Just minutes after Evan stepped into the Nexus portal, someone else emerged through the CGA gate leading to DC-23.
This person wasn't just anyone.
She appeared from the heart of Dyna Crest's central district, DC-1—a woman wreathed in an ominous, suffocating aura. The moment she arrived, the very air grew heavy, cracking under the weight of her chilling presence.
The guards stationed at the teleportation gate collapsed to their knees, faces pale and breathless. The CGA erupted in chaos as her bloodlust swept through the building like a storm.
Inside her office, Lilia was signing documents when her pen froze. Her instincts screamed. Without hesitation, she vanished from her seat and reappeared at the teleportation plaza.
There she stood—Lilia Ashenbrook, Branch Manager of CGA's DC-23 Division—now facing down the source of the disturbance.
The woman before her wore a sleek, dark battle coat, one designed for elite rogues or assassins. And even at a glance, Lilia knew—it wasn't a standard issue. It was far more dangerous.
"Who are you?" Lilia's voice was firm, eyes narrowing. Her hand gripped the hilt of her weapon, tension rising in her stance. "You've invaded our branch and released bloodlust over the entire hunter network. Do you even understand what consequences this could cause?"
The woman didn't flinch. Her gaze was sharp, her presence overwhelming.
"I hold no grudge against this association. Only a select few," she said coldly. "Call out the Branch Manager. Now. Or this building will be reduced to a graveyard."
Her killing intent didn't waver. It pressed forward like a blade inches from Lilia's throat.
But Lilia stood tall. "Then state your identity. Without it, I won't allow you any further."
The woman's eyes twitched.
"Tch… wasting time again," she muttered, catching herself. She took a deep breath. "My name is Faye Bennett. I'm the sister of Lucas Bennett—the one who died in the dungeon. Or maybe… was killed. Either way, I demand to speak to your manager."
Faye's voice faltered for a split second. Her bloodshot eyes, hidden partially beneath her hood, shimmered—either from too many tears or a grief-soaked rage on the verge of boiling over.
Lilia blinked, stunned. "Faye Bennett…? Wait, did you say Lucas is dead? I… I haven't received any report—"
"I don't care what you've received," Faye snapped. "Call your manager or step aside. I'll find her myself if I must."
Lilia took a calming breath. "I am the Branch Manager. Lilia Ashenbrook."
Faye paused. "…Oh."
Her tone shifted—less aggressive, but still strained with grief.
"Then, Miss Lilia, I want everything. Every detail about my brother's team. Who entered with him? Who left? Give me all of it."
"I understand your pain, Miss Faye… but I can't share such confidential records without proper clearance—"
"Will this suffice?"
A new voice rang out as a man stepped through the portal behind Faye, holding a golden insignia.
Lilia's expression shifted to shock.
"Regional Supervisor…" she said, straightening into a salute. "Sir Simon!"
Simon nodded. "No need for introductions, Lilia. You already know who I am."
He gestured toward Faye. "This is Faye Bennett, our nation's SS-ranked seeded assassin—a treasure of this country. Her class is unique, her rank is Low Tier-2, equal to yours. Only the seniority differs."
Lilia's eyes widened. She had heard of Faye—memorized her face from the CGA's high-priority hunter list. An elite not meant to be trifled with.
"And these are her team members. We arrived separately due to complications, but now that we're all here, I expect full cooperation."
"Yes, sir," Lilia replied without hesitation. "Miss Faye, please follow me."
As they headed toward her office, a young woman appeared in their path. Her eyes were swollen, her face pale and trembling. The grief in her every movement was visible to all.
It was Tess.
Before Lilia could usher her aside, Faye's footsteps halted.
She stared at Tess.
Then, without warning, she rushed forward and pulled her into an embrace.
Everyone froze.
Even Lilia needed a moment to recognize Tess beneath the exhaustion and sorrow.
Faye's mask cracked—emotion overtaking her features.
"What happened?" she whispered. "Where is my brother? Did you… bring him back with you?"
Tess, her hands trembling, slowly nodded. "I… I bought it. Just like you asked me to…"
From behind her, Tess carefully lifted a cloth-wrapped object. Crimson soaked its edges.
Faye took it, hands shaking, and slowly pulled back the cloth.
What she saw brought her to her knees.
A severed head—beast-like, barely human—stared back at her with frozen, hollow eyes.
Lucas.
Her brother.
Her only remaining family.
Her screams didn't echo.
They imploded inside her chest.
Tess stepped back as Faye's aura exploded. Killing intent spilled into the hallway like a flood. Even her teammates flinched. Tess, caught in the shockwave, could barely stand.
But before it crushed her, the aura receded.
Faye held her brother's head tightly against her chest. Her tears soaked his hair as her shoulders trembled.
She stayed there—grieving, mourning—for what felt like an eternity.
Then, the pain began to twist.
Transform.
Her trembling stopped. Her eyes rose, gleaming with something sharp.
Cold.
Resolute.
"Whoever did this," she whispered, voice ice-cold, "will repent in hell. I will find them. And I will kill them with my own hands."
She stood, helped Tess to her feet, and turned toward Lilia.
"Lead me."
Lilia, silent and awkward in the presence of such grief, nodded and guided them to her office.
Once inside, Faye didn't even sit.
"Give me the full details. I want every single hunter Lucas worked with. Every name. Every mission. Every clue."
Despite wanting them to rest, Lilia obeyed. Simon's presence demanded it.
Files were pulled. Databases accessed.
Faye pored over each record, memorizing every detail.
Lucas had only been a Hunter for a few weeks. The records were sparse, but enough to form a picture.
Names began to emerge.
Regulars. Students. Associates.
Tess. Ilya. Raven. Mike. Lyra.
And one name caught her attention more than the others.
A student at Lucas's school. One Lucas had shown interest in.
Evan Ravencall.
A D-Rank Necromancer.
His class matched the shadowy profile of another suspect: Raven.
The puzzle pieces were falling into place. And with every second, the fury in Faye's heart grew sharper.
The hunt had begun.
"So now, let's narrow down the list of suspects," Faye began, her eyes cold and calculating. "Tess can be excluded. Lyre, the Guild Master's daughter from Ashen Nest, is also unlikely. From what I've read, her relationship with Lucas was amicable, so she's out."
She tapped the digital screen in front of her, swiping away the names one by one.
"Several others were just casual acquaintances who met him only on the day of his Awakening... many of them are already dead. That leaves us with only a few possibilities."
Her voice darkened.
"Ilya and Mike are dead. Mike, based on what we know, wasn't directly involved. Ilya's case is more complicated—killed by someone called Raven. But we might still extract information from her. Miss Lilia, makes arrangements to retrieve her body. We'll run a memory extraction."
She paused, eyes sharp.
"Now, as for Raven… the prime suspect. His file is nearly empty—just a name and a class, nothing else. Suspiciously clean."
Faye's expression grew thoughtful.
"But then there's this… variant."
She tapped her console again, projecting a new name.
"Evan Ravencall. Also a student at Mystic High, where Lucas studied. The strange thing is, there's barely any mention of him. Tess, didn't you say they crossed paths a few times? But Evan always kept his distance, avoided him intentionally?"
Tess nodded. "Yes… he said it was because of his class skills. They were dangerous to teammates, so he preferred to work alone. But Lucas didn't want to leave him isolated."
Faye smiled faintly. "Interesting. Miss Lilia, I'd like to see his file."
Lilia hesitated.
Her fingers twitched.
She flinched ever so slightly, and Faye—being Tier 2—didn't miss it.
Just as the tension thickened, the office door slammed open. A man rushed in.
"Manager Lilia!"
It was Darian, panting slightly, his uniform a bit ruffled. His eyes widened as he noticed the presence of Regional Supervisor Simon and several elite personnel in the room.
He immediately straightened and saluted.
"Supervisor Simon, sir!"
Simon raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Darian?"
"I'm here to report… someone entered the Nexus about fifteen minutes ago."
Lilia's eyes widened. "Darian, I told you not to interrupt unless it was urgent!"
"It is urgent, ma'am. It's that guy."
Faye's interest piqued. "Wait… what guy?"
"You don't mean—"
"Yes," Darian nodded gravely. "The one we've been talking about. Evan Ravencall. He's inside the Nexus. Right now."
Faye's brows furrowed as she turned to Lilia. "Why weren't we informed of this earlier?"
Lilia sighed and pulled out a thin, red-stamped file labelled [TOP SECRET]. "I was trying to keep this from going public, but it seems I can't anymore."
She handed the file to Faye, who flipped through it quickly.
"Orphan... suspected dual-class... broke records in Solo Raiding... involved in a dungeon incident... skipped the Beast Raid... possible connection to its cause... Status—wait."
Her expression hardened.
"His file says:
Name: Evan RavencallTier: 0Level: 48Title: NoneClass: Necromancer (D --> ????)Current Status: UnknownCurrent Location: Not registered."
She snapped the folder shut. "Why is this information so outdated, Miss Lilia? We need a complete report. This file is half-empty."
Simon frowned as well. "Lilia, were you slacking off? Perhaps I made a mistake promoting you over Darian."
"No, sir! It's not negligence—this case is more complicated than it looks," Lilia said quickly. "Evan… he's not ordinary. When he was just Level 19, he defeated a Level 30 in solo combat. After the dungeon incident, his class changed completely. I didn't hear anything more until Darian just informed me… and that was when I confirmed it. Evan is now Level 100 and entered Nexus to ascend."
The room went completely silent.
"What?!"
Faye looked stunned. "Level 100... so fast?"
"In a matter of weeks since Awakening," Lilia said solemnly. "I've never seen growth like this."
Faye motioned for the file. "Update it. Now."
Without saying a word, Lilia took the file and scribbled with swift precision. No desktop, no device—just pen and paper. A strange method in this age of mana-linked terminals.
When she handed the file back, Faye read the update out loud:
Name: Evan RavencallTier: 0Level: 100Title: NoneClass: Necromancer (S)Status: At PeakLocation: Nexus
Faye's hands trembled. "You're telling me this Evan… is an S-class Necromancer and already in the Nexus?"
"Yes. After the dungeon incident, he gained a new class, was reset to Level 1, and now he's at the peak of Level 100 again. Solo."
Simon stepped forward, his tone sharp. "Did you verify his skills after the class change?"
"Yes," Lilia replied. "He gained abilities far beyond D-rank: the power to raise the dead, a healing skill exclusive to undead, an offensive skill, and even a storage-type summon spell—something only high-tier summoners possess."
Everyone looked shaken.
An S-class Necromancer… completely unregistered, hidden under their noses.
"Enough," Faye said. "We have more urgent tasks. Lilia, I want Ilya's body prepared immediately. My teammate will extract her memories."
A man stepped forward, dark energy subtly surrounding him. His features were strikingly elegant, but his presence was unnervingly cold.
Fenric, A-rank Dark Mage.
Lilia nodded. "I'll have it brought to the waiting room. You can perform the memory reading there."
As Faye's team moved out, Simon began berating both Lilia and Darian for failing to report such a prodigy. Meanwhile, Darian couldn't help but feel a knot of dread twist in his gut.
He'd thought himself clever… but now, that secrecy might be his undoing.
Inside the waiting room, Faye gestured toward her team.
"Tess, meet my squad. This is Fenric, Dark Mage (A). Liora, our Grand Mage (S). Dren, our Tank (B). Aric, our Magic Swordsman (A). And Thorne—our Healer Mage, a Saint-class (S)."
She smiled proudly. "We've been together three years. One of the strongest teams in the Capital."
"Hi," Tess greeted, bowing slightly. "Thanks for taking care of my dumb friend all this time."
The group offered polite nods.
Faye turned to Tess again. "Can you hand Fenric Lucas's head? We'll begin the memory probe."
Tess hesitated. "Sir Darian already tried… said there were mental restrictions, possibly imposed by someone. He concluded Lucas died while possessed. Raven… killed him."
"Don't worry. Fenric's far more experienced with memory extractions."
Tess nodded and handed the preserved head over. Fenric grimaced but said nothing—he didn't want to offend Faye.
As the cold aura around the mage began to stir, everyone waited in uneasy silence, their hearts heavy with questions that the dead might finally answer.
With his eyes closed, Fenric sank into silence.
For fifteen long minutes, no one dared speak. And then, his eyes finally opened.
Without a word, he handed the severed head back to Tess, who clutched it with trembling hands, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
Faye leaned in, her voice laced with restrained hope."What did you see, Fenric? Did you find anything? Can we know who killed my brother?"
Fenric took a deep breath, his voice calm but carrying the weight of what he'd witnessed.
"Yes… I found something."He paused, then continued, his tone more serious."Lucas wasn't under the control of a demonic spirit. I sensed no trace of corruption or possession. What I did discover… is that he carried a dragon bloodline. It was his own ability that transformed him into that form before he died—while facing off against a Necromancer."
He turned to look at Faye."That man… Raven… despite being a Necromancer, was a menace. I could feel the raw power emanating from him—strong enough to match Lucas, even with his dragon bloodline. His strength came not only from an undead army and a strange corruption skill but something deeper… more dangerous. I even saw him wield both fire and ice magic during the fight. That alone proves it—he likely holds more than one class. Maybe even more than two."
His eyes narrowed slightly."Unfortunately, there were restrictions in the memory. I couldn't see or hear everything clearly after a certain point."
Faye's jaw tightened, but she nodded."It's enough. At least now we know Raven is the one who killed Lucas. Which means, if he also killed Ilya… then perhaps she witnessed something before her death."
Moments later, Ilya's body was brought into the room.
When they unveiled her, even Faye and Tess gasped.
Large gaping holes marred her chest and stomach. Her hand had been brutally pierced by a dagger, leaving her deathly pale and soaked in dried blood.
Fenric was motioned forward again.
He stepped silently to her side and began his ritual.
It took nearly half an hour before he stirred, lifting his hand as the glow around Ilya's head dimmed. He turned to Faye, his voice low.
And whatever he said… it made her rage erupt.
Without another word, Faye stormed out and summoned Lilia, Darian, and Simon from the adjacent waiting room.
All three entered, with Darian trailing slightly behind, visibly nervous.
Lilia stepped forward, concerned."Miss Faye, did you find any leads about Lucas's murderer?"
Faye didn't answer immediately. Her gaze swept over the three, pausing on Darian for just a moment longer than the others.
Darian felt his spine tighten.
'Did… did they find something from Ilya's memory? Shit. I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved. If they found out… I'll pin it all on Raven if I have to. No way I'm going down for someone else's mistake.'
"Yes, I did and got a big lead from Ilya's memory in which that bas*rd told her that he did it by someone else request and his audacity, that guy also took away my brother's body to form some armour of Tier 1 because of his bloodline powers. I will surely be going to put a hole straight through his chest when I meet him again but first right now..."
Simon finally asked, trying to break the tension."So, who was it? Do you have a name we can go after?"
Faye smiled coldly, and her body vanished—only to reappear a second later with her hand clutching Darian's throat.
His feet lifted off the ground as she pinned him to the wall.
Her eyes were ablaze with fury, her grip merciless.
Darian kicked and struggled, air slipping from his lungs as panic surged through him.
Lilia reacted immediately."Miss Faye! What are you doing?! Release him right now or I'll be forced to intervene! You can't just attack someone without proof!"
She rushed forward, trying to pull Faye's arm away—but couldn't budge it.
The difference in their classes was too vast.
Faye's eyes didn't waver."This is with proof, Miss Lilia. My companion Fenric confirmed it—there was no demonic influence on Lucas. He died fighting Raven. But this man—your Vice Manager—filed a false report claiming otherwise. Don't I deserve an answer?"
Lilia's voice grew desperate."Even so, you can't act like this! Sir Simon, please—tell her to stop!"
Simon stepped forward, hesitating."Miss Faye, I understand your grief. But if you kill him now, we may never uncover the truth. Please, let him speak first."
Faye narrowed her eyes but finally relented."Fine. But if I catch him lying…"
She threw Darian aside. He slammed into the wall and dropped to the floor, gasping for breath, and coughing violently.
'She didn't figure it all out… Good. Then maybe I can still get out of this alive.'
Lilia helped him up as she pleaded,"Tell us the truth, Darian. Now. Everything. Not just your life—but our branch's reputation depends on it."
After a few agonizing moments, Darian stood.
"Yes… yes, Miss. I did the memory scan after the girls came back from the dungeon. I saw Raven in the fragments I could access. But… the memories were faded. I'm not a memory-type hunter, so my skill couldn't retrieve everything. I told them only what I could confirm. As for Raven himself… I don't even know who he is beyond being an SS-rank Necromancer."
He coughed again, wiping blood from his lips.
Faye turned toward Thorne, who had been standing silently behind her. His eyes glowed faintly as he activated a truth-detection skill.
"He's mostly telling the truth," Thorne confirmed."There's only one small lie—but nothing major enough to change the story."
Faye exhaled sharply but didn't look satisfied.
"Then listen carefully, Darian. If I find even the smallest thread tying you to my brother's death—your head will hit the floor before you can blink."
Her tone turned colder as she faced Simon."Find Raven. Locate all Necromancers, especially that Evan kid. I suspect they're connected—same class, same abilities. If Evan shows up, notify me immediately. And if you so much as try to hide him… you'll all pay the price."
She turned to Tess."We're leaving. We won't stay here a second longer."
With that, Faye, Tess, and her team swept out of the room, leaving behind a suffocating silence.
Lilia and Darian stood frozen.
They had just been humiliated—brushed off like insects—by a single SS-rank hunter.
And there was nothing they could do about it.
But power alone would not be enough to face what was coming.
Because somewhere out there…
The real murderer still walked free.
→ To be Continued…
Curious about where Evan is right now? Stay tuned to find out.