The Hunter Department felt different the moment Lin Kael stepped through its doors.
Not because of how it looked—but because of how people moved within it.
There was no idle chatter, no wasted motion. Every action, from the way someone checked their weapon to how another adjusted their armor straps, carried intent. Even those seated weren't truly at rest. Their awareness lingered just beneath the surface, ready to sharpen at a moment's notice.
Lin Kael paused briefly near the entrance, taking it in.
Then he moved.
He didn't wander aimlessly. A quick glance at the interior layout and signage pointed him toward a side corridor labeled "Operational Assignment & Registration."
That was where he needed to be.
---
The office inside was smaller than expected.
Functional. Efficient.
A single desk. A wall display filled with shifting mission logs. A man sat behind the desk, flipping through a digital file with practiced ease.
He didn't look up immediately.
"Name," he said.
"Lin Kael."
That got his attention.
The man's gaze lifted, scanning Lin Kael from head to toe—not rudely, but thoroughly.
"…You're the new Spirit Walker," he said.
"Word travels fast," Lin Kael replied.
The man snorted lightly. "Not every day someone like that walks in. Sit."
Lin Kael took the seat.
The man tapped a few commands into the interface. "Registration confirmed. Assignment pending… ah, there it is."
He leaned back slightly.
"You've been placed under Team Three. Field-ready unit. Stable record."
"Understood."
The man tilted his head slightly. "First mission, so I'll keep it simple. You report to your team captain first. He'll handle the rest."
"Where can I find him?"
Before the man could answer, a voice came from the doorway.
"You just did."
Lin Kael turned.
A man stood there—mid-thirties, solid build, posture relaxed but grounded. There was nothing flashy about him, but something about the way he carried himself made it clear he wasn't someone to take lightly.
"Captain Harlan," the man behind the desk said. "Your new recruit."
Harlan stepped inside, his gaze settling on Lin Kael.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Just observed.
Lin Kael met his gaze calmly.
Then Harlan nodded once.
"Come with me."
---
They stepped out into the corridor.
Harlan didn't speak immediately, and Lin Kael didn't rush to fill the silence. They walked side by side, their pace steady.
"You're fresh," Harlan said after a moment. "No field experience."
"Correct."
"Awakened Realm?"
"Entry stage."
Harlan gave a slight nod. "That's fine."
Then he glanced at him. "Path?"
"Spirit Walker."
This time, Harlan didn't just nod.
There was a brief pause—subtle, but there.
"…That changes your role," he said. "But not your responsibilities. Don't rely on it too much."
"I won't."
Harlan studied him for another second, then continued walking.
"Before you meet the team, you need equipment."
"That was my next step."
"Good," Harlan said. "Means I won't have to repeat myself."
---
The equipment section was larger than Lin Kael expected.
Rows of weapons, armor racks, ammunition storage—everything organized but clearly used. This wasn't a display. It was a working supply.
Harlan stopped at a counter.
"First assignment," he told the staff member.
The man nodded. "Basic issue or credit?"
"Credit," Lin Kael answered.
The staff member gave him a brief look, then nodded. "Follow me."
---
The process was quick—but not rushed.
Lin Kael didn't pick randomly.
He chose with purpose.
---
He started with armor.
Lightweight, reinforced in key areas, flexible enough not to restrict movement. He tested the fit, adjusted the straps, then nodded.
"Good," Harlan said. "Mobility matters more at this stage."
---
Next—
weapons.
Lin Kael's hand paused briefly over standard rifles… then moved past them.
He stopped at a long, sleek weapon resting on the rack.
A sniper rifle.
High-caliber. Precision-built.
Harlan raised an eyebrow. "You've used one before?"
"No," Lin Kael said.
"Then why that?"
Lin Kael adjusted the grip slightly, feeling the balance.
"My path favors precision," he said. "If I can see it… I can hit it."
Harlan watched him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Fair enough."
---
Then came the more important part.
A case was brought out and placed on the counter.
Inside—
several narrow, metallic blades rested in a fitted frame. Their surfaces were smooth, faintly etched with fine lines that caught the light at certain angles.
Lin Kael's gaze settled on them.
"A spirit weapon," the staff member said. "Beginner-grade. Standard issue for Spirit Walkers."
Lin Kael picked one up.
It was lighter than expected.
But the moment his fingers closed around it, he felt the difference.
Not weight.
Connection.
A faint, almost imperceptible response traveled back through his grip—as if the blade itself acknowledged his presence.
"This isn't just for control," the staff member continued. "It conducts your spiritual force. Faster response, better stability… and more importantly—"
He tapped the blade lightly.
"—it carries your attack."
Lin Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
Meaning…
This wasn't just something he could move.
It was something that could amplify what he already had.
Harlan, standing beside him, nodded once.
"Try using a steel rod and you'll feel the difference immediately," he said. "Those things don't respond. These do."
Lin Kael turned the blade slightly in his hand before setting it back into the case.
"I'll take it."
"Set," the staff member said, logging it.
The case closed with a soft click.
---
Then came the communication device.
At first glance, it looked simple—a compact unit paired with a discreet earpiece. But the moment it was activated, a faint interface flickered across its surface.
"This isn't just for talking," the staff member said. "Field Tactical Terminal."
Lin Kael's gaze settled on the display.
A circular interface expanded outward—clean, minimal.
Then—
faint signals appeared along its edge.
"…Radar?" he asked.
"Life-signal detection," the staff member confirmed. "Short range. Picks up movement, biological signatures… anything alive, really."
One of the markers pulsed faintly before fading.
"It'll give you rough positioning and estimate threat levels," he continued. "Weak, moderate, high—don't expect exact numbers."
"Limitations?" Lin Kael asked.
"Plenty," the man said. "Stronger targets can distort readings. Some beasts barely show up at all. And interference out there isn't rare."
Lin Kael nodded.
Useful—but not something to rely on blindly.
"Database access included," the man added. "Scan a target, and it'll pull whatever data we have—classification, behavior, weaknesses. Assuming it's been recorded before."
Harlan spoke from the side. "Don't trust it more than your instincts."
"I won't," Lin Kael said.
The staff member handed it over. "Still, it'll keep you alive longer than going in blind."
Lin Kael secured the device.
Not just a communicator.
A survival tool.
---
Ammunition.
Basic survival kit.
Nothing excessive—but nothing lacking.
---
Once everything was registered, the staff member finalized the list.
"All under credit," he said. "Try not to lose it."
"I won't."
---
As they stepped away, Harlan glanced at him.
"You chose well."
"I chose what I'll use."
"Same thing, if you know what you're doing," Harlan replied.
---
"Now," Harlan said, turning toward another section of the building, "let's meet the rest of the team."
---
They didn't have to go far.
A group of three stood near a table, checking gear and discussing something quietly.
They looked up as Harlan approached.
"This is him," Harlan said simply.
Their attention shifted to Lin Kael.
Direct.
Unfiltered.
---
"New recruit?" one of them asked.
"Yeah," another added. "Doesn't look like much."
Lin Kael didn't react to that.
He simply met their gaze.
---
"Him first," Harlan said, nodding toward the broad-shouldered man.
"Dax."
Dax looked him over. "Level?"
"Awakened. Entry."
Dax nodded slowly. "We're all Awakened too. I'm mid."
"Mira," Harlan continued.
The woman gave a small nod. "Mid."
"Kellan."
"Mid," Kellan said with a grin. "Recently upgraded. Still getting used to it."
Harlan finished, "I'm peak."
That settled it.
Same realm.
Clear hierarchy.
---
Then—
"Path?" Dax asked.
"Spirit Walker."
Silence.
Short.
But real.
Kellan blinked. "Well… that explains things."
Mira's gaze sharpened slightly.
Dax exhaled. "Alright. That changes how we work."
Harlan nodded. "He supports. We adjust around that."
No one argued.
Because it made sense.
---
"Mission's simple," Harlan continued. "Beast Soldier group near the outer ruins. Small numbers. No complications expected."
"Good," Dax said. "Let's keep it that way."
Lin Kael listened, absorbing everything.
Simple mission.
But that didn't mean careless.
---
"Stick close your first run," Kellan added. "Watch how things move."
"I will," Lin Kael said.
---
They moved out together.
This time, Lin Kael didn't feel like an outsider walking in.
He was part of the formation.
---
At the gate, everything quieted.
The massive structure loomed ahead, separating order from chaos.
Beyond it—
the ruins.
---
As the gate began to open, Lin Kael felt it again.
That shift.
That difference.
Inside the city—structure.
Outside—
uncertainty.
---
Harlan stepped forward.
"We observe first. Then act."
No one questioned it.
---
Lin Kael followed.
Crossing the threshold.
Into his first mission.
---
Elsewhere
"WHAT do you mean they failed?!"
Zhao Kai's voice exploded across the room.
He stood abruptly, chair scraping loudly against the floor.
"Four of them!" he shouted. "FOUR! And they couldn't deal with one slum rat?!"
The man in front of him lowered his head. "He… he awakened."
Zhao Kai froze.
"…What?"
"He's been confirmed. Registered Pathwalker."
For a moment—
Zhao Kai just stared.
Then his expression twisted.
"A slum kid… awakened before me?"
His voice dropped—but it wasn't calm.
It was worse.
Raw.
Ugly.
"Bullshit," he snapped. "That's complete bullshit!"
His fist slammed into the table.
"Which department?"
"…Hunter."
Zhao Kai laughed—but there was no humor in it.
"Hunter Department?" he said. "That piece of trash thinks he can climb now?"
His eyes darkened.
"No."
He shook his head slowly.
"I won't allow that."
He turned sharply.
"Find him."
"Yes!"
"And this time," Zhao Kai said, voice filled with spite,
"send people who can actually get the job done."
---
Outside the walls—
Lin Kael stepped into the ruins.
Unaware—
that someone behind him had just decided…
he shouldn't survive long enough to grow.