Chapter 2: The Offer
"Tch. I was gonna kill you, kid…"
Rico stood above Peter, fist clenched, eyes filled with smug cruelty.
"But I've got more important things to do."
He stepped back as his phone buzzed. The glowing red screen read:
🔒 Encrypted Call — Origin Level
ID: ???
Rico answered with a scowl. "Yeah?"
A voice, calm and cold, echoed through the device.
"You've made enough noise tonight. Back off and report to HQ."
"But he—"
"Now."
Rico clicked his tongue, looked down at Peter's broken body, and turned away.
"Lucky night, rat."
He walked into the rain and vanished into the shadows.
The world blurred in Peter's eyes.
His legs were trembling. Ribs cracked. Breathing like fire. But something stronger than pain pulled him up.
Vengeance.
He limped through the empty street, barely conscious, until he stood before an old, rusted gym. A faded nameplate above the door read:
KORDON COMBAT CENTER
"Discipline Before Power."
Inside, a tall man in a tracksuit was shadowboxing in silence. His short silver hair was tied back. A faint scar crossed his left cheek.
Michael Kordon.
A former Saviour. Retired. Feared once — forgotten now.
He turned as the door opened, his face tightening. "Peter?"
Peter collapsed onto one knee.
"Rico… he… hurt my dad… I tried… I couldn't stop him…"
Kordon rushed over. "Damn it—Sit down!"
He helped Peter to a bench and handed him a wet towel. "You went after a Saviour on your own?"
Peter spat blood. "He laughed. Hit me like I was made of paper. I couldn't do anything."
Kordon didn't speak for a moment.
Then he sighed, deep and heavy. "It's time you knew the truth. About everything."
Flashback Begins
"I was there... when the gates closed."
Kordon sat on the floor, eyes lost in memory. "We were so happy. We thought it was over. The war, the monsters, the death. Gone. That's when we began building a dream."
He leaned back, hands on his knees.
"A man — we still don't say his name — gathered people from all nations and built a country on this island. A safe place. A new world. We called it Elvania. For a while... it worked."
Peter listened, silent.
"But peace doesn't last when power is free."
"The Saviours… started to show their true colors. They didn't want to protect. They wanted to rule. That man, the Founder… he fought back. Took down dozens of high-rank Saviours alone. But in the end, he wasn't enough."
"You want to know how powerful Saviours are?" Kordon asked, voice sharper now.
He stood and walked to a whiteboard, scribbling the letters:
E ➝ D ➝ C ➝ B ➝ A ➝ S ➝ SSS
"Listen close."
E-Rank — Barely above normal humans. Some skilled fighters can beat them. They used to carry supplies or clean up weak monsters. Now? They're tools. Assassins for hire or retirees.
D-Rank — Stronger. Could kill small monsters like goblins or wolves. Now they form gangs to hunt mercenary groups. They can destroy a house with ease.
C-Rank — Dangerous. Capable of destroying large buildings. These guys are assassins, hitmen, or rogue soldiers. Rico… is one of them.
Peter's heart dropped.
"From B to S rank, it's no longer about strength. It's about powers," Kordon continued. "Magic. Telepathy. Fire. Wind. Telekinesis. Beams. Shadows. Whatever the crack touched, it changed."
"There was even one SSS-rank. He killed a dragon by himself. Then betrayed everyone. Sparked the rebellion. He vanished after that. No one knows where he is now."
Kordon turned, eyes serious. "You went up against a C-rank, Peter. That's suicide."
Peter clenched his fists. "I don't care. I'll train. I'll fight."
Kordon nodded. "Then we'll begin tomorrow."
But there was no tomorrow.
A BOOM shattered the windows. The wall exploded, sending smoke and fire across the gym.
Kordon's eyes widened. "GET DOWN!"
A figure stepped through the smoke — dark jacket, glowing gauntlet. It was Rico, eyes blazing with malice.
"You're a thorn, old man. Ecos says it's time you retired for good."
"Traitor!" Kordon roared and charged.
But Rico was faster. Stronger. One punch sent Kordon flying through a support beam.
Peter stood in front of Kordon, shielding him.
"I won't let you—"
Rico grinned. "Round two, huh? Let's finish what we started."
Peter punched — nothing. Rico caught his fist, then slammed him into the ground. The concrete cracked.
Peter screamed in agony.
"Pathetic," Rico muttered.
Then—
CRACK!
A blur.
A masked man.
Black cloak. Steel rod.
He appeared like a ghost behind Rico and whacked him across the temple.
Rico collapsed. Out cold.
Peter coughed blood, vision blurry. "Who...?"
The masked figure didn't speak. He turned to Kordon, now crawling toward Peter.
Then, with cold efficiency, he pulled out a knife — and stabbed Kordon clean through the chest.
"NO!" Peter screamed.
Blood spilled across the floor.
The masked man whispered something Peter couldn't hear… then vanished into smoke.
Kordon gasped, holding Peter's hand. "Live… live smart… not just strong…"
His hand fell limp.
Peter was crying, shaking. The world had torn him apart in 24 hours.
Then — a sudden blue glow appeared before his eyes.
A screen.
Like a floating window. Like from a game.
🔷 Do you wish to accept the offer?
A single spark can change fate.
Peter stared at it.
His hand hovered over the answer.
Chapter 2 Ends.