When Erlen woke up the next morning, he felt…
nothing.
No pain.
No hunger.
Not even exhaustion.
Just a strange emptiness inside him, like someone had stolen every emotion and left only silence.
The staff around him were whispering in awe.
> "They said light came from the sky last night—straight onto him."
"Yeah, like the heavens themselves chose him!"
Erlen groaned, rubbing his temple.
"Light from the sky? Seriously? What am I, some main character? Don't feed me that nonsense."
One of the staff clenched his jaw, muttering something into an earpiece.
A few moments later, the doors opened, and in walked the President — tall, sharp-eyed, with an aura that made everyone straighten up.
Erlen got to his feet instantly. "Oh hey, Mr. Bossman," he said awkwardly, shaking his hand. "So uh... this 'light thingy' they keep talking about—was it real?"
The President's expression didn't change.
"Yes, Erlen. They're not lying."
Erlen blinked. "You're joking."
"I'm not," the President replied calmly. "You've seen ghosts before, haven't you?"
"Well, yeah, but—wait..." He frowned. "Okay… that kinda tracks. So, uh, about that special trait you mentioned?"
The President smiled faintly. "It's called The Limitless Gift. It's what your father once had... and now, it's yours."
Erlen froze. "I have a dad?!"
The President tilted his head. "Well, how else were you born?"
"Not like that, man! I mean—he's alive?!"
"I never said alive."
Erlen stared blankly. "…Right. Got it. Dead or missing. Classic."
He sighed, then smirked faintly. "So, are we gonna talk or are you gonna train me?"
The President looked amused. "Train you? You seem like someone who learns better by surviving."
"Good point," Erlen said with a grin. "Then I'll train—" his expression darkened, "—for revenge."
"Ah. The ghost?"
Erlen nodded. "The one that killed my friends."
The President's tone turned serious. "That ghost wasn't that strong. Barely a D-Rank."
That hit like a bullet.
"...So I was weak the whole time," Erlen whispered, eyes wide.
He zoned out. But something deep inside him shifted — an instinct, a fire that refused to die.
An obsession to grow stronger, to crush everything that once made him feel powerless.
He looked up. "I want to train in a chamber."
"Oh?" The President raised a brow. "For how long?"
"Until I can break the walls apart and walk out on my own."
The President smirked. "Then it's settled — The Chamber of Eternity."
---
An hour later, Erlen followed them through countless halls, past soldiers and scientists who saluted the President but whispered about "the boy who was chosen by light."
They eventually stopped at the lowest level of the entire facility — Level-0.
No staff came down here. Only the highest ranks even knew it existed.
The air was dense with mana. The walls vibrated slightly.
And in front of them was a massive gate — metallic, engraved with glowing blue runes that pulsed like a living heartbeat.
"This," said the female attendant, "is the Chamber, sir."
Erlen's jaw dropped. "It's huge… like some ancient god's prison."
The President gave a short nod. "It's a timeless zone. Inside, time flows differently. A year outside equals four inside."
Erlen smirked. "Good. I'll train until my body breaks."
He stepped through the gate without hesitation.
The door sealed behind him with a loud clang.
---
Inside was… silence.
No walls. No corners. No ceiling — just endless mist and an invisible floor beneath his feet.
"Alright then…" he muttered, stretching his arms. "Step one — physical training."
He started running.
At first, it felt normal — but then, he noticed something strange.
No matter how long he ran, his breath didn't quicken.
His muscles didn't burn.
And there wasn't a single drop of sweat.
"…This is way too easy," he said with a small laugh. "Is this place broken or what?"
So he tried something else — pulling in the strange, flowing energy around him.
Immediately, his body convulsed in pain.
"AGHHHH—! What the hell—!"
His veins burned like molten fire, his skin glowed faintly blue. The energy raged inside him like a storm with no container.
He gritted his teeth. "Come on… form... a core...!"
Hunters used Cores to store their energy — their life force. Every rank had a color.
> Core Levels:
🟦 Blue – Beginner (New Hunters)
🟨 Yellow – Intermediate (Capable Fighters)
🟧 Orange – Skilled (Better than 70% of Hunters)
🟥 Red – Expert (B-Rank Hunters)
🟪 Purple – Peak-Level (A-Rank Hunters)
⚫ Black – Rare Across Nations (S-Rank Hunters)
⚪ White – Legendary (Beyond S-Rank, "Beyonders")
But Erlen's body refused to form any of them.
The energy in his chest twisted violently — colorless, formless, yet blindingly bright.
He screamed, his body trembling. "AGHHHHHHH—!!"
The light burst through his chest, swirling like liquid glass — a transparent core, glowing faintly with every color before fading again.
Then… silence.
Erlen fell to his knees, panting. "Huff… huff… did I… make one…?"
He placed a hand over his chest — and felt it.
Something pulsing faintly beneath his skin.
Alive. Endless.
"I made… a core…"
He smiled weakly. "And it's... not even one of theirs..."
His eyes fluttered shut as exhaustion overwhelmed him.
He fell face-first onto the cold ground.
And for a brief moment, the Chamber itself seemed to hum —
as if recognizing its new master.
---