Chapter 23: Ch 23 Phantom Veil (S)
Klaus sat on his bed, the soft glow of his laptop screen illuminating his face in the dim hotel room.
The news headlines screamed at him, splashed across every major digital publication.
"MYSTERIOUS GATE DISAPPEARANCE SHOCKS WORLD!",
"ICE GOLEM’S LAIR VANISHES – GLOBAL INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED!",
"SCIENTISTS, HUNTER EXPERTS CONVERGE ON CAPITAL AFTER UNPRECEDENTED PHENOMENON!"
The sheer scale of the investigation was immense. Governments were scrambling, universities were issuing statements, and the Hunter Association was in crisis mode.
"This is insane" Klaus muttered to himself, spearing a piece of pasta from his bowl. He chewed slowly, his eyes fixed on an image of a bewildered scientist being interviewed.
"The amount of chaos is too much. If a mad scientist traced it back to me, I’m done for then." The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine.
The power of the state, especially when facing an unprecedented threat, was terrifying. They would turn the world upside down to find answers.
"I can’t use the permit to enter the gates anymore" he continued, speaking to himself, the system, or simply the empty room.
"Not for a while, at least. I’ll have to get a stealth skill, and also I’ll have to awaken the shadow element somehow"