[Status: Morning of Evaluation Day]


    Kael stared at his reflection, adjusting the spear strapped across his back. Today was it. After all the training, the deaths, the revelations - time to see what it had amounted to.


    The Hunter Association''s evaluation center loomed before him, its modern architecture a sharp contrast to the Guild''s traditional buildings. A steady stream of hunters flowed through its doors, some seeking their first ranking, others hoping to prove their growth.


    "Next!" The receptionist''s voice cut through the crowded lobby. "Guild-recommended evaluations, window three!"


    Kael moved toward the separate line, his Guild recommendation notice held ready. As he passed the general queue, a voice rose above the murmur of conversation.


    "This is bullshit!" A muscular man in expensive combat gear slammed his fist on the counter. "I''ve been waiting for three hours! Why do these nobodies get to skip ahead?"


    The receptionist remained professionally calm. "Sir, Guild-recommended evaluations have priority due to verified combat achievements. Please return to your position."


    "Combat achievements?" The man''s face reddened. "Look at this kid! What achievements could he possibly have?"


    Kael felt the man''s glare as he handed his papers to the window three receptionist. He''d faced down a Crystalline Manticore nineteen times - one angry hunter barely registered.


    "Guild recommendation... and a C-rank Manticore confirmation?" The receptionist noted, eyebrows rising slightly. "Proceed to Evaluation Chamber Five."


    "A C-rank?" The angry man''s voice rose higher. "That''s obviously fake! This scrawny brat couldn''t-"


    "Why do dumbasses always make the most noise?" Kael muttered, just loud enough to carry.


    The man''s face purpled. "What did you say?"


    "Sir," a security officer stepped forward, "please maintain proper conduct or you''ll be escorted out."


    Kael followed the guide through pristine white corridors. The evaluation chamber doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a massive space divided into distinct testing zones.


    Other candidates were already there - three others with Guild recommendations. They nodded in professional acknowledgment, recognizing fellow hunters who''d earned their place.


    The observation booth above hummed to life. A tired-looking evaluator appeared behind the glass, clearly expecting another routine day.


    "Candidate Kael," the evaluator''s voice filled the chamber. "Step forward for power assessment."


    The reinforced training dummy stood ready, its surface gleaming with sensor arrays.


    "Begin with unarmed strikes."


    Kael''s first punch connected solidly, years of training behind its power. The sensors registered decent numbers - nothing extraordinary, but respectable for his level.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Proceed to weapon testing."


    Drawing his spear, Kael felt his reconstructured pathways respond. The weapon moved in a perfect arc, striking with precision that made the evaluator sit up straighter. The sensor readings jumped significantly higher than his unarmed strikes.


    "Repeat that," the evaluator ordered, double-checking the readings.


    Kael complied. Again, his spear strikes registered far above what his basic stats would suggest possible.


    "Interesting discrepancy," the evaluator muttered. "Proceed to agility assessment."


    The laser grid activated. "Maintain evasion for sixty seconds. Difficulty will increase progressively."


    Kael''s [Combat Instinct] kicked in as the beams began their dance. He flowed through the patterns smoothly, each movement precise and economical. No wasted energy, no flashy displays - just the pure efficiency of someone who had learned exactly how much effort survival required.


    When the final second ticked away, he''d avoided every beam - impressive, but not impossibly so.


    "Final test - mana capability assessment. Display your maximum output."


    This was where things got complicated. Kael reached for his power, letting it flow through his reformed pathways. The readings started steady, then began to fluctuate wildly - spiking high one moment, dropping low the next.


    Kael pushed harder, trying to stabilize his output. The sensors began to whine, their readings jumping erratically.


    As Kael struggled to maintain control, something shifted within his pathways. It felt like trying to pour water through a constantly changing maze - the power was there, but its flow became increasingly unpredictable.


    The evaluator frowned at the erratic readings. "Hold position. We''re calling in a specialist."


    Ten minutes later, an elderly mage entered the chamber, his robes marked with the Association''s insignia.


    "Unusual readings," the mage commented, activating a crystalline monocle. "Let me see... ah."


    His eyebrows rose as he studied Kael''s mana pathways. "Most peculiar. Your pathways show signs of recent reconstruction, but there''s something else... an interference pattern I''ve never seen before."


    "Is that significant?" the evaluator asked.


    "Quite. His base mana capacity is moderate, but there''s something affecting its flow - enhancing it in some ways, restricting it in others. Almost like..."


    The mage trailed off, adjusting his monocle. "Young man, how did you reconstruct your pathways?"


    "Training," Kael answered simply. No need to mention deaths or ancient entities.


    The mage hummed thoughtfully. "Well, this complicates the ranking process. Physical capabilities are clear enough - high C-rank overall, with spear mastery approaching B+ rank. But these mana readings..."


    "Assign rank based on consistent performance," the evaluator decided. "Mana anomalies noted but not factored into final grade."


    They conferred briefly, then the evaluator turned back to the mic.


    "Candidate Kael, your evaluation results: Overall C+ rank, with special notation for spear proficiency at C-rank level. Mana assessment inconclusive due to anomalous readings."


    Kael nodded, accepting the rank. He knew his true capabilities - and more importantly, he knew how much room he had to grow.


    [Status: Rank Assigned]


    [Note: Divine curse continues to mask true potential]


    [The Nameless One finds bureaucracy amusing]


    The angry man from earlier was entering as Kael left, still grumbling about preferential treatment. Kael just smiled slightly. Let him think what he wanted - Kael had died enough times to know that ranks were just the beginning.


    Besides, he had more training to do. And somewhere deep inside, a divine curse still waited to be unraveled.


    [Final Status: C+ Rank Achieved]


    [Warning: Subject''s true capabilities remain obscured]


    [The Nameless One preparing next phase]