Level up the Colony

And that was suspicious.

He had searched for similar cases, but there were none.

This was the first of its kind, a complete dead-end.

Joshua exhaled, choosing his next words carefully.

"Though your family will be allowed to visit you, you're still under suspicion."

Timothy almost smiled at the mention of his family, but the rest of Joshua's statement killed it.

His expression hardened.

Joshua noted the shift.

A coping mechanism, he thought.

At least Timothy wasn't panicking.

"What exactly do you want?" Timothy asked, bluntly.

"A reassessment of your rank."

Timothy raised a brow.

"To others, you were the second person to be assaulted after Edward, the man responsible for three deaths. Edward is currently in custody, refusing to speak, but objectively? You're a suspect, too."

Timothy scoffed.

"And you think a rank reassessment will prove that?"

Joshua gestured to his colleague.

The young man lifted a hand and from thin air, an object materialized.

A small black device with a glowing orb resting on top.

"This is a magic power measurement device," Joshua explained.

"It may look different from the standard ones at the Hunter Association, but it's more accurate."

Timothy immediately understood.

They suspected he had faked his rank, that he was stronger than he let on.

He didn't care.

His rank was set in stone.

"Place your hand on it," Joshua instructed.

Timothy complied, pressing his palm against the orb.

The device hummed softly.

A faint, warm light flickered, then died out instantly.

Expected.

But Joshua's furrowed brows said otherwise.

His colleague also frowned.

Timothy noticed the reaction.

He quickly retracted his hand as the device beeped several times before stopping.

Joshua skimmed through the records in his mind.

E-Rank Hunter. Timothy Walters. 20 years old. Three previous reassessments.

And the same abysmally low magic output as before.

It was impossible.

Joshua's lips pressed into a thin line.

"So?" Timothy said, his tone dry.

"What's your next area of focus?"

The mockery in his voice was subtle but clear.

Joshua sighed and returned the device to his colleague.

"My advice? Quit. Being a hunter isn't for you. Your cooperation is noted. You'll be discharged soon."

He kept his tone neutral, but his body language betrayed his irritation.

With that, he stood and left.

Timothy remained seated, expression was unreadable.

His mind, however, was elsewhere...

This was how things worked in Nigeria.

If there was no benefit, officials wouldn't waste time entertaining you.

Even his hospital stay was likely a tactic to extract information before tossing him aside.

They probably already secured Edward for whatever they needed.

And they were hunting for more.

Too bad he was their worst option.

Exhaling deeply, Timothy turned his attention to more pressing matters.

His clothes. His bag.

And most importantly...

His mana crystal.

Timothy searched the hospital room, eventually spotting a bag tucked beneath his bed.

Inside, he found his phone and a small box, the one that should contain his mana crystal.

"At least that's still here," he muttered, relieved.

Then his eyes narrowed.

Nothing else.

"How am I supposed to leave without any clothes?" he grumbled, powering on his phone.

First things first, he checked his airtime balance.

Still enough left.

Good thing he always kept a reserve.

Just as he began dialing, a screen popped up in his vision.

[You have several unread messages.]

Timothy froze.

His first thought? A new feature on his phone?

But that didn't make sense.

The screen looked exactly like the one that had appeared when he was on the brink of death.

Plus, his phone wasn't advanced enough to generate holograms.

He doubted any phone currently could.

To be sure, he moved his phone aside, but the text remained floating in the air.

Timothy frowned but ignored it, continuing with his call.

The phone rang.

From outside the door, a K-pop ringtone chimed.

His mother's phone.

Timothy hung up immediately, stood up, and opened the door.

In the hallway, he spotted a woman and a teenage girl, speaking to someone as if looking for directions.

The girl saw him first.

She tapped the woman beside her, pointed in his direction, and within seconds, they rushed toward him.

His mother.

His sister.

His mother carried a bag, likely with clothes.

His sister held her phone instead.

No words were needed.

The moment they stepped into the room, emotions took over.

They checked him over, their hands moving instinctively, his face, arms, and chest as if making sure he was really there.

Finally, Timothy broke the silence.

"I'm fine," he reassured them, even striking a few exaggerated 'strong' poses to convince them.

After ushering them to the available chairs, the conversation turned to how the family had been coping in his absence.

Nothing major had changed, except they had used some money to buy him new clothes for the visit.

His younger siblings were in school, and his sister had taken permission to leave for the day.

Seeing his family again, Timothy felt an overwhelming sense of relief and regret.

He had almost given up in that dungeon.

Now, the thought filled him with shame.

Still, at least he hadn't left them burdened by his death.

He promised them he was back for good and not empty-handed.

The visit was short-lived.

His sister only had an hour before her next class, and his mother had to return to work.

Timothy understood.

They left behind food and clothes, giving him one last round of hugs before heading out.

The moment the door shut behind them, Timothy sat back and devoured the meal.

The rich flavors of the riverine dish made his taste buds sing.

With each swallow, one thought solidified in his mind.

'I must make money.'

It didn't matter how risky it was.

As long as it wasn't illegal, he would do it.

If it meant he could keep eating like this with his family, he wouldn't hesitate.

Finishing his meal, he exhaled deeply.

It was time to leave the hospital.

Joshua had already made it clear he wasn't wanted here anymore.

But one thing still lingered.

The floating text in his vision.

Even now, it remained at the corner of his sight.

Timothy had ignored it until now, preoccupied with something else...

The voice he had heard at death's door.

Yes…

This was the same screen.

It had mentioned something about a "King Player."

But after that? His memory was a blur.

It couldn't have been a hallucination.

Pressing a hand to his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat, he muttered:

"…I'm sure I was stabbed through the heart."

And yet, I'm still alive.

With a deep breath, he dressed in his new clothes and slung his bag over his shoulder.

Before leaving, he decided to entertain the floating text.

[You have several unread messages.]

"Alright, let's see them," he said.

Nothing happened.

Timothy frowned.

He reached out to touch the screen, only for his hand to phase right through it.

Annoyance prickled at him.

"Is this some kind of prank?" he muttered, shaking his head.

Pushing it aside, he grabbed his phone and the box containing his mana crystal.

A smile crept onto his face.

This was his reward.

His ticket to taking a break from hunting for a while.

He opened the box.

His smile vanished.

Inside was...

Nothing.

The mana crystal was gone.

Or rather…

All that remained was dust.

Timothy stared at the empty box in shock.

'Was I scammed? Swapped?'

That didn't make sense.

If someone had used the mana crystal, they wouldn't have left dust behind.

Then...

The dust inside shifted.

A thin hair-like strand poked out.

Then another.

Timothy reached in and pinched it between his fingers.

It wiggled.

An ant.

His stomach twisted.

'What the hell?'

An ant devouring an E-rank mana crystal was impossible.

Mana crystals, if mishandled, exploded, they weren't edible.

Yet, here was an ant.

Sitting right in the dust that used to be his mana crystal.

Timothy exhaled sharply.

"I should report this to the Hunter Association."

If a dungeon creature had made its way into the city, they needed to know.

At the very least, he might get a refund.

Closing the box, he grabbed his phone to make the call.

His screen lit up, several unread messages.

One from his mother (sent by his sister), a few from his network provider, and...

A loan app.

Timothy's face darkened.

He had secretly taken out a ₦30,000 loan for personal use.

Now, with interest, the debt had ballooned to ₦150,000.

"…Shit."

The stress was already piling up.

Then, it hit him.

The floating screen was still there, the same notification hovering in his vision since waking up.

With a sigh, he muttered,

"Open."

[There are two unread messages.]

— [Congratulations on becoming a King Player.]

— [Daily Quest: A Strong Body... is now available.]