The streets of Ardent were quieter than usual, the midday sun shining brightly, reflecting off polished metal and stone. Kael walked through the marketplace, deliberately blending into the crowd. Merchants shouted their prices, children laughed as they played with miniature holographic creatures, and hunters strutted by, proudly displaying their ranks.
Kael's eyes were calm, observing everything, noting the patterns of movement, the subtle shifts in crowd behavior, the slight nervous glance of a hunter as he passed. He had survived dungeons, monsters, and even a core entity—but the city was different. Here, power was invisible and subtle. Attention could kill if mismanaged.
Bell, walking beside him, noticed his tension. "You're tense," she said softly, flames flickering faintly in her palms. "You don't have to be on edge all the time."
Kael didn't reply immediately. His gaze swept across the crowd. "It's not tension," he said finally. "It's awareness. Out here… every whisper, every glance, could mean something."
She frowned. "Or maybe you're just overthinking it."
Kael smirked faintly, but his mind remained sharp. Over the past weeks, he had realized that attention was a weapon—sometimes more dangerous than the monsters in a dungeon. An E-rank hunter who stood out could attract envy, suspicion, and worse: people who would hunt him to see if the rumors were true.
---
By mid-afternoon, Kael had reached a quiet alley near the guild hall. Here, the sounds of the city dulled, and he could think more clearly. He crouched briefly, activating the Dragon Core in minimal mode. Golden energy flickered along his arms and chest, barely noticeable.
Just practice, he reminded himself. No need for displays. No need for anyone to notice.
Observation scanned the nearby streets, tracking small movements: a merchant slipping a coin into his pocket, a guard adjusting his stance, the faint shimmer of mana from a passerby's talisman. Minor Manipulation nudged small objects for practice—tiny pebbles, falling leaves, even shifting a loose sign just slightly to catch a breeze. Adaptive Influence pulsed faintly, coordinating subtle environmental effects.
Kael allowed himself a small smile. Even hidden, I can grow. Even unnoticed, I can control things.
---
The guild hall loomed ahead. Inside, whispers followed him. Mid-tier hunters who had seen his last dungeon report eyed him with suspicion, curiosity, or thinly veiled jealousy. Kael ignored them, focusing on the mission at hand: learning more about the city, its people, and the forces at work behind the scenes.
Bell leaned close. "You're quiet today," she said.
"I'm thinking," Kael replied. "Every city has rules. Every guild has politics. Every hunter has intentions. I need to understand all of them before anyone realizes what I can do."
Bell shook her head, a faint grin on her face. "You're ridiculous. You could show them a spark of power and have everyone backing off."
Kael glanced at her, eyes sharp. "Then they'd watch me. Then they'd follow me. And I don't want that. Not yet. The city isn't a battlefield to prove myself on. It's a place to survive and learn."
---
As they moved through the streets, Kael noticed a small crowd gathering near a merchant selling rare equipment. Among them, a familiar face—a mid-tier hunter who had sneered at him weeks ago—watched him closely, whispering to another.
Kael slowed slightly but made no direct move. The Dragon Core pulsed faintly beneath his chest, sensing their curiosity and subtle hostility. He had no intention of fighting them. Not today. Not here.
Bell noticed. "Do you want me to handle them?"
"No," Kael replied calmly. "They're nothing. Let them talk. Let them watch. One day… they'll learn. But not yet."
And with that, they continued walking, blending back into the crowd.
---
That night, Kael returned to his small apartment and gazed out at the city from the rooftop. Lights flickered across the rooftops, merchants packing up their stalls, and the occasional hunter patrolling the streets below.
He activated the Dragon System quietly, running small exercises with Observation, Minor Manipulation, and Adaptive Influence. Nothing flashy. Nothing anyone could notice. The golden energy pulsed softly around his chest, almost like a heartbeat.
Quiet growth, he thought. Hidden strength. Patience.
The city slept unaware, but Kael knew better. There were whispers in the guild, rumors of anomalies in S-rank dungeons, hunters growing restless, and unknown eyes watching him from the shadows.
The real challenge isn't monsters, he realized. It's surviving the world that underestimates you.
And Kael was ready to do that.
In silence. In shadow. Hidden.
--