Chapter 4: Home, Locked
Super Guardian by LittleLYTA
Super Guardian by LittleLYTA
The teleportation station was loud, packed with people.
Dozens stood in line, waiting for their turn to use the public portals. Not everyone had their own at home. Most people came here—one of twenty public stations on Planet Hombre—to travel back and forth from the Holy Domains.
Zack moved through the crowd without thinking.
He was used to this.
He was born on Hombre. Raised here. He had never left the planet—not once. Even though it was the interstellar age, and humans now lived on all kinds of planets, Hombre was the only world he knew.
Just like how some people never fly to other countries, Zack had never been offworld. And he didn't feel weird about it.
It was just… life.
He made his way to the hover train platform and stepped onto the waiting train. It floated a few inches above the tracks, humming gently. He found a seat by the window and sat down.
As the city moved past outside, Zack leaned back, arms crossed, eyes half-closed.
His mind wandered.
He thought about his sister.
A few years ago, when Zack was just five, life had been totally different. His parents had still been alive—both in the military, fighting in the war against the lytaians a alien race.
They were heroes.
And they died like heroes.
After they were gone, the government took their house, their stuff—everything. Zack and his sister were dumped into an overcrowded orphanage, where meals were tiny and clothes didn't fit.
His sister never gave up. When she got old enough, she entered the Holy Domains, started hunting spirit beasts, and selling what she could.
Bit by bit, she got them out. Got them a home. Something real.
Even now, they were still struggling.
But they weren't starving.
And they weren't giving up.
Zack blinked, then opened his system one more time.
The mod bar was still there, floating quietly in the corner of his vision.
[Mod Installation: 89% Complete]
He stared at it.
Then leaned forward.
The train hissed to a stop, and Zack stepped off with a tired stretch.
The sky was already getting dark.
He walked toward the exit, pulling his hood up a little. He checked his pockets, hoping he had some loose change for a hover ride—but found nothing.
"Of course…"
He sighed and started walking.
Home wasn't close. The station was on the east side of the city, and his place was way out west—past the cheap markets, past the factories, near the edge of the dome where the power lines flickered on bad days.
His feet dragged a bit at first, but his body didn't feel as heavy as it used to. Thanks to all the spirit points he'd earned, he was stronger now. Faster. He could walk long distances without getting completely wiped out.
That was one of the strange things about spirit points—they didn't just give power.
They changed your body.
Just like in the Holy Domains, your strength, speed, stamina, and toughness in the real world also depended on your spirit bars.
By the time Zack reached his neighborhood, the stars were out.
When he got to the front of his building, something felt off.
The door was locked.
Not from the inside. Not with their key.
Someone had used an extra lock, one he didn't recognize. The handle was chained and sealed with a heavy bolt.
"Landlord…"
He sighed again.
If the landlord locked it, it meant only one thing—they were behind on rent. Again.
And it also meant his sister wasn't home.
She had advanced to the second layer of the Holy Domains—that was only possible after filling a certain number of spirit points. Once you hit that level, you didn't need a new portal. Every time you entered the Holy Domain, it just took you deeper.
So right now, if she was inside, the door would be open.
"She must still be hunting…"
Zack walked around the side of the building, into the small backyard. There was a tree near the window they always used when the front door was blocked. They used it more often than they'd like to admit.
He looked up at the window.
Then at the tree.
"Let's hope this still works…"
Zack might've still looked fat—but he wasn't the same out-of-shape kid from a few months ago. Spirit points had made his muscles tighter, his reflexes sharper. He climbed the tree fast, grabbed the windowsill, and jumped through the open window into his room.
He rolled once as he landed.
"Still got it."
The house was dark and quiet. He walked through the small hallway into the kitchen. His stomach growled, but he already knew what he'd find.
No food.
Not even leftovers. Just an empty fridge, a single half-spoiled fruit, and a pile of unpaid bills in the kitchen sink.
Electricity.
Water.
House tax.
Loan notices.
Even something called "waste processing delay fees."
All stacked, stained, and ignored.
He leaned on the counter, staring at them.
"If only I was strong enough to hunt higher-ranked beasts…"
One Gold-ranked beast could clear half of this debt. One Platinum-ranked kill would change their lives forever.
But Zack couldn't even get close to those levels yet.
He stepped back into his room, stripped off his clothes, and took a quick shower in the cold water. While he was still in the shower.
Then—
DING.
The system buzzed in his mind.
A new screen appeared, glowing brighter than usual.
[System Mod Installation: Complete]
[Initializing Custom Stats…]
[Zack Tennyson]
Lifespan: 200 years
Bronze Spirit Points: 100 / 100
Silver Spirit Points: 68 / 100
Gold Spirit Points: 0 / 100
Platinum Spirit Points: 10 / 100
[Status: Eligible to advance to Second Layer of Holy Domains]
Note: Your strength will depend on how full your spirit bars are before advancing.
[Mod Stats Unlocked]
Luck: 5
Affects your chances of finding spirit gear, rare items, and higher point rewards. The higher your luck, the better your fortune.
Charm: N/A
Improves you looks. Stat not currently active.
Intelligence: 10
Affects your ability to learn new things, understand spirit techniques, and use complex items or systems faster.
Perception: 5
This is your awareness of your surroundings—how fast you can sense danger, see through stealth, or notice hidden details.
Brave: 5
Measures your courage when facing danger. The higher it is, the less fear or hesitation you feel—even against stronger enemies.
Stealth: 10
Affects how quiet and unnoticed you are when moving. Helps with hunting, escaping, and hiding.
Extra Mod Points: 0
These are special points you get from missions, kills, or rewards. You can spend them to boost any of the above stats.
Zack sat in silence, staring at the numbers.