The city of Althera never slept.
Towering glass spires shimmered in the daylight, and at night, the streets burned with the glow of neon runes. Merchant stalls spilled into the avenues, their sellers shouting prices for enchanted steel, beast hides, and vials of monster blood. Adventurers of every kind walked among them — armored knights with silver crests, robed mages with eyes that burned, hunters dragging their kills through the crowded lanes.
It was a place where strength meant freedom, and weakness meant you vanished into the crowd forever.
Lucas had been vanishing into the crowd his entire life.
Seventeen years old, tall and lean, with sharp hazel eyes that missed nothing, he was clever… but cleverness didn't get you far in a world where power was measured in levels. And Lucas had none.
That morning, he sat on the edge of his small bed in the cramped apartment above an old couple's herbal shop. They had taken him in when his parents died — no questions, no pity, just a roof and food if he worked for it.
It should have been just another day of deliveries, grinding coin to pay for the next month's rent. But when Lucas blinked awake, something floated in front of him.
A faint, translucent panel of light.
[Skill Unlocked: Veil Step]
Type: Active
Effect: Become invisible for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Lucas stared. His breath caught in his throat.
Finally.
It was one year late. Everyone his age had awakened at sixteen, gaining powerful skills — sword auras, elemental magic, healing light. By now, most of them were level 100 or higher. And Lucas? He was just starting.
He flexed his fingers, willed the skill to activate — and his body vanished. The air felt colder, the sound of the world dulled, like someone had pulled a thin curtain over reality. Three seconds later, he was visible again.
He grinned… but the grin faded just as quickly.
Three seconds of invisibility. That was it? Against anyone above level 10, that was nothing. Still… he was no fool. In this city, even the smallest edge could turn into a weapon if used right.
Lucas dressed quickly, pulling on his worn leather jacket and boots, and headed downstairs. The herbal shop smelled of dried roots and crushed leaves.
"Morning, Lucas," Mrs. Elda said from behind the counter, her voice warm but her gaze sharp. "You're late."
"I woke up with a surprise," he said, and for a moment, he considered telling them. But no. He'd keep this to himself. In this city, news traveled fast — and hunters weren't always after monsters.
By midday, he'd finished the deliveries, weaving through the bustling market streets. On the way back, he caught sight of a dungeon gate on the edge of the plaza — an oval tear in the air, swirling with mist. Adventurers filed in and out, their armor spattered with blood, their packs heavy with loot.
Lucas's pulse quickened.
Late or not, weak or not — if he wanted to catch up, he had to start now.
The gate swallowed him whole, and the noise of the city vanished.
The dungeon was breathtaking. Towering crystal pillars jutted from the earth, glowing with soft blue light. Streams of silver water ran through moss-covered stone, and the air was alive with drifting motes that shimmered like fireflies. It was beautiful — and deadly. Somewhere in the distance, something roared.
Lucas crouched behind a crystal outcrop, scanning the terrain. Small, wolf-like creatures prowled the edges of the riverbank, their fur bristling with crackling static.
Three seconds invisibility… can't waste it.
He waited. One of the beasts strayed from the pack. Lucas crept closer, heart pounding. The moment its head turned — Veil Step.
He vanished, closing the distance in silence. Three seconds later, he was visible again — but by then his knife was already in the beast's throat. It collapsed with a whimper.
Lucas dragged it into the shadows, breath ragged. His first kill.
He smiled grimly.
This was the first step — but he'd need to move fast, take risks others wouldn't, and squeeze every drop of advantage from that short window of invisibility.
In a world where the strong ruled, Lucas had been a ghost for too long.
Now, he was going to make that his weapon.