Avalon Prime - Central Command Tower
Director Voss stood before a wall of holographic displays, each one showing different data streams from across the city and wasteland. Her fingers danced across the interface, pulling up specific reports.
"Interesting," she murmured.
Behind her, a man in a dark uniform cleared his throat. "Director, the wasteland sensor data you requested."
"Show me."
The displays shifted, showing a map of The Undercroft's eastern perimeter. Red markers indicated mutated creature concentrations. But there was something else—a golden marker, moving through the wasteland in a deliberate pattern.
"This signature," Voss said, zooming in. "It's been appearing regularly for the past three weeks. Always in the same general area. Always during daylight hours."
"We believe it's the boy, ma'am. Kaelen. The energy signature matches what we recorded during his visit."
"Of course it does." Voss pulled up additional data—kill counts, creature population changes, energy output readings. "He's hunting. Systematically. And he's gotten stronger. Much stronger."
She highlighted a specific spike in the data. "This reading from yesterday. It's nearly triple what we measured two weeks ago. Whatever he is, he's evolving rapidly."
"Should we bring him in again?"
Voss considered. "Not yet. Let him grow. Let him think he's operating freely. The more data we gather, the better we'll understand what he's capable of." She smiled coldly. "And when the time comes, we'll know exactly how to control him."
"And if he becomes too powerful to control?"
Voss's smile didn't waver. "Then we eliminate him. But I don't think it will come to that. Everyone has a weakness. We just need to find his."
She closed the displays and turned to face her subordinate. "Continue surveillance. I want hourly reports on his movements. And send a message to Magnus."
The man paled slightly. "The Chairman?"
"Yes. Tell him we've found something he'll want to see. A potential asset. Or a potential threat." She walked toward the window, gazing down at The Undercroft far below—a sprawling mass of rust and smoke. "Either way, he should know about the boy who glows with golden light."
The Undercroft - Shelter District
Kaelen sat on the roof of the shelter, Fenrir curled up beside him, watching the sun set. Or rather, watching the smog turn from gray to orange as the distant sun disappeared below the horizon.
Three days had passed since he reached Level 10.
Three days of testing his new abilities, learning his limits, and pushing further than ever before.
The Storage Void had been a revelation. He could store anything—food, water, weapons, supplies. And Fenrir loved it. The wolf could rest inside the void, where time didn't pass, and recover from injuries without needing to hide in the cramped shelter.
It also made their hunting trips far more efficient. Kill a creature, store the valuable parts instantly, keep moving. No more lugging around heavy bags.
But the real game-changer was Beast Fusion.
Kaelen had tested it once, merging with Fenrir for exactly thirty seconds.
It had been... intense.
His senses had sharpened to impossible levels. He'd felt electricity crackling through his body. His speed had doubled. And when he'd punched a concrete wall, his fist had been wreathed in blue lightning.
The fusion had ended when his stamina ran out, leaving him gasping and exhausted.
"It takes practice," Crust had explained. "Beast Fusion is powerful, but draining. The longer you maintain it, the more energy it consumes. At your current level, thirty seconds is your limit. But as you grow stronger, you'll be able to sustain it longer."
"How long eventually?"
"At peak power? Indefinitely. You and your beasts will become one entity. But that's far in the future."
Kaelen looked down at Fenrir, who was dozing peacefully. The wolf had grown again—now nearly the size of a small horse. His fur gleamed silver in the fading light, and occasionally blue sparks danced across his body.
"Master thinking too loud," Fenrir mumbled without opening his eyes. "Fenrir trying to sleep."
Kaelen smiled and scratched behind the wolf's ears. "Sorry, boy."
"Is okay. Master can think. Just quieter."
A door opened behind him. Ryker climbed onto the roof, carrying two bowls of something that vaguely resembled stew.
"Brought you dinner," Ryker said, sitting down beside Kaelen. "Mom insisted."
"Thanks." Kaelen accepted the bowl. It was still the same gray sludge, but at least it was hot.
They ate in comfortable silence for a while, watching the city lights flicker on below—weak and sparse, but better than total darkness.
"So," Ryker said eventually. "How does it feel? Being Level 10?"
"Powerful," Kaelen admitted. "But also... scary. Every time I level up, I feel Crust getting stronger too. The chains holding him are weakening."
"Can he break free?"
"Eventually. If I keep getting stronger, yeah."
Ryker frowned. "And then what?"
"Then I'll have to stop him. Or..." Kaelen trailed off.
"Or what?"
"Or I'll have to trust that he's changed. That he won't destroy everything again." Kaelen looked at his friend. "I don't know which scares me more."
Ryker nodded slowly. "For what it's worth, I don't think he wants to destroy the world this time. If he did, he wouldn't be helping you get stronger. He'd just wait for you to die and break free on his own."
"Smart boy," Crust said, sounding amused. "I like him."
"Crust says he likes you."
"Tell him the feeling's not mutual."
Kaelen laughed. "He heard you."
"I'm wounded," Crust said dryly.
They finished their meal, and Ryker stood to leave. But he hesitated at the door.
"Kaelen... you know you don't have to do this alone, right? Whatever's coming. We're with you. Me, Lira, even Fenrir. You're not carrying this by yourself."
Kaelen felt his throat tighten. "I know. Thanks, Ryker."
"Anytime, brother."
After Ryker left, Kaelen sat in silence, staring up at Avalon Prime floating in the sky.
They're watching me, he thought. Voss and whoever else is up there. They know I'm getting stronger.
"Of course they're watching," Crust confirmed. "You're an anomaly. A threat to their order. They'll want to control you. Or eliminate you."
"Let them try."
"Bold words. But can you back them up?"
Kaelen looked down at his hands, watching golden light flicker across his fingers.
"I'm Level 10 now. I have a class. I have Fenrir. And I'm going to keep getting stronger." He clenched his fists. "By the time they make their move, I'll be ready."
"I hope you're right, little god. Because something tells me... they're already planning."
Three days later.
Kaelen, Ryker, Lira, and Fenrir were hunting in a section of the wasteland they'd never explored before—a series of underground tunnels that had once been subway lines.
The darkness was absolute. Kaelen used Divine Burst to create floating orbs of light that drifted ahead of them, illuminating the way.
"This place is creepy," Fenrir said, staying close to Kaelen's legs. "Smell old death. Many old deaths."
"I don't like this," Lira muttered, gripping her pipe tightly. "We should turn back."
"We're almost through," Kaelen said, checking his mental map. "There's an exit about two hundred meters ahead. We'll surface on the other side of that ridge we couldn't climb yesterday."
They pressed forward, their footsteps echoing in the confined space.
And then Kaelen felt it.
A presence.
Not through Divine Sense—this was something else. Something Crust felt.
"Stop," the creature hissed urgently. "Something's here. Something powerful."
Kaelen raised his hand, stopping the group. "Everyone freeze."
"What is it?" Ryker whispered.
"I don't know. But—"
A sound echoed through the tunnel.
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate. Heavy.
And they were coming from ahead.
Kaelen extinguished the light orbs, plunging them into darkness. He activated Divine Sense, pushing it as far as it would go.
There.
A figure. Humanoid. But wrong.
It was massive—at least eight feet tall. And the energy radiating from it was unlike anything Kaelen had sensed before. Not mutated. Not natural.
Artificial.
"It's a robot," he whispered. "But different from the enforcement drones."
The footsteps stopped.
And then a voice echoed through the tunnel—mechanical, but with an unsettling hint of intelligence.
"Bio-signature detected. Divine energy signature detected. Threat level: High. Initiating combat protocol."
Red lights flared in the darkness—eyes, glowing like coals.
"RUN!" Kaelen shouted.
They bolted back the way they'd come. Behind them, the mechanical footsteps accelerated into a sprint.
Kaelen risked a glance over his shoulder.
The robot was gaining. Its body was sleek black metal, covered in weapons and sensors. And it was fast.
"Fenrir! Static Field!"
The wolf howled, and electricity crackled through the tunnel. The robot stumbled—but only for a second. Then it adapted, its systems compensating for the interference.
"Countermeasures deployed. Resuming pursuit."
"It adapted!" Ryker screamed. "What the hell is that thing?!"
Kaelen's mind raced. They couldn't outrun it. And fighting in these close quarters would be suicide.
Unless...
"Lira! Do you still have those explosives you found last week?"
"The unstable ones?! Yes, but—"
"Give them to me!"
She pulled a small package from her bag—scavenged charges, barely stable. Kaelen grabbed them and skidded to a stop.
"Keep running! I'll catch up!"
"Kaelen, no—"
"GO!"
They ran. Kaelen turned to face the approaching robot, the charges in his hand.
The machine rounded the corner, weapons charging—
Kaelen threw the explosives and raised both hands.
"Divine Burst! Maximum output!"
The golden blast struck the charges mid-flight.
The explosion was deafening.
The tunnel collapsed.
Kaelen threw up a Divine Shield just in time, the debris slamming into the barrier as tons of concrete and metal came crashing down.
When the dust settled, the tunnel behind him was completely blocked.
And the robot was buried on the other side.
Kaelen dropped to his knees, panting, his ears ringing.
"That was reckless," Crust said.
"It worked."
"This time. But that machine—it wasn't from The Undercroft. That was upper city technology. Military grade."
"They sent it after me?"
"Perhaps. Or perhaps it was already here, lying dormant, and your presence activated it." Crust paused. "Either way, this is a warning. They're escalating."
Kaelen stood shakily and stumbled forward, following his friends' path.
He found them waiting at the tunnel exit, pale and shaken.
"What the hell was that?" Ryker demanded.
"A hunter," Kaelen said grimly. "From Avalon Prime. They're not just watching anymore. They're testing me. Seeing what I can do."
"And when they're done testing?" Lira asked quietly.
Kaelen looked up at the distant floating city, gleaming in the sunlight.
"Then they'll come for real. And when they do..." He clenched his fists. "I need to be stronger. Much stronger."
That night, Kaelen received a message.
It appeared in his vision like a system notification, but it wasn't from the system.
It was from Voss.
"Impressive work in the tunnels today. My apologies for the Hunter Unit—it was supposed to observe, not engage. Consider this a warning, Kaelen. We're not your enemies. But we're not your friends either. Stay out of trouble. Continue your growth. And when the time is right, we'll talk again. - Director Voss"
Kaelen stared at the message, his jaw tight.
They were watching. Always watching.
"She's playing a game," Crust said. "Testing you. Manipulating you. She wants you strong, but controllable."
"She's going to be disappointed."
"Good. Let her be. But remember—she's not the real threat. There's someone above her. Someone more dangerous. The one truly in control of Avalon Prime."
"Magnus."
"Yes. Magnus Vael. The Chairman. The man who rules this world. And sooner or later, little god, you're going to have to face him."
Kaelen closed his eyes.
Level 10 was just the beginning.
The real challenges were still ahead.
[STATUS UPDATE]
Level: 10
Experience: 680 / 2000
Fenrir: Level 6
New Quest Available: Reach Level 15
Reward: Skill Evolution Token, 800 XP
Kaelen opened his eyes.
"Fifteen," he murmured. "And then twenty. And then Typhon."
The path forward was clear.
He just had to survive long enough to walk it.