The weight of Vaughn's words still lingered as he leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze never straying from me.
Leon exhaled quietly beside me, arms crossed, while Agent Hale remained unreadable as ever.
Vaughn's fingers tapped against his desk again, "Your re-evaluation will take place right away."
A soft knock at the door interrupted the conversation.
"Enter."
The door opened, and a tall woman in a fitted suit stepped inside. She was sharp-featured, her eyes cold and analytical—yet they flickered with brief curiosity when they landed on me.
"Vice-Director Crowe," Hale greeted, inclining his head slightly.
Vice-Director?
The woman gave a curt nod, stepping forward with measured precision. "President Vaughn," she addressed first, before turning her gaze to me. "This is the one?"
Vaughn gave a slight nod. "Ryzen Kael. He will undergo re-evaluation shortly."
She studied me for a moment, as if scanning for weaknesses.
Then, without breaking eye contact, she spoke.
"Follow me."
I exchanged a glance with Leon, who simply shrugged as if to say, You're on your own for this one.
Crowe remained silent, her stride unwavering.
After a while, I finally broke the silence.
"Is this level of attention normal for a re-evaluation?"
She didn't stop walking. "No."
That wasn't reassuring.
I kept pace beside her. "So, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
Crowe glanced at me, her expression unreadable. "That depends on the results."
I exhaled through my nose, forcing myself to stay composed. No point overthinking it now.
Eventually, we stopped in front of a set of reinforced doors.
Crowe stepped aside, gesturing toward them.
"Inside," she instructed. "The evaluators are waiting."
As I stepped inside, the heavy doors shut behind me with a soft but firm thud.
The evaluation chamber was vast—far larger than I expected. Its sleek white walls gleamed under the bright overhead lights, lined with reinforced barriers and high-tech monitoring systems.
At the center of the room stood three evaluators—high-ranking Hunters, each carrying an aura of quiet authority.
Their eyes locked onto me the moment I entered.
To my left, an elderly man with silver hair and a calm expression. Grandmaster Kairos, a well-respected veteran known for his keen insight into mana flow.
On the right, a woman in sleek combat gear, arms crossed. Sienna Valestein. An S-rank Hunter and one of the Association's top enforcers. Her piercing gaze felt as sharp as a blade.
And in the middle—Dr. Felix Nox. The lead researcher of the Association's Mana Sciences Division. A man more interested in dissecting mysteries than fighting them.
A large holographic screen flickered to life above them, displaying my name:
[Ryzen Kael – Unranked, No-Class]
A low hum filled the chamber as additional scanning equipment powered up. I spotted high-grade mana detectors, bio-sensors, and other devices I didn't recognize—all focused on me.
Dr. Nox adjusted his glasses, tapping on his tablet. "We'll begin with a mana evaluation." His voice was clinical, detached. "Approach the central pillar and place your hand on the scanner."
I exhaled slowly and walked forward.
The scanning pillar was a sleek structure with glowing blue inscriptions carved into its surface. A circular indentation at its center pulsed with light, waiting for my touch.
I hesitated. But the moment I did, a sharp jolt surged through my arm.
The inscriptions flared to life, and the scanner whirred violently, lines of energy crawling up my skin like electric threads.
The air grew tense. The evaluators watched with sharp eyes.
Then—
BEEP!
Numbers flashed on the holographic screen.
[Mana Capacity: 240]
[Mana Flow Stability: High]
[Classification: Unregistered]
Silence.
Dr. Nox narrowed his eyes at the readings.
Sienna scoffed. "That can't be right."
Kairos stroked his chin, intrigued. "A mana level of 240… for someone who was previously unranked? Most D-ranks barely reach 80."
I kept my expression neutral, but inside, my mind was racing. "Did the system suppress my real numbers? And D-ranks barely reach 80, and yet I have 240? So the D-rank on the system is just facade?" I questioned inside my head
Sienna stepped forward, arms crossed. "Alright. Enough playing around." Her sharp eyes locked onto me. "You survived an A-rank dungeon boss, didn't you?"
I nodded once.
She smirked. "Then let's see what you can really do."
She turned toward the far end of the chamber, where a massive, reinforced combat arena waited.
"Physical evaluation," she declared. "No mana suppression. No holding back."
Her gaze burned with challenge.
"Show us what you're hiding, Ryzen Kael."
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders.
Fine. If they wanted a fight—I'd give them one.
***
A sharp hum filled the air as the combat arena activated. Reinforced barriers shimmered into existence, forming an unbreakable perimeter around the battlefield. The ground beneath me shifted slightly—made of a self-repairing material designed to withstand even S-rank clashes.
Sienna Valestein cracked her neck, stepping onto the other side of the arena. A smirk played on her lips, but her gaze was anything but playful.
"Rules are simple," she said, rolling her shoulders. "You fight me. No handicaps. Show us what you can really do."
She didn't wait for my response. Her mana surged, an invisible force pressing against me like a crashing wave.
I exhaled, rolling my wrists. My body was already adjusting, Adaptive Growth passively reinforcing my muscles, fine-tuning my reflexes. "I could do this." I muttered
Then she moved.
I barely saw her.
A rush of air—she was already in front of me.
My instincts screamed. I twisted my body, activating—
[Phantom Step] — Active!
My afterimage remained where I had stood, but I had already shifted to the side, narrowly dodging her strike. The sheer force of her punch distorted the air, sending a ripple across the arena.
She smirked. "Fast."
I retaliated. A right hook—feint. A left elbow—real strike.
Sienna blocked with ease. Effortlessly.
I pressed forward, chaining my footwork with Phantom Step, weaving unpredictably around her defenses. My attacks lashed out—each one faster, sharper than the last.
For a moment, I kept up.
For a moment, I could match her movements.
Then reality hit me. Sienna wasn't even trying.
Her next move was faster than before—twice as fast. Her fist slammed into my guard. A single punch.
I skidded backward, arms shaking from the impact. My entire forearm throbbed, even though I had blocked.
She's strong. Too strong. I barely had time to recover before she was already on me again.
I activated Phantom Step once more, but this time, She predicted it.
Sienna moved before my afterimage had even formed, adjusting in real-time. Before I could reposition, her knee drove into my ribs.
Thud!
A burst of pain shot through my body. My feet left the ground for a brief second before I crashed down, coughing. My vision blurred for half a second.
Adaptive Growth kicked in, dulling the pain, reinforcing my body. But it wasn't enough. I forced myself up, breathing heavily. Sienna stood a few paces away, arms crossed, watching me with a critical gaze.
"Not bad," she admitted. "You react well. You learn fast."
I clenched my fists. "But I'm still not strong enough, am I?"
Her smirk widened slightly. "Not even close."
Then she disappeared from my sight. Her fist buried into my stomach.
A direct hit.
Pain exploded through my core. I staggered, vision dimming for a split second. My body tried to adapt, tried to adjust—but the gap between us was too wide.
I had fought before. I had survived an A-rank boss.
But this? This was a whole different level.
I collapsed onto one knee, gasping for breath.
Sienna exhaled, stepping back. "That's enough."
From the observation deck, I could feel the stares of the higher-ups—evaluating, calculating.
Sienna turned away, but not before throwing me one last glance. "You've got potential, Ryzen." She started walking toward the exit. "But you're not there yet."