The smoke from the fallen Gargoyle slowly drifted into the morning air. I stood on the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the city. People were coming out of their homes, staring at the shattered windows and the black blood staining the pavement. The world I knew yesterday was gone. A new, dangerous reality had taken its place.
[System Notification: Volume 1 - The Awakening Completed!]
[Final Rewards Distributed: 2,000 Gold Coins & Title: 'First Defender'.]
[Title Effect: Increases intimidation against E-Rank monsters by 20%.]
I opened my status window one last time for the day.
[Status: Prasenjit Mahata]
[Level: 3]
[Class: Zero Master]
[Gold: 2,700]
[Words Spoken: 5,000+]
My bank account was full, my level was rising, and I had the power to protect myself. But I knew this was just the beginning. The vortex in the sky was still there, pulsing like a dark heart. There were more Gates, more monsters, and more 'Players' who would eventually come for me.
"Let them come," I whispered, the 'Ring of the Silent Zero' glowing on my finger. "I'm not the boy who was afraid of his landlord anymore. I am the one who controls the System."
I turned away from the edge and walked toward the stairs. I had a lot of planning to do. Tomorrow, the hunt would continue. But for now, the Zero had finally become a Master.
[End of Volume 1]