[Three Days Later]
The past three days, Alaric took the time to relax and settle in—he had accompanied Cordelia back to the South Korean hunter association branch to discuss what had happened in the tower, and to get a reevaluation of his ranking as a hunter. After that, he had decided to get an apartment and a change of clothings after all, he had lost most of his stuff from the tower appearance.
Currently Alaric was sitting on the couch watching the news when his phone beeped to life, the screen flashing showing Cordelia's number. He picked it up and waited for the other end to talk.
"The association reevaluation exam is today. Be sure to make it on time."
"That's cold, no good morning, no hello just straight to the point, cold, cold."
Alaric almost laughed when he heard the tsk from the other end of the line.
"Fine, I'll be there, no need to blow a gasket princess."
After the call hung up, Alaric got up and stretched. "Sentinel" He called out the pseudo name he had given the system in his mind.
[Yes?]
"What is my current level?"
[Your current level is high Saint ]
"High saint?"
[Yes as you are no longer a human being, your level is measured like the monsters and gods, currently you are high Saint, a level above Sacred and below Awakened]
"Ah, in human terms?".
[Continent level hunter]
Alaric stared at the screen—his stats were beyond the roof, even his strength stats was over a hundred. He glanced at his hands, his eyes penetrating through the skin and seeing the energy around them, a bright spark of dark black and red swirled around him. He let out a whistle and clenched his hands grinning, from SSS+ with no ability except body enhancement to this state.
Not wanting to keep Cordelia waiting, Alaric grabbed his cloak and left his apartment.
He took his sweet time walking the rebuilding streets of the city, the low level hunters transporting monsters for harvesting, regular civilians going to work. Life was almost back to normal since the disaster three years ago.
Alaric approached the hunter association headquarters and awaiting him, standing just outside of view was a fuming Cordelia who was glaring daggers at him, impatiently tapping her foot on the gravel.
"What took you so long?"
Alaric grinned, the look on her face made her look cute... Wait!? Cute? He thought to himself shaking his head, when did he find her cute? It was like the word itself randomly inserted itself into his mind. Clearing the thought process, he glanced at Cordelia and cheekily showed her his tongue. "Bleh, didn't know prickly princess could get anymore madder I'm so glad I took my sweet time, wouldn't miss this for anything."
"Why you!!"
Alaric laughed as he entered the building main floor. As soon as he opened the doors, all eyes fell on him and he ignored them, he made his way to the reception, Cordelia following behind him causing whispers to fly around, with some of the younger hunter glaring holes at him—Something Alaric took note off, and simply discarded, focusing on his objective for the day.
His rank evaluation.
"Hello, I'm here to get my rank reevaluated." He started staring at the receptionist in the eye, but before the receptionist could give instructions, the large doors swung open and a man with feral black eyes and wild red mane like hair wearing custom leather gear walked inside, on his shoulder, a humongous blade slanted casually.
The man walked to the reception and stood side-by-side with Alaric, his imposing height dwarfing that of Alaric. "Where's the chairman? I want to see him."
"T-the chairman is supposed to be spectating an evaluation today, his schedule w-won't be open till tomorrow." The receptionist stuttered while keeping her face composed.
"Who is taking part in the evaluation?" The man asked in his usual grumpy, rough voice.
The receptionist pointed at Alaric and the man's eyes followed before he let out a howl-like laughter, which shook the building from its intensity. "Him? Guess the association has lost it's mind if weaklings like him are getting rank evaluations."
Alaric looked at the condescending man, unimpressed at his showboating. " If idiots could join, I don't see how much more insane the association could be."
The main reception went deadly quiet, the air stood still and in a blink a pressurized shockwave shot past Alaric cutting some of his hair and the wall behind him exploded from the attack. Alaric looked at the tip of the blade that was by his side, his eyes unflinching as he stared at the eyes of the man who had a murderous glint in his.
"Care to repeat that pepsqueak?"
Cordelia seeing the inevitable clash between Alaric and the man, she stepped between them. "Cut it out William."
William glared at Cordelia. "Step out of this woman, this is between me and him, unless he is too chicken to back up his talk. Then he should hide behind your skirt."
Alaric's eyes dangerously narrowed after the comment. He put a hand on Cordelia's shoulder prompting the woman to crane her neck to look at him—she saw the look in his eyes and understood one thing.
His pride was on the line.
She nodded and distanced herself from the two men.
Alaric closed the distance between him and William, his eyes cold as the frosting winter and he craned his neck to look up at William. "If you want a fight say so, I can fight you, anywhere, any place, any time. If you want it now, follow me."
Alaric turned and left the main hall heading to the association training facilities, William followed behind him and behind William were other hunters who wanted to see this mysterious, newcomer who dared to challenge a SSSS+ Ranker on the verge of being a nation level hunter, a rank below continental hunter.
Alaric stopped on the other end of the training grounds and William took his respective position. Both men held their weapons, William welding a double-bladed broadsword with a blood tint running through it and Alaric holding a shorter sword that looked close to a dagger the shape of a tooth.
A mysterious, cold wind blew across the training grounds acting as a signal to start for both men—and into action they flew, broadsword met a dagger and the impact of their collision created a shockwave that blasted against the barrier the receptionist had conjured before they charged causing it to weaken slightly.
Sparks flew as the blades danced across each other at lightning speeds. With every powerful blow William threw at Alaric, the latter would equate it and match him blow for blow something which William was not used to.
William put a distance between them and looked at Alaric who was dusting his cloak—a scowl married William's face but he quickly masked it with the condescending smirk he wore. "Not bad for a weakling... But tell me, how would you dodge this?"
DAWNING TIGER
William raised his sword and the blood red taint running over it started to leak to the handle and his right hand—his nails turned to claws a bit and the air around him started to scream as if it was being burnt, in one fluid motion, William swung the sword down releasing a powerful aura in a straight line aiming to cut right through Alaric.
The attack hit where Alaric was and bystanders watched with anticipation waiting to see the aftermath of the attack—their anticipation was rewarded by a loud scream, a shower of blood and a hand holding the sword flying through the air. Alaric raised his hand and caught the arm in his hand.
"Is that all?"