Rama emerged from Gate #4721 at 8:47 PM.
Thirteen minutes before Sekar's curfew.
The portal shimmered behind him one last time before collapsing inward, the dungeon core harvested and absorbed by the System. His inventory now contained seventeen mana crystals, three pieces of Crimson Wolf hide, and one Alpha Fang—materials worth at least five million rupiah on the market.
More money than he'd made in the last six months combined.
But that wasn't what made his hands shake.
It was the screen floating in front of his eyes. The one only he could see.
[PLAYER STATUS]
Name: Rama Kusuma
Level: 17
Title: Solo Conqueror (First Clear Bonus)
Class: Vanguard (Evolving)
STATS:
Strength: 45
Agility: 35
Vitality: 110
Intelligence: 30
Mana: 55
Skills:
[Taunt - Rank F] → [Provoke - Rank D]
[Iron Skin - Rank E] → [Steel Body - Rank C]
[Last Stand - Rank E]
[NEW: Phantom Strike - Rank C]
[NEW: Quick Recovery - Rank D]
Available Stat Points: 0
Available Skill Points: 0
The transformation was absurd. In a single dungeon raid, Rama had gained more power than most Hunters acquired in years of grinding.
His Strength stat alone was now higher than the average C-Rank Hunter.
And this was just the beginning.
[QUEST COMPLETE: RETURN HOME SAFELY]
[REWARD: BASIC PLAYER PACKAGE]
[ITEMS RECEIVED:]
Dimensional Inventory (Expansion +50 slots) Minor Healing Potion x10 System Starter Guide Skill: [Presence Concealment - Rank B]
The last skill made Rama pause.
[PRESENCE CONCEALMENT - RANK B]
[EFFECT: Suppress your aura and power level. Other Hunters will perceive you as weaker than you actually are. Higher-rank Hunters may see through this skill if actively analyzing you.]
[COST: 10 MP per minute]
It was perfect. Almost too perfect.
As if the System knew exactly what he needed to hide his growth from Sekar.
Rama activated the skill immediately. His aura—which had been radiating with newfound power—compressed and vanished. He felt normal again. Weak again.
To anyone scanning him, he'd register as the same pathetic E-Rank Tank he'd always been.
He checked his phone. Multiple messages from Sekar.
"Darling, it's 8:15. Where are you?"
"Rama? You said you'd be home by 9."
"I'm starting to worry. Please respond."
"If you don't answer in five minutes, I'm tracking your phone."
She wasn't joking about that last part. Sekar had tracking software on his phone, his smartwatch, and probably his underwear.
Rama typed quickly.
"Sorry! Phone died. On my way home now. 10 minutes."
The response was instant.
"Your phone was ON thirty seconds ago. Don't lie to me. What's wrong? Are you hurt? Tell me where you are and I'll come get you."
Damn it. Of course she'd know.
"I'm fine. Really. Just got distracted. See you soon. Love you."
He didn't wait for a response. He dismissed the System screens with a thought and started running.
Rama reached their penthouse at 8:56 PM.
He'd stopped at a convenience store to buy mangoes—the alibi he'd mentioned that morning—and made sure to rough up his clothes just enough to look like he'd spent the day shopping, not dungeon diving.
The elevator ride to the top floor felt like ascending to the gallows.
The doors opened.
Sekar stood in the hallway, arms crossed, still wearing her guild master uniform. Her expression was calm. Too calm.
"You're late," she said softly.
"Four minutes," Rama replied, holding up the bag of mangoes. "Traffic was terrible."
"You smell like blood."
His heart stopped.
"What?"
Sekar closed the distance in two steps, invading his personal space. She leaned in, inhaling deeply near his neck, his shirt, his hair.
"Blood. Mana residue. Combat adrenaline." Her eyes locked onto his. "You fought something today."
Rama's mind raced. The Presence Concealment skill hid his power level, but it didn't eliminate physical evidence. He'd healed his wounds using System-granted potions, but the smell remained.
"I... there was an incident at the market," he lied smoothly. "Small gate breach. F-Rank slimes. Nothing serious. Some Hunters handled it, but I was nearby when—"
"Show me."
"What?"
"Your Hunter status. Show me."
It wasn't a request.
Rama pulled out his phone and accessed his official Hunter registration. The government-issued status screen appeared, displaying his registered information.
[OFFICIAL HUNTER STATUS - JAKARTA BRANCH]
Name: Rama Kusuma
Rank: E
Level: 12
HP: 940
Class: Tank
The numbers hadn't changed. Because this was his official status—the one measured by government testing centers.
The System existed separately. Hidden. Undetectable by normal means.
Sekar studied the screen for a long moment. Then she looked at him, really looked, her eyes scanning him with S-Rank perception abilities that could detect lies, fear, deception.
Rama kept his breathing steady. His expression neutral. He'd been lying to people his entire life about how much their words hurt. One more lie was easy.
Finally, Sekar's shoulders relaxed.
"Okay," she said. "I believe you."
She didn't believe him. Rama could see it in the way her smile didn't reach her eyes. But she was letting it go. For now.
"Come inside," Sekar continued, taking his hand. "I made dinner. Your favorite."
They ate rendang and rice at the dining table while Sekar talked about her day.
Guild politics. A new A-Rank gate that appeared near Bandung. Negotiations with the government about dungeon taxation. Normal conversation for an S-Rank Guild Master.
Rama listened, nodded, asked appropriate questions.
All while acutely aware of the System screens he'd minimized in the corner of his vision. The notifications waiting for his attention.
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]
[DAILY QUEST: BASIC TRAINING]
[OBJECTIVE: Complete 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, 10km run]
[REWARD: +1 All Stats, Random Skill Book]
[TIME LIMIT: 24 Hours]
Daily quests. Skill books. Stat increases.
Everything the System offered was designed to make him stronger, faster, better.
Everything Sekar couldn't know about.
"Rama?"
He blinked. Sekar was watching him with that too-intense gaze.
"Sorry. What?"
"I asked if you wanted to join the guild's next official raid. D-Rank gate. Safe environment. I'll be there personally to make sure nothing happens to you."
Translation: She'd watch his every move and ensure he stayed in the back where it was safe.
"Maybe," Rama said carefully. "I'll think about it."
"You've been saying that for months." Sekar reached across the table, taking his hand. "I know you want to help. I know you want to be useful. But darling, you don't have to prove anything. Not to me. Not to anyone."
Her words were kind. Loving. Genuine.
They also made him want to scream.
"I know," he said instead. "Thank you."
Sekar smiled and squeezed his hand. "I'm taking a shower. Join me?"
"I'll clean up first."
"Don't take too long." She kissed his forehead and headed toward the bathroom.
The moment she was gone, Rama pulled up the System interface.
[SKILL ACQUIRED: PRESENCE CONCEALMENT]
[REMINDER: This skill must remain active at all times around S-Rank Hunters. Your wife's perception is extremely high. Any slip in concentration will reveal your true power level.]
The System was warning him. Sekar was dangerous. Not because she'd hurt him—she'd never hurt him.
But because she'd stop him from getting stronger.
Rama minimized the screens and started washing dishes, his mind already planning.
He needed a routine. A schedule. Times when Sekar was busy with guild work, when he could train, could enter dungeons, could level up without suspicion.
His phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.
"Rama Kusuma. We know what you did today. Gate #4721. Solo clear. C-Rank dungeon. That's impossible for an E-Rank. We need to talk. Tomorrow. 10 AM. Coffee shop on Jalan Sudirman. Come alone."
Rama's blood ran cold.
Someone knew.
He deleted the message immediately and checked his location history. Nothing unusual. No tracking beyond Sekar's standard monitoring.
So who had been watching Gate #4721?
The Jakarta Gate Management Bureau kept records of all dungeon entries and exits, but they didn't monitor individual performance. They only cared about gate breaks and completion times.
Unless...
Another message appeared. Same unknown number.
"Don't worry. We're not enemies. We're like you. Players. And yes, there are more of us. See you tomorrow. -S"
Players. Plural.
The System wasn't unique to him.
Rama stood frozen in the kitchen, dishes forgotten, mind reeling.
If there were other Players, that changed everything. It meant the System had chosen multiple people. It meant there was an organization. A community. Maybe even answers about what the System actually was.
But it also meant risk.
If other Players knew about him, what was stopping them from telling the guilds? The government? Sekar?
From the bathroom, water stopped running. Sekar would emerge any moment.
Rama made a decision. He'd go to the meeting. Hear what these other Players had to say. Learn the rules of this new game.
And if it was a trap?
He pulled up his stats one more time.
[Strength: 45]
He wasn't the weakest Hunter anymore.
He could handle himself.
"Rama! Are you coming?" Sekar's voice called from the bathroom.
"On my way!" he called back.
Rama dismissed all System screens, locked his phone, and headed toward the bathroom.
Tonight, he'd play the role of the weak husband.
Tomorrow, he'd meet the other Players.
And soon—very soon—he'd become strong enough that none of this hiding would matter anymore.
But first, he had to survive his yandere wife's suspicions.
One battle at a time.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED: THE GATHERING]
[OBJECTIVE: Meet the other Players]
[REWARD: Unknown]
[WARNING: Trust is a luxury. Choose wisely.]
The notification faded as Rama stepped into the bathroom.
Sekar was waiting, smiling, beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.
"There you are," she purred. "I was starting to think you'd run away."
Rama forced a smile.
If only she knew how right she was.