In the heart of a Rank-C dungeon, where the air was permeated by the metallic smell of blood and the echo of distant screams, Seth advanced like an unstoppable force. His every step made the ground tremble, and the darkness seemed to recede before him.
His teammates, positioned at a safe distance, watched in shock. They had prepared themselves to face an arduous battle, but what they were witnessing was beyond all expectation.
Seth, officially ranked Rank-E, moved with the grace and ferocity of a supreme predator. His attacks were precise, devastating, and every approaching enemy was cut to pieces in seconds.
"That... that's not possible," muttered one of the team members, his eyes wide as he watched Seth obliterate a group of monsters with a single blow.
Another teammate, still trying to process the scene before him, stammered: "He's Rank-E? That must be a mistake. No one with that level of power can be ranked that low."
Meanwhile, Seth continued his onslaught, his every move demonstrating absolute mastery over his abilities. He didn't just face the monsters; he dominated them, as if each battle were a choreographed dance where he led and the enemies followed, only to be destroyed in the end.
The dungeon, which had once seemed like a formidable challenge, now resembled a training ground for Seth. His companions, still stunned, began to question everything they knew about ranks and powers.
"Maybe the rankings don't mean as much as we thought," said one of them, his voice filled with wonder and a touch of fear. "And to think that the Guild Master was hiding someone like that under our noses..."
"You heard her, right? He's not from the Guild." One of the mages spoke as she looked at Seth darting between the monsters and turning them into Sushi or Blast thanks to the Sword in his hand...
"It's true..." One of the warriors said...
[Hours before...]
"Take him with you." Vixen's voice cut through the silence of the room, firm and authoritative, while her golden eyes stared intensely at the man in front of her.
Ames Valric, the captain of the Black Rose guild's field unit, responsible for the Rank-C portals, hesitated for a moment. His experienced countenance, scarred from years in high-risk dungeons, didn't hide his doubt.
"Master Vixen... we're talking about a Rank-C portal," he said, carefully measuring his words. "Are you sure it's a good idea? The guy's only a Rank-E in the records..."
Vixen leaned back slightly in her command chair - a black leather throne shaped to match the guild's aggressive style - and crossed her legs elegantly. His eyes flashed dangerously at the mention of Seth's name.
"And what's wrong with that, Captain Valric?" she asked with menacing calm.
"It's not that I'm questioning your decision," he stepped back a little, clearing his throat, "but, with all due respect, putting him on a raid with a team of veterans can be... unstable. Especially if he doesn't have a handle on his skills yet."
Vixen rested her chin on her hand, her fingers delicately curved, as if analyzing something much more interesting than the conversation.
"Unstable," she repeated in an amused, almost mocking tone. "The only thing unstable about Seth... is the way the world still hasn't realized what's about to happen."
She looked away for a moment, and her mind betrayed her, bringing back recent memories - his firm touch on her waist, his eyes that seemed to see beyond the masks she herself wore, the way he dominated her... Not just physically, but emotionally. And this coming from an S-Rank, like herself, was unprecedented.
Vixen sniffed discreetly and shook her head, trying to dispel the bold images that threatened to break her composure. A slight blush rose to her cheeks, something rare enough to make Ames blink, confused.
"Guild master?" he asked, uncertain.
"Cof, cof." She pulled herself together quickly, turning back to face the captain with calculated coldness. "Just take him with you. Follow protocol, clear the dungeon as usual. And... a warning, Captain."
She stood up, walking over to him with slow, deliberate steps. She stopped a few centimeters away and looked directly into his eyes.
"Don't provoke him. Don't underestimate him. And above all..." she smiled, dangerously, "don't try to measure Seth by other people's yardsticks. He's the kind of problem you only realize when it's too late."
Ames swallowed. He had heard rumors - whispers that Vixen, the guild's most feared huntress, was involved with a stranger. But this... this was different. The gleam in her eyes wasn't just desire. It was reverence. Respect. Fear?
"Understood." He bowed briefly and left the room with his mind full of questions.
When the door closed, Vixen returned to her chair. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips.
...[Currently]
"He's certainly an A-rank, it shouldn't be S yet, but he's clearly a very high rank." Ames said to his group, who were simply watching the massacre.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing," Anika muttered, her eyes fixed on Seth as he cut a giant stone monster in half with frightening ease. "This guy... he's a war machine."
Durik, the team's warrior, stood with his mouth open, watching as Seth disintegrated everything that came near him. His sword glowed with an almost supernatural energy, making even the walls of the dungeon seem to shimmer with the force of the blow. "That's... I can't believe it. If he's Rank-E, then what are Rank-S? A legend?"
Ames was lost in thought. He knew what that meant. Protocol, trust in the hierarchy, everything was being questioned there, in those dark hours. "No, that doesn't make sense. He shouldn't be so strong."
Ames' gaze met that of his own group, and he felt a wave of distrust taking shape. How had they underestimated someone so clearly powerful? How had he fallen so far down the rankings? And why was Vixen so convinced of his strength?
"I... don't know what to make of it," said Ames, his voice deep, as if he were trying to convince himself of something. "He's destroying this dungeon single-handedly. I've never seen anything like it."
At that moment, Seth stopped, observing the now silent battlefield. Around him, what was left of the horde of monsters was just dust and shapeless pieces of flesh. He looked at his sword, still smoking after the last blow, and then turned to Ames' group. His eyes were calm, but there was an intensity in them that couldn't be ignored.
"Shall we continue?" Seth asked with a neutral tone, as if the battle he had just fought was just another normal day for him. His face showed no fatigue, no emotion - just the coldness of someone who had known exactly what to do all along.
Ames, still stunned, couldn't articulate an immediate response. He just nodded, speechless. The captain had never imagined that a Rank-E would be able to destroy a Rank-C dungeon so easily. And now, he wondered if the whole ranking system was totally wrong.
"Let's... continue," he muttered, recovering from his surprise.
...[At the entrance to the Boss's hall...]
As the team advanced through the dark corridors of the dungeon, the air seemed to get thicker. The temperature dropped, and a feeling of oppression filled the space. The sound of footsteps echoed in the absolute silence as the group followed Seth, who walked ahead with unflappable calm.
Ames and the others, still in shock from the Rank-E's display of power, tried to stay focused, but the tension was visible on their faces. They knew they were about to face the Boss of the dungeon, a colossal and dangerous creature, but Seth's presence made everything surreal.
"Is he going to fight the Boss too?" Anika asked quietly, the unease clear in her words.
"We'll hardly need to do anything," Durik replied, looking with a puzzled expression at Seth. "If he carries on like this, that Boss won't even stand a chance."
Seth, for his part, walked in silence, in no hurry. His sword was slung over his shoulder, his eyes fixed ahead, as if he already knew exactly what to expect. The confidence that emanated from him was undeniable, a confidence that seemed to defy logic.
As they approached the large door to the Boss's hall, a heavy vibration enveloped them. The huge entrance, made of black rock and covered in ancient runes, was ajar. Behind it, the sound of something colossal moving could be heard, as if waiting for the intruders to arrive.
"It's close," Ames said, his voice a little more tense now, sensing the magnitude of the situation. "Get ready."
But Seth didn't seem to mind the tension. He simply advanced to the door, pushing it open with ease, revealing the vast hall in front of him.
The scene that presented itself was impressive. The hall was immense, with the ceiling so high that it could barely be seen. A dense darkness covered the edges, but in the center, a gigantic creature waited. Its red eyes glowed as the group entered, and a deep roar echoed off the walls, making even the rocks shake.
The Boss was a colossal monster, a mixture of stone and flesh that exuded an aura of destruction. His skin was as hard as rock and he held an enormous iron mace that looked as if it could crush a mountain. The ground beneath him was cracked, as if the monster's weight was crushing the earth with every movement.
But nevertheless, Seth continued his march with a calm step. He approached the beast without haste, without the slightest sign of fear or apprehension. The monster watched him with glowing eyes, and seemed to perceive Seth's presence differently from the other members of the team. It roared again, a wave of brutal energy emanating from its body, but Seth didn't back down.
"Leave it to me," Seth said calmly, looking at the Boss with an expression of pure concentration. "Stay back."