The sterile white ceiling of the Armenian Awakening Center came into focus as Eugene Sushiyanse's amaranth-colored eyes slowly opened. The nine-pointed amethyst star in each iris seemed to shimmer as consciousness returned to him, his pale features unmarred by the traumatic awakening process that had left so many others scarred.
"Another failure," he heard a technician mutter in Armenian from across the room. "Third one today. The equipment must be malfunctioning again."
Eugene's lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile—not one of warmth, but of cold calculation. They couldn't detect it. Of course they couldn't. What had awakened within him transcended their primitive understanding of the hunter classification system.
He sat up slowly, his long red hair cascading over one eye in its characteristic style, the wild ponytail swaying behind him. The movement was graceful, almost ethereal, befitting someone who appeared more angel than human despite the power that now coursed through his veins.
"Patient 247 is conscious," announced Dr. Armen Khachaturyan, the head researcher, approaching with his clipboard. "Eugene Sushiyanse, age 24. No readings on any of our instruments. I'm afraid you're classified as a non-awakened individual."
Eugene's poker face remained perfectly intact as he studied the doctor. Behind those beast-like irises, calculations ran at superhuman speed. The man before him was nervous—sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool temperature of the facility. His heart rate was elevated. Fear. But of what?
"I understand," Eugene replied in perfect, unaccented Armenian, though his voice carried an unusual resonance that made the doctor step back involuntarily.
As Eugene stood, something extraordinary happened. The air around him seemed to shimmer, reality itself bending slightly at the edges of perception. The monitoring equipment throughout the room began to emit soft error beeps, their readings fluctuating wildly before settling back to normal.
**[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]**
The message appeared before Eugene's eyes, invisible to everyone else in the room. His expression didn't change—he had expected this.
**[WELCOME, GRAND MAGE]**
**[TITLE ACQUIRED: KING OF MAGES]**
**[RANK: S-CLASS (BLESSED)]**
**[UNIQUE ABILITY: TRANSCENDENCE UNLOCKED]**
**[MAGIC TYPE: NIHILITY SPHERE ENERGY]**
Dr. Khachaturyan was still speaking, explaining procedures and paperwork, but Eugene barely heard him. His attention was focused on the translucent interface that had materialized in his vision.
**[QUEST AVAILABLE: FIRST MANIFESTATION]**
**Objective: Demonstrate your power**
**Reward: Access to Dimensional Rift**
**Time Limit: 24 Hours**
Eugene's amaranth eyes flickered with interest. The system understood him—it knew he wasn't content with hiding in shadows. He was, after all, a benefactor in purpose, even if his methods were decidedly Machiavellian.
"Doctor," Eugene interrupted, his voice cutting through the man's explanation with surgical precision. "I'd like to request immediate re-testing."
"I'm sorry, but our protocols—"
"Your protocols," Eugene said, taking a single step forward, "are about to become irrelevant."
The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees. Not from any conscious effort on Eugene's part—it was simply the natural consequence of his presence now that his true nature was awakening. The nihility sphere energy that surrounded him consumed heat, light, even hope itself when he allowed it to manifest fully.
Eugene raised his right hand, palm facing upward. Above it, reality began to warp. A sphere of absolute darkness materialized—not black like shadow, but the complete absence of everything. It was beautiful in its perfection, terrible in its implications.
"Impossible," Dr. Khachaturyan whispered, his clipboard clattering to the floor.
The sphere pulsed once, and every piece of electronic equipment in the room died simultaneously. Emergency lighting flickered on, casting everything in an eerie red glow that complemented Eugene's unusual coloring.
"S-Class," Eugene stated matter-of-factly, allowing the sphere to dissipate. "Though your instruments lack the sophistication to measure what I truly am."
Within minutes, the facility was in chaos. Emergency protocols activated, senior researchers rushed in, and somewhere in Yerevan, alerts were being sent to the International Hunter Association. Armenia had just produced its first S-Class hunter.
But Eugene wasn't concerned with their panic or their procedures. His mind was already working three steps ahead, calculating possibilities, measuring opportunities. The system had given him a quest, and he intended to complete it in a way that would establish his position immediately.
As they escorted him to a secure testing chamber—a laughable precaution given his abilities—Eugene's thoughts turned to the wider world. Sung Jin-Woo had changed everything in South Korea. The Shadow Monarch's legend was known even here in Armenia. But shadows were just one aspect of power.
Nihility was another matter entirely.
**[TRANSCENDENCE AVAILABLE]**
**Cost: Significant Mana Drain**
**Duration: Variable**
**Effect: Temporary elevation beyond current limitations**
The notification appeared as they sealed him in the testing chamber. Through the reinforced glass, Eugene could see dozens of researchers preparing equipment, their faces a mixture of excitement and terror. They thought they were studying him.
How amusing.
Eugene closed his eyes and reached deeper into the well of power that the system had unlocked. The Transcendence ability was dangerous—it could elevate him beyond his current limitations, but at a cost that could leave him vulnerable for hours or even days afterward. The high risk, high reward nature of it appealed to his calculated approach to power.
But not yet. First, he needed to establish his credentials in a more conventional manner.
The testing began with standard measurements—magical output, physical enhancement, reaction time. Eugene performed adequately, holding back the vast majority of his power while still demonstrating clear S-Class capabilities. The researchers were ecstatic; Armenia finally had a hunter who could stand among the world's elite.
If only they knew.
"Remarkable control for a newly awakened S-Class," noted Dr. Sarkissian, the facility's director, as she reviewed the preliminary results. "Most hunters of your caliber have difficulty restraining their power initially."
"Control," Eugene replied, his voice carrying that strange resonance again, "is the foundation of all meaningful power."
She nodded, though something in his tone made her uncomfortable. There was an weight to his words that suggested depths of understanding that shouldn't exist in someone who had awakened mere hours ago.
**[QUEST UPDATE: FIRST MANIFESTATION]**
**Objective: Demonstrate your power ✓**
**Bonus Objective Available: Establish Dominance**
**Reward Enhancement: Access to Advanced Skills**
Eugene's lips curved slightly. The system was learning his preferences—it understood that half-measures were not in his nature. When he acted, it was with purpose and decisiveness.
"Dr. Sarkissian," he said, standing from the examination chair with fluid grace. "I believe it's time for a practical demonstration."
"I'm not sure what you mean—"
"I mean," Eugene interrupted, his amaranth eyes beginning to glow with an inner light, "that your equipment can only measure what it's designed to understand. What I am transcends those limitations."
The nine-pointed amethyst stars in his eyes began to rotate slowly, and the air itself seemed to thicken with potential energy. This time, Eugene didn't hold back nearly as much.
Nihility sphere energy erupted around him in a controlled demonstration of power that left the testing chamber's reinforced walls cracked and every monitoring device permanently destroyed. But it wasn't random destruction—it was art. The cracks formed perfect geometric patterns, the energy discharge followed mathematical principles that spoke to a level of control that should have been impossible.
When the light faded and the energy dissipated, Eugene stood unmarked in the center of the devastation, his poker face intact despite having just demonstrated power that dwarfed most S-Class hunters.
"Now," he said calmly, "shall we discuss my assignment to active duty?"
Dr. Sarkissian could only nod, her scientific mind struggling to process what she had witnessed. In the space of a single day, Armenia had gone from having no S-Class hunters to possessing someone who might well be in a class of his own.
As the paperwork was prepared and his official hunter license processed, Eugene's thoughts turned to the dimensional rift that the system had promised him access to. Real combat would be different from demonstrations. It would allow him to truly test the limits of his Transcendence ability and begin the process of growth that would eventually elevate him beyond even the Shadow Monarch's legend.
The title of Grand Mage wasn't just a designation—it was a promise of what he would become.
**[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]**
**New Quest Available: The First Hunt**
**Objective: Clear a B-Class Gate Solo**
**Reward: Skill Enhancement**
**Warning: Death is permanent**
Eugene's smile widened slightly. The system's warning was unnecessary—he had no intention of dying. He was, after all, a benefactor in purpose, and his greatest project was himself.
As night fell over Yerevan, Armenia's newest S-Class hunter prepared for his first real test. The hunting grounds awaited, and with them, the beginning of a legend that would eventually shake the foundations of the hunter world itself.
The Grand Mage was ready to claim his throne.
#First Blood
The B-Class gate materialized in the Arabkir district of Yerevan at precisely 3:47 AM, its swirling purple energy casting eerie shadows across the sleeping neighborhood. By the time the Armenian Hunter Association's emergency response team arrived, they found Eugene Sushiyanse already standing before the dimensional rift, his red hair catching the otherworldly light.
"Sir, you can't be here," called out Captain Grigoryan, the team leader. "This is a restricted zone until we can assemble a proper raid party."
Eugene turned, his amaranth eyes reflecting the gate's energy like twin mirrors. "A B-Class gate," he observed, his voice carrying that unsettling resonance. "Perfect for calibration purposes."
"Calibration?" The captain's confusion was evident. "Sir, I don't understand—"
"Eugene Sushiyanse," he introduced himself, producing his newly minted S-Class hunter license. "I'll be clearing this gate solo."
The response team exchanged nervous glances. Solo gate clearing wasn't unheard of among S-Class hunters, but this man had awakened less than eighteen hours ago. The very idea was somewhere between ambitious and suicidal.
"Mr. Sushiyanse, with all due respect, perhaps you should wait for backup—"
Eugene's poker face remained perfect as he stepped toward the gate. "Experience," he said calmly, "cannot be gained through observation."
**[ENTERING DUNGEON: CORRUPTED FOUNDRY]**
**Recommended Party Size: 8-10 B-Class Hunters**
**Warning: Environmental Hazards Present**
**Estimated Clear Time: 4-6 Hours**
The system's assessment appeared as Eugene crossed the threshold, reality warping around him as he entered the dimensional space. Behind him, he could hear Captain Grigoryan shouting orders, probably calling for backup and alerting the Association headquarters. It didn't matter—by the time any significant response was organized, he would be finished.
The dungeon that materialized around him was a massive industrial complex, all twisted metal and pools of molten slag. The air shimmered with heat distortion, and the acrid smell of sulfur filled his nostrils. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of hammering echoed through the corridors—not mechanical, but distinctly organic.
**[QUEST INITIATED: THE FIRST HUNT]**
**Objective: Clear Dungeon Solo**
**Current Progress: 0/127 Enemies Eliminated**
**Boss: Forge Master Golem - Level 45**
Eugene's beast-like irises contracted slightly as he processed the information. One hundred and twenty-seven enemies, including a boss that would challenge most organized B-Class teams. The system wasn't coddling him.
Good.
The first wave of enemies came as he rounded a corner—fire salamanders, their molten skin glowing like coals in the forge-light. Three of them, each roughly the size of a large dog, their movements quick and aggressive.
Eugene didn't even slow his walking pace.
He raised his left hand casually, and nihility sphere energy manifested around the creatures. Not the dramatic display he had shown at the testing facility—this was precise, surgical. The spheres of absolute nothingness consumed the salamanders completely, leaving not even ash behind.
**[3/127 Enemies Eliminated]**
**[EXP Gained: 450]**
The numbers were almost insultingly small, but Eugene understood the system's logic. He was being tested for consistency and control, not raw power. The real challenge would come later.
As he moved deeper into the foundry, the enemies became more numerous and coordinated. Molten golems emerged from the walls, their bodies composed of liquid metal and rage. Iron-wrought spiders descended from the ceiling, their legs sharp enough to cleave through steel. Through it all, Eugene moved with an almost casual grace, his nihility spheres eliminating threats with mechanical precision.
**[45/127 Enemies Eliminated]**
His mana reserves were barely touched. The basic application of his power was so efficient that he could maintain this pace for hours without strain. But Eugene wasn't interested in efficiency alone—he was interested in growth.
**[TRANSCENDENCE AVAILABLE]**
**Warning: High Risk in Combat Situation**
**Proceed? Y/N**
Eugene paused in a corridor lined with massive gears and pistons. The logical choice was to continue with his current approach—safe, effective, guaranteed success. But logic had never been his only consideration. He was Machiavellian in action, which meant he understood that calculated risks were often necessary for meaningful advancement.
"Yes," he whispered.
**[TRANSCENDENCE ACTIVATED]**
**Duration: 15 Minutes**
**Mana Cost: 75% of Current Reserves**
**Effect: All Abilities Enhanced 300%**
The change was immediate and overwhelming. Eugene's vision sharpened to impossible clarity, his awareness expanding to encompass the entire dungeon simultaneously. He could sense every remaining enemy, feel the pulse of the boss monster in the deepest chamber, even perceive the dimensional boundaries that contained this pocket of reality.
But more than that—he could see the underlying structure of the magic itself.
Nihility sphere energy wasn't just the absence of things; it was the fundamental force that allowed for the existence of space between existence. With his enhanced understanding, Eugene realized he could manipulate not just the spheres themselves, but the very concept of nothingness they represented.
The next group of enemies—a coordinated assault by twelve iron-wrought spiders—never even saw him coming. Eugene gestured once, and a wave of nothingness swept through the corridor. Not spheres this time, but a expanding field of absolute void that erased everything it touched before collapsing back into itself.
**[57/127 Enemies Eliminated]**
**[New Skill Unlocked: Void Wave]**
**[EXP Gained: 6,750]**
Eugene's amaranth eyes widened slightly—the first genuine expression of surprise he had shown since awakening. The experience gain was exponential when using Transcendence, but more importantly, he was developing new applications of his power in real-time.
He moved through the remaining levels of the dungeon like a force of nature. Molten golems were consumed by expanding voids. Fire salamanders found themselves trapped in pockets of nothingness that prevented their flames from igniting. When he encountered a room filled with twenty enemies simultaneously, Eugene didn't hesitate—he created a nihility sphere the size of a small building and let it collapse, taking half the chamber with it.
**[126/127 Enemies Eliminated]**
**[Warning: Transcendence Duration - 2 Minutes Remaining]**
The boss chamber was a cathedral of twisted metal and flowing lava, dominated by a creature that defied easy description. The Forge Master Golem stood nearly four meters tall, its body a fusion of living metal and molten rock. Steam hissed from every joint, and its eyes burned with the intensity of forge-fire.
"INTRUDER," it spoke in a voice like grinding gears. "YOU WILL BECOME PART OF THE FORGE."
Eugene studied the creature with his enhanced perception. Level 45, as the system had indicated, but more interesting was its construction. This wasn't a simple monster—it was a guardian, created with specific weaknesses and strengths. Most B-Class teams would need to exploit those weaknesses through coordinated attacks and careful strategy.
Eugene had a simpler approach.
**[Transcendence Duration - 30 Seconds]**
With his remaining enhanced time, Eugene reached deeper into his understanding of nihility than he ever had before. Instead of creating spheres or waves, he began to weave nothingness itself into a more complex pattern. The very air around the Forge Master began to unravel at the molecular level.
The golem's attack—a massive hammer blow that would have pulverized stone—passed harmlessly through Eugene as he temporarily existed in the spaces between reality. His counterattack was a masterwork of magical theory made manifest: a spiral of interconnected void spaces that consumed the creature from multiple angles simultaneously.
**[127/127 Enemies Eliminated]**
**[BOSS DEFEATED: Forge Master Golem]**
**[DUNGEON CLEARED]**
**[Transcendence Duration Expired]**
**[Mana Exhaustion - Recovery Time: 6 Hours]**
The backlash hit Eugene like a physical blow. His enhanced perceptions collapsed back to normal, his mana reserves completely depleted, and exhaustion crashed over him in waves. But his poker face remained intact as he surveyed the empty boss chamber, now decorated with cooling pools of metal and the slowly fading energy signatures of his void constructs.
**[QUEST COMPLETED: THE FIRST HUNT]**
**[Rewards: Skill Enhancement, Advanced Technique Unlock]**
**[New Skill: Void Mastery (Passive)]**
**[New Technique: Reality Anchor]**
**[Level Up! Current Level: 15]**
**[Title Enhancement: Grand Mage → Arcane Sovereign]**
Eugene allowed himself a small smile as he read the notifications. The system was adapting to his performance, providing rewards that reflected not just completion but excellence. The title change was particularly interesting—it suggested that his actions were reshaping how the system classified him.
As he walked back through the empty corridors of the cleared dungeon, Eugene's thoughts turned to the future. This had been a successful test of his abilities under pressure, but it had also revealed the costs of his power. Transcendence was incredibly potent, but the recovery time was a significant strategic weakness.
He would need to be more careful in the future—or find ways to mitigate the disadvantage.
**[DUNGEON EXIT DETECTED]**
**[Estimated Clear Time: 47 Minutes]**
**[New Record: Solo B-Class Clear]**
**[Achievement Unlocked: Speed Demon]**
The portal back to reality materialized before him, and Eugene stepped through to find the emergency response team exactly where he had left them. Captain Grigoryan was in the middle of a heated phone conversation with someone at headquarters, probably explaining why they had allowed an untested S-Class hunter to enter a gate alone.
"—completely irresponsible, I don't care what his rank—" The captain stopped mid-sentence as Eugene emerged from the closing gate, unmarked and composed despite having single-handedly cleared a dungeon that should have taken a full team hours to complete.
"Forty-seven minutes," Eugene announced calmly. "I believe that establishes a new record for this classification of gate."
The silence that followed was profound. In the distance, Eugene could hear sirens approaching—probably the backup team that Captain Grigoryan had called for. They would arrive to find nothing but paperwork and a very confused emergency response crew.
"How?" Captain Grigoryan finally managed to ask.
Eugene considered the question with the same analytical approach he applied to everything else. The truth would raise uncomfortable questions about the nature of his abilities. A partial truth would serve his purposes better.
"Efficient application of force," he replied. "B-Class gates are designed to challenge coordination and endurance. When you possess sufficient individual power, the paradigm changes."
It wasn't technically a lie, though it certainly wasn't the complete picture. Eugene had learned long ago that information was a resource to be managed as carefully as any other.
As the backup team arrived and began the process of confirming the gate's closure, Eugene's attention was drawn to a new system notification.
**[SPECIAL QUEST UNLOCKED]**
**Objective: Establish Dominance in Regional Hunter Rankings**
**Current Rank: Unranked**
**Target: Top 10 Regional S-Class**
**Reward: Access to International Hunter Network**
**Time Limit: 30 Days**
Eugene's amaranth eyes reflected the city lights as he considered this new challenge. Regional rankings were based on more than just raw power—they required consistent performance, strategic thinking, and political acumen. All areas where his Machiavellian nature would serve him well.
As he walked away from the sealed gate site, his phone buzzed with a call from the Armenian Hunter Association headquarters. No doubt they wanted to debrief him about his unprecedented solo clear. They would have questions about his methods, his intentions, his plans for the future.
Eugene answered the call with his characteristic poker face intact. "Sushiyanse speaking."
"Mr. Sushiyanse, this is Director Harutyunyan. We need to talk."
"Of course," Eugene replied smoothly. "I assume this is regarding my performance evaluation?"
"Your performance evaluation," the Director said with barely contained frustration, "is the least of our concerns right now. You just cleared a B-Class gate in under an hour. Solo. The International Hunter Association is asking questions we don't have answers for."
Eugene's smile was invisible but audible in his voice. "Then perhaps it's time I provided some answers."
As he walked through the streets of Yerevan toward the Association headquarters, Eugene reflected on how perfectly everything was proceeding. He had demonstrated his capabilities, established his credentials, and drawn exactly the kind of attention he needed to advance his larger goals.
The Grand Mage—no, the Arcane Sovereign—was ready for the next phase of his ascension.
The game had truly begun.