The Seoul Awakener Evaluation Center looked more like a cathedral than a government building. High ceilings, marble floors, and massive glass displays showcasing the "Heroes of the Century."
Han Seo-Jun stood in the back of the "Re-Evaluation" line. He wore a fresh hoodie to hide the grime from the dungeon, but he couldn't hide the predatory stillness that had settled into his bones.
"Next," a bored-looking clerk called out.
Seo-Jun stepped forward. The clerk didn't even look up from her monitor. "Name?"
"Han Seo-Jun."
"Current Rank?"
"F."
The clerk paused, finally lifting her gaze. Her eyes scanned his faded clothes and the cheap sneakers. "Re-evaluations for F-ranks are usually a waste of time, Mr. Han. It's usually just a 1 or 2 point mana fluctuation. It costs 500,000 won. You sure you want to spend your life savings on a disappointment?"
"I'm sure," Seo-Jun said, placing the credits on the counter.
She sighed, stamping a form. "Room 4. Don't break the sensors."
Room 4 was a reinforced chamber lined with Mana-Nullifying Lead. In the center stood the 'Aegis Pillar,' a monolith etched with runes designed to measure a Hunter's "Output" and "Potential."
The evaluator was a middle-aged man named Lee, who was busy scrolling through his phone. "Alright, kid. Standard procedure. Place both hands on the plate and channel as much mana as you can. If you feel dizzy, stop."
Seo-Jun approached the pillar.
[System Warning: The 'Aegis Pillar' is linked to the Global Association Network.]
[If you release 100% of your current mana, you will trigger a 'Code Black' Alert.]
[Would you like to 'Edit' your output?]
Edit it, Seo-Jun thought. Keep me just under the radar. Give me a rank that gets me into high-level dungeons but doesn't bring the 'Administrators' to my door.
[Editing Output... Masking SSS-Tier Signature...]
[Simulating: A-Rank 'High-Tier' Mana Wave.]
Seo-Jun touched the plate.
At first, there was silence. Then, the runes on the pillar began to glow. Not the dim blue of an F-rank or the steady green of a C-rank. They turned a violent, piercing crimson.
The air in the room began to vibrate. The light grew so bright that Evaluator Lee dropped his phone, his eyes widening.
"Wait—stop! That's enough!" Lee shouted.
The pillar groaned. A hairline fracture appeared in the center of the ancient stone. Then, with a sound like a gunshot, the glass displays in the observation room shattered.
[Output Confirmed.]
[Calculated Mana Index: 8,400.]
[Current Rank: A-Class (Peak).]
The machine hummed as it printed a plastic card. Lee picked it up with trembling hands. "A-Rank... You were registered as an F-rank for five years?"
"Late bloomer," Seo-Jun said, taking the card.
"Late bloomer? Kid, you just jumped six tiers in one day! This... this is a national record! I have to call the Director—"
"I'd prefer if you didn't," Seo-Jun interrupted. His voice carried a subtle weight—the 'Gravitational Burden' leaking out. Lee felt his knees buckle slightly. "Just process the update. I have a dungeon to clear."
As Seo-Jun walked out of the testing wing, the crowds parted. People didn't know who he was yet, but they could feel the pressure. He was halfway to the exit when a woman stepped into his path.
She was tall, dressed in a sharp charcoal suit, with silver-rimmed glasses and hair pulled back into a lethal ponytail. On her lapel was the insignia of the White Lotus Guild—the top-ranked guild in Korea.
"Han Seo-Jun?" she asked. Her voice was like ice clinking in a glass.
"Who's asking?"
"Kang Ji-Won. Head of Intelligence for White Lotus," she said, her eyes scanning him like a thermal camera. "We just received a notification of a 'Rank-Sovereign' anomaly in this building. The sensors say an A-Rank just walked out of Room 4, but the mana signature felt... older than that."
She stepped closer, her nose wrinkling slightly. "You smell like a Shadow Stalker. And ozone."
Seo-Jun met her gaze. He didn't blink. "I'm just a guy who finally got his card updated, Ms. Kang. Is there a law against that?"
Ji-Won leaned in, whispering so only he could hear. "The Captain of the Iron Vanguard was found ten minutes ago at the hospital. He's been stripped of his mana. Completely hollowed out. He says an F-rank porter stole his soul."
She looked at the A-Rank card in his hand. "An F-rank can't do that. But an SSS-rank Plagiarist could."
Seo-Jun's heart didn't skip a beat, but his mind raced. She knows. Or she suspects.
"I don't know anything about a soul," Seo-Jun said, stepping around her. "But if you're looking for someone to blame, maybe look at why a B-Rank monster was in a G-Rank dungeon."
As he walked away, Kang Ji-Won didn't follow. She pulled out her phone and dialed a secure line.
"Director? I found him. No, he's not an A-Rank. He's something the system hasn't named yet. Monitor all gates. If he enters a dungeon alone, I want to be the one on the other side of the portal."