Far in the distance, an enormous monolith loomed over the shaded skyline of the ruined cityscape of New York. It stood against the silhouette of the dark night, towering through the dimmed skies.
The remnant of a devastating cataclysm that marked the dawn of the apocalyptic era, acclaimed as the black towers of Heresy and the harbingers of Heaven's Fall.
Gazing upon the black tower on the horizon, Damien felt a tinge of exasperation. His already troublesome circumstance had turned complicated. To think he would awaken in the far future.
'13 years... I woke up over a decade later after losing consciousness. In a decrepit world of what once was.' Buried questions stirred within his mind, uncertain of memories and the perceived actuality of reality.
"How? Why did I wake up after so long?" He furrowed his eyebrows, rubbing the strands of his jet-black hair in indignation. "Or perhaps, I was sent here after that monolith made its landing."
Damien observed the looming black tower in the distance and understood what needed to be done. He must find answers about what had happened to him and the world. It might not be his responsibility, but...
There was no way he would stay ignorant.
'It landed in Bronx, probably flattening that part of New York. It's astounding for even Brooklyn to remain standing, but there's no doubt that Manhattan rested as a ruin.'
'That armored convoy was transporting me to Staten Island. It might be where their prisons reside, or an organization that stands in power after the monoliths fell resides there.' He narrowed his sapphire-like gaze.
"Should I have let them capture me?" Damien raised his eyebrows, but promptly shook his head and sighed. "I must not underestimate them. If humanity endured, who knows what's in store for me?"
"Even with the Monster Gacha System, I shouldn't lower my guard." Taking a deep breath, he decided to revert his attention to the system.
It was problematic as it was his only ticket to power. As it stands, he was no less different than an ordinary human, powerless, mortal, and ignorant. If he wanted to find answers, he needed the power of his monsters.
A One-Star EX Monster had already proven itself to be capable against an armored convoy of military personnel. In the premise that order could be trusted, Two-Star Monsters would be far stronger.
But the price for such power was Terror Points, and it required him to utilize his monsters to bring upon terror as much as possible.
Will Damien walk the path of a monster terrorist?
Before he could ponder the implications of his path with the Monster Gacha System, a notification window materialized without warning and gleamed in a bluish hue. It was a message of congratulations.
As strands of his jet-black hair danced along the cold breeze of wind that bellowed across the night skies, Damien read the notification with scrutiny.
Congratulations on escaping your capture! Please Register your Username for Log-In Reward. As a reminder, your Username will become your title as a Boss. Your summoned Monsters will formally call you by your title. Please choose carefully.
After studying the notification, the edges of his lips rose as the system wasn't as unfair as he had previously expected. He wondered whether there were more rewards hidden somewhere within the apparatus.
In any case, there was no way he would pick his own name as the Username. It would be far too troublesome, and it would be far better to separate his normal identity from the one that would utilize the system.
'Since I can summon monsters... How about Oberon?' He nodded to himself and felt confident with the name he had chosen. Moments later, another notification materialized.
Oberon has been chosen as the Username!
| You have received Log-In Reward: 100 Terror Points! |
To alter the title formally honored by the summoned monsters, please increase the relationship level. Command seal quantity and regeneration are dependent on the relationship level of the monster.
'Relationship levels... That's new.' He was intrigued by the connotation of the concept. How can he increase the so-called relationship levels? How does it actually affect the quantity and renewal of command seals?
What were the advantages of increasing relationship levels other than the command seal? He couldn't help but ponder, though it wasn't the time to squander his thoughts.
Besides, the bombardment of notifications hadn't ended yet.
To further access the features of the Monster Gacha System, please open the status screen. Necessary information will be disclosed.
"Status screen? The more I learn about the system, the more I correlate it to a game." Damien raised his eyebrows and punctually opened the status screen. There was no use in waiting.
It was better to open and see the status for itself.
---
| Monster Gacha System |
-| Boss Title : [ Oberon ] |
-| Monster(s) : One-Star EX Monster: Eclipse(Fragment) |
-| Skill Index : Raptured Blink(Eclipse) |
-| Command Seal(s): [ 3/5 ] |
---
'Hmm... This is my status screen, huh?' Damien's sapphire-like eyes squinted, observing the four tabs of the status with scrutiny. All was recorded. Whether it'd be his Username, Monsters, or Skills.
Even the quantity of his command seals was also noted by the status.
"This should make it easier for me." The ability to keep tabs on his capabilities and assets was of great importance. Though he was primarily interested in the Skill Index and the command seals.
Skill Index probably recorded the unusual capabilities of his monsters. Eclipse's notable skill was the ability to teleport, which was astounding even for him. However, analyzing what occurred before, it made sense.
'That explains how I was transported to this rooftop. I only ordered Eclipse to get me out of that location as swiftly as possible. It probably triggered the skill, Raptured Blink.' He nodded to himself.
The ability to teleport was overpowered, but nevertheless, he was limited to the command seals he currently has within his arsenal. It meant that regardless of how strong his monsters were, a weakness persisted.
"But this is a good start. It makes things easier for me. I should focus on increasing my relationship level with Eclipse and try to acquire more Terror Points." Damien hardened his resolve.
"Without causing unnecessary bloodshed, of course."
Growing was an essential factor in his survival against whatever the world had become. Either he would be incarcerated by whatever captured him, or he would find answers for what had happened.
He didn't plan to settle in between.
Damien understood what he needed to do. To walk in a selfish path of survival.
Somewhere deep inside Staten Island was the intricate and monumental headquarters of SIGIL, publicly known as Surveillance and Interdiction of Global Incursion Landing.
It was the federal agency of Counter-Corruption and Containment, divided into seven sections dubbed as SIGIL Blocks. Above these branched sections of the agency was the CON, Central Operations Node.
CON inhabited the headquarters within Staten Island alongside its members, the high officials of the North American Federation. As such, the authority of the SIGIL was condensed and rigid.
Rooted hundreds of meters underground was Level 10, a classified location within the HQ, where major meetings were discussed. Decisions within Level 10 could shift the stance of the NAF, affecting even foreign powers. It was a significant part of the New World.
"An Aberrant has surfaced within Brooklyn, a consequential event that requires an answer. It was promptly captured after our forces made contact, but escaped before reaching the iron bridge."
A black-suited middle-aged man unveiled as the digital screen behind him flickered to life, displaying what had occurred. He stood with calm, his gaze sharp and calculating.
Every moment from the beginning to the end was presented, from the explosion that blasted an intersection during curfew to the recent incident that compromised an entire armored convoy.
"An Aberrant on the loose is a disaster that must be taken care of immediately. Otherwise, who knows what kind of destruction such a monster can cause to our citizens?" A high official pointed at the screen.
"Our special forces have been sent to locate the Aberrant, and Block 6 has been mobilized to assist them." The middle-aged man uttered and continued. "The failure of the containment is merely a false setback."
"A Paragon belonging to Block 7 is nearby. It shouldn't take long before the Aberrant is contained." SIGIL was deploying its assets to contain the danger before it could bring disaster to New York.
However, the high officials didn't appear to be delighted by the involvement of a Paragon. One of them raised their eyebrows and questioned. "Does that Paragon have to be involved?"
The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed. "The Paragon of Block 7 is an unstable gear within the machine that is the SIGIL. But nevertheless, Paragons are important for the survival of humanity."
"There's not much we can do about it. At the very least, the Paragon can handle the containment failure and take care of the Aberrant." His eyes glinted as the meeting room darkened. "News should arrive soon."
---
On the rooftop of a particular building, strands of his jet-black hair danced with the cold breeze of the night. Damien leaned on a concrete railing and pondered the path he planned to step into.
Before he could contemplate it for any longer, chills reverberated throughout his spine. His arms quivered as cold sweat dripped from his forehead. This was an existential dread, the primordial fear of a predator.
Behind the young man was a beautiful woman attired in a black suit. Her figure was draped in the refined folds of a shadow-tinted trench coat. Her hair glinted in silver as it fluttered in the nightly breeze with grace.
As she crossed her legs together, the edges of her supple lips, tinged in crimson, subtly rose. Her gaze narrowed, pearl-like irises glimmering in luster. "Well, hello there..."