I kept my face calm as I slowly raised my hands, showing them the cuffs locked around my wrists. I let out a breath and answered, "What do you think I could've done with these cuffs and this collar on me? The last thing I remember is those guys beating me. Then... she did something, and that's it. Everything went blank."
The old man stared at me for a long moment, eyes sharp and unmoving. Then, without a word, he turned to face King.
I noticed it right away, King looked pale. There was fear in his eyes, like he knew what was coming.
"Who gave you permission to call her?" the man asked coldly.
King swallowed hard. I heard it loud. He stammered as he replied, "I—I'm sorry. It was my mistake. I didn't know she would… I didn't expect this to happen."
The old man scoffed, a sound full of disgust.
Then, with a sudden boom, King's body shot backward like a ragdoll. He slammed into the wall with a loud crack, and slumped to the floor. His two goons didn't move a muscle. They stood there with their heads down, completely silent.
The man turned next to Grey. His tone was sharp and cold.
"You're a disappointment, Grey. Looking at both of you—him and you—I see nothing but darkness ahead for the Holt family."
Grey didn't respond. But i could observe anger on his face.
Then the man turned back to me. His voice was calmer this time but still heavy with warning.
"You can go for now, kid. But I will find out what you did. Grey, take him outside. Start his initiation too."
Without a word, Grey motioned for me to follow. I didn't argue. A moment later, a teleportation circle lit up beneath us. Then another.
And just like that, I found myself standing in a massive hall.
No… not massive. Enormous.
The ceiling soared so high it felt like I was standing at the base of a mountain.
Tall, thick pillars—at least fifty feet high—lined both sides of the hall like silent guardians. Along the walls stood massive statues of Nagas, carved in elegant poses, their expressions proud and fierce. The air smelled like old stone.
Before I could get lost in the details, Grey gave me a shove from behind.
"Get going," he said.
I started walking, footsteps steady on the polished floor. At the far end of the hall, I passed under a large stone archway.
And the moment I stepped outside—
My eyes widened.
Outside, the world opened up around me.
I stepped onto a wide open ground, flat and smooth, made of the same stone as the hall.
The sky above was clear, painted in soft shades of blue and gold, like it was always near sunset here.
A glowing yellow barrier shimmered in the distance, surrounding the area like a giant dome. It didn't hum or make any sound, it just glowed gently, casting warm light over everything inside.
Right in the middle of the open ground stood a statue. Not just any statue—this one was massive.
At least five hundred meters tall.
It showed a beautiful woman with long hair flowing down her back, a calm face, and one hand raised toward the sky. Her other hand rested over her heart. She looked peaceful… but powerful. Like someone you'd want to worship or fear—or maybe both.
Beyond the glowing barrier, I could see thick green forests stretching far in every direction. And behind those forests rose a mountain range so tall the peaks disappeared into the clouds.
Some of the mountains looked sharp, almost like blades. Others were so wide they looked like walls of stone.
But the thing that really caught my eye was farther out in the sky.
There, floating in the distance, were massive broken structures—like parts of ancient buildings or cities torn from the ground and left hanging in the air. They drifted slowly, some spinning, some still, all cracked and worn.
I stood there quietly, taking it all in.
The air felt fresh and pleasant.
And then I saw them—members of the Holt family, along with the people who worked for them.
Dozens of them, maybe more. All of them moved freely through the open area, no collars around their necks, no cuffs on their wrists. They looked relaxed, talking among themselves or heading toward different parts of the forest like they owned the place. And maybe they did.
That sight alone made something burn in my chest.
Grey gave me another shove from behind, harder this time. I stumbled forward, and now I was really starting to get irritated. But I kept my mouth shut and kept walking.
After a few steps, I spotted familiar faces—Steve, Xin, and the rest of our group. I walked over and stood beside them. We all faced Grey as he stopped in front of us and began to speak.
"There's no change in the plan," he said. "Minimum two Abominations. And remember, no killing."
With a flick of his wrist, several small rings flew through the air toward us. I caught one. A storage ring.
"You can go now," he added without emotion.
Everyone began turning away, walking toward a series of small structures that looked like checkpoints. The buildings were lined up along the inner edge of the glowing barrier.
I nudged Xin lightly with my elbow and asked in a low voice, "Hey, what's going on?"
He inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air like it was the only good thing around here. Then he spoke.
"Well, we're going to work. The job's simple. Capture two Abominations alive and bring them back to these guys."
My brows drew together. "Alive? Why?"
Xin shrugged, his face blank. "No clue. Probably for some sick experiment or research."
I glanced at the barrier, then back at him. "So… they'll take off the cuffs and send us into the forest? Why don't you try to escape?"
He let out a quiet laugh and shook his head.
"The only way out is the way we came in, kid. And they'll attach trackers to us. You can try to run, sure, but they'll find you eventually. They've got strong masters here—at least one grandmaster, too."
I frowned. "So we hunt, capture Abominations alive, and bring them back? We can't fight back or run?"
He nodded, but then paused.
"Well… running might not work. But hiding? Maybe. If you're crazy enough. You'd have to go way, way deeper into the forest. And this place is crawling with Abominations. You'd probably die before you got far."
I stayed quiet, letting that sink in.
Then Xin pointed toward the horizon, toward those strange floating ruins drifting in the distance.
"There, though," he said. "Those buildings in the sky… maybe there's something in them. Maybe a way to hide. Or escape. No one's managed it yet, but who knows?"
I stared at the broken shapes floating above the far-off forest.
A thought formed in my mind—wild, risky, maybe even stupid.
But I held onto it. Just in case.
I asked quietly, "How long do we have?"
Xin replied, "Be back before nightfall. And whatever you do, don't level up. If they find out you gained a level, they might throw you to the Abominations as a test. Oh, and those rings we got? They're designed to hold living creatures. Special tech made by the Nagas—stolen by the damn Holts."
I blinked. "Oh, is that so…"
We lined up at the checkpoints. One by one, people ahead of us stepped into the small building. I watched a few Nagas go first, disappearing behind the door without a word. Everything moved fast, like a routine everyone was used to.
Then it was my turn.
I stepped inside. The air was cooler, and a single light lit the small room. A young man stood in front of a metal desk, holding a strange device in his hand. He didn't look particularly interested in his job.
I scanned him instinctively.
[Matt Henry – Level 72]
He glanced up at me with a bored expression. "Turn around," he said.
I turned my back to him. A moment later, he placed the device against my collar. There was a faint hum, and I saw the color of the collar shift to black. In an instant, I felt something I hadn't felt since arriving here—my connection to my Psynapse.
The collar had turned into a hollow shell instead of a barrier.
"You're new," the man said lazily. "So listen up. You've got twelve hours. After that, the collar's restriction will reactivate. Now, face me again."
I turned around. He pressed the same device against the cuffs. With a small click, they unlocked and fell into his hands. He slipped them into his storage ring and looked at me.
"All right. You'll be tracked from this point on. Doesn't matter what level the Abominations are. Bring back two—alive. And make sure you return before time's up."
I gave him a nod.
He waved his hand, dismissing me like I was just another task on his list.
I turned and walked out of the building, my steps slow, my mind racing.