Writer's Note: Just released chapter 4 but here you go. Hope you like family histories, and the Rex's current situation is explained in this chapter.

Chapter 5: The Gorgon Clan

"Mom, I'm home," Rex said as he walked inside, taking his backpack out and saw a man his mom's age looking at him like a child who received a new toy. "Who are you?"

"Me? I am your grandfather. I just look young as Night Hunters gain eternal youth breaking past level 100. Of course, only Cheat Hunters know what level they are at. Say, ever noticed why your mom never aged? Well, now you know," the man cackled as his mother came in the living room, glaring at him. "I am Sean Gorgon, father of Gretel who calls herself Mary. Pfft. Some name that is."

"My mom said her parents are dead," Rex said, turning to his mom. "Gretel?"

"I own a rare accessory that cloaks my status as you Cheat Hunters call it. I wanted nothing to do with the Night since my mother died. I also have a brother, Hansel, but I hate him even more than I hate my father," Mary answered. "I never wanted you to be a Night Hunter, but you had it in your veins. Thus, I forbade you from ever going out at night. Who knew it was all for naught?"

"You cannot deny the Gorgon blood in this one. Has he been tested?" Sean asked.

"No. Like I said, I wanted nothing to do with the Night," she snapped.

"If you hate him....er, Grandpa Sean," Rex began as the man warned him with a glance. "Why invite him here?"

"Because you are both a mage and Cheat Hunter, like him. Night Hunters survive each other by joining factions. Most people without factions are lucky to reach level 40 without being killed for refusing an invitation. In this city, there are many clans and factions that live here, or nearby, as this area is one of a few where the veil between Earth and the Night is thinnest. Thus, this is one of the rare cities that need protection and provide the best training," Mary answered.

"Heh. When I found out your mother lived here, before you were even born, I was shocked. This was one of the last places I suspected her to live in,' Sean continued. "Anyway, kid, I was called to protect you. Some of the major clans and factions have Night Hunters above level 100 but the amount of people who could fight your mother could be counted on two hands. The number of Night Hunters that could fight me are none at all. Before I continue, did anyone see you fight?"

"Yes and no," he answered, confusing them. "I wore this mask. It is called the Mask of Illusions."

As he wore it, his mother was shocked while his grandfather clapped his hands with glee. There was no way to identify Rex his face was veiled in darkness. While a simple white cloak covered his body, everything he wore underneath was covered in darkness, even his hands. He would even look clean if he was submerged in a dust storm and took off the mask soon after it subsided.

"Interesting mask. I have one that changes my appearance into several others, but the effect of illusion immunity makes up for that," Sean approved. "That's a nice mask you got there kid. So you wore this mask and people only saw you as you are. Did they see your magic or weapon?"

"No, but I think they might identify the magic I used outside the hospital as I used Witch Fire," he answered.

"That unique spell? You have purple with energy inside you? Haha! You are one lucky brat. Witches are usually females, the males calling themselves warlocks. However, for the sake of tradition, you're a witch. You don't have the class, but you have the magic. Hmm. You're already level 9? Heh. You got a good head on your shoulders. The only reason you could have finished the quest so early, and leveled so fast, was because you saw and followed the pure-blood noble before the quest even started. Am I right?" his grandfather asked.

"Yes. I did follow it. I did not see any creatures of the Night in the populated areas and the vampire was the first I saw," Rex nodded. "I read that vampires are weak to fire and I do know fire magic."

"Yes. Yes. Good. So who saw you? Do you know them or at least identified some of them before you escaped?" Sean asked.

"I know three of them. I have Guitar class with them. They're names are Gaoli Qin, Suna Akira, and Soji Akira," he answered. "There was one beautiful girl with them. She seemed stronger than them, at least over level 10. I heard her saw she could not identify me with the item her father gave her, him being a Cheat Hunter."

'Since you have that mask, there was no way you could be identified while wearing it," Sean finished, already having assessed the mask. "That ring you wear is a Flame Ring Staff. Quite a bizarre staff you got, but travel ready to be sure."

"Haha," Rex laughed, surprised his staff could not be identified correctly and presented false information. He assumed it was due to the system and that only Lords of the Elements could identify it, like how he could not hide his title from them.

"Since it's like this, there is no better time than now to register yourself as a regular Night Hunter mage. I am your grandfather and already submitted the application. By now, people will believe I awakened your Night Hunter lineage and enhanced you to level 9. Up to that level, it's not hard but it is impossible to raise it to level 10," Sean said after a moment. "No doubt, you must have been notified by the system that you will get a class promotion first. To do that, you must take a promotion quest. Anyone can receive quests if a Cheat Hunter gives them the details for a price, the system halving the reward as they are not Cheat Hunters. The first promotion test is level 10, the second being level 30. After that, you're too weak to know. Your mother tells me your friend, Gary Hill, is a Night Hunter with the Dark Alchemist class. I imagine he used to be a Nature Alchemist before he discovered certain herbs and ores had nasty effects and wanted to pursue it."

"The Mad Alchemist title?" Rex asked, Sean nodding and saying that was prove in itself.

"You Cheat Hunters can only assess someone less than fifty levels above you. If fifty levels or higher, you only see their names, all other information beyond your grasp," Mary said. "You must have gotten $1,000 from the quest. Use that to buy a staff. You will use that staff with your alias. Make sure it is one that can be bound to you with self-repair effects."

"$1,000?" Rex repeated, his grandfather winking and Rex understood the situation. "But mom, it's $1,000. Can't I just buy a cheaper staff? I wanted to buy some video games or upgrade to a PS4. The new Kingdom Hearts game comes out as well as the new Final Fantasy game. Our internet sucks so I can't play Final Fantasy 14."

"Rex Cerberus Valentine!" his mother said, only ever including his middle name if she was ever truly enraged with him.

"You named him after the Hell Hound?" Sean asked, surprised.

"It was what mom wanted me to name my son," Mary said, her face showing signs of grief for a moment before it passed. "You will buy a staff close to $1,000. That is final."

"Alright," Rex said, disappointed he had to waste so much money but his mother was right. As his alias, he could do things that might make enemies but no one would know who it was. Meanwhile, he could use his more powerful staff more openly and he even had $1,500 leftover. Not even his grandfather knew he got $500 for killing the vampire leader.

"What will be my alias?" he asked. "I also want to sell the Heal skill."

"What? A rare skill and you're selling it?" she gasped, Sean shrugging.

"You already got a healing skill?" he asked.

"Life Drain. I also know Ki Blast. I heard that new Mundane turned Night Hunters learn 2 to 5 skills. I only learn three," he said, hiding his legendary skill as only a complete and utter fool would talk about it at all.

"Life Drain? You actually learned that? Heh. Impressive. It is quite rare for that to be an option. The skill book alone costs millions. Healing spells that also damage are by far more valued but have less healing effects," Sean laughed. "I sense a lot of people with witch energy in this city, even yours. I don't know that other energy inside you as it is dormant but must have affected your staff in some way. Someone knowing Witch Fire is more common than Witch Lightning. I have high hopes you make people realize that light, darkness, and lightning are not the top elements."

"What are the thirteen elements exactly and how are they categorized?" he asked.

"Well, the first Night Hunters are said to be Chinese. They have many methods that involve what they call cultivation. Other nations discovered their own methods but the most unique is what you and I have: a leveling system with a close relation to the system. Some people call the system God," Sean answered. "Mages used to only use four elements until more powerful creatures of the Night showed up and humanity progressed. Eventually, nine more elemental types of magic came to be. The elements are water, earth, fire, wind, lightning, wood, darkness, light, poison, blood, death, life, and void. The void element is the combination of all elements and none of them. It is a mystery but it is the most powerful element. Void magic is by far the most dangerous and only results in destruction and death."

What about the Void?" Rex asked, curious about where the bodies go as he had seen a werewolf and the vampires disappear in bursts of shadow. However, it only looked like shadow and was quite scary.

"The scary bit is the Void. All creatures of the Night, or Night Hunters, have their corpses enter the Void should they die after a fight. It is possible, only for light and death magic, to bring someone or something back to life from the Void. However, there are dire consequences and you don't exactly bring back the desired soul as it was. Sometimes, you bring back something extra."

"Such magic, you should never learn!" Mary roared, Rex unsure who exactly she was yelling at. Angered, she left.

"I failed to choose to save your grandmother while on a quest. Your Uncle Hansel used death magic to bring his mother back from the Void. Like I warned, he brought back something more than just my wife's soul. At first, she looked like my wife but she was not her. I cannot say anymore. I also hate my son but I had to save him from your mother's wrath. She was always the smarter, but fragile, twin," Sean sighed. "I know Void magic myself and I know that the success rate of only bring back the desired soul is 3%. Just that. If one of us suffers death do not seek to bring them back from the Void. It is best to let the Void keep its claim and remember the fallen as they were."

"Alright," Rex said.

"That necklace you have boosts strength by 2 and stamina by four. It is even a growth item. As for other effects, it might develop them. I suspect it has to do with that red energy of yours," Sean assessed, shocking Rex. "Don't worry. You are my, Sean Gorgon's, grandson. I will bring you harm. Bind this item and take out your soul stone."

"Okay. What is this exactly?" he asked as he bound a strange black diamond.

"So long as you have that on you, even in that tattoo of yours, it will mask the presence of the items you desire. Keep the black diamond in your inventory and the mask and medallion will either appear as an ordinary item or not detected at all. Make sure the mask is the latter. It is one of one hundred jewels known as the Thief King's Last Laugh. I have three and only need one. Be sure to never take it out of your inventory," Sean said, nodding as Rex bound the item with his mana and stored it in the tattoo. "Storage tattoos are the rarest and most hated storage items. Should you die, no one will be able to loot it. As for soul stones, they are also feared items."

"Why is that?" he asked.

"You can store the souls of those you kill into it. When a Night Hunter or creature of the Night dies, their body and soul become one and enter the Void. You can use the soul stone to trap them in their and make them your prisoners for all eternity, even able to draw out their mana or Ki when you wish. Such a heinous thing makes the mana booster and other such items look like shit," Sean laughed. "You know, having your most hated enemies be your prisoners for all eternity is quite relaxing. Even if you die, they cannot escape as you are the only one who can release them. The best part, anyone who has ever owned a soul stone cannot be imprisoned by one. That is why people only dare to own it once, bind it, and sell it back. Do not let anyone know you have that either. Another thing, you tend to forget their is someone inside so no worries about the soul stone talking or anything like that."

"Does it have a maximum capacity?" he asked.

"You actually want to store just anything in it? Yes, there is a max capacity: one thousand souls. It does not matter how powerful the soul is, but the more powerful ones are the best as their is more Ki or mana to draw from. If you ever release one, you devour it and gain the title Existence Gourmet. You gain stats based on whose souls you eat. The existence bit is because their existence, body and soul, is eaten by you and enhances your stats. The gourmet bit is that it is a rare thing to do," Sean said. "This is another secret why Cheat Hunters are so over-powered but no one knows this. Ordinary Night Hunters only get the title. Titles are the only system announcements they ever see without bargaining with a Cheat Hunter to gain a quest."

"Do you have the title?" Rex asked.

"Of course. If I have another enemy I hate more, or who has more Ki or mana; I feed on the less useful souls. Maximization of utilities, young Cheat Hunter. Remember those words," Sean laughed and said, "Soul stones are always quest rewards, the soul of the boss of the quest inside them. The soul stone is already bound upon allocation of quest rewards. Keep the soul in there until you pass one thousand and need to reconsider a replacement. You can only ever draw 1% of the mana or Ki of the soul, but it adds up and the numbers are never the same. That 1% is actually quite good the more souls you have. For now, leave thoughts of using it aside and only store powerful souls in it. If there is someone with vast knowledge, it is also good to seal them inside as you gain complete control and can access their memories. Not even memory altering or erasing spells can hide the truth from you."

"You mean to say that it is best for interrogation. Kill someone, store the soul inside, access the desired memory, and eat the soul if there is no further use for it?" Rex surmised.

"Brilliant. You aren't a total goody two shoes. I was worried there. You are the legacy of your mother, as she and Hansel are mine. No one will ever harm you or her. I will make sure of that," Sean laughed. "Go on to your room and do what you need to do with the black market. We can talk more after lunch tomorrow. We must assess your bloodline and see if you can gain the unique ability of the Gorgon Clan. Just think of Medusa but there is more than just the petrify effect that can result from staring with your eyes."

"i have school tomorrow," Rex said, Sean shaking his head. "No, you don't. You are a Night Hunter now. There will be people who will try to kidnap you because you are without a faction. You are even a mage. There are more illegal items that can be made with the body parts of a mage Night Hunter than the other two classes. You will be transferred to an academy for Night Hunters. The only restriction is that you must have your first class promotion. You will take the promotion test tomorrow. The Night Hunter Society will have already manipulated the Mundane high school records. Don't worry. Your mother says that your friend, Gary Hill, is also transferring since one of his best friends is finally a Night Hunter."

"My best friend's a Mundane," Rex said.

"He will have forgotten you this night, as all other Mundane. Only you will remember your friendship with him. This is how we keep to the Code. You still have your other friend. What? Did you think you could enjoy living in both worlds? Why do you think your mother confines herself indoors at night? Killing a creature of the Night, in the same area you live in, will make you a priority to kill among creatures of the Night. Should they discover your identity, your friends would be hunted and killed to get to you. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you that your Mundane life....is over," his grandfather said, patting Rex's shoulder and leaving him alone in the living room.

Rex dialed a number and said, "Gary, you are a Night Hunter?"

"Yeah. I heard your supposedly dead grandfather, from your mom's side, is actually THE Sean Gorgon. You got one scary grandfather.....I know you called me about Geo. Our three musketeers is now two. Should he find out about Night Hunters, he will be killed as he is not one himself. I didn't think you'd be a mage though. You seemed the warrior type," Gary said.

"I know the Ki Blast technique and I did go to a mixed martial arts gym....with Geo. Is this why you didn't transfer?" Rex asked.

"Yeah. I don't trust people born Night Hunters. It is extremely rare for a Mundane to turn into one, but there's your grandfather. My dad's always been cold to you, right? He didn't like me going to a Mundane school and living a double life. Now, he's ecstatic you are a Night Hunter and is buying me a Ferrari as I finally decided to transfer. The friend of my dad, a Cheat Hunter, told me I am level thirty two. I already knew I was around that as I passed my second class promotion test. We won't be in the same class, as you are a mage, but I will see you on campus. We have to dorm there. We study creatures of the Night, sparring, and other stuff in the day. At night, it is up to you if you wish to hunt creatures of the Night," Gary said.

"Is there, like, an age group or grade segregation thing?" Rex asked. "How does the school work?"

"You know how your dad's mom is Chinese, right?" Gary asked.

"Grandma Rong, right? Why?" Rex asked, his Grandpa Raymond teaching Rex and Sarah about Chinese culture since they could talk, read, and write.

"You remember the xianxia novels you read in your room and lend me sometimes, right? Well, the academy is like a martial sect. There are outer, inner, and core sect disciples. Outer core disciples are, supposedly, levels 10 to 29. Inner core disciples, unless they get first place in a competition between outer core disciples in a tournament, are usually levels 30 to forty. When you pass your promotion test, you will be admitted into the sect as an outer core disciple without needing to take the entrance exam. Your grandpa is that scary. He's probably the most powerful, and dangerous, Night Hunter in the entire city. He is certainly the most destructive as he is responsible for wiping out many small nations that pissed him off," Gary shivered.

"The new school is like that? My grandpa too?" Rex asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

"One time, a Night Hunter around my level didn't bow as he walked among a street of Night Hunters. Next thing anyone knew, he killed the man and the entire country the guy was born from. Code Keepers tried to stop him, but he issued a challenge to one. As he killed a Code Keeper, he was able to keep his life and was not punished. Some Night Hunter clans and organizations kept pictures of how the people died. The heads of each person in the entire nation was mounted on spires of rock fifty feet high, their bodies burned beyond recognition. If that ain't scary, I don't know the meaning of the word," Gary answered. "He is a Cheat Hunter and was last evaluated at level 230 over seventeen years ago, before you were born. Who knows what level he is now?"

"Wow.....that is scary," Rex gasped.

"You're new uncle is even scarier. Your mom, originally Gretel, should be above level 100. However, your new uncle, Hansel, is one of the top ten Night Hunters. He disappeared since he was last seen going into the Night. Some say he turned traitor. Others say he went mad trying to undo the crime he did of bringing your other grandma, Sean Gorgon's wife, back from the Void. He is super famous and used as an example for any Night Hunter who wants to bring someone back to life. Since your clan is famous, be careful who you trust in your class," Gary warned.

"How will I be...uh...placed or where will I go?" Rex asked.

"Even though students are divided between outer, inner, and core disciples; they still live in the same dorm area. Once the test is over, the nine factions of the school will first choose you. Then, you choose among the factions that chose you first. If none chose you, then you are randomly assigned to one," Gary answered. "Three factions only accept one type of class, like a mage or rogue only faction. That means you can only join one of seven factions. I joined the rogue only faction as they specialize in training just rogues and have a lot of magical treasures and skill books that suit me. Still, the best place to get anything is the black market. It's just not free and you don't earn them."

"What's the name of this school?" Rex asked.

"The Rain Dragon Sect," Gary answered, Rex narrowing his eyes as he heard the words. "The Sect founded by a Night Hunter who once lived long ago and wielded the Trident of Water. The Founder wielded very same fabled ultimate weapon of the 13 Lords of the Elements. Though the weapon is lost, this sect remains one of the best in the world. Good luck in your promotion test. The first promotion test always happen in the most dangerous place in the universe."

"And where is that?" Rex asked.

"The Night. Your promotion test will take place in the world of the creatures of the Night, itself," Gary said, stunning Rex as the call ended. He stood there, in complete silence, before heading to his room.