Shadowbound Ascension: The Necromancer's Journey

Aiden was comfortably located in a hi and secretive VIP area of the Eclipse Auction House where the identity of people is hidden by cloak and mask. His senses were aroused and keen to the happening of the auction that was about to take place. Beneath lay the dignitaries each representing his or her guild as if they were reflections of its might. The mood created at the scene was one that was characterized by great expectation.

In front of the grand staircase, the auctioneer began to auction the Potion of Restoration (Rank D) and his voice amplified through the speakers placed in the higher platform. The crowd became agitated and very soon many started murmuring in utter disbelief and in shock among themselves. Not only did these potions possess the potency, they were novelties in their effectiveness.

Beside Aiden the system window started to light with information.

[System Alert] Potential Threat Detected: M-Rank Dangerous Existence Classification: Threat Level X

Response: Caution Advised

Aiden clenched his fists. The warning light was expected, not because of aggressiveness of the system, but due to the fact the there were a lot of powerful hunters. His stare tightened absorbently when he noticed the Lord of the Shadows the mysterious Hunter Association head sitting in the front row. Wrapped in anonymity the figure of the M-Rank hunter looked menacing, every step calculated.

Beside him was seated Wrath's Fist, the guildmaster of the Dragon's Wrath Guild. A massive man with muscles bulging through his skin, powerful and full of the kind of presence a man who has survived through the fire of very many times over. It only matched his physic, they said he was a man with no mercy for others and a killer at that.

And there she was—The Angel of Dawn with her stunning appearance of the girl, tender and fragile compared to the ominous death hunters. The leader of Heaven's Blade Guild, her eyes were bright and warm, however, when it came to fight and heal, she had a global renown. She had had the gift of healing and she had used it to heal many people and her mere presence had a soothing effect to most hunters.

As the bidding started, Aiden was seeing it unfold in front of him. The potions started at a price that seemed out of this world and the figures went up even higher much to Aiden's shock. Each figure putting their bid across was actually an indication that these potions are worth much more than people thought they were.

All of a sudden the system beeped, this turned Aiden's focus to the shadowy figure seated on the last booth of the auction house. He held his breath; the blinking system message flashed before him.

[System Alert]

M-Rank Hunter Killer Detected

Classification: Lethal Threat

Objective: Evade or Neutralize

Aiden even stopped breathing for a second. They were not just dangerous, no – this person was a predator, who hides in the dark and aims at stabbing in the back those people who have the potential to become a threat. The Hunter Killers lived off cutting down such talents like Aiden before they started to grow to their best.

He swallowed hard uneasily, that feel of too many eyes on him for the simple reason of his sitting through this so called auction. But this wasn't the time to shrink back. His mind went back to the eight potions he was planning to auction; the effects of each and every one of the potions were much stronger than the previous one.

Like the first potion which the young man bought for an astronomical price, Aiden gestured at the auctioneer. There was pin drop silence when auctioneer added that there were eight improved Potions of Restoration. This time the response was quite the opposite: The crowd went ballistic.

Unlike other elixirs these potions not only cured people but would make them even younger than they were before, healthier, and far, far stronger. It was seldom understood by the dint of common sense how the world of such an item could gain such an immense value. Formerly passive the leaders of the top guilds tensed up while some of them even wore looks of disbelief on their faces.

Not even the Lord of Shadows began to shift in his seat uncomfortably at this point.

[System Notice]

Congratulations. The first potion is being sold for five hundred billion credits.

On sale, stronger potions, now!. Expected earnings: with the capacity to spend more than one thousand billion credits each.

Seeing the numbers, Aiden's heart was pounding off his chest. The auction is in a way successful and his influence— and money —swelled rapidly. But the presence of the Hunter Killer he could not get past it. Whether they were or weren't, they were waiting for something or someone.

This was evident when the last bid for the last potion was made, and for a brief moment Aiden looked at the Hunter Killer. The figure's face obscured with darkness and a dark mask, though it had contorted into a snarl and one threat was clearly given.

He understood that getting out of this location was going to be much riskier than getting in.

Eventually the auction climaxed and the crowd erupted in clapping and whistles and shouted remarks. Back in his luxury booth Aiden composed himself for the next course of action. He knew for sure that the Eclipse Auction House's founders, who are in fact M-Rank hunters, are keeping a close eye on him. Now that Hunter Killer is on his tail the world is more dangerous than it has ever been for the young Scarlet Thomas.

Just as he got to his feet the system beeped in its disturbing manner.

[System Update]

New Feature Unlocked: An example of stealth mode is Google; the company announced its entry into the social space but turned out to be a ghost.

Gives the possibility to be unnoticed by any kind of scanners for 60 seconds.

Cooldown: 24 hours

Aiden smirked. It was only starting his rise to the leadership or governance of the country.

And when the Hunter Killer got up from their chair, Aiden made his way out of the VIP room, the new cloak fluttering behind him, and engaging Stealth Mode.

Here one had only got down to play the game proper, as it were.