The morning the Association called for me, Velistra felt different—not louder, not busier, just… beneath me.
I walked toward the towering white building of the Inner World Association, my coat fluttering behind me, eyes cold, calm.
Hunters lined the street.
Guild masters.
Elite awakeners.
S-Ranks who could level a district with a breath.
All staring at one person.
Me.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
> "That's the kid who came out of the blackened S-Rank portal…"
"He walked out without a scratch."
"He… devoured an S-Rank monster? Rumor… right?"
"No way he's below SS…"
I ignored all of them.
Their fear, their awe—none of it mattered.
Inside, the panel of evaluators whispered nervously as I stepped onto the testing platform.
One man swallowed hard.
> "Drax Magna… age seventeen… previously unawakened…"
Another chuckled weakly.
> "Let's… begin the evaluation."
The room dimmed.
Lights flared.
The essence-measuring crystal rose—towering, ancient, carved from dragonbone and star quartz.
The strongest Hunters on the continent gathered behind the glass walls to watch.
I sensed Monarch-level aura suppressants hidden in the ceiling.
They were nervous.
Good.
I placed my hand on the crystal.
The crystal pulsed once… twice… then trembled violently.
A crack shot up its center.
Another.
A third.
Its glow turned blinding white—then pitch black.
The alarms went off instantly.
> ALERT: ESSENCE LEVEL UNIDENTIFIABLE
ALERT: MEASUREMENT EXCEEDED LIMITS
DEVICE FAILURE IMMINENT—
BOOM.
The crystal shattered—exploding into essence dust, spiraling around me like stardust dragged into oblivion.
The entire hall went silent.
Someone finally whispered:
> "U-Unmeasurable…"
Chairs scraped.
Someone dropped a pen.
A few Hunters stepped back involuntarily.
An executive cleared his throat, voice trembling.
> "W-we will… ah… need time. A week. To finalize your ranking. For now—here."
He handed me a black card with silver engravings.
> "A dungeon access license. From Norn. You may legally enter portals until the evaluation is complete."
Recruiters swarmed instantly.
Guild masters offering contracts.
Rich families waving promises of estates.
Hunters begging me to join their teams.
Politicians pretending to smile.
I walked past all of them.
Not a single offer even made me slow down.
Later That Day
I met him outside the Association gates—
a boy my age, expensive coat, custom armor polished to a mirror shine.
His aura was stable, disciplined.
A tank, clearly.
He noticed me and brightened.
> "Hey! You're Drax, right? I'm Isis Faelan."
I eyed him, expression neutral.
> "You're rich."
He blinked. "Huh—? I guess? I mean… my dad owns the Starlight Guild, but—"
> "Not interested."
He laughed awkwardly.
> "No, no, I wasn't recruiting. I'm supposed to inherit the guild someday, so I came to evaluate competition. You're impressive."
I shrugged.
> "Everything's impressive to someone."
He didn't take offense.
Just smiled with genuine curiosity.
It was almost… refreshing.
A week later, I joined a raid as a porter—
not because I needed to,
but because I wanted to observe.
Isis joined the same raid as a tank, wearing armor worth more than most houses.
He looked uncomfortable in it.
The team consisted of nine other Hunters—
all older, all seasoned, all underestimating me.
Inside the dungeon, everything felt wrong.
Cold stares.
Whispers.
Sidelong glances.
Hidden hostility.
And then—
A spell circle flared beneath me.
BOOM.
My back smashed into the dungeon wall, rubble raining down.
Dust filled my lungs.
My vision blurred for a moment.
Laughter.
The whole team surrounded Isis.
> "Hand over your gear, rich boy."
"Do it, and maybe we'll let you live."
"Drax? He's dead weight anyway."
Isis shook, face pale.
> "You… you planned this?"
One smirked.
> "Of course. You're too easy to rob. Should've stayed home."
I lay still, letting them think the spell had taken me out.
Their words dripped with greed, venom, cowardice.
Human hearts… truly vile.
All that potential, wasted on ego and envy.
The Abyss simmered under my skin—quiet, hungry.
One of them kicked rubble over me.
> "Heh. Trash stayed trash even after awakening."
My fingers closed around the hilt of my black blade.
I stood.
Quietly.
Deliberately.
Dust fell from my coat as I lifted my head.
My eyes—white and cold—locked onto theirs.
The closest Hunter's face drained of color.
> "W-Wait, he's still—"
My blade cut through the air.
SHHK.
The man collapsed, essence already devoured before his body hit the ground.
Screams.
Panic.
Scrambling footsteps.
Isis stared at me, trembling.
> "D-Drax…?"
I didn't answer.
My focus was on the others.
Footsteps echoed deeper in the cave.
A tremor.
A hiss.
The air vibrated.
A colossal creature uncoiled from the shadows—
a giant, winged serpent with two heads, purple scales shimmering like amethyst under torchlight.
Its wings scraped the cavern ceiling.
Its presence filled the dungeon with overpowering killing intent.
The dungeon boss.
Awakened by bloodshed.
The remaining Hunters froze.
> "T-That's—!"
"Impossible—this is only a B-Rank dungeon!"
The serpent's twin mouths opened in unison, rotten breath scorching the air.
I cracked my neck slowly.
Rolled my shoulders.
A smile tugged at my lips.
> "Perfect timing."
The Abyss surged around me, shadows rippling off my skin.
My blade pulsed—hungry, eager, alive.
I looked at Isis, voice calm.
> "Stay behind me."
Then I stepped forward, eyes burning white, the Abyss roaring to life—
and the monster attacked.