With a deafening screech, the monster ascended into the skies, tearing through the roof above. The blast from its escape sent broken debris and rubble crashing down into the Midnight Circuit, putting the crowd below in immediate danger.
Liam wanted to chase it, every instinct told him to but people were still inside, screaming and trapped. He then decided to put their lives first, even though they wouldn't have cared if he had died at the hands of Kai tonight.
[Skill: Contract Summoning]
A surge of mana flared around him and in a flash, Pip and the Goblin Emperor appeared. They didn't wait for instructions as if they already knew why they'd been called. Immediately, they sprang into action.
A wind spell swirled above the arena, veering debris off-course. The goblin moved in bursts of speed, dashing between collapsing structures and guiding civilians to safety. The coordination was seamless, as though they'd trained for this.
Then a scream broke through the chaos. It came from beyond the reach of Pip, the goblin, or Liam. It came from young woman who was trapped under a pile of bricks and somehow was still alive. Just as another slab threatened to collapse onto her, thin, near-invisible strings lashed out from the side, yanking the debris away and lifting the woman off the ground. She was pulled gently toward a tall man guiding people to exits. Mr. Silas!.
Of course, it only made sense that only a Visor could manage something like the Midnight Circuit. His power was string manipulation which he projected from his body with precision as he directed people through safe passages.
Liam was still watching the scene when the system interrupted him.
[System Notification —> You have failed to make the creature submit]
[Failure to achieve an objective amounts to Penalties]
[Penalty Quests to be laid out once you have recovered]
His eyes widened and that was also when he realized that Kai had vanished and now the system had logged it as a failed quest which apparently came with consequences.
The situation at the midnight circuit was somewhat remedied and his summons eventually vanished as their five-minute time limit had ended. With no other reason to stay behind, Liam made his way out of the arena, wondering where Kai had gone.
But then at that moment, a heavy stench filled the air. Something unnatural made it hard to breathe. Liam's body locked up, frozen by the surge of magic energy that now flooded the area.
Floating high above was a figure. A woman, in pajamas with blood dripping from her right hand which griped the severed head of the very beast that had broken through the breach.
That was Selene Marquis. A Top-Ranked Visor from the most powerful faction in Michigan, White Hunters. Her presence alone made Liam feel like gravity had doubled, pressing against every inch of him.
She landed and with a casual flick, tossed the monster's head aside. Her voice came sharp and clear.
"You've got mana coming off you," she said. "That means you're a Visor. What happened here?"
Liam stammered for a second before catching himself. "There was a fight in the arena," he said. "Then that thing came out of through a breach." He conveniently left out the part where he fought in the said arena.
Selene narrowed her eyes. "What faction are you with?". She had assumed he was in one given that he was at the scene of a breach.
Without thinking, Liam said, "USOV."
That made her pause. "Name?"
"Liam."
She tilted her head slightly, as if waiting for the other name that made it full.
"Liam Garry," he said.
"I don't know any Liam Garry with the Michigan branch," she replied.
"I'm a transfer agent from New York."
Selene gave a short nod. "Alright then. Tell your people the White Hunters are claiming jurisdiction. This breach perimeter is ours now, until the body gets shipped out by our cleanup team tomorrow."
And just like that, she floated up and vanished into the sky.
Liam exhaled hard. It was only then did he realize he'd been holding his breath.
...
By the next day, Liam was inside USOV headquarters, seated alone with Director Grey. He placed Quinn's card on the table.
Grey leaned forward. "And your decision?"
Liam hesitated for a bit. "I'll join. But on one condition. I want to be employed as a special agent. I want autonomy especially with the way I handle mythical beasts. I don't want USOV watching over my shoulder for every move I make."
Grey chuckled. "Ballsy," he said. "But if that's what it takes, fine. You start Monday."
Liam stood to leave, but before he reached the door, he paused.
"Oh, Selene Marquis from the White Hunters asked a certain Liam Garry to inform USOV that they breach perimeter was now under their control."
Grey scoffed and nodded once. He understood exactly what had happened.
Liam exited the office and as he passed through the halls, he noticed agents moving in formation. Several wore suits. In another section, towering robotic exosuits were under construction.
"Woah," he muttered, stepping outside.
That's when the screen appeared.
[Penalty Quest Available]
Another immediately overlapped it.
[Penalty Quest —> Run a 2000KM Distance]
[0KM / Time Left: 14:59:59]
[All skills deactivated until Penalty Quest is complete]
"What in the fuck is this?"
Liam had to run a 2000KM distance within Fifteen hours on foot, no abilities, no nothing. It was a far more brutal punishment than he'd expected, and something told him that if he ignored it, there'd be far worse consequences that probably wouldn't be optional. He had no choice so he took off, breaking into a sprint.
....
Elsewhere in Michigan, Quinn and Jim Kent stood between Ray Hooks and three A-tier Visors. The situation was tense one.
"What the hell are you doing in Michigan?" one of the A-tiers shouted. "Get the fuck out of here!"
Ray, in his shirt and slacks, sunglasses still somehow on, cracked his knuckles. "Oh yeah? Want a taste?" he said, motioning with his fist.
It was a turf argument. Quinn stood in front of Ray and Kent blocked The A-tiers. The A-tiers were from the Netherlights, a top Michigan faction. They claimed they cleared the breach before Ray even showed up. According to them, he had no rights in Michigan in the first place and should stick to scrambling for turf in Dallas.
Normally, a single A-tier wouldn't last a minute against an S, but there were three of them and all three had their special weapons out. Ray on the other hand was in plain clothes. With those odds, they figured they had a shot
Eventually, Ray sighed and gave up the fight. "Tch. Get out of my sight," he muttered to Quinn, before launching into the sky and disappearing in a sonic boom.
Quinn and Kent glanced at each other.
...
Back at the Midnight Circuit, now a smoldering ruin, Selene Marquis walked the remains of the arena. The ring was in desolate and torn apart, with debris scattered everywhere. As she stepped carefully over the broken ground, her eyes landed on a flier half-buried beneath rubble. It was one of the promotional posters from earlier that night, showing Liam locked in a faceoff with Kai
She narrowed her eyes, recognizing the face. "…Hmm."
...
Later that same evening, Liam collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. His body was shaking but he'd completed it, the penalty quest and barely
[2000KM Distance Complete / Time Left: 00:00:06]
Another screen followed immediately after:
[You have completed your Penalty Quest]
[All skills are back online]
[You have leveled up]
[You have leveled up]
[+1 Stat Point Earned]
[Mystery Box Earned]
[New Skill Acquired —> Muscle Boost]
As the notifications stacked one after another, Liam managed a tired smile. His mana flared for a brief second, and with it, the regeneration skill kicked in, restoring his body and washing away the exhaustion.
"Phew… that wasn't all for nothing."
It felt like the rewards were always meant for the original quest; but since he'd failed that, the system had given him another route to earn them. Harsh, but fair. First, though, he had to get home and actually see what he'd gotten.
Back in his apartment, Liam called up the system screen. His mind drifted back to the fight with Kai. The guy had completely outclassed him in speed and without hesitation, Liam dropped his one available stat point into Agility.
[AGI: 33 —> 34]
[EVOLUTION SYSTEM – PLAYER: LIAM VELMONT]
Main Class: None
Sub-Class:
• Combatant
• Caster
Level: 1
Authority: Beast Tamer
HP: 450 | MP: 700 | STA: 800
[STATS]
• STR: 39 • AGI: 34
• CS: 30 • PRC: 35
• Stat Points Available: —
[Skills]:
• Regeneration
• Contract Summoning
• Contract Borrowing – Lv1
• Muscle Boost – Lv1
Inventory:
• Mystery Box (1)
The level-up had also boosted his MP and Stamina, which he sorely needed. Then he checked out his new skill: Muscle Boost.
He activated it and instantly he felt his veins stretch slightly, followed by a surge in raw physical strength. "Goddamn," he muttered, wide-eyed.
Finally, the Mystery Box. He tapped the inventory screen, selected it, and waited for the prompt.
–Item unavailable till Level 2–
"Oh c'mon!!!" Liam groaned, slumping back.
He tossed his phone on the couch, then picked it up again to see a message from Yaela: "You staying out of trouble?"
He typed back: "Absolutely " with a grinning faced emoji.