Sitting in his room, Tyler looked at his system status again. "Virality?" he muttered. "Wait, doesn't that have something to do with my sex drive? Why is that suddenly upgraded?" He scratched his head. "Well," he conceded, "it's not like I don't need it." He thought of Mike, his friend. Mike would probably be ecstatic right now. "I think he had some issues with that kinda stuff," he mumbled, remembering their past conversations.

He checked his inventory: six gold and two copper. He did a quick mental calculation. "Six gold means sixty silver, and sixty silver is six hundred copper... that's six hundred and two copper total." A grin spread across his face. "I have an idea on how to make a lot of money," he thought. "I just have to go to Hector and talk about it. Maybe he'll help me out." He chuckled. "To think, I actually killed a lot of monsters today."

He stood up and stretched, the inventory screen vanishing. "Lucky for me the icons for coins and metal ores are different," he muttered, "otherwise I'd be confusing this stuff a lot." He mentally unequipped the Gloom Armor, and it disappeared. Stepping out of his room, he found Lisa still cooking and Grone sitting at the table, staring into space.

"Ah, Tyler, where are you off to?" Grone asked, looking up.

"Oh, I'm headed to Hector's. I need to speak with him," Tyler replied.

"About what?" Grone inquired.

Tyler paused at the doorway. "I'll tell you all about it when I get back. It's a surprise!" He closed the door behind him. Stepping outside, he glanced at the sun. It was past 2 PM, he estimated.

He walked down the road toward Hector's shop. A noise from a nearby alleyway caught his attention. It was dark, shadowed by the buildings. Suddenly, a man ran out, someone Tyler recognized—an A-Rank Hunter who'd attacked him before. His body tensed.

"Get out of the way!" the man shouted, bumping slightly against Tyler's shoulder as he sprinted past, clearly fleeing someone.

From the alley, a woman emerged, her red dress a stark contrast to her dark hair, pulled back in a tight band. "Hey! Please stop him! He took my money!" she cried.

Curiosity overriding caution, Tyler looked in the direction the man had fled, checking the Hunter's level.

Tyler saw the system display the fleeing man's level, floating above his head like a malevolent halo: Bernardo Hats: LVL 30. "Wait," Tyler breathed, "he's the same level as me?" He glanced at the direction Bernardo was sprinting, a blur of frantic movement against the drab backdrop of the alley. The woman, her red dress a vibrant splash of color against the grimy brick, was still panting, her chest heaving, a testament to the chase she'd just endured. Her eyes, wide and desperate, fixed on Tyler, silently pleading for help.

A decision solidified in Tyler's mind. He didn't hesitate. With a practiced motion, he mentally equipped the Gloom Armor. A wave of cool energy washed over him as the midnight blue fabric materialized, shimmering with an ethereal sheen, the three concentric circles on the sleeves pulsing faintly. Then, the activation of the Rush skill. The world seemed to sharpen, sounds intensifying, colors becoming more vivid. The Rush Skill Activated notification flashed before his eyes, a fleeting message in the whirlwind of his senses.

Time seemed to distort. The cobblestones blurred beneath his feet, the buildings rushing past in a kaleidoscope of grey and brown. He wasn't running; he was becoming speed itself. A blur of motion, a phantom, a whisper of wind cutting through the air. The sounds of his own breathing, the woman's gasps, Bernardo's panicked footfalls—all were compressed, distorted, into a single, high-pitched whine. Then, as abruptly as it began, the acceleration ceased. He stood, not merely in front of Bernardo, but within Bernardo's personal space, the A-Rank Hunter's eyes widening in shock, his body frozen mid-stride, his breath catching in his throat. The sudden appearance of Tyler, a figure materialized from thin air, was utterly breathtaking.

"Oh, it's you from before," Bernardo snarled, his eyes narrowed. "I don't have time for this crap. Get out of my way, you chead bastard!" He launched a fist at Tyler.

Surprisingly, Tyler caught the blow, his hand closing around Bernardo's knuckles. The impact, which should have been devastating, was absorbed without effect. A dull thud was the only sound. Tyler's face was a mask of anger.

"Cheap bastard, huh? You keep stealing money from people. Who's the real cheap one here?" Bernardo dropped the pouch of coins he held in his other hand. He tried to yank his fist free, but Tyler's grip was firm and unwavering. Bernardo's eyes widened in surprise. He looked down at Tyler's neck, noticing the E-Rank necklace.

"What the hell...?" Bernardo breathed, his voice laced with disbelief.

Bernardo, enraged, launched a fist at Tyler's face with his free hand. Tyler, however, saw the fist coming in slow motion. He moved his head to the side, easily dodging the attack. Seizing the opportunity, he used his grip on Bernardo's fist to pull the false ranker close, then unleashed a powerful punch to Bernardo's gut. The force of the blow was immense; it knocked the air from Bernardo's lungs, sending him sprawling five meters away from Tyler.

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Bernardo groaned in pain, clutching his stomach, one eye squeezed shut. He looked back at Tyler, a single thought echoing in his mind: How is this possible? A low-ranked Hunter with this much power... this much skill?

Tyler picked up the pouch of coins and walked toward the fallen Bernardo.

Bernardo lifted his head, attempting to rise, but before he could, Tyler delivered a swift kick to his nose as he passed. Blood splattered, and a tooth flew across the cobblestones. Tyler didn't stop; he simply continued walking, seemingly unfazed.

The woman watched, surprised, as Tyler approached. He stopped in front of her. "I'm sorry for the trouble that man caused you. Here is your money, ma'am," he said, handing her the pouch.

Slowly, she extended both hands to receive it. Looking at Tyler, she said, "Thank you."

"Oh, no problem," Tyler replied. "Just please be careful next time. And you better get out of here before he wakes up."

The woman nodded, murmuring another thank you before hurrying away, glancing back at the groaning Bernardo. Tyler then turned his attention back to the fallen false ranker.

Tyler walked over to Bernardo, who was groaning in pain. Crouching down, Tyler spotted the tooth he'd knocked out, lying on the cobblestones. He picked it up, examining it. "You know," Tyler said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I lost a tooth too when you hit me that time." He touched the side of his jaw. "But it grew back when I leveled up."

Bernardo looked at him, groaning, "What the hell are you saying...?"

"You hit me a lot of times that time," Tyler continued, "so I think it's only fair if I give you one final punch before I go where I was going. Am I right?" Tyler held out his fist. Bernardo watched, frozen with fear, as Tyler prepared to unleash another blow. Then, a voice called out, "Hey!" Tyler looked up.

Tyler saw a guard in silver armor, spear in hand, approaching. "What is happening here? Fighting in the streets of Veridia is a crime," the guard stated.

Tyler straightened up. "This guy robbed someone. He robbed me before and beat me up. I was just teaching him a lesson," Tyler explained.

The guard frowned. "Well, too bad. I'm taking both of you to jail."

"Wait, but that's not fair! This was self-defense! He threatened to hit me first, and this is just the result," Tyler protested, his voice rising in anger.

The guard adopted a fighting stance, spear pointed at Tyler. "You don't want me to use force."

Tyler stood straight, assessing the guard's level: 54. He held up his hands. "Alright."

The guard, letting his guard down, looked at Bernardo on the ground. "Hey, you, get up." Bernardo slowly rose, wincing. Tyler was surprised when the guard produced a pair of shackles from behind his back. He had heard the clink of metal against metal when the guard assumed his fighting stance, but he hadn't realized what the sound was until the shackles appeared.

The guard approached Bernardo, ordering him to hold out his hands. With practiced ease, he shackled them together. "You're lucky I don't have any more shackles," the guard said. "Now, let's go."

"Go where" Tyler said flatly.

The guard turned back to Tyler, his expression hardening. "I said, follow me. And know this: if you try to runway, you'll be on the bounty list, hunted down. Understand?"

"All right," Tyler said, and they continued walking. They walked for some time, Tyler noticing they were heading toward the side of the Guild Hall. Not far from the Guild Hall, he saw a building constructed of drab gray bricks; it looked neglected and poorly maintained. In the distance, he saw guards stationed at a doorway, the interior shrouded in darkness. He couldn't make out what was inside.

A wave of unease washed over him. Was he really going to jail? He wondered how things were handled here. They wouldn't just throw him in a cell and leave him to die, would they? Couldn't he pay a fine, or serve a short sentence, or receive some other form of punishment? The only person who truly deserved a harsh punishment was the man he'd just fought.

"How did I end up here?" Tyler thought. "Oh, right. I was just helping someone in need, and this happened." As they neared the building, a guard called out, "Hey, Bob, who are those guys behind you?"

The guard escorting Tyler and Bernardo replied, "Just a couple of criminals who were fighting down the street. I had to bring them in."

"Whoa, and they actually listened like that? Or did you struggle a bit? I can see you're not hurt, though."

The escorting guard said, " Strangely enough No, they didn't. But that only made it easier," he added, glancing at Tyler.

"Here we are," the guard announced. "Time for you guys to enter the dungeon."

"Wait, wait a minute!" Tyler protested. "We're just going to enter the dungeon, and you guys aren't going to say anything first?"

"What? You want to negotiate? You'll have to speak to the noble first," the guard said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "I doubt you can say anything that will make him let you go."

"Noble?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah," the guard replied. "You're not from around here, are you? No wonder you were causing so much trouble. Anyways, go inside."

As they stepped inside, the air grew heavy with the stench of mildew and decay. Torches flickered on the walls, casting long, dancing shadows that distorted the already grim architecture. Rough-hewn stone cells lined both sides of the corridor, their barred doors mostly empty, save for the occasional glint of metal from a discarded bucket or a stray piece of equipment. The floor was uneven, cold stone worn smooth in places by countless feet, and damp in others where water seeped from unseen cracks. A chilling dampness clung to the air, heavy and oppressive. The overall impression was one of neglect and despair, a place where hope went to die. Then, to his left, Tyler saw someone familiar—the girl who had tried to sell him the stolen dagger. He turned back to the guard.

"Listen," Tyler said, "I'd like to speak to the Noble."

The guard shoved him into a cell. "I'll go talk to the Noble. Since you're a Hunter, there's a chance he'll listen to you. But don't expect anything else. And oh, if he doesn't let you go... causing violence in the streets earns you a week in here, one meal a day—and that meal is cockroaches." The guard disappeared.

Tyler put his hands on the bars of the cell, then recoiled. Something sticky and brown coated his fingers. "Ew," he muttered, wiping his hands on his clothes. From the opposite cell, directly across from him, sat the girl, staring intently.

A voice rasped from the other side of the girl's cell, "This is all your fault." It was Bernardo, though Tyler hadn't seen him put in a cell; he must have been placed there by the guard while Tyler's attention was elsewhere.

"Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gone around robbing people," Tyler retorted.

"Shut up, you cheap bastard! I'm doing this for a reason!" Bernardo snarled.

"Oh, and what reason could that be? Why would an E-Rank Hunter go around robbing people?" Tyler asked, then a detail clicked into place. Bernardo had been wearing no necklace today. "Why aren't you even wearing your Hunter's badge ?"

"It's none of your business," Bernardo spat.

Tyler, realizing he was getting nowhere, decided to keep quiet, his gaze returning to the quiet girl in the cell opposite his.

She just looked at him; her eyes were swollen, clearly the result of crying. Tyler studied her more closely. He felt a pang of sympathy. She was wearing the same brown cloak, but it was dirtier now, and her posture spoke of profound sorrow.

"Hey," he said softly, "what did you get put in here for?"

The girl remained silent, bowing her head, ignoring him.

Then, Tyler heard footsteps approaching. A guard stood before his cell. The guard produced a key, and after a brief fumbling, unlocked the cell door. "Lord Dean will see you now," the guard said. Tyler stepped out and followed the guard.