Ren gasped as his consciousness snapped back into his body. The sensation was jarring, like being yanked from the depths of a dream too real to be fake. His hands clenched the damp earth beneath him, his breathing ragged. Sweat dripped down his brow as his mind reeled from everything he had endured. The trial, the war, the impossible task…
Yet he had done it.
A soft ping echoed in his head as the Mandate System activated.
[MANDATE SYSTEM UPDATE]
Rank Up: Bound → Adept
Essence Accumulation Reset: 0/100
Mandate Rank: [Primordial]
New Ability Acquired: Abyssal Veil
Ren’s vision blurred for a moment as the new ability settled into his being. He instinctively understood its function. Abyssal Veil wasn’t just an enhancement—it was an evolution. His control over shadows had expanded beyond simple bindings. Now, he could sink into the darkness itself, becoming a living void, undetectable unless he willed otherwise. Not only that, but his shadows could now distort perception, warping reality itself within his radius.
A grim smile tugged at his lips. Now this… this is useful.
Still, something gnawed at the back of his mind—his Mandate rank.
Primordial.
That wasn’t normal. Hell, he hadn’t even seen the other ranks before, but he was damn sure Primordial was an anomaly. Why the hell was his rank unknown before? And why did his Mandate give him a war-torn hellscape as his first trial?
His fists clenched. He couldn’t let anyone know. Not yet.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Ren exhaled and sat up properly, the weight of his exhaustion catching up to him. He had survived.
The sky was already shifting from afternoon to dusk by the time Ren stumbled through the underbrush, making his way toward the exit point. His body still ached, but his wounds had healed during his Mandate awakening. Still, his clothes were in ruins, and he probably looked like he had been dragged through hell itself.
He didn’t walk long before he spotted Isamu leaning against a tree, arms crossed, waiting. The older Shikari lifted an eyebrow when he saw Ren approach.
“Damn,” Isamu muttered, “You look like you saw something nasty in there.”
Ren snorted. “Saw? Nah, I lived in it.”
Isamu pushed off the tree, his sharp eyes studying him. “How long do you think you were inside?”
Ren hesitated before answering. “A few weeks, maybe? Time was… weird. It felt stretched.”
Isamu smirked. “It’s only been four hours.”
Ren froze. A chill ran down his spine. “Bullshit.”
“Nope.” Isamu tapped his temple. “Time dilation. Happens sometimes in Inner Hunts. The Mandate isn’t bound by normal time—only by your progression. Some people go through an entire lifetime inside, only for a few minutes to pass out here.”
Ren swallowed. That explained a lot… but it also made him uneasy. If he had felt weeks pass and it was only hours, then how much of that was real? How much had stuck?
“So?” Isamu asked, watching him closely. “What’d you get?”
Ren stretched his fingers, feeling the cold pulse of his new power beneath his skin. “A bit more control,” he said vaguely. “Better tricks with shadows.”
Isamu raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “You’re keeping secrets already? Smart kid.” He tossed a small bag at Ren, who caught it with ease. “That’s for passing. Your first payment.”
Ren peered inside—golden ryo coins. Enough to buy a month’s worth of food. He gave Isamu a questioning look.
The older hunter shrugged. “Consider it an investment. You’ll pay me back when you start making real money.”
Ren smirked. “Tch. Loan shark, huh?”
“Damn right.” Isamu grinned. “Now, go home, take a bath, and get some real food in you. You smell like a dead yokai.”
Ren rolled his eyes but turned toward the path leading back into the city. “Yeah, yeah. Later, old man.”
As he walked away, a strange feeling settled in his chest.
For the first time in years, he didn’t feel like he was trapped in the slums.
He had power now.
And he was just getting started.
