Inside a dark space, a woman was sitting in midair. Her white hair mixed with light blue flowed gently behind her as she stared at a screen that floated in front of her. Her blue eyes were locked on the man displayed on it.
Xavier Renov.
"You haven't changed in all these years at all..."
she muttered softly under her breath.
Beside her were numerous screens, each one glowing faintly in the darkness. They looked like settings panels and different channels all under her control. Every hunter shown on the screens, every constellation chatting in the text box, every store, every transaction, every coin being sent was happening inside her space.
With just a flick of her finger, she could change everything in this game.
Well, that was who she truly was.
The creator of the game, or in other words, the system that stood between the contracts of gods and humans.
The Game Master.
---
"When will the association allow us to enter?! People are trapped inside and every minute counts. All those civilians will lose their lives!"
A man shouted loudly. He looked like a hunter, his voice filled with anger and desperation.
"I'm sorry, sir, but it's protocol. We need to wait for the ownership license of a guild and decide which hunters to send first."
"Bullshit!"
"They just want to claim the resources inside beforehand. And that matters more than human lives?!"
He continued shouting at the civil servants guarding the gate, his patience slowly breaking, until suddenly,
a figure emerged from the gate.
It was a man covered in a black cloak, his face completely hidden behind a mask. The moment he stepped out, an intimidating presence spread through the area like cold air.
"Who?"
Before anyone could react, he suddenly ran forward at an unbelievable speed and disappeared.
Some officers immediately chased after him, but they quickly lost track of him.
"Was that a hunter? But hunters aren't even allowed to enter yet!"
A minute later, the gate moved again, and this time someone else came out.
An average office worker wearing dirty office clothes, his body covered in light bruises and small injuries. He looked weak, exhausted, and barely able to stand.
"Someone... help me..."
The man spoke weakly, acting pitiful.
The medic on standby immediately rushed toward him and guided him inside the ambulance.
"Sir, are you alright?"
"Well... ah, yes... just a few injuries, and I'm really exhausted..."
He let them support him as if he didn't even have the strength to walk on his own.
Suddenly, another man pushed the medic aside slightly. He looked like an officer and spoke in a serious voice.
"Hey, you. Are you a civilian who got whisked away into that dungeon?"
"Yes, officer."
"How did you get out? That's impossible if you're not a hunter or if the dungeon hasn't been cleared yet."
"Someone saved me... and he cleared the dungeon. But..."
His voice trembled as he suddenly began to cry.
Observer of Malice:
You're really good at this.
Tyrant of Blazing Flame:
Why not work in the entertainment industry? Maybe you could even become a comedian or something.
He teased.
Funny.
Xavier replied inside his head.
"What do you mean someone saved you? And are you the only remaining survivor?"
"Unfortunately... yes."
Xavier lowered his head, but this time the emotion was real.
He felt terrible about his coworkers who had died, and the thought made his chest ache. It was too late for him to save them now.
For a moment, he wondered if they might still be alive if he had awakened earlier. But thinking about that wouldn't change anything. He was already lucky enough to be chosen and sponsored. He couldn't allow himself to be ungrateful. Some people who accidentally got dragged into a dungeon didn't even receive any help at all and simply met their miserable end.
His thoughts were cut short when the officer spoke again.
"Who was the person who saved you?"
"I don't know him, officer... He was wearing a mask, and I couldn't really see his figure clearly because of the cloak."
"I'm feeling really dizzy..."
"Ow... oww..."
He acted again, lowering his head and touched it slightly as if the pain was getting worse.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we have to ask you to step aside."
One of the medics spoke firmly while supporting him.
"You can continue asking him at the hospital."
The officer clicked his tongue in frustration but didn't stop them this time.
The medics carefully helped Xavier into the ambulance while the other officers kept staring at the gate, still trying to understand what had just happened.
Someone entered before the hunters were even allowed inside, someone cleared the dungeon, and now that person had completely disappeared.
And the only witness left was an exhausted office worker who looked like he could pass out at any moment.
Xavier leaned back slightly as the ambulance door closed, his expression still weak and pitiful on the outside, but inside his mind—
he was completely calm.