The guild hall's shadows seemed darker today.
Kael scanned the room, eyes sharp. Forgotten hunters. Ignored hunters. The ones everyone else had written off.
His gaze landed on a boy crouched in a corner. Dirty clothes, battered leather armor, hands trembling as he fidgeted with a broken dagger.
"Hey," Kael said, stepping forward.
The boy flinched. "Y-yes?"
"Your name?"
"C…Calen," he whispered.
Kael nodded. "Good. I want to see what you can do. Follow me."
Calen's eyes widened. "I… I'm not strong… I can't—"
Kael ignored him and glanced at the invisible system.
[Custom Quest Creation — Manual]Target: Calen VireObjective: Hit all moving targets in the training area within the time limitDifficulty: Medium–High (F-Rank)Failure: Miss any target or fail to complete within time
[Quest Registered]
Kael led him to a small training area outside the guild hall. A row of mechanical targets swung unpredictably. Some spun, some darted side to side, and small harmless sparks burst from pressure plates randomly scattered on the floor.
"Hit every target before the timer ends," Kael said.
Calen's hands shook, but he nodded, gripping his dagger tightly.
The timer began.
Calen lunged, ducked, and swung at the first moving target—hit. Sparks burst under his feet, forcing him to jump and dodge. Second target—hit. Third—hit.
Blue light flickered at Kael's edge of vision.
[Quest Complete — External Target]Recipient: Calen VireSkill EnhancedDagger Mastery (F-Rank → E-Rank)Enhancement: Reflexive Strike (Minor)
Calen staggered back, wide-eyed. "I… I feel… awesome. I can sense every movement before it even happens!"
Riven grinned. "Looks like we've got another good one."
Lyra clapped softly. "Welcome to the team."
Kael nodded, sheathing his knife. "Good. You survived. That's all that matters for now."
He looked at the group—Riven, Lyra, Taren, and now Calen. Four F-ranks, growing stronger every step of the way.
The world wouldn't notice them yet. But that didn't matter. Not today.
Kael smiled faintly. "This is just the beginning."