In the eastern reaches of Thallerion, the sun rose like a powerful monarch, gradually conquering the cold shadows of the night. A white sphere, glowing like glass, shimmered high in the heavens—this was the Crown-Shield. From afar, it resembled a giant crown dropped by a deity. As the sun peeked over the horizon, the entire architecture of Thallerion gleamed, resembling swords raised in a lofty salute. As the morning grew warmer, the people began to gather in the vast plaza of Betelgeuse City.
Cheers and shouts of support erupted when King Zerceux arrived, riding his flying Auriga, pulled by four golden horses. Trumpets blared triumphantly as he descended from the shimmering chariot. He smiled and waved at the crowd, then touched his arm and twisted a golden bracelet. In an instant, the Auriga vanished, dissolving like stardust caught in the wind. The hem of his black jacket danced, further accentuating his muscular physique. His heavy boots thudded against the stage as he walked to the center, lost in deep thought.
"To rise in this world, humanity must cling to the Celestial Gene. Without it, Thallerion is but a mouse in the eyes of monsters. Yet, times have changed. Everyone is anxious, fearing that tomorrow... their boasted 'Celestial Guardian' might be gone forever."
The King sighed as he watched a desperate man trying to show off. No matter how hard the man strained his arm, or how much effort he exerted to summon his power, it resulted only in blue stardust glimmering against his trembling hand. "Thallerion has long been abandoned by the Celestial Guardian—the guardian who was supposed to protect our families and our nation. However, he taught us how to fight and stand our ground."
The live broadcast, composed of blue energy, spread across the walls of Thallerion's buildings. King Zerceux stood at the front, scanning the faces of his people. His prominent chest rose as he took a deep breath; he raised his massive arm, and with a weary finger, pointed angrily toward the heavens like a blade.
"Look up!" His voice was deep, slow, yet firm—so much so that even the air seemed to listen. "Behold the shining barrier they have dumped upon our sky like a white shroud over a coffin." The veins on his forehead bulged, his aura radiating heat. "That is the National Threat Security Shield, sent by the Cepheus Sovereign under the Crown-System!" The people's eyes darkened as they looked at the gleaming shield, branded with the Sovereign's logo. "A hundred years have passed since they installed that thing. Luxurious, isn't it? But I call it what it is—a prison for Hunters! Everyone thinks it's safety? Some even think it's freedom!? But with every breath we take, they rob us of our rights."
The citizens' resentment harmonized with the King's. "They are shackling our nation! This is not true safety! This is oppression!" The King heard the rhythmic pounding of weapons forged from celestial energy. The discharge of low-tier guns left a tremor in the air.
"You are right! They talk only of 'peace,' of 'ordinances,' and of 'mandates.' And worst of all, they gave us the Sovereign Shield—we pay for it, but they hold the remote. It is our prison!" The King's fist hammered the podium, smoke rising from his arm. His blue eyes blazed as he stared down at his people.
"When Thallerion's Celestial Guardian vanished, our nation remained trapped for a long time. Because they look at us as weak; they think we must rely on their protection." King Zerceux slammed his fist onto the podium, cracking it as he roared passionately. "Ha! We are not sheep to be guarded by their shepherds. Have they forgotten!? We know how to wield weapons!"
"We are Hunters! We do not need to rely on them!" the crowd shouted. A mass awakening rippled through the plaza as they demonstrated their support for the King.
"I am one with you. The forests, the mountains, and the oceans are extensions of our lives. That is where we belong—not inside the shield of these false Protectors!" The King's face flushed red, and his neatly cropped ash-colored hair seemed to tremble. As the citizens listened, their eyes glowed like stars; from their hands, energy manifested, shaping itself into sharp weapons. "Yet, they locked us away like birds in a cage; they gave us no chance to fight!"
The Heated Encounter
In the midst of the King's monumental speech, the ethereal screens around the plaza suddenly glitched, as if suffering a system anomaly. A red ethereal screen manifested, resembling the muzzle of a gun pointed directly at his face. "What is this!?"
Streamlined System Interface
[ SYSTEM NOTICE: CEPHEUS SOVEREIGN HIGH-PRIORITY BOUNTY ]
Phenomenon: Biopunk Infestation & Feral Bio-Trafficking
Source: Unauthorized Underworld Laboratories
■ INTEL REPORT
The Crown-System has detected an exponential surge in illegal biopunk facilities along the frontier. These dark sectors are mass-producing illicit genetic catalysts.
■ MISSION PARAMETERS
Objective: Destroy all 10 illegal laboratories consecutively
Time Quota: 2 Months (60 Standard Days)
Target Species: Unknown / Rapidly Mutating Mutagens
Estimated Forces: ~1,000 Biopunk Entities per sector (Continuous release)
Lethality: UNQUANTIFIABLE (Extreme Threat)
Location: Eastern Thallerion Border (Marshy Terrain)
■ BOUNTY POOL
Reward: 25,000,000,000 Astral-Coins (AC)
Creditor: Cepheus Sovereign Ledger Account
[ SYSTEM QUEST: DO YOU ACCEPT THIS TASK, AWAKENED OF THALLERION? ]
[Yes] [NO]
"The Cepheus Sovereign?" His jaw tightened upon seeing the screen from the ruling power. However, curiosity soon replaced his anger. "Illegal laboratories?" He read every word that appeared on the screen aloud. "25 billion—billion? That is an enormous sum!"
"Ms. Ruvensent, please confirm this reward." The red heels clicked on the stage as the secretary approached, dressed in a vibrant purple dress that reached her thighs.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will contact the Sovereign's office immediately." The secretary stood elegantly, her poise causing the eyes of many in the crowd to nearly pop out.
"Do you think we should still trust the Sovereign?" A man approached slowly, his voice raspy. He thudded his staff against the stage. Behind him followed a female servant with a sharp, predatory smile. "My gut tells me... this is a scheme."
"Good morning, Head Minister," the secretary greeted with a bow.
"Gaverdric." King Zerceux turned toward the minister's calm face, his jaw clenching at the sight of the scar crossing between the man's eyebrows and forehead. His bald head shimmered, surrounded by fringe of frost-colored hair. Zerceux noted the bodyguards standing a short distance away. "I will handle this matter. Do not interfere."
Gaverdric stared at the King coldly, acting as if he hadn't heard. "I know what you are thinking." Gaverdric's voice sounded like it rose from a deep well filled with bitter poison. "Do not impose this on Thallerion. The dignity of the Hunters is already dead."
King Zerceux's vision darkened, shadows cloaking his face as he clenched his hands tightly. Gaverdric stepped to the side, looking down at the people below the stage as if they were mere ants. Every thud of his staff seemed like an insult to the King. "If you let yourself be fooled by the Sovereign, you are essentially saying that Hunters now live only for bribes. An ugly ideology that is slowly erasing the image of Thallerion."
"Hunters do not need a 'pretty' image!" The King's jaw stiffened as he continued to watch the ethereal screen. "What my people need is support and work. Look at them closely. Do you have no compassion for the poor who are starving?" The King's voice broke like a lion's roar.
"Starving?" Gaverdric laughed sarcastically. "Why not blame the Sovereign?" He adjusted his ring and looked back at the King's face. "They grew rich because nations have been shackled for ages by their offer of the Crown-Shield. Every year, we pay 500 million in astral currency. Now, I understand why you want to accept this 25 billion? For what?" He smiled grimly. "To let the Sovereign laugh at us? To let everyone mock us, saying: 'Where are the once-renowned Hunters? Is Thallerion so impoverished? Ha!?'"
"Is that your way of showing concern for the nation!?" The two stared at each other like cannons with fuses about to burn out. The King's face flushed while Gaverdric silently gripped his staff, his teeth gritted in rage. Suddenly, the secretary broke their mounting fury.
"Your Majesty and honorable Minister, please stop this!" She grasped King Zerceux's shoulder. "Enough, Head Minister, please do not argue about this." But Gaverdric only sneered, head held high.
The King's face calmed, and he exhaled slowly. "Gaverdric, do not interfere. Have you forgotten your sins?" King Zerceux looked at Gaverdric's scar, which seemed like a nightmare returning to his mind. "Do not worry. The decision will not come from me."
The King grabbed the microphone, which echoed throughout the area, and turned to the crowd with renewed resolve. "Wake up, awakened warriors, hunters, and healers! This is the opportunity we have been waiting for—the key to our freedom is within our grasp."
"The Cepheus Sovereign now calls for the destruction of every laboratory. The emergence of these biopunk prototypes is the root cause of the monstrous evolution of these creatures." A murmur rippled through the crowd during the King's speech.
"However, Hunters live to slay fierce monsters, bloodthirsty demons, and biopunks thirsting for blood! Their lives are set in our hands." The people cheered with enthusiasm and confidence; the air almost rang with the echoes of their support.
"So today, I ask for your decision. Shall we accept this mission to fight and stand our ground, or will we remain cowards in the eyes of the world forever?" The plaza was filled with noise as everyone debated.
"Thallerion is the home of the hunters," said a heroic awakened warrior. He clenched his fist tightly, sparks of energy dancing around it. "We, the warriors, agree," he roared.
"Are you the only ones who will fight?" shouted an ordinary citizen holding a low-tier sword. "Your Majesty, what about us, the non-awakened? We don't have enough money to buy celestial power. We want to help, too." Gaverdric's forehead creased, and he secretly swallowed hard. Meanwhile, the King looked at his people with compassion.
King Zerceux heard Gaverdric's whisper: "The weak are useless in battle. Why not just put them to work on the farms? Their lives are a waste."
"Very well... go to the Rigil District. Register as auxiliary hunters," the King commanded. "Do not be reckless. Wait for the commands of the elites."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." He noticed some men trying to level up their rookie blades, but the weapons only flickered faintly. He could only sigh as he watched them.
The King pondered in his mind. No king would turn down a 25-billion offer from the Cepheus Sovereign, especially when the people need money and food. But I know this mission won't be easy. He wiped his forehead from exhaustion. But since the loss of our Guardian entity, our abilities have been waning. The number of Awakened-Hunters is also declining. I only hope the rookies and non-awakened don't become a burden during this mission, he whispered before taking a deep breath.
King Zerceux looked at the minister, who still stood on the stage with a stormy expression. "How about that, Gaverdric? There is nothing you can do... this is everyone's decision."
"Ch!" Gaverdric's nostrils flared in anger, and he stomped away, accompanied by his bodyguards and his servant.
King Zerceux pressed the 'YES' button. A loud roar of cheering broke out from the people as they voiced their support for the decision. The rookies and the citizens slowly began to move toward the Rigil district to register.