Chapter-2

The Rome Hunter Association headquarters was a towering structure of glass and steel, standing tall in the heart of the city. Inside, dozens of screens displayed real-time dungeon activity, energy readings, and live hunter rankings.

At the main monitoring station, a young operator leaned back in her chair, sipping coffee as she absentmindedly scanned the reports. It was a quiet morning—no sudden dungeon breaks, no high-rank monster incursions. Then, a flashing red alert popped up on her screen.

[New Gate Detected – Outskirts of Rome

Energy Level: E-Rank

Estimated Threat: Minimal

Requesting Nearby Hunters for Clearance]

The operator raised an eyebrow. New gates appearing wasn't uncommon, but this one had seemingly materialized out of nowhere. Normally, gates gave off weak energy fluctuations before forming—this one had simply appeared.

She frowned and tapped her earpiece.

"Control, we've got a new E-rank gate near the outskirts. Requesting confirmation."

A static-filled response came back. "Confirmed. No prior readings detected. Just appeared."

That wasn't normal.

Shrugging, she flagged the gate for clearance and sent out an automated request to available B-rank and C-rank hunters in the area.

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At a nearby hunter café, a muscular man in a leather jacket checked his phone as a notification buzzed. His lips curled into a smirk.

"An E-rank dungeon? Easy money."

Tapping the screen, he accepted the request and headed out.

Across the city, a few other lower-ranked hunters did the same.

None of them had any idea that this dungeon wasn't natural. That it hadn't just appeared—it had been created.

Alejandro sat at the small dining table in his apartment, still trying to process everything. His body, his identity, the new world—none of it felt fake. It was as if he had always been here.

But the Divine Architect ability? That was different. That was something unnatural, something that didn't belong.

As he stared at the glowing blue interface floating before him, his phone suddenly vibrated.

[Hunter Association – Rome Branch]

New E-Rank Gate detected near the outskirts.

Nearby hunters requested for clearance.

Priority Level: Low

Alejandro blinked. An E-rank gate?

His eyes darted back to his interface, where the status of his newly created dungeon was displayed.

[Dungeon: Beginner's Trial

Status: Active

Location: Outskirts of Rome]

"No way... They already detected it?"

He exhaled slowly. This was happening much faster than he expected. He had only created the dungeon minutes ago, and the association had already marked it for clearance.

Without hesitating, he grabbed his jacket, his hunter ID, and headed for the door.

The streets of Rome bustled with life, filled with tourists, vendors, and the ever-present sight of hunters in combat gear walking among civilians. It was strange how seamlessly dungeons had become a part of daily life.

Hailing a taxi, Alejandro slid into the backseat and gave the driver the coordinates.

"Heading to the new gate, huh?" The driver, a middle-aged man with sunglasses, glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Saw the notification. You a hunter?"

Alejandro nodded, flashing his ID.

"B-rank, huh? Well, you'll clear that thing in no time. E-rank dungeons are a joke." The driver chuckled. He simply hummed in response, staring out the window as the city faded into the outskirts. His mind raced.

Would they suspect anything?

It was just an E-rank dungeon, nothing special. But still—this wasn't a naturally occurring gate. It was his creation and now, he was about to see it with his own eyes.

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The taxi rolled to a stop near the outskirts of Rome, where a small group of hunters had already gathered. The gate stood before them—a swirling vortex of dark energy, nearly three meters tall, flickering like a mirage in the midday sun.

Alejandro stepped out of the car, paid the driver, and adjusted his jacket. The sight of the dungeon gate, his dungeon gate, sent a thrill through him. It looked exactly as he had imagined—a faint green aura surrounding the entrance, indicating an E-rank threat level.

Nearby, a group of lower-ranked hunters chatted among themselves. He approached casually, slipping into their conversation.

"You guys also got the notification?" he asked, keeping his tone light.

A man with a shaved head and a thick beard turned toward him, his hunter ID clipped to his belt. C-rank. His gear looked well-used but not particularly expensive—probably an independent hunter like Alejandro.

"Yeah," the bearded hunter said. "Easy job. E-rank gates barely have anything worth hunting, but quick clears mean quick cash."

A younger hunter, maybe early twenties, nodded. "Still, this one's weird. The association usually picks up gates before they form, but this one just… appeared. No warning."

Alejandro played along, frowning slightly. "That doesn't happen often, does it?"

"Almost never" the younger hunter replied. "Gates don't just pop into existence. Usually, there's at least a few days of weak energy readings before they stabilize."

Alejandro nodded, pretending to be deep in thought. So they already found it strange. It made sense—dungeon formations usually followed specific patterns. His power had completely ignored that.

Before he could ask more, the sound of a car pulling up made the hunters turn. A sleek black sedan stopped near the gate, and a woman stepped out.

She was tall, dressed in a fitted black suit, with sharp green eyes that scanned the group with practiced efficiency. Her hunter association badge was pinned to her lapel. Official business.

The chatter among the hunters quieted as she approached.

"Good afternoon," she said, her voice clear and authoritative. "I'm Lucia Ferraro, an investigator with the Rome Hunter Association. Before you proceed with the dungeon clearance, I need to share some information."

Alejandro crossed his arms, listening carefully.

"As some of you have already noticed, this gate is unusual. It appeared without any prior energy fluctuations, which is not how natural dungeons typically form."

A murmur passed through the hunters.

Lucia continued, "That being said, all scans indicate it is an E-rank dungeon with no immediate risk of a break. However, given its unusual formation, the Association will be monitoring it closely."

Alejandro kept his expression neutral. They were already watching it.

"If any of you notice anything strange inside—abnormal monsters, unusual dungeon layouts, anything that deviates from standard dungeon structures—report it immediately."

The bearded hunter scoffed. "Come on, it's an E-rank. What's the worst that could happen? A goblin trips and stabs me in the foot?"

Some of the hunters chuckled, but Lucia didn't smile.

"That may be true, but we don't take risks with unknown dungeons," she said firmly. "Clear the gate as ususal, but if anything stand out from the usual exit the gate and inform the authorities"

Alejandro exhaled slowly. This was getting more attention than he had anticipated. He had created what was supposed to be a basic dungeon, yet the association was already treating it as an anomaly. He needed to see it firsthand.

Lucia gave a curt nod. "The clearance team can proceed. Good luck, hunters."

With that, she stepped back, watching as the first group prepared to enter the gate. Alejandro clenched his fists.

It was time to step into his own creation.