DarkSync: Shadow Protocol
Chapter 4: The Lie of the E-Rank
I stood before my bed, the air still thick with the ghost of violence.
Who in the hell sent those assassins after me?
They weren't real Hunters — E-rank at best.
Weak enough that they couldn't even clear low‑level dungeons. That was why they took dirty side jobs like this.
And I killed them.
If I could wipe out a full squad of E-rankers that easily…
What did that make me?
A sharp, cold thought settled in my chest:
Become a Hunter.
I had power now — power to survive, to grow, to hunt down whoever wanted me dead.
But Hunter ranks were fixed.
Once you were evaluated, that was your label for life.
Most people never moved up.
They rotted at their level until they died in a dungeon or quit in despair.
But I was different.
I had a system.
No Hunter on Earth had anything like this.
No prompts. No seals. No living interface whispering in their mind.
This was beyond normal.
Beyond the rules of this world.
"If I have something no one else does… then I can evolve. Break their limits."
Yeah.
Screw fixed ranks.
I was going to find out just how powerful I really was.
"Okay… time to go."
I grabbed a spare jacket from the corner and headed out.
Destination: Hunter Registration Office.
Run by the Chinese Hunter Association — the starting line for every official Hunter.
Scan. Test. Rank.
If my new power was real, I was going to make it official.
The cold wind slapped my face as I stepped outside, but my focus was already inward.
"System. Show Interface."
The world dimmed slightly, as if my vision folded inward.
A translucent black-and-violet panel materialized before me, pulsing softly.
[ SYNC INTERFACE — STATUS ]
Name: Unknown
Level: 3
Race: Human (Mutated)
Class: — [Unassigned]
Status: [Seal 1: Unlocked] | [Seal 2: Locked] | [Seal 3: Locked]
[ ATTRIBUTES ]
Strength: 21
Agility: 17
Endurance: 19
Perception: 15
Intelligence: 9
Vitality: 22
DarkSync Rate: 3.2%
Hidden Stat(s): [Locked]
[ COMBAT POWER RANKING ]
Estimated Rank: Unable to Determine
(Hunter Association Systems may not be compatible)
[ EXPERIENCE ]
Current XP: 180 / 400
Next Level: Level 4 at 400 XP
Skill Points Available: 3
Traits Unlocked:
- Dark Blood Resonance — Passive: Slight regeneration from damage dealt.
- Instinctive Movement — Passive: Dodge chance increases when health is below 50%.
[ SYSTEM NOTES ]
Your potential exceeds the current evaluation systems of known Hunter Guilds.
To unlock full class and bloodline functions, reach Level 10 and complete [Origin Trigger Event].
⚠ Caution: You are being observed.
⚠ Caution: Power synchronization unstable beyond 10%.
My eyes widened as I read.
"Level 3 already? And I have skills… traits?"
No Hunter I'd ever heard of had anything close to this.
The interface felt alive, responsive, personal.
Like it was forged only for me.
And the line that froze my blood:
You are being observed.
By who?
I forced the thought down.
First priority: Get registered.
Let them scan me.
Let them try to rank me.
I walked fast, hood up, hands buried deep in my pockets.
The morning haze clung to the streets like a fog of unspoken secrets.
My mind wouldn't stop racing.
"Wait… my DarkSync Rate was 34% during the fight."
Right before I'd torn those assassins apart.
Now it was just 3.2%.
"It spikes when I'm in danger."
Combat mode. Near-death trigger.
But another line burned in my head:
Power synchronization unstable beyond 10%.
Unstable.
What happened if I crossed that line?
Would my body break?
Would I lose control?
I sighed.
"Whatever. I'll deal with it when it comes."
Right now, I needed answers.
A cover.
Access.
If I was officially a Hunter, I could move without suspicion.
"One step at a time."
After a thirty‑minute walk, I reached Sector 9 — an old district still under the Chinese Hunter Association's jurisdiction.
Not the fanciest branch, but functional.
A tall, gray stone building loomed ahead, reinforced with steel plating and glowing scanners.
A faded banner hung above the entrance:
HUNTER REGISTRATION & RANKING OFFICE — S9 BRANCH
Only the strong survive. Get ranked.
Two guards in light exo‑armor stood at the door, eyes sharp.
A rotating scanner hummed above them.
The moment I stepped inside, a sharp scent hit me — disinfectant, metal, and burnt mana.
The hall was sterile, cold, deceptively quiet.
Black seats lined the walls.
Holo‑panels displayed rules, dungeon warnings, and outdated rank updates.
Four people waited ahead:
A bulky, eye-patched man pacing restlessly.
Two teenage twins in matching cloaks, murmuring.
A girl in her early twenties with cracked gloves — a freelancer, probably here for a re-rank.
I approached the left counter.
A young woman with neat hair and rectangular glasses looked up, her voice efficient and flat.
"First-time registration?"
"Yeah."
She handed me a tablet.
"Fill in your name, birthdate, origin, ID. Choose affiliation: Guild, Independent, or Scout‑me."
I tapped quickly.
Name: Luo Shen
Date of Birth: 1 June 2044
Origin: Zone 4 – Inner Ruins
Affiliation: Independent
I handed it back.
She glanced at the screen, blinked once, then nodded as if she'd seen stranger.
"Registered. Wait for your name. They'll scan you, test you, assign your rank."
I sat near the edge, two seats away from the glove-wearing girl.
My chest tightened.
That DarkSync Rate.
The warning.
The feeling that the second they scanned me…
Something would break.
"Luo Shen."
I stood and followed the voice into the testing room.
It was a small, dim space with reinforced walls and lined scanning equipment.
Two examiners in black coats waited — one with a tablet, one beside a glowing pedestal.
The man with the tablet spoke first.
"Two tests. First: Rank Measurement Crystal. Second: raw physical power."
He gestured to the pedestal.
"Place your hand on the crystal. Stay still."
I stepped forward and touched it.
The crystal pulsed once.
A faint, weak glow spread through it… and stopped.
They exchanged confused looks.
"Glow means he has an ability… but it's too dim. Must be stealth-type or hidden trait."
They had no idea.
The glow was weak not because I lacked power —
but because my power hid itself.
The darkness cloaked its true depth.
I said nothing.
"Next. Power test."
They led me to a thick, cubic machine with a glowing target.
"Strike it with everything you have. Don't hold back."
I cracked my neck once, planted my feet, and punched with full force.
BOOM.
The impact shook the room.
The display flickered… then settled.
760
The examiners were mildly surprised — not impressed.
"One of the highest today. But physical power isn't everything."
They looked at me.
"Based on both results: provisional E‑Rank. You can reapply later if you awaken more clearly."
I nodded silently and stepped back.
E‑Rank.
That was it?
After everything.
After the system.
After the assassins I'd torn apart like paper.
This was what I got?
I sat alone in the hallway, staring at the floor.
"Was I… overconfident?"
"Am I really just… E‑rank?"