Miguel wiped sweat from his brow as they trudged deeper into the goblin nest. The air grew thicker with each step, a pungent mix of damp stone and that distinctive goblin musk that coated the back of his throat.
What the hell happened to Xavier?
His best friend moved with a confidence that seemed new. Different. The way he handled himself during the crawler attack—calm, focused, calculating—didn't match the Xavier who spent weekends helping him install drywall.
The narrow tunnel forced them to walk single file. Miguel found himself behind Xavier and in front of one of the healers—Sasha, he thought her name was.
If I didn't know better, I'd think he's done this a hundred times.
Miguel had heard stories about the Valentine family before they died—elite hunters who tackled A-rank gates like they were taking Sunday drives. But Xavier had always downplayed that part of his heritage, focusing instead on providing for Noel.
The tunnel suddenly widened into another chamber, allowing the group to spread out once more. Miguel moved closer to Xavier.
"You good?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Xavier nodded. "Fine. You?"
"Yeah, just thinking."
"Dangerous habit."
Miguel snorted. "Ass."
The familiar banter felt good, normal in this decidedly not-normal place. But even as they exchanged words, Miguel noticed how Xavier's eyes never stopped scanning the chamber, how his body remained loose but ready.
Up ahead, Tenten signaled for a brief rest.
"So this is what you've been missing," he said, gesturing vaguely at their surroundings.
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Missing isn't the word I'd use."
"You know what I mean. Your parents did this stuff, and you've been stuck hauling drywall with me."
"Noel needed stability."
Miguel nodded. They'd had this conversation before. After Xavier's parents died, he'd put everything on hold to take care of his sister. College plans, hunter training, all of it—shelved so Noel could finish school.
"She's in college now," Miguel pointed out. "Doing well, from what you've said."
Xavier's eyes flicked toward the hunters, checking if anyone was listening. "Let's talk about this later."
"Fine, but..." Miguel leaned closer. "X-ray, I saw what you did to that goblin earlier. You practically turned its head to paste."
Before Xavier could respond, Tenten approached them, her twin hair buns somehow still perfectly intact despite the combat they'd seen.
"Two-minute warning," she said. "We're almost at the boss area."
Miguel nodded. "We'll be ready."
Tenten's steel-gray eyes lingered on him for a moment, assessing. "First gate?"
"That obvious?"
Her lips quirked slightly. "You're doing fine. Just stay close to your friend." She glanced at Xavier. "He seems to know what he's doing."
After she walked away, Miguel turned back to Xavier. "See? Even she noticed."
Xavier sighed. "Miguel—"
"No, listen." Miguel kept his voice just above a whisper. "If you wanted to, you could probably clear this whole gate yourself. I don't know what happened to you but something changed."
Xavier's jaw tightened. "Later."
Miguel raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. But whatever it is, I'm glad. You're wasted on construction sites."
The call came to move out, ending their conversation. As they formed up again, Miguel found himself watching the other hunters with new interest.
Tenten moved with precision that bordered on artistry. Her hands never strayed far from her weapons, and her eyes constantly scanned their surroundings.
Shikamaru slouched along near the middle of the formation, looking for all the world like he might fall asleep mid-step. But Miguel had seen how quickly that lazy demeanor vanished when threats appeared. The shadow manipulation was unlike anything he'd ever witnessed—not just the technique itself, but the tactical application. The guy was three moves ahead at all times.
And here he was, Miguel Gonzalez, construction worker, son of a grieving mother who'd made him promise never to follow his father and brothers into the hunting life.
A sudden heat bloomed in his chest. It spread downward, pooling in his legs with an intensity that made him stumble.
"Whoa," he muttered, catching himself against the tunnel wall.
Xavier turned immediately. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just tripped." But even as he said it, the heat intensified, a burning sensation that concentrated in his calves and feet. It wasn't painful, exactly—more like energy struggling to escape.
"You sure? You look pale."
Miguel forced a smile. "I'm good. This gate isn't that bad, right? Besides those insect things."
Xavier studied him for a moment longer, clearly unconvinced, but nodded and turned back to the path ahead.
The burning sensation didn't fade. If anything, it grew stronger with each step, a restless energy that made Miguel want to run, to jump, to do anything but maintain this careful pace. His legs felt simultaneously heavy and light, as though they might either root to the spot or launch him skyward at any moment.
What the hell is happening to me?
He'd heard stories about awakenings—how some people discovered their hunter abilities during moments of extreme stress or danger. But those were just stories. His father and brothers had gone through official testing centers, been properly evaluated and trained.
The tunnel began to slope more steeply downward. The air grew warmer, the goblin stench stronger. Ahead, Tenten raised a closed fist, signaling the group to halt.
"Boss room," she whispered, the words passing back through the line. "Prepare for combat."
Miguel took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The burning in his legs intensified, sending waves of heat up his spine.
The tunnel opened into an enormous cavern, easily three times the size of the previous chamber. The ceiling soared at least fifty feet overhead, stalactites hanging like stone daggers. The floor was covered with crude nests made from scavenged materials—cloth, wood, bones—arranged in concentric circles around a raised platform at the center.
And on that platform sat the largest goblin Miguel had ever seen.
It stood at least eight feet tall, its green skin mottled with darker patches like bruises. Crude armor made from scavenged metal and bone covered its torso and limbs. A crown of animal skulls adorned its massive head, and in one hand it clutched a weapon that looked like a cross between a club and a mace, studded with what appeared to be human teeth.
"Matron," Shikamaru confirmed, his voice barely audible. "Troublesome."
Around the chamber, smaller goblins scattered in alarm as they noticed the intruders. The matron rose to its full height, baring yellowed fangs in a snarl that echoed through the cavern.
"Spread out," Tenten ordered. "Diana, Kendra, take the left flank. Javier, Marcus, right flank. Lee, Sasha, barrier focus on the tanks. Shikamaru—"
"Shadow control on the matron when possible," he finished, already forming hand seals.
"Porters, stay back near the entrance. Be ready to move if things go south." Tenten's eyes swept over the team. "This is a C-rank matron. Don't underestimate it. These things have survived by being smarter and stronger than their offspring."
The matron let out a roar that shook dust from the ceiling, and all hell broke loose.
Smaller goblins swarmed from the nests, charging toward the hunters in a chaotic wave. The tanks moved forward to meet them, shields creating a wall of protection. Diana and Marcus provided support from behind, her knives and his arrows finding vulnerable targets.
The matron itself remained on the platform, watching the battle. It raised one massive hand, and something unexpected happened.
A ball of crackling energy formed in its palm, glowing with sickly green light.
"Magic!" Tenten shouted. "Matron's a mage-type! Scatter!"
The team broke formation as the matron hurled its spell. The energy ball struck the ground where Javier had stood seconds before, exploding in a shower of caustic green flames that ate through stone like acid.
Miguel watched in horror as a second energy ball formed in the matron's hand. This one flew toward Diana, who was still recovering from the crawler's attack. She pivoted to dodge, but her movements were sluggish, her earlier injuries clearly hampering her.
The burning in Miguel's legs crescendoed. Something inside him knew what to do, even if his conscious mind hadn't caught up yet.
"Diana!" he shouted, his body moving before thought could intervene.
The heat in his legs erupted. Brilliant orange-red flames burst from his feet and calves, propelling him forward at impossible speed. The world blurred around him as he crossed the chamber in less than a second, slamming into Diana and carrying her clear of the magical attack just as it exploded against the wall behind them.
They tumbled together, Miguel instinctively twisting to absorb the impact as they rolled across the rough stone floor. When they came to a stop, Diana stared up at him with wide, shocked eyes.
"What the—" she began.
Miguel barely heard her. The flames still licked around his lower legs, not burning his clothes or skin but dancing with barely contained energy. He stood, feeling lighter than he ever had, like gravity had loosened its hold on him.
"HOLY SHIT!" he yelled, unable to contain his excitement. He looked down at his legs, at the flames that seemed to respond to his thoughts, growing brighter as his elation mounted. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"
Everyone in the chamber had frozen, even the goblins. All eyes were on Miguel and the fire that encased his legs from the knees down.
Xavier was the first to recover. "Miguel..."
"I can fly, X!" Miguel shouted, the flames intensifying with his excitement. He took an experimental step and found himself ten feet away in an instant, the fire propelling him with minimal effort. "I'm a hunter! I'm actually a hunter!"
The matron roared, breaking the moment of stunned silence. It raised both hands now, twin orbs of green energy forming between its gnarled fingers.
Tenten's voice cut through Miguel's euphoria. "New guy! Focus or die!"
The command snapped Miguel back to reality. They were still in the middle of a goblin nest with a magic-wielding matron intent on killing them all. He turned toward the threat, the flames around his legs pulsing in response to his heightened emotions.
"What do I do?" he called to Tenten, suddenly aware that having power and knowing how to use it were very different things.
"Distraction it!" she shouted back, already moving to reposition the team. "Keep moving! Don't be an easy target!"
Miguel nodded, instinct guiding him once more. He let the fire build, felt it surge through his calves, and then released it in a controlled burst. He shot upward, nearly colliding with the cavern ceiling before adjusting the flame's direction. Hovering thirty feet above the chamber floor, he had a perfect view of the battlefield below.
The matron tracked him, its spell forgotten as it assessed this new threat. The smaller goblins chittered nervously, clearly unsettled by Miguel's aerial position.
"Get ready to move on my mark!" Tenten called to the team, her eyes darting between Miguel and the matron. "New guy, can you draw its fire?"
"I think so," Miguel replied, surprising himself with his own confidence. "And it's Miguel!"