The Hunter Association building stood in the center of the city like a steel fortress.
Xiao Li stopped across the street and looked up.
Hunters came and went—some confident, some injured, some with empty eyes.
This place wasn't heroic. It felt heavy.
Like a place where people traded their lives for survival.
"So this is where it starts," Xiao Li muttered.
He walked inside.
The lobby was crowded. Digital screens showed rankings, gate alerts, and wanted notices for illegal hunters. A faint smell of blood lingered in the air.
A bored receptionist glanced at him.
"Registration?"
"Yes."
She pushed a form toward him. "Awakened ability?"
Xiao Li paused for half a second.
"Physical enhancement," he said calmly.
Not a lie. Just incomplete.
Testing Room
The examiner was a middle-aged man with tired eyes.
"Name?"
"Xiao Li."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Student?"
"Yes."
"Tch… another one." He pointed at the machines.
"Strength. Speed. Mana response."
Xiao Li stepped forward.
[System Notice]
[Suppressing output to 12%]
[Concealment protocol active]
He punched the strength meter.
Bang!
The number stopped at a barely acceptable value.
Speed test—average.
Mana response—weak but stable.
The examiner frowned.
"…Strange."
Xiao Li's heart skipped. Did I overdo it?
The man tapped the screen again. "Your readings fluctuate."
"Is that bad?" Xiao Li asked.
The examiner stared at him for a long moment. Then sighed.
"Could be faulty nerves. Or you're hiding something."
Xiao Li stayed silent.
The man waved his hand. "F-rank. Don't die too fast."
A card slid across the table.
Hunter ID: Xiao Li – Rank F
As Xiao Li took it—
The screen behind him flickered for a split second.
The examiner narrowed his eyes.
"…We'll be watching."
Xiao Li left the room, expression calm.
Inside, his pulse raced.
Outside, he exhaled slowly.
"So this is the hunter world…"
Not glorious.
Not fair.
Just real.
[System Evaluation]
[Concealment successful]
[Survival probability increased]
Before Xiao Li could relax—
BEEEEEEP—BEEEEEEP
Emergency alarms blared throughout the city.
Red warnings filled the screens.
Unregistered Gate Detected
Location: Residential Sector C
Threat Level: Unknown
Hunters froze.
Then chaos erupted.
Xiao Li looked at the flashing alert.
Residential sector.
Too close.
Too fast.
He tightened his grip on the hunter card.
"…I'm closest."
And ran.