The air outside the hospital was thick with humidity, carrying the scent of rain-soaked pavement and the distant tang of factory smog. The neon glow of streetlights flickered as Henry stepped onto the cracked sidewalk, the towering hospital fading behind him.
He had wasted no time leaving, despite the protests of the hospital staff. They had insisted he stay for further monitoring, but Henry had other priorities.
Because the moment he had woken up, the System had issued a command that sent a chill down his spine:
Quest Assigned: Register as a Hunter within 24 hours. Failure to comply will result in severe consequences.
He asked the system what the consequences were. Silence was his only answer.
Was it death? A loss of his abilities? A permanent debuff?
Henry didn't plan to find out.
He pulled up his hood and kept his hands in his pockets as he navigated the dim streets of Neo-Veridia. The city was alive, but in its own weary way—shadowed figures moved quickly, avoiding eye contact, some muttering into communication devices while others clutched their belongings tightly.
Neo-Veridia had been on the decline for years. Once a beacon of progress, the city's outskirts had become a graveyard of abandoned industries, leaving only the strongest to thrive and the weak to struggle.
It had been two weeks since he had last walked these streets.
And yet, everything still felt the same.
The same hunger. The same desperation. The same unspoken rule.
Survive.
When Henry stepped into the apartment, the air was thick with the scent of old coffee and damp furniture.
Lily was the first to react.
"Henry!" she gasped, rushing toward him. "You're home?"
He barely had time to respond before she threw her arms around him. He staggered slightly before patting her back.
"Yeah. I—uh—left the hospital."
Lily pulled back, frowning. "You what?"
Tom, sitting cross-legged on their worn-out couch, raised an eyebrow. "You just walked out?"
Henry nodded. "Didn't see the point in staying. They said I was fine anyway."
Lily exhaled, rubbing her temples. "They said you were fine? Henry, you were in a coma for two weeks!"
"I feel fine."
Tom tilted his head. "You look different."
Henry stiffened. "How?"
Tom squinted. "You just seem… sharper. Like you're more awake than before."
Henry didn't respond.
Lily sighed. "You should've at least let us know you were coming. We could've picked you up."
Henry glanced around. The apartment was still the same—small, cramped, barely holding itself together. His eyes flickered toward the kitchen.
"Where's Mom?" he asked.
The silence was immediate.
Lily's expression darkened. "She didn't even ask about you."
Tom crossed his arms. "We told her you woke up. She barely reacted."
Henry clenched his jaw.
She didn't care.
After Dad died, she became distant. Cold. Detached. But this?
This was something else.
"You don't have to think about her," Lily said softly. "It's just us now."
Just us.
Henry exhaled slowly. "Yeah. I know."
Sleep didn't come easily.
Henry lay on his bed, staring at the cracked ceiling, memories swirling in his mind.
His father. His death. The system.
And the name that haunted him—
Eric.
The finisher who had failed. The one who was supposed to secure the hunt. The one responsible for his father's death.
Henry's fingers twitched.
One day, he would have to face him.
But for now…
He had a deadline.
Tomorrow, he would register as a Hunter.
The smell of burnt toast filled the air as Henry woke to the sound of his siblings getting ready for school.
Lily was packing her bag, Tom finishing the last piece of their breakfast.
Henry rubbed his face. "You two should eat more."
Tom scoffed. "You're one to talk. You've been unconscious for two weeks."
Lily looked at Henry carefully. "You sure you're okay being alone today?"
"I'll be fine," Henry said. "I have… something I need to do."
Lily frowned but didn't press.
After a few words, his siblings left.
Henry stood, stretched, and took a deep breath.
It was time.
The Hunter's Association stood in stark contrast to the rest of Neo-Veridia. It was sleek, modern, and bustling with activity.
Henry entered the building, eyes scanning his surroundings. Large holographic screens displayed recent hunt reports, dungeon clearances, and ranking updates. People—some seasoned, others new like him—moved with purpose.
He approached the registration desk, where a woman with short, dyed-blue hair barely glanced up.
"Name?"
"Henry Eldrin."
"Age?"
"Twenty-one."
"Previous combat experience?"
Henry hesitated. "None."
She sighed, tapping at a screen. "Expected rank?"
"F1."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "That'll be fifty dollars."
Henry grimaced.
Money. Again.
He pulled out his bank card and placed it on the scanner. A small beep confirmed the transaction. The receptionist barely acknowledged it before sliding a sleek black ID toward him.
"Congratulations, you're now a registered F1 Hunter," she said flatly. "Try not to die."
Henry exhaled, gripping the ID.
That was it.
The first step.
But as he turned to leave,
Quest Completed: Register as a Hunter.
Reward: +200 EXP, +10 Skill Points, F1 Ground blade.
A rush of energy coursed through him. His fingers tingled, his muscles felt… more responsive.
And then,
New Quest Assigned: Defeat a Dungeon Boss, Solo.
Henry's breath caught.
A boss? Alone?
His grip tightened around the ID.
The system gave no explanation.
But he knew one thing
He wasn't ready.
Yet, he had no choice but to move forward.
But he had no other choice or any options.
The closest dungeon facility Henry knew stood like a fortress at the edge of Neo-Veridia's rundown district. Unlike the sleek skyscrapers in the city center, this place was built for survival—reinforced steel walls, high-tech scanning devices, and layers of barbed wire along the perimeter. The air here carried a strange energy, humming with the latent power of the portals inside.
Henry approached the security checkpoint, where a group of heavily armed soldiers stood guard. Their dark combat gear blended into the shadows, their faces unreadable beneath sleek helmets. The way they gripped their weapons made it clear—they weren't just here for decoration.
A Hunter ID meant access, but it didn't guarantee survival.