Kade took off his glasses. Hugo's eyes lingered on the group.
"All right, come out," he said.
"Wow, we're the first to try out the mystery box," said the masked person casually. A strong-looking blonde guy glanced both ways before stepping forward. The other four followed him.
Hugo smirked. "All right, get ready." He returned to his seat.
The five walked to the center of the training ground. Riven tightened his grip on his gun as they faced the cage.
Kade raised his hand. "Get ready."
The five readied themselves."Be careful," the masked person warned. "What I'm hearing sounds like a pack. It's best we stay close."
"That's your problem," the blonde guy replied nonchalantly.
Riven's palms sweated. He felt tempted to use the cards—but stopped himself. No one had ever seen that power, not even he understood it. If people found out—especially a billionaire like Hugo—they'd come for him.
Kade gave the signal, and the cage dropped open. From the darkness, mutant baboons emerged.
The five stood their ground as the baboons circled them. The crowd watched in silence.
Riven aimed his gun, his vision blurring."Why me?" he thought bitterly.
The masked person drew his sword. The blonde guy clenched his fists. Beth and Clarisse exchanged anxious glances.
A baboon leapt at the blonde guy—he fell, and chaos broke out. The five scattered.
Beth turned invisible and vanished.Clarisse ran toward the edge. A baboon chased her and passed through her—slamming into an electric pole and frying instantly. The Clarisse it chased had been an illusion; the real one hadn't moved.
Riven shot a baboon in the eye and leg, but it only got angrier. He fired again and again until it dropped. He exhaled in relief.
The masked guy sliced a baboon's throat, then threw a sword at the ground—where it bounced into another baboon's eye. Blood sprayed. He didn't seem to have powers, but his skills were lethal.
The blonde guy caught a baboon by the throat as it scratched at him uselessly. He stood up, squeezed its head like a lemon, and let it drop.Looking down at his blood-soaked shirt, he muttered, "I really need to change."
Another baboon bit his wrist."You stupid piece of sh*t" He punched it, launching it into the air.
Invisible forces struck more baboons. They collapsed as Beth reappeared, grinning and holding a stick.
Riven remained on alert, his gun trembling. The baboons seemed drawn to him—as if they sensed weakness.
He tried to steady himself, but exhaustion overwhelmed him.
He fired. Missed.
The baboons lunged.
Then—
The crowd gasped as the baboons clawed into Riven's skin. Some onlookers winced. Kade forced a blank expression; Hugo raised a curious brow.
Riven screamed.
The masked guy dashed forward. With swift, precise strikes, he flipped through the air and stabbed the baboons.
He landed near Riven, who lay bleeding on the ground.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"This guy's statless," one hunter muttered.
"And look at his weapon. Basic tier," said another.
The remaining four walked away, each casting a glance at Riven as they passed.
He lay there, pupils trembling.
Kade approached and knelt beside him. "You look badly hurt, kid."
Riven didn't reply.
Kade sighed. "My advice? Quit. You have no ability, a weak weapon... this path won't do you any—"
"I'm not quitting," Riven said, eyes burning with madness.
Kade was surprised—but didn't show it. "Okay. If that's your choice, then stay."
Men in blue approached to carry him away—but stopped.
Riven was standing. Slowly. Like a corpse rising.
"Wow... this boy chooses to stay. He's something else," Hugo murmured, stroking his chin. "Let's see how long he lasts."
Riven limped out of the training ground, every eye on him. His bloody clothes stuck to his skin. He felt humiliation. Regret. And... something else. Something awakening.
He climbed the sandy steps back to the base. The sun burned against him. He needed shelter.
Inside a building, he stumbled through the hallway, vision blurry. He slumped, nearly knocking over a cart.
He looked down at himself—soaked in blood.
<1HP>
Riven's eyes flashed venomously. His stomach rumbled.
"I need food," he muttered.
He spotted a map on the wall and limped toward it. The store was far—and he couldn't face the sun again. He had no choice but to use the cards. But he needed privacy.
Meanwhile, in a dark storage room, the masked guy sat quietly on a metal railing, cleaning his sword.
Footsteps.
He froze, alert.
Riven entered, looking around cautiously.
The masked guy narrowed his eyes in curiosity.
Riven winced in pain. His wounds suddenly healed—transformed into fresh tattoos.
The masked man's eyes widened."Wasn't this the guy with no ability?" he thought.
Riven pulled out a card and threw it.
The card floated mid-air, turning into a rectangular portal. Riven stepped through and vanished.
The masked man jumped down from the railing and walked to the spot.
Just minutes ago, Riven had been crushed in the test. Now—he'd used two unknown powers. One from a card.
The masked man smiled behind his mask.
"This sus boy... I'll keep an eye on you."