Kaizer stood in front of his apartment building. Three black JAA SUVs sat idling, their headlights cutting through the evening mist like the eyes of predatory insects. He felt the two new Stat Points settle into his bones, bringing his Strength to 18 and Agility to 20.
"They are waiting, Contractor," Paimon's voice purred from the void. "Do we tear them apart? My wolf is hungry."
"No," Kaizer whispered, his eyes fixed on the lead vehicle. "We're going to play their game. Paimon, can you shroud the Abyssal aura? If they smell the Underworld on me, the game ends before it starts."
The shadows around Kaizer's heart tightened, weaving into a dense, cold veil. "Consider it done. I shall mask your darkness with the scent of common mana. But do not bore me, Kaizer. A King who bows too low eventually loses his head."
Kaizer took a breath, smoothed his hair, and walked toward the men in suits. "Is there a problem, officers?"
The scarred Investigator from the school stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. He looked at Kaizer—not the scrawny 'Zero' from the hallway, but a young man whose posture was now straight, whose shoulders were broader, and whose presence commanded space.
"You've changed since this morning, Gold," the Investigator muttered, tapping his scanner. "Get in. The Director wants to see every witness personally."
The Fortress of Light: JAA Headquarters
The JAA Central Headquarters was a monolith of glass and white steel in the heart of Tokyo. This was the seat of power for the Japan Awakened Administration, the body that governed the eight S-Rank titans who kept the nation standing.
As Kaizer was led through the obsidian halls, he recalled the global power rankings. Japan was a powerhouse, boasting a total of 8 S-Rank Awakened:
The JAA Leadership: Led by the "Iron Sovereign," Director Goro (S-Rank), and his ruthless second-in-command, Yumi the Silent (S-Rank). They commanded a specialized force of 10 A-Rank Elites known as 'The Decad.'
The Big Three Guilds: Each held two S-Ranks, maintaining a tense balance of power.
Rising Sun: The government's lapdogs.
White Lotus: Focused on dungeon monopoly and wealth.
Oni's Breath: A mercenary-style guild that took the deadliest frontline raids.
Kaizer was ushered into the Testing Sanctum—a room filled with high-frequency mana-crystals. At the center stood Director Goro himself. The man radiated a pressure so heavy it felt like standing at the bottom of the ocean.
"Kaizer Gold," Goro's voice was like grinding stones. "You were at the epicenter. You survived a B-Rank Werewolf as a Zero. Or so we thought. Punch the measuring pylon. No skills. Just raw output."
Kaizer stepped up to the reinforced titanium pillar. He knew he had to be precise. Too weak, and they'd keep digging. Too strong, and they'd see him as a threat.
He channeled his 18 Strength, ignoring the shadow-energy and focusing purely on the physical tension of his muscles.
BOOM.
The pylon hissed, the digital display spinning frantically before settling.
[MEASURED OUTPUT: 4,200 Newtons] [ESTIMATED RANK: C (High-Tier Physical Reinforcement)]
The room went silent. The Investigators whispered. A 'Zero' jumping to High-C in a single day was rare, but not unheard of during "Trauma-Induced Awakening."
"A late-bloomer," Goro remarked, his sharp eyes scanning Kaizer's face for a lie. "Physical Reinforcement is a common, reliable class. It explains how you dodged the beast. But it doesn't explain how the werewolf was erased."
"I don't know," Kaizer said, his face a mask of perfect confusion. "I hit it with a fire extinguisher, it swiped at me, and then the world went black. When I woke up, the monster was gone. I thought a Guild hero saved me."
Goro stared at him for a long ten seconds. The pressure in the room increased until the floor began to crack. Behind Kaizer, the shadow of Paimon flickered for a millisecond, her invisible eyes glaring back at the S-Rank Director with lethal boredom.
Finally, Goro exhaled. The pressure vanished. "Very well. You are now a registered C-Rank. You will be assigned to a mandatory 'Evaluation Raid' in three days to confirm your status. If you survive, you keep your license."
"I understand," Kaizer bowed.
Outside the headquarters, Kaizer leaned against a lamp post, his heart finally slowing down.
"You lied to the face of a lion," Paimon chuckled, her voice echoing in the wind. "I almost felt a spark of excitement. But the 'Evaluation Raid' will be monitored. How will you feed your shadows if the 'Cleaners' are watching your every move?"
Kaizer looked at his hands. He was a C-Rank in their books, but a monster in his own.
"I won't feed the shadows in front of them," Kaizer replied, a cold smile tugging at his lips. "I'll make the monsters come to me in the dark. And if the JAA gets too close... well, accidents happen in dungeons."
Just then, his phone buzzed. A message from an unknown sender.
[Sender: Unknown] "The Shadow User in Korea is watching your debut. Don't let the Light blind you, Kaizer Gold. The Director knows more than he says."