CHAPTER 36 — The First Bounty
By the time Aiden slipped out of the warehouse, the sky above the Safe Zone had shifted into a deep, muted gray. Dawn was still hours away, but the city never truly slept. Neon signs flickered against the clouds, and the distant hum of traffic echoed through the industrial district.
Aiden kept to the shadows, his silent?weave jacket absorbing sound, his new impact baton resting comfortably at his side. His arms still trembled from training, but the ache felt good—earned. Pressure Lv. 4 had changed him. The concussive blast was sharp, controlled, devastating.
He needed that edge.
Because the world was closing in.
He could feel it.
He moved through the narrow alleys until he reached a small convenience shop tucked between two abandoned factories. Its flickering sign cast a pale glow over the cracked pavement. Aiden slipped inside, hood low, keeping his presence muted.
The shopkeeper barely glanced at him.
Aiden grabbed a bottle of water and a protein bar, paid with a few credits, and stepped back outside.
That’s when he heard it.
Two men stood near the corner, voices low but tense. Aiden’s Perception picked up every vibration.
“…I’m telling you, it wasn’t a Guild kill.”
“Then who the hell took down a hybrid alone?”
“No idea. But the bounty boards are lighting up.”
Aiden froze.
Bounty boards.
He edged closer, staying hidden behind a rusted dumpster.
The first man continued, “Word is, someone’s been clearing Rift beasts solo. No tags. No reports. No Guild affiliation.”
The second man scoffed. “Urban legend.”
“Maybe. But the bodies are real. And the Guilds are pissed.”
Aiden’s pulse tightened.
The men kept talking.
“They’re calling him a ghost hunter.”
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Aiden blinked.
Ghost hunter.
The name hit him like a shockwave.
The second man laughed. “Ghost hunter? What, because no one sees him?”
“No. Because scanners can’t read him. Every time they try, the readings glitch.”
Aiden’s stomach dropped.
The first man lowered his voice. “And now there’s a bounty.”
Aiden leaned in.
“How much?” the second man asked.
“Not credits. Information. The Guilds want intel. Sightings. Patterns. Anything.”
Aiden exhaled slowly.
Not a kill bounty.
Not yet.
But a search bounty.
A hunt.
The men walked away, their conversation fading into the night.
Aiden stepped back into the shadows, heart pounding.
He had known the Guilds were looking for him.
He had known the hybrid kill would draw attention.
But he hadn’t expected this.
A rumor.
A myth.
A name.
Ghost hunter.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or curse.
He moved deeper into the industrial district, avoiding main roads. The city felt different now—heavier, more watchful. Every drone hum, every distant footstep, every flicker of light felt like a threat.
He reached a pedestrian bridge overlooking a busy street. Below, crowds moved between shops and transit stations. Holographic billboards flashed advertisements and Guild announcements.
Aiden paused.
One billboard flickered, shifting to a new display.
A Rift Guild emblem appeared.
Then text:
**SEEKING INFORMATION — UNREGISTERED HUNTER ACTIVITY**
**REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS FORCE SIGNATURES**
**REWARD AVAILABLE**
Aiden’s jaw tightened.
They weren’t naming him.
They weren’t describing him.
But they were looking.
Hard.
He slipped off the bridge and into a side alley, letting Sound Force swallow his footsteps. His mind raced.
He needed to stay ahead.
He needed to stay invisible.
He needed to keep training.
But he also needed to understand how far the rumors had spread.
He headed toward a small bar tucked beneath an overpass. The sign above the door flickered weakly—**THE RIFTED MUG**. Hunters frequented places like this. Information flowed freely when alcohol did.
Aiden stepped inside.
The bar was dim, filled with the smell of old wood and cheap liquor. Hunters sat at tables, laughing, arguing, comparing scars. Aiden slipped into a corner booth, hood low, Sound Force muting his presence.
He listened.
“…heard the ghost hunter took down a hybrid.”
“…no way. Hybrids need a full squad.”
“…I’m telling you, the Guild found the body. No tags. No weapon marks. Just… crushed.”
“…think he’s using some kind of illegal Class?”
“…or he’s not human.”
Aiden’s fingers tightened around his drink.
Not human.
He forced himself to stay calm.
Another group spoke nearby.
“Helix Dynamics is sniffing around. They want him bad.”
“Why?”
“Because whatever he is, he’s breaking their scanners.”
Aiden’s pulse quickened.
Helix Dynamics.
Again.
He finished his drink and slipped out of the bar before anyone noticed him.
The night air felt colder now.
He moved quickly, weaving through alleys until he reached the warehouse district again. He climbed onto a rooftop, crouching low as he looked out over the city.
Lights flickered.
Drones patrolled.
Guild banners glowed on distant towers.
And somewhere out there, people were whispering about him.
The ghost hunter.
Aiden exhaled slowly.
He hadn’t asked for this.
He hadn’t wanted attention.
He hadn’t wanted a name.
But he had one now.
And names had power.
He stood, the city stretching before him like a maze of danger and opportunity.
He needed to stay hidden.
He needed to stay ahead.
He needed to grow stronger.
Because the world was starting to notice him.
And soon, it would come looking.
Aiden tightened his grip on the impact baton and slipped into the night.
The myth had begun.
lonely*.
