[ New Lotus Master's Guild/Chairman's Office ]:
"We still have no traces of the team we sent to scout tower three?!"
"No Sir, they're still M.I.A. at the moment. Do we send in the night gale?"
"No! The night gale is the only powerful force stationed in New Lotus at the moment. Moving them might cause citizen unrest... We can't afford that risk".
"If only we knew who the first player was... With how powerful they were and they defeated floor one by themselves, their power would have benefited us a lot".
"Sadly, there's no traces or even a guarantee that he or she might lend a hand... ... For now, player one is simply an urban legend".
Meanwhile... ...
Outside the New Lotus Master's Guild building, a masked figure clad in a black coat was admiring the architecture. His mask was a pitch black mask with characteristic red streaks on its sides. With eyes glued to his peculiar demeanour, some mistook him for a nut-job. This was Min-jun, he didn't mind the judging gazes of those around him. In his eyes, the torment of betrayal was a far crueler fate. He confidently strutted into the guild hall, the eyes of all kinds of people firmly clung to him. Some gazed with critiquing intent and others were questioning his identity.To some, especially the women, his new physique was attractive.
They wondered whether he was famous or whether he was too handsome to show his face.
Ignoring their gazes, he walked over to the receptionist, startling her with his figure.
"W-welcome to the New Lotus Master's Guild, how may we help you, Sir?!"
"I'd like to register as an official card master... ... If that's ok?"
"Why yes!! Right this way Sir... ..."
As they left for the back entrance, whispers and rumours spread like wild fire.
"You think he's player one?!"
"Haaah!!! Don't make me laugh!! Player one is an urban legend!!"
"... ... How powerful do you think he is?!"
"... ... Meh!! Probably just some green horn who recently awakened".
In a private room, Min-jun was handed a pen and some forms to fill out. The criteria were his username or actual name, age, date of birth, gender, next of kin, which was optional and bank details.
"Let's see, I'll use my username, so SHADE - I'm 29 years old - April 10th, 1997 - Of course, I'm male and as for my next of kin... ..."
The thought of a next of kin left Min-jun in desperate thinking. There was still the dagger of revenge plunged heavily in his chest. With the forms filled out, he handed it over to the receptionist.
"Sir if you would, there are still some steps to finalize your registration. Your abilities have to be examined in our training arena".
"Alright then, lead the way... ..."
As they left the private room, a single thought crossed Min-jun's mind.
"I'll find you, all three of you, and I'll have my revenge".
At the training arena, several guild officers were monitoring the equipment, with some eager to see what the masked figure was capable of. From the observation deck, a man in a hazard suit called out in the P.A. system.
"Mr. SHADE, shall we begin..."
Min-jun gave a silent nod in approval.
"Good, we will begin with an overall assessment of your system specifics. Please take out a card belonging to your dominant affinity and place it in the open slot of the machine Infront of you..."
Before Min-jun, was what he could only describe as an ATM machine with large wires attached to it. This was the Manameter, a device created months ago by a Techno-class card master, Shinji Akira. This invention was now the most used measuring device in the world.
Min-jun took out Mell's card, placing it into the slot. A system notification appeared on a giant teleprompter.
The officials were astonished. Their mouths agape as the words they wished to utter choked their throats.
"W-whoah!!!!!"
The words stumbled out of the guild officer's mouth uncontrolled. Astonishment was written all over the faces of the officials. Written on the teleprompter, were the status points and information belonging to Min-jun.
Username: SHADE
Rank Average: S - with high growth potential
Dominant affinity: Darkness
Class: Necromancer
Level: 30
Health: 1000000
Strength:30
Intelligence:190
Agility:58
Dexterity:46
Mana:400
Luck:200
In as far as the five months since the start of the apocalypse, there had not been any signs of players reaching even level twenty. The current highest level card masters are only at level nineteen at best, numbering less that twenty in the New Lotus Alliance alone.
The officials were astonished, the word of a level thirty card master spreading far and wide.
They were puzzled after taking a closer look at Min-jun's status.
"He has no unique skill and at his level?!!"
Min-jun was shocked, looking up at the teleprompter.
"Huh?! My title didn't appear... ... And that skill I got from the Grimoire. I wonder if it has something to do with my title?!"
"I best keep my cards close to my chest".
Min-jun's kept his skill and title hidden, not wanting to reveal much to the officials.
An official approached him soon after... ...
"Mr. SHADE there's still one last criteria for your examination and registration... Although you have S ranked potential, which has never been seen before, we still need to test for the proficiency of usage".
"Oh, I see, so they wanna see how good I am in combat. I hear they have technodroids for these tests... ...this should be fun".
At the signal of the head examiner, gates around the testing room slowly lifted, revealing several shadows behind them. Soon after, the shadows were accompanied by red dots.
Several technodroids came out of the storage rooms.
"Now Mr. SHADE, your test is simple. We need you to use whatever power you wish, to destroy as many technodroids as possible, are you ready?!"
Min-jun was silent, no reaction. with his eyes closed, he felt the presence of the technodroids, now a sea of heavy metal and the dim glow of magic crystal cores. He knew what he had to do. There was only one way forward from where he had arrived.
With a slight wave of his hands, five dark cards materialized. With a sudden shift in the atmosphere, a darkness like no other erupted from his very being. The sheer magnanimity of the darkness forced the officials to back away from the entrances.
Min-jun's eyes shot to life, his mundane brown pupils replaced with a vivid darkness that left no signs of white in his very eyes.
"... ... Let's begin!!!"
The head examiner waved his right hand, signalling for the activation of the technodroids. The sea of heavy metal began to advance at a solitary target. They had giant arms and tough armoured shells that even A ranked card masters found difficult to destroy.
How would the outcast of society fair?
Would he overcome the obstacles before him, using them as stepping stones to the top?