The Multiverse Hunter

The energy in the air was electric.

The weekly Review was about to begin, and nearly every player in the Slum had gathered near the central tower, waiting anxiously for the results to be displayed.

At the very edge of the crowded plaza, Zain and Ashley sat together on a wooden bench, observing the restless crowd as they talked.

Zain turned to Ashley, his tone casual but curious. "Where were you sent?"

Ashley sighed heavily, leaning back against the bench, her arms crossed over her chest.

"A forest filled with beasts that could use magic..." she muttered, her voice laced with exhaustion. "The damn place was endless, and my only mission was to survive for three days. It was terrible..."

Zain exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

"Yeah... I don't know what world that is, but there are plenty of places like that.

Sounds brutal."

Ashley turned to him. "What about you?"

Zain clicked his tongue in annoyance. "One Piece."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That doesn't sound too bad."

Zain let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, you'd think so. But just like you, I got unlucky. I wasn't sent to any of the big islands. No Marine bases, no pirate ships, no important cities. Just a tiny, isolated island with a single town. No ships came in or out, and there were no major events happening. I was stuck there for a week until the world mission ended... and I got nothing out of it."

Ashley shook her head. "That's rough. I guess we were both unlucky this time."

Then, with a soft smile, she leaned her head against Zain's shoulder.

But inside, her thoughts were different. 'Lying to him is so easy...'

Ashley closed her eyes, and suddenly, she wasn't on the bench anymore.

She was inside herself-standing before a massive glass container shaped like a heart, its translucent walls filled with swirling purple liquid.

Her Spirit.

'I put all my free points into it... two whole points in Spirit.'

To her right, the fog in her mental space parted, revealing a small cloud of purple energy floating just above the ground.

A smile tugged at her lips.

"Harry Potter was a fun world."

Not far from the central plaza, inside one of the largest buildings in the Slum, a red-haired man stood on a balcony, his piercing gaze locked onto the crowd below.

Behind him, his guild member, Mark, stood at attention.

"Report."

Mark nodded, his expression serious.

"From what I observed, he might have more than three points invested in Strength and at least two in Speed. He also managed to detect me as l teleported, which means he either has an advanced detection spell or an instinct-based skill."

The red-haired man sighed deeply, rubbing his chin as he processed the information.

"Good job. Keep monitoring him."

Mark hesitated before speaking again. "I assume I'll be watching him on the second level as well?"

The guild leader nodded. "Yes. Claire is waiting for you there." His voice dropped slightly.

"And remember-do not provoke him. From what l've heard, the Water Guild lost their strongest squad recently... and I have a strong feeling it was him."

Mark's expression darkened. "Understood."

Inside Catherine's restaurant, the tables were packed.

The clientele was different today-richer, more refined, more powerful. Most of the players here were merchants, individuals who had long since stopped traveling to other worlds.

Instead, they made their fortune by trading goods with those who still sought power and ascension.

At the front counter, Catherine finished taking an order before turning to her two waiters.

"Alright, you two take care of everything for an hour. I'll be upstairs."

With that, she untied her apron and ascended the stairs to the second floor.

As she reached the top, her gaze landed on Ali, sitting at his usual small table by the window.

The dim lighting cast sharp shadows across his face, making his expression even more unreadable than usual.

His black Sith uniform stood out against the wooden interior, his lightsaber, twin Desert Eagles, and a strange black-handled weapon all resting at his waist.

She sighed as she took the empty seat across from him.

Leaning back slightly, she exhaled deeply. "God, I hate the weekly review... it's exhausting."

Ali glanced at her, his cold eyes assessing her expression.

"Busy day."

Catherine nodded. "Yeah. I usually hate this day just because of how packed it gets."

Ali raised an eyebrow. "Usually?"

Catherine smirked slightly. "Well, this time is different. Because of you."

Ali remained expressionless. "You're that interested in my results?"

She shrugged. "Of course. I wanna see if you get one!"

Ali rested his elbow on the table, his fingers tapping idly against the wooden surface.

"I'm more interested in what they'll give me."

Catherine studied him for a moment before asking, "How many times do you think you'll show up on the list?"

Ali didn't even hesitate. "Maybe four times."

Catherine nearly choked. "What?! Four?! Are you serious?"

Ali remained perfectly calm. "Maybe."

She stared at him in disbelief. "You do realise that's never been done before, right?"

Ali's gaze shifted to her, his cold, unreadable eyes locking onto hers.

"You're comparing me to the rest of the trash here."

His tone was sharper now, cutting through the air like a blade.

"Don't do that."

Catherine's throat went dry. She looked away. "...Sorry."

The mood had shifted. A heavy silence settled between them.

Ali turned his attention back to the window, watching the streets below.

'Why did I say that? Was it arrogance? Ego?'

He found himself questioning his own actions—a habit he had formed long ago. It helped him reaffirm his way of life, his beliefs, his identity.

'Who am I kidding?'

'Fuck 'em all.'

'I'm a wolf among weak, pathetic sheep.'

'No.'

'Not a wolf.'

'A dragon now'

Catherine, meanwhile, studied Ali's profile in silence.

She had her own thoughts.

'What am I doing here...?'

Ali was leaving today. And she? She would still be stuck in this place. Forever.

Was this really the life she wanted?

Before she could dwell on it further, a sudden hush fell over the restaurant.

The customers stopped talking.

All eyes turned toward the gigantic interface now rotating around the tower at the center of the Slum.

A voice echoed from the projection—

"Weekly Review will begin in ten minutes."

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