The Souka Guild's surveillance division was in a stir.
"Another gate just closed on its own," one of the junior staff reported, sweat beading on his temple.
The manager in charge of gate assignments, a sharp-eyed man named Haruto, leaned forward. "Bring it up on the screen. Outside footage."
A grainy video played. At the entrance of the now-closed gate, a figure could be seen. He wore a hoodie, head low, face hidden in shadow. But the way he moved—purposeful, efficient—made Haruto frown.
"Zoom in! Who is that?" Haruto barked.
"We can't identify. The camera didn't catch his face clearly."
Haruto stood. "Send out a scout team. Now. Someone thinks he's strong enough to clear gates alone. Find him."
Four scouts, low-ranked but agile, were dispatched immediately.
---
The scouts arrived at the gate location and advanced with caution. Their instincts, trained and honed, were on high alert. The deeper they moved into the zone, the more they saw.
"Dead crawlers..."
"Goblins too... Centipede-class monsters..."
Their voices wavered as they followed the trail of corpses. Then, they froze.
Standing atop a high orc's corpse, body slick with blood and a bag of loot slung over his shoulder, was a boy.
"That's him," one of the scouts whispered.
He was young. Lean, bruised, breathing heavily but stable.
Akira turned his head slightly as they approached. "Tch... I was just leaving."
Before he could react, they unleashed a magical restraint. A locking band clasped his wrists, pulsing with a soft glow.
His body weakened instantly.
"This stops your Zeir flow. You're coming with us," one of the scouts declared.
"Hey, wait a sec—"
A sharp blow to the side of his head. Darkness. As he collapsed, the last thing he heard was a voice.
"You didn't need to knock him out..."
---
When he woke, the ceiling above him was dark and cold. Chains hung from the walls. He tried to move but the restraint on his wrists hummed and weakened his limbs.
"Hello?! Somebody there?!" he shouted. His voice echoed.
"I'm not a thief! I have my ID card! I just... I'm not registered under any guild!"
No reply.
Silence.
He clenched his fists, then yelled, "INVENTORY!"
Nothing.
No spark. No glow.
The Zeir-depressing cuffs locked him away from his power.
He cursed under his breath, then leaned against the cold wall, staring upward.
---
Footsteps.
Heavy, deliberate.
Akira looked up.
A towering man entered the dim corridor. Behind him was Haruto, and beside them, a female staffer with sharp eyes.
The man stopped just outside the bars. His presence alone made the air tighten.
He spoke with a low voice filled with authority.
"What is your power?"
Akira didn't reply.
Then, the man narrowed his eyes.
"Are you... a bloodline?"
Akira's heart skipped a beat.