The F Rank gate shimmered and cracked open as Renji stepped out, bloodied, exhausted, but alive.
A hush fell over the field.
Eleven students stood nearby—some had completed their gates, others were still waiting. All turned to stare. They were shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief. Some assumed he had retreated due to fear or fatigue. But the tears in his uniform, the dirt, the blood... It was clear. Renji had fought. And not just any fight—he had survived.
"He must've fought one or two mutated rabbits," someone whispered.
Just then, a towering teacher walked over. He had rugged skin, a trimmed beard, and a strange ant-like aura to him. It was said that he could carry over 25 times his body weight. He held a square metallic box in his hands.
"Put your hand on it," the teacher said simply.
Renji obeyed, placing his palm on the square device. A soft hum echoed, then a flicker of glowing text appeared in the air above it:
Rank: F (Silver)
Gasps rang out.
"Wait... wasn't he just Bronze yesterday?"
"Yo, he actually ranked up?"
"That means... he must've killed the boss!"
The teacher gave him a firm nod and clapped his shoulder. "Keep up the work, kid," he said, then walked away, his heavy footsteps fading behind him.
Some students remained stunned. Others looked inspired—motivated.
"If he can do it, so can I," someone murmured.
Then came the familiar voice of Mr. Ain.
"Wow, Renji. I knew you had it in you!" he beamed, clapping proudly.
Renji smiled faintly. "Thank you, sir "
But as he looked at Mr. Ain, something felt… off.
Maybe it was the boost in his Perception stat, but there was a strange energy hanging around him. For just a moment, Renji could see it—something looming behind Mr. Ain. A tall, dark figure. Shadowy, like a silhouette made of smoke. Its face was monstrous, like a Wendigo from horror tales—eyes glowing red, its very presence reeking of death.
"Renji?" Mr. Ain asked. "Something wrong?"
Renji blinked and shook the image from his mind. "Ah—no! Haha, just spaced out for a second."
Mr. Ain chuckled. "Well done. You know, it usually takes students 30 minutes to find the boss."
Renji raised a brow. "So… did I break a record?"
Mr. Ain's smile turned wry. "Unfortunately not. Denji did it in four minutes."
Renji's eyes widened. "Four minutes?"
He was shocked… but also impressed.
Mr. Ain patted his shoulder again. "Still, well done."
There was something in his smile that made Renji uneasy. Like Mr. Ain knew more than he let on. Like he was watching something unfold… from behind the scenes.
"Oh!" Mr. Ain added suddenly. "Do you have an escape card?"
Renji blinked. "Escape card?"
"Yes. It's what students use when they're in danger—if the boss or monster is too much, it instantly ejects you from the gate."
"No, sir," Renji admitted. "I couldn't afford one."
Mr. Ain frowned deeply. "You what?!" He sighed. "Look, go home and rest. I'll get you one tomorrow. And don't let me catch you entering another gate without it, understand?"
"Yes, sir…"
"Good. Bye-bye," he said cheerfully.
As he turned to walk away, that strange presence returned. The deathly energy. That lingering darkness… Yet, it felt oddly familiar.
Renji stood there, watching his figure fade.
Then, quietly, he turned and walked away from the gate, the ache in his body a reminder of his battle—and of the darker forces that might already be watching.