With waves of confidence, Natsuya walked close to the base and headed to the recruitment center. 20 people were in line, and he was the 21st in line. There was some intense arguing about who should handle a blade, which he had never heard of before. He ignored the people being obscure about all types of weapons. A person cut in front of him, pushing him until he realized he was tall and muscular, and knocked Natsuya out. Now, he was at the back of the line, 50th in the line.
The Recruiter nodded and pulled out a sheet—an application that needed to be filled out. The paper already had his name on it. Natsuya wrote and answered every question honestly, including his birth, residence, address, and so on.
As he finished, the people in line began to murmur impatiently.
People in the Line: "Speed up, you're holding up an entire line!"
Natsuya, to the Recruiter: "Are there any chances of survival?"
The Recruiter: "The curses, or 'monsters', are inevitable. This year, it's Demons. Appearing out of nowhere—there's no theory behind it."
Natsuya: "I understand. I'm just here to stop them. My living conditions aren't good at all, just because of one or more curses. It's like they're trying to stop us from acting."
The Recruiter: "You know, I was like that when I was a teen. I watched my friends die in front of me. Tough times... and yet, I'm still not interested in hunting curses."
Natsuya wrote down his address and asked, "Then why are you here in the first place?"
The Recruiter: "To recruit those who are potentially strong. You'll get past your life's hardships, and one day, you might become one of the S-Grades."
Natsuya: "So there's a grading system, right?"
The Recruiter: "Certainly. The weakest is E-Grade. Then D, C, B, and A are the middle tiers. S is the strongest. An S-Grade is powerful enough to tear apart a whole dimension and stop Dimensional Attenuation."
Natsuya: "What does that literally mean? Reduce what?"
The Recruiter: "It means a Demon is powerful in its origin, often called a Realm. Once it emerges through a portal, it becomes less powerful but causes more chaos. Chaos is worse than raw power—it destroys cities and even countries."
Natsuya: "Have any Hunters ever stopped them?"
The Recruiter: "Yes, but many lost their lives. For example, an S-Grade Hunter named Kim Jae-Woon, along with five B-Grades, three A-Grades, and ten E-Grades, stopped the Demons of a Realm from entering the world. Only one B-Grade, two A-Grades, and Jae-Woon himself survived—no E-Grades made it. The most notable event was the S-Grade Portal Siege in Suwon. The Lord of the World, TJ, led many S-Grade Hunters strategically in 1997. Many survived thanks to his genius."
Natsuya: "S-Grades really have an advantage... They're like gods, and E-Grades worship them."
The Recruiter: "Of course. They are the strongest. Achieving that grade is almost impossible; it requires advanced endurance with mana, which is energy transferred from the demons to the capacity that makes you stronger, a royal bloodline, and the ability to channel enduring cosmic energy."
Natsuya: "I don't care about grades. My determination is my compass—it guides me toward whatever suits me."
The Recruiter: "You're finished. I like your dedication to defending the world. You must show who you are, no matter the audience. To be remembered, at least heed my advice."
Natsuya: "Thanks," he said, handing the Recruiter his application and shaking his hand.
The Recruiter: "Your approval will come in three hours. It's currently 2:00."
The Recruiter slipped the application into a file labeled Requested. Seeing this, it was clear that getting into the Program wasn't guaranteed.