The transition wasn't like falling asleep; it was like being pulled through a needle's eye. One moment, Reagan was staring at the water-stained ceiling of his rented room, the weight of a cheap meal settling in his stomach. The next, the world inverted.
[System Rebooting...]
[Transferring the Host to the Dream Realm: Sector C-01]
The chime was a cold, crystalline sound that echoed in his head. Reagan's eyes snapped open. He was standing in the center of a jagged, subterranean cathedral. The air here was thick and suffocating with the sweet scent of raw, unrefined mana.
He looked up. The ceiling was a jagged maw of obsidian, identical to the C-rank dungeon he had just cleared in the physical world.
"So, it's a reflection," Reagan muttered, after catching up with the current situation, his voice sounding unnaturally clear in the absolute silence. "A shadow of the dungeon I cleared earlier."
He turned his attention to the flickering crimson interface hovering in his vision. It was different now—calibrated.
[Monster Count Calibration: C-Rank Shadow Dungeon]
[Target Progression:]
[S-Rank: 0/1]
[A-Rank: 0/3]
[B-Rank: 0/6]
[C-Rank: 1/10]
[D-Rank: 0/20]
[E-Rank: 0/50]
[New Quest Generated]
[Objective: Conquer the Dream Realm]
[Reward: Ownership of the Dream Realm]
Reagan's eyes narrowed. "Ownership? You aren't just offering exp anymore, are you?"
In the Tower, systems were rigid. They were cages designed to keep "players" on a predetermined track. This felt... different. It felt like an invitation to a throne. He reached out and touched the cavern wall. Veins of glowing azure mana crystals chiming.
"I wonder if these crystals can be taken outside." he mused.
He gripped a protrusion of crystal. With a sharp twist of his wrist, the rock snapped.
[Item Stored: High-Grade Mana Crystal (Dream Form)]
A small icon appeared in his inventory. His lips curled into a dry, mirthless smile. Money wouldn't be an issue anymore, but power still eluded him. The "10 EXP" from earlier still stung. If the system was going to be stingy with the rewards of the flesh, he would have to see what the rewards of the spirit were worth.
He began to walk. His footsteps echoing as the floor seemed to swallow the sound. He knew this layout by heart. He had just walked these halls while carrying Alex's unconscious body. He turned a sharp corner, his eyes landing on the Boss Chamber.
The air here was colder. The red aura he had extinguished hours ago was back, but it was deeper—almost violet. In the center of the room, the Boss lay curled in a state of suspended animation. Surrounding it were dozens of translucent, pulsating eggs.
Skitter.
The sound came from above. In a blur of motion, a shadow detached itself from the ceiling. In the waking world, these scouts were sluggish, predictable. But here, the creature moved with a predatory grace that would have decapitated a C-rank hunter instantly.
Reagan didn't flinch. He didn't even shift his stance. As the creature's claws came within an inch of his throat, his hand shot out and caught the monster by its face.
Crunch.
He squeezed. The skull imploded, spraying a viscous, glowing ichor across his face.
"Fast," Reagan noted, wiping a drop of the fluid from his cheek. "The density of mana here... is it reinforcing them? If the speed has doubled, let's see if the reward follows suit."
[Random Quest: Clear the Dungeon]
[Time Remaining: 4:54]
[Warning: Failure Penalty — Permanent 10% reduction to all Stats. Seven-day lockout from Dream Realm.]
Reagan felt a surge of genuine adrenaline. A permanent 10% reduction? The system wasn't playing games anymore. It was demanding perfection.
"No weapons.Just me." He cracked his knuckles, the sound like muffled gunshots in the chamber. "Fine. Let the massacre begin."
He stepped into the light of the violet aura, and the shadows screamed in response.The first scout didn't even have time to shriek before Reagan's fist passed through its thorax, the impact detonating the creature's mana core in a spray of violet sparks that illuminated the swarm closing.
....
The Next Day: 08:00 AM
Sovereign Guild Headquarters
The office was a masterpiece of glass and steel, overlooking the sprawling metropolis. It was a room designed to make visitors feel small, but Clyde Kilran felt smaller than usual today. He stood with his head bowed, his arm in a fresh sling, facing the two most powerful men in the guild.
His brother, Kade Kilran, the Guildmaster, sat behind a desk carved from a single block of mana-treated marble. Standing by the window was Kaelen Voss, the "Azure Blade," whose very presence felt like a sharpened edge pressed against the room's atmosphere.
"A single strike," Kade repeated, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You're telling me a porter—a man with no registered awakening—killed a B-rank Boss with a tool meant for digging dirt?"
"Yeah." Clyde responded.
Kaelen Voss turned away from the window. His eyes were sharp, calculating. "I stood a foot away from him, Kade. I used 'High-Tier Discernment.' Usually, when I look at people, I can discern their true strength. When I looked at the porter, I saw... nothing. It was like staring into a void. It actually gave me a migraine."
Kade leaned forward, his fingers interlaced. "A void? Or a shield?"
"A shield so advanced it feels like a void," Kaelen corrected. "And there's something else. His face. Clyde, tell him."
Clyde swallowed hard. "He's a dead ringer, Kade. If you put him in royal silk and gave him a crown, he'd be the image of the Previous Prince. The one who died during the First Cataclysm."
The room went silent. The political implications were staggering. If the "Forgotten Prince" had returned as a god-tier hunter, the current power structure of the Hunter Association would crumble overnight.
"The Assassin's Guild," Kade murmured. "They've been quiet lately. Too quiet. You think they're backing him? Using the face of a dead royal to stage a coup?"
"I don't think so," Kade countered himself, shaking his head. "The Assassins are surgical. They wouldn't send their greatest asset to carry bags for a C-rank party. This porter... he's an anomaly. He's someone else entirely."
Kade stood up, walking to the window to join Kaelen.
"I want a full dossier," Kade ordered. "I don't care if you have to bribe the Association's janitors. Find out where he sleeps, what he eats, and who he talks to. And Kaelen?"
"Sir?"
"Be careful. If he really did block your perception, he knows exactly how strong you are. Do not provoke him. We need to recruit him before that 'Witch' from the Moonlight Guild catches wind of this. If she gets a hold of a man who looks like the Prince, we will be behind in the rankings."
Kaelen nodded, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword. "I'll handle it."
As Kaelen exited, Kade looked out at the city. Somewhere out there, a man was eating breakfast, blissfully unaware—or perhaps entirely indifferent—that he had just become the person of interest for the guild master of the second ranked guild in the elve kingdom.
"Who are you, porter?" Kade whispered to the glass.
Clarification Notes
Mana Crystals - are condensed excess mana in the dungeon
Monster Core - in order to evolve, monsters need a core to store the mana they accumulate in the dungeon
Mana Circle - Awakened Hunter's have mana circles in their body indicating their ranks.
7-8 National hunter
6 S rank hunter
5 A rank hunter
4 B rank hunter
3 C rank hunter
2 D rank hunter
1 E rank hunter
Mana Capacitor - Surrounded by the mana circles, it holds the mana condensed in the awakeners body. Can not expand no matter how many training one undergoes