The moment Rael's foot touched the rooftop, the Eidolon Core's translucent blue interface slid open before his eyes like a curtain being drawn in the void.
> Eidolon Core [Ver. 2.8.01] Activated
System Rebooted | New Module Unlocked: Hunter Mode
Objective: "Neutralize all threats in Red Zone Sector-12."
He knelt, his fingers brushing the gritty tiles. Below, crimson warning lights glowed in a grid pattern across the city sector. His school uniform fluttered slightly in the wind, a stark contrast to the silver-and-black armor plating phasing over his body silently. The transformation was near instant—Specter had returned.
The system whispered again:
> Threat Level: 3D Multiverse Beings Detected
Estimated Time Before Breach: 7 minutes
He smirked. "Let's try out this 'Hunter Mode'."
---
Below the rooftop, civilians walked unknowingly beneath dim neon signs. No one sensed the breach. But Rael did. Specter leapt down, landing silently beside a narrow alleyway. The system highlighted a flickering distortion. Something was tearing through the boundary of dimensions.
> Target Lock: Dimensional Leech [LVL 14]
The creature burst out—its form a shifting amalgam of black mist and bone-tipped tentacles. Rael dashed forward with pure instinct. Time slowed.
"Initiate Phantom Step."
> Skill Activated: Phantom Step Lv. 3
He vanished.
And reappeared behind the Leech, thrusting a blade of pure Eidolon energy through its core.
> Critical Hit – Dimensional Leech HP: 0%
Threat Neutralized. +135 Core Units
He stood over the evaporating monster as the system updated his progress. His eyes scanned the data, but his thoughts were already elsewhere. One down. More would come.
---
Across the city, a masked figure watched from a neighboring rooftop. Dressed in deep blue robes with red-glowing eyes behind a visor, he observed Rael's battle.
> "So... the Silent Core awakens."
He vanished without a trace.
Back on the ground, Rael's interface buzzed again.
> Alert: Unregistered Core Wielder Detected. Rank Unknown.
He paused, frowning. "Someone else is here? Watching?"
The hunt had only just begun.
---
But the night wasn't finished testing him yet. Another ripple sliced through the atmosphere like a scream frozen in time. Rael's system pinged violently.
> Dimensional Breach Accelerating
Multiple Hostile Signatures Detected
He turned, and five figures stepped out of the distortion—each one bearing a twisted, humanoid form with glowing glyphs on their arms and faces. Eldritch Soldiers. Not from any dimension Rael recognized.
"Specter Mode: Overclock."
> Overclock Initiated. Warning: Temporary strain on Neural Flow.
He darted forward, twin Eidolon daggers forming mid-air and snapping into his hands. The first soldier swung a blade charged with black static. Rael ducked under it, slashing across its midsection with fluid precision.
He didn't wait for the second. He twisted, kicked off a wall, and soared into the air, a cyclone of spectral blades swirling around him.
> New Skill: Death Bloom Lv.1 Activated
Blades pierced all five soldiers within seconds.
> Multiple Eliminations Confirmed. +610 Core Units Gained.
Rael panted slightly but stayed focused. The system projected a new alert.
> Core Rank Ascended: F-Tier to E-Tier
New Perks Available:
Skill Slot +1
Passive: "Instinctive Dodge" Unlocked
"Nice. About time."
But his smile vanished when the system paused, then blinked red.
> Incoming Transmission: BLOCKED
Source: UNKNOWN | Encryption: Multiversal Grade-7
Rael's eyes narrowed. Who would try to contact him mid-battle using that kind of encryption?
The interface dimmed and returned to default mode.
> Final Threat Detected: Codename - Juggernaut
The street trembled. A ten-foot humanoid figure made of rusted steel and burning plasma emerged from a collapsing portal. Each step crushed the pavement.
> Threat Level: S-Class Variant.
Rael didn't back down.
"Bring it on."
The obsidian gateway closed behind Zayne, sealing him inside a room so vast it felt like the inside of a forgotten dimension. Echoes of ancient whispers bounced off invisible walls, speaking in tones only his system could translate. They weren't warnings—they were greetings.
"Welcome, Genesis Host," the SmartSystem said, its voice now layered with a deeper authority. A new window blinked into view.
[Dimensional Trial: Mirror of Wills Activated]
> Objective: Confront the Shadows of Your Path Rewards: Tier-3 Evolution Core, Shadow Subjugation Art, Unknown Fragment
"The Mirror of Wills," Zayne murmured. "What now, another illusion?"
The floor beneath him shimmered, and suddenly, three figures emerged from the shadows. They were all... him. One wore his school uniform, scared and trembling—the boy he once was. Another wore a crimson battle suit, oozing bloodlust—the version of himself if he had given in to rage and vengeance. The third was cloaked in black and gold armor with glowing red eyes, exuding dominance and apathy.
Zayne took a step back, not from fear but from awe. Each version moved with different intent.
"This is a test of will," he muttered. "Let's get it over with."
The SmartSystem chimed:
[Warning: You are facing psychological manifestation clones. They carry real damage potential. Proceed with caution.]
Zayne laughed, his real identity showing through. Charming, calm, and smart.
"I've fought monsters with claws. Now I'll fight the ones in my mind."
The first to attack was the scared boy. Zayne didn't even raise a fist. He walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You were weak, but you never gave up. You're the reason I kept going."
The figure shimmered and vanished into blue mist, merging with Zayne. His stats blinked:
[Mental Resilience +3]
"Not everything needs to be beaten with fists," he smirked.
Next came the bloodthirsty version, charging like a berserker. Zayne barely dodged the crimson blade aimed at his throat.
"You were born of my pain. But you are not me. I am not hate."
He activated his Shadow Pulse ability, a power he had unlocked in the last trial. Black ripples burst out, destabilizing the violent clone.
"You want destruction? Here's yours."
He lunged forward, channeling a focused punch into the clone's core. The red-eyed figure burst apart, showering the chamber with data particles.
[Shadow Affinity +2] [Bloodlust Suppression Skill Acquired]
Only one figure remained—the armored, emotionless self. The one who had given up on everything.
"You think friends make you weak," Zayne said, walking calmly toward it. "But power without people is just emptiness."
The clone didn't speak. It raised its hand and summoned a twisted mirror between them. In it, Zayne saw flashes of future betrayals, people using him, loved ones dying.
The SmartSystem blinked in warning:
[Mental Interference Detected: False Futures Imposed]
Zayne clenched his fists. "I've already made peace with this. I don't need certainty—I need purpose."
He closed his eyes and activated Genesis Reboot, the first move of his mysterious third form. His aura turned silver-blue, swirling with coded lines.
"This is my will!"
A shockwave of force erupted from him, shattering the mirror and flinging the armored version backward. Zayne landed beside it, pressing his foot on its chest.
"You're not my end. You're just a possibility I refuse to become."
With a thought, the final clone dissolved into nothing.
[Trial Cleared: Mirror of Wills] [Rewards Unlocked]
Tier-3 Evolution Core: Absorbed
Shadow Subjugation Art: Learned
Unknown Fragment: Stored in Inventory
The floor lifted him upward through a beam of light, and a new chamber opened up—a serene place with floating books, relics, and dimensional maps.
"What is this place?"
The SmartSystem answered:
[Welcome to the Dimensional Archive, Host. This knowledge was sealed by your ancestors. Only one of true dual identity can access this room.]
"Dual identity," Zayne whispered, realizing what it meant. The Doller persona, his masked self, wasn't just an act. It was a legacy.
Then the light changed, and a scroll floated into his hand. It unrolled itself, showing a galaxy-shaped map.
[Next Destination: The Broken Crown of Nexus Prime]
Before Zayne could ask more, a shadowed figure flickered in a corner of the archive, watching him.
"Who are you?" Zayne asked, fists clenched.
The figure spoke with a voice identical to Zayne's own.
"The one who knows your final fate."
To Be Continued...