Chapter 84: The One Named Narith |

There was no sign of tiredness in Neban’s bones as fury fueled him.

He grabbed Siren and used [Shadow Travel] to quickly take them over the human’s city line without anyone seeing them. He used [Shadow Travel] once more to get them closer to Mother’s Palace.

Even if the monsters have taken over this part of the city, Neban was still familiar with it.

Once they were at a reasonable distance, Neban let Siren go as they ran over to Mother’s Palace without a break. The only thing running through Neban’s mind was hope that his family is still okay and alive.

And another deep part of his mind gave him many images of him killing Mother.

As they raced over to the building, they surprisingly did not meet any monsters. But it was soon known why when Neban and Siren neared Mother’s Palace.

They were breathing a bit hard as they began to slow down. Neban and Siren could see, from a distance, that monsters were standing outside the entrance.

It reminded Neban of bodyguards protecting a young master’s home.

As they got closer, Siren’s steps began to get slower and slower until they completely stopped. Neban, noticing that Siren was not near him, stopped and looked behind him.

Siren’s face was pale as their hand trembled on the weapon they were holding. They were looking forward, staring at someone as panic and a tiny bit of anger filled their eyes.

Neban followed where Siren was looking and saw the reason why they stopped.

Standing a few feet from them was Narith.

When the man saw them coming, he ignored Neban as his sights were only on Siren. Narith’s lips carved into a sadistic smirk as he licked his lips. His mind filled with images of torturing Siren.

Narith turned towards the Lynai Clan that was behind him, hanging by the door. Only the clan leaders and four of their best fighters were present. The rest of the clan went to fight the other humans.

«Perditor is mine. You can have the human.» Narith told him.

One of the clan leaders gave him a look, «You know Mother would not be happy if you kill her weapon when she wants to be the one to end him.»

Narith gave a sinister laugh in return, «I only want to play.» He licked his lips as his eyes turned glossy.

The other monsters looked at him with disgust. But they did not say anything as they looked towards Neban and Siren.

Neban walked towards Siren, tapping them to bring them back to reality. Siren glanced at him as their hands did not stop shaking. For a second, they felt like they were back in the other world, still getting tortured by Narith.

«Do not let the past control you. Take your revenge. You are stronger than that time; that monster is yours to kill.» Neban spoke.

Even though there was still the lingering fear in Siren, anger started to course through them. They threw away their weak look as they nodded their head. Siren’s hands tighten around their weapon.

«You are right. I will torture that fucker than eat his heart as he watches.» Siren responded as their eyes looked bloodthirsty.

Neban could not help the disgusted look that appeared on his face at Siren’s response. But he quickly threw it away as he knew this was how Siren is.

They ended their talk as they walked in front of Narith and the Lynai Clan.

The two groups stared at each other once they were close enough. No one moved nor spoke as the tension between them was suffocating.

After a couple of minutes of the group imagining what they were going to do to each other, Narith spoke first.

He gave a fake bow as his eyes were only Siren. «Welcome human and Perditor. May I ask why you are knocking at our door so early? I do not think the Conla Clan is in ruins yet.»

Neban sneered at the man; disgust was the only emotion he could look at Narith with. «You know why we are here. Where is my family? If you have done anything to them, not even hell can save you monsters from me.»

Narith laughed as a blade appeared in his hand. He twirled it around, moving the weapon between his fingers. He put it away right after; it was like he was trying to show off.

«Your grievances are not with me,» then he turned towards the Lynai Clan, «they are with them.»

The clan leaders glared at the Narith. They were not scared of the human. But they did not like being framed for something that does not deal with them. They are only out here because Mother ordered them to come out and kill anyone who tries to enter.

The humans killing off the other clans did not bother them. The Lynai Clan knew they were strong. So, even if the humans had come, they would have been dead in seconds.

Neban turned towards the Lynai Clan, knowing that Narith was playing with him. But it did not matter; he was Siren’s kill.

Now, the other monsters looked like they would not let him into the building. He walked towards them without fear.

The Lynai Clan were still lax, showing that they did not think of Neban as a threat.

Neban pointed his weapon at them, «If you do not fear me, why don’t you step out and fight me already.»

The clan leaders snorted as one of them waved their hand. They indicated for their four soldiers to kill Neban.

The four monsters moved in unison as they rushed towards Neban with weapons appearing in their hands.

Neban lowered his hand with Ice Queen as he pulled out his whip. He struck the weapon towards them.

As the fighting started between the Lynai Clan and Neban, Siren continued to stare Narith down.

Narith walked around Siren, forming a circle. Siren’s eyes followed him, but they did not make a move. However, their hands were shaking to kill the man where he stood.

«Perditor, you had grown more delicious than when you were locked up. All that blood coursing through your veins is begging to be drunk by me.» Narith sighed with longing as his head filled with fantasies of torturing Siren.

Siren sneered, «You are as delusional as ever, Narith. Always acting so high and mighty when you are nothing but a pet.» Their voice wavered at the end, but Siren still stood their ground.

Narith quickly moved, grabbing Siren’s shirt as he pulled them closer. Siren grew stiff in his hold as they felt something wet moving from their chin to their ear.

Siren shuddered in disgust.

«Do not forget that you are also a pet. You are nothing but a prisoner that anyone can play with.» Narith whispered.

Siren grew furious at the man’s words as they stabbed their weapon towards Narith’s stomach. But their sword only met with air as the freak disappeared.

Looking around, Siren wondered where the man went. When they felt an arm wrap around their waist and the other around their neck, Siren stood still.

Narith’s breath was on the back of Siren’s neck as he took a whiff of their scent. His eyes were glistening as a delicious smell overpowered his nose.

Siren stood still, not even breathing as the trauma of Narith feeding from them took over their body.

Noticing that Siren was acting like a statue, he tilted their head until their neck was in full view. His gaze could not leave the blood he could see coursing through the veins.

«Look at you. Still weak like before. You will be nothing but a prisoner and pet that others can control. After I finish with you, Mother will play with you next. It would just like before.

«Because you may have thought you escaped. But you will never leave the chains wrapped around you, Perditor.»

Once those words registered with Siren, everything in them broke as their iris and sclera turned darker than black. The wind began to pick up around them.

«I am free,» Siren’s voice sounded more profound than before, «I will never go back.»

An invisible force pushed Narith back as he crashed into a pole. As he slid to the ground, Siren turned towards him.

Their long white hair broke from their confines as it flowed around them. Siren could have looked like a magnificent painting with unique beauty. But their completely black eyes made them look like a demon that rose from hell.

«You want to know how I earned the name Perditor? I will show you.» They spoke in a monotone, deep voice as they walked towards Narith.

Narith tried to stand, but it felt like gravity became too heavy to let him up. As Siren walked towards him with slow steps, Narith can see that he caused a chained monster who freed themselves to snap.

Chapter 1: I’m Bored |

Twelve years ago, in the World of Aglil, a phenomenon changed everything.

Dungeons appeared out of nowhere, destroying buildings and streets while killing people in the process. The number of deaths from dungeons did not compare to the monsters that emerged from them. People were dying left and right as the police, even the military, tried to bring a stop to it.

But, they quickly learned that their ‘human’ weapons were useless when it came to the monsters.

For ten days and ten nights, the world only saw destruction and bloodshed until one day, humans started to wake up with abilities that were supernatural and beyond the spectrum of what a human can do.

It was not long when the ones with abilities discovered that they could damage the monsters, even kill them. And once the creatures were dead, they learned that the things could drop loot: ameis (the government named them a year after the phenomenon), weapons, armor, potions, and many other things.

After this, the government quickly jumped onto the case, using the people with abilities to explore the dungeons while giving them information; they wanted to learn everything. And from then on, the government started to make new laws for them, making the people their top priority.

Hunters were born.

But like society, the hunters had their hierarchy in the sense of levels:

When the people awoke with abilities, the ones that are A-levels, S-levels, and SS-levels received mysterious messages that told them to choose a class:

Once the hunter made their choice, the message would disappear, never to be seen again. That was only for the A-levels and above, who automatically received a name while knowing where they stood.

The ones lower than an A-level did not receive a message nor knew where they stood until the government made the Orb of Yon three years after the dungeons came.

Before the Orb of Yon, the government measured their level by how long they lasted in a dungeon. If the person quickly died, the government identified them as an F-level. If an hour had passed, and the hunter was still alive, they were a D-level, and if they survived over or about three hours, the hunter was an M-level.

But, the practice was frowned upon by society because of the high death rates of hunters. The people needed the hunters, and the government getting them killed will not keep them safe. For those three years, citizens caused an uproar until the government made the Orb of Yon, banning their old ways.

It is still unknown how the government made the orb that gave an accurate read, but the government is known for secrecy.

When hunters were becoming big while laws were getting made for them, companies were born. Wonderstones Company was the first to be created as they catered to A-levels (certain ones), S-levels, and SS-levels. They’ve become the top company in the country, even the world, as they only dealt with high-level people.

Then came the PetalGreen Company, which catered to A-levels and M-levels. They were second in the country because they only worked with the mid-level people, never willing to go lower than an M-level.

And lastly, there was SilverSoul Company that catered to any level hunter, except for an F-level. The company became third in the country while becoming the kindest and most discreet one than the others.

Every hunter had a job, making a living, except for the F-levels who were left behind because they could not survive in the dungeons. Until one day, as everything started to grow, the hunters needed someone to carry their things that would get in the way during a fight. They also needed someone to collect the loot that the monsters would drop.

And that is where F-levels came in. Citizens were not allowed in the dungeon, and every hunter D and higher would hunt, so that left the F-levels to take the job. Once one person started it, earning cash, having F-levels carrying things spread like gossip in a high school.

From that day on, porters were born. And once it became popular, a company was made: the Porter Company.

Porter Company made its way to the top, making it easier for F-levels to make money like a hunter (even though they earned way less than a D-level).

The company also became known for not asking F-levels for their information, only wanting them to sign a contract because the government did not care for them. So the company had no reason to want their information besides a phone number to keep in contact.

The company would only ask for F-levels information when some high-level hunters want to keep working with them. It was uncommon, and porters had a higher death rate than a hunter, so it was hard to keep the same person.

‘A porter, huh?’ Obsidian thought as he rubbed his chin.

Obsidian, or commonly known as Neban Zaal, was sitting on the dungeon boss’s dead body. He was lazily scrolling through his phone as he thought about his plan to leave the hunters world.

He has grown bored with it, even though he only joined three years ago. Neban never wanted to be a hunter, especially when he woke up with abilities twelve years ago.

He was fifteen at the time and received a message out of nowhere, telling him that he was an SS-level while asking what class he would like to have. Neban was surprised at first until discomfort filled him when he looked at his level.

SS-levels were extremely rare, and if a person was at that level, they got everything most people would like to receive: fame and fortune.

And that was what Neban hated the most. He did not care for money; even though his parents were middle-class, they taught him that successful work was more rewarding than money. When it came to fame, he ran from it.

Attention was not his thing, while socializing was even worse. He hid in the shadows, he ran from making friends, and always wanted to live a life with low-presence.

Neban succeeded in his wish for nine years until something unexpected happened: he ended up with a son. One day, a woman he did not remember knocked on his door and handed him a one-year-old toddler.

She told him how she didn’t want the boy, how he was his son, and that he should take care of his child. Then, she left, leaving a confused Neban, with a baby in his hands, staring at a blank space.

Even though he could have caught up with the woman, he didn’t. Neban took his son in and started taking care of him (he spent the first few months asking his parents many questions on how to raise a child). During the first few months, he realized that his job did not give him enough to raise a son; even his small home was unfit for raising a baby.

So, he quit and did what he told himself he would never do; he became a hunter to make money to raise a child.

He was going to lie about his level, but when a person becomes a hunter, they make you check your level on the Orb of Yon while asking for a ton of information, unlike a porter.

Neban did not want to, but he put his son first, and becoming a hunter was the fastest way to make money. So, he joined SilverSoul, because they allowed hunters’ privacy, unlike the other two companies.

When his level became known to the world, the company locked away his information, gave him a name, so he wouldn’t have to use his real name, and let him rarely show up for press conferences. He wore a mask while covering his hair with a hoodie so no one can see his face while conquering dungeons by himself.

And now that he had enough money, he was tired of being a hunter.

For a month, he has been planning on leaving and possibly becoming a porter because he was a workaholic. Being a porter would allow him to spend more time with his son while still letting him work.

He thought of telling SilverSoul that he wanted to leave or asking for an extended vacation, but due to his level, the company and the government would not allow it.

So, he decided to do the next best thing: fake his death.

He told the company that he would take on one of the challenging dungeons that are hard to conquer, mentioning that he would do it alone. The person in charge of him disagreed with it but knew they couldn’t stop him because Neban would have done it no matter what.

Glancing down, he looked at the copy of his dead body next to the dungeon boss. He made it look like him, and the monster killed each other at the same time. Neban also blocked the company’s number to look for him in his last known location and discover his body.

The world would be in dismay over his death, but this was the easiest way of getting out of being a hunter.

His phone made a pinging sound, showing a text from his mother. She asked where he was and mentioned how anxious they were because he was not there yet, especially his son. He told his mother that he was going to a dungeon today and would be back in four hours.

It’s been eight hours.

For three years, Neban always returned, at the specific time he told her he would; this was the first time he hadn’t. So, he can see how she was worried because she rarely contacted him when he was working.

He stood up, texting his mother that he was coming before pocketing his phone. Neban stretched as he grabbed his sword, that he stabbed into the ground, with his mask hanging off the handle.

Making the sword and mask disappear, he walked towards the entrance before using [Shadow Travel] to leave without being seen.

When he reappeared, Neban was at his parents’ house. He knocked on the front door, only standing there for a second when someone quickly opened the door. His mother was on the other side, giving him a worried look as she gave him a once-over.

«You know, you can give a longer response or text me on your way here that you are fine.» His mother told him, looking like she wanted to be mad, but couldn’t get the expression to stay on her face.

«You rarely text me.» He meant when he was in the dungeon. Other times, his mom is always texting him, making sure he was doing okay. Even at 27, she could not stop babying him to a certain extent.

«And you are never late. A mother cannot help but worry.» She retorted.

«I could have been dead or busy.» Translation: he could have been fighting a monster or dead to answer a text message. Dungeons are a dangerous place.

The mother sighed, «I know. I know that, son. But when a parent worries about their child, they do not think straight.»

Neban rubbed his chin, a habit he developed to indicate thinking or if he did not know how to express himself. He saw how his mother softened at the look, making him stop in his movement; he should say something.

But before he could get his mouth to form words, something quickly zoomed by, hitting him on his leg.

When he looked down, his son, Theo, was holding onto his leg, smiling up at him. His face softened as a small smile appeared on his face. His parents and son were the only ones he showed emotion to.

He bent down, picking up his son, «Hey, buddy, how was your day?»

Theo wrapped his arms around his neck, resting his head on his shoulder, «Fine. I missed you.»

«Sorry for coming back late.» He apologized to his son, but Neban directed it to his mother because he did feel bad. His mother did worry about him being a hunter, but she swallowed it down after he came back fine each time for the past three years. And he only brought her worry to the surface by returning later than he usually did.

She gave him a soft smile before moving out of the doorway, «Come inside and eat before you go home; we made dinner.»

Neban nodded as he walked into the house, his mother closing the door behind him. He made his way to the dining area, where he saw his father already digging into the food.

«Hey, dad.» He greeted him.

His father hummed, pausing in his eating to look at him before turning back, «I see that you are fine.»

«Yeah,» Neban replied as he took a seat at the table, setting Theo on his lap; he started making his and his son’s plate (his mother already had the table set).

«Your thoughts?» His father asked him. His father meant how he felt about being a hunter (sometimes he thinks he inherited his dad’s social skills).

He talked with his parents last month about how he did not want to be a hunter. Neban told them how he made enough money to take care of his son for years to come and how he never wanted to be a hunter in the first place. So, he mentioned how a porter seemed nice to become.

His parents supported him on whatever choice he wanted to make, but they told him that he had to be sure and think things through. He thought long enough; Neban made his choice.

His mother walked in when he opened his mouth to respond to his father.

«I decided to become a porter,» Neban answered as he grabbed a napkin to tuck into his son’s shirt; the boy is a messy eater.

«Thanks, papa. And will I see you more?» Theo asked him as he turned around to gaze at him. Neban ran his hands through his son’s hair as he nodded. His son smiled, causing his heart to soften at the look.

«Yay!» Theo shouted before turning back around to dig in his food; Neban already felt pieces of mashed potatoes landing on his knee.

«And this is what you truly want?» His mother asked as she sat down, making her plate.

«Yeah. I thought about it for a while, and I decided to do this.» He thought about this for a whole month, his mind already made up. Plus, it is not like he can go back now; he already faked his death.