Chapter 87: Government Announcement
Isaac, still sitting on the edge of his bed, slowly caught his breath. His body was still pulsing with a new, unsettling energy—yet strangely satisfying. He reached out for his phone on the nightstand, the glow of the screen briefly illuminating his face.
As soon as he opened the news app, his eyes were immediately drawn to the headlines. Notifications were piling up, all repeating the same central topic—relentless, obsessive:
- "Series of Hunter Disappearances: New Emergency Protocol Enforced by the Government and the Hunter Bureau."
Isaac frowned. With a quick flick of his thumb, he scrolled through the article. Every line seemed to tighten the weight in his chest:
- "In recent weeks, the frequency of hunter disappearances—ranks B, A, and even S—has reached alarming levels. The affected dungeons show no obvious signs of abnormal hostile activity during preliminary explorations, yet entire teams continue to vanish without a trace."
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair, still damp with cold sweat. The article continued, bold and formal:
- "In response to these repeated incidents, the government, in collaboration with the Hunter Bureau, is instituting a new nationwide mandatory safety protocol. From today onward, any guild, team, or independent hunter wishing to enter a dungeon must include at least one hunter ranked two levels above the dungeon’s classification, if available. This measure applies to all dungeons up to rank C. For higher ranks, where such hunters are scarce, extreme caution remains mandatory."
Isaac reread the final sentence slowly, and a weary sigh escaped him. The logic behind the protocol was clear, but its implications were heavy: the world was sliding into a kind of invisible war. And the authorities still had no real understanding of what they were up against.
- "This is getting serious..." he murmured into the silence of his room, setting his phone down beside him.
The message was clear: no one was safe anymore. These disappearances weren’t random, nor isolated incidents. Something—or rather, someone—was behind it all. Something precise. Methodical. Merciless.
Finally, Isaac stood, leaving that thought behind—for now. He needed to act quickly, but for the moment, he had more immediate priorities. His body was responding again, fully, despite the residual ache from his recent transformations.