As Ryo stood there, the weight of the title "Monarch of Limitless" pressing on him, a strange feeling began to stir inside him—a feeling that wasn't his own.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"I will protect you..."
Ryo froze, his pulse quickening. The voice... it was so clear, so real, it felt as if she was standing right there beside him. But no one was there.
"We will always survive."
The words were soft, comforting. His heart ached, and for a moment, it felt as though something inside him—something he had buried deep within—was trying to break free.
Ryo's hands clenched into fists. "I will protect you..." he muttered aloud, his voice barely a whisper, but there was a fierce determination behind it.
His memories flashed before his eyes—images of someone... someone important. But just as quickly as the memories came, they slipped away, leaving only the echo of the voice that had once spoken those words.
"Always... survive..."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. His mind was spinning, trying to make sense of the fragments of memories that were surfacing.
"Who are you?" he whispered to the empty air.
For a brief moment, it felt as if the wind itself responded, carrying a faint sound of laughter—a child's laughter. Ryo's throat tightened. He knew that laugh. It was a sound that had once filled his world with warmth and joy.
But the warmth was gone. The joy was buried beneath the weight of years spent in darkness.
"I will protect you..."
His voice cracked slightly as the words left his lips again, a promise made to someone he had lost long ago. A promise that had echoed in his mind for as long as he could remember.
[System Notification: Unknown emotional resonance detected.]
[Source: Emotional bond traced to your past. Further information unavailable.]
The cold, robotic voice of the System cut through the lingering emotions, but it did little to calm him. Emotional bond? It was as if the System itself couldn't fully explain what was happening.
"This... this isn't right," Ryo murmured, his voice full of frustration. "I can't focus on this now."
His hands trembled slightly as he clenched them tighter. There was no time to dwell on the past, not with the world in the state it was in now.
But no matter how much he tried to push it away, the words echoed in his mind.
"We will always survive."
He was the Monarch of Limitless now. He had power. Strength. But what did it mean if it couldn't protect the people he cared about?
Ryo shook his head. "I'll find you... whoever you are. I will protect you, no matter what."
The world was different now. It had changed in ways he could barely comprehend. But one thing was certain: he wasn't going to be alone anymore. And whatever it took, he would survive.
Ryo's feet hit the earth, a sharp contrast to the skyward world he had just left behind. He breathed in the air, feeling the pulse of life around him.
The world was different now.
[System Notification: Earth Overview]
"Ryo, welcome back to Earth. Time has shifted, and the world has adapted. The Gates are no longer a mystery, nor are they the only danger. Here is a glimpse into the world that has changed."
The System's voice rang clearly in his mind as images of Earth's different regions began to form.
"To the North, in the land of Russia, the Gate appeared in the freezing forests of Siberia. It was a hostile environment, but the Hunters who ventured there were known for their grit and tenacity. Once the monsters in the Gate were slain, the once-pervasive rift in the landscape closed, leaving behind a land rich with untapped resources."
Ryo's brow furrowed as the System continued, painting a picture of a world that was both familiar and yet vastly different.
"In the West, across the Atlantic, the United States of America saw the emergence of the Gate in the heart of New York City. The city that never sleeps became a battleground, with Hunters carving through the chaos. When the Gate's boss was slain, the remnants of the rift lingered briefly in the city's underbelly, before vanishing, leaving behind a changed world."
"Further south, in the dense jungles of Brazil, the Gate materialized in the Amazon Rainforest. The Hunters here were unique, their skills honed by the dangerous terrain. Once the Gate's power was quelled, the jungle thrived once more, though it was forever marked by the scars of the battle."
Ryo's eyes narrowed. Earth, it seemed, had become a patchwork of these strange, otherworldly events, places where the gates had appeared and left their marks on the landscape.
"In Asia, the land of Korea became one of the first places where a Gate appeared. The bustling streets of Seoul were overrun with monsters and chaos. It was here that the first major guilds of Hunters formed, battling to rid the world of the rift's influence. After a fierce confrontation and the fall of the Gate's guardian, the city returned to its original form, though many still lingered in the shadows of what had been."
Ryo clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the System's words. These regions, these cities, had all been affected by the Gates and the monsters that had poured out of them.
"Finally, to the East, the land of Japan witnessed a catastrophic appearance of the Gate in the heart of Tokyo. The battle to close the Gate left scars across the city, but the people rose above it. The Gate's end marked a shift in power, and Tokyo became one of the largest hubs for Hunter activity."
The System's voice paused for a moment before continuing.
"Throughout the world, other cities have faced similar events, each with its own struggles and triumphs. While some Gates have been sealed, others remain in the hands of powerful organizations, constantly watched by those who still wish to control the power within."
Ryo's gaze turned toward the horizon. He knew that the world had changed, that the battle for dominance had only just begun. But the power he had gained—his title as the Monarch of Limitless—meant that he was no longer just a part of this world's struggles. He was something more. Something unstoppable.
He took a deep breath, his mind sharpening. "I'll rise above all of this," he muttered. "There is no gate that will stand in my way."
As Ryo soared above the city skyline, his sharp eyes caught movement below.
Panic.
Smoke.
People screaming and running in every direction.
A Gate had opened—right in the middle of the street. From its glowing purple swirl, monsters poured out.
They were Hobgoblins—tall, muscular, and armed with jagged weapons. Their skin was a dirty green, their eyes glowing faintly with malice.
[System Notification]
"D-Rank Gate detected."
"Monsters identified: Hobgoblins (D-Rank)."
"Active hunters in combat: 13 present (D-Rank and E-Rank)."
"Status: 7 hunters dead. 20 injured. Situation critical."
Ryo's eyes narrowed.
"They're not handling it…" he muttered. "Too many of them… and those hunters are barely holding on."
Down below, the D and E-rank hunters were struggling. One swung a short blade, only to be grabbed and slammed into the ground. Another was thrown into a wall, blood splattering the bricks.
The Hobgoblins moved in packs, flanking and swarming with frightening coordination.
[System Notice]
"Reinforcement ETA: 11 minutes."
"Estimated enemy count: 30+."
"Gate instability detected – More monsters incoming."
Ryo exhaled.
"If I wait… everyone here dies."
He stared down at the street, eyes glowing faintly. Energy surged through his body.
Wind and lightning twisted around him.
And without another word, he dove—straight into the chaos below.
As Ryo shot downward through the clouds like a spear of lightning, the scene below grew clearer—and uglier.
The remaining hunters were being ripped apart.
One D-rank man screamed as he was dragged into a mob of Hobgoblins, torn limb by limb.
Another hunter—a girl, no older than twenty—had her armor shattered. Her cloak was torn. She fell, trembling, covering herself with bloodied arms as the monsters closed in.
Ryo's jaw clenched.
"Tch…"
Disgust twisted in his chest.
"They're not just killing. They're playing."
His speed increased—air crackling around him like thunder.
[System Notification]
"Status Update – User: Ryo Kusanagi"
• Level: 100
• Awakening: Not Unlocked (Sealed)
• Title: Monarch of Limitless
• Class: Undefined
• System Mode: Observer – Passive Tracking
[System Notice]
"Reminder: First Awakening not yet triggered."
"Awakened hunters unlock their Class, Active Skills, and growth rate after First Awakening."
"Each Awakening grants immense boosts in power, abilities, and evolution potential."
Ryo narrowed his eyes.
"So even after all those years… I still haven't awakened?"
He smirked coldly.
"Then what the hell was all that training for?"
He raised one hand. Energy built at his fingertips—glowing like a miniature sun.
"System. Track all D-rank lifeforms within 300 meters."
[System]
"Scan complete. 28 targets. Hostile."
He whispered, calm and deadly:
"Let's clean this up."
Ryo lowered his hand, fingers curling as if gripping the very air.
A deep black aura gathered in his palm—whispers echoed from the energy itself, like ancient voices speaking in a dead tongue.
The aura twisted, cracked, and condensed until it formed a jagged black shard, like a spear forged from shadow and fury. The sky darkened above him as he descended like a curse from the heavens.
His eyes glowed violet.
His voice, low and commanding:
"Sil'tharas."
He hurled the shard into the ground with a thunderous crash—no ordinary impact.
The earth quaked.
A black pulse rippled across the street like a wave of death.
From beneath the pavement, thousands of jet-black spikes erupted upward in every direction. They were tall, sharp, and merciless—piercing through Hobgoblin flesh like paper.
Screams were cut short.
Blood sprayed.
The monsters didn't even have time to react. Some were impaled in mid-step, others pinned to walls or skewered mid-roar.
Silence.
The street that once echoed with screams and chaos now stood frozen—covered in deathly black thorns rising from the ground like a forest of spears.
Smoke curled in the air.
And in the center of it all stood Ryo… his coat fluttering in the wind, eyes sharp.
[System Notification]
"28 enemies eliminated."
"EXP Gained: 0"
"Warning: Power exceeds Awakening Level. System limits still active."
He didn't look at the system window.
The black spikes faded into dust as the silence settled.
Hobgoblin bodies littered the streets. Blood soaked into the cracks of the pavement.
Ryo didn't look back.
He walked forward—calmly, like the massacre never happened.
The injured hunters lay scattered, barely breathing. None dared speak. None could.
His black coat fluttered behind him, boots crunching over broken glass and ash.
Then, without hesitation...
He stepped straight into the open Gate.
The glowing portal rippled as he passed through.
No words. No warnings.
Just a silent shadow disappearing into the unknown.