I asked Mark what had happened, and he sighed before explaining. He had assumed that I had only recently awakened my powers. Normally, a person takes one to two years to reach E Rank. They were shocked because they thought I would still be at F Rank. If they saw my true power, they would probably be dancing in disbelief.
I dodged that blunder, and I was glad for it. But deep down, I sighed. The supernatural world was hidden so well that it baffled me. How had they managed to keep it a secret from the public? Humans always assumed they were the dominant species on this planet—but they were so wrong.
As we walked to another machine meant to test my reflexes, I voiced a lingering question: "Do vampires and werewolves originate from humans? Are there any other human-hybrid species?"
Mark was surprised by my question. "I already explained that to you," he said, looking at me strangely. But I couldn't remember him saying anything about it before.
Still, he continued, "Vampires and werewolves evolved before humans. As for your second question—absolutely not. No species can mix with another. If they try, the mutation corrupts their mind, turning them into uncontrollable beasts. These creatures are incredibly strong, but they lack reason and cannot control themselves."
Hearing this, I made a firm decision. I would never reveal my transformation skill to anyone. If I ever had to use it, it would be in a life-or-death situation. And if anyone found out about it—anyone I didn't trust—I would make sure they didn't live to spread the secret.
The reflex test began, and I dodged every paint bomb the machine threw at me. By the time it was over, they confirmed that I was at the peak of E Rank and could break through at any moment.
Next, we entered an open space. Mark explained, "This is where we test elemental affinities. Any mage or union member can come here to register with the UOR. Even people from other unions—mages, witches, vampires, werewolves—can be tested here."
In the center of the space, I saw three translucent spheres. Mark gestured to them. "One of these will determine which elements you're capable of using. Humans can wield all basic elements, but rare elements are uncommon. Vampires typically have affinities for dark, poison, ice, and blood. Werewolves align with elements that strengthen their physical abilities—iron, diamond, earth, and mithril. As for beasts, they can possess any element that exists in this world."
I walked forward and placed my hand on the sphere, following Mark's instructions. "Relax," he told me. "Let the sphere do its work."
I waited. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. Nothing happened.
I had already suspected this might be the case, but I was still disappointed. Gaining an elemental ability would have been a valuable addition to my arsenal of supernatural powers.
Mark seemed to notice my reaction and reassured me, "No big deal. You have spirituality at your disposal, which is far rarer than elemental powers."
I nodded, pushing aside my disappointment. He was right. My spiritual ability set me apart in ways that others couldn't understand.
Mark continued, pointing to the remaining spheres. "The second sphere measures talent, ranked from F to S. An S-grade talent can surpass even the S-tier power level."
I was curious. "Since my main power is spirituality, how does that get measured?"
"It doesn't," Mark admitted. "Spirituality is too rare to be categorized like normal talents. I knew something like that might happen but I know that my talent isn't fixed. The Supreme Spiritual Codex allows me to grow my spirituality limitlessly."
That caught my interest. The more I learned about my abilities, the more I realized how much potential I had. The final sphere, Mark explained, was meant for witches, as they specialize in creating magical artifacts.
I made a mental note to learn more about witches in the future. Their ability to craft magic-based items fascinated me.
After my tests were complete, they officially classified me as a **D-Grade Supernatural**.
We returned to Mark's office, where we sat and talked for a while. He asked about my life before I got involved with the supernatural world. I gave vague answers, but I could tell he was suspicious. He was prying into my past, trying to make sense of my rapid power gain. I had previously told them my abilities stemmed from a scripture which I gained from my grandpa, but I knew my explanation wasn't entirely convincing.
At that moment, Mark's assistant walked in, carrying a card and a small pouch. He handed them to me.
"This is your one-time compensation from the UOR," Mark said.
I opened the pouch and found a hundred brown-colored coins. Mark explained the currency system:
- Bronze
- Royal Bronze
- Silver
- Royal Silver
- Gold
- Royal Gold
- Platinum
- Royal Platinum
Each tier had a **100:1** exchange rate.
"Magical items are expensive," Mark continued, "but this will cover your basic needs—lodging, food, and necessities."
His expression turned serious. "Now, listen carefully. This city belongs to vampires. Their primary food source is blood, and they prefer human blood above all else. Beast blood is worthless to them, though they do value beast cores.
"While the UOR has a presence here, we can't monitor everything. If you're ever hunting outside the city, be careful. Some vampires might see you as prey."
I frowned. "And the werewolves?"
Mark's face darkened. "They prefer human meat."
I clenched my jaw. The supernatural world wasn't just dangerous—it was brutal.
"In your previous world," Mark continued, "strict laws existed for a reason. Many of them, especially the death penalty, were influenced by supernatural politics. Before executions, we extract blood from the condemned to provide for the vampires. But sometimes, rather than executing them outright, we release them into the **hunting grounds**."
My stomach twisted. "Hunting grounds?"
Mark nodded. "Each city has one. Prisoners are released into the wild, and supernatural hunters—both vampire and werewolf—hunt them down. The blood goes to the vampires, and the meat goes to the werewolves."
I was stunned into silence.
Mark sighed, sensing my unease. "Don't take it to heart. We provide humans with plenty of resources in return. Both vampires and werewolves ensure that humans thrive—within reason."
The conversation left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Stepping out from UOR, I took a deep breath, trying to process everything I had learned. The supernatural world was more complex, more ruthless, than I had ever imagined.
But one thing was clear: I had to be careful.
If I wanted to survive here, I had to keep my secrets hidden, my power in check, and my enemies in the dark.