### VEILED ASCENT**
**Tone:** *A storm of ambition—where every ally is a liability, and every message could be a knife.*
---
#### **THE BRACELET'S HUM**
Seun's **smart bracelet** vibrated as he entered the Hunter Association's obsidian spire. The device—sleek, black, and utterly mundane—flashed with a priority alert:
**[GLOBAL RANKING UPDATE]**
- **Seun "Shadowmancer" Lee**: #487 (A-) → **#422 (A)**
- **Active S-Rank Dungeons**: 12 (Asia-Pacific)
- **Top Ranker**: "Worldbreaker" Kang (#1, South Korea)
The lobby buzzed with hunters comparing bracelets, their screens flickering with maps and guild ads. No one noticed the golden text only *he* could see:
**[SYSTEM: DAILY QUEST COMPLETED]**
**[REWARD: 1,200 EXP]**
**[RANK PROGRESS: A (22%)]**
A woman in a graphite-gray suit blocked his path, her bracelet projecting a government insignia. **Agent Jae-Hwa**, Oversight Division.
**"Monarch,"** she said, her voice crisp. **"The Ministry has a proposal."** Her bracelet pinged, and a holographic contract appeared:
- **Mission**: Neutralize Kaiju-class dungeon in Busan
- **Reward**: ₩50 billion, **Eclipse Core** (artifact)
- **Non-binding Clause**: *No oversight, no loyalty*
Seun's System analyzed the terms silently.
**[ECLIPSE CORE: TIER S ARTIFACT]**
**[USE: TEMPORARY SHADOW ARMY BUFF (+300% POTENCY)]**
**"Send coordinates,"** he said. Her bracelet flashed in acknowledgment.
---
#### **RIVAL'S MESSAGE**
At the licensure desk, the clerk's bracelet trembled as he processed Seun's upgrade. **"C-congratulations, Rank A. But…"** He swallowed. **"A hunter named Kaito left this."**
Seun's bracelet lit up with a voice memo. The playback crackled:
*"Lee-san. Void Eye was my favorite little rat. You'll repay his debt in **blood**."* — **Kaito "Voidspike" Ren** (Rank #399)
**[SYSTEM: NEW RIVAL DETECTED]**
**[RECOMMENDED ACTION: ELIMINATE]**
Seun deleted the message. *Later.*
---
#### **CLANDESTINE MEETING**
The neon-lit bar reeked of synth-whiskey and desperation. **Mirae**, a defector from the Black Labs, slid into his booth. Her bracelet was custom—onyx with crimson circuitry.
**"You're late,"** Seun said.
She smirked, tapping her bracelet. A hologram of a Kaiju hybrid materialized—a monstrosity fused with shadowbeast DNA. **"Project Eclipse. Your government's 'dungeon' is their lab. They're breeding weapons."**
Seun's System updated:
**[NEW QUEST: DESTROY ECLIPSE NEXUS]**
**[REWARD: 35,000 EXP, 2x EVOLVE SHARDS]**
Mirae's foot grazed his leg under the table. **"Scared, Monarch?"**
He gripped her wrist, his System neutralizing the neurotoxin in her bracelet's reservoir. **"You'll guide me in. Or I'll trade you to the Syndicate."**
She laughed, breath hot. **"Bold. I like it."**
---
#### **SHADOWFORGE PREPARATIONS**
Back at the villa, Seun's soldiers awaited orders:
- **Vrykas** (Frostfang Wyrm): Named, lethal, 120 Mana/hour
- **Lyssandra** (Assassin): Seductive, treacherous, 150 Mana/hour
- **Kael** (Sniper): Silent, precise, 80 Mana/hour
He opened the **System Shop**, purchasing:
- **Neural Scorch Grenade** (800 SP): Disables bracelets/tech
- **Stealth Drone** (500 SP): Scans for traps
**[SHADOW POINTS: 1,300 → 0]**
The Eclipse Core glowed on his workbench. His System warned:
**[RISK: 15% DETONATION CHANCE]**
**[REWARD: WORTH IT]**
---
#### **INFILTRATION: BUSAN DOCKS**
Mirae's bracelet guided them to the lab's entrance—a rusted hatch beneath collapsed shipping containers. **"Guards ahead,"** she whispered. **"Hybrids. They'll smell your shadows."**
Seun deployed **Vrykas**. The wyrm's frost silenced the guards, their bracelets freezing mid-alert.
Inside, the lab was a cathedral of horrors:
- **Test Subjects**: Twisted hybrids of Kaiju and shadowbeasts
- **Security**: Laser grids synced to hunter bracelets (deactivated)
- **Objective**: Eclipse Nexus (pulsing with corrupted energy)
Mirae hacked a terminal, her bracelet interfacing with the lab's network. **"90 seconds till meltdown!"**
The **Eclipse Kaiju** erupted from its containment chamber—a titan with voidflame eyes.
**[KAJU TRAIT: MANA ANNIHILATION]**
Seun activated the Eclipse Core.
---
#### **ASCENSION'S GAMBIT**
The Core's power surged:
- **Vrykas** became a blizzard incarnate, freezing the Kaiju's limbs.
- **Lyssandra** phased through dimensions, gutting its organs.
- **Kael** shattered its antimatter heart with a voidspine round.
The Kaiju collapsed, its death throes ripping a black hole into reality. Mirae tackled Seun clear, her body pressed against his in the rubble.
**"You owe me,"** she breathed, lips inches from his.
He shoved her off. **"You're paid."**
**[QUEST COMPLETE]**
**[RANK PROGRESS: A → 77%]**
**[EVOLVE SHARDS: 2/5]**
---
#### **AFTERMATH: BRACELETS AND BETRAYAL**
Seun's bracelet buzzed with a global alert:
**[KAJU-CLASS DUNGEON "BUSAN DOCKS" NEUTRALIZED]**
**[CREDIT: SEUN "SHADOWMANCER" LEE]**
As he left, Kaito's voice memo played again in his mind. *Repay in blood.*
**[SYSTEM: NEW RECRUIT DETECTED]**
**[TARGET: ECLIPSE HYBRID (UNCONSCIOUS)]**
Seun named it **Vorath**.
---
**End of Chapter 37**