Golden flames struck the earth, blackening it instantly as surrounding foliage ignited in a hiss of fire and smoke.
The sizzle echoed through the clearing as River rose to his feet, his expression calm yet cold. He brushed off the dust and quietly locked eyes with the one responsible.
He didn't say a word.
He waited.
"A rat came out," Nolan said with a smirk, his voice dripping with mockery. "What's this? Hiding to peep at my girls? That what you're into?"
That's the conclusion he jumps to? River was honestly speechless.
He shook his head, his eyes narrowing with quiet seriousness. "I wasn't hiding to peep. I was observing. That's all."
"Oh?" Nolan arched a brow, clearly unconvinced. "But you fell under my radar. I don't think I'll just let that slide."
The women behind him turned to inspect River with lazy curiosity. Their eyes swept over his simple outfit and common equipment—nothing flashy, nothing rare.
Their sneers came a moment later.
"He came alone? Seriously?" one of the women said, laughing softly.
"This is suicide, not courage," another added with a shrug. "Though I'll give him props for making it this far."
"What now, Nolan? Are you going to kill the chicken?"
Nolan casually wrapped his arm around one of the women, his hand gliding to her waist as he leaned in to sniff her neck. Then, without looking away from River, he smirked.
"Hmm… you girls need some real combat experience, don't you? Well—" he raised his voice slightly, "—he looks like the perfect sparring partner."
River's jaw tensed.
He heard every word, loud and clear.
The women around Nolan brightened, lips curling with excitement. But River's gaze turned grim as he subtly scanned the area.
He didn't need to see Skills activate—he felt them.
The air around the women shifted, each in a distinct way: sharp, heavy, swift, fiery, cold. Subtle disturbances of space that revealed their elemental affinities, the markers of awakened power. All five of them had completed their Awakening Ceremony.
They're full-fledged Hunters, River thought grimly.
And knowing what kind of man Nolan truly was, River instantly understood—
He's been marked.
Marked for what?
Amusement.
"To be their damn playtoy," River muttered under his breath.
"I don't know what Level they are," River said louder, glaring coldly at Nolan. "But I'm just a normal human."
He took a step forward, eyes like sharpened ice.
"And what they say about you? It's all true. You're a lunatic. Arrogant. Reckless. You walk around like the world owes you everything. Doesn't matter if someone's stronger—you just do whatever you want."
Nolan's smirk only grew, but River didn't stop.
Right now, this man was called Nolan—but in the future, he'd take on a new name.
Helio, the Sun God Mage.
An S-Class Hunter known not only for his terrifying power, but for the chaos that followed in his wake. River remembered the headlines. The scandals. The crimes.
Wives and girlfriends stolen.
Loot taken straight from under the noses of other S-Class Hunters.
Government agencies, even the Hunter Association, publicly humiliated or provoked just because he felt like it.
He wasn't just strong—he was a storm that left enemies behind in every corner of the world.
And still, no one could stop him.
Until that day.
When it arrived.
The dimensional being River couldn't even perceive properly, he couldn't see them, he couldn't hear them. The creature that didn't just kill Nolan—
—it erased him.
No remains.
No soul.
Just a burning void where Helio, the self-proclaimed Sun God, once stood.
Arrogance was what made Nolan famous.
And in the end?
Arrogance is what got him deleted from existence.
Helio was just one of many S-Class Hunters who died that day. It was a tragedy etched into history—marking the first time since the appearance of the Portals that humanity stood utterly powerless. Earth faced a new calamity… and could do nothing but watch as Dimensional Beings slaughtered them without mercy.
But that was the future.
Right now, River had something much more immediate to worry about—the golden-haired menace standing in front of him.
If this guy wanted something, he would get it. Method didn't matter. Consequences didn't exist.
"I see you've done your homework," Nolan said with mild surprise, as if he found it amusing. His golden eyes narrowed as he studied River more closely. Then, with a small snap of recognition, he chuckled. "Oh yeah… you're that biker I almost ran over. Did you come here for revenge? Hah. Don't waste my time. I don't tolerate trash in front of me—and neither does my car."
River inhaled deeply.
Rage stirred.
So he really meant to hit me back then... Troublesome. Very troublesome.
Getting tied to someone like this—especially while still a normal human—was a recipe for disaster. River wasn't afraid to fight, but he wasn't about to throw away everything the Chosen One and the Last Hunters had sacrificed… just because this arrogant, golden-haired lunatic decided he wanted a show.
With his current strength, avoiding trouble was a strategy. If he went looking for fights left and right, he'd only be digging his own grave.
Still… standing face-to-face with the future Sun God Mage?
Easier said than done.
"So… what's the plan?" River asked. "I'm supposed to fight your women? One by one? Or all at once?"
The reply came not from Nolan, but from one of the women.
"We'll fight fair," she said with a sharp grin. "Unless you want to be ganged up on, huh? Right, babe?" She wrapped an arm around Nolan and pulled herself close.
"Mm-hmm." Nolan groped her without shame, eliciting a shriek and a giggle. His eyes, however, stayed locked on River. "So what'll it be? Run, and I burn you into ash. Or stay, and spar with my girls. And don't get any funny ideas—choose wisely, biker boy."
River sighed.
This guy... he's hitting every nerve I have.
Just listening to Nolan felt like a thousand nails being scraped against his brain. Now he truly understood why the Sun God Mage had so many enemies. It wasn't just his actions—it was his mouth. One sentence was enough to piss off an entire neighborhood.
The women around him laughed, their voices full of ridicule, watching River with growing amusement.
But River didn't react.
His expression remained still—serious, thoughtful.
Observe. Stay calm. He shifted his attention to each woman. Behind the excitement in their eyes, he sensed something deeper.
Malice.
A cold, suffocating kind. Like a wolf's hunger before a hunt.
He'd seen that look before. Many times.
And with the instincts honed from decades as a Hunter—facing humans strong enough to level mountains, monsters big enough to swallow cities—he knew what he was walking into.
This wasn't a simple spar.
It was a trap, to be their punching bag.
He didn't need to think any further.
River inhaled.
Exhaled.
Then, without a word, he turned—and bolted into the forest.
The women stood frozen in disbelief for a moment.
The golden-haired boy just smirked as River vanished between the trees.
"Well then…" Nolan said, licking his lips. "Let's go hunting, ladies."
"Let's catch up to him!"