The aftermath of the Blood Gate trial stirred up chaos across the Hunter Academy. Students whispered about the spectacle. Professors argued behind closed doors. For the first time in decades, a dungeon had collapsed on its own, its core absorbed by an unknown force. No one could explain it.
Kaen, Zian, Mira, and Leon were summoned to the Central Evaluation Tower. They walked through echoing halls filled with glowing rune panels and floating data windows. The council of instructors awaited them, flanked by senior hunters and high-ranking administrators.
Professor Drayven stood near the center, expression unreadable. "Blood Gate cleared. Casualties: none. Monster classification: Divine Fragment. Team composition: four students."
Gasps rippled through the observers.
Zian stood calmly, arms folded. Mira glanced nervously between the instructors. Leon tried to hide his still-healing injuries. Kaen, as usual, looked bored.
A lead examiner, an elderly woman with sharp eyes, finally spoke. "Zian Altheria: promoted from C-rank to A-rank. Mira Ardent and Leon Vale: B-rank. Kaen... rank undetermined."
Murmurs echoed.
"Excuse me?" said one instructor. "He was part of the team. Surely we can evaluate him."
"His mana pattern doesn't register," Drayven replied. "There's no baseline to compare him to."
"He's unrankable"
"Possibly something beyond the scale," Drayven muttered, mostly to himself.
Each student received 1,000 Academy Credit Points—an elite reward typically given to A-class gate clearers. With these points, students could:
Purchase top-tier gear.
Schedule private training sessions.
Rent low-tier dungeon permits.
Start official hunter squads or private companies.
Kaen stared at his glowing wristband, watching the credit number tick upward. A slow smile crossed his face. "We should start something."
Zian raised an eyebrow. "Start what?"
"A company," he said simply. "A place outside the academy. A future empire."
Leon blinked. "Like a guild?"
"No," Kaen said. "Like something bigger."
As they left the tower, students turned to stare. Their team had survived what others thought was suicide. And though only three were officially ranked, it was the fourth that made the world hold its breath.
Zian walked beside him, glancing sideways. "Why do I feel like you planned all this?"
Kaen smiled without answering.