The portal deposited me back in the park with a flash of blue light and the faint smell of ozone.
The sun warmed my skin. Birds chirped in nearby trees. A distant car horn blared. Normal sounds. Real sounds. Not the hollow echoes of an ancient ossuary filled with animated skeletons trying to kill me.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with semi fresh air instead of the musty, death-tinged atmosphere of the dungeon.
"Shit," I whispered. Funny how you never appreciate these things until you've spent hours wondering if you'll ever see them again.
I glanced around the small park. No one seemed to have noticed my magical reappearance. A couple of joggers circled the perimeter path. An old man dozed on a bench with a newspaper across his lap. A mother pushed a stroller while talking on her phone.
Normal. Safe. Boring.
And suddenly very precious.
I stretched, working out the kinks in my muscles, and turned to leave. Time to get home to Noel. Maybe pick up something nice for dinner to celebrate not dying horribly in a bone dungeon.
"WOAH! IS THAT YOUR HUNTER ABILITY?!"
I froze, then slowly turned around. A kid stood there, maybe eight or nine years old, staring up at me with wide eyes and an even wider smile. One of his front teeth was missing, giving him a comical, lopsided grin. He wore a Thomas Andre t-shirt that had seen better days and shorts with grass stains on the knees.
Fuck.
My heart sank. The gate might be invisible, but I wasn't. And this kid had definitely seen me materialize out of thin air.
"Uh," I said brilliantly.
"That was so cool!" The kid bounced on his heels. "You just appeared! Like—" he made an explosion gesture with his hands, complete with sound effects.
I looked around quickly. No one else seemed to have noticed, but that could change if this kid kept shouting about hunter abilities in the middle of the park.
"Yeah," I said, crouching down to his level and lowering my voice. "That's my swap ability. I can teleport to places I've been before."
His eyes grew even wider. "For real? That's awesome! Do it again!"
I rubbed the back of my neck, buying time to think. "Sorry, kid. It has a cooldown. Can't use it again for a while."
His face fell immediately, enthusiasm draining away like air from a punctured balloon. "That's lame," he muttered, kicking at the grass with the toe of his sneaker.
Listen here you stupid brat.
I forced a smile. "Ha, well, guess I'll have to work harder. See you around, kid."
I turned and walked away, shoulders tense until I was sure he wasn't following me.
Only then did I notice something was missing. The daggers Tenten had sold me—gone. And the Ossuary Piercer I'd claimed from the dungeon—also nowhere to be found.
'Arcan, where are my weapons?'
『Stored in your inventory. All items are automatically transferred to dimensional storage upon dungeon exit unless manually equipped.』
'I have an inventory?'
『Affirmative. The Arcane Interface allows for storage and retrieval of items through dimensional compression. Simply focus on the concept of your inventory to access it.』
I concentrated, picturing a mental space where my weapons might be stored. Immediately, a shimmering blue interface appeared in my vision—not like a video game menu, but more like a constellation of glowing sigils, each representing a stored item.
'That's... actually pretty badass.'
『The storage capacity is currently limited to thirty distinct item types. This will expand as your ability increases.』
I could see the daggers and the Ossuary Piercer represented as glowing symbols. When I focused on one, detailed information appeared:
[OSSUARY PIERCER]
RANK: C
TYPE: Ceremonial Spear (One-handed)
ATTACK: +75
SECONDARY STAT: +15% Magic Penetration
DESCRIPTION: An ancient ceremonial weapon crafted from blessed bones and crowned with a dragon's tooth. The spiraling sigils etched into its shaft pulse with stored magical energy, resonating with the wielder's mana. Despite its age, the weapon maintains perfect balance and a deadly edge.
EFFECT: [Binding Breaker] When the spear successfully pierces a mana reinforced target or construct, the stored energy in the sigils activates, temporarily disrupting the target's magical bindings. Each successful pierce has a chance to cause magical instability in the target for up to 3 seconds.
'So I can just pull these out whenever I want?'
『Correct. Focus on the desired item and will it to materialize. The process requires minimal mana expenditure.』
I decided to test this later, when I wasn't standing in a public park where kids with big mouths might be watching.
I checked my phone: 3:17 PM. Still plenty of daylight left. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me I hadn't eaten since breakfast. After the ordeal in the ossuary, I felt like I could devour an entire buffet.
I headed toward the parking lot where I'd left my car—a black '09 Mustang I'd bought used and fixed up myself. It wasn't fancy, but it was mine, paid in full.
As I slid behind the wheel, I decided to celebrate my survival. Pizza and wings sounded perfect, maybe with some beer to wash it all down. I placed an order through the Domino's app for three large pizzas and two orders of wings, then added a six-pack of craft beer through DoorDash.
'Why am I so hungry?' I wondered as my stomach growled again, loud enough to hear over the engine starting.
『Enhanced metabolism is a byproduct of the system. Your body requires additional nutrients to process the mana and support attribute improvements. The sensation intensifies during true downtime after significant exertion.』
'So I'm going to be eating like this regularly?'
『Correct.』
Great. Another expense. But at least I had a good excuse for the feast I'd ordered.
When I made it home, my heart tightened seeing Noel on our bed, textbooks all around her.
"Xavi? You're home early."
Her jet-black hair was pulled back in a messy bun, revealing the multiple piercings along her ear. She wore an oversized black t-shirt with some band logo I didn't recognize and leggings with rips that I was pretty sure were intentional rather than wear and tear.
"Yeah, we were ahead of schedule, so they let us out early."
I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug that made her squeak in surprise.
"What's this for?" she asked, voice muffled against my chest.
"Can't I just be happy to see my favorite sister?"
"I'm your only sister, idiot."
I released her, but not before dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "And therefore my favorite by default."
She rolled her eyes, but I caught the smile she tried to hide. "You smell weird. Not like construction site weird. Different weird."
"Gee, thanks. That's exactly what a guy wants to hear."
"No, I mean—" She leaned closer, sniffing. "Like ozone or something. Static electricity."
I shrugged, turning away to hide any reaction that might give me away. "Probably from the new site. Lots of exposed wiring." I changed the subject before she could press further. "I ordered pizza and wings. Should be here soon."
"Finally! Some good food for once."
The memory of how close I'd come to not making it back hit me again. The bone guardian's club smashing into my ribs. The sentinel's blade cutting across my back. The moment of panic when I'd almost given up.
I could have died in that ossuary. Noel would have waited for me to come home, and I never would have. She would have been alone, just like I'd feared being without her.
"I got beer too," I added, trying to sound casual. "The fancy kind you like."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Okay, now I know something's up. You never spring for the expensive stuff unless it's a special occasion."
"Maybe I'm just in a good mood."
She studied me, those blue eyes missing nothing. Sometimes I wondered if she had some sister-sense that detected my bullshit with unerring accuracy.
"Whatever you say." She closed her textbook. "But if you've gotten fired and you're buttering me up before breaking the news, I'm going to kick your ass."
"Your confidence in me is truly touching."
"Hey, you're the one acting weird."
I couldn't argue with that. But I couldn't tell her the truth either—not yet. Not until I understood more about what was happening to me and what it meant for our future.
The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of dinner. Saved by the pizza guy.
As we ate, I watched Noel talk about her day, her classes, the people she'd met. She was animated, alive, vibrant in a way that made our small, shabby apartment feel like home.
'I won't let that happen again,' I promised silently. 'Whatever this system is, whatever Arcan wants from me—I'll use it to make things better for us.'
『Your emotional state has stabilized.』
I ignored Arcan's commentary, focusing instead on Noel as she stole a wing from my plate despite having plenty of her own.
"So what's next?" she asked, licking sauce from her fingers in a way that would have had most guys blushing. I just handed her a napkin.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're clearly celebrating something. What's the next step in whatever plan you've hatched?"
Sometimes her perceptiveness was eerie. "Can't get anything past you, can I?"
"Nope. So spill."
I took a swig of beer, considering how much to tell her. "I'm thinking about taking on some extra work. Not construction. Something with better pay."
Her eyes widened. "Hunter work?"
I shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe. Got to use that license for something, right?"
The excitement flashed across her face before she could hide it. Her fingers drummed against the pizza box, a rapid staccato that betrayed her racing thoughts.
"For real? You're actually considering it?"
"Just weighing options." I kept my tone casual, watching her reaction carefully. "Nothing definite."
Noel leaned forward. "You should. I mean, it's literally in our blood, Xavi."
I raised an eyebrow. "Careful. You almost sound like you're encouraging your only brother to walk into monster-filled death traps for a living."
"Don't be dramatic." She rolled her eyes, but her expression sobered. "Those death traps are inevitable. Gates pop up everywhere. Better to face them on your terms than wait for one to break in our neighborhood."
The pragmatism in her voice caught me off guard. This wasn't the reaction I'd expected.
"What about the risk?" I asked cautiously.
"What about the reward?" She countered, stealing another wing from my plate. "Hunter pay is exponentially better than construction. Even low-rank gate clearings would triple your income."
I studied her face, searching for the catch. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"
"Funny." She wiped sauce from her mouth with the back of her hand. "I've actually been researching this for months. Guild structures, compensation packages, insurance policies for hunters."
"For your business degree?"
"For you, dumbass." She reached under the bed and pulled out a worn folder stuffed with papers. "I've been compiling data on the most stable mid-tier guilds in the area. Ones with good safety records and decent benefits."
I took the folder, flipping through pages of meticulous notes and highlighted statistics. The level of detail was staggering.
"Jesus, Noel."
"What? You think I wouldn't prepare for this? You've been fighting that hunter itch since you got your certification." She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "I've seen how you look whenever a gate appears on the news."
My throat tightened. "And you're okay with this? With me hunting?"
Her expression shifted, vulnerability breaking through her matter-of-fact facade. "I didn't say that. I'm terrified, actually." Her voice dropped. "But I'd rather help you do it right than have you sneak off and get yourself killed because you didn't have proper backup."
I reached across the space between us, taking her hand. "I wouldn't do that to you."
"Wouldn't you?" Her fingers tightened around mine. "You've been carrying us both since Utah. Taking every shit job that pays. Working yourself to exhaustion." Her eyes locked with mine. "You think I don't see the toll it takes? How much you sacrifice?"
I swallowed hard. "That's what big brothers do."
"And little sisters research hunter guilds because they know their stupidly noble brothers are going to chase their calling eventually." She scooted closer, her thighs touching mine . "Page twelve has a breakdown of entry-level positions that minimize risk while you build experience. Support roles, mostly. Porter work, cleanup crews, security for harvested gates."
The thoroughness of her research left me speechless. While I'd been protecting her from the harsh realities of our situation, she'd been quietly preparing for the inevitable.
"There's just one condition," she said, her voice suddenly steel.
"Which is?"
"You come home." Her eyes burned into mine. "Every time. No exceptions. No heroics. If a gate looks too dangerous, you walk away."
"Noel—"
"I mean it, Xavi." Her voice cracked slightly. "I can handle you being a hunter. I can't handle being alone."
The weight of her words hung between us. Four years ago, we'd lost our parents to a gate that had seemed routine until it wasn't. The memory of those days—the phone call, the funeral, the hollow emptiness that followed—still haunted us both.
"I promise," I said finally. "I'll always come home."
And I meant it.