The crystal prison exploded into data shards, casting rays of light through the chamber like falling stars.
Rael stood beneath them, his glitch-blade humming softly. The red eye that once controlled the dungeon had flickered out.
Silence.
Then—
> [SYSTEM UPDATE FAILED]
[CONTAINMENT BREACH: CORE HOST LIBERATED]
[ANOMALY STABILIZING…]
Rael looked up.
The boy from the crystal lay still on the ground, breathing shallowly. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and strange glyphs crawled just beneath the surface like shifting code. Every few seconds, his form shimmered—like he couldn't decide whether to exist or not.
> A child… but not normal. A living system fragment? A host?
Rael knelt beside him. "Who are you?"
The boy's eyes fluttered open—deep black, no pupils.
> "Are you… like me?" he whispered.
Rael hesitated.
Then nodded once.
> "Good," the boy smiled faintly. "Then maybe… it won't end again."
And he passed out.
---
📍 30 Minutes Later – Back Alley, Metro City
A tear in the air buzzed quietly as Rael stepped through it, carrying the unconscious child in his arms. The entrance behind him snapped shut with a sharp pop.
The alley was empty.
He wrapped the kid in his jacket and disappeared into the shadows.
---
📍 Unknown Location – 3 Hours Later
The small apartment had no lights. Just an old oil lantern and stacks of books about dungeons, Awakened theory, and system hacking—books Rael knew would be considered blacklisted if anyone caught him.
He laid the boy on the mattress and turned to his system panel.
> [NEW COMPANION ACQUIRED: SYSTEM ORPHAN – DESIGNATION: NULL]
[STATUS: COMATOSE | ENERGY SIGNATURE: HYBRID-CODED]
[NOTE: UNCLASSIFIABLE. CONNECTION TO SYSTEM CORE – 47.3% CONFIRMED.]
Rael narrowed his eyes.
> "You're part of the system. Or you were."
He stood.
> I need to move. Before they detect this.
But he was already too late.
---
📍 Elsewhere – Underground Hunter Control Node
Alarms screamed inside a high-security chamber buried beneath Metro City.
A dozen analysts scrambled around a holographic map. At its center was a blinking red dot—glitching violently.
"Sir! Unauthorized access to a blacklisted zone!"
"Which one?"
"The Singularity Womb!"
The room froze.
A tall figure in a black military coat turned toward the screen. His eyes were hidden behind silver-rimmed glasses, and his voice was soft—but dangerous.
> "I thought that dungeon was locked behind six firewalls."
"It was, Commander. Someone broke through."
> "And the containment core?"
The analyst hesitated.
> "Liberated."
A pause. Then—
> "Issue a black-level bounty. Name: Rael Kuro. Status: Kill on sight."
---
📍 Back at Rael's Apartment
A soft chime echoed in Rael's mind.
> [WARNING: GLOBAL BOUNTY PLACED – BLACK CLASS]
[BOUNTY HUNTERS, ASSASSINS, AND SYSTEM-CLEANERS ACTIVATED.]
Rael chuckled coldly.
> "That was fast."
But he wasn't afraid.
He walked to the window and looked out over the neon-bathed city.
> "You controlled the rules. You decided who lived, who rose… and who was thrown away."
He turned, eyes glowing faintly blue.
> "Now you've made your worst mistake."
His hand clenched.
And outside, the neon signs began to flicker—just slightly—as if even the city itself could feel a new force awakening.