in her eyes. Real anger, the kind that had been building for a long time.
They argued.
No, they shouted.
Her voice trembled as she told him to at least help, even a little. She was the one earning, the one suffering, the one carrying everything. The least he could do was not sit around all day.
Kael's chest tightened as he heard his own reply.
Cold.
Harsh.
Every word hit harder as the memory replayed. He wanted to stop, to take it back, but it didn't slow down.
It just kept going.
He felt his chest clench at the words leaving his own mouth. They were cruel words.
At the end Lyra turned away and walked into her room.
That was the last time he saw her.
Lyra had always been careful. No matter how hard things got, she never entered the tower without recovering first. Sometimes it took weeks, sometimes months, but never less than a few days.
Except that time.
Maybe she was too angry. Maybe she just needed space. Maybe she was simply tired.
She went back into the tower the very next day.
And she never came back.
The years that followed felt distant and blurred, like watching someone else's life. There was alcohol, regret, and bills piling up faster than he could handle. When the money ran out, he was forced to act.
Odd jobs at first. Then harder choices.
Their mother's medical bills kept rising until they became something he could no longer ignore. So at twenty-five, he made a decision.
He became a hunter.
It was dangerous, but it paid. Or at least, it could.
But it was already too late.
He had started too late.
His potential was gone before he even began. He struggled, survived, barely moved forward while everything else kept slipping through his fingers. His mother died not long after.
And years later, so did he.
On the fiftieth floor of the tower.
The memories ended there.
Kael gasped as he returned to himself, his body soaked in sweat. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he reached for it, expecting pain, expecting something.
There was nothing.
No wounds. No blood.
Just his body, whole and untouched.
His gaze slowly lifted, taking in the familiar walls of his room. Everything was the same, exactly as it had always been.
"I'm… here?"
His voice came out low, uncertain.
It had felt too real. Not like a dream or an imagination, it felt like he had just lived twenty years within those short period.
His head throbbed as confusion settled in. He felt eighteen, yet at the same time, he felt like a thirty-eight-year-old man who had already lived and died. Two sets of memories clashed inside him, both vivid, both real.
He let out a slow breath and touched his face, only now realizing he had been crying.
"…What is this?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
Kael closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, something steadier forming beneath the confusion. It didn't matter whether it was a vision, a memory, or a life he had truly lived.
If even a small part of it could become reality, then he would stop it.
His expression hardened.
Everything traced back to one thing.
Money.
If they had money, Lyra wouldn't have needed to become a hunter so early. She wouldn't have pushed herself like that. Their mother wouldn't have been left without proper treatment.
It all came back to money.
Raw, simple, unforgiving.
"I'll change it," he muttered quietly.
He knew exactly how to do that.
The tower.
It was the fastest way to earn and also the most dangerous. But if he wanted to change anything, it was a risk he had to take.
In that other life, he had started at twenty-five, when it was already too late. But that wasn't the case now. He was eighteen. He was at the exact age where potential was sharpest and growth came fastest.
Resolve settled in his eyes as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. His legs felt weak, but they held. His gaze swept across his room and paused.
Clothes scattered everywhere. Empty wrappers. Old pizza box.
A total mess.
He stared at it for a moment before letting out a small breath that almost turned into a laugh.
"…Yeah. Let's start here."
If he couldn't fix this, then everything else was meaningless.
He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
---
Twenty minutes later, the room looked different.
Not perfect, but clean enough. The window was open, letting fresh air push out the stale smell that had settled in over time. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, Kael stepped out of his room.
The house was quiet.
Lyra sat at the table, halfway through her meal. For a brief moment, he just stood there, taking it in. She was real. Alive. Right in front of him.
She looked up.
Their eyes met.
Both of them flinched almost immediately and looked away. Lyra suddenly seemed very focused on her bowl, while Kael scratched the back of his head and walked over to the seat across from her.
A bowl was already placed there.
He sat down and started eating without a word.
Silence filled the space between them. Not comfortable, just awkward and heavy. The soft clink of spoons against bowls was the only sound.
Kael kept his gaze on his food, focusing on it for a moment. Then he set the spoon down and broke the silence.
"Lyra," he said, looking up.
She paused, but didn't lift her head.
"I want to register for the hunter exam."
...
For a moment after the words left his mouth, the room went still.
Lyra's hand paused halfway to her plate. She didn't react immediately, like she hadn't fully processed what he said. Then slowly, she looked up, her eyes meeting his.
Kael caught it right away. That slight shift beneath her calm. A flicker of unease, almost like she was bracing herself. He didn't get the chance to study it for long.
"You know registration ends today, right?" she said, her voice steady but not quite relaxed.
Kael nodded. "I know."
A brief silence followed before Lyra spoke again, hesitating just a little. "Kael… I just finished paying off mom's hospital bills. I don't really have any money on me right now.
Kael blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't even asked for money. He only wanted to tell her. But as the silence stretched, something else surfaced in his mind. Old memories. Uncomfortable ones. Excuses. Lies. All the times he had cornered her into giving him money.
His grip on the spoon tightened before loosening again.
'I've really been an asshole…'
The thought came out bitter. When he looked at her again, that same look was still in her eyes. Not just nervousness, but expectation. Like she was waiting for him to snap, to turn this into something ugly.
The old him probably would have.
Kael swallowed whatever words had been rising earlier and lowered his gaze back to his food. Lyra did the same, and the room settled into a quiet that wasn't comfortable, but not loud either. Just heavy.
They ate like that until both plates were empty.
Kael stood first, picking up the bowls without a word and heading to the sink. The sound of running water filled the silence as he washed them clean. Lyra didn't move.
When he was done, he dried his hands and turned toward his room, taking a few steps before stopping. Something made him glance back.
Lyra was still seated, watching him, that same mix of shock and uncertainty on her face.
He exhaled quietly. "By the way, I wasn't asking you for money. I won't be doing that anymore. I just thought I should let you know. As for the registration fee… I'll handle it myself."
He didn't wait for a response. Turning away, he walked into his room and closed the door behind him.
The silence followed.
Lyra hadn't said anything. Maybe she was too surprised. Maybe she didn't believe him. Either way, it didn't matter right now.
Kael sat on the edge of his bed and let out a slow breath. From now on, he would fix things. Not with words, but with actions. That was the only thing that would matter in the end.
His gaze drifted as memories surfaced. At some point, things had gone wrong between them. He couldn't even tell when. They used to be close, too close even. Twins who couldn't spend a single day apart.
Then somewhere along the line, things changed.
Lyra grew into herself, into her looks, while he stayed the same. Average. Forgettable. What started as envy had slowly, quietly, turned into something uglier. He let out a quiet sigh, dragging a hand down his face.
"Stupid kid…" he muttered, his voice sounding like a tired elder scolding a naughty child they still loved.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside and looked around the room. The window was open, letting in fresh air, and the stale smell had faded a little. His eyes landed on the setup in the corner.
For a moment, he just stared at it.
The sleek monitor. The tower. Everything neatly arranged. A faint ache stirred in his chest.
"Sorry," he muttered under his breath. "But something's gotta go."
He picked up his phone and began photographing everything before listing them online. The monitor, the system unit, every accessory. All of it. They were good pieces too, recent models he had spent months putting together.
With Lyra's money.
The thought made him wince. "Yeah… definitely an asshole."
He priced everything lower than it should be. He didn't have time to wait for the best offer. He needed cash, and fast.
Once he was done, he set the phone aside and stood up. If he wanted to pass the hunter exam, this body needed work. Luckily, the memories in his head weren't useless. He remembered a few solid workout routines. Efficient ones.
That was enough.
He started simple. Push-ups. Core work. Basic drills. It didn't take long before his muscles started burning, but he pushed through, forcing his body to keep going.
By noon, sweat clung to his skin and his breathing had grown heavier. Only then did he reach for his phone again.
Just like he expected, the listings had blown up. Messages. Offers. Buyers ready to pick up immediately. He skimmed through them and chose the fastest options.
Instant payment. Instant pickup.
Within an hour, everything was gone.
His room felt emptier. Too quiet.
Kael ignored that and checked his bank balance.
30,000.
A small smile tugged at his lips. The registration fee was around 10k. That left him with 20k. Not much, but not small either.
He opened the Hunter Association website and went straight to the registration page. Payment first, then the form. Basic details. Name. Age. Background. He filled everything in without hesitation.
A few taps later, it was done.
Registered.
All that was left now was to wait.
His eyes drifted back to his balance. 20k. He thought about it for a moment. Gear for the exam would take at least half.
The remaining…
Kael didn't hesitate. He opened his banking app and typed in Lyra's account number.
10k.
Sent.
He stared at the screen for a second before setting the phone down. It rang almost immediately.
Lyra.
He picked up.
"What was that?!" Her voice burst through. "You sent me money?"
Kael leaned back slightly. "Yeah. My contribution for the house. Is there a problem?"
Silence followed. A few seconds passed before she spoke again, quieter this time.
"Where did you get it from?"
"I sold the setup."
"The setup?" Her voice rose again. "You mean your—"
"I've got to go," Kael cut in. "Need to train."
He ended the call before she could press further.
For a moment, he stood there, then a small smile slipped through.
He set the phone aside and stretched his arms.
The exam was coming, and he still had a lot to prepare before then.
...
The days that followed settled into a steady rhythm. Wake up, run, train, eat, sleep, then do it all again.
Kael had no gym membership, no equipment, no trainer. He didn't have the money for any of that, and frankly, he didn't need it. He had the apartment building's stairwell, the park two streets over, and twenty years of accumulated knowledge about exactly what a body needed before it could fight anything worth fighting
So he used all three, every single day.
The changes weren't dramatic, nothing that would turn heads or earn second glances. But they were there. The small things came easier now. Movements that had left him winded a week ago barely registered. His grip was steadier, his footwork cleaner, the deep ache that used to settle into his legs after a run now fading faster than it arrived.
Small things. But small things added up.
And the changes didn't stop at his body. Something else, quieter and more fragile, began to shift as well.
Lyra.
Their meals were still mostly silent, awkwardly so. She still moved carefully around him, like she was afraid of stepping on something unseen, but it wasn't the same as before.
He noticed it in the way she looked at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention. The fear was still there, but now there was something else mixed into it. A faint, cautious hope, as if she was waiting to see whether this version of him would last or fade away like something temporary.
Kael noticed it, and it mattered more than he expected. The change was small, barely there, but it was real. And that was enough to keep him going. He would fix this. No matter how long it took, no matter how slow or awkward it felt, he swore to mend what he had broken.
And like that days slipped past without him noticing, one blending into the next until suddenly, it was time.
The Hunter Exam.
Kael woke before dawn and got ready without hesitation. He moved quietly, dressing in the gear he had prepared the day before. Nothing impressive. A set of worn leather armor from a second-hand hunter supply shop, softened by use but still sturdy. His boots were solid, the soles reinforced enough to handle rough ground, and a pair of light gauntlets fit snugly around his hands without restricting movement. He flexed his fingers once, then again, making sure they responded the way he needed.
No weapons. Too expensive. He would deal with that later.
When he stepped out of his room, the apartment was quiet. Empty.
On the table sat a plate, neatly covered, with a small sticky note beside it. Lyra's handwriting.
He picked it up and read it quickly. She had already left, gone ahead to the Hunter Association.
Kael paused for a moment before letting out a quiet breath. Right, she was taking the exam too.
If it were up to him, he would have stopped her. The life of a hunter wasn't something you stepped into lightly. It was dangerous, unpredictable, and far too easy to lose yourself in. He didn't want that for her.
But wanting wasn't enough. Not right now.
They needed money, and he didn't have the right to stand in her way when he couldn't offer a better option. His grip tightened slightly on the note before he set it back down.
That would change. He would make sure of it.
He just needed time, time to earn enough so she would never have to make choices like this again. Only then could he pull her away from that path without it turning into an argument.
Kael ate quickly, then grabbed his things and booked a transit. The ride passed in silence, and when he stepped off, the first thing he saw was the building.
The Hunter Association.
It stood taller than everything around it, rising above the district like it had something to prove. Clean stone walls and reinforced glass caught the morning light, giving it a presence that felt unshakable. At the entrance stood a signpost bearing a silver emblem, a stylized knight with one hand braced against a massive shield and the other holding an oversized blade. Beneath it, in sharp block letters, were the words: HUNTER ASSOCIATION.
Kael stopped for a moment, staring at it. It felt familiar, and yet not quite. He let out a quiet breath, then walked in.
Inside, the air felt different, almost sterile. There was already a line at the reception desk, not long but steadily growing. Kael joined without a word, counting nine people ahead of him as he waited.
No one talked much. Just the occasional shuffle, the faint hum of movement, and the steady tapping of keys from behind the desk.
When his turn came, the woman at the front didn't look up. Her fingers moved across the keyboard with practiced ease, her eyes fixed on the screen.
"Purpose of visit."
"Hunter exam."
"Registration number."
He gave it, and she typed without pause. After a moment, she stopped as if waiting for something to load, then finally looked up.
"It says here this is your first time taking the exam. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
She nodded, already reaching for the desk phone. A short call, a few quiet words, then she hung up.
"Step to the side. Someone will be with you shortly."
"Alright."
He moved clear of the desk and let the queue resume behind him. He heard her voice as the next person stepped forward.
"Purpose of visit."
It didn't even sound like a question anymore.
With nothing else to do, his thoughts drifted to the exam itself.
The exam had three stages, the first being the most important.
Mana affinity test.
It hadn't always been part of the process. That change came after years of mistakes paid for in blood. When the rifts first appeared decades ago, no one understood what they were. They tore open the world and spilled monsters and a strange energy into the atmosphere, something people would later come to call mana.
The first response was simple. Fight back.
Governments gathered their forces and launched attacks, managing to push the monsters back. Then came the first exploration into a rift, a decision driven more by desperation than understanding.
It went badly. Many died.
But they also found something.
The Tower.
A massive structure located within those strange worlds. Its purpose was a mystery, yet people couldn't resist it. Some reached out to it and vanished, sending waves of panic through those who watched. Hours later, a handful of the missing returned, battered but alive, bringing with them knowledge that would change everything.
It turned out the Tower wasn't just a structure. It was a trial.
Those who touched it were sent into a tutorial, and those who survived awakened powers that defied everything humanity thought it knew. That was the beginning of it all.
More rifts appeared after that, each one containing its own world, its own dangers, but always the same Tower waiting at the center. People began chasing the power it offered, and just like that, the age of hunters began.
Over time, the Hunter Association was formed to regulate them. Every year, new candidates took the exam and entered the Tower, but many never came back. At first, they thought the tutorial was simply too difficult, so they made the exams harder.
It didn't help.
The deaths continued until the truth was uncovered years later. Not everyone could handle mana. Some simply lacked the ability to contain it, and when those people entered the Tower, they were destroyed.
That discovery led to the addition of the first stage of the exam.
Mana affinity test.
A simple test that saved countless lives.
Kael let out a quiet breath as the memory settled.
Then a voice cut through his thoughts.
"Hey. This way."
He looked up to see a young man in a Hunter Association uniform standing a few steps away, motioning for him to follow.
Kael straightened and stepped forward.
It was time.
...
The young staff member led him down a corridor and stopped at a door that looked like any other in the building, pushing it open to reveal a small room.
It was clean. Almost too clean.
White walls, clinical lighting, and nothing else except for a single object resting on a low platform at the centre of the room. It looked like a slab of crystal, clear in a way that felt almost unnatural, like looking through still water into nothing.
"Place your hand on the surface," the staff member said, gesturing towards it.
Kael stepped forward without hesitation and pressed his palm against it. Warmth surged through him instantly, rushing from his hand through his entire body as if something was scanning him from the inside. Then just as quickly, it pulled back, flowing into the slab again.
It didn't hurt. It wasn't even uncomfortable. Just… intrusive.
A moment later, the crystal glowed with a soft blue light.
The staff member gave a small nod and scribbled something down on his clipboard. "Alright. Come with me."
Kael pulled his hand away and followed. They exited through another corridor, quieter than the last, before stopping in front of another identical door.
"This is the waiting room. You'll be called when it's your turn for the next stage. Listen for your registration number." He said nothing after that. The silence itself was the dismissal.
Kael took the hint as he nodded and stepped inside.
The space opened up far wider than he expected. High ceilings, bright lighting, enough room for a large gathering, though only a portion of it was occupied. He glanced around, counting out of habit. Thirty people, maybe a few more, all around his age.
A few heads turned when he entered, curious for a moment before looking away again.
Kael didn't mind. He moved toward a corner and settled in, letting the silence stretch.
It didn't last.
Heavy footsteps broke through the stillness.
Kael looked up as someone approached. A boy around his age, broad-shouldered with a solid build that hinted at strength without trying. But what stood out wasn't his physique.
It was his face.
He looked happy. Not just relaxed or friendly, but genuinely, almost strangely happy, as if nothing in the world had ever given him a reason not to be.
Their eyes met, and the boy flashed a wide, easy smile. It wasn't forced. It came naturally.
"You look green. First time taking the exam?"
Kael paused briefly, then nodded. "Yeah. First time."
The boy's face split into a grin like a child whose guess had just been confirmed by a trusted adult. "Called it."
Then his grin slowly died of as he scratched the back of his head before extending his hand. "My bad. Adam."
Kael took it. "Cool name. Kael."
"Kael…" Adam repeated, like he was testing the sound of it. "Sounds good."
For a brief second, something in his tone shifted, subtle but noticeable.
Is he insecure about his own name or something?
Before the thought could settle, Adam was already back to normal. "You seem pretty nervous."
Kael blinked. Nervous?
He was about to respond, but Adam stepped closer and gave him a firm pat on the back, like they'd known each other for years.
"Relax. Failing isn't the end of the world. You can always try again next year. It's not a big deal."
Kael just stared at him.
First of all, who was nervous? And second… who was planning to fail?
If anything, his only concern was how well he would perform.
His silence seemed to confirm whatever Adam had already decided, because the pats on his back grew even more encouraging.
Before Kael could stop him, a voice cut in.
"Adam, get away from him. Don't jinx it."
Kael turned to see a girl approaching. Blonde hair tied into neat pigtails, light leather armor fitted comfortably over her frame, with gloves, boots, and a bow resting across her back alongside a quiver of arrows. She looked prepared.
Adam placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "Come on, Zoey. I was just encouraging my buddy here."
Kael raised a brow. Buddy?
Zoey didn't look convinced. "You're not encouraging him. You're crowding him."
Then she turned to Kael. "Don't mind this airhead. He does this all the time."
"I noticed," Kael said. "He seems… friendly."
"Maybe a little too friendly," she replied.
She extended her hand. "Zoey."
"Kael."
He glanced between them. "You guys seem close."
"Pretty much," she said. "We met here last year."
Kael raised a brow. "Here?"
"Right here in this room." She nodded toward Adam with a small shrug. "We both sat the exam last year. Both failed. I didn't pass the physical assessment and he struggled with the written test, so we started training together after that, each of us filling in the other's weak spots."
She nudged Adam lightly. "His idea."
Kael chuckled. "Looks like it worked. You both seem prepared."
Zoey shrugged slightly, while Adam wore a proud grin that she quickly noticed and ignored.
"What about you?" she asked. "How long have you been preparing?"
"A few days."
Both of them froze.
"That's reckless," Zoey said.
"Bold," Adam added.
Kael just shrugged.
Before they could say more, a loud voice cut through the room.
"Attention!"
Everyone turned toward the front as a staff member stepped forward, posture straight and voice firm.
"I'll be calling registration numbers. When you hear yours, make your way forward."
No delay. He began immediately.
Numbers echoed across the room one after another. When Adam and Zoey's were called in the same batch, they quickly got ready to leave.
"See you around," Adam said.
"Good luck," Zoey added.
Kael nodded as they left with the group.
The room grew quieter after that, though not for long as new arrivals trickled in. Time passed, slow and steady, until the staff member returned and started calling another set of numbers.
Kael's was among them.
He stood and joined the group, following them into another room. This one was much smaller, arranged like a classroom with rows of desks.
They took their seats as papers were distributed.
Kael glanced down.
Simple.
Strategies for hunting goblins. Common herbs for stopping bleeding. Basic properties of materials. Standard knowledge.
For someone with twenty years of hunters experience etched into his memory, it was almost effortless.
He finished within minutes, submitted his paper, and left without hesitation.
The next stage awaited.
The physical assessment.
Or rather, the combat test.
Instead of an arena, he was led into a room lined with sleek pods. VR units.
The staff helped him set everything up, and the world faded.
Then—
A vast clearing stretched out around him, surrounded by tall trees swaying gently. A screen flickered into existence in front of him.
[Welcome to Hunter Exam Stage Three.]
[Please select your weapon.]
A list appeared. Blades, spears, bows, axes. At the bottom, an option to use a personal weapon.
Kael didn't bring any weapon with him so he selected a standard sword from the option.
The next moment light gathered in his hand, forming into shape as the weapon materialized. He gripped it, testing the balance. Not perfect, but usable. Slightly off, enough to strain his wrist if he relied on one hand too much.
Still… good enough.
The screen flashed again.
[Stage Three Beginning. First monster wave in 5…]
Kael adjusted his stance, tightening his grip as his breathing slowed and his focus sharpened.
The countdown ticked down in silence.
Time to see if the past few days training had been enough.
...
The countdown hit zero.
For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then the forest shifted.
The forest ahead of him rustled, and a figure stepped out from the undergrowth.
Small. Green. Barely over three feet tall.
A goblin.
It wore nothing but a tattered strip of cloth around its waist. Its dull green skin stretched over a wiry but defined frame, and its long ears twitched at the slightest sound. In its hand was a crude dagger carved from bone, the blade stained dark from repeated use. Blood, dirt, and some other grime which had long since buried its original color.
The goblin tilted its head, then its eyes locked onto him. Yellow, sharp, and filled with mischief.
A low growl slipped from its throat.
Kael let out a quiet breath, rolling his shoulder once to loosen up.
"Of course they'd make them this real…"
Memories surfaced without effort. Goblins were common, weak on paper, usually found within the first ten floors of the Tower. But weak didn't mean harmless. People died to these creatures all the time, not because of strength, but because of how they fought.
They ambushed. They set traps. They fought dirty.
And their blades… they were poisoned.
Extracts from plants, crushed insects, whatever they could find. Even a shallow cut could be enough. The toxin would seep in, slow you down, then they'll finish you off while you struggled to move.
Kael knew all of it. He had lived it.
Fifty floors' worth of experience sat quietly in his mind. Battles against hordes, close calls, the exact rhythm of how these creatures moved and killed. The only thing he lacked now was a body that could keep up.
Still, a faint smile touched his lips.
"Come on then…"
He raised his sword, grip steady. "Let's see the stuff you're made of."
The goblin shrieked and lunged, dagger aimed low toward his midsection. Just like he expected.
Kael didn't rush. He waited.
At the last second, he shifted just enough for the blade to miss him by a hair. The motion was tight and controlled. Then he moved.
A single clean swing.
The goblin's head separated from its body before it even realized it had missed. The body dropped, twitching once before going still.
Kael exhaled slowly, his hand tingling from the impact.
"…Right. No flashy moves."
A faint light flickered as a screen appeared before him.
[First Wave Cleared]
[Next Wave Begins in 10…]
The goblin's corpse dissolved into particles of light, and the forest fell quiet again.
Then two figures stepped out.
This time, they didn't hesitate. Both goblins charged immediately.
Kael narrowed his eyes as they split on approach. One came straight at him while the other curved wide to his left, trying to box him in.
But he didn't give them a chance to succeed. He moved first, stepping toward the one on the left before it could complete its arc. The sudden pressure threw off its timing completely.
A sharp kick to its wrist sent its dagger flying, and before it could recover, Kael drove the pommel of his sword into its temple. The goblin dropped instantly.
He didn't stop.
Using the momentum, he turned just as the second goblin reached him. Its blade came in fast, but Kael caught it on the flat of his sword and pushed it aside, redirecting the strike past him.
Then he stepped in and drove his blade into its side.
The goblin choked and collapsed.
Kael pulled his sword free and let out a breath. "Two down."
The screen returned.
[Second Wave Cleared]
[Next Wave Begins in 15…]
The bodies vanished, replaced by three more goblins.
Kael adjusted his stance, rolling his shoulders again. A small smile crept onto his face.
"…Now it's getting interesting."
The waves continued.
Three became four. Four became five. Each round pushed him harder, forcing him to think faster, move cleaner, and manage his position carefully. He never let them fully surround him, always cutting through their formation before it closed.
At least, at first.
By the eighth wave, his breathing had grown heavier. Sweat clung to his skin, and his limbs felt just a little slower than before.
Eight goblins circled him now, their yellow eyes watching, waiting.
Normally, he would have broken their formation before it tightened.
This time, he was just a fraction too late.
They closed in.
Kael's jaw clenched as they moved all at once. He cut one down, dodged another, but something slipped through.
A sharp pain exploded in his back.
He staggered.
"…Tch."
He turned and cut down the one behind him, but it was already done. The toxin spread fast, far too fast. His limbs grew heavy, his grip weakening as the poison took hold.
Another goblin lunged.
He tried to move, but his body didn't respond in time.
The blade slid across his neck.
Everything went still.
A screen appeared before him.
[Candidate Eliminated]
[Simulation Ending…]
The forest dissolved into light.
Kael's eyes snapped open as the pod hissed and unlocked.
For a moment, he just sat there, breathing steadily.
"…Eight waves."
Not bad. But not enough.
He stepped out of the pod, his gaze briefly sweeping across the room. Some of the other pods were now occupied. It seemed others from his batch had begun finishing their written exam as well.
He looked away.
Didn't matter.
The staff member who had brought him earlier stood nearby, jotting something down on a clipboard before glancing up.
"Come with me."
Kael followed him back to the front desk. The setup was the same as before, a small queue in front of the counter, the same woman seated behind it.
The staff member leaned in and spoke to her in a low voice. She nodded, typed something quickly, and he left without another word.
The woman's gaze remained on her screen for a few seconds before she looked up at Kael.
"Congratulations. You passed the Hunter Exam on your first attempt. Not many manage that. You should be proud."
Kael simply nodded.
Behind him, however, the reaction was different. The people in the queue shifted, whispers starting to spread. Everyone there understood what that meant. Passing on the first try placed him among a very small percentage.
He ignored them.
"All relevant information has been sent to your registered email," the woman continued, sliding an ID card across the desk.
It looked simple, his image and basic details printed on its surface, but Kael knew better. The card was layered with complex magical encoding, making it impossible to forge.
He picked it up, his eyes settling on his rank.
F+.
A small nod followed.
"Not bad."
From what he remembered, the highest achievable rank before awakening was E. This was solid.
Seeing him examine it, the woman added, "This ID includes a one-week rift permit. You can access any rift under the Hunter Guild within your rank or below. Some sections are still incomplete. After your awakening, you can return for reassessment to update your information."
She paused briefly. "Of course, you may keep certain details private if you wish, unless you plan to register as an official Hunter under the Association."
Kael listened, then nodded once.
Standard procedure.
He slipped the card into his hand and looked back at her.
"Where's the nearest rift I can access with my rank?"
...
Kael walked out of the Hunter Association without looking back, he hadn't missed the scowl still lingering on the desk lady's face. She had tried to convince him to wait, to take more time and prepare properly before stepping into a rift for the first time.
He listened to her, then brushed her off politely.
She probably saw him as reckless now. Maybe even an idiot.
It didn't bother him.
He wasn't walking in unprepared. The past few days hadn't just been about passing the exam. He had trained with the tower tutorial in mind, pushing himself to adjust as quickly as possible.
At some point, more preparation would just be wasted time. It wouldn't make any real difference.
So why waste time?
He booked a transit and began his journey toward the Mash World, the name of the rift he was headed to.
The ride was quiet. Kael leaned back slightly and pulled out his phone, checking the notification he had received earlier. Just as the desk lady had said, there was an email from the Hunter Association waiting for him.
He opened it and skimmed through the contents. Rules, guidelines, survival tips. The usual. Most of it was information he already knew before the exam.
He didn't linger on it.
Scrolling down, he found a link at the bottom and tapped it. The Hunter Association website loaded up, clean and structured. It connected all registered hunters, filled with reports, discussions, and shared information.
Kael signed in using his newly issued ID and was taken to the homepage, but he didn't stay there long. He went straight to the forum.
His fingers moved quickly as he searched for anything related to the Mash World. It didn't take long for results to appear. Thread after thread filled the screen.
He opened one.
The Mash World, also known as the Poison Marsh. A rift filled with toxic swampland where even the air itself could be deadly over time. Protective gear wasn't optional. It was necessary.
He kept scrolling.
The most common creatures were mud slimes. They hid within the marsh, blending perfectly with their surroundings before attacking without warning. Their attacks were corrosive enough to melt through flesh, and several comments warned against taking them lightly.
Kael read through everything without reacting.
He had no intention of underestimating anything, especially not creatures inside a rift.
If anything, experience had already taught him how deceptive these places could be.
Rift rankings, for example, were far from straightforward. Most people assumed that lower-ranked rifts were safer, but that wasn't entirely true. Two major factors determined a rift's ranking.
The first was exploration. Newly discovered rifts were usually classified at higher ranks because of the unknown risks. Only after thorough exploration would their true difficulty be reassessed.
The second was environmental and behavioral factors. Terrain, monster patterns, and overall conditions played a role. A rift could be ranked lower not because it was harmless, but because its dangers were predictable and manageable.
The Mash World was one of those cases.
The toxic air could be dealt with using basic protective masks. The mud slimes, while dangerous, were mostly passive and stayed within their territories. As long as a hunter didn't wander into areas beyond their level, the risk remained relatively low.
But that didn't mean it was safe.
Underestimating a rift based on its rank was one of the fastest ways to die.
Kael locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He had gathered enough information.
Looking out the window, he noticed the scenery had changed. The land had become barren, stripped of life. No vegetation, no movement, nothing but dry, empty ground stretching into the distance.
They were getting close.
Rifts leaked mana into their surroundings, and over time, it poisoned the environment. The closer one got, the more lifeless everything became.
The transit eventually slowed to a stop.
Kael stepped out and immediately spotted it.
The rift.
It looked like a tear carved into reality itself, as though something had sliced the world open. Beyond it lay nothing but darkness, deep and endless.
A few hunters stood nearby, gathered in small groups. Most seemed to be waiting for teammates.
Kael walked past them without paying any attention and headed straight for the rift.
The moment he stepped through, his body reacted violently.
A powerful force pulled at him from every direction, distorting his senses and throwing off his balance. For a brief moment, it felt as if he was being dragged out of reality itself.
Then it stopped.
Just like that.
Kael steadied himself and opened his eyes.
His surroundings had completely changed. He now stood inside a massive hall.
Before he could take in more, two figures in heavy gear approached him. Their equipment was well-maintained, clearly belonging to experienced hunters. One of them stopped at a distance while the other stepped forward.
"ID," he said.
Kael handed it over without hesitation. The man scanned it with a handheld device, his expression shifting slightly as he read the result.
"You're a new hunter?" he asked.
Kael nodded. "Just passed the exam."
The man paused for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright."
He signaled to his partner, who immediately left the hall.
"Your guide will be here soon," he added, returning the ID.
Kael stepped aside, moving away from the entrance while the guard returned to his position.
After a short wait, the second guard came back with someone else.
The man who approached was broad-shouldered and well-built, but his expression carried a hint of surprise, as if he hadn't expected this situation. His eyes quickly found Kael.
"You're the new hunter?" he asked.
Kael nodded again. "Yeah. Just got my license."
The man let out a quiet breath, almost amused. "Didn't expect someone to jump in this quickly."
"I understand," Kael replied calmly.
The man relaxed slightly. "Name's Taras."
"Kael."
"Alright, Kael. Come with me."
Taras turned and led the way out of the hall. As they stepped outside, a massive city came into view.
High walls surrounded it, and rows of buildings stretched across the area in an organized layout. From the way everything was structured, it was clear this wasn't just a normal city built for settlement.
It was a fortress.
"This is standard for controlled rifts," Taras explained as they walked. "The entrance works both ways. Monsters can come through just as easily as we do, so we build around it."
He chuckled lightly. "And people aren't exactly predictable either."
Kael observed everything quietly. Despite being inside a rift, the city felt alive. Shops, inns, restaurants. Hunters moved around, some preparing, others resting or trading.
"The air here is toxic over time," Taras continued. "You can stay for a while, but long-term exposure isn't a good idea unless you've got support like potions or a healer."
He suddenly glanced at Kael. "You don't have a mask?"
Kael shook his head. "I was planning to get one here."
Taras laughed. "Good thinking. You'll get one anyway. First-time entry, the Association provides it."
He looked back at Kael with a grin. "Still, I've got to say, you've got guts. Most new hunters take time after their first real fight with monsters in the simulation during the exam."
He paused slightly, eyeing him.
"But you… you came straight in."
Kael listened and kept his expression neutral.
Taras was chatty. That tracked. A guide who couldn't hold a conversation would be a poor guide by definition. And Kael had the quiet thought that it probably wasn't in his best interest to mention that the money had factored fairly heavily into his decision to move this fast.
Some things were better left unsaid.
Taras continued talking as they moved through the city, pointing out key places along the way. Everything functioned like a normal city, just built within a far more dangerous environment.
Eventually, they entered another building.
"Transport," Taras said. "Flying mounts."
Kael glanced around as he took it in.
"No flying monsters in this rift," Taras added. "Makes air travel the fastest option. Still risky if you don't know what you're doing. Some slimes can attack from farther than you'd expect."
He handled the arrangements quickly.
Before long, a massive bird was brought out, resembling an eagle but far larger. It shifted its wings slightly, its sharp eyes observing them.
"Fastest you'll get here," Taras said.
They mounted it, and with a powerful beat of its wings, the creature lifted into the air.
The city shrank beneath them, replaced by the endless stretch of toxic marsh.
And somewhere ahead, still distant but closing, was the tower.
...
The wind roared past them, sharp and relentless.
It pressed against Kael's body with enough force to make breathing difficult, each gust clawing at him as if trying to tear him off the mount. Even with Taras seated ahead, subtly diverting most of the pressure, the ride was still brutal.
The eagle-like beast flew at a terrifying speed, its massive wings cutting cleanly through the air. Kael tightened his grip, fingers digging into the coarse feathers beneath him, steadying himself as best as he could.
"First time flying?" Taras called out, his tone relaxed, almost amused.
Kael almost lost his balance at the question.
For a split second, he wondered if Taras was serious. Where exactly was someone like him supposed to have seen a bird like this before, let alone ride one?
He swallowed the response that came to mind.
Right now, staying on was a bigger priority than answering stupid questions.
He tightened his grip instead, forcing his focus back on the ride.
Ahead of him, Taras guided the mount with practiced ease, adjusting their direction without hesitation or wasted movement. For all his questionable intelligence, his skill as a guide was undeniable.
Kael couldn't help but admit that much.
Time passed quickly.
At some point, Kael noticed it.
At first, it was just a thin shape in the distance, barely noticeable against the horizon. But as they got closer, it began to grow… and it didn't stop.
Until it towered over everything.
The structure pierced the sky like a blade driven into the world. Its surface was dark, almost like obsidian, yet different. It didn't reflect light the way it should. Instead, it seemed to swallow it.
Even from afar, it felt heavy.
Oppressive.
Taras guided the beast into a descent, circling once before landing at its base.
Kael stepped down, his boots settling against the cold stone platform at the tower's base.
For a moment, he didn't move.
His gaze lifted slowly, tracing the structure upward as far as his eyes could follow before it disappeared into the clouds.
"It's big, huh," Taras said casually.
Kael let out a quiet breath, his gaze still fixed upward. "That's one way to put it."
Taras smirked, like he had a joke in mind but chose not to say it. Instead, he clapped his hands together lightly, brushing them off.
"Well, this is where I leave you."
Kael glanced at him.
"Place your hand on the surface," Taras continued, nodding toward the tower. "You'll be transported inside. That's where your tutorial begins."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "As for me, I stay here. Standard procedure."
"How long?" Kael asked.
"Twelve hours," Taras replied. "No recorded tutorial has gone past that. If you're not out by then…"
He gave a small shrug, leaving the rest unsaid.
The meaning was clear.
Kael nodded once. "Got it."
Taras studied him for a moment, then gave a small grin. "Good luck."
"…Thanks."
Kael turned and walked toward the tower.
Up close, it felt even stranger. The surface was perfectly smooth, unnaturally so, without a single flaw or imperfection.
He hesitated for a brief moment, then placed his hand against it.
The response was immediate.
A crushing pressure slammed down on him, far heavier than anything he had ever experienced. His breath caught as the force wrapped around his body, pressing into him from all sides.
It wasn't just weight.
It felt like judgment.
He couldn't move. Couldn't think. The familiar sensation of being pulled into another space never came. There was only pressure, suffocating and absolute.
Then it vanished.
Kael staggered slightly as his lungs dragged in air, his surroundings shifting before he could fully recover.
The world was gone.
In its place stretched an endless expanse of grey, empty and silent.
Before he could take it in, a massive screen appeared.
[Welcome, Challenger.]
[Your tutorial is about to begin.]
[Please select your weapon.]
Weapon choices filled his vision.
Swords, spears, bows, daggers. Countless choices laid out before him, along with the option to use his own equipment.
Kael's expression shifted slightly.
It was clear the simulation from the Hunter Association exam had been modeled after the tower.
But a copy was still just a copy.
There was a clear difference. The exam had been controlled, safe. This, on the other hand was real.
If he died here, there would be no waking up.
Kael didn't hesitate. "Sword."
A flash of light formed in his hand, steel taking shape instantly. The weight settled naturally into his grip, familiar and reassuring.
Another screen appeared.
[Selecting tutorial scenario.]
The grey space warped.
Reality twisted, then reformed.
A ruined city replaced it.
Collapsed buildings stretched in every direction, smoke rising into the sky. The air felt heavy, suffocating. Then the smell reached him.
Burning flesh.
Kael's expression hardened slightly.
Behind him, a dark humanoid figure materialized.
It stood perfectly still, not moving, not reacting, just there.
Another screen lit up.
[TUTORIAL MISSION: PROTECTION]
[Objective: Defend the designated target against incoming waves and survive as long as possible.]
[Target designated.]
Kael turned.
The dark humanoid figure stood there completely motionless.
It didn't react. Didn't even seem aware of its surroundings.
"…You've got to be kidding me," he muttered.
Of all the trial types, this was the worst for him.
Most hunters would prefer a mission like this. It was manageable, predictable, and comes with no real risk of death.
But Kael needed a high rating, and that meant control. This kind of trial gave him very little of that.
Anyone who had ever played a video game with an escort mission would understand exactly how he felt right now. The kind where you're perfectly capable of handling the enemies in front of you, but the NPC you're protecting has apparently never once in their life considered the concept of self-preservation. The kind that exists purely to make everything harder while contributing absolutely nothing in return.
Still, there was no point complaining now.
The trial had already begun.
Two masked figures appeared ahead of him, daggers glinting faintly under the sun.
The first one charged immediately.
Kael stepped to the side, blade rising to intercept, but the second slipped past him, heading straight for the target.
Of course.
Kael moved instantly, grabbing the humanoid figure and pulling it out of the way just as the dagger sliced through empty air.
The first assassin struck from behind.
Kael twisted, raising his sword in time to block. Steel clashed sharply as he redirected the attack, stepping forward in the same motion and driving his blade into the assassin's abdomen.
The body dropped.
The second attacker was already closing in again.
Kael parried the strike, then slammed the hilt of his sword into the man's face. The impact staggered him just long enough for Kael to finish it with a clean thrust through the chest.
Two down, but there was no time to settle into it before two more appeared in quick succession.
Kael frowned slightly. Their numbers hadn't changed. He had expected the waves to scale differently, maybe more enemies like in the simulation from the Hunter Association exam.
But the moment the new enemies moved, he understood.
They weren't stronger in the usual sense. They were better.
Their movements were sharper now, more precise. Every strike carried intent, every feint was harder to read, like the basic patterns from before had been stripped away.
Kael adjusted immediately, forcing himself to keep up.
Wave after wave came without rest.
No breaks. No breathing room.
The pressure built steadily, the assassins growing more refined with each appearance.
Until eventually—
He couldn't keep up.
A blade slipped past his defense, heading straight for his skull.
And then everything froze.
The ruined city vanished instantly, replaced once again by the endless grey space.
The black screen reappeared.
[TUTORIAL COMPLETE.]
[Assessing performance…]
Kael stood there, breathing heavily, his gaze locked on the screen as he waited for his rating.
Then the screen lit up again.
[Assessment Complete.]
[Performance Rating: B+]
[Proceeding with awakening…]
Kael exhaled slightly. "Not bad…"
Then the screen flickered.
Red.
[ERROR: Unknown variable detected.]
[Awakening sequence interrupted.]
[Reassessing performance…]
Kael's expression changed. "…What?"
That wasn't normal.
The red glow lingered, heavy and unsettling, as seconds dragged by.
Then the screen shifted again.
[Reassessment complete.]
[New Performance Rating: SSS]
[Proceeding with awakening…]
Kael stared at it, stunned. "What the hell is this…"
Before he could think further, energy surged through him.
It flooded his body instantly, overwhelming and intense. It wasn't pain, but it was too much to process, like his body had been plugged into something far beyond its limit.
His senses faded.
All that remained was the energy coursing through him, reshaping something deep inside.
Time blurred.
Then, slowly, it stopped.
The energy faded, and his awareness returned.
Kael took a breath.
Everything felt… different.
Stronger. Deeper. There was something new within him, something he couldn't see but could clearly feel.
He steadied himself, adjusting to the change, before finally noticing the screen floating in front of him.
[Awakening Complete.]
[Class Awakened: Void Sovereign]
