Noel sat cross-legged on the floor of his new apartment, the bright glow of sunlight peeking through the curtains reflecting on his face.
His apartment was modest but clean. It was a one-bedroom apartment nestled in South Bay District, one of the city's upper-class zones. It wasn't extravagant; it was quiet, secure and perfect for him. The living room was medium-sized, the kitchen functional, and a small balcony overlooked the peaceful street below.
After extending Julius' stay at the hospital, Noel had used what was left of his credits to rent a better place, as well as purchase a new phone. Naturally, the cost wasn't a trivial one, and after everything, he had a little over 180,000 credits left.
His new phone—a sleek matte-black model—rested comfortably in his hand as he lazily scrolled through the Hunter forums.
The screen flickered with listings for upcoming rift raids, gear exchanges, and strategy debates, none of which held his attention for long.
Hunters without a dedicated team often had to navigate the forums manually, scrolling through dozens—sometimes hundreds—of listings just to find one that fit. It was a frustrating process that was filled with last-minute cancellations, overpriced entry fees, and, more often than not, sketchy party leads.
Still, there was nothing independent Hunters like Noel could do.
"Maybe I should really consider joining a Hunter Agency." Noel murmured as he scrolled through various listings.
He lazily clicked on the raid section and began flipping through the postings, his eyes scanning past ads and pointless recruitment offers.
Minutes ticked by, and one post blended seamlessly into the next as Noel kept scrolling. Then, after nearly forty minutes of scrolling, his thumb finally paused.
[Open Party Application]
[Grade: E-Rank Rift]
[Slots Remaining: 2]
[Minimum Requirements: F-rank Hunter]
[Entry Fee: 100,000 Credits]
"Oh? Their minimum requirement is being an F-rank Hunter?" Noel raised a brow in surprise, and he clicked on it. After reading through the posting carefully, he nodded.
"This could work. It's an E-rank rift, but with my current gear and Kaiser, I shouldn't have any problems." Noel murmured, tapping his finger against his knee.
Then his gaze settled on the entry fee.
"But the entry fee…" Noel grumbled bitterly as he stared at the entry fee. He only had a little over 180,000 credits to his name; paying the fee would leave him with barely 80,000 credits.
He hesitated for a while, but after a long sigh, he gritted his teeth and hit the apply button.
[Application Sent…]
[Application Approved – Party Slot Reserved]
[Estimated Raid Date: 28 Days]
Noel dropped his phone on the polished wooden floor with a sigh, and stared up at the ceiling.
"28 days, huh? I guess I'd better make them count." Noel murmured with a light chuckle.
The only thing he could do now was wait.
***
The sky was cloaked in dark, broody clouds, the air thick with the scent of rain. A chill breeze swept through the empty street, carrying with it the scent of rain and wet asphalt.
It had been a long wait, but the day of the raid finally arrived. For the past twenty-eight days, Noel had followed a monotonous routine: wake, eat, exercise and sleep. He stuck to his routine firmly and waited patiently for the raid.
Noel arrived at the designated rift site two hours before the scheduled entry time. The location was a cordoned-off urban residence that was on the outskirts of the city. Temporary barricades surrounded it, while two Hunter Association drones hovered overhead for surveillance.
The rift itself hovered faintly in the air like a cracked mirror suspended in space; its bright blue colour shimmered brightly against the gloomy weather.
Noel took a brief glance around and saw that only two people were present besides the Hunter Association official.
One was a young man with a lean and lanky build, with an average face. His short black hair was slicked back carelessly, and a pair of throwing knives were strapped to his thighs—typical of an assassin-type Hunter.
The other was a tall brunette with an attractive face and piercing amber eyes.
She wore a sleek black jacket etched with intricate silver runes, paired with form-fitting black cargo pants that accentuated her curves, and a pair of black leather boots that fit her perfectly. A small spirit creature hovered idly by her shoulder, and there was an unmistakable air of pride that clung to her like a perfume.
The lanky youth noticed Noel's approach and gave him a casual nod before calling out to him.
"You're here for the E-rank rift too?" the lanky young man asked coolly, raising a brow at Noel.
"Yeah. I'm Noel. And you?"
"Willie." The lanky youth stuck out a hand, which Noel shook.
"That's Paige." Willie added with a tilt of his head towards the brunette, but she didn't so much as glance at Noel.
Willie gave a helpless shrug as he turned back to Noel, his eyes scanning Noel's gear.
"You're solo?" Willie asked curiously.
"Yeah." Noel replied politely.
"That's fine. We were solo a few weeks back as well, but Paige and I just joined the Black Hawks Guild, a decent second-rate Guild as reserve members." Willie said with a friendly smile.
"Ah," Noel nodded indifferently, unenthused by Willie's conversations.
They chatted briefly, and while Noel found Willie to be talkative, he didn't find him unpleasant, at least not until Paige finally looked up, her eyes narrowing at the small necromancer sigil that was pinned to Noel's coat collar.
"You're a Necromancer, huh?" Paige asked coldly. Her tone wasn't harsh, but the underlying tone of condescension did not escape his ears.
"Yeah, I am." Noel replied coolly, unfazed by her cold attitude.
Willie's expression shifted, and he drew back slightly, as though reconsidering the friendliness in his earlier words.
"I don't care whatever you do inside the rift, but i won't tolerate it if you drag us back." Paige warned coldly, the disdain in her voice very much audible.
"You don't need to worry about that." Noel replied airily.
"Hmph. Just make sure you keep up." Paige sneered, then turned away contemptuously from Noel, effectively dismissing him.
Faced with Paige's hostile attitude, Noel merely let out a chuckle in response and said nothing.
If this had happened before he awakened the system, he would have been upset by her harsh words; but that was no longer the case.
He was no longer the shallow and weak-willed Hunter he was a few weeks ago.
Not wanting to bother with Willie and Paige anymore, Noel turned away from them and leaned across the barricade, a nonchalant expression on his face.
One by one, the rest of the party arrived—five more Hunters in total, including a Healer. They were friendly at first, casually introducing themselves, but like the others, the moment they realized his class, they distanced themselves from him and treated him with indifference and disdain.
Noel didn't mind at all, as he was already used to it, but he was slightly surprised at the composition of his party, especially the presence of a Healer.
Not long after, a low hum echoed through the area, and a sleek, black van pulled up and parked near the barricade. The passenger-side door opened with a quiet hiss, and a man stepped dressed in a black cloak came out first.
The moment the man removed his black cloak, a faint shimmer of mana rippled through the air, and his frame was instantly released.
The man was huge—easily 2.2m tall—and built like a bear. He had bright red hair that fell to his nape, and his face bore the rugged handsomeness of a man in his late forties. He wore full-body armor that was forged in a brilliant white hue, accentuated with bright red runes that pulsed menacingly.
Strapped across his back was a massive greatsword, the hilt wrapped in crimson leather. The blade was as long as an average man and was sheathed in a white scabbard marked with scarlet runes.
A massive white shield with scarlet runes hung on his left shoulder, and despite its heavy size, the man moved forward fluidly, as though his weapons and armor were weightless.
The moment the man appeared, the gathered Hunters instantly tensed up, their spines stiffening as their instincts flared wildly. Their instincts, which were honed through countless rift raids, now screamed one thing in unison.
Danger!
A dense pressure swept over the area—heavy, suffocating and primal. The ambient mana around him seemed to ripple ever so slightly with each step he took, and his suffocating aura bore down on them.
They didn't know who the man was, but one unspoken truth settled over them.
That man is strong!