3,000 Years Ago, Atreus (143 years on Earth)
A man dragged himself through the dark, freezing forest night of Atreus. His body was torn, his left leg mutilated. Sounds and shadows surrounded him.
Man (barely audible)
— Why are these beasts so powerful...? If anyone can hear me... I beg you, god or demon... help me avenge my friends... Give me the power to kill them all... and their future generations...
He collapsed to the ground, nearly lifeless. From above, the bodies of his allies could be seen — five around him. The blood flowing from them formed the shape of a pentagram, glowing intensely red.
Present
All the sergeants and their squads had gathered at the main gate of the village. One hundred hunters against twenty-eight inferiors of Atreus.
Melina's thoughts
— If each hunter works in pairs, these inferiors will be easily eliminated... But if they were superiors, things would spiral out of control...
Kai (raising her hand)
— Listen up, everyone! I am Sergeant Kai, Wind Mage, Advanced Class! Witness my greatness!
Melina's thoughts
— Isn't she drawing way too much attention?
Kai extends her hand forward with a confident smile.
Kai
— Die before the storm of gale winds!
A violent gust of wind burst from her hand, destroying trees and creatures in its path. Five inferiors were brutally torn apart. The forest shook. The whole group was in shock — torn between admiration and fear.
Melina (startled)
— W-what???
Melina's thoughts
— I knew she held back against me... but this? This is absurd. Is this really the power of a 1st Dan?
Saicha (in awe)
— She's really amazing, huh?
Melina (looking at her, surprised)
— Only you wouldn't be scared by something like that...
Suddenly, Ren jumps into the field.
Ren
— Kai, you hogging all the spotlight again? Leave some for the other leaders, bah!
Melina (serious)
— System.
System
— Ren Grews. Advanced Summoner. 19 years old. Born on Earth. Place of birth: United States of America.
Melina's thoughts
— Ren is two years younger than Kai... Both from the U.S. So unfair... Why are their hunters so strong? From Brazil, I only know a few high-Dan masters... Bah, this isn't the time. But... what does a summoner do, exactly? The name is obvious, but I've never seen one in action...
Ren walks toward the enemies.
Ren (analyzing)
— Gray goblins, huh? Bah...
He raises his hand. Spinning blades — like shurikens — appear, floating in the air.
Melina (shocked)
— Did he steal the idea from Japanese weapons??
Ren (smiling)
— Tear them apart!
The blades fly like homing missiles, tearing through 12 inferiors with precision. The soldiers could hardly believe their eyes.
Melina (serious)
— System, assess the attacks and give me details.
System
— Both are area attacks. The difference lies in composition and usage.
Kai uses pure magic. Her wind attack has a 400% kill certainty but consumes immense aura.
Ren, by summoning objects, spends more aura during creation but much less to control them. Thus, he can maintain attacks for longer with greater range.
However, his kill effectiveness is only 80%.
Melina's thoughts
— So... both are amazing. Ren has more range — ideal against armies.
Kai is perfect for taking down bosses... An attack like that would kill even Apex instantly.
Kai (laughing)
— Melina! Want to join us?
Melina
— Alright, I'm coming.
Melina's thoughts
— And on top of it all, Kai still has her Berserk mode... Knowing she hasn't even shown her full strength... gives me chills.
Melina (serious)
— Listen up, everyone! I am Sergeant Melina, and I'll show you how far an Evaluator's power can go!
Whispers in the group
— An Evaluator? How did an Evaluator become a Sergeant? Is this for real?
Melina drops into a battle stance.
— First mode: Passive Evaluation activated!
— Second class: Assassin... activated!
She pulls out her twin daggers. Ren watches, curious.
Ren
— Look at that, Kai! She's got two classes too, just like you! Bah!
Kai (smiling)
— Told you, dummy... She might just surpass you.
Kai's thoughts
— Now I get why the guild president asked me to watch this girl.
Melina (smiling)
— Hold on, that's not even what I wanted to show yet...
She begins to draw mana from the surroundings. Ren, Kai, Saicha, and a few high-ranking sergeants feel the pressure. Something abnormal was about to happen.
Melina (burning with emotion)
— Combustion... ignite!
Her daggers erupt in flames. A violent combustion surrounds them.
Kai (surprised and amazed)
— She... infused fire magic into her daggers using direct mana conversion? That's beyond any normal class enhancement!
Ren (bursting in laughter)
— Bah! What an insane brat! Even with instability, that... only one guy before her pulled that off. So... the old man from Haikai retired and trained this girl? Bah!
Melina runs toward the remaining 11 inferiors.
Melina's thoughts
— Unlike them, my current power only lets me fight up to two inferiors at once.
So... I have to use everything I've got from the assassin class to gain the upper hand!
Memory of Haikai
— Don told me about your unique skill: the Devourer.
It can increase your base power... but also lets you enhance classes.
Melina
— Enhance classes?
Haikai
— Yes. Classes are pre-set skill packages. But if you devour and modify skills, you can replicate techniques from other classes...
Melina (present, smiling)
— Haikai... it was a pleasure knowing you. I'm grateful for everything...
Melina activates Camouflage — a skill from the assassin class. She vanishes.
Suddenly, a goblin is slashed across the belly — and bursts into flames.
In quick succession, several others catch fire and fall one by one, until all 11 inferiors are dead.
Melina reappears, gasping.
Melina
— Using that ability... burns way more aura than I expected...
Her vision blurs. Kai approaches and catches her.
Kai
— Your skills, like mine, drain much more aura than usual, right? So annoying...
Ren (laughing loudly)
— Bah! That's nothing! You two just have cracked crystal mana cores! Hahahah!
Melina and Kai (together, annoyed)
— Idiot!!
Pof! — Both smack him on the head.
Ren (pretending to cry)
— Bah... Melina, I'm impressed with your skills. That gets me hyped!
And Kai... Bah! You're still number one. That wind attack... guaranteed death.
Kai (cocky)
— Hah! Of course I'm amazing!
Ren's thoughts
— Can't give wings to a snake that thinks it's a dragon...
Kai (deadly glare)
— Ren... why do I feel like you thought something stupid? Come here so I can beat you up!
Ren (running)
— Bah! I'm out!!
Saicha approaches Melina and casts healing.
Saicha (smiling)
— Those two are amazing, huh?
Melina (deep breath)
— They really are...
Saicha
— And you were amazing too, Mel.
Melina (serious)
— I never imagined it'd be possible to defeat 28 inferiors with just the three of us...
Saicha
— Dummy... you're still stuck in your past.
You're not that helpless girl anymore.
You're an advanced hunter, surrounded by Apex's elite.
And clearly, you're among the top five strongest here.
[Apex]
Guild Secretary – Lois
— Don... it's been a day since the hunters were sent to Atreus.
And the Earthborn of Apex are already showing signs of rebellion...
Don (serious)
— I thought it would take longer... Inform the guild members who remained in Apex:
Set up shelters across the territory.
All Earthborn may take refuge in them.
Don's thoughts
— The peaceful times in Apex... are about to end...