As the wooden door creaked open, Ryu beca stunned.
Standing before him was a girl who looked sa age as him, her presence imdiately arresting. Ahem, physically at least.
Her long black hair fell like a cascade of silk, flowing gently over her shoulders. The moonlight caught in the strands, making them gleam faintly. Her eyes, a deep and mysterious violet, watched him with quiet intensity. Frad by elegant brows and long lashes, those eyes held a sense of confidence and subtle defiance.
Her skin was fair, smooth, and unblemished. A soft blush touched her cheeks, though whether from the evening chill or natural color, it was impossible to say. She wore a simple cream-colored dress, clean and neatly pressed, that hugged her waist just enough to reveal the grace of her figure without calling attention to it.
She carried a bowl carefully wrapped in cloth.
"You must be the new tenant," she said in a clear, polite voice. "My na is Venus. I’m the landlord’s daughter."
’Venus? That’s an odd na..’
Before Ryu could respond, she coldy extended the bowl to him. A pleasant aroma, thick with herbs and simred broth, floated up from it.
"Mother told to bring you this. It is stew. Still warm."
Ryu blinked, then quickly accepted the bowl with both hands.
"Ah, thank you. I really appreciate it."
Venus gave a slight nod. Her expression remained unreadable, her eyes studying him quietly. Then, without another word, she turned to leave.
Just before she stepped away, she paused and glanced back at him. There was a flicker of sothing in her gaze. It was not quite distrust, nor was it contempt. It was the look soone might give a stranger they were not sure they could trust.
Ryu watched her disappear down the hallway.
He closed the door gently, the bowl still in his hands. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he looked down at the stew and exhaled with a tired smile.
"She’s beautiful," he murmured, then shrugged. "But definitely not more than my Maya"
He lifted the spoon to his mouth and tasted the stew. It was warm, seasoned just right, and sohow comforting. A quiet mont of peace in an unfamiliar world.
After finishing the bowl, Ryu looked out the window. The sun was dipping low in the western sky, casting golden-orange hues across the rooftops.
So, for today, he decided not to explore the Fortress City any further.
Instead, he disappeared into the Fusion Lab and began the process of fusion using the four bloodlines he currently possessed.
The result, once again, was another Nightmare Hydra bloodline.
Though a bit disappointed, he chose to proceed with the fusion anyway, curious to see if it would grant him any further upgrades.
Fortunately, it did, though the improvents were noticeably diminished.
[ Strength 2, Agility 2, Vitality 1 ]
It wasn’t as impressive as the ti he had fused with Chester’s body, but it was still sothing. A step forward.
And for Ryu, that was enough reason to keep going.
However, after just two more fusions, the effects of the Nightmare Hydra bloodline had reached their limit. There was nothing more to gain from it.
[ Na: Ryuzen De Manus ]
[ Bloodlines: Variant Frost Dragon (Hybrid) ]
[ Age: 6 Years ]
[ Lifespan: 45 years ]
[ Level: 4 ]
[ Strength: 27 ]
[ Agility: 26 ]
[ Vitality: 24 ]
[ Mana: 47 ]
[ Skills: Hydra Human(E), Night Berserker (E), Phantom Claw (E), Windleap Dash (E), Shell Sense (F), Frost Breath (F), Water Resistance (F) ]
He was now almost comparable to an average baby dragon, and nearly three tis stronger than a regular adult human.
Still, it was not enough.
He would need to hunt again. To find stronger magical creatures. To extract rarer, purer bloodlines.
Only through this could he continue to evolve.
Only then could he grow strong enough to survive what lay ahead.
The next day, at approximately 10 AM, Ryu made his way toward the designated Hunter Association branch to take the qualification test.
As he stepped out, the landlord’s family watched the lone boy disappear down the path.
"Is he really an orphan, dear?" the woman asked softly.
The landlord simply shrugged. "I don’t know. But if he’s one of the Awakened, he’ll manage just fine."
Beside them, Venus Versalon stared quietly at Ryu’s retreating back, her expression unreadable. She hadn’t known he was one of the Awakened. If she had known, perhaps her attitude yesterday might have been a little different.
anwhile, Ryu moved at a steady pace through the winding streets, observing everything around him with a calm, curious eye.
The buildings were a mix of rough stone and polished enchantnt, many lined with glowing treasures and magical weapons. He saw people carrying enchanted weapons, craftsn forging items imbued with strange runes, and large carriages pulled by mutated beasts of burden transporting at, ore, and harvested mana crystals.
So people moved with goals. Others wandered curiously.
It was a blend of dieval life and supernatural energy.
And for Ryu, it was a strange yet fascinating world that he was still learning to call ho.
Ryu did not know the direction, so all he could do was ask around for the Hunter Association. Unfortunately, many people mistook his destination for the Hunter Academy, which apparently existed sowhere in the city.
Hunter Academy prepares fresh students for hunter path every year. Hunter was the profession for majority, but there also exist other professions with rare System Users.
But he had no ti to waste on that right now.
After nearly thirty minutes of walking and asking around, he finally found the right building.
It was a modest, two-storey structure, old but still standing firm. A burly girl stood at the entrance, acting as the guard. She eyed him curiously but let him pass after noticing the temporary ID in his hand.
Inside, after Ryu explained that he was there to take the Hunter qualification test, one of the n behind the desk nodded and motioned for him to follow.
He was led down a hallway and into a training room.
The space was simple but efficient. Wooden dummies lined the floor, each showing signs of usage from many training sessions. It was clearly designed for beginner evaluations.
"Wait here. Your examiner will arrive shortly," said the staff mber.
Ryu took a deep breath and looked around.
This was the first real step toward becoming an official Hunter.
And he was ready.
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