WARNING: This chapter contains some violent content.

The screen flickers to life. A cryptic video starts playing. 

"GAAH! EVERYONE RUN!!"

SLASH!

"W-WHAT WAS THAT THING?!"

"JUST RUN YOU-"

SWOOSH!

A tall figure then quickly headed towards the camera. And that's where the video ends.

CLICK!

"That is the last recording from our researcher on Novaris Island. Lady Xiang Hua.." 

After watching the video just now, Xiang Hua, who was sitting facing the screen, thought for a long time. Then Shenghua Yuan interrupted. 

"Should we send S Rank to that island or-" 

"No, we still don't know the abilities of that mysterious creature, let alone Shin Katsuragi. We haven't solved his case yet." 

Hearing that, Shenghua Yuan just nodded.

"Understood."

"Call Kai in." 

Kai's mechanical robot mask appears on the screen.

"You called me?" 

"Kai, I'm asking for your help to install surveillance drones around Novaris Island now."

"Okay." 

Kai then ended the call after receiving the order. 

"What kind of creature is that exactly..?" 

Meanwhile...

Shin Katsuragi tightened his gloves as he scanned the Hunters Guild board, his gaze cold and determined. This was his first official job as a hunter, and he was ready to do whatever it took. The recent pain of discovering his mother's death still weighed heavily on him.

His eyes landed on a flyer:

"Seeking an extra member for an Abyssal Field clearance. Generous reward. Hm, sound suspicious."

It sounded straightforward enough. He signed up without a second thought, determined to dive into any challenge that would push him closer to his goal.

Few minutes passed, Katuragi leans on the sofa provided. 

"Yawn~... where are they?"

"Hey, you the new guy?" 

A burly man approached, offering a friendly grin. 

"Name's Qian. You must be Shin Katsuragi."

"That's me." 

Katsuragi replied, giving a curt nod. Meanwhile, in Katsuragi's mind. 

"He seems nice. But, why do I feel like he has bad intentions?"

The group seemed ordinary enough. Ren, Jian and Lifen, nothing suspicious in their demeanor. They shared some laughs, told stories about past hunts, and seemed to welcome Katsuragi with open arms. Yet, as they headed toward the Abyssal Field, something within him felt cold, an uneasy premonition.

"Wait a minute, let me set up a barrier. This way Abyss won't be able to escape."

"Wow you can use magic too? Qian, where did you find him?"

Qian turned towards Lifen. 

"Oh, he himself volunteered to join our group. Since there's a vacancy, right?"

The Abyssal Field was a twisted wasteland, filled with the sickly stench of decay and an oppressive darkness that seeped into the skin. Katsuragi held his weapon tight, moving in unison with the team as they fought through waves of Abyss creatures. His strikes grew sharper, his movements faster. For a brief moment, he felt almost at ease, confident in his newfound strength.

"This is what I meant, a perfect training after woke up."

Katsuragi's whisper. 

But as the last creature fell, a sharp silence filled the air. Katsuragi looked around, sensing a shift. Qian and the others were staring at him, their friendly facades gone, replaced by something colder, something predatory.

"Not bad, kid." 

Jian said, lowering his weapon but not in a friendly way. 

"You've got some skill."

Katsuragi straightened, his gaze suspicious. 

"Are we heading back?"

A slow, mocking smile spread across Qian's face. 

"Head back? Oh, no no no, not that easy."

He aimed his weapon at Katsuragi, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. 

"You're not leaving here alive."

Katsuragi chuckles. 

"Oh? Are you joking right now?"

Jian chuckled darkly. 

"You're just a pawn, kid. We only brought you along to clear the way. So, our work will be easier. And we don't want to share our reward with people like you." 

""Besides, thank you for putting up that barrier. It was a pleasure to kill you." 

Katsuragi clenched his fists, feeling anger boil in his chest. This wasn't just betrayal, it was mockery, a sick joke they'd played on him from the start. He stared at them, his expression darkening as a bloodlust awakened deep inside him. Yet, He still maintained his sarcastic smile. 

"So this is what it means to survive? So, you did this many times to other people before me? You use people like dolls."

"Exactly. Look, the prize is a good five thousand credits, and aren't we going to split it so that extra people can get more? Hell no."

Katsuragi's lips curved into a cold, unsettling smile. His voice was filled with a venomous calm that sent a shiver through the air. 

"Eh? So you're all greedy, right? Come on bro, don't you know that wealth isn't enough to buy happiness? Do you want me to teach you?"

Ren sneered, clearly unimpressed. 

"Big talk from a dead man. You don't stand a chance. Also, you're the one who's the prey here."

Ren took a step forward, their confidence unwavering. But before they could raise their weapon, Katsuragi moved a blur of speed and violence. His scythe cut through the air with precision, drawing blood in a single, ruthless stroke.

"Are you sure? Oh, sorry. You're dead already, my bad~"

"So, let's get back to logic. You think you're strong because of your Rank? It's funny, you know, hunters hunt the weak."

He snapped his fingers, the barrier he had just installed changed color. 

As he fought, his movements grew faster, more brutal, each swing of his weapon painting the field red. He didn't feel pity, didn't feel remorse. All he felt was the thrill of the hunt, the primal urge to dominate has consume him. It feels like it was Katsuragi's ego controlling him.

"But hunters can also be hunted."

Jian stumbled back, horror in his eyes. "

W-What are you?"

Katsuragi took a slow, deliberate step forward, his gaze hollow yet filled with a chilling intensity. 

"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you. The barrier I installed earlier has another effect. Like in video games, what we call a 'debuff'." 

Jian raised his weapon in a last-ditch effort, 

"D-Die!"

Suddenly, Jian's body felt painful and he couldn't move. Meanwhile, Katsuragi laughed evilly, pulling Jian's hair. 

"More precisely, it can paralyze you. Smart, right?"

Katsuragi dash faster, his scythe slicing through with ruthless efficiency. Blood splattered, staining the ground as the last of his so-called "teammates" fell, their lives ending in silence. The last one remains is Qian. He's begs for mercy, knowing he was also affected by the debuff created by the barrier. 

"P-Please don't kill me! I-I give you anything! Money? Name the prices! I can-"

"Aw, the brave hunter is afraid of being killed by the weak?! Cute. Okay, I accept your offer. I want... all the money we get from now on. But on one condition." 

Qian looked at Katsuragi's face, seeing his face full of an evil smile. 

"I have to destroy the evidence first. Which means, I have to destroy you once and for all because you're already a witness."

Katsuragi then killed Jian after mocking him. He stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving, his mind swimming in the cold realization of what he'd done. The thrill of battle still pulsed within him, but a part of him felt tainted. This wasn't what he'd set out to become, yet here he was, drenched in blood, victorious.

In the aftermath, as he looked at his blood-stained hands, a chilling thought crossed his mind: This is the cost of survival. To protect, sometimes you must be willing to destroy.

He took a shaky breath, his heart cold and resolute. 

"I killed them, that was intense. Part of me feels guilty, if I go by the data. Their group has had many cases of additional members being killed."

Turning his back on the bodies, Katsuragi walked away, leaving behind the remains of his enemies. Several small particles lit up around Katsuragi. 

This time, Katsuragi smiled calmly.

"Go, you're all free now."

Turns out, the particles are the souls of the victims, called Spirits. They are lost souls who cannot accept their death. Waiting for someone to set them free.

Katsuragi slowly walked away from the Abyssal Field. 

"Sometimes, humans can be even worse than Abyss."

Katsuragi laughed at what he said. 

"Haha! Oh my, it's no different with me. Humans always make mistakes. But they also always fix it. If mom were here, she would definitely be disappointed to find out I killed them. I'm sorry, mom."