Ascensional Protocol

The Hunter guild General office was lavishly adorned with gold accents and elegant furniture, exuding power and authority. General Seong, dressed in a sharp black suit with intricate gold embroidery, sat in his large leather chair. His piercing eyes, framed by a faint scar running down his cheek, gave away his years of experience in both politics and battle. He twirled a fountain pen between his fingers, deep in thought.

The door opened, and Park Ji-hoon, a fellow S-class hunter, stepped in, holding a manila folder. He adjusted his glasses before placing the file on the desk.

"This is everything we have on the Jin Tae-min kid who survived an Archfiend," Ji-hoon said.

"The healer, right?" General Seong asked, his tone calm but curious.

"Yes, sir," Ji-hoon confirmed.

Gen Seong opened the folder, scanning the sparse contents. His brows furrowed slightly. "Jin Tae-min, 17 years old. Classified as a D-class healer. No parents, no guardians, no relatives. He awakened at 13 with the ability to heal minor injuries. Lives with a terminally ill sister… That's it?"

"That's all we could gather, sir. His background is almost unnaturally plain."

"And since he's a healer, that means the protocol assigned to him aligns with healing abilities."

Ji-hoon nodded but added cautiously, "Even so, General, no healer—high class or not—should be able to face an Archfiend and live to tell the tale. That alone is unheard of."

Seong leaned back, tapping the edge of the file against the desk. "It's impossible for someone's awakened protocol to change. Protocols are absolute."

"Exactly, sir. But there's something else." Ji-hoon hesitated, adjusting his glasses again. "There are unconfirmed sightings of Tae-min entering a C-class gate with Kang Min-ji, General Hak-Kun daughter, and her team."

That made Seong pause. "Min-ji?"

"Yes, sir. According to rumors, they emerged unscathed. Which means… either the gate was a fluke, or this boy is capable of more than his classification suggests."

General Seong narrowed his eyes, his fingers drumming on the desk. "So, from a D-class healer to walking out of a C-class gate alive. What's Min-ji's take on him?"

"She hasn't provided a formal report, sir. But locals have seen them together. It's possible she knows more than she's letting on."

Seong stood up and walked toward the massive window behind him. He stared at the sprawling city below, his mind racing. "Assign hunters to keep tabs on Jin Tae-min. And bring Min-ji to me. I want to hear her assessment directly."

"Yes, General." Ji-hoon turned to leave but stopped when Seong spoke again.

"Ji-hoon."

"Yes, sir?"

Seong's voice dropped, filled with an edge of authority. "If there's anything abnormal about this boy, anything at all… I want to know immediately. And if he becomes a threat, I'll deal with him myself."

Ji-hoon nodded. "Understood, General."

As the door closed behind Ji-hoon, General Seong remained by the window, his reflection merging with the city lights.

The street was abuzz with voices, the sheer disbelief and excitement from the crowd palpable.

"Did you see that? He just killed all four of them!"

"Four Lesser Titans! Is this guy even human?"

"Who the hell is he? Is he part of the Hunter Guild?"

"No way! I've never seen him on any official roster."

"Mom, did you see how he ripped the wings off that titan? It was insane!"

"And how he flung the one with the hammer like it weighed nothing!"

"He's so cool, Mom!"

Jin Tae-min stood amidst the chaos of the now-silent battlefield, his presence commanding awe. The four massive corpses of the Lesser Titans surrounded him, their colossal forms sprawled lifeless across the street. His tattered clothes hung in strips, smeared with blood—green and red. The obsidian blade in his left hand gleamed darkly, its surface dripping with gore.

Tae-min wiped the sweat from his brow with his free hand, his expression calm but laced with exhaustion. His stance radiated quiet power as his aura flickered faintly around him.

"I actually thought they'd be stronger," he muttered to himself, glancing down at the lifeless behemoths.

The crowd erupted into cheers as he turned and began walking toward his house.

"Thank you!"

"You saved us!"

"You're amazing!"

Tae-min didn't respond, brushing past the crowd with his usual nonchalance. Despite the attention, his mind was elsewhere, his body aching from the battle. He opened the door to his house and stepped inside.

The moment he shut the door, the system's glowing blue notification appeared before him.

[System Notification]

[4 Lesser Titans Eliminated]

Integration Process: 30% Complete

Skill Unlocked: Vision Breaker

Description: Vision Breaker allows the user to glimpse 2 seconds into an enemy's future during combat. Movements, attacks, and intentions are revealed, granting unparalleled adaptability and counterattack potential.

"Now this," Tae-min said, smirking, "sounds cool."

Another notification popped up.

[System Notification]

Do Jin Tae-min (Current User) wish to continue with the Ascension Protocol or revert to the Normal Protocol?

[Y/N], To continue press Y or revert press N. 

Tae-min stared at the notification for a long moment, pondering the weight of the choice. He knew the path of the Ascension Protocol had already thrown him into impossible situations—things no one would expect a mere D-class healer to survive, let alone overcome.

"You really think I'm going to quit now?" Tae-min said, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Not after everything you've pushed me to do."

He pressed Y without hesitation.

[System Notification]

Note: After this decision, the user cannot withdraw from the Ascension Protocol.

"Yeah, yeah," Tae-min muttered. "I'm already in too deep."

[User has chosen to continue with the Ascension Protocol.]

[Obsidian Blade Upgrade Unlocked]

Level: 12

New Skill Unlocked: Phantom Rend

Description: Phantom Rend allows the Obsidian Blade to create an ethereal duplicate during an attack, striking the enemy twice simultaneously—once in the physical realm and once in the ethereal plane, bypassing most defenses.

Tae-min looked down at the blade in his hand, its dark surface now pulsing faintly with an eerie light. He held it up, inspecting it with newfound respect.

"You've been carrying me through some pretty insane fights," he said quietly, his voice filled with both amusement and gratitude. "Let's keep this up, partner."

The blade shimmered in response, almost as if it understood his words.