The first prisoner—the tallest, with his arms crossed and a crooked smile—stepped forward, glaring at Eliza with narrowed eyes.
"Take care of us today, little princess..." he murmured, in a tone that was a mix of threat and provocation.
Eliza didn't respond. Her eyes were sharp as razors.
The second, younger member of the Association took a clipboard wrapped in a waterproof cover from a plastic folder. With a thick pen, he pulled out the registration sheet and began reading, as if oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
"These are the ones assigned to today's Dungeon, code D-1421/EN."
He quickly scanned the sheet and began reciting the names, firmly and directly:
"Prisoner 01478—Marcus 'Morsa' Delgado. Crimes: rape, kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder. Estimated rank: D+."
The brute smirked, slamming his fists together as if warming up for a fight.
"Prisoner 03192 — Elias Krowe. Crimes: rape followed by murder. Estimated rank: D."
The thin, shrewd-looking man gave a slight nod and kept the cold smile on his lips.
"Prisoner 00544 — Doyle Kirchner. Crimes: rape and attempted murder. Estimated rank: D-."
The last one, bald and with a blank look, just sniffed and looked around as if he wasn't really there.
Eliza felt her stomach churn when she heard the name and crime of the last one — Doyle. Her eyes hardened, and she needed a second to control her revulsion. 'These are today's raid "companions"...' she thought.
The member of the Association continued:
"One of us, Mr. Gregory, will accompany you inside the Dungeon." One of the members of the association spoke, and this Gregory, the same one who had threatened the prisoners, gave a slight nod.
"With that, we have four fighters on the CCPR side," he said. "Now, the other four hunters summoned by the Association."
He looked up and pointed with the pen at Eliza, who straightened her body even as her heart raced.
"Eliza M. Roth. C-Rank. Specialty: Arcane support and elemental control. Second participation in cooperative dungeons."
There was a brief murmur among the other members of the team. Eliza's name was minimally known in the academic world — the daughter of two important magical theorists, she was trying to carve out her own reputation in the field, away from universities and conferences. But her firm expression, impeccable posture, and serious tone spoke for themselves. She only nodded once, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead.
"Hunter number two: Orion Valeska. C-Rank. Class: Frontliner. Specialty: Brutal style with heavy blade, enhanced body control."
A man with a broad body, broad shoulders, and a large sword on his back stepped forward. His blond hair tied in a ponytail contrasted with his calm, almost indifferent expression. He didn't even look at the prisoners.
"Hunter number three: Tasha Lin. D+Rank. Class: Scout. Specialty: Agility, reconnaissance, and ambushes."
A short, lithe woman with close-cropped hair and dark eyes raised her hand silently. She wore two daggers strapped to her thighs and a light hunter's overcoat. Her gaze lingered coldly on the prisoners for just a second—and that was enough for Elias Krowe to look away with a sigh.
The agent paused. And then, as if even he found what came next curious, he glanced at the tanned man and continued:
"And finally..."
Eliza held her breath.
"Seth Chambers. Rank-E. Class undefined. Assignment: Low-priority scout."
Silence.
Eliza blinked. Her head turned so quickly toward him that she nearly knocked her glasses off.
"Rank... E?!" She didn't realize she had whispered out loud.
The prisoners looked at each other. Marcus 'Walrus' let out a short, muffled laugh.
"What? The Association's publicity guy is Rank-E?" he mocked, looking at Seth. "That one looks like a perfume model, not a hunter..."
Elias laughed. Doyle didn't move.
But Seth just looked up, as if he was only just paying attention.
"Is that a problem?" he asked, his voice low, without inflection.
The Association agent hesitated for a moment, perhaps bothered by the same discrepancy that everyone there felt.
"There were... complications in the initial evaluation. Seth was recently licensed by the Association, and he hasn't yet undergone the Rank reevaluation."
Eliza, still stunned, stared at him with a mixture of disbelief and distrust. It was him. She could feel it in her bones. But... Rank-E? Something didn't add up. That presence, that control... that look. How could someone like that be considered weak?
Gregory, the veteran hunter of the Association and responsible for overseeing the raid, huffed impatiently.
"Rank or not, if he stays behind, leave him alone." He turned to the portal. "Dungeon stabilized. We enter in two minutes."
The blue whirlwind was spinning harder now, sending gusts of wind and shimmering particles of mana into the air.
Seth took one last look at the prisoners, who looked away out of pure instinct.
Then he calmly walked toward the portal.
Without waiting.
Without warning.
Without fear.
As the last of the hunters stepped through the portal, the magical whirlpool closed behind them with a subtle snap, like the sound of a seal being sealed. Outside, the member of the Association who had remained watching let out a heavy sigh—part frustration, part nervousness.
"Holy shit…" he muttered, running a hand over his rain-soaked face. "The leader of the Association made it clear: don't provoke the guy Vixen Rose and Connie Parker recommended… and this girl goes out there and lets out a loud 'E-Rank' like she's reading a report?"
He shook his head in exasperation.
"These newbies…" he muttered, looking at the now-sealed whirlpool. "They have no idea what kind of people walk among the 'low ranks.'"
He took a few steps away, taking the communicator out of his pocket and speaking softly to no one but himself:
"That bastard has more aura than David Shirthzy... that S-Rank wannabe savior who keeps blowing up meters."
He closed the communicator again with a dry snap.
"E-Rank, huh? Hah. This damn system is going to kill someone yet."
And with one last look at the now silent vortex, he turned his back, as if refusing to watch what was coming next.
Because inside... it was hell waiting to happen.