A sudden shift rippled through the room as one of the high-ranking Association staff hurried inside, approaching Darius Vaughn with urgency. A hushed conversation took place between them—too quiet for most to hear, but I caught the tension in their expressions.
Darius' brows furrowed, his grip tightening on the documents in his hand. Then, after a brief pause, he exhaled sharply and addressed the room.
"There's been a change of plans."
The murmurs of conversation died instantly, all eyes snapping toward him.
"The U.S. has just completed a full-scale analysis of the gate's energy signature."** His voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable weight behind his words. "The results are conclusive—the dungeon is no longer classified as SS-rank."
A heavy silence filled the air.
"It is now confirmed to be an SSS-rank dungeon—the first of its kind in recorded history."
The room erupted. Hunters exchanged glances filled with shock, disbelief, and—among the more seasoned ones—grim understanding.
SSS-rank. That wasn't just an increase in danger—it was something entirely unheard of. The kind of catastrophe that could rewrite everything humanity knew about dungeons.
Leon cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. Even for someone like him, this wasn't news you could take lightly.
Christa, standing beside me, crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. But I could see the flicker of unease in her eyes.
Darius raised a hand, silencing the discussions before they could spiral out of control. "As a result of this discovery, the operation's structure is being adjusted. Effective immediately, all A-rank hunters will no longer be permitted inside the dungeon."
That sent another shockwave through the room.
Darius continued, unwavering. "A-ranks and below will be stationed outside the city as part of the emergency containment force in the event of a dungeon break. Only S-rank hunters will be granted entry into the dungeon itself."
I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to steady my thoughts.
As much as I hated to admit it, the decision made sense. It wasn't about favoritism—it was about survival.
An SSS-rank dungeon wasn't just a step above SS-rank; it was something entirely beyond human comprehension. If even the strongest S-rank hunters in the world were treating this as a battle for their lives, what chance did an A-rank have?
Throwing in anyone below S-rank would be no different from sending them to their deaths. They wouldn't even realize how they died.
This wasn't just some high-difficulty raid. This was something that could wipe out the strongest hunters alive. A-ranks—no matter how strong—were nothing more than liabilities inside that dungeon.
Leon was silent, his usual smirk nowhere to be found. He understood the stakes better than most.
I exhaled slowly, my mind is racing. I wasn't S-rank. Not officially.
Which meant that, under these new orders, I wouldn't be allowed inside the dungeon.
But that didn't mean I had to be blind to what was happening inside.
My gaze flickered toward Leon. If I couldn't enter myself, then I'd just have to do the next best thing by sending my familiar, Fenrir.
The wolf-like familiar specialized in tracking, stealth, and reconnaissance. And thanks to my abilities, it could seamlessly meld into Leon's shadow without being detected.
If I placed it in his shadow before they entered, I'd have a direct link to everything happening inside.
I wouldn't just be sitting outside, waiting. I'd be watching. Learning. Preparing.
And if things went south… I'd make sure I was ready to act.
Leon approached, his usual confidence dampened by the weight of the situation. His gaze flickered between me and Christa, his expression serious.
"You heard them," he said, crossing his arms. "We have no choice but to stay out of this one."
Christa scoffed, shifting her weight onto one leg. "Tch. 'For our safety,' right?"
Leon sighed. "Yeah. And as much as I hate it, they're right." His eyes locked onto mine, his voice lowering slightly. "I know you, Ryzen. You're probably already thinking of a way to bypass this."
I didn't respond, but I didn't need to. The look on my face said enough.
Leon ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I get it. You want to be there. Hell, if anyone deserves to be in that dungeon, it's you." He shook his head. "But this isn't an ego thing. If random A-ranks walked in there, they'd be dead before they even realized it."
Leon exhaled, looking directly at me. "This isn't about skill, Ryzen. It's about sheer power. And right now, if you walk in there, you're just another casualty waiting to happen."
Christa, arms still crossed, finally muttered, "Tch. Doesn't mean I have to like it."
Leon smirked slightly. "No one does." He stepped back. "So, for once, just this once, stay out of it."
The tension in the air was thick as we gathered once more, the weight of the SSS-rank classification looming over us like an executioner's blade. No one spoke unnecessarily—there was nothing left to say that hadn't already been made clear. The difference between S-rank and SSS-rank wasn't just a matter of strength. It was a matter of survival.
Darius Vaughn stood at the front of the briefing room, his presence commanding as ever. The holographic display behind him flickered, now showing updated data streams—graphs, energy signatures, and calculated projections of potential outcomes.
"This is the situation as it stands," Darius began, his voice calm but firm. "The dungeon's current energy wavelength has exceeded all previous records. Its readings surpass even the most catastrophic dungeon breaks in history. As of now, we are facing an unprecedented threat."
A murmur spread through the gathered hunters, but it died quickly when Alastair Crowe spoke up.
"Due to this reclassification, all strategies we previously considered must be adapted. We are no longer dealing with an SS-rank entity—we are dealing with a SSS-class disaster."
Darius continued, his eyes scanning the room. "The official strike force will consist of National-Level Hunters, top S-ranks from Velmora, and elite guild representatives from across the world. Coordination will be crucial. One mistake could mean the complete failure of this operation."