Renji sat on the edge of his bed, knuckles resting on his knees. The room smelled faintly of steel and dried blood—his gear still lying where he'd dropped it. His cracked phone buzzed once on the desk, but he ignored it.
The system interface floated before him, pale blue against the dark.
[Status Update]
Rank: F (Gold)
Level: 9
Beast Resonance: 18%
Unassigned Points: 3
He stared at the numbers in silence.
Gold Tier… and yet, it didn't feel like enough. Not when Denji awakened as an S-Rank talent just days ago. Not when real monsters were out there.
A knock broke the quiet.
Renji opened the door to find Mr. Ain leaning against the frame, arms crossed, black coat rippling in the night breeze. His eyes glimmered with something Renji couldn't quite read.
"You should rest," Ain said simply.
"I'm fine," Renji replied. His tone was flat, but his fists clenched slightly.
Ain studied him for a moment, then spoke. "You cleared an F-Rank (Medium) gate solo… and killed an Alpha. Impressive. But listen carefully—don't mistake confidence for invincibility."
Renji didn't answer.
Ain's gaze sharpened. "The next step up is different. F-Rank (Hard) gates are borderline E-Rank. Beasts inside don't just kill—they adapt. They hunt in coordinated packs, some even mimic human-level tactics."
Renji's lips curved slightly. "Sounds fun."
"Sounds deadly," Ain snapped back. "One wrong move and you'll vanish like the others."
Renji met his eyes. "I can handle it."
A long silence. Then Ain sighed and handed him a small metal case. "Fine. If you insist on being reckless, at least take these."
Inside—two crimson vials glowing faintly. Healing potions.
"Pour them on wounds," Ain said. "Not everything in this world can be fixed by stubbornness."
Renji gave a faint smirk. "Noted."
As Ain walked away, his voice drifted back: "Renji… strength without control is just another way to die."
Renji closed the door softly and looked at the case for a long moment. Then his gaze returned to the shimmering interface.
F-Rank (Hard)… Tomorrow.
His fists tightened. "I'll need more than control. I'll need to dominate."
Elsewhere…
In a dimly lit room, a man sat with his boots propped on a glass table. His coat bore a silver emblem: a pair of balanced scales.
"The Alpha Killer…" he said slowly, rolling the words on his tongue like fine wine. "F-Gold, and he soloed a corrupted Guardian? Interesting."
A woman leaned against the wall, arms folded, her hair falling in a dark curtain over one eye. "He's reckless. He won't last."
"Or…" The man grinned faintly. "He's exactly what we've been waiting for. Keep eyes on him. If he survives the next gate… bring him to Libra."
The light caught his smile—sharp, predatory.