[20,000 Monsters killed]
A small status window hovered before Set five hours later as he floated in the scorched skies of the infernal world. Beside him, John, Fred, and Elise hovered, their faces etched with exhaustion. The trio had hit their quotas of 625 kills each, their mana reserves depleted from relentless combat. They'd taken breaks, swallowed recovery pills, and coordinated strikes to survive. Set, however, was untouched by fatigue, his infinite mana a bottomless well.
Elise's blue eyes widened, her voice tinged with shy awe. "H-how do you have so much mana?"
Set's lips curled beneath his mask, a casual shrug rolling off his shoulders. "My capacity's just 10,000," he said, the lie slipping out smoothly. "But I've got an innate ability that slashes skill costs." It wasn't the full truth, but it was close enough—his infinite mana functioned like a rare awakened trait.
The group nodded, accepting the explanation. John, wiping sweat from his brow, spoke up. "You really scheduled nine more Gates? This one took five hours alone. It's impossible to finish them all today. How about we resume tomorrow?"
Set shook his head. "Here's the deal: you and Fred tag along as placeholders. I'll pay you each a million dollars—just for showing up. No fighting, no entering Gates. Elise and I will handle everything."
Eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Fred's hammer nearly slipped from his grip. "Dude, don't joke about money! I was a bit rude earlier, but—"
Set silenced him by summoning two bulging bookbags from his mana ring and tossing them over. "Half upfront. The rest when we're done."
John's stern facade cracked into a grin. "GOOD! We'll follow you anywhere, sir!" His leader's demeanor melted into eager compliance.
Elise, however, blinked in confusion. "Wait—why me? Wouldn't I miss out on the million?"
Set's grin widened. He activated Space Step, vanishing and reappearing before her, gently taking her hand. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving you out. I just want company… and a beautiful woman beats two grumbling men any day, right?"
A flush crept up Elise's cheeks, her bow shifting on her back. She nodded, then straightened. "Fine, but I want money too!"
"Deal," Set laughed. "Let's move!" They exited the Gate, the group soaring toward the next destination.
----
Thirty minutes later, Set and Elise stood alone in a new S-rank Gate, a vast landscape of towering stone monoliths under a violet sky. John and Fred waited outside, content with their bookbags. Set turned to Elise, her back to him, and removed his mask. His inhuman beauty—flawless light brown skin, cascading white hair, and radiant golden eyes—gleamed in the alien light.
"Earlier, I was testing you three with my arrogance," he said, his voice smooth. Elise spun, her eyes widening, unable to tear her gaze from his face. "I needed to know if you were trustworthy. You passed—mostly. You've piqued my interest. I'll make you one of Earth's strongest Hunters. All I ask is your friendship~" His smile was charming, disarming.
Elise swallowed, her voice soft. "F-friends? Is that… all?"
Set's eyes twinkled. "Friends… with benefits, eventually. We'll discuss that later. For now, relax while I clear this Gate. Then we move to the next."
Her eyes widened further. "Clear an S-rank Gate solo? That'll piss off the Sunbelts. You don't want their attention…"
Set's laugh echoed. "Oh, I plan to get their attention." He stored his mask, deciding to shed anonymity. 'Time to make a name. If wives fall for me, so be it,' he thought jokingly—oblivious to how prophetic that might be.
He ascended, the world below teeming with colossal giants—behemoths resembling mutated yetis, their roars shaking the earth. Set flew in blazing arcs, spamming Ice Ball relentlessly. The Fundamental skill couldn't fell the titans in one hit, but volume was his weapon. Ice boulders rained down, cracking stone hides and staggering the beasts.
Mid-flight, inspiration struck. Recalling Ice Ball's mechanics, he channeled his Fire Affinity, replicating the skill's structure.
|Fire Ball|
A blazing orb, matching the ice balls in size, formed in his palm. Grinning, he unleashed a dual barrage—ice and fire crashing in cataclysmic explosions. Elise watched from below, her bow slack. 'Two affinities? Or just skills?' she wondered. Skills were universal, but affinities amplified power exponentially.
Two hours later, the last giant crumbled, the world quaking as the Gate vanished. A small temple materialized, its marble facade etched with ancient runes. Set entered casually, expecting a Boss, but found only a chest and murals depicting countless worlds, each crowned by a Gate. At the bottom, faint script read, 'Reach beyond… See through the illusion.'
'This what you meant?' he asked Vyrak.
'Yes, basic info on other worlds,' Vyrak replied.
Set wasn't convinced. 'It's deeper. Look at the words'. Vyrak's eyes narrowed, intrigued.
"Since meeting you, I see things I never have," Vyrak admitted. "A bottomless well of mana, human, but a dragon, and now this—secrets hidden in plain sight."
Set tabled the mystery, opening the chest. Glowing numbers appeared, like always he chose number 2.
{500 Legendary Cores, Eyes of Infinity}
[Eyes of Infinity - Reveal all truths about a target's existence. Restricted by cultivation: ineffective against those 3 stages above.]
The eyes fused with him, his golden irises flashing into rainbow infinity symbols before reverting. He blinked, then rejoined Elise. A new exit Gate formed.
"Let's keep moving," he said, glancing at her. Using Eyes of Infinity.
[Elise Sunbelt]
Age: 24
Race: Human (Exalted Bloodline of Fenrir, Wolf of the End)
Cultivation: S-rank
Affinities: Wind, Lightning
Mana Capacity: 12,000
'A Sunbelt? And Fenrir—a god?' Set thought, intrigued but unfazed. 'I'll let this play out.' They exited, rejoining John and Fred, and sped to the next Gate.
----
The day blurred into a relentless speedrun. Set cleared Gate after Gate solo, Elise covering his flanks when needed, amassing Cores and frustrating other Hunters with his unchecked kills. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"He's hoarding entire Gates!"
By 11 p.m., they reached the final Gate, uniquely named: The Second Land of Gods. Its resemblance to the Sunbelts' first cleared Gate had earned the title, though the reason was shrouded.
'Myths are real? 'Set thought, before asking Vyrak,
'Hey, Vyrak have you ever heard of the existence of Gods in your world?'
'Of course,' Vyrak replied. 'Gods roam the cosmos, untouchable. Even Supreme Worlds struggle to contact them. This Gate ties to one—though which, I can't say.'
'Gods, dragons, cultivation, Gates… what else?' Set mused, glancing at Elise. 'Maybe the Sunbelts hold answers.' They entered.
The world was serene—empty of monsters, blood, or Hunters. Pink grass swayed under a pale sky, trees with rosy leaves framing rivers of light pink water. In the center, a naked woman floated midair, asleep, her beauty ethereal.
Set's brows furrowed, but a prompt appeared:
{You have entered the Domain of Aphrodite.}