Time: April 16, 2032. 12:30 PM.
Location: "White Tiger" Guild Headquarters.
The interior of the building was even more magnificent than its exterior. As Kenji and Laylo passed through the automatic doors, the view of the grand Hall took their breath away.
The floor was paved entirely with white marble, and the ceiling soared high into a dome that displayed a projection of an artificial sky. Holographic statues of famous S-Rank hunters rotated slowly along the walls.
Hundreds of people milled about:
Warriors in heavy plate armor, carrying massive axes on their shoulders.
Mages in expensive silk robes, sparks of mana drifting from their fingertips.
And, of course, the uniformed staff scurrying to serve them.
Laylo felt painfully out of place amidst such luxury. She tugged at her plain jeans and worn-out jacket, trying to hide behind Kenji's back. Even the janitor here seemed to be dressed more expensively than she was.
Kaori noticed their discomfort immediately.
"Mr. Kenji," she said gently. "Registration and testing take place on the 3rd floor. But before that... I highly recommend we stop by our 'Hunter's Boutique.' It's located on the 1st floor."
Kenji looked at Laylo. His sister stood with her head bowed. The girl who, for two years, hadn't bought herself a single new piece of clothing, selling everything she owned to keep him alive.
"Absolutely," Kenji said. "Laylo, let's go."
"Brother, we don't need to," Laylo whispered urgently. "This place is too expensive. We need to save money..."
"Save?" Kenji laughed, casually twirling the "White Tiger" Unlimited Black Card (limited, but with a massive cap) in his fingers. "We aren't here to save anymore. We're here to live."
The Boutique: Cinderella's Transformation
This was no ordinary shop. The clothes sold here were woven from special Mutant Silkworm thread and imbued with Protection Spells. They were bulletproof, fire-resistant, and self-cleaning.
The salesgirls initially wrinkled their noses at Laylo's attire, but upon seeing Kaori and Kenji (especially Kaori's badge), they immediately bowed low.
"Select the best for my sister," Kenji said, settling onto a plush sofa. "Price is irrelevant. The priority is comfort and protection. And... make sure it's beautiful."
The next hour passed like a dream for Laylo. She touched fabrics she had never imagined existed.
Kenji simply kept handing over the card.
Casual wear (made of light armored fabric).
Winter jackets (lined with heat-retention runes).
And finally, the "Moonlight" set—an outfit that looked like an elegant evening gown but offered the mobility of combat gear.
When Laylo stepped out of the dressing room, Kenji fell silent for a moment.
The new, pale blue dress fit Laylo's figure perfectly, hiding the fatigue on her face and bringing out the color of her eyes. She no longer looked like the scared girl from the hospital corridor; she looked like a true Princess.
"You look beautiful," Kenji said sincerely. "Truly beautiful."
Laylo blushed and looked in the mirror. She felt as though she were seeing the happy Laylo from two years ago—before their parents died.
Kenji walked up to her and gently squeezed her shoulder. An invisible, warm current (Healing Mana) flowed from his hand, washing away the minor aches in her body, the stiffness in her back, and the old pain in her knee.
"A small gift for you," Kenji whispered. "You will never wear old clothes again."
"Thank you, brother..." Laylo bit her lip to keep from crying.
3rd Floor: The Moment of Truth
After shopping, their spirits were high. They took the elevator up to the 3rd floor—the "Assessment Center."
The place was crowded. Young, newly "Awakened" kids and experienced hunters looking to re-measure their strength stood in lines.
In the center of the room, encased within a massive, transparent glass capsule, was a pitch-black Crystal Orb. It was connected via thick cables to large monitors.
"This is the 'Mana Measurement Sphere'," Kaori explained. "It determines both the Quantity and Quality of your Mana."
Mana Quantity: Determines how much magic you can use.
Mana Quality: Determines the power and density of your magic.
The next guy in line, a confident youth around 20 with dyed blonde hair, placed his hand on the Orb.
The Orb glowed red.
[Monitor:]
Quantity: 450 (Average).
Rank: C-Rank.
"Yes!" the guy shouted. "C-Rank! I'm joining the elite!"
Those around him looked on with envy.
"It's your turn, Mr. Kenji," Kaori said. "Please place your hand on the Orb and direct your internal energy into it."
Kenji approached the Sphere.
Everyone in the hall watched with interest (since Kaori was personally supervising him, he seemed like a VIP).
Kenji made a quick calculation internally.
My mana is eighty-year-old, fully purified Essence. It's not normal mana. If I release it fully, this Orb will explode. The whole building might go up. I need F-Rank. Just enough to get a license.
He placed his hand on the cold crystal surface.
Kenji tightly sealed his internal "Dantian" vault. From it, he leaked only the tiniest, weakest trickle of mana—no bigger than the tip of a needle.
It was like taking a single drop from an ocean.
The Crystal Orb flickered with a dim, very faint white light.
The monitor began to display numbers:
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS]
Mana Quantity: 7 (Normal human: 5. Hunter minimum: 10).
Rank: F- (Extremely Low).
People in the hall began to whisper.
"F-minus? What does that even mean?"
"Can he even be a hunter?"
"He's just a regular civilian. Why is Miss Kaori wasting her time on him?"
Kenji sighed with relief internally. Perfect. The plan worked. I am officially the weakest.
But then... the second part of the Monitor—the "Mana Quality" scale—began to function.
The machine attempted to analyze that "single drop" of Kenji's mana.
Although small in quantity, this drop was created from the essence of Cosmic Demons and Ancient Gods. Its density was millions of times heavier than any mana found on Earth.
The lines on the monitor screen spiked violently.
[QUALITY ANALYSIS: IN PROGRESS...]
[WARNING! DENSITY UNDEFINED!]
[ERROR CODE: 666-ERROR]
Black smoke began to swirl inside the Crystal Orb. The sphere itself started to vibrate, emitting a low-frequency, ear-splitting hum.
VZZZZZT!
Technicians came running.
"What's happening? The system is overheating! Turn on the cooling!"
Kenji immediately pulled his hand away.
Oops, he thought. Maybe I overdid the quality a bit.
The Orb calmed down. The monitor flickered and spat out the final result:
[FINAL RESULT]
Quantity: 7 (F-Rank).
Quality: Unknown / System Error (Probable Malfunction).
Conclusion: F-Rank Hunter (No Potential).
The hall filled with laughter.
"He broke the system!"
"His mana is so low the machine probably thought, 'What is this?'"
Kaori, however, did not laugh. Her eyes narrowed. She stared intently at Kenji.
The machine gave an error... But I saw it with my own eyes. The Orb vibrated. That wasn't normal weakness.
A technician walked over and tapped the monitor.
"Apologies, Miss Kaori. Our sensor seems to be outdated. This guy's rank is definitely F. He might not even be able to use magic. He'll have to rely solely on physical strength."
Kenji shrugged and scratched his head, feigning embarrassment.
"Ah, what a shame. I thought I'd be S-Rank. Oh well, F isn't bad. Do I get the license?"
Kaori took a deep breath and restored her professional smile.
"Of course. Rank doesn't matter as much as effort. Congratulations, Mr. Kenji. You are now an official Hunter."
She handed Kenji an ID card made of black plastic with a white "F" printed on it.
Kenji took the card.
This card was his "camouflage" in the new world.
"Thanks," he said. "Can I legally enter the 'Tower' now?"
"With an F-Rank, you are only permitted on floors 1 through 5. And only as part of a group," Kaori stated. "Entering alone would be suicide for you."
"A group..." Kenji looked at Laylo. She was glowing in her new clothes. "I have my group. And we'll start from Floor 1."