The blue light of the portal faded as Kai stepped back into the subway station. He was drenched in sweat, and his tactical suit was scorched, but his eyes held a clarity that wasn't there before.
> [Current Level: 9]
> [Abyss Level: 3.2%]
As the Association cleanup crew rushed past him to secure the now-conquered gate, a woman stood leaning against a concrete pillar, watching him. She wasn't wearing a cleanup uniform. She wore sleek, crimson-trimmed light armor, and a rapier hung at her hip. Vera Volkov. Rank B. A rising star in the "Heaven's Blade" Guild.
Kai kept his head down, trying to blend into the shadows of the station, but Vera stepped directly into his path.
"That was a solo clear," she said, her voice like cold glass. "A C-Rank Hive dungeon. Usually takes a team of five. You didn't even use a heavy weapon."
Kai stopped. He could feel the Abyss reacting to her presence—Vera's mana was sharp, like a thousand needles. It was the first time he had sensed a B-Rank's aura since his awakening.
"I got lucky," Kai said, his voice raspy. "The Spore-Walkers had a localized blight. They were already weak."
Vera tilted her head, her sharp eyes scanning his torn suit. "Lucky? There's no such thing as luck in a Hive gate. I saw the residue on your sleeves. That's not 'blight' soot. That's high-density shadow mana."
She stepped closer, the pressure of her B-Rank aura beginning to weigh on the room. The cleanup crew nearby went quiet, sensing the tension.
"Who are you, 'Pack Mule'?" she asked, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her rapier. "Director Han's secret project?"
> [Warning: Hostile Mana Detected]
> [Automatic Counter-Measure: Abyss Pressure Ready]
Kai felt a surge of dark energy rise from his stomach to his throat. For a second, he wanted to let it go—to see if his Level 9 Abyss power could swallow a B-Rank's light. His shadow began to darken, stretching toward Vera's boots.
Not yet, Kai told himself, clenching his fists. If I fight her here, Han can't protect me.
"I'm just a guy trying to pay for his sister's meds," Kai said, meeting her gaze. His eyes didn't flicker. "If you have a problem with my clearance, talk to the Director. Otherwise, get out of my way."
Vera's eyes widened slightly. Most C-Ranks would be trembling under her aura, but Kai stood like a stone in a river. Before she could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, then back at Kai.
"Director Han is calling me to his office," she muttered, a frustrated smirk touching her lips. "He's shielding you. For now."
She stepped aside, but as Kai walked past, she whispered: "Don't get too comfortable, shadow-walker. The higher you climb, the more people want to see you fall."
Kai didn't look back. He made his way to the surface, where a black sedan was waiting for him. Inside, he found a tablet on the leather seat.
A message from Han:
"Vera is curious. That's dangerous. I've redirected her for today, but your 'C-Rank' cover is already thinning. You need to get stronger—fast. I've secured a key to a specialized training gate in the northern mountains. It's an Ogre territory. Go there. Don't come back until you've reached Level 15."
Kai looked at the tablet, then at his reflection in the tinted window. His skin looked paler, and there was a coldness in his expression that he didn't recognize.
"Level 15," Kai whispered.
He opened his status window. The Shadow Storage icon was glowing. He thought of the Iron-Hide Weaver and the Fungal Juggernaut he had devoured.
"If I'm going to be a monster," he said, the car pulling away into the neon night, "I might as well be the one at the top of the food chain."