Lord Celestial

The glowing eyes of the raging monster, the relentless attack of the Hunters, the fatal strike... Thud. His body slammed hard against the ground. "No!" He heard a voice scream. It sounded so distant, he thought. Why? He was dying. Hal lay motionless, staring into blank space, lost in thought. So, this was how he would die—like a weak, miserable E-rank Hunter. Worst of all, he didn't even get the chance to exact his revenge on those damned monsters. As he lay there, feeling life slip away from him, like sand in an hourglass, he began to close his eyes, expecting to feel the cold embrace of death. Instead, a bright blue screen appeared in front of him, with words written in white. [Potential Host found] [Do you wish to accept?] [Yes] [No] 'What was this?' he thought. Well, it didn’t matter now; he was dead anyway, so there was no use being careful in making a decision. With that, he selected the "Yes" option. The next words filled him with surprise. [Congratulations, Hal Rodgraim! You have been chosen by the Omnix System!] 'Omnix System? 'What was that?' he wondered, puzzled. "Wait, scratch that. How in the name of the blights does it know my name?" ***** Present day On a brightly lit street, several people could be seen walking about all with a look of anticipation on their faces. The cause for all this was the presence of a C-rank gate spawning here. Of course, it wasn't that there hadn't been occurrences of gates showing up in this part of the United States; it just so happened that Kansas wasn't famed for its high level of Gates. A small squad of Hunters had been deployed to deal with it and among them was Hal Rodgraim. The squad had gone in a few hours ago to deal with the issue, and now everyone on the outside was anxiously awaiting their return. Reporters could be seen everywhere brandishing their cameras like that was their very tool to ward off the monsters. Then the Hunters emerged. A cluster of them, weary and bloodied. Among them, was Hal Rodgraim. He limped out, one hand clutching his ribs. The media swarmed, cameras snapping. Hal ignored them, heading straight for the small medical bay lit under a canopy of portable lights. Inside, the familiar voice of the squad healer greeted him. “Seriously, Hal? Again?” “Greetings, to you too,” he muttered, lowering himself onto the table with a grunt. She scowled. “You’ve got at least two cracked ribs. You’re lucky your lungs are still intact.” “I make a habit of almost dying, not dying,” he grinned. The joke wasn't appreciated. “Honestly,” she muttered as she placed her hands on his ribs, healing him with her Healer powers. The conversation continued as she steadily healed him, “you’re too reckless. "One day you’ll push too far and....” “I know,” he said quietly. She sighed but said nothing more. When she was done, Hal stood slowly and exited the tent. The cold air bit into his skin. He looked down the street, still lit, despite the heavy darkness up in the clouds. His thoughts turned homeward. To his little sister. The one person left in his world. The reason he kept getting up every time death tried to drag him down. He closed his eyes, drew in a shaky breath, and stepped into the fading dark. **** Hal woke up to the sound of his phone vibrating. He reached out his hand to take it from underneath the pillow where he had stuffed it before going to bed last night. Looking at the screen of his phone, he saw that it was a distress call from the 'MHO', which indicated that a gate had spawned not too far from his location and that a raid was about to go down. A raid by this time of the day. Didn't they just clear a gate yesterday? Hal couldn't help but feel annoyed at the Gates and the damn monsters inside them. Ever since they showed up, five years ago, the world had never known true peace. Their existence had flipped the world order on its neck. Making politics and prime ministers lose their power and jurisdiction, and handing over the rule of command to those people who the world now knows as Hunters. 'Why the heck has another one spawned so soon and near his location also.' Hal thought. He flicked his handset, and took a glance at the time. It was just a little bit past 7 in the morning. Jumping off his bed, he tried his best not to wake his little sister and slipped into the bathroom to take a quick bath. Luckily enough, today was a Saturday, so after the gate had been cleared, he'd had the rest of today to spend with his little sis. Quickly scribbling down a note of apology for his sister and a promise to be back as soon as he could, he ended it with a smiley emoji and slipped out into the chilly morning. *** By the time he arrived at the location of the Gate, the other Hunters were already gathering in front of it. Streetlights flickered overhead, slowly dimming as dawn crept in. Some Hunters stretched, others leaned against walls, sipping hot drinks. Most were half-awake. “Jason!” a voice called out. “Didn’t think you’d be back!” Jason turned, laughing. “Got a date this weekend. I’m broke, and raiding Gates is the fastest paycheck I know” “You serious? You rejoined the MHO for a date?” "Hey, gotta impress the girl, right?” Jason flexed, and the two burst into laughter. Jason’s smile faded when his eyes landed on a figure approaching. “Tch. "Look who’s here,” he muttered. “Who?” Mason asked. “Hal Rodgraim.” “Oh... him.” Mason kept his voice low. Jason leaned closer. “Wanna know his nickname?” Mason raised a brow, already curious. “The Hunted Hunter.” Jason stated with a plain mocking voice. “No way. Because he’s E-rank?” “Not just that. He got injured in an E-rank Gate. Who does that?” “Damn.” The two stifled their laughter, but Hal heard everything. He always did. At times like this, he couldn't help but blame his abnormally sharp sense of hearing. Buffoons, he muttered inwardly, offering no reaction as he walked past. Mockery was routine by now. The jokes. The nicknames. The sideways glances. All because he was an E-rank Hunter. But he wasn’t here to impress anyone, and he definitely wasn't given up. He glanced toward the Gate ahead, where the squad leader stood rallying the teams. “Alright,” the man barked. “Get your suits calibrated. Formation goes in ten.” The Hunters moved into position, Hal taking his at the left back wing. Then, with smooth coordination, the Hunters stepped into the unknown of the pulsing blue Gate.