Two years had passed since Kael's graduation.
Today was Maya's turn.
Valencia University was unrecognizable compared to back then. The campus had doubled in size new dormitories, training halls, upgraded classrooms, and entire facilities funded by guilds and businessmen. Even the stadium, once plain, now gleamed modern and luxurious.
It wasn't surprising. After all, this was the academy where two S-Ranks awakened during a graduation ceremony two years ago. Since then, guilds, corporations, the Hunter Association, even the government all poured money into the school, desperate to raise the next generation of elites.
This year's graduation was the grandest yet.
Kael entered the venue with his mother and Maya. He stayed quiet, blending into the crowd, carefully suppressing his aura. Even now, he was still adjusting to his strength.
But then his eyes narrowed. Near the entrance, a group of shady men moved unnaturally. They wore ordinary clothes, but their behavior screamed danger.
Something was off.
Kael followed them.
He watched as three men whispered to someone in robes. Beneath the graduation robes, Kael caught glimpses of combat suits and concealed weapons. His gut tightened.
Then he saw it guns, and small bombs being planted along the hallway.
His expression darkened. Quietly, without a sound, he snatched each bomb and slipped them into his subspace.
He tailed them deeper into the academy grounds until he saw something that made his blood boil.
A mage crouched over a glowing summoning circle, crimson runes pulsing with power. Dozens of mana stones were scattered across the ground as a sacrifice.
Kael clenched his teeth.
"Fuck… On Maya's most important day, these bastards want to mess with us?"
His eyes went cold.
"I'll show no mercy."
From his subspace, he pulled out a C-rank dagger Simeon's gift. The weapon appeared in his hand like it had always been there.
"Bring it on."
He tightened his grip, activating his boosts.
Agility Boost. Strength Boost.
Kael dashed forward. In an instant, two guards' throats were slit open before they even realized he moved.
The summoner's eyes widened. Kael's foot connected with his chest, launching him meters into the wall.
Shouts erupted.
"Enemy!!"
"Kill him!"
The other criminals drew their swords in panic.
Ten more men surged forward from the shadows. Swords, axes, even spears gleamed under the glowing runes.
Kael's lips curved into a smirk.
One swordsman swung down in a heavy arc. Kael sidestepped, his dagger slicing the man's wrist clean off. Before the scream could leave his throat, Kael spun, elbow crashing into his jaw, snapping his neck in one motion.
Another lunged with twin daggers. Kael crouched low, catching the wrists mid-strike. His knee shot up, shattering ribs, then he twisted snap the man's arms broke like twigs. Kael finished with a headbutt so strong the skull caved in.
From behind, an axe-wielder roared, swinging with brutal force. Kael ducked, the axe grazing his hair. He swept the man's legs with a low kick, then slammed his boot into his chest, launching him backward into two others. The three crashed into the wall, coughing blood.
"Pathetic."
Kael jumped into the air, dagger flashing. One man fell, the blade buried in his chest. Kael's kick followed, sending the corpse flying as he pulled his weapon free.
From a distance, an ice mage began chanting.
Kael's arm whipped back. The dagger left his hand.
Thud.
The blade pierced straight through the mage's forehead. Blood painted the wall.
Three swordsmen rushed him from the right, their blades a blur.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Kael dodged them all with ease.
One lunged, thrusting directly at his forehead.
Kael raised a single finger. Clang. The sword stopped dead.
The swordsman's eyes widened in horror.
Kael smirked.
"Too slow."
Fire Fist.
His punch shattered the man's blade like glass before crushing his skull in a burst of blood.
The second swordsman charged Kael's axe kick met him. His head slammed into the ground, bursting on impact.
The third froze. His face twisted in terror. Realizing he was the last one left, he turned and sprinted.
But Kael was already in front of him, smirking.
"Surprised?"
He grabbed the man's head and slammed it against the wall. Blood splattered everywhere.
Silence.
Kael exhaled slowly, storing every corpse into his subspace. Not a drop of blood, not a shred of evidence remained.
Then he ran circles around the venue, double-checking every hall. He found a few more bombs every single one was safely removed.
His jaw tightened as he exhaled.
Suppressing his aura while fighting. But what pissed him off more… was that these bastards dared to target his sister's graduation.
At the same time Inside the arena.
This year's graduation was the grandest yet.
Seated in the VIP section were the masters of the country's major guilds:
Azure Guild
Empress Guild
Blackfang Guild
Mercenary Guild
White Tiger Guild
Blue Dragon Guild
And among them sat a guest of honor Friedrich McCall.
An American hunter ranked 13th in the world out of over a thousand S-Ranks. A national-level hunter. A swordsman and earth magician hybrid known across continents as the Five-Star Swordsman. His very presence radiated dominance, as if the air itself bent around him.
The pressure of nine S-Ranks in one stadium was suffocating. This wasn't just ceremony. They were here to scout. To fight tooth and nail over which guild would secure the most promising graduates.
Even other high-ranking guilds had appeared Silver Fang, Phoenix Guild. Each one desperate. For them, even a single S-Rank recruit could elevate their guild into the ranks of the "majors."
At the center of it all sat Principal Benjamin.
Once a famed adventurer, he had lived over a century but still looked barely fifty. His long mage robe shimmered faintly with enchantments, and the staff in his hand was carved from rare mana-wood, its core embedded with a glowing magic stone.
He was no ordinary academic. Once, he had been a member of Zecna, one of the strongest guilds in the world. Based in Russia, Zecna boasted over ten S-Ranks and more than six thousand members its lowest-ranked hunters were still B-Rank.
Beside him sat Senator Charles.
A man with a hunter's past. Once a B-Rank, but injuries and ambition had driven him away from dungeons and into politics.
Charles leaned back in his chair, smiling.
"This place looks good now, Principal."
Benjamin chuckled, stroking his beard.
"Hahaha. Thanks to you and the guild masters, I received enough investment to expand. Valencia has finally reached the standard it should've had years ago."
The senator grinned.
"You're too humble. This school deserves it. After all, you've produced not one, but two S-Ranks."
"Hahaha, yes, that's correct." Benjamin's eyes crinkled as he laughed. "Two S-Ranks in one year… though last year, we didn't get even one. Hopefully this time, we'll meet the ninth."
The senator raised a brow, half-joking.
"Another S-Rank? If that happens, people will say your academy mass-produces them. A bargain sale of S-Ranks, eh?"
Both men laughed.
Then Charles' eyes glinted with curiosity.
"Oh, that reminds me, Principal. What became of that boy…? The one who awakened as F-Rank. The farmer. He was in the same batch as those S-Ranks, wasn't he?"
Benjamin paused, then let out a small sigh.
"Oh, you mean Kael Virel." A bitter chuckle left his lips. "That boy gave me quite the headache. At the time, both teachers and students demanded I refuse him his diploma. Said he was unfit to graduate from Valencia."
Charles tilted his head.
"And what did you think? Did he deserve it?"
"Hmmm…" Benjamin tapped his staff lightly against the floor. "I won't say he was worthy of this academy. But… he insisted on studying here. And after some consideration, I relented. Four months later, I gave him his diploma." He waved his hand dismissively. "Last I heard, he was working as a corpse cleaner. At least the boy found some way to contribute to society."