Vincent woke up to the familiar dim light creeping through the curtains. His body was still, but his mind was already churning, pulling back to the last conversation he had with Ellen.
“The answers to your problems, Vincent, lie in the core reason for the monsters’ appearance. You need to understand where all this—awakenings, monsters, dungeons—comes from. Only then will you find the key to what’s been haunting you.”
He sat up, her words echoing in his head. It made sense, but it also felt distant, like trying to grasp something just out of reach. He sighed, trying to shake off the weight of her statement.
A knock came at the door, followed by Evan’s usual cheery voice. “Mr. Vincent! Training time! They said we will get our own training room!”
Vincent sighed again. He quickly dressed, his mind still tangled in Ellen’s words as he headed out to training room with Evan. The training room buzzed with the usual activity. Rows of dummies lined the walls, each designed to mimic various monsters, from low-tier beasts to more complex enemies.
Vincent and Evan spent the next few hours working out and sparring against them, moving through their routines. Vincent focused on precision, his movements efficient and cold, while Evan’s more agile style kept him bouncing around his targets, his twin daggers flashing under the bright lights.
Once their routines were done, Evan wiped his forehead and gave Vincent a grin. “Hey, how about a quick spar, I am curious how well can I perform against you.”
Vincent shook his head. “I’m not the right opponent for you.”
Evan laughed. “Of course, An E-rank like me couldn’t possibly be a threat to someone like you, right?”
Vincent’s eyes flickered, the faintest hint of frustration there, but he simply sighed. “It’s not like what you’re thinking.” Evan waved him off, as though he hadn’t even heard. “Let’s just go for it.”
After a brief silence, Vincent gave a reluctant nod, and they stepped into the sparring area. Evan twirled his daggers in his hands while Vincent reached for a gun.
“You sure about that? No sword?” Evan asked, a curious smile on his face.
“It’s fine.”
The moment the spar began, Evan didn’t rush in. He had seen Vincent in action before—seen his ability to stay calm and handle enemies with ease. Rushing in without a plan would be a mistake. Instead, he waited, studying Vincent, trying to understand his movements. But all Vincent did was walk toward him, slowly, without urgency. His posture seemed full of openings.
Evan hesitated. Was this a trap? He couldn’t tell, but the more he watched, the more confused he became.
“Add two stats to intelligence,” Evan muttered under his breath, hoping to gain some insight. But even with the stat boost, Vincent’s intent remained unreadable.
Finally, feeling the pressure build, Evan made his move. He darted forward with impressive speed, his daggers ready to strike. Despite being an E-rank, his stats were more than enough to catch most B-ranks off guard. But just as he closed the distance, the cold barrel of Vincent’s gun pressed against his forehead.
Evan froze.
His breath caught as he looked into Vincent’s eyes. But all he saw was emptiness. There was nothing. It was as if Vincent wasn’t even present here. It was like his mind was drifting elsewhere.
Evan realized: it wasn’t the overwhelming speed or strength but rather the detachment.
Without a word, Vincent lowered the gun and walked out of the training room, leaving Evan standing alone.
“It is impossible.” Evan’s usual cheerful expression had darkened. He muttered to himself, his fists clenching around the daggers. “Only I should be the strongest one in this world. Vincent… I’ll level up infinitely, break every limit, and obtain skills beyond human understanding. After all…”
His eyes narrowed, filled with a new intensity.
“A jungle doesn’t need two lions.”
Meanwhile, in the Horizon Guild’s library
Vincent combed through shelves of books, seeking answers. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking for, but something—anything—about the origin of the gates, the monsters, or the awakenings might bring him clarity. He found mostly theories, analyses of monsters’ patterns, and speculation about the supernatural phenomena plaguing the world.
He picked a few books and sat down at one of the tables, flipping through the pages. His thoughts, however, drifted back to Ellen’s words from his dream: “To understand your nightmares, you must understand the core reason behind the monsters’ appearance.” What did that mean?
His thoughts were interrupted when Nina entered the library. She spotted him at the table and made her way over, taking a seat beside him with her usual confident air.
“Looking for something?” she asked, her eyes glancing at the open books in front of him.
“Trying to study” Vincent replied short as usual.
Nina leaned forward, scanning the titles of the books. “Mind if I help?”
Vincent nodded. “It’d be helpful.”
She smiled. “There’s no definitive answer about what caused this phenomenon. Some people believe it’s an alien invasion—silly, right? But considering everything that’s happened, we can’t completely dismiss that idea. The leading theory, though, is that Earth’s natural balance has been thrown off, maybe by us, maybe by something else. Over time, the planet started producing these anomalies—the gates—as a way to restore itself. It drew energy from unknown places and used it to replenish its own. Monsters are like parasites that feed on this energy.”
“So, it’s the planet trying to correct itself?”
“I guess so,” Nina said. “Think of it like an immune response. When you get sick, your body produces antibodies. These gates and monsters—they’re the world’s antibodies, but they’re a little too aggressive for our liking. And then there are the awakenings—humans developing powers to manage these ‘symptoms.”
She paused, gauging Vincent’s reaction, but he simply nodded for her to continue.
“The monsters are categorized into various ranks, based on their power and patterns. Some of them, like the wolves and spiders you see in lower-ranked dungeons, are easy to handle. But the real danger comes from the ones we call ‘Apocalypse’ monsters. These don’t follow the usual rules. They don’t obey the laws of physics, and they’re capable of destruction on a massive scale.”
Vincent’s attention sharpened at the mention of Apocalypse monsters.
“A D-rank Apocalypse could wipe out a city if not killed early. They are vulnerable to most attacks, but it’s their abilities that make them hard to defeat. They’re dangerous in ways we don’t fully understand yet. If you ever encounter one, your best option is to leave and inform the authorities.”
Vincent leaned back, absorbing her words. He had a feeling that the truth behind the gates and monsters was far more complex than anyone realized.
Nina stretched and gave a casual smile, breaking the tension. “Phew, all this talking is making me thirsty. I could really use some coffee.”
Vincent glanced at her and nodded. “Let’s go to the café. I’ll treat you this time.”
Nina grinned, clearly pleased. “Alright, I’ll take you up on that.”
They stood and made their way toward the café, unaware of the storm brewing just out of sight. The world they knew was about to shift once more.
