One month had passed.
Rex was no longer the same person.
The weak, hesitant, frightened boy was gone.
In his place stood a warrior —
185 cm tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, and surrounded by a heavy, intimidating aura.
His eyes were cold.
His words were short.
His emotions… sealed deep inside.
For an entire month, Rex had trained without rest.
He entered dungeon after dungeon.
He faced death more times than he could count.
And each time… he came back stronger.
People in the castle now whispered when he passed:
"Is that… Rex?"
"Yeah. The only one who survived the S-Rank dungeon…
But he's not a kid anymore."
As Rex walked across the wide training grounds, everyone instinctively stepped aside. There was a pressure around him — a silent force that made others uneasy.
He entered the training hall.
Without a word, he grabbed his sword.
"Let's begin," he said calmly.
The instructor blinked in surprise. Rex's aura burned dark blue, swirling around him like a storm.
Rex swung his sword.
WHOOOSH!
The wooden target shattered.
Then the stone pillar.
Then the armored training dummy.
All destroyed in a single strike.
The instructor swallowed hard.
"This… isn't D-Rank anymore.
He's already surpassed C-Rank…"
Rex quietly sheathed his sword.
His eyes were firm — yet emotionless.
He whispered to himself:
"I still need to get stronger…"
He looked up at the sky.
For a brief moment, the faces of his fallen friends flashed in his mind.
But this time, no tears came.
Only a cold promise:
"I swore… and I will keep my word."
Rex was no longer someone just trying to survive.
He had become a hunter.