I stepped out of the dungeon gate just as a light drizzle began falling over Shanghai. The city was wrapped in mist, and the pavement glistened beneath the streetlights like it had just been polished. My shirt clung to my skin, still singed from the last fire spell I cast. I could feel the heat radiating off my back, the afterglow of adrenaline still humming in my fingertips.
The staff at the registration booth looked up as I walked toward them, and their casual chatter died mid-sentence. One of them, a girl with thick glasses and a ponytail, blinked hard and nearly dropped her tablet.
"You're… already out?"
I nodded and handed over the quest chip that proved I'd cleared the dungeon.
She stared at it like it was radioactive. "That was a C-Rank dungeon. You've only been gone… forty minutes?"
"Forty-three," I said. "Give or take."
She blinked, muttered something under her breath, and immediately tapped on her comm device. I heard static and a whisper of a voice on the other end before she hurried into the back tent.
I didn't stick around.
I already had a weird feeling growing in my gut.
I made it halfway back to the Hunter Association HQ before my phone buzzed.
Unknown Number.
I didn't answer.
Another buzz. Then another.
When I finally looked at the screen, I saw five missed calls and two messages. All from different numbers, all some variation of:
"Feng Tianlei, we're impressed by your dungeon clear. Can we speak?"
"Silver Falcon Guild is interested in your growth as a solo hunter. We'd like to offer—"
I stopped reading. Deleted all of them. Then switched my phone to silent.
I knew this would happen.
The Snap Skill wasn't just useful—it was broken.
I'd entered that dungeon alone. Cleared through six zones of elemental beasts. Snapped my fingers and conjured fire, water, wind, even summoned a flash-freeze that froze a lava elemental solid. And I barely broke a sweat.
But what disturbed me wasn't that I cleared it easily.
It was how natural it felt.
Like the skill wasn't something I awakened.
It was something I was always meant to have.
By the time I got to the Hunter HQ's front desk, they were already waiting for me.
Five men stood scattered near the entrance, each pretending to browse pamphlets or inspect trophies in the glass display. But I'd seen this kind of setup before. They weren't casual. They were sharks waiting to pounce.
"Feng Tianlei?"
The first man approached as I stepped inside. He looked sharp—tailored suit, sleek black hair, an expensive watch I could smell money off of.
"Yeah?"
"I'm Zhao Weisheng. Talent Acquisition, Silver Falcon Guild. We received word that you solo-cleared a C-Rank dungeon in under an hour. That's… quite rare. Even among B-Rank hunters."
I gave a noncommittal shrug.
He stepped in closer, voice lowered. "We offer exclusive contracts to new talents. Monthly allowance, premium gear, personal trainers. And full support for future growth."
"And I just give you my freedom?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
He chuckled, a little too slick. "Just your loyalty."
I shook my head. "Not interested."
His smile faltered slightly, but he recovered fast. "At least take the brochure."
I took it just to avoid a scene, then walked past him to the front desk.
The receptionist looked nervous as I approached, eyes flicking to the recruiters behind me.
"I'm just here to redeem my reward."
She nodded quickly and got to work.
Back at my apartment, I tossed the Silver Falcon brochure onto the coffee table where it joined two others—Scarlet Thunder Guild and Bronze Bear Union.
All mid-tier guilds. All wanting a piece of whatever the hell I was becoming.
I didn't like it.
I wanted to keep my head down. Train quietly. Figure out how deep this Snap Skill really went.
But now… now eyes were on me.
I pulled the curtains shut and walked to the balcony. Looked across to the rooftops opposite mine.
And froze.
There was someone there.
A figure. Black coat. Hood up. Just crouching by the AC units. Still. Watching.
I backed away slowly, careful not to let them see me panic.
Then I raised my hand, snapped my fingers.
"Mirror."
A shimmering screen materialized in front of me, floating like a hologram. It displayed a clear image of the rooftop from a different angle—almost like a drone's perspective. And there he was. Still watching.
I snapped again. "Zoom."
The image tightened. The man had a scar along his jaw. He wore a comms earpiece. I couldn't see any guild markings.
This wasn't a recruiter.
I muttered, "You've gotta be kidding me…"
I stayed up late that night, cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by half-eaten instant noodles and quest reports I hadn't filled out yet.
I conjured a fireball just to light the room—no electricity needed.
The flame hovered, dancing in the air, casting shadows along my bookshelf.
This ability… it's more than just explosions. It's creation.
I can manifest elements. Objects. Even physical constructs if I concentrate enough.
And yet, no cooldown. No mana bar. No incantations. Just—
Snap. Word. Reality obeys.
It scared me.
Not because it was powerful.
But because it felt incomplete. Like the system had only just begun revealing what it could do.
I picked up one of the dungeon monsters' data logs and flipped through it.
My phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number.
Ignored.
Buzzed again.
Another message.
"We saw what you did in the dungeon. You're not normal. Meet us."
No name. No address. Just a threat hidden in curiosity.
I didn't reply.
I snapped.
"Block."
The message vanished. My phone beeped softly. I let the fireball drift above my head and leaned back, eyes heavy.
The world was starting to notice.
I needed to train harder. Smarter. In secret.
Because soon, the people knocking on my door wouldn't be recruiters.
They'd be the ones who wanted me gone.