[Location: District 1 – The Gilded Spire, Sector 0]
District 1 had climate-controlled air that didn't reek of industrial smoke or the stench of the slums.
At the very centre of the district stood the Gilded Spire, a needle of glass and gold that pierced the clouds, looking down on the rest of the city like a god judging its subjects.
On the 100th floor, in an office larger than Julien's entire shop, a woman sat behind a desk made of floating oval stone.
She had light-pink hair cut in a sharp bob and wore rimless glasses that reflected the holographic screens hovering in front of her. Her suit was white, spotless, and tailored to perfection.
This was Gina. The Director of Operations for the 'Apex' Corporation, the conglomerate that effectively owned the Hunter Association.
She was watching a livestream.
On the screen, a shaky camera feed showed the interior of the District 9 Hub. It was a replay. A young man in a shabby jacket was staring down Ignis, the B-Rank star.
"And when that happens... the price is going to be double for you."
Gina tapped the table.
The video paused on Julien's face.
"Interesting," she murmured.
The door to her office slid open with a soft sound.
A young man in a secretary's uniform walked in, clutching a tablet to his chest.
He looked nervous.
"Ma'am," he bowed.
"We have an update on the tracking grid."
Gina didn't look away from the frozen image of Julien.
"Speak."
"We have detected mana signatures consistent with Subject: Kane," the secretary said, his voice trembling slightly.
"He was pinged near the border of District 4. The energy levels are unstable. The readings suggest... if he fully Awakens, the containment unit won't hold him."
Gina swiped the holographic screen away, finally turning her gaze to the secretary. Her eyes were a pale, icy blue behind the lenses, devoid of any fear.
"Kane is moving?" she asked, her voice bored.
"Yes, Ma'am. Should we deploy the Alpha Squad? Or perhaps request Guild assistance to suppress him?"
"No," Gina waved her hand dismissively. "Let him run. He's predictable. He's looking for a source to extract."
"But Ma'am!" the secretary stammered. "If he reaches the residential zones—"
"There is someone else keeping an eye on him," Gina interrupted. "For now, we don't have to worry."
The secretary blinked. "Someone else?"
Before he could ask more, a heavy presence filled the room.
A man was sitting on the leather sofa in the corner.
The man had been so quiet, so still, that the secretary hadn't even noticed him. But now that he had moved, the air felt heavy, as if gravity had just increased.
He was a giant of a man, easily six-foot-five, with hair the colour of blood, deep red and wore a pinstripe suit that struggled to contain his muscles, the fabric straining against shoulders that had broken dungeon bosses in half.
He was in his thirties, his face rugged and different but handsome.
This was Blaze.
The Guild Master of the 'Eternal Flame' Guild, the parent guild that sponsored Ignis's team.
"You're putting a lot of faith in a freelancer, Gina," Blaze rumbled, his voice like grinding stones.
"Kane is a loose cannon, and if he blows, it's my guild that has to clean up the mess."
"I trust the asset," Gina said, leaning back in her chair.
"You mean Maya?" Blaze scoffed.
"The Ghost Hunter? I've tried to recruit her three times annd she rejected a seven-figure contract."
"Maya doesn't work for people, Blaze," Gina corrected softly, polishing her glasses.
"She works for benefits mainly; she wants access to the restricted archives. As long as I dangle that carrot, she will hunt whatever I tell her to hunt."
"Is she even that strong?" Blaze asked, sceptical.
"I've seen her stats on paper. They're high, but live combat is different."
Gina put her glasses back on. She looked at Blaze with a small, pitying smile.
"Last week," Gina said casually.
"While your 'Ignis' team was bragging about clearing a B-Rank dungeon with a full party... Maya entered a Red Gate in District 7."
Blaze froze. "A Red Gate? Those require a raid team of twenty."
"She went in alone," Gina said. "And she came out two hours later. The boss was dead and she didn't even have a scratch on her."
The room went silent. Even the air conditioning seemed to stop humming.
Blaze's eyes widened. "She... soloed a Red Gate? By herself?"
"By herself," Gina confirmed. "So, yes. I think she can handle Kane."
Blaze leaned back, exhaling a breath he'd been holding. "Monsters," he muttered. "Everyone in this city is turning into a beast."
The secretary cleared his throat, trying to break the tension.
"Um, Ma'am? Regarding the other inquiry... the sales report."
"Oh?" Gina looked back at him.
"The potion seller," the secretary checked his tablet.
"The one who supplied the antidote for the apartment incident. We tracked him. It seems he opened a shop yesterday in district 9. 'Eternal Rest Apothecary or antique'."
"District 9?" Blaze raised an eyebrow.
"That's the slums. Ignis just came back from there, complaining about some rookie who disrespected him."
"Should I send our people?" the secretary asked. "To... acquire the merchant?"
Gina tapped her chin, looking at the frozen image of Julien on her screen again.
"No," she decided.
"Don't bother for now. If we approach him too early, we might spook him. Or worse, inflate his ego."
"Who are we talking about?" Blaze asked, standing up and buttoning his jacket. "Another hidden S-Rank like Maya?"
Gina smirked.
She tapped the screen, closing the file.
"No," she replied. "An E-Rank."
[Location: Eternal Rest Apothecary – The Basement]
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
The sound of ragged breathing echoed off the damp stone walls.
Julien was on his hands and knees, sweat pouring off his nose and splashing onto the concrete. His lungs felt like they were filled with broken glass. His good arm was shaking so hard he could barely support his weight.
"Again," Chris said.
Julien looked up.
Chris was standing five meters away, his face indifferent, showing no sweat or signs of fatigue.
He was wearing a loose tank top, his arms crossed, looking bored.
"Man..." Julien wheezed, rolling onto his back. "You are... too strong."
"I didn't even start my offence," Chris replied, tossing a towel at Julien's face. "All I did was stand there. You're the one who exhausted yourself trying to hit me."
"It's the gap," Julien groaned, wiping his face. "It's not just skill. It's raw stats. My agility is 5. Yours is... what? 50? It's like a toddler trying to fight a veteran hunter."
"Can we go eat?" Alice asked from the corner.
She was sitting on a crate, swinging her legs. Mr Nibbles, the skeletal hamster, was running circles around her boots.
"We just ate lunch," Julien argued.
Suddenly, Julien's hand felt different, a pain creeping through his body, making him kneel.