Chapter 10 — The First Mission
Author: Oladimeji
last update2025-12-02 00:21:41

Billy barely slept that night.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the silver panel floating in front of him. The Ascendant System—a system that had chosen him, the most underestimated guy in the whole city.

When morning came, he sat up on his bed and called it out again.

“System.”

The familiar chime echoed in his head.

[Ascendant System is online.]

[New Mission Available.]

Billy’s heart skipped.

“Show me.”

A soft glow appeared in front of him.

---

[Main Mission #1: Retrieve the Lost Ember Stone]

Difficulty: Low

Reward: +100 System Credits, +1 Attribute Point

Failure: Host receives temporary energy suppression

Description: An Ember Stone has awakened somewhere within Crystal City. Recover it before it falls into enemy hands.

---

Billy blinked. “Ember Stone? Isn't that what caused the explosion that awakened me?”

[Correct. The stone is one of many ancient fragments scattered in the modern world. They react to your dormant energy.]

“So I’m attracting them?”

[Yes. And others may be attracted as well. Dangerous people.]

Billy rubbed the back of his neck. “Dangerous? Like the tattooed guy from yesterday?”

[Yes. And far worse.]

Well, that was comforting…

He stood up, got dressed, and grabbed his old phone. It barely worked, but he needed a map.

The System displayed another panel.

---

[Tracking Activated]

Estimated Distance: 7.3 km

Location: Abandoned Serin Warehouse District

---

“Great,” Billy muttered. “A creepy abandoned warehouse. Classic.”

He stepped outside and started walking toward the bus stop. The morning breeze felt different today—like the city itself knew something had changed.

People walked past him, living their normal lives, unaware of the world he had stepped into overnight. For a moment he wondered… Am I ready for this?

Then he remembered the years of being mocked, the times his classmates told him he had “no talent,” the way adults dismissed him as a lost cause.

Not anymore.

---

An Hour Later…

Billy stood in front of the warehouse district.

It was silent. Too silent.

Buildings towered around him, rusted metal doors hanging loosely, broken windows reflecting a gray sky. Graffiti covered the walls, and the air smelled like dust and something burnt.

The System pinged.

[Warning: Unknown energy detected nearby.]

Billy swallowed hard.

He walked in slowly, each step echoing through the empty corridor of the warehouse. The floor was covered in cracked tiles, some shattered as if something heavy had slammed into them recently.

“System,” he whispered, “is the Ember Stone inside?”

[Affirmative.]

“Where?”

Before the System could answer, he heard a voice.

A child’s voice.

“Are you here for the glowing rock too?”

Billy froze.

From behind a pile of crates stepped a girl—maybe thirteen years old—with short hair and big, bright eyes. She wore a torn hoodie and held a small metal staff.

But her eyes… her eyes glowed faintly red.

Billy took a cautious step back. “Who are you?”

She pointed at him with the staff. “I should be asking you that. You're not from the Ember Clan.”

“The what?”

She frowned. “Then why can I sense the fire aura on you?”

Billy’s heart jumped. “Aura? Me?”

[Be careful.] The System warned. [Her energy level is beyond normal humans.]

No kidding…

Suddenly the ground vibrated. A wave of heat swept across the room, and a fiery glow lit up the back of the warehouse.

Billy turned.

There it was.

Floating above a broken crate: a small red stone pulsing like a heartbeat—the Ember Stone.

But he wasn’t the only one staring at it.

Two men in black coats stepped out of the shadows. Their hands crackled with unnatural red flames.

“Found it,” one of them said coldly.

The young girl’s eyes widened. “The Flame Hunters!”

Billy felt the temperature around him spike. These guys weren’t just supernatural—they were lethal.

The System spoke urgently.

[Host has encountered hostile ability users.]

[Recommended Action: Fight or Escape.]

Billy clenched his fists.

Escape? After everything he went through?

No.

Maybe he wasn’t strong yet…

Maybe he barely understood his own powers…

But he wasn’t going to run.

Not anymore.

“System,” Billy whispered, “give me the best option.”

[Side Mission Activated.]

---

[Side Mission: Protect the Ember Stone]

Reward: Fire Energy Node (Low Grade)

Failure: System Penalty

---

Billy stepped forward, placing himself between the girl and the two men.

He took a deep breath.

“Looks like I’m not leaving empty-handed.”

The men stopped, surprised.

One raised an eyebrow. “You? And what exactly do you think you’re going to do, kid?”

Billy exhaled slowly as a warm power spread inside his chest.

For the first time, he felt his energy clearly.

Not suppressed.

Not weak.

Just waiting for him to use it.

He grinned.

“Something you won’t expect.”

The warehouse trembled as flames flickered behind his eyes.

Everything was about to begin.

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