He spotted the boy from earlier-Fan Mo, or rather, Mo Fan, the so-called protagonist of this world.
Mo Fan had joined the long line leading to a different section of the Hunter Association: the recruitment desk for the Iron Bones Hunter Squad, one of the more well-known mid-level hunter groups. Lin Feng vaguely recalled that this was the first group Mo Fan joined to gain real-world experience and points.
"So that's the main character," Lin Feng murmured under his breath, gaze sharpening.
There was something strange about seeing him up close. Mo Fan exuded that typical shonen protagonist aura-confident, hungry for strength, talented yet hiding it beneath a layer of humility. But as Lin Feng watched him, a sense of unease gnawed at the edges of his mind.
He tried to remember what happened to Mo Fan after joining the Iron Bones. A face flashed in his mind… a battle? A magical beast? A victory?
But then-nothing.
A void.
No matter how hard he tried to dig, the details slipped through his mental fingers like sand.
His eyes narrowed behind the mask. "Wait… what the fuck…?"
He stepped away from the board and out into the corridor, moving on autopilot.
I knew this story. I knew the arcs, the names, the powers, the events… So why is it all turning into fog?
His pace quickened.
Then it hit him-not just the blankness-but a memory of something else.
That voice.
That thing that sent him here.
He remembered a whisper, cruel and absolute:
"For cursing at us, we'll be taking some of your memories relating to the world you are being sent to. Bye!"
His jaw clenched beneath the mask. He hadn't noticed until now. It wasn't like forgetting-it was as if he was not allowed to even think in that direction. His thoughts had been redirected before they could even finish forming. That's why he never realized his memories were stolen.
"Now I only know a rough overview of the story and a few fragments."
The danger wasn't just from enemies or beasts. It was from this world itself-the rules that bound him here.
And he had been playing along, blind.
Back at his apartment, the door clicked shut behind him. The windows were closed, curtains drawn. In the dim light, he stood still-like a hunter who had just realized the jungle had eyes watching him, too.
He removed the mask slowly and stared into the darkness.
"This whole time… I thought I had a goddamn map. Turns out I've been walking in a labyrinth with a blindfold on."
The smile that came to his lips wasn't amused. It was twisted, full of tension and barely-contained rage.
"Very well," he whispered. "Let's see how far I can go without the whole script."
He let the words linger in the dark, then exhaled, steady and cold. The room felt smaller now, as if the world itself was pressing in, daring him to move.
A familiar chime echoed in his mind.
_________________
[ Status Screen ]
Name: Lin FengRace: HumanLevel: 11EXP: 500 / 2500Element:Curse (Epic)Magic Awakening Status: Novice
➣Magic: None.
➣Title: The Predator.
➣Talent:
•Pain Resistance
•Hunger Resistance
•Drug Resistance
•Mana Manipulation
➣Stats:
Mana: 1500 / 1500
Mana Recovery: 2.5 / min
Magic Resistance: 15
➣Inventory:
• 1x Healing Potion
•Bloodied Scalpel
•Bloodied Knife
•Soldier's Dog Tag
_________________
_______________________
[ Quest! ]
Objective: Kill a Magical Beast.
Rewards:➣Shop Function Unlocked ➣+100 Gold Coins (Shop Currency)
______________________
Lin Feng's lips curled into a thin, predatory smile. The system's prompt hovered in his vision, a private contract between him and whatever force had dragged him here. He dismissed it with a thought.
He marched over to the battered table and checked his gear in the practiced manner of a man descriptive of his living through a hundred ambush. The blood ketchup scalpel and knife fell neatly into their hidden sheaths he concealed in his fatigues. The soldier's dog tag, cold and heavy, raised its flaps and went around his neck. Grabbing his coat, he slipped it on, and the coat settled over his shoulders like a second skin.
He cracked the door open and listened: footsteps in the haze of the hallway, muffled voices, the city's pulse in the distance. The world outside was waking up, and Lin Feng walked through it like a shadow. He shut and locked the door behind him and headed toward the street.
The Hunter Association's branch was only a few blocks away. He kept his head down, blending into the flow of early risers and night owls. The city was a patchwork of neon and smog, the air thick with ambition and fear.
Inside the Association, the noise hit him-a hundred voices, the clatter of weapons, the scent of sweat and mana. Lin Feng wove through the crowd, eyes sharp, until he reached the mission board.
Rows of parchment and digital screens listed jobs: escort missions, pest removals, missing persons. Too mundane. He scanned for something more dangerous-something that would satisfy both the Association and his system.
His gaze settled on a fresh posting:
_________________
[Mission: Rogue Magical Beast Near Old Waterworks]
Threat Level: High (Recommended: Intermediate Mage or above)
Objective: Eliminate the beast and retrieve its head.
Reward: ¥50,000 RMB, 1x Random Magic Item
__________________
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Above my pay grade, huh?" he muttered, eyes glinting. "Just how I like it."
He tore the mission slip from the board and approached the counter. The clerk barely glanced at him, stamping the slip and sliding it back.
"Sign here. Bring proof of kill and the core," she said, not meeting his eyes.
Lin Feng nodded, tucking the slip away. He turned and left, slipping back into the city's veins.
The old waterworks lay on the outskirts, a relic of rusted pipes and crumbling brick, half-swallowed by weeds and shadow. As he walked, the system chimed again:
[ Warning: Target is above your current level. Title effect active. Proceed with caution. ]
He grinned, feeling the familiar thrill coil in his gut. This was the hunt-the test. No script, no safety net. Just him, his instincts, and the promise of pain.
He vanished into the mist, a predator stalking the edge of the world.
Would you like to continue with the confrontation at the waterworks, or focus on Lin Feng's approach and mindset as he prepares for the hunt? Let me know your preference or if you want to add any twists!