"I'm happy I didn't attack," the man thought to himself, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Or I'd be dead."
Hazel arrived back in his luxurious hotel room, the soft carpet cushioning his steps. He collapsed onto his bed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That kid has potential," he mused aloud. "I think I might want him. But what kind of power was he using?"
"Now that I think of it, there's a high probability that he's using a phantom," Hazel speculated, recalling a rare and mysterious type of ability. "I can't be totally sure, but I sensed something moving from his back, and it was that 'thing' he was controlling and using to attack."
It had been a week since the event involving the kid with phantom-like powers. Two weeks had passed since Hazel and the other humans returned to the city. During that time, the SFC — a special group of people with powers — had become very popular. Their main job i to help control other power-users who just want to show off and cause problems with their abilities.
Even though Hazel sometimes went out with the others, things had been incredibly boring for him. He just wasn't used to this kind of quiet life. It was, quite literally, the very first time he had ever experienced a life like this, with nothing much to do since the apocalypse.
Finally, Hazel couldn't take the boredom anymore. He decided it was time to visit a dungeon for the very first time. Wearing his regular clothes, he headed to the Dungeon Drop-Out. This was a busy place where all dungeon explorers went to check out how hard different dungeons were to clear before they decided which one to enter.
When Hazel arrived and stepped inside, he saw many other people with special powers. Most of them seemed weak to him, judging by the 'aura,' they gave off. Because of this, Hazel chose not to talk to anyone.
Hazel then walked over to the receptionist's desk and asked to see a list of the dungeons nearby, along with their difficulty levels.
The difficulty levels for dungeons were rated with numbers, from 1 to 10. A Level 10 dungeon was the easiest, filled with the weakest monsters. But a Level 1 dungeon? That was the most challenging, full of the strongest and most dangerous monsters.
After hearing this quick explanation, Hazel made up his mind. "Please give me the location of the Level 1 dungeon," he told the receptionist.
"Okay, sir, here are the dungeon locations," the receptionist replied. She pulled out a map and pointed to the exact spot where the Level 1 dungeons are.
"Okay, good, thanks," Hazel said simply.
"Is this your first time, sir?" the receptionist asked, looking at him curiously.
"Yes, it is," Hazel confirmed.
"Then you'll need to register first, sir," the receptionist explained.
"Alright, what do I need to do?" Hazel asked, ready to get it over with.
"Just write your name here, sign here, and please fill in the rest of your information," she said, sliding a form across the counter.
A moment later, the receptionist looked at the screen and announced, "Mister Hazel Willow, you are allowed to enter a Level 1 dungeon."
"How do you know who is allowed to enter, and who isn't?" Hazel asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Well, the computers already have all that information," she replied. "The details aren't very specific, but the computer always knows. And it wasn't set up by humans, probably by the god."
"Oh, okay," Hazel said, digesting the answer.
"Alright, sir, you've been successfully registered," the receptionist said with a smile. She then handed him a special entry card for the dungeon.
On the card, Hazel saw some writing, including a clear statement: 'Permission to enter any dungeon.'
Hazel was just about to leave when the receptionist called out, "Sir!" Hazel turned back, and she asked, "Where are your teammates? You all need to sign in together to enter a dungeon."
"Sorry," Hazel replied calmly. "I'm going alone."
His answer shocked everyone in the room who had overheard their conversation, especially since he was planning to go into a Level 1 dungeon by himself.
"Sorry, sir, you can't do that!" the receptionist said, still wide-eyed from shock at his declaration.
"I'll be fine," Hazel insisted.
"Sorry, sir, but that's against the rules," the receptionist firmly replied.
"Hmm, I already signed, didn't I?" Hazel asked, a strange look on his face.
"Yes, sir, all you need now is for your teammates to sign too," the receptionist confirmed.
"Okay then, bye!" Hazel said. Before anyone could react, he simply vanished into thin air.