[Skywatch, Cosmodrome]
The sun shined, blaringly hot, the horizon was lined with desolate buildings that piled up one after the other. Each rusted and hollow, worn down by the elements.
Skywatch was an obsolete satellite bay once used in the golden age. With its hundreds of towers and control stations, it was a scrap goldmine, a technological marvel of the golden age, yet it had been hollowed out, reduced to breeding ground for the hive, vex and the fallen.
However, with a keen eye, one could barely spot the presence of something "veiled" in the city. A presence so inconspicuous, that its only traces were the mountain of corpses left behind.
The Fallen houses could not explain this phenomenon. Skywatch was a relatively safe haven during the day, but at night, it was a ruthless hunting ground. No matter who stepped in, at day break, their corpses would be littered along the barren wasteland.
But to the guardians? Skywatch was the residence of the legendary Nightstalkers. Hunters, who had mastered stealth itself, blending in the shadows, invisible to the enemy, and highly lethal assassins.
Currently Void had been dragged all the way to Skywatch central by Tevis, the leader of the Nightstalkers. Void was stunned to say the least, currently he was at the top of a satellite tower, peering down on the landscape.
Tevis stood beside him, leaning against the antenna tower, the veteran hunter chuckled,
"So, what do you think, I told you the view up here was quite breathtaking."
Void nodded, "I didn't expect a hunter like yourself to care so much about the scenery."
"Well when you spend a few years mucking about every shitty nook and cranny in the world, you start to appreciate the view a little. That aside, this vantage point is the best to survey the entire perimeter of the area. Anyone dumb enough to cross into Skywatch will instantly be hunted down", Tevis replied as he abruptly leapt off the tower.
"Wh-", Void was stumped for words. The winds rushed past his face as he recalled that this tower they were on was hundreds of meters high. In a fraction of a second, he shot up and leaned against the edge, looking for where Tevis was falling
'What the hell did he just do, there's no way anyone can survive that fall.' Void thought as he desperately darted his eyes around to search. He knew best that fall damage was an unbeatable enemy for every guardian/
But a second later he could see Tevis's body piercing straight down to the ground.
His gaze caught Tevis's as the hunter flashed him a sly smirk. A sudden influx of light gathered at his feet, and then the unthinkable occurred.
Void's eyes widened in shock, "-what"
Tevis shot towards the ground, similar to a diving hawk, the energy coating his body emanated a faint glow, it was densest around his feet. Immediately his legs jerked as he gracefully landed on the ground, planting himself down on all fours, almost as if he had dashed downwards midair.
Tevis got up from his stance, as he spread his arms wide, indicating for an applause, as the hunter raised his brows.
Voids hands were shaking as he tried to understand what had just happened. To him, falling damage was an absolute. He knew it far too well, his very first death had been to a fall.
But seeing what had just happened, he couldn't believe it. Immunity to fall damage? No, bullshit. Such an item didn't even exist in the game, let alone this reality he was in.
The system itself had also not shown him any hints for the past few days. It was barely a mission log for him that helped him navigate his powers and abilities, he felt that the system was waiting for something, something he couldn't explain. Currently Void was clueless, and now finally seeing a new breakthrough he wasn't aware of...
Ecstatic was a bit less to describe what he felt.
His Hud received a transmission as Tevis's voice sounded, "Really, I thought you would at least clap for that display, but I guess acrobatics aren't everyone's cup of tea."
Acrobatics? Void clenched his teeth, 'my ass'....
"How did you do that? Can you teach me that?" He asked immediately. 'If I can learn that skill...'
"Calm down there newbie, application of your subclass is pretty advanced stuff. I can't teach you all this complicated stuff when you've not even handled the basics. Why don't you climb down first, we can talk all about your training."
The transmission ended as he saw Tevis wave his hand, apparently waiting for him.
Void began steadily climbing down the tower, he had nimble movements, but no where near as fast as Tevis, in the end it took him a dozen or so seconds to climb down the rusted satellite tower.
Void dusted the rust off his hands as he walked up, "So, what do you mean by the basics?"
Tevis eyed him down one more time as he spoke, "Well to be honest, your combat capability is surprisingly better than average for your level. But the utilization of your abilities is horrendous. Almost like you're subconsciously limiting the possibilities. That isn't really your fault, light is a mysterious power. To completely master it, it takes ages. Thankfully guardians have an indefinite life span."
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Void's eyes narrowed at 'subconsciously limiting'. He didn't want to admit it, but it was true. After all, playing Destiny for all those years definitely had an impact on how he chose to live in this world. Overall, it was very helpful, he knew more about combat tactics than an average hunter, but his 'understanding' of light was rudimentary at best.
What else could he expect, to him it was but a game just a few months ago. Expecting to adapt to a new power and then master it to the level of monsters who had lived centuries? It was but a pipe dream for him right now.
His recent progress was already considered good by him, but to move further, Void knew he had to fundamentally understand what was 'possible' with light. His combat perks were something he had unlocked after experiencing battle.
He knew it was possible to unlock more perks and master them, but to listlessly perform random actions to try and unlock a perk? It was beyond stupid.
"Go on." Void replied.
"The best way to improve those shortcomings would be to force yourself to rely on your abilities, Once you're able to take the first step, the possibilities are endless." Tevis remarked, a faint energy covered his body.
With a flick of his fingers, Tevis went completely invisible.
Void was pleasantly surprised at this ability. It was completely different to the hunter invisibility he knew....
Tevis's voice echoed, coming from an unknown direction, like he was somehow everywhere, all at once, "The light gives you powers beyond your imagination. It lets you touch the very essence of the world. Whether it be strength, vitality or speed, intelligence, sprituality. Everything can be modified. Though certain people are better at controlling certain aspects of this power than others. Hence, the class system."
Void spun around trying to locate him, his eyes shined a faint blue as Mercurio's was activated...yet Void couldn't even begin to locate Tevis.
'He's not even on my radar....'
This sight terrified Void, a hunter capable of sneaking near you without you noticing? It was a certified death sentence...He now understood why Skywatch was the stronghold of Nightstalkers...No other race could hope to survive as long as they existed here.
The voice sounded again, "Titan, Warlock, Hunter. Just fancy words to classify what you're good at. Subclasses? Just how you apply your power. These are all names, fancy titles to help people recognize who they are. But the lines are much thinner than you realize. I am not saying you can learn spells like a warlock, or create walls like a titan, but you can definitely control your energy in similar ways. Though your application will be different."
Tevis waved his fingers as his figure appeared back in front of Void, almost as if he'd never left.
"How do I start?" Void didn't hesitate with his answer.
"Eager are we, well I suppose we do have a few weeks." Tevis brought out a simple dagger that he chucked towards Void.
"I will teach you the basics, but I can't guarantee that it will be easy. We'll focus more on the stealth aspect and mobility. I think you'll need those two the most." Tevis scratched his head.
Void nodded, gripping the dagger, he spun the blade around his fingers, and looked towards Tevis.
"Your first task is simple, stealth needs discretion, and discretion requires experience. I will give you a four days. Bring me the head of every Vandal that enters the borders. Of course, you can't be seen. If you fail to kill one, I will count it as a strike, miss more than five targets, and I won't be wasting my time on teaching you directly."
The hunters eyes turned resolute for a split second, his calm demeanor was almost seeming a façade.
'Basically a limited time bounty quest?' Void thought, he agreed and left to prepare for the night. If he wanted to be unseen at every kill, it would take some preparation. This was a quest he could not fail, as expected the system also recognized it.
===
{Legendary Guardian System}
!! New Side Quest initiated (Limited time)
*Skywatch Bounty (5 days remaining): Kill all vandals within Skywatch without being completely spotted by the enemy group. If user is identified and located, the quest will automatically fail.
Rewards: Tevis Reputation (+50), +Class Advancement Unlock, +xp, +Subclass Xp
Failing Penalty: Tevis Reputation (-20), Fallen Reputation (-100)
(A/N: Before you start shit talking the system and its penalties, think for a second that its just a visual representation of the actual consequences the MC will face if he fails, its not just bullshit. Random rant, anyways. Fallen reputation reduces because if he's identified they will know he's in Skywatch and increase his bounty. Keep in mind he already has a bounty on his head.)
===
[Graveyard, Kings Watch]
The sky had been muddled a murky blue through the smoke spiralling from fallen glimmer excavators, nearby a deep ravine had been dugout from century old mining, stretching endlessly downwards.
Below the valley was a single wooden shack. Dust had completely settled within the wood, it had became only a husk of what it once was, riddled with fungus and mould from the water collected through the seasons.
The floor squeaked with every step, threatening to fall apart at moments notice, but the man inside seemed to not care.
His presence was heavy, the shack seemingly quaked with each breath he took.
The man wore a seasoned armor, but it showed no signs of cracking. His bright yellow eyes peered through a breathalyzer mask, allowing him to breathe through the swampy air collected in the mines. A ripped maroon cloak hung from his shoulders covering his body.
The right side of his cloak was jagged and torn, just enough for him to swiftly jerk out his arm, a holster was hung at the same side, a sleek revolver strapped inside.
The gun had a base black grip but a faint golden barrel lined at the top. It's trigger seemed worn, indicating years of use.
The man sat facing the wall inside, when he suddenly turned his head towards the door.
His golden eyes lingered near the entrance.
The door swayed open, a cloaked figure slowly walked in, facing the man.
"Here I thought you three had no more business with me? To have you at my doorstep. What's the occasion." He chuckled hoarsely.
"Just some business you know, though I have to say, quite the unique place for a hideout. I suppose the down payment in the Devil's lair was too much for you?" The figure spoke.
The man stared at him with his brows furrowed.
"Not one for comedy, I see. I mean hey everyone's got their own interests, I don't suppose you're into ramen though? Come to think of it, I know this really good spot for spicy ramen, I can't say you've ever tried it tho-"
"Get to the point." The man sounded frustrated, his hands already leaning towards the right.
"Not one for conversation, noted. Anyway I am here on her orders, I think you already know what that means."
The figure tossed a green token engraved with embers towards the man.
The two looked at each other, a moment of pure silence between the two followed, until the man rubbed his hands over the token and spoke.
"I will see to it." He paused.
"But if this happens again, I might not be able to keep our little promise." The man clutched his palms, easily bending the token in half and dropped it to the ground, his eyes turned cold.
The figure seemed confused for a second, but then regained some composure,
"I will relay it to her exactly as you said. But hey, not gonna lie, might wanna invest in some air freshne-."
"Leave." The man interrupted.
The figure waved as he left swiftly, leaving the man alone in his thoughts.
His eyes darted towards the token on the ground, he couldn't help but click his tongue.
'An annoying errand has popped up.'
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