Lord Of A Thousand Systems

"It's painful to say this Kai Jogo, You're fired" the Hunter Association director didn't even look Kai in the face when he fired him.

"You're a D-Rank," the man said, reading from a document. "Your mission completion rate is forty-three percent." then looks up at Kai "That's the lowest on our roster.....We need hunters who actually succeed."

Kai stood in front of his desk, tightening his fists and wanted to argue. He wanted to tell the director that the missions were impossible for him, and he was only doing his best because he really needed this job.

But he didn't say any of that.

Instead, he said, "When do I get my final payment?"

"It was already deducted," the director said. "From the equipment damage from your last mission. You're done here Kai, leave your badge on the way out."

Kai's hands where shaking as he took the badge off his belt and set it on the desk.

He was twenty-three years old, and his career as a hunter was over.

As he went Outside the Association building, it was busy. Hunters walked past in their uniforms, laughing with each other, heading to missions that would pay them well. Kai watched them and felt nothing except cold anger.

He pulled out his phone and checked his bank account.

47,000 won.

That was roughly thirty-four American dollars. Enough for two days of food if he was careful and his baby sister Kim's school fees were due in two weeks.

Kai started walking toward the lower districts. That's where the desperate hunters worked. The ones who took jobs from underground crews and didn't ask questions because just like him, they were willing to do anything for money.

The underground hunting crew operated out of a warehouse in the industrial district. There were maybe a dozen hunters there, all of them were rough looking and armed.

A man named Tomas ran the crew. He was massive, covered in scars, with a powerful A-Rank aura that made his whole crew fear and respect him.

Kai walked up to him and said, "I need work."

Tomas looked him up and down. "You got a license?"

"Not at the moment sir, I'm a D-Rank hunter.....I used to work at The Hunter's Association."

"Got fired from them, yeah?" Tomas smiled. "I heard about you. You're the weak one.... The pathetic one who can't complete basic missions." Laughs.

Kai didn't respond.

"I got a job," Tomas said. "It's dangerous....and well, Low pay. You interested?"

"How much?" Kai asked.

"Two million won if you survive."

'That was almost fourteen hundred American dollars. It'll be enough for Kim's school fees and for three months of food.

"I'll do it," Kai said.

Tomas's smile got bigger. "Good. We leave tomorrow."

The dungeon was deep. Underground, maybe two hundred meters down. The entrance was sealed behind a heavy concrete door that required three people to open.

There were five hunters in the crew besides Kai. Tomas led them. Two heavy fighters named Jun and Park flanked him. Two archers, Hyo and Min, stayed in the back.

And then there was Kai.

"Stay behind us," Tomas said. " And try not to die."

They moved into the dungeon.

The creatures came fast. They looked like oversized wolves, but their skin was glowing with a sickly green light and their sharp claws could cut through armor.

The fighters engaged them first. Jun and Park moved with practiced efficiency, their weapons glowing with mana as they cut down the monsters.

Kai fought in the middle. His job was to support, to keep the monsters off the main fighters.

He was doing okay until the big one came.

It was twice the size of the others. Its claws were longer. Its roar made dust fall from the rocks.

"Boss monster!!!!!," Tomas cursed. "Spread out!"

But it was too fast. It caught Park first, slamming him into the wall hard enough to crack it. Park screamed loud as his arm was bent the wrong way.

The monster turned toward Kai.

He had no other choice but to run. He wasn't strong enough for this.

He ran toward the back of the dungeon, the monster chasing him, its claws tearing at the air inches behind his back.

Then he saw the mana cores. Four of them, sitting in a depression in the dungeon floor.

He grabbed one and turned to face the monster.

It came at him with its jaws open. Kai threw the core at its face. The monster flinched, and that was enough.

Jun and Tomas came from behind it, their weapons cut the boss monster so deep it fell and died.

For a moment, there was silence except for Park's screaming and the sound of his broken arm hitting the ground.

Tomas walked over to the cores and picked them all up. He didn't look at Kai.

"Let's go," he said.

"What about Park?" Hyo asked.

"We come back for him later," Tomas said.

"C'mon!!...You seriously going to leave him like that??" Hyo asked again

"These cores need to be sold fresh." Toma said angrily glowing in A- rank Aura.

Everyone obeyed and they left Park screaming in the dungeon.

On the way out, Kai was covered in blood but not all of it was his. His arm was cut bad and he could feel something was wrong with his ribs because every breath he took hurt.

"You did okay," Jun said to him sounding surprised.

But Kai was thinking about Park. He knew they weren't coming back for him. Everyone knew it.

Outside the dungeon, Tomas gathered them together.

"Good work," he said. "You earned your pay."

He started handing out money. Jun got five hundred thousand won. Park got nothing because he wasn't there to collect it. Hyo and Min got three hundred thousand each.

When he got to Kai, Tomas looked at him for a long moment.

"You know, D-Rank," he said. "You actually helped out there which is surprising for a man of your..... level."

Kai was happy and felt hope for a second.

Then Tomas said, "But I got a big problem here..... I got five hunters in my crew and five shares of profit. I can't be giving money to someone who might get in the way."

"I helped you kill the boss," Kai said.

"Barely," Tomas said. "And you wasted time running. A real hunter would have fought."

"what was I supposed to do, end up like Park?" Kai stated.

"No payment," Tomas said. "And if you ever show up here again, I'll break both your arms. You understand?"

Kai understood perfectly.

Jun put a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid," he whispered.

But Kai wasn't listening. He was looking at Tomas. At the casual way he was taking money from hunters who'd risked their lives. That's the reason he didn't care about Park screaming in a dungeon. And now standing there, comfortable in his power, knowing nobody could touch him.

"You're going!!!!!......to pay me!!!!," Kai said angrily.

Tomas turned to look at him. For a second, Kai saw surprise in his eyes.

Then Tomas smiled.

"What did you say, D-Rank?"

"I risked my life back there, I almost died. You promised me payment!.....if I survived!!!"

Tomas walked toward him slowly. "You know what I like about being A-Rank?.....Nobody questions me..... You know why boy?" He walked towards Kai. "Because everyone knows if they do, I'll break them."

He was standing in front of Kai now. Looking down at him. His aura was bright gold, burning hot enough that Kai could feel the heat.

"I'm going to give you a choice," Tomas said. "You can walk out of here right now, and I won't break your legs. Or you can keep arguing, and I'll break both your arms and your legs."

Kai knew if he left without payment he wouldn't be able to

afford feeding for a week. But he had to stay alive for his sister. So he turned and walked away.

" That's good, walk away" Tomas said smiling.

" Aaahhh." Kai turned and hit him.

It was a stupid punch with no technique. Tomas caught it without even looking. He grabbed Kai's wrist and twisted.

Pain exploded up Kai's arm as he screamed. He felt his wrist break.

Then Tomas hit him very hard. It was a single punch to the stomach.

It felt like Kai got hit by a truck. He flew backward, his feet leaving the ground. He crashed into a wall hard enough to crack concrete.

He fell to the ground, gasping, unable to breathe.

"Anyone else want to argue?" Tomas asked.

Nobody answered.

"Good," Tomas said. "Throw him out."

Jun and Hyo dragged Kai outside. They threw him into an alley behind the warehouse.

"Don't come back," Jun said. He sounded sad.

Then they left him there.

Kai lay in the alley, unable to move. His wrist and ribs were definitely broken. He was bleeding from at least five different places. His vision was starting to get blurry.

He was dying.

He was going to die in an alley, and Kim would have to drop out of school. She would have to work instead of studying and she would become desperate and broken like him.

Kai started to laugh. It hurt to laugh, but he did it anyway. Because this was funny. This was absolutely hilarious.

He'd survived a dungeon, fought a boss monster, and tried to take what he'd earned.

And it didn't matter, nothing he did mattered.

After his eyes closed slowly, he heard a loud sound.

A black empty rift appeared.

Text appeared in front of Kai's eyes, glowing blue in the darkness.

[SYSTEM INITIALIZING]

[CANDIDATE: KAI JOGO]

[POTENTIAL: SYSTEM POWERS]

[AWAKENING: NOW]

Kai felt power flood into his body.

His broken wrist healed and the cuts closed. All pains around his body disappeared.

He felt an awakening inside him.

More text appeared.

[LEVEL: 1]

[STRENGTH: 3]

[SPEED: 3]

[ENDURANCE: 3]

[INTELLIGENCE: 8]

[WILLPOWER: 9]

[ABILITY UNLOCKED: HIGH SENSE]

[ABILITY UNLOCKED: QUICK STEP]

[ABILITY UNLOCKED: QUICK STRIKE]

[MISSION: HUNT THE VOID]

Then the rift disappeared and the text faded.

Kai lay on the ground, breathing, his body completely healed.

He looked at his hands. They felt like they belonged to someone else.

Kai got up slowly and walked toward the warehouse.

Tomas was still there. Kai could feel his aura. The system let him sense people's powers and weakness now.

Kai pushed open the warehouse door.

Tomas looked up. For a second, he didn't recognize Kai. Then his expression changed.

"You again?" he said. "I thought I made myself clear."

Kai walked toward him. He could feel the system responding, telling him about the exact weakness in Tomas stance and where to hit to do the most damage.

"What are you doing?" Tomas said. He stood up. His aura flared bright gold. "You trying to die boy?"

Kai didn't answer.

He just smiled.

And then he moved.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Thank you for reading the first chapter of Lord of The Thousand Systems . Kai's journey from the weakest hunter to something beyond human is just beginning.

What will he do with his new powers? Can he take down Tomas and finally get justice? And what secrets lie within the system that chose him?

Find out in the next chapter!

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