The Aurelion Hunter Guild's evaluation hall was never quiet, but on that day, it felt unnaturally tense.
Hunters lined the long marble corridors, some waiting for promotion, some praying not to be demoted. Mana floated faintly in the air, pulled by the massive relic at the center of the hall — the Astra-Core Crystal, an ancient measurement device that had once evaluated heroes who fought demon lords.
Kaien Vlorian walked in wearing the same badge he had three years ago.
Rank: E
Several people stared.
Some whispered.
"Is that a joke?"
"Why is an E-rank here?"
"Does he know this test costs more than an E-rank makes in five years?"
Kaien stopped at the front desk and calmly placed his badge down.
"I'm here for re-evaluation."
The guild receptionist looked at the badge, then at him.
"…Full re-assessment?"
"Yes."
"You understand the risk? If the crystal detects falsification, it can permanently damage your mana core."
Kaien nodded.
"I'll take it."
The fee was paid.
The doors opened.
The Crystal of Measurement
The evaluation chamber was enormous. At its center floated the Astra-Core Crystal, a glowing pillar of ancient magic, engraved with runes that even modern mages couldn't fully understand.
Only one thing was certain:
It never lied.
"Place your hand on the crystal," the examiner ordered.
Kaien did.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then the crystal lit up.
Numbers exploded across the runic screens.
500
2,000
6,000
Several examiners straightened.
"That already exceeds B-rank…"
The numbers continued climbing.
15,000
40,000
90,000
"…That's A-rank territory."
The crystal began to vibrate.
Mana pressure filled the room.
200,000
500,000
One examiner whispered, "That's S-rank… no, beyond it."
Suddenly—
The numbers stopped.
They flickered.
Then they turned into—
???
"What…?"
The crystal tried again.
The runes glowed brighter, forcing another scan.
New values attempted to form…
Then collapsed into distorted symbols.
[VALUE UNDEFINED
EXISTENCE OUT OF RANGE]
A loud crack echoed.
A fracture ran through the Astra-Core Crystal.
"Stop the scan!" someone yelled.
Kaien pulled his mana back instantly.
But it was too late.
The crystal shattered, exploding into glowing fragments that scattered across the chamber like falling stars.
Dead silence.
The Astra-Core Crystal had existed for over three hundred years.
It had measured Demon Kings.
It had measured Legendary Heroes.
It had never once broken.
Until now.
One examiner whispered, voice shaking,
"…It couldn't assign him a rank."
Another swallowed.
"…Not S-rank…"
"…Not SS-rank…"
The room erupted into murmurs.
"…Is he some kind of god?"
Kaien looked at the broken crystal.
"…Did I do something wrong?"
No one answered him.
After intense discussion behind sealed barriers, the chief examiner finally returned.
"Kaien Vlorian."
The entire hall went silent.
"Your power exceeds what our measurement systems can classify."
"The Astra-Core Crystal failed to quantify you."
"Therefore…"
"we will assume you're SSS rank."
"For now…"
"You will be recorded as SSS-Rank."
"But understand this…"
"…Your true rank may be far higher than anything the Guild recognizes."
The evaluation hall was still frozen in shock when Kaien stepped back from the shattered remains of the Astra-Core Crystal.
Fragments of glowing crystal floated in the air like broken stars, slowly dissolving into mana dust.
Every eye was on him.
Some were terrified.
Some were curious.
Some were greedy.
And some… were already calculating how dangerous he could become.
Kaien quietly retrieved his old E-Rank badge from the counter. It now looked ridiculous in his hand.
"So… I'm done?" he asked calmly.
The chief examiner swallowed.
"Yes. You may leave."
No one dared to stop him.
Walking Out as Something Else
As Kaien walked through the long marble corridor, the whispers exploded behind him.
"Did you see the crystal break?"
"That thing measured Demon Lords…"
"…What kind of monster is he?"
"He was E-rank last time, wasn't he?"
"Did we just watch a god get evaluated?"
Some hunters instinctively moved aside as he passed, unable to meet his gaze.
Others clenched their fists, feeling their pride being crushed.
Kaien noticed everything… and none of it.
He simply kept walking.
Nyxara spoke quietly inside him.
[Your presence is destabilizing this city's mana field.]
"…Great," Kaien muttered. "So now I'm a walking disaster."
[Not intentionally.]
Outside the guild, the air felt different. The city seemed smaller.
The massive gates of Velzan City stood before him — the capital hub of hunters, guilds, and rift traders. A city that thrived on power.
And now…
It had just met something it couldn't measure.
Kaien exhaled slowly.
"Three years ago, I walked into a rift as an E-rank kid…"
He clenched his hand.
"…and walked back out as something the world doesn't have a name for."
Rumors Spread Like Fire
Within minutes, word began to spread.
The Astra-Core Crystal had shattered.
An E-rank hunter had caused it.
Inside noble districts…
Inside rival guilds…
Inside shadow organizations…
The name Kaien Vlorian started circulating like poison and gold at the same time.
Some saw opportunity.
Some saw a threat.
Some saw the end of the balance they relied on.
....
Back at the Vlorian Estate
Jay also got the news
He stopped mid-conversation with a knight.
"…Something happened?" he asked the person reporting the news.
But he received the reply that someone has already climbed above all the ranks and the name of that person shocked Jay.
Alora looked up.
"What happened? Why are you so tensed?" "..." Jay didn't say anything for a while as he was dumbfounded with himself. "Ohhh? Seems You're perplexed that Kaien has gotten far ahead of you". She said teasingly.
Jay's eyes narrowed.
"…Kaien that cheeky bastard he surpassed me I don't even think I can maintain my pride as the big brother . He said joking to himself and chuckled.
....
Kaien stood alone on a high balcony overlooking Velzan City.
The sun reflected off the towers. The streets below were full of hunters chasing glory, unaware that the system they relied on had just failed to measure him.
Nyxara spoke again.
[Do you wish to suppress your growth?]
Kaien shook his head.
"No."
"I didn't survive hell just to hide."
He tightened his grip on Chronos at his side.
"Let them come."
"Let them doubt."
" I will just keep growing stronger till I surpass everyone in this world."