Kael wandered through the inner levels of Shelter Nine, his eyes darting from glowing signs to the strange devices lining the walls. Soldiers moved in formation. Beast hunters bartered with merchants. Students in training gear clustered near a noticeboard covered with bounty listings and kill records.
And then he saw it.
A glowing black panel embedded in the wall, labeled:
GENE SYNC TERMINAL – PUBLIC STATION
Link Your Band to View Registered Stats
He paused.
This was it, the moment most Riftspire entrants waited for: when their power was recorded and assessed. A small crowd stood around the terminal, checking their own ranks. Some cheered when they saw green-tier upgrades. Others cursed at the red-tier marks.
Kael hesitated.
What if he was still a Null?
But the Spiral had reacted.
It was healing. Changing him.
He took a deep breath and pressed his wristband to the scanner.
The screen glitched.
For a moment, static filled the display.
Then a soft chime rang, and the interface shifted.
> GENETIC PROFILE: 7-KR12-13
> Name: Kael Riven
> Origin: Unregistered Refugee
> Base Rank: Unknown
> Genetic Tier: Undefined
> Awakening Status: Fragmented Sync
> Core Compatibility: Incompatible
> Mutation Thread: Active
> Gene Class: "Overlord (Suppressed)"
> Spiral Status: Dormant – Stabilizing...
> Risk Classification: Level 6 (Flagged – Admin Eyes Only)
Kael stared.
The words blurred for a second.
Unknown. Undefined. Suppressed.
The crowd didn't see it. The screen was private once scanned. But Kael's hands clenched at his sides.
His gene wasn't just rare.
It was off the system.
Even in a world filled with monsters, hunters, and awakened fighters, he didn't belong on the chart.
"Sir?" a nearby attendant in a silver uniform approached cautiously. "Is the terminal giving you trouble?"
Kael quickly stepped back. "No, it's fine. Just... slower than I expected."
The man nodded, unconvinced.
Kael turned and walked away fast, heart pounding.
Overlord (Suppressed)
What does that even mean?
He moved toward the quieter levels of the shelter, toward the window that overlooked the vast jungle below. The sun had shifted to its violet phase, and the Riftspire glowed with a strange twilight that felt alive.
He leaned against the railing and stared out.
If this world couldn't even define what he was… maybe that was his answer.
He wasn't here to follow the rules.
He was here to change them.
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End of Chapter 14 of volume 2