The elevator hummed as it ascended slowly through the upper floors of the National Hunters Association headquarters in Beijing. Evon stood quietly beside Commander Jaun Huang, arms crossed, his face calm.
They said little.
Only moments ago, Evon had completed his full evaluation—passing every trial, resisting every scan and spell test. He had exceeded every ceiling, produced results unknown in the Association's databanks. But now that it was over, something subtle stirred behind his eyes.
Jaun turned to him inside the elevator.
"We've confirmed it with the directors," he said. "If made public, your rank will cause a national stir. International attention, too. No one has ever scored above SSS. And your test showed an undefined ceiling. They want to name you *SSS+ Unbound Class*. We can make the announcement in two hours."
Evon remained still for a second.
Then he spoke. Quietly, but firmly.
"I'd like to change that."
Jaun raised an eyebrow. "Change the classification?"
"No," Evon replied. "Change what goes public. Don't reveal the undefined rank."
The elevator slowed.
"Why?" Jaun asked. "This rank qualifies for upper strategic privileges. Direct command access. Global guild reach."
Evon's voice was even. "I'm not ready."
Jaun studied his face. Serious. Unshaken.
"I may have the potential, but I haven't operated as a Hunter before yesterday. I've never cleared a dungeon by ranking standards. I've never led a raid. I've never worked alongside an actual squad."
"You saved a team from gate corruption singlehandedly."
"That isn't experience," Evon said. "It was instinct and power… but raw power isn't mastery. I don't want to walk into every mission with eyes watching me like a national icon. I need space. Time."
Jaun nodded slowly. "Then what rank should we report?"
Evon looked ahead as the elevator doors opened.
"Call me the 32nd S-rank Hunter of China."
Jaun blinked once, then gave a short breath of amusement.
"We already have 31 official S-ranks, and currently no appointments pending. That number will feel believable—high enough to draw interest, low enough to keep serious media silence manageable."
Evon stepped onto the marble floor ahead of him. "Just enough to watch without crowding. That's fine."
—
National Broadcast: CNH News Segment | 10:00 PM
Title: "BREAKING: China Confirms 32nd S-Rank Hunter Candidate"
**Anchorwoman Mei Lin:**
"This evening, the National Hunters Association of China officially confirmed the appointment of our nation's 32nd S-rank Hunter. Though details remain minimal, the newcomer—named **Evon Wang**—underwent approval following a classified dungeon mission in the southern Baiyun sector."
*[Cut to press conference footage of Commander Jaun Huang standing beside a silhouetted Evon]*
**Jaun Huang (Statement):**
"Hunter Evon Wang demonstrated field-level S-class capability and resolved one of the highest-risk anomaly gates we've encountered this quarter. He will begin his early missions with limited media access and is now entered into the national Hunter registry as Rank S #032**."
*[Overlay: "Evon Wang – Registered Hunter, Age Unknown – Class: S"]*
**Anchorwoman Mei Lin:**
"Notably, this makes China the second Asia-Pacific nation to reach over 30 officially classified S-rank Hunters—a record previously held by South Korea and India. While most details regarding Wang's background are redacted, the association assured that he passed quality trials with zero failures."
[People on the street interviews play briefly after:]
**University student in Beijing:**
"I tried searching him online—there's almost nothing. No high school registry, no online matches. Is he some kind of guild secret weapon?"
**Mid-level C-rank Hunter, Shanghai:**
"If he's really an S… why now? Where was he this whole time?"
**Old woman in a temple district:**
"He looked familiar somehow. Like someone from a dream."
—
The news spread over the next 48 hours. Social networks overflowed with speculation. Guild forums posted threads dissecting Evon's grainy gate footage from leaked helmet cams. In them, he was seen briefly leaping against the corrupted mantis beasts… nothing compared to what had truly happened—but enough to start myths.
Some nicknamed him "The Sleeping Sword." Others called him "Silver-Eyed Breaker."
—
Evon's Routine — 2 Weeks Later
Despite the growing online buzz, Evon kept his rhythm simple.
He didn't join a guild.
Didn't give a press interview.
Didn't make a speech.
Under Commander Jaun's directive, he was given a temporary Class-A license with a roaming gate-clearance permit. This allowed him to operate in any unclaimed city sector within China, as long as he checked in via the national gate registry every evening.
And that's exactly what he did.
Day 1: Chengdu Outer Edge Gate — Rank B
It was a broken glass-field valley. Evon moved alone, adapting to the new **Blade of Fate**, learning how each element responded differently in Earth's mana.
He used Naia's water to sense heat signatures beneath terrain. Veyra's cyber stream to trace movement in shadows. And Sythara's dragon-enhanced mobility to leap across jagged barrens.
Enemies included crystal serpents and arcane-spawned phantoms. Simple, quick.
Evon logged the completion via a discreet wrist transmitter, marked: **Gate Cleared – Solo / 00h:41m.**
Day 3: Hangzhou Industrial Zone Gate – Rank A
This one featured mechanical war beasts and a smog-fueled hell, simulating deep artifact corruption. Evon switched to Veyra's frequency—summoning a basic cyber construct to test feedback systems.
The fight wasn't difficult, but the high-metal suppression zone weakened holy and fire affinity. Instead, he relied almost entirely on base strike patterns. He didn't rush the kill. He tested angles. Checked indirect magic flow under obstructions.
Completion Time: 02h:19m. No injuries.
—
Meanwhile, at HQ:
Commander Jaun remained quiet about Evon's true standing. None of the guilds under the national registry had clearance to approach.
That didn't stop the curiosity.
Two formal letters were received by Jaun's desk:
1. From the **White Fang Guild** in Hong Kong – Requesting to offer Evon a contract worth 50M yuan with command privileges if he joined for six months.
2. From **Seun-Kai Academy** in Seoul – Requesting Evon appear for a dual-nation guest training showcase.
Jaun's secretary filed both under: *"Pending – Candidate Discretion Required."*
Jaun read them, then set them aside.
Day 12: Northern Border Gate – Rank A Tier
This was near the town of Heihe, close to the Russian border. A snowy mix of terrain and long-range aerial threats. The gate was marked as semi-instability fluctuation.
Evon stood at the entrance in silence.
Two other B-rankers were meant to clear the gate.
Instead, they were resting near the base camp, one with his shoulder in a sling.
"Are you the one assigned?" Evon asked quietly.
The older Hunter nodded. "Took a hit from a wing-beast—athrill-class. Nearly clipped my spine. The regen team's on the way."
"No active boss monsters?"
"Possible echo signature underground. Not confirmed."
Evon nodded. "I'll take it from here."
He didn't announce himself. Didn't explain. Just entered.
Time to clear: 56 minutes.
Six mid-class monsters, one tier-A echo shifter boss. Adaptive magic.
Evon logged the anomaly and neutralized it cleanly with Naia's stillwater suppressant aura.
After returning, he handed a written report to the resting Hunter.
"You can submit the findings. Credit the association."
"…Wait, you're—?"
Evon was already walking away.
—
BACK IN THE WORLD
Days passed. Some media began noting the oddity:
- The 32nd S-rank hadn't joined a guild.
- He hadn't posted a net profile.
- His clear times were reported manually.
- His combat patterns showed precision—but no fanfare.
A forum post went viral:
"Evon Wang: The S-Rank Who Doesn't Smile, Doesn't Speak, and Doesn't Stop."
Two camps formed—
Supporters:
"He's focused. He gets the job done. Not everyone needs to sell merch or brag on live feeds."
Skeptical Analysts:
"He's a front. Probably stronger than they'll admit. Too clean. It feels staged."
One message appeared on a battlefield-themed podcast:
"If he's really just a regular S, explain why two gates downgraded after his entry with minimum engagement time. I've never seen cluster monsters retreat naturally."
No one had an answer.
Not yet.
—
At Jaun's Office – End of Week 2
Evon returned and dropped off his log reports.
Jaun nodded, reviewing the data.
"You've cleared seven gates solo. Two showed unusual mana stability shifts post-clearing. One even registered anomaly recoil."
Evon replied evenly, "Still learning how Earth's version of mana reacts to cross-elemental usage."
Jaun closed the folder.
"Any progress on identifying your sealed companions?"
"Not yet. But I feel I'm getting closer. Their energy is faint, but appearing more often in gate zones. I think their seals may be connected to rift convergence activity."
"Unusual places?"
"Some gates flickered with world-transfer echoes. Minor—like dust in light. I've marked three zones for reinspection. If I'm right, the seals are disguised inside gate anomalies. Very old magic."
Jaun leaned back. "We'll give you continued autonomy. But if anyone catches wind of your true ranking…"
"I understand," Evon said simply.
"Good. You're adapting faster than most do over a decade."
Evon gave a quiet nod and headed toward the lift without another word.
As the doors closed and the corridor's polished lights reflected in the glass, Evon closed his eyes briefly.
Somewhere out there… five seals lay untouched beneath layers of mana, portals, and fate.
He didn't know how long it would take.
But each day, each gate, brought him closer.
____________________