The call ended, and I slipped the phone back into my pocket. The ice cream was definitely melting now.
『You display remarkable loyalty to your friends and family,』 Arcan observed as I started walking home. 『It's an admirable trait, if occasionally impractical from a purely strategic perspective.』
I snorted. "What, you don't have anyone like that?"
『I did have a friend once.』 The words came slowly, reluctantly. 『It didn't work out well.』
Okay then…
'Speaking of friends,' I thought, shifting gears. 'If I'm going against a necromancer like Ashborn who has millions of undead followers, how can I be expected to defeat them all myself? I'm not doubting the system, but wouldn't it be easier to save the world with allies?'
『That's an interesting observation.』 Arcan's voice returned to its normal analytical tone, the brief moment of vulnerability gone.
I waited for her to continue, but nothing came.
'That's it? 'Interesting observation'? No insight on the whole 'one man versus an undead army' situation?'
『The path forward will become clearer with time.』
"Real helpful," I muttered, rounding the corner to our street. The lights of our apartment building glowed ahead, warm against the darkening sky.
I was about to press further when my phone buzzed with a notification. I pulled it out, squinting at the screen.
HunterNet Porter Exchange
Request Accepted - Gate Support Required
Location: Westlake District, Los Angeles
Time: 14:00 Tomorrow
Rate: $1500 (Equipment Provided)
Accepting Hunter: Tenten (Iron Dragon Guild)
Reply Y to confirm
I blinked, reading it again. Tenten.
I typed 'Y' and hit send, then added a follow-up message:
This is Xavier from Dragon's Arsenal earlier. Looking forward to working together.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and jogged the last block home.
Damn, I'm fast as hell.
Noel was exactly where I'd left her, sprawled on the floor with textbooks and notes surrounding her like the aftermath of a paper explosion. She glanced up when I entered.
"About time," she said, eyes zeroing in on the bag in my hand. "Is that ice cream or just disappointment in liquid form?"
I tossed her the bag. "Mint chocolate chip milkshake. You're welcome."
I tossed my jacket over the back of the single chair in our cramped apartment and dropped onto the floor across from Noel.
"So," I said, leaning back against the wall, "I got a job."
Noel paused mid-scoop, spoon hovering between the container and her mouth. "A job-job or a side gig?"
"Side gig. Tomorrow afternoon." I stretched my legs out, nudging aside one of her textbooks with my foot. "Gate in Westlake. Fifteen hundred."
The spoon clattered back into the container. "Fifteen Hundred? For one day?" Her eyes widened, that familiar calculating look spreading across her face. "That's more than you make in a week at the construction site."
"Yep. And they're providing equipment."
"Who's 'they'?"
"Iron Dragon Guild. Mid-tier outfit." I pulled my phone out, scrolling to the confirmation. "Got the gig through the porter exchange. Working with someone named Tenten."
Noel's head tilted. "Tenten? Like the numbers?"
"Yeah. Met her at that weapons shop in Chinatown."
"Wait." Noel set the ice cream down and grabbed her phone. Her fingers danced across the screen. "Tenten... Iron Dragon Guild..."
I watched her face as she scrolled. Her expression shifted from curiosity to something sharper, more focused.
"Found her." She turned her phone toward me. "Keiko Nemoto. Goes by Tenten professionally. C-Rank with Iron Dragon."
The screen showed an Instagram profile. The profile picture featured the same woman from the shop, but in hunting gear—hair in twin buns, dressed in a white and maroon outfit that looked both traditional and practical. The bio read: "Weapons Specialist | C-Rank | Iron Dragon Guild | 兵器の達人."
"Twenty-three thousand followers," Noel noted, scrolling through the feed. "Mostly action shots and weapon demonstrations." She paused on a video thumbnail. "Damn, she's good."
I leaned over to look. The video showed Tenten executing a complex maneuver with what looked like a collapsible staff, splitting it into twin batons mid-spin before taking down a practice dummy.
"So you're working with her tomorrow?" Noel asked, still scrolling. "As what, exactly?"
"Porter. Carrying equipment, setting up perimeters, handling comms. Basic support stuff." I watched her expression carefully. "It's entry-level, low risk. Just getting my foot back in the door."
Noel set her phone down and picked up her ice cream again. "You know I've been pushing you to get back into hunting for months. I'm all for it." She took a bite, then pointed her spoon at me. "But portering for an established C-Rank on short notice? That's odd."
"How so?"
"C-Ranks usually work with established teams or at least regular porters. Why is she hiring through the exchange?" Noel's brow furrowed. "And why you? No offense, but your hunter profile hasn't been active in what, two years?"
"Maybe she's desperate." I shrugged. "Or maybe she liked my style at the shop."
Noel looked me up and down, a small smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Liked your style, huh? Yeah, I bet she did."
"Miguel's coming too," I said, ignoring whatever she was implying. "Make a whole boys' day out of it. Get him away from the concrete mixer for once."
The spoon stopped halfway to her mouth. "Miguel? Our Miguel?"
"He said yes right away. Been feeling the call too, apparently."
"The call?" Her eyes narrowed. "Like what you were talking about? The gate thing?"
I nodded, settling back against the wall. "Same feeling. He's been getting it since he was sixteen."
"Interesting." Noel set the ice cream aside and pulled her laptop closer. "Very interesting."
"What are you doing?"
"Research." Her fingers flew across the keyboard. "If you're both experiencing similar phenomena around gates, there might be a pattern. Historical precedent. Maybe something in the Association archives about—"
"Noel."
"What?"
"It's porter work. Basic stuff. We're not diving into S-Rank gates or fighting elder dragons."
She didn't look up from her screen. "Yet."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She turned the laptop toward me, ignoring my question. The screen showed a detailed spreadsheet of LA-based guilds, their rankings, notable members, and recent gate clearance rates. "Iron Dragon's solid mid-tier. Good safety record, decent pay scale. But their management's old school. Traditional."
"Traditional how?"
"They don't promote based purely on merit. Politics, connections, time served—it all factors in." She highlighted a row. "Look at Tenten's stats. Multiple successful gate clearances in the past year. Zero failures. But still a low ranking member after three years."
I pushed myself up from the floor. "I'm getting water. Want anything?"
"Just answers." She scrolled through her phone. "Like why a C-Rank weapons specialist who usually works with an established team suddenly needs porters through the exchange. And why she'd pick a stranger with a dormant hunter profile."
"Maybe she's branching out. Testing new partners."
"Maybe." Noel's tone suggested she wasn't convinced. "Or maybe she noticed something about you."
I filled a glass at the sink. "You think she can sense potential?"
"Some hunters can." She paused. "Did anything unusual happen at the shop?"
"Not really," I said. "Just normal customer service."
"Mmhmm." Noel tapped her phone against her chin. "Well, whatever her reasons, this could work in our favor. C-Rank or not, she's got a following in the hunter community. Making a good impression could open doors."
I returned to my spot on the floor. "You've got this all planned out, don't you?"
"Someone has to." She reached over and poked my knee with her spoon. "You're good at the fighting part. The instincts, the quick thinking. But the politics? The networking? That's where I come in."
"I can network."
"You can charm people," she corrected. "It's not the same thing. Networking is about building sustainable connections. Understanding the ecosystem." She gestured at her laptop. "Like knowing why someone with Tenten's stats is still a low rank, or which guilds are actually worth joining."
"And which guilds are worth joining?"
"Top tier? Scavenger Guild or the Phoenix Imperium obviously. But they're selective. You'd need serious credentials." She scrolled through her spreadsheet. "Mid-tier, I'd say White Wolf or Sentinels. Both have good advancement tracks, merit-based promotion. Iron Dragon's fine for building experience, but not long-term."
I watched her as she talked, noting the familiar intensity in her eyes. The way she leaned forward slightly, completely focused on the task at hand. She'd always been like this—methodical, strategic. Even as kids, she'd approach everything like a puzzle to be solved.
"You really want this, don't you?" I asked softly.
She looked up, meeting my gaze. "I want you to have what you deserve. What they took from us." A small smile curved her lips. "Besides, someone needs to manage your career when you make it big."
"When, not if?"
"Please." She waved her spoon dismissively. "I've seen your potential. Mom and Dad saw it too." Her voice softened on our parents' mention. "They always said you'd surpass them both. Just needed the right push."
"They said that?"
"All the time." Noel set her laptop aside and hugged her knees to her chest. "Mom used to joke that you got all the talent genes and I got the common sense ones."
"That explains a lot."
She flicked a piece of paper at me. "Jerk."
I caught the paper and folded it into a tiny triangle. "You know, Miguel said something interesting on the phone. About feeling stuck."
"And?"
"Made me think. Maybe we've all been stuck. Playing it safe because of what happened." The paper triangle spun between my fingers. "Maybe it's time to get unstuck."
Noel's eyes tracked the spinning paper. "You're not wrong. But getting unstuck means taking risks." She paused. "Are you ready for that?"
『She is remarkably perceptive,』 Arcan noted. 『Though I suspect there are still aspects of your condition she hasn't pieced together.』
'Like you?' I thought back.
『Indeed. Though given her pattern recognition abilities, I wouldn't be surprised if she's sensed something... unusual about your recent changes.』
"Xavier." Noel's voice snapped me back. "You're doing that thing again. Where you space out like you're listening to something."
"Just thinking."
"Mmhmm." She didn't look convinced. "About tomorrow?"
"Yeah." I latched onto the change of subject. "Should probably get some sleep soon. Busy day."
"Right." She padded toward the bathroom, then paused in the doorway. "Oh, and Xavier?"
"Yeah?"
"When you see Tenten tomorrow..." A small smirk formed on her lips. "Try not to stare too obviously. Your type is pretty predictable."
"I don't have a type."
"Strong women who can kick your ass? That's definitely your type." She disappeared into the bathroom before I could respond.
『She's not wrong,』 Arcan chimed in, amusement coloring her tone.
'Not you too.'
『I have access to your biological responses. Your heart rate elevated by 12.3% during your interaction at the weapons shop.』
'That was combat anticipation.'
『If you say so.』 Her tone dripped skepticism. 『Though I feel compelled to point out that similar elevations occurred when—』
'Going to sleep now.'
『Very well.』 She paused. 『But for the record, I agree with Noel's assessment of both your "type" and the potential strategic value of this connection.』
I ignored her and began my nightly routine. Tomorrow. After years of playing it safe, of keeping my head down and pretending to be normal, I was stepping back into that world. The world of gates and monsters and power.
The world I belonged in.
Noel emerged from the bathroom in her oversized sleep shirt—one of my old ones, stolen years ago. She climbed into our shared bed without ceremony, claiming her usual spot against the wall.
"Don't overthink it," she said as I slid in beside her. "It's just porter work."
"I know."
"But it's a start."
"Yeah." I stared up at the water-stained ceiling, feeling the familiar comfort of her presence beside me. "It is."
She rolled onto her side, facing me in the darkness. "Hey."
"Mm?"
"I'm proud of you. For getting unstuck."
"Go to sleep, brat."
She huffed a quiet laugh and turned away. Within minutes, her breathing evened out into the deep rhythm of sleep.
I lay awake a while longer, listening to the city sounds filtering through our thin walls. A siren wailed in the distance. Bass thumped from someone's car. The familiar symphony of Los Angeles at night.
『Your sister is right, you know,』 Arcan said softly. 『About being unstuck.』
'I know.'
『Are you ready for what that means?』
I closed my eyes, feeling the constant pull of the gates like a song just below hearing.
'Guess we'll find out.'