After leaving the strange, wandering seer, I put the predictions she gave me in the back of my mind.
Focusing on things I could do nothing about was a waste of time, and I already knew what my decision would be, whatever happened.
I should buy some supplies now.
I didn't know how long the cleaning operation would last, so this might be a waste of money. However, many beginner hunters died due to stinginess when it came to necessary resources.
Going to the center of the city on foot wasn't impossible, but…
Looking at the distance, I sighed inwardly.
"I'll just take the bus." I decided. It would cost a few more bucks, but it was worth it.
Abyss City was extremely large. It was divided into four directions and one center. Each direction held 80 districts, for a total of 320 districts.
The farther you were from the city center, the more dangerous things became. The people were poorer and more desperate, their living conditions getting steadily worse the further they were from the center. There was also lower security and a higher chance of gates opening.
It was a clear distinction between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak. But there was little I could do about that.
I was currently in District 62-West. The gate I had been assigned to clean was in the 80-South, and my current destination for supplies was 34-North, one of the commercial zones.
Just thinking about the distance I had to cover today was staggering. But it was necessary.
Necessary obligations were rarely fun.
Thankfully, the bus didn't make me wait long.
Even in the lower districts, no one was dumb enough to attack a bus. The busline belonged to one of the most powerful guilds in America, Hermes Road, and unless you had a death wish, you didn't fuck with them.
Though what happened to passengers after they walked off the bus wasn't their problem.
I laughed to myself once I settled into the bus, wondering whether the people from Hermes were actually good, or just showing off their deterrence.
The bus was quite empty, with only a few other passengers. No fluctuations of mana.
I ignored them.
"Should I sleep?" I muttered, closing my eyes. There was no way I'd miss my destination. My phone would ping me, and if I refused to get off, I would be flagged by the AI driver unless I paid more.
I looked at the window absentmindedly, my eyes slowly drifting closed.
Though it was still early, cars already filled the streets. Just then…
HOOONK!!!
I looked out as something that looked like a meteor flew by in the distance.
A light?
And then, it fell.
BAAAM!!!
The bus shook as a roaring sound filled my ears
—-
The screaming came first.
Not from afar — from inside the bus.
Metal shrieked, glass shattered, and before I could react, the world spun upside down. My ribs slammed into the window frame, and I tasted iron in my mouth.
If I wasn't wearing the gear I had created this morning, the damage would have been far more extensive.
Then everything stopped.
I opened my eyes. My back was pressed against the ceiling of the overturned bus. Blood ran down my cheek. Someone was groaning nearby. Fuel hissed somewhere to the rear.
"Status," I muttered.
A familiar screen flickered to life.
[Name: Cain Bishop
Affiliation: Training Center
Title: Failed Genius, Lowest-Ranked Hunter, Training Madman
Race: Human
Rank: I
Age: 21
Negative Status: Corrupted Magic Circuit, Gaze of the Abyss
Main class: [Maker]; [????]
Sub Class: Ranger
??? Skill: [????]
Maker Skills: [Projection], [Analysis], [Reinforcement]
Ranger Skills: [Archery]; [Hawk Eyes]; [Focus]; [Tracking]; [Silent Steps]
Strength: I-5
Speed: I-5
Dexterity: I-5
Endurance: I-5
Mana: I-5
Resistance: SSS-159
Combat Capacity: F-]
Still bottom of the barrel, but at least I was alive.
I twisted around and dropped to the ceiling — now the floor — of the bus.
Reaching into my coat, I pulled out a compact tin of Hunter-issued healing ointment. The good kind. Twisting the cap, I scooped out a portion and smeared it across my shoulder and temple. The burning subsided slightly. I flexed my fingers. Nothing broken.
[You have used: Basic Healing Ointment.]
[Minor injuries are recovering. Pain suppressed.]
The system notifications appeared in the corner of my eyes, but I ignored them.
I looked around the bus' interior. Shattered glass, torn seats, bodies everywhere. Some people were groaning, while others lay still.
Eight people had boarded this bus. I was the only one on my feet. Shitty stats or not, I was still Awakened, after all.
I moved. No hesitation.
First — a teenager with a dislocated shoulder. I reset it roughly, applied the ointment, and checked her vitals. Still breathing.
Second — a woman with a gash along her thigh. Pressure and ointment.
Third — an old man. Cracked ribs, dazed eyes. I stabilized him with a jacket and kept going.
I worked fast. No fancy healing spells or divine power. Just field triage and stubborn hands. The help I could bring was limited, but it was better than nothing.
One by one, the other passengers returned to consciousness.
"Where... are we?" someone murmured.
"Still on the bus," I replied. "Don't move too much."
The engine gave off a low, sputtering whine. We were sitting on a ticking time bomb. I turned toward the nearest emergency window, kicked it open, and crawled out.
The stench hit me immediately.
Gasoline. Blood. Burned plastic.
And something else — iron and rot.
I looked down the street. Cars were overturned. Smoke spiraled into the sky. A woman was dragging her crying child past a crashed van.
People were already moving. They might be civilians, but nowadays, the difference between normal civilians and the militia was pretty small. Everyone, Awakened or not, went through basic training and triage.
I pulled my attention away from them. Running to them wouldn't be helpful.
What I could do as a Hunter trainee was already decided.
In the far distance, a pale white halo shimmered in the air like a tear in reality.
A Gate.
Then, something crawled out.
Small. Green. Club in hand. Yellow eyes. Fangs.
Goblin scout.
I dropped back inside the bus.
Turning to the others, I said. "We have a Gate breach. We need to move — now."
The passengers stirred. One man nodded immediately. "Understood. We've all done basic training."
They pulled compact pistols and survival knives from regulation belts. Emergency civilian kits — nothing fancy, but it would do.
A tall guy, mid-30s, lean muscle, probably ex-military, approached me.
"I'm not Awakened, but I was deployed on the front. I can fight if you need backup."
His eyes were hard. He was determined.
The military could do very little against high-level monsters. They only had one use: cannon fodder. Sacrificial lambs used to buy time and protect precious Hunters.
I glanced at his stance. Limp in the right leg. Eyes still shaky. Both were prosthetics. Not military grade.
"You'd slow me down," I said plainly. "You will be more useful here." I pointed at the others.
He looked hurt, but didn't argue, just nodded once. "Then I'll cover them."
Another woman secured a holster. "We'll form a wedge around the injured. Stick to alleys."
She looked like a normal office worker, but her eyes betrayed no fear.
Everyone moved with purpose. Slow, but organized.
Before they left, I stepped in front of them.
"Move northwest. Avoid main roads. Stick together, don't stop for anyone. If anything moves that doesn't look human — run."
Reinforcements would come soon. It might be a shitty district, but Gates were no joke. All these people needed to do was survive until then.
They nodded.
I watched them disappear between the buildings. They took some of the limping and still-wounded people with them.
Now it was just me. And the goblin.
It stood about four feet tall, sniffing the air like a dog. It clutched a club in one hand. Dirty leather scraps were tied around its chest.
I grabbed a broken steel pipe from the side of the road. Not ideal, but it would do. I couldn't use the mana I had to conjure a better weapon.
I sprinted toward it, covering it in a thin layer of mana.
Goblins were one of the weakest monsters, and non-mana-fueled weapons would be powerful against them. But my physical stats just weren't up to par.
The goblin spotted me too late. It let out a shriek and raised its club. I ducked under and slammed the pipe into its ribs. It staggered.
I drove the pipe into its throat.
It dropped.
Another shriek came from the Gate.
Three more goblins spilled out. One had a dagger. Another wore a rusted pauldron. The third had war paint smeared across its chest.
They were faster than the first.
I exhaled. My body hurts. My mana was still recovering.
Didn't matter.
I charged again.
The first one came at me wide — predictable. I sidestepped and swept its legs out. My pipe cracked against its jaw.
The second jumped. I raised my arm. The dagger skimmed my side, but I twisted my body and tackled it to the ground. Two quick hits to the head. Dead.
The third tried to outflank me. I turned in time, blocked with the pipe. Metal hit bone.
Then I drove it through the goblin's eye socket.
Done.
I stood there, chest rising and falling. My arms trembled slightly, but my head stayed clear. Blood pooled around my boots.
But I was still standing.
I looked at the Gate again.
Still active. The only way to stop the waves was to enter and clear them.
I scoffed.
Staying behind to fight and buy time was already pretty stupid.
But entering an Unknown Gate? That was just plain suicide.
Those who played at being heroes never had a good life. But I was no hero. I was a Hunter, and Hunters never fought fair.
This wasn't over. Not yet.
I used my skill.
"Projection."
[Projection –
Rank: Rare
Proficiency: Adept.
Description: "To create from nothing is to defy nature itself."
Effects:
Allows the user to materialize weapons, tools, or objects from mana and memory.
The more complex the object, the more mana and mental strength are required.]
I didn't bother trying to conjure something complex. All I needed was a shield, a round and sturdy wooden one that was light enough to hang on one arm.
The picture formed in my mind, and my mana brought it to reality.
Even now, I felt awe at this power. I was not the only one to have a Maker class, but it was rare enough, and few could truly understand what it could do. Outside, of The Artificer, one of the top-ranked Hunters.
The goblins were startled by my display of new skill and immediately leaped into action.
Bang!
"Keuuuuk!"
One of them slammed into my shield like a cannonball and bounced off, screeching as it hit the ground. I didn't hesitate, stepping forward and swinging my pipe downward.
Thud!
The goblin shrieked, trying to scramble to its feet. I turned my head to scan the street. Two more were coming straight at me, their crude weapons raised high.
I planted my feet and held up my shield. The first goblin's blade rang against metal, jarring my wrist. The second tried to outflank me. I pivoted and rammed my shoulder into it, knocking it back.
They weren't alone.
Five — no — six more, spilling from the Gate like a damn infestation. My jaw clenched. This was more than I could handle.
"Come on, then," I muttered, tightening my grip.
I struck low, tripping one of the goblins, then brought the edge of my shield down on its skull. Another leapt at me from the side, its dagger flashing. Pain lanced across my ribs as the blade scraped past my armor.
I roared and counterattacked, catching its arm and twisting until something snapped. It howled. I didn't give it a second chance.
The fight turned into a blur of screams, blades, and blunt force. I was bleeding. Tired. My arms ached, and my breathing came short.
Behind me, the civilians I had helped earlier were evacuating. I could hear one of them shouting instructions. They weren't untrained. They moved in a group, covering each other, sidearms and daggers ready.
One man tried to return to my side.
"I can fight — !"
"No," I cut him off. "Stick to the plan. Protect them. Bring the rest to safety. The goblins are just the start."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Understood."
I turned back toward the Gate.
More goblins.
I ran forward and drove the pipe into the nearest one's gut. It coughed up blood. I tore it free, pivoted, and smashed another across the face.
Another shriek drew my eyes.
A goblin had found a car where people were hiding. It jumped on the hood and began slamming its weapon against the windshield.
"Damn it."
I broke away from the cluster and sprinted toward the car. The goblin raised its weapon for one final blow.
I tackled it from behind.
We rolled across the asphalt, and I ended up on top. My pipe crushed its throat.
I looked inside the car. A middle-aged couple was clinging to each other, their eyes wide with fear. They nodded in thanks.
No time to rest.
I turned back toward the Gate.
The goblins had stopped.
Every single one of them was frozen, staring into the portal. Then they shrieked in unison, like they knew something terrible was coming.
And then it did.
Thud.
The ground shook.
A hobgoblin emerged from the Gate. Towering. Red eyes. A greatsword as long as I was tall.
Behind it, more followed. Dozens.
In terms of hierarchy, hobgoblins were just barely one rank higher than normal goblins. But the level of danger they posed was far higher. Their thinking ability and strategic mind were similar to humans, and thus, they posed a greater danger.
"I really shouldn't have been playing the hero."I gave a bitter smile. If hobgoblins were already coming, this would mean this gate had at least one hobgoblin chef or, perhaps worse, an ogre.
Fighting against my logical instincts, which were screaming at me to turn tail and run, I raised my shield, fully expecting to die. I wasn't going to perish like a coward, though. At the very least, I could take a few more with me, right? That would help more civilians escape.
Then the sky split open.
A pillar of fire came down like the wrath of a god.
ROOOOAAARRR!CRACKLE!
Flames engulfed the hobgoblins and reduced them to cinders in just a few seconds. I shielded my eyes.
Above, a government chopper hovered.
"All squads, move in! Support the Hunter at the Gate!"
Finally.
I could feel the tension leave my shoulders.
I had survived.