Before heading to the newly established Hunter's Association, Elias returned to his secure penthouse. He sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling the bag of fifty mid-grade Mana Crystals from his Ring of the Void.
To ordinary Hunters, these crystals were used to craft magical weapons or power newly invented mana-engines. But to Elias, who possessed the Absolute Necromancer class, they were direct fuel.
He picked up a glowing green crystal and crushed it in his palm.
Instead of shattering into glass, the crystal dissolved into pure, concentrated mana that seeped directly into his skin. A warm, refreshing sensation washed over his muscles.
He didn't stop. He crushed the second, the third, and then the rest of the bag in rapid succession.
[You have absorbed a Mid-Grade Mana Crystal. Strength +1] [You have absorbed a Mid-Grade Mana Crystal. Agility +1] [Multiple energy sources detected. Consolidating stats...]
> Status Update <
Level: 15
Strength: 45
Agility: 42
Intelligence: 60
Elias clenched his fist. The air around his knuckles warped slightly from the sheer physical pressure. Even without summoning a single shadow, his base physical stats were now equivalent to a specialized B-Rank close-combat Hunter.
"Perfect," Elias muttered. He pulled his hood over his head and headed out.
The 'Hunter's Bureau' was a hastily repurposed government tax building located in the center of the Safe Zone. It was packed with thousands of people. Most were desperate civilians hoping to Awaken as a Gatherer or a low-tier Fighter just to secure government rations.
Elias bypassed the massive line outside and walked straight through the glass doors marked: [Awakened Assessment & Licensing].
The lobby was loud and chaotic, filled with men and women showing off minor magical tricks—lighting small fires or bending spoons—trying to impress the military recruiters hovering nearby.
Elias walked up to the front desk. "I want to take the official measurement test."
The receptionist, an exhausted woman looking at a mountain of paperwork, didn't even look up. "Fill out form 4-A and wait in line. It's a three-day wait for E-Ranks."
"I'm not an E-Rank," Elias said smoothly. He placed a single, flawless mid-grade Mana Crystal on her desk. "I want the premium assessment. Now."
The woman's eyes snapped to the glowing crystal. Her demeanor changed instantly. "R-Right away, sir! Please step into Testing Room 3."
The testing room was a large, reinforced concrete bunker. In the center of the room sat a massive, spherical clear crystal wired to several bulky military computers. Two examiners in lab coats stood behind a blast-proof glass window.
"Place your hand on the Mana Measurement Sphere and push your energy into it," a voice crackled through the intercom. "Do not hold back."
Elias walked up to the sphere. He knew exactly how this machine worked. In his past life, when he took this test, he poured everything he had into it, registering as an S-Rank. That had immediately made him a target for government exploitation and greedy Guilds.
'Not this time,' Elias thought.
He placed his hand on the cold glass. Instead of unleashing the massive ocean of mana granted by the Heart of the Abyss, Elias visualized a heavy iron vault door closing over his core. He clamped down on his aura, allowing only a specific, calculated trickle of mana to flow into the sphere.
The sphere began to glow. First white, then yellow, then a bright, steady blue.
Behind the glass, the two examiners dropped their clipboards.
"B-Blue! The wavelength is perfectly stable! Sir, your mana capacity registers as a solid B-Rank!" the examiner yelled through the intercom, his voice shaking with excitement. B-Ranks were incredibly rare right now; they were treated like strategic military assets.
"What is your awakened class?" the examiner asked eagerly.
"Summoner," Elias replied flatly.
"A Summoner? That's a unique variant. Can you demonstrate your summoning limit? We need to record your beast's threat level."
Elias didn't summon Iron, the Elite Hobgoblin, nor did he summon Blood, his Commander-grade Death Knight. Showing those would instantly raise his threat level to S-Rank.
Instead, he looked at his shadow. 'Come out.'
A single Shadow Knight rose from the floor. It stood tall, clad in its pitch-black armor, a wisp of dark smoke trailing from its visor. It radiated a chilling, silent menace.
The examiners swallowed hard, taking a collective step back behind their protective glass. They had seen Hunters summon fire wolves and stone golems, but an undead knight made of pure darkness? That was terrifying.
"R-Recorded," the examiner stammered. "A B-Rank Dark-Attribute Summoner. Please proceed to the front desk to collect your Hunter License, Mr. Elias."
Ten minutes later, Elias walked out of the Bureau holding a sleek, silver card.
[Hunter: Elias] [Rank: B] [Class: Summoner]
With this card, he had unrestricted access to C and B-Rank Gates, allowing him to hunt higher-tier monsters without the military getting in his way.
He slipped the card into his pocket and turned to leave the building. However, before he could step through the exit, a broad-shouldered man in a tailored suit stepped directly into his path.
The man had a confident, almost arrogant smile on his face. On his lapel, he wore a gold pin shaped like a shield—the emblem of the Aegis Guild.
"Elias, was it?" The man extended a hand. "Word travels fast when a new B-Rank registers. I am the Vice-Master of the Aegis Guild. We are currently recruiting the elite to build the strongest faction in the country."
Elias stared at the shield emblem. The Aegis Guild. Marcus Vance's guild. Even though he had killed Marcus in the subway, the guild had apparently already been formed by his wealthy associates.
The man smiled warmly, entirely unaware that he was standing in front of the grim reaper himself. "How would you like to join us on a Raid tomorrow? We pay very well."
Elias didn't shake the man's hand. Instead, a slow, chilling smile spread across his face.
"A Raid?" Elias repeated, his voice laced with venom. "I'd love to."