Solstium Continent, Kalyven
Capital of the kingdom of Lusocriz, one of the six that make up the Solstium continent. A city rich in culture, yet deeply lacking in quality of life.
Its inhabitants suffered daily under the weight of social inequality. In the busiest streets, it was common to see large clusters of blind communities - entire families living on the streets or in barely livable conditions.
Despite being relatively developed, the city fell far short of meeting the needs of most of its population.
The economic system, V.E.I.L., created before Keiji, remained in place worldwide. However, in Solstium, no solution had ever been developed for the blind-those unable to carry out transactions through their eyes. In simple terms: all blind individuals were excluded from the economic system. Unable to purchase goods, they survived only through charity or the support of friends and family.
Most people relied on public transportation-especially ordinary citizens. Visionaries, on the other hand, preferred to flaunt their wealth: luxury cars, high-end stores, status on display.
It was within this reality that Byeol walked.
Dressed in black - a hooded sweatshirt and loose pants - he moved through a narrow, dimly lit street, illuminated by flickering neon lights. The smell of wet pavement mixed with tobacco and scattered beer bottles.
His steps were calm. Unhurried.
As he descended a staircase, he approached a door marked by a red neon sign.
Inside, the place revealed itself as an old bar: a wooden counter, stripped of its color, sticky from years of spilled alcohol. There weren't many people at this hour - the perfect place to unwind after training.
He entered without a word.
In the distance, a cloaked man sat alone at a table. Byeol passed two men arguing in a corner, a woman asleep over the counter, and a trio gambling personal belongings at a card table.
He stepped up to the bar and tapped his fingers lightly against the dirty surface to get the bartender's attention.
"Beer," he muttered, without removing his hood.
"Coming right up," the bartender replied.
Behind the counter stood a lifeless man, worn down by years, just waiting for retirement. He poured the drink.
"Here you go."
Byeol brought the beer to his lips and drank slowly, savoring the bitterness in silence. It was warm. Flat… but enough to quiet the ghosts.
Then!
The door burst open with a deafening crash.
Five men stormed in - torn vests, tribal tattoos, and bloodshot red eyes - a clear mix of drugs and alcohol.
Bikers.
In Lusocriz, gangs like this roamed freely, spreading fear across the cities. This time, they came armed.
-Everybody stay still! - the leader shouted. -Valuables on the tables and the bar . Or you get a bullet in your chest! This bar belongs to us now!
-No sudden moves. No talking!
Panic erupted.
Women cried as they surrendered their belongings. Men trembled, pleading for calm, promising cooperation. Chaos consumed the room.
Detached from everything around him, Byeol stood up without hesitation. He took one final sip of his draft beer and calmly walked toward an old arcade machine in the corner.
The customers froze.
The bikers frowned, confused - unsure how to react.
- Hey! You blind idiot. Are you serious?!
Byeol ignored them completely.
-Look at this! Blind and deaf! Hahaha!
He placed his fingers on the machine's screen.
His eyes briefly glowed - a blue scanning light passed over them, flickering twice.
A hologram appeared:
- Payment accepted: 500 microLuminas (μLMN)
A simple action… but impossible for a blind man.
The game started.
A street fighting game. Multiple characters. One-on-one combat.
Silence filled the bar.
Only the clicking of arcade buttons could be heard.
The bikers exchanged looks, stunned.
"This guy is either completely insane… or suicidal."
-Guess we're gonna have to make this place even messier.
-Hey, asshole! Do you even know who we are?! You've got ten seconds to drop that shit and get over here!
Byeol cast a brief glance toward the leader, his brow slightly furrowed - then turned back to the game.
Hmm… I'm off today.
- You're dead, you piece of shit! I'll put a cross on your chest!
The leader raised his gun.
The others followed.
In an instant, hundreds of bullets tore through the space where Byeol had been.
But he wasn't there anymore.
The gunfire stopped.
Fragments still fell through the air.
Then...
A cold, low voice whispered right beside the leader's ear:
"Lights out."
Byeol's hand grabbed his face from behind.
His fingers wrapped tightly around it.
The man's eyes filled with terror. Like he had just seen a ghost.
All of a sudden.
He was slammed violently into the ground, his face partially crushed.
A dry crack echoed through the room.
That was it.
The others screamed. Fired wildly. Tried to help.
It was useless.
He was already dead.
Byeol tilted his head slightly, a cynical smile forming.
- Looks like you were right… we are gonna make a mess.
He stepped forward.
The fight began.
A punch to the ribs.
A knee to the face.
Blow after blow, they dropped.
With a slight release of Iluminência, his speed and power surged.
His eyes turned completely white.
Two bikers were taken down in an instant.
The rest attacked together - but Byeol unleashed a burst of energy and, with a spinning strike, sent them flying.
The last one who managed to stand was slammed against the wall, cracking the concrete.
Cold. Precise.
Within minutes, silence reclaimed the bar.
To everyone's shock, Byeol returned to the counter, ordered a bottled beer, and drank it in one go.
Then he shoved his hands back into his pockets and walked out.
The moment he left, the bar erupted. People laughing, crying in relief. The owner quickly called public security.
Byeol knew he couldn't leave on foot this time.
He didn't feel like being questioned.
Outside, he found the bikers' motorcycles.
He mounted the first one - likely the leader's.
It was beautiful. A fusion of scrap metal, raw power, and futuristic design.
Without a helmet, he sped off at full throttle toward his hideout nearby.
From atop a building, Haneul had watched everything.
His expression was more serious than usual.
Close to the hideout, Byeol parked and began walking, discreetly checking if he had been followed.
For some reason… he had that feeling.
Despite how fast he had moved.
Then.
Out of nowhere.
From an alley
Haneul appeared.
Somehow, he had arrived at the exact same time.
-Nice show back there, hm? - he muttered with disdain.
-Didn't we agree to stay low? And you even had the nerve to leave on a bike? A helicopter would've made less noise.
Byeol didn't even turn his head. A slight smile formed.
- Not my fault. You know that. Didn't expect that group to show up.
-And honestly… I missed the feeling. Blood rushing.
-But they weren't even worth it.
-And about the bike - you told me not to use my powers.
-Look at it. You probably would've done the same.
Haneul sighed.
He knew Byeol was a weapon without restraint.
But also knew… he was about to be used for something bigger.
-Come on.
As they walked, they stopped in front of two massive screens - common throughout the city.
They displayed live footage:
A Class A criminal being captured by Ranker No. 93.
The fight was brutal.
The Ranker used a Destructive Vision - leaving the criminal no chance.
Everything filmed.
Everything glorified.
Byeol watched.
Another ranker showing off. Ridiculous.
The world loved heroes, even those who killed for fame or money.
They continued toward their hideout, passing through a degraded street surrounded by abandoned buildings.
One of many places where they spent their nights.
Nomads. Always moving.
Then.
A presence approached.
Firm. Confident.
A man stepped in front of them.
Wrapped in a hooded cloak.
His face hidden.
Byeol felt like he had seen that cloak before.
-Can we help you? - Haneul asked.
-I was in the bar. - the man said. - I saw everything.
- And?So what? - Byeol replied. - What do you want?"
-A fight.
The man slowly removed his hood.
- Name? - Byeol asked.
- Rook!
A ranker—with one eye of each color, filled with pride.