[Ability Unlocked!]
[Chrono Heal] – Heal / Buff / Chrono / Impact
The caster manipulates the flow of time around their body, briefly rewinding it to a previous state. All severe wounds from the last 10 seconds are restored. Minor scratches and insignificant cuts do not trigger this ability. Can be stacked up to 6 times per day.
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[Ability Unlocked!]
[Moment of Clarity] – Buff / Immunity / Support / Defense
Warp the body's timeline for 3 seconds. After this period, all debuffs and crowd control effects are cleared. For the next 15 seconds, the caster is immune to any new negative effects. This ability can be stacked up to 4 times per day.
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[Skill Unlocked!]
[Temporal Shift] – Buff / Debuff / Utility / Manipulation
Accelerates or rewinds a target through time, either speeding up their actions or reversing them. The acceleration effect lasts up to 20 seconds, and the rewind can return the target to their state from up to 15 seconds earlier. In addition, the skill can reverse incoming attacks or moving objects, effectively sending them back in the direction they came from.
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[Skill Unlocked!]
[Phase Rift] – Mobility / Evasion / Movement / Speed
Surge your temporal flow to sprint forward instantly, evading attacks and closing distances with blinding speed. Afterimages flicker and trail behind with every movement, marking your path through time. You can choose any of these afterimages and return to its position, effectively teleporting to a selected moment. Frequent use of this skill consumes a significant amount of stamina.
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[Skill Unlocked!]
[Aeon Restore] – Buff / Utility / Manipulation / Restoration
Restore a target to its previous state, undoing all damage and returning it to the exact condition it was in its most recent intact state. Injured allies are healed, lost limbs are regenerated, and broken objects or structures are fully reconstructed. This skill does not affect the caster.
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[Skill Unlocked!]
[Chrono Shards] – Offensive / Debuff / Projectile / Multi Target
Summon 2 to 7 sharp shards of concentrated temporal energy, hurling them at enemies in rapid succession. Each target struck is slowed, reducing movement and attack speed for a short duration. Additional hits from the shards stack, intensifying the slowing effect and severely limiting mobility and combat performance.
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The notification hovered above my face. I now had two abilities and four skills.
"All done. You can earn more abilities and skills by completing system quests or gaining them from missions and experience," the man explained, gently lifting the neural wires off my head.
I sat up properly.
"Thank you… I don't even know your name," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck.
"I'm your Senior Officer Alfred. I'm in charge of this room, so just come by anytime," he said, giving me a small nod.
I climbed out of the pod and bowed slightly.
"Thanks, man, for helping my new recruit gain some skills," Captain said with a grin, clapping me lightly on the shoulder.
"Yeah, right, Edmund. You should treat me sometime," Senior Officer Alfred replied, letting a teasing smirk curl across his lips.
"I don't have any money, maybe next time," Captain Edmund said with a shrug. "Well, we'll be off for now." He waved toward the exit, and we followed him out.
Back in our office, the elevator doors slid open to reveal a young lady standing by the entrance. She held a thick folder in her hand, her posture straight and professional.
"Oh, there you are, Captain. One of our clients has a problem, and they want you to investigate this case," she said, handing the folder to him.
She glanced at me with a curious expression and gave a small smile. "And this must be your new recruit. Good luck… and welcome to the Grim Stalkers Squad."
"Will we receive a large amount of money in our bank accounts if we succeed in this case? Hehehe," the Captain asked, rubbing his hands together and letting an evil grin spread across his face.
"Well, it's a big case," the lady replied. "The client wants you to investigate the owner of one of the largest nightclubs in our city. They said that's where the harpies are nesting, and four people have gone missing."
"Then my squad and I will investigate it right away," he said, clapping his hands once before heading toward the office. We followed closely behind.
As I stepped into the office, the squad name echoed in my mind.
"Grim Stalkers?" I whispered to myself.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, opening the portal website of the Sentinel Extermination Corps to check something.
Once the site loaded, the Top 10 highest-rated Agents appeared at the top of the page.
The screen lit up, displaying the ranked operatives and their portrait images.
— TOP 10 HIGHEST-RATED AGENTS —
1. Seraphina Hart "Divine Arbiter"
Deity System – 9.1/10
2. Malachi Osborn "Wishmaker"
Genie Master System – 8.9/10
3. Clara Bouldelair "Lightbringer"
Angel System – 8.7/10
4. Nikolai Vlad "Nightfang"
Vampire System – 8.6/10
5. Draco Locke "Dragon Overlord"
Dragon Tamer System – 8.4/10
6. Alistair Crowe "Stringmaster"
Puppeteer System – 8.3/10
7. Luna Thorne "Staircase Queen"
Prismancer System – 8.2/10
8. Sebastian Calvick "Hive Lord"
Entomancer System – 8.2/10
9. Gideon Ash "Iron Sentinel"
Paladin System – 8.1/10
10.Evangeline Noir "Lady Phantom"
Illusionist System – 8.0/10
"Wow… that Clara Bouldelair was just announced with an 8 rating two weeks ago, and now she's climbed so fast," I muttered, my eyebrows furrowing together.
"And the Top 5… it's all the Captains. I wonder where Captain Edmund is," I muttered to myself, scrolling further down the list.
When I saw the number, my jaw dropped. "7.1 rating?" I didn't notice my voice rang louder than I expected.
They turned their heads all at me. I froze and felt them staring at me. I glanced at Edmund, who was completely focused on analyzing the case in the folder.
"Nothing," I mumbled, ducking my head and trying to look busy as everyone returned to their own screens.
I clicked over to the squad rating, hoping maybe it would be better.
Squad Rankings – Portal Database
1. Supreme Wardens – 9.6/10
2. Golden Lamp – 9.3/10
3. Night Vanguard – 9.2/10
4. Herald Bastion – 8.9/10
5. Crimson Tamers – 8.3/10
6. Grim Stalkers – 6.5/10
Nope, it didn't. My heart sank.
"We're at the bottom… 6.5 rating?" I muttered, biting my finger so hard it almost hurt. I leaned back against the wall, staring at the numbers.
I let out a long, frustrated sigh and ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm so unlucky to be recruited here…" I muttered again, my shoulders drooping.
I clenched my fists lightly, trying to hide the mix of frustration and disappointment growing inside me. "I should've chosen the Golden Lamp Squad," I whispered under my breath.
I stared at the screen for a few more moments, my mind racing. Every agent above me seemed untouchable.
Even Clara… she climbed up the rankings in just two weeks. Could I ever catch up? Could my squad even survive long enough to improve our rating?
"Great… so I'm stuck at the bottom with this team." I shook my head, trying to shake off the discouragement.
Captain Edmund finally looked up from the folder, placing it on his desk with a decisive thud. "Squad, we have a job to do," he said, grinning. "And we're going in after midnight."
I blinked. "After midnight?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Yes," he said, standing and stretching his arms. "Harpies are nocturnal, and the nightclub will be quieter by then. Perfect timing for us to eliminate them."
He glanced at me with a smirk. "Let's show our new recruit what we can do on his first real mission."
I swallowed hard and nodded.
Maybe… just maybe, this squad could finally show what they were really capable of, and I had been wrong to underestimate them.