Essence Reborn

Chapter 9

Almost an hour had passed since the terrifying screech echoed from beneath the cave. Despite the sound, a large crowd still gathered outside the tunnel. Ordinary civilians went about their daily lives, and some were even at the tunnel for business deals, exchanging essence and raw crystals in bulk transactions.

But after that final, piercing sound, the atmosphere shifted. Passersby turned to stare, and wealthy onlookers gathered quickly, realizing this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for profit. They crowded the tunnel's counter, waiting to purchase rare goods in bulk.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the clearing, a tall, red-haired young man stood watching the commotion. Faint scarlet light intertwined around his fingers like weaving threads. He was Fyhn, a C-class hunter who had been conversing with his team navigator about tomorrow's essence mining preparations.but the terrifying sound from the cave had changed everything.

The civilians didn't realize the truth of what that sound meant. Even the low-level guild clerks, busy filing records at the entrance, seemed oblivious. Fyhn scanned the crowd and spotted only one other person who understood the gravity of the situation: Lyhan. She stood on the opposite side, phone pressed to her ear, her expression grim.

Fyhn knew exactly what was happening. A Dungeon Break... the portal gates have reopened. Without wasting a second, he stepped into a quiet corner and dialed a number.

On the other end of the call, a figure sat upon a vast, imposing chair. The seat was carved with cold, immense features, decorated with dragon fangs at the edges. Two men in black stood like statues beside him. The figure sat unwavering, a dark hoodie covering half his face, his fingers adorned with five colossal rings—tapping idly against the cushion.

Fyhn quickly explained everything he had witnessed at the cave. He reported the screeching gate and noted that Lyhan, a high-level hunter, had already noticed and was making a call of her own. This meant only thing.

In the world of the Bounty Association, five "Majors" held ultimate power. A decade ago, during the War of Cataclysm, these five individuals of immense wealth and power had united to found the Association, organizing all "Awakened" users into a hierarchy with S-class hunters at the peak.

Even though some of their powers exceeded those of the Majors, they remained fiercely loyal, offering every aid to end the war between monsters and humanity.

‎Each of the five Major groups was responsible for holding the four district from these portals from every corner, but two of them was entirely based in the main district to protect humanity, where the populations of civilians was larger. However, the unity was only a facade. A dark secret loomed over the leadership.

‎Two of the leading Majors, known as Fang and Tang, were secretly corrupted by dark entities from separate dimensions. While they played the role of heroes, they worked privately in the shadows.

‎To hide their true intentions, these corrupted Majors had placed an order requiring every male citizen to fight, regardless of whether they had abilities. It was a move designed to cause chaos and weaken the lineage of the Ashras, a group they held a deep grudge against. Though the war eventually came to an end, a bitter misunderstanding remained between the Five Majors, leaving the Association fractured by suspicion.

This meant that the person who Lyhan was speaking to on the phone was his Boss, among the other four majors.

Meanwhile Fyhn's call was brief. On the other end, the mysterious figure spoke a single command before hanging up: "Keep an eye on the scene. I will have a word with your Major."

Soon, informations reached almost every members of the Association about the dungeon break, and Major Rohan known for his Association group members 'Gang' happened to be just far away from the district. However, the good thing was that most of his comrades were in the main district where it occurred.

"Alright, you should put a call to your comrades nearby. Firstly, evacuate every civilian at the cave entrance and proceed further to examine the cave when backups arrive. I already called Genz, and she happens to be nearby your location; she will be there in no time."

Lyhan was informed by her Major and immediately proceeded just as he told her, clearing all the nearby civilians and also the guide clerks. It took some time as it seemed.

Some of the local old-timers hesitated at first, daring her to see if she would even lay a hand on them while working as an Association member. But Lyhan, known for her cold and icy features, never minded dealing with anyone who stood in her way.

To her, it felt natural to put these nuisances in their place as a warning to the others. She didn't fully understand the implications of acting this way in the main district, but she didn't care what came next; dealing with men like these was simply part of her nature.

With slow, deliberate steps, she closed the gap between herself and the two men. One was thin and wiry; the other was stout and smug, wearing thick, goggle-like glasses.

No one nearby could describe the sudden shift in the air as she approached. The two men began to tremble, their legs turning to jelly. As if that wasn't enough, the moment she raised her hand to unleash a devastating slap, a hand—soft and warm caught her wrist mid-air.