CH 3: Celestial Game Hunt
707 Words
**Chapter 3: Trial by Feather**
The weight of the glowing feather in Yuuto’s pocket was both comforting and terrifying. It felt as though it pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, a constant reminder that the world had changed and that he had stepped into something beyond comprehension. He hadn’t slept. He couldn’t. The woman in white—the one with eyes that glowed like galaxies—had vanished after her warning, leaving him stunned and more alive than he’d felt in years.
His phone buzzed again.
[New Quest: Accept Your First Trial]
[Location: Rooftop of Kamizaki High School]
[Reward: EXP +100 | Skill Upgrade | ???]
Yuuto stared at the notification. Kamizaki High. He hadn’t been there in five years. Just the thought of returning churned his stomach. But the feather in his pocket glowed brighter, as if urging him forward.
He pulled on a jacket, not caring that it was still damp from last night’s rain, and stepped into the dawn.
---
The school gates stood tall and rusted, locked shut like always. Yuuto climbed over them, breath short with nerves. The hallways were ghostly in the early light, echoing with the distant memories of laughter, shame, and failure. He walked faster, passing dusty lockers and classroom doors until he reached the stairwell.
Step after step, the light grew more intense.
When he pushed open the rooftop door, the world changed again.
A ring of floating runes encircled the rooftop, shimmering golden like the sunrise. In the center stood a figure—a boy no older than Yuuto, with a cruel smile and twin daggers glowing in his hands.
“You’re the new hunter?” the boy asked, eyes gleaming red. “You don’t look like much.”
Yuuto’s phone buzzed.
[Trial Initiated: Defeat the Celestial Proxy - Rank F]
[Opponent: Soren, Blade of the Fallen Moon]
[Warning: Failing the trial will result in skill loss.]
Yuuto’s breath caught. He didn’t even know how to fight.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
Soren twirled his daggers. “Because the App chose you. And now I get to see what makes you special—or break you trying.”
Soren lunged.
Yuuto dodged, barely avoiding a blade slicing past his cheek. His instincts screamed, and he rolled, breath heavy. His phone buzzed again.
[Celestial Affinity Activated]
[Status Unlock Lv.1: Active]
[Analyzing enemy stats...]
A translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
**Soren**
Level: 3
Class: Rogue Proxy
Strength: 10
Agility: 15
Magic: 3
Special Skill: Moonstep (Short-range teleport)
Yuuto cursed. “How am I supposed to beat that?”
He looked at his own stats:
**Yuuto Kamizaki**
Level: 1
Class: Wanderer
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Magic: 6
Luck: 1
Skill: Status Unlock Lv.1
But something changed. The feather pulsed, and a new message appeared:
[Temporary Buff: Courage Surge (Duration: 3 mins)]
[+5 Strength | +5 Agility | Skill Upgrade Unlocked: Feather Guard Lv.1]
“Feather Guard?” he muttered.
Soren appeared beside him, dagger raised.
“Too slow.”
Yuuto’s instincts screamed, and suddenly his body moved on its own. A barrier of radiant feathers formed, deflecting the blade. Soren stumbled back, eyes wide.
“What—?”
Yuuto didn’t wait. He charged, fist glowing with the same energy as the feather. He punched Soren square in the chest, sending the boy sliding across the rooftop.
Soren coughed, blood in his mouth. “You really *are* the chosen one.”
“Maybe,” Yuuto panted. “But I’m not going to be anyone’s pawn.”
Soren laughed, lying on his back, staring at the sky. “Then prepare for war, hunter. You’ve just declared it.”
A flash of light engulfed him—and he was gone.
Yuuto’s phone buzzed.
[Trial Completed]
[EXP +100 | New Skill: Feather Guard Lv.1 | Status Unlock Lv.2]
He collapsed to his knees.
This wasn’t a game. It was real. And whatever the Celestial Hunt was, he was now at the center of it.
Far above, in a realm beyond mortal sight, Lyra—the silver-haired woman—watched the screen of light floating before her.
“So you survived your first trial, Yuuto.” Her voice was soft. “Let’s see if you survive what’s coming.”
- Writer
