Chapter 27: Public Enemy

Footage of me stopping the building spread across national broadcasts within minutes.

I sat in the back of the armored transport, still wearing the hunter suit, watching the small screen mounted on the wall. The video played on loop on every channel, my hand raised, the massive structure frozen midair, then gently lowered to the ground.

News anchors struggled to explain what millions of viewers were seeing in real time.

“We are still attempting to verify the identity of this individual,” a female anchor said, her voice tense and uncertain. “What you are witnessing appears to be an unprecedented display of power. Sources inside the Hunter Association are calling it an ‘unknown high-tier manifestation.’ We have no official confirmation yet.”

The male anchor next to her jumped in. “Some experts are already hailing him as a hero who single-handedly prevented a major tragedy. Others… are urging extreme caution. This kind of ability has never been recorded before.”

Soren sat across from me, scrolling through reports on his tablet. “It’s everywhere, Elias. Over sixty million views in less than an hour. The story is moving faster than we can control.”

I stared at the screen, feeling sick. “They’re scared. Look at the comments. They’re already deciding what I am.”

Social media had completely erupted.

@HunterDaily: HERO!!! This guy just saved dozens of lives in seconds. We need more like him!

@GateTruthers: Weapon. The Association created something worse than the dungeons. #AbyssMonster

@RealPatriot88: That’s not a human. That’s the monster that came out of the Abyss Gate. Lock him up before he kills us all. #MonsterVerne

@PowerWatcher: If he can stop a building like that, what else can he do? We need him under control NOW.

I felt my chest tighten painfully. “They’re calling me Monster Verne. I saved those people and they’re already deciding I’m the enemy. Some want me as a hero. Others want me dead. There’s no middle ground.”

Soren looked up from his tablet, his expression serious. “Public reaction is always like this at first. Fear comes faster than gratitude. The government is already demanding answers from the Hunter Association. They want full control over you and all information related to the Abyss Gate incident.”

The screen switched to a live press conference. A high-ranking government official stood at a podium, face grave. “The Hunter Association has been asked to provide complete and immediate transparency regarding this new asset. The safety of our citizens must come first. We will not allow uncontrolled power to operate freely within our borders.”

“Asset,” I repeated bitterly, my voice cracking. “That’s what I am to them. Not a person. Just an asset they want to own or destroy.”

Soren nodded. “The classified emergency meeting started fifteen minutes ago. High-level government officials, Association directors, military advisors…they’re all there. They’re deciding your future right now while we drive.”

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, feeling the weight of everything crashing down. “And what if they decide I’m too dangerous to exist? What then? Do they just erase me?”

Soren didn’t answer immediately. He tapped his tablet and turned the screen toward me. The feed showed a closed-door meeting room. The audio was partially muffled, but one voice came through clearly.

A senior government official leaned forward, his face hard. “We have reviewed the footage and the preliminary reports from the scene. This Elias Verne is the sole survivor of the Abyss Gate expedition. He carries unknown power that defies every classification we have. The question before this committee is simple and urgent.”

He paused, then delivered the words that changed the entire political landscape:

“If we cannot control him… we must eliminate him.”

The transport fell silent except for the low hum of the engine.

I stared at the screen, cold spreading through my entire body. “They want to kill me. Just like that. After I saved those people. After everything I just went through. They’re already talking about eliminating me.”

Soren lowered the tablet slowly. “Not everyone agrees. But the faction pushing for immediate neutralization is gaining support fast. They see you as an uncontrollable variable. A walking Abyss Gate that could open at any moment.”

I pressed my hands against my face, breathing shakily. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I just wanted to matter. Now the whole country is watching me, and half of them want me dead. The other half wants to use me like a weapon. Where does that leave me, Soren?”

Soren watched me carefully. “It leaves you exactly where you are. The most important and most dangerous person in the country right now. The meeting is ongoing. Decisions are being made as we speak.”

I looked out the small reinforced window. City lights blurred past, but all I could see were the fearful faces from earlier, the little girl crying, the hunters backing away, the crowd treating me like a monster.

The system interface appeared faintly in my vision.

\[CONTAINMENT STRESS DETECTED\]

I closed my eyes.

They weren’t just afraid of the power I showed today.

They were afraid of what I might become tomorrow.

And now, powerful people in closed rooms were deciding whether I should even be allowed to exist.