The world had changed.
Monsters still roamed, but humanity had begun to push back.
Cities that had been on the verge of collapse were now strongholds, fortified by the power of the Awakened.
The Hunter's Association stood at the center of it all, dictating who was strong, who was weak, and who had the right to stand at the top.
And within this system, countless hopefuls sought to carve their names into history.
They wanted to be Hunters.
To fight.
To rise.
To survive.
The Awakening Trials
Becoming a hunter wasn't as simple as awakening.
You could be born with power, but that didn't mean you were strong.
The Association had implemented trials—a series of tests designed to determine your worth.
Strength, agility, endurance, combat instincts—every aspect of an Awakened's abilities was evaluated.
But the most important test?
The Measurement.
At the center of every Hunter Academy was a massive, floating orb—the Essence Stone, carved from the core of an S-Rank monster.
It was the only way to measure one's true potential.
Hunters could not see each other's stats.
There was no way to compare power levels except through combat.
But the Essence Stone didn't lie.
It analyzed everything—the sum of an Awakened's strength, the depth of their magic, the sharpness of their skills.
It was absolute.
And today, a new group of hopefuls stood before it, ready to be measured.
The Hopefuls
I stood in the distance, watching.
A small group of Awakened lined up, each of them preparing for their turn.
Some were nervous. Others were filled with confidence.
And among them, a few stood out.
—Alec Kaine. A towering young man with short, black hair and sharp eyes. His arms were wrapped in thick bandages, hiding scars from brutal training. Rumors said he had already killed a C-Rank monster before awakening. If true, he would likely rank high.
—Elaine Voss. A woman with flowing silver hair and piercing green eyes. She radiated a calm, composed energy. Her movements were precise, controlled—someone who had honed their body long before gaining power.
—Derrick Graves. A man with a wild grin, his fingers twitching with anticipation. He had awakened only weeks ago but already moved like a predator. He craved battle, and the monsters would give him plenty.
Each of them had their own reasons for being here.
Each of them wanted to rise to the top.
And I?
I was just here to see how far behind they all were.
The Measuring Begins
One by one, they stepped forward, placing their hands against the Essence Stone.
The moment they touched it, the stone flared with light, analyzing every fiber of their being.
For the spectators, it was a moment of silence.
For the one being measured, it was a moment of truth.
Alec Kaine: The orb pulsed a deep crimson, the color of raw power. Letters burned into the air:
───────[ MEASUREMENT COMPLETE ]───────
TOTAL STATS: 573
RANK: A
──────────────────────────
A murmur ran through the crowd.
"A-Rank? Already?"
"He's a monster…"
Alec stepped back, unfazed, as if he had expected nothing less.
Then it was Elaine's turn.
The orb pulsed a cool silver, the color of precision.
───────[ MEASUREMENT COMPLETE ]───────
TOTAL STATS: 499
RANK: B+
──────────────────────────
She exhaled slowly, nodding to herself.
Not quite an A-Rank, but still far above most.
Finally, Derrick.
The orb burned with a violent orange, radiating instability.
───────[ MEASUREMENT COMPLETE ]───────
TOTAL STATS: 452
RANK: B
──────────────────────────
A wicked grin stretched across his face.
"Heh. Good enough."
More names were called. More ranks were assigned.
The strong rose. The weak were dismissed.
And all the while, I stood there—watching.
Because none of them had any idea.
None of them knew that the one standing among them had already surpassed everything they were striving for.
That I alone could see their exact stats without the Essence Stone.
That I had long since left the ranking system behind.
They were fighting to climb the mountain.
But I?
I had already reached the summit.
And I was waiting to see who would survive long enough to join me.