The first week after the labyrinth felt like a dream Malcolm wasn't ready to wake from.
Neo-Eldoria stirred slowly: streets cleared of undead remnants, power grids stabilized, corps quietly retreating from overreaches made during the chaos. But new notifications flooded every hunter's HUD—Guild-wide broadcasts that couldn't be ignored.
Global Event Complete: Source of the Undead Plague Eliminated.
World Experience Bonus Applied:+50% EXP for all registered hunters for 30 days.
New Title Unlocked for Participants:Guardians of the Seal
Malcolm's own profile glowed as he sat on the minaret balcony at dawn, Qur'an closed beside him after Fajr.
Hunter Profile: Malcolm "Shadow" Thorne
· Race: Dark Elf
· Level: 15 (↑5 from event completion + world bonus)
· Title: Guardian of the Seal (New: +20% resistance to corruption, +15% leadership aura for party members)
· Stats:
· Strength: 28 (+14)
· Agility: 35 (+13)
· Energy: 42 (+22)
· Endurance: 30 (+12)
· Clarity: 38 (+18) ← New stat unlocked via faith alignment
· Active Powers:
· Shadow Step (Enhanced: now chainable up to 5 times)
· Noor of Protection (Advanced: party-wide shield, reflects minor corruption)
· Umbra Vortex (Mastered: increased radius and drain efficiency)
· Cosmic Eater (Unique Symbiote Bond)
· Consume cosmic/devilish energy to gain temporary abilities
· Cosmic Charge: 0/200 (regenerates over time or via absorption)
· Hunger Meter: 12% (controlled via daily recitation and discipline)
The Cosmic Eater rippled faintly across his shoulders as he read, a living cloak of black tendrils edged in faint gold from the Noor integration. It had leveled with him—now less a wild force and more a disciplined partner, its hunger meter a constant reminder that power required maintenance.
Below, the city was changing in measurable ways.
New public quests appeared on every Guild board:
· Daily: Clear Residual Rifts – Reward: 500 EXP, minor blessed items
· Weekly: Protect Reconstruction Zones – Reward: 3000 EXP, crafting materials
· World Quest Chain: Seal the Lingering Breaches – Multi-stage, massive rewards, requires parties of Level 10+
Hunters who had hidden during the worst of the plague now emerged, grinding levels in safer zones. Parties formed in the Minaret Ward courtyard—once a place of refuge, now a bustling hub where veterans mentored rookies between prayers.
Gronk had hit Level 18, his warhammer now etched with protective verses that glowed during swings. Kira reached 16, her augmented arms upgraded with salvaged parts into full energy conduits. Elara, ever steady, sat at Level 17—her arrows now carried tracing light that revealed hidden corruption.
They gathered that morning in the ward's training yard, a former suq courtyard cleared for sparring and quest briefing.
Kira, scrolling her HUD, said, "Guild just posted a Tier A quest chain. Residual devil signatures in the old corporate underlevels—Sector 7 ruins. Party of four recommended, Level 15+. 10,000 base EXP plus rare loot drops."
Gronk grinned. "Smash and level. Perfect."
Elara shook her head. "It's not just grinding. Scouts say the devils are organizing—trying to reopen small rifts. If we let them gain ground…"
Malcolm nodded, feeling the Cosmic Eater stir in anticipation. "We stop them early. But we do it right—protect civilians first, clear threats second."
A new system message pinged across all their interfaces:
Party Formed: Guardians of the Seal
Leadership Aura Active(Malcolm): +15% EXP gain for party, +10% corruption resistance
They accepted the quest.
The journey to Sector 7 took them through streets Malcolm barely recognized. Vendors sold blessed gear alongside street food. Children practiced basic Noor shielding under volunteer instructors. A massive public board displayed city-wide progress:
Neo-Eldoria Reconstruction Progress: 38%
Active Hunters:4,821 (↑320% from pre-event)
Remaining Rift Anomalies:47
In the ruins, the fight was sharp but controlled.
A pack of lesser devils—imps and possessed zombies—guarded a pulsing micro-rift. Malcolm's party moved like a seasoned unit.
Elara opened with tracing arrows, marking targets. Gronk charged, hammer creating shockwaves that stunned groups. Kira chained lightning through marked enemies, building combo multipliers. Malcolm Shadow Stepped into the center, Noor shield absorbing initial strikes.
Then he unleashed the Eater.
Tendrils lashed out, consuming imp essence mid-flight. Cosmic Charge filled rapidly: 0 → 80 → 150. He absorbed a fire imp's ability—flames wreathing his fists—then redirected it purified through Noor into a sweeping arc that cleared half the pack.
Final devil downed. Rift sealed.
Quest Stage 1 Complete: +2,500 EXP (×1.65 party bonuses)
Level Up!Malcolm → Level 16
New Skill Point Available
Back at the Minaret Ward that evening, Malcolm allocated the point under the scholars' guidance.
Skill Tree Update:
· Branch: Cosmic Discipline (Unique)
· New Option Unlocked: Purifying Consumption
· When absorbing corrupt energy, 30% chance to convert it into permanent Clarity stat increase instead of temporary power.
He selected it immediately. The Eater rippled in approval—no hunger spike this time.
Shaykha Amina watched with quiet pride. "You're turning the enemy's weapon into a path of growth. That is true victory."
Later, under a clear night sky—stars visible for the first time in years—Malcolm stood on the balcony again. The city lights below no longer felt cold and distant. Quest markers glowed softly on rooftops, parties moving between them like fireflies.
His HUD displayed one final notification:
Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Light in the Dark
Reward:Permanent Aura – Hope of Neo-Eldoria
Effect:Nearby allies gain minor regeneration and +5% EXP while in your party radius.
Malcolm smiled faintly, closing the interface.
The hunt wasn't over. Devils lingered. Rifts waited. The Cosmic Eater would always hunger.
But now the city leveled up with him—hunters growing stronger, communities rebuilding with purpose, faith and discipline guiding every gain.
And Malcolm "Shadow" Thorne, once a lone bounty hunter chasing credits in the rain, stood at the center of it all.
Not as a ruler.
As a guardian.
To be continued...