《Only Wisdom Awakened》


 Chapter 1: Knowledge Seeker

    <h4>Chapter 1: Knowledge Seeker</h4>


    On a peaceful autumn night.


    The clear sky glowed with a golden light, matching the warm lights emitted from the houses beneath it while the sun slowly dipped below the horizon.


    In a dimly lit room, a young man could be seen while he barelyy with his back against the wall, his eyes were slightly swollen as his gripless hand clutched an almost empty beer bottle.


    Just as thest few drops of alcohol in the bottle were gurgled down his throat, the young man''s mind raced with numerous chaotic, uncontroble thoughts.


    "Damn it, damn everything; why does everything have to be hard for me, do you take pleasure as you watch me suffer or something?" The young man muttered as if speaking with the one above.


    "Only if I had the means to fight back.


    if only I could awaken.."


    The young man started, but his words trailed off before he couldplete as he stopped and shook his head.


    Then, holding onto thest shred of consciousness that was separating him from beingpletely drunk, he continued, "I guess even something like that wouldn''t have changed anything; I might have needed something way crazier, something that is simr to the powers of an omniscient god."


    Just as the young man finished, the room suddenly lit up, startling him enough to open his eyes wide open even after being somewhat drunk.


    And before he couldprehend what had happened, he saw a white screen float before him, which read.


    [ Recognized the host''s desire to obtain absolute knowledge, thest condition necessary has been satisfied. AWAKENING IN PROGRESS!]...


    [ You have awakened as the unknown ss: Knowledge S..]


    But even before he could manage to read any further, the young man''s body fell sideways before it crashed onto the floor, and snoring as hey atop the soft moquette.


    ...


    With the rising sun, a beam of light prated through a window before it hit the young man''s cheeks and his eyelids.


    After mumbling something and tossing himself around a few times, the young man finally opened his eyes.


    Looking at the floor around him he tried to stand up before walking towards the bathroom door, only to realize that he had hit something with his feet as a green bottle fell over, producing a reverberating "TIN" sound.


    Hearing the sound, the young man looked below his feet and sighed.


    ''How much did I drink? Well, I''m an adult now,'' he mused, the annoyance on his face a moment ago turning to that of pride.


    ''Ugh, I still need to clean up, if someone were to see me, they would call the police''.


    The young man had just turned eighteen, but since he was residing in the US right now, he still had three years before he could legally drink.


    After cleaning up the disaster he had created, the young man tried to recall what had actually happened the night before, and it barely took him half a minute before he thought, "I must''ve be really desperate, to think that I would dream of awakening"...


    _____


    About eight years ago.


    On a day that seemed just as normal as any other, a cmity befell upon earth and all of its inhabitants.


    Huge cracks tore through the skies, pouring strange monsters from them.


    The peace that once enveloped the whole world was then reduced to nothing but specs by those monsters, striking fear in every human, and making it hard for them to even fight back.


    Even after using numerous guns and artillery, some of those monsters remained unscathed, causing many humans to start losing hope.


    It was at that moment that a window appeared before everyone''s eyes, the window had words written on it.


    [ ??? has eyed your. ]


    [ ??? has taken a liking to your and will now try to help the residents in opposing the unwee guests. ]


    [ Seek help from those who have awakened. ]


    From then on, many humans all around the world began to awaken, gaining ess to mana, be it a woman, an elder, or a naive child, every awakened had from then on obtained the powers that allowed them to stand toe to toe against the monsters.


    But not everyone could awaken simr powers, and over time it led to the formation of diverse ranks, whichter on became the dream of many.


    A dream to reach higher levels, and obtain fame, power, and money.


    However, this dream of many could only be achieved by a select few, and with the passage of a few years, most resigned from having that fantasy and epted their fate, searching for sess through other means in this changed world.


    _____


    Coming back to the room.


    Not thinking much about it, the young man walked into the bathroom and started to take off his clothes in order to take a shower.


    Thinking about how he had acted while being drunk, the young man casually joked to himself, "If I did awaken, then it would create a reaction if I were to say ''STATUS WINDOW''? Ha, imagine that."


    But to his shock, it truly happened, a window materialized right before his eyes, causing his face to turn pale, leaving him astonished andpletely speechless.


    [ Status Window ]


    [ Name: Hans


    Age: 18


    ss: KNOWLEDGE SEEKER (Unknown)


    Title: NONE


    Level: 0


    Strength: 1


    Agility: 1


    Endurance: 1


    Wisdom: 10


    ss Skills:


    {Knowledge Hunger:?Effect: Reading and discovering new things will increase your wisdom stats, the higher your wisdom stats are, the wider your memory will be.


    Completion= 0% Passive}


    {Almighty knowledge:


    Description: Knowledge and cunningness are the only true weapons, once you obtain wisdom, everything else wille to you.


    Effect 1: From now on, the only stat that will increase by external means will be wisdom.?Effect 2: For every raise of 10 points of wisdom, all of your other stats will rise by one.


    Passive}


    Normal skills: None


    ]


    Hans''s legs almost gave out since he was barely able to walk after seeing all this, he struggled to approach the shower handle before starting it and letting the hot water cascade over his hair while trying to process what had just happened.


    By the time Hans was finished with his shower, the bathroom waspletely filled with steam and the ss had be foggy, making it impossible to see through.


    After walking out, Hans quickly dressed himself in a ck t-shirt and a simple pair of jeans.


    He then examined himself in the mirror, pondering what to do.


    Hans had wheat-colored skin and a tall stature, standing at a height of 183cm (6 feet).


    Hanging down from his ears were numerous earrings as they stood out from his raven-ck hair.


    However, what would attract anyone''s attention the most were his amber/ orange-colored eyes.


    PAH!


    Suddenly, a pping sound echoed in the room as Hans pped himself using both of his hands as if trying to wake up from the long trance.


    After gathering up a few more things, he left the empty house before walking for a few minutes, arriving at a bus stop, and waiting for the desired bus.


    After the arrival of the bus in a few minutes, Hans boarded and walked to one of the many empty seats to take the spot to his liking.


    It was Sunday after all, and not many people would be moving at 9 am.


    The ride was brief and took almost twenty minutes, but to Hans, who was lost in his thoughts, the twenty minutes felt akin to just a couple of minutes.


    Getting off the bus and walking for another while, he finally arrived at his destination.


    A five-story building with a clear insignia on the entrance: Awakened Management Association. Also known as A.M.A.


    Hans walked in as if it was nothing special, and once inside, looked around for a while, feeling strangely nonchnt about the surroundings.


    Thankfully, a young man Hans encountered in the hallway was kind enough to show him the way to the waiting room, from where he took a ticket with the number 13.


    ''A cursed number huh? I guess it''s an unlucky day.''


    Noting the irony, Hans waited for his number to be called while he looked around the room, which more than an office, reminded him of a hospital, a certainly not good memory.


    During the past 4 years, he had already cycled to the hospital enough times tost him his whole lifetime, visiting his family members who had been cursed by the heavens.


    It had happened when he was thirteen, his mother, father, and even his little sister; that unlucky day; he had lost everything he had.


    Breaking his thoughts out of his tragic past was a speaker that resounded throughout the hall: ( Number 13, pleasee forward).


    Realizing that it was his call, Hans stood up and walked into the cabin.


    In the room was a woman who waited for him in her cozy armchair, and a white doctor''s coat.


    Taking the initiative, the woman said, "Good morning, you are here to register your awakening, right?"


    Without saying a word, Hans nodded.


    The woman continued, "Good, follow me."


    Following that, the woman did some tests on Hans and after about half an hour the results were ready.


    Coming out of another room, the woman from before sat against Hans and said in a serious tone, "I''m going to be honest with you, you should give up working as an awakened. If it weren''t for the mana in your body, I would have doubted that you were even someone who has awakened, even normal people have a better physiquepared to you."


    "If someone like you were to enter a gate, not even your bones woulde back, so don''t waste your life."


    Walking out of the doctor''s cabin, Hans held the assessment paper in his hand which was now crumpled while he wore a disheartened look on his face.


    After he walked out of the building, Hans threw the paper away.


    If someone was around, they would have been shocked to find out what was written on it.


    Power: G-Rank


    Potential: F-Rank


    Both of these ranks were the lowest that had ever been registered.


    While most people would''ve been annoyed or sad about the results of such an assessment, Hans simply walked back to the bus stop as if nothing had bothered him,pared to the disheartened look on his face while he was in the building.


    After he took a seat, a slight smile appeared on the corner of his lips as he muttered, ''That will help me cover my actions for a while.''


    ''Now... shall we go and test it?''


    ''The prowess of an unknown ss.''

 Chapter 2: Unknown Rank

    <h4>Chapter 2: Unknown Rank</h4>


    While Hans gazed out of the window, observing as the brown leaves cascaded from the trees, his mind drifted to his ss rank.


    Even if he wasn''t particrly interested in the awakened and the gates, Hans still had some knowledge regarding it.


    After all, he hadn''t been living under a rock for the past decade, and the circumstances of his family obliged him to do some research.


    From what he could recall, the current hierarchy of ss ranks were: Common, Rare, and Epic.


    Those with amon ss were ubiquitous, while the ones who possessed a rare ss could be considered exceptional geniuses, numbering only a couple thousand throughout the world, making it really ''RARE''.


    And finally, regarding the EPIC ss, they were even scarcer, with currently only four epic sses to be known publicly in the whole world, three of which led some of the most influential guilds.


    The disparity among the sses was not just about the skills they were granted, rather, it was also about the overwhelming advantage they had in their stats.


    With each rise in level of amon ss, they would be granted 2 stat points, assigned in correspondence to their role.


    For example, a warrior would most likely gain strength, a mage would gain wisdom, an assassin agility, and a tank, endurance.


    There were also sses like priests that could grant you exclusive stats like divine power, but those weren''t somon.


    While amon ss would only gain two stat boosts per level, the rare ss would gain three, and likewise, the epic would gain four stats.


    ''Now then,'' Hans thought, ''Can an unknown be a grade above the epic? Or is it somethingpletely different?''


    Even if hismon sense would lead him to the former possibility, he couldn''t help shake off this feeling of strangeness.


    Why would a ss rank even be called UNKNOWN?


    And for what reason had his stats failed to increase upon awakening, quite contradictory to the norm where it would have the same effects one would gain after 10 level-ups?


    "Haaah," Hans let out a sigh, massaged his temples, and thought, "I guess I''ll only know after leveling up."


    Disembarking the bus, he approached the city''s central library.


    Slightly pushing open the light ss door, he entered the building and admired its majestic interior for a while.


    The scaffoldings were all made of dark wood and the atmosphere in the building exuded a wintery ambiance.


    Located at the center of the room were various desks and benches, made from a lighter-colored wood.


    Despite the spacious hall and the number of benches that could fit ten times the current dwellers, there were no more than ten people for the time.


    After looking around for the next few minutes, Hans walked around the ce and picked up some books from various genres before slowly stacking them on one of the tables which he found empty.


    After gathering everything he needed, a dozen columns of books had formed before his seat, prompting curious nces from the readers around.


    Remaining nonchnt, Hans started reading the books one by one. The day quickly passed while he seemed to be lost in the books.


    After having his lunch right outside the library, Hans once again hurried back inside to continue his reading marathon, reading the books he hadn''t finished before.


    _____


    9:30 PM.


    "Sigh", Hans mmed a book shut, making a noise that echoed throughout the empty and dead-silent library.


    The sun had already set for more than three hours, and due to theck of electrical light in the building, Hans was forced to rely on amp to illuminate the pages of the books to continue his reading.


    Even the guardian of the ce, stationed in a corner of the room right beside the entrance, seemed tired and scrolled through his phone.


    After cing all the books he had taken in their respective slots, Hans departed unnoticed by the guard while he was upied with his phone.


    As Hans made his way out, a chilly breeze blew around the city, tingling his face and making him rub his hands against the cold.


    After waiting at the bus stop, Hans took thest bus and made his way to his neighborhood.


    Once home, Hans rxed his tense muscles influenced by the cold,?And after changing, he rested in a chair.


    With his right hand holding a fountain pen, and his eyes staring at a lined sheet, Hans struck his pen against the paper a few times, meticulously noting down his progress on the sheet:


    {First-day results: Wisdom stat 10 ¨C> 18?Note: Not all the books read will grant extra stat, only things like physicsws and hypotheses.


    Books like fantasy stories and such will not provide any increase.}


    He then continued to repeat this routine for another few days, writing about his progress every night:


    { Second day results: Wisdom stat 18¨C> 31?Note: Not all books give the same amount of stat, for example, even if appropriate, books that are too basic in knowledge will not grant anything, but understanding major biologicalws and achievements will help to improve the wisdom by more than just a single point.}


    { Day Three: Wisdom stat 31¨C> 45..}


    {...Four: Wisdom stat 45 ¡ª> 54...}


    {...Wisdom stat 54 ¨C>63...}


    {... stat 63 ¨C>71...}


    {...71 ¡ª> 76...}


    {...¡ª>80...}


    {...>85...}


    {...88...}


    Thirteen days had passed, and Hans''s wisdom stat had climbed to 96. However, in thest few days, his gains were slowing down as the number of significant books he hadn''t read was steadily decreasing.


    Right now, he was walking in the nearly deserted pedestrian streets while eagerly anticipating reaching the library and curious to see what might be the impact of reaching a wisdom stat with triple digits.


    He wore a ck, cozy fur-trimmed coat that felt really warm.


    Just as he was relishing this peaceful moment, screams of panic and chaos erupted over therge streets.


    People around him started screaming and running away with just Hans standing still on the spot, akin to a salmon resisting the current.


    After the people left, two small hooded figures remained behind, reaching barely a meter-thirty (4''2).


    Meanwhile, as ady tripped on her heels while running away, one of the little guys jumped over her and took out a small dagger from the sheath that hung around its waist before stabbing it through the back of the woman''s neck.


    "Krkekekee!" It thenughed eerily before standing on the already dead woman''s body, which was floating in a pool of blood that drenched the clothes of the carcass and stained the concrete beneath it.


    It then looked at the woman''s hand, more precisely at her ring finger, on which a stone reflected the early morning''s light. Mesmerized by the stone, the figure ripped it off the dead''s hand and held it on its own while chuckling eerily as before.


    Hans, who had seen this from a distance had recognised the assant.


    A green and wrinkled skin, sharp teeth, and eyes full of anger and greed; it was nothing but a goblin.


    ''Dungeon break!'' Hans was rmed as he saw a monster that should only have existed inside the gates.


    Sometimes, when the gates were not cleared in a month, the mana inside the gate could explode, resulting in the monstersing out by themselves and creating a disaster for the civilians around the gates...


    Wasting no time while the goblin was still captivated by the gem in its hands, Hans rushed forward with a troubled expression on his face, even after knowing very well that the woman wasn''t his acquaintance.


    He simply felt pity for her, for her loved ones, who would be waiting for her, only to find out that she wasn''ting back.


    After all, he knew the feeling too well...


    Even though it was fascinated by the new treasure in its hands, the goblin still noticed the young man approaching it and put away the jewel before preparing its dagger and assuming a battle stance for a confrontation.


    There was nothing to do, goblins weren''t as weak as they seemed, their strength and agility were almost twice that of normal humans, and stood at about seven points, not to think about the fact that Hans''s opponent was armed.


    ''HOWEVER!! This time there''s no need to think!''


    Hans vowed to himself.


    Just when he was five meters away from reaching his target, Hans suddenly sped up, nearly tripling his pace as he bolted across the air, before using his weight and momentum to gather all his power in his right fist.


    His tightened fist hit the goblin''s head, before apanying it on the ground, which then released a cracking sound as it hit the concrete and formed a puddle of purple blood that flowed out from the side of the goblin''s cracked skull.


    While Hans was still cleaning his hands of the viscous purple liquid, the window once again appeared in front of his eyes.


    [ Killed a Level 5 Goblin! ]


    [ +50% Exp gained due to the level difference!]


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [ You have gained 5 stat points!]


    [ Due to the first effect of the skill{Almighty Knowledge} all the points will be attributed to wisdom! ]


    [ Due to the second effect of the skill{Almighty Knowledge} every other stat will increase by 1! ]


    [ Your wisdom has broken through the 100s threshold]


    [ You are now able to form your first circle.]


    [ You have awakened a ss skill: {Piercing Gaze}]


    [ Current Status: ]


    [ Name: Hans


    Age: 18


    ss: Knowledge Seeker (UNKNOWN)


    Title: NONE


    Lvl: 1


    Strength: 10


    Agility: 10


    Endurance:10


    Wisdom:101


    ss skills:


    { Knowledge Hunger}


    { Almighty Knowledge}


    { Piercing Gaze (NEW!)


    Description: You can see that which cannot be seen, and perceive that which cannot be perceived.


    Effect 1: If you observe something with this skill, a window will appear describing it, the precision is altered by the level of the skill and subject or object being analyzed.


    Effect 2: Increase your "???" Percentage.}


    Normal skills: None.]


    Stunned for a second, Hans stared at the numerous messages that surged before his eyes.


    After taking a moment to absorb the information, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead, while the corner of his lips curved up.


    With enthusiasm, he whispered while embracing the power:


    "Yeah, this is it!"


    "The power of the UNKNOWN!"

 Chapter 3: Chilling Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 3: Chilling Encounter</h4>


    After smelling the blood of their kin, more goblins in the vicinity approached Hans''s location, converging on him from all directions.


    Soon enough, Hans found himselfpletely surrounded by these creatures.


    There were at least a dozen of those monsters, and the screams of the nearby people had faded away.


    While most of them managed to escape, some weren''t lucky enough and met their fate after falling prey to the greedy monsters.


    Without hesitation, Hans grabbed the rusty dagger from his fallen foe, though in his hands, it looked more like a knife.


    "Krrkk," as the first goblin lunged at him, followed by others right behind it,?Hans, who had never used a dagger, figured that the difference in stats and weight would be enough to make up for the number of opponents.


    Swinging his dagger around wildly like an amateur, Hans was able to kill three goblins while missing another one, nheless, he managed to sever its arm away.


    "Kkka", "Kkkeeekk!"


    This time, the remainder of the goblins rushed at him altogether, prompting Hans to swing his dagger 360 degrees, expecting their heads to be decapitated with this move.


    However, right after shing the neck of the first goblin and shing with the second, the dagger snapped in two, eliciting an annoyed expression on his face, "Tch, I''ll have to use my hands again."


    Soon after, the sound of blood spattering and bones being crushed echoed through the empty buildings for a couple of minutes before any soundpletely ceased to exist.


    After five minutes, Hans was sitting atop a mound of goblin carcasses, surrounded by a gruesome scene of blood flowing out of the bodies akin to streams making their way from the mountains, with various dismembered green body parts that were scattered on the ground, forming a smallke of purple blood.


    Even the dead bodies were greatly disfigured, making it hard to recognize the creature if not for the distinctive blood.


    More than a pile of goblins, it now looked like a pile of flesh and rags.


    And amidst all this, Hans, who was exhausted from all this activity, was panting heavily.


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [ You have gained 15 stat points; due to the effect of {Almighty Knowledge}, all the points will be attributed to wisdom. Due to the effect of {Almighty Knowledge}, all your other stats are raised by 1. ]


    Even though this new point was added to his endurance and made his breathing stable, it wasn''t enough to bring Hans to his peak condition.


    But before he could make aplete recovery, Hans, who had rxed himself a bit, sensed something across the street thanks to his heightened wisdom stat and was quickly alerted.


    When he turned his head, Hans noticed a horde of goblins, too many for him to count in this situation, but he was sure that there were at least thirty or so of them.


    And behind the group, looking off from the others because of its height greater than others by a dozen centimeters, was a goblin with a wand in its hands.


    Gazing at a new kind of monster reminded Hans of his newly acquired skill, making him want to test it.


    { Piercing Gaze }


    Just like stated in the description of the skill, a window appeared before his eyes, describing the creatures in front of him.


    [ Race: Goblin


    Name: None


    Level: 5


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 7


    Endurance: 5


    Wisdom:3


    Skills:{Dagger Mastery (F-rank)?Effect: +5% damage when using a dagger}]


    [ BOSS MONSTER


    Race: Goblin Shaman


    Name: None


    Level: 9


    Strength: 3


    Dexterity: 7


    Endurance: 11


    Wisdom: 22


    Skills:


    {Fireball: Tier- 0?Effect: Launch a fireball, the size and power will be proportional to your wisdom stat and your proficiency level.}


    {Mind Control: Tier-0?Effect: It can control one entity and make them work for it as long as its wisdom is higher than the opponent''s, the amount of mana required depends on the target''s strength.}]


    "Would you look at that?! I''m its natural enemy," Hans chuckled aloud to keep his morale high.


    Meanwhile, the goblin shaman started chanting and as it continued, strange dark symbols began manifesting before spiraling around the head of its cane and converging into a spark of dark light that made its way toward Hans, hitting him right in the chest.


    As the dark light entered his chest, Hans felt some headache, but that was all.


    As the headache subsided, Hans ran past the normal goblins,pletely ignoring them since he had set his eyes upon a bigger prey.


    When Hans was about five meters away from the boss goblin, the chanting of the shaman finished again, and this time it had formed a fireball that flew right towards Hans''s torso.


    But just before the spell could touch him, Hans ducked and slid the remaining distance before arriving beside the boss, who tried to hit him with his cane.


    Parrying the hit with his arm, Hans broke the cane with a simple touch and then closed his fist onto the boss''s head, who, scared out of its wits, was already crawling on the ground, trying to get away.


    But before it could get away, Hans took hold of its neck, choking the shaman goblin to death. All this long, the other goblins stayed still, intimidated by the ''MONSTER'' they were facing.


    As the boss goblin''s body turned lifeless, Hans released his hold on its neck while another notification appeared before his eyes:


    [ You killed the goblin shaman, boss of the G-rank gate!]


    [ The gate has been closed]


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [ You have obtained 5 status points, due to the effect of {Almighty Knowledge}, all the points will be attributed to wisdom and all the other stats will be raised by 1!]


    [ As a reward for closing the gate, you have been rewarded with the "Tome of Fireball"?{ Tome of Fireball: A book exining the casting and the effects of the tier-0 skill, fireball. (Common)} ]


    "I suppose that''s good," Hans muttered while barely able to stand on his feet.


    "If it wasn''t for the extra endurance point I just received," Hans muttered to himself while he gasped for breath.


    "HAAH.. HAAAH.."


    "I might''ve already fainted!"


    "Shit! What do I do now.."


    "In this condition, I definitely cannot kill these five dozen goblins, and even if I tried to run away, I bet it wouldn''t allow me to take twenty steps before I end up getting exhausted."


    Hans thought hard, but it was to no avail as he couldn''te up with any solution, making him start losing hope, while sensing his exhaustion, the goblins slowly regained their will to fight.


    As he forced himself to think more, Hans''s breathing became heavier, while his vision became blurry and his thoughts were getting muddled as the panic set in.


    Just when Hans had lost all hope and thought that he was about to die in a shitty hole even after receiving an opportunity to turn his life around, he saw a sudden, icy blue horizontal sh behead most of the goblin, while ice formed on the floor, making the temperature around him suddenly drop.


    As all the lifeless bodies of the monsters fell onto their very own frozen blood, so did Hans.


    However, before his body could touch the now ice-cold street, ady surrounded by a cold aura and dressed in ck held him up while pressing her hand against his chest.


    Though she knew that the man in front of her couldn''t hear, she spoke softly, "Your efforts have saved countless people. We are grateful for your work and bravery. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure you will be rewarded for what you have done."


    _____


    ''Ugh... What''s this feeling? My body, why can''t I move? I ... I can''t... open my eyes!''


    Hans struggled as he forcefully opened his eyelids and saw the white ceiling right above him.


    He turned his head a couple of times before recognizing the ce and realized that he was in a hospital.


    An IV was attached to his left arm''s vein and supplied him with medicine while the other three beds beside him were all empty, making him the only person in the room.


    ''I could''ve died... fuck! I was about to die! What end would my family make if I were to die?! What the hell was I even thinking?!''


    As the realization suddenly hit him like a truck, Hans couldn''t help but regret his precious decisions.


    "I was being too impulsive, now that I have this power, I''ll make sure not to lose it in such an insignificant way. Such a low-rank gate was enough to almost send me to the afterlife..."


    "From what I know, gates are divided in ranks ording to their levels, just like people with Mage-rted sses." Hans thought and continued to recall.


    "At the start, the gate rank is G and the corresponding for mages is apprentices.?When the monsters inside a gate reach beyond level 10, it''s ssified as an F-rank gate, whereas when mages reach level 10, they receive permission from the system to create their 1st circle."


    "From then on it goes like this:?Rank F = Lvl 10-25 (Tier-1)?Rank E = Lvl 25-50 (Tier-2)?Rank D = Lvl 50-100 (Tier-3)


    And going beyond those levels, the tier went up with an increase every 50 levels."


    ''But for me, it seems to work in another way,'' Hans thought, reminiscing about the system''s message when he broke through the 100s in the wisdom stat.


    [ Your wisdom has broken through the 100s threshold!]?[ You are now able to form your first circle!]


    "Well, I guess that works better for me since I will be able to advance in circles without needing to level up"


    _____


    Having a higher reputation and being acknowledged as a better mage weren''t the only benefits one would receive after advancing in circles.


    The aspect that increases the most would be your control over mana and even your affinity towards it.


    A higher-ss mage will be able to control mana more freely and can cast higher circle spells as his level increases.


    For example, even if a tier-1 mage were to obtain a tier-2 spell, it wouldn''t be possible for them to be able to activate it.


    _____


    Hans continued to think about numerous things, but more than anything else, he was concerned about the person who had saved him.


    He couldn''t see them clearly, but he remembered the cold, and the sh that had decapitated dozens of goblins at once...


    ''It must''ve been a powerful warrior, perhaps a high-ranking one,'' Hans couldn''t help but think.


    "Oh well... I will eventually find out who saved me," he mumbled before shrugging.

 Chapter 4: 1st circle

    <h4>Chapter 4: 1st circle</h4>


    The sun had already set, casting the hospital room in dim light while Hans remained confined to his bed. But that was when a not-particrly tall, middle-aged man with sparse hair entered the room.


    The man was dressed sharply in a formal ck suit that didn''t seem to match his demeanor.


    He took a seat beside Hans''s bed and addressed in a rather rude tone, "Hey, lucky guy, just know that you aren''t worthy of this. Tch, it hurts my mind thinking that someone as young as you is receiving so much money without even doing anything... But, I can''t ignore her words."


    "Here, take this," saying that, the man gave him a card, but clearly seemed reluctant to let go of his grip on the card as Hans epted it.


    Once given the reward as ordered, the man continued, "There''s fifty thousand on this card; they said it''s the bounty obtained through the bodies of the killed monsters."


    "It should''ve been a little bit higher, but many of them were beyond saving.?Ugh! I still have goosebumps. It was definitely the work of a monster."


    Hearing this, Hans''s face turned pale as he subconsciously started sweating.


    Meanwhile, noticing this, the man continued, "Ah.. you don''t have to worry about it. It''s not like you''re in any trouble because of someone else''s deeds."


    Then with a mocking tone, the man continued, "Also, your hospital bills have already been settled, so there''s no need to fret about it."


    After the exchange and the man''s departure, Hansy in the ufortable bed, gazing out of the open window at the illuminated cityscape.


    "Fifty thousand huh? Just for a single day."


    He then mused inwardly, ''It should cover their hospital expenses for a couple of months, and I ought to start saving to pay off my debts''.


    ''If it weren''t for the fact that the health care here is decent, I would''ve left this country ages ago. They demand over twenty thousand dors every month. I had to sell the old house and even so, for the past eight months I''ve been forced to take a loan.''


    "But what choice did I have? Let them die? No way!"


    "Now I have the chance to earn enough money... but I shouldn''t get too greedy. After all, just a single misstep could lead me to death. If I don''t pay the hospital, they''d probably kick them out, basically killing them."


    "My priority is to get stronger. My only advantage is my high wisdom, leading to a high mana pool, but I couldn''t use it at all in thest battle due to myck of spells.


    However now..."


    As he said that, Hans swung his hand in the air and manifested a book, written on its cover was the title: "Fireball"


    "I should start by learning this," Hans was determined.


    {Tier-0 Spell: Fireball.


    Magic spells can be devised in various elements, such as fire. Fireball is the most basic spell of the fire path, the first thing one needs to do to activate a spell is...}


    With that, for the next few hours, Hans''s entire focus was solely locked on the spell, from the online sources he had understood that even the most basic spells would take a few days toprehend.


    But in the middle of the night, while repeating the same process over and over again...


    {Fireball}! Hans muttered confidently, attempting it once again.


    And this time, all of a sudden, a lump of fire manifested on top of his right palm as it floated.


    Initially, the fire was rampant and unyielding, but as Hans repeated the process many times, it gradually became warmer and much tamer.


    ording to the book he had, this signaled the increase of his mastery over the skill, and indeed, when Hans felt that his mastery over the spell couldn''t get any better, the book he had received disappeared, followed by a window popping up before his eyes.


    [ Congrattions onprehending the tier-0 fireball tome, due to the effect of the skill {Knowledge Hunger}, you have been rewarded with 10 wisdom points. ]


    [ Skill Name: Fireball?Skill Tier: 0 ]


    After all the hard work, Hans waspletely exhausted, so he drifted into sleep as soon as his eyelids closed.


    As he woke up the next morning, he was discharged from the hospital and returned home.


    After taking a shower and changing his clothes, Hansy on the bed, rxing every single tense muscle of his body while breathing through his mouth and thinking.


    "In theory, once a mage reaches level 10, they''re supposed to receive a book containing the method to create their first circle. However, considering the message I received from the system which implied that I could advance upon attaining the required wisdom stat, I doubt that I will receive my tome after hitting level 10."


    "But I need to focus, that''s the first thing I have to do."


    "Secondly, the mana circles are akin to rings encircling the mage''s heart. I will need to channel mana around my heart and establish a stable structure for those rings."


    "And thirdly, I must set the rings to spin around the heart."


    That''s all the information he could find online.


    "Even though these basic stages seem rtively straightforward, each person has their own system-given method, so no one actually attempts to create a circle of their own. But I have to do it!"


    With that, Hans concentrated and started gathering his mana from all the parts of his body before regrouping it beside his heart. However, the mana was too much and impossible topact, thwarting his attempts to construct the circles.


    Not knowing what to do, Hans pushed the mana around the heart,pletely bypassing the usual second phase, andmenced directly with the third phase.


    The mana whirled frantically around the heart while Hans tried his best to maintain control. This swirling force created a dynamic force of attraction-repulsion akin to the gravitational interactions between the stars ands and as the centrifugal force created by the spinning of the mana intensified, so did Hans''s struggle to keep it under control.


    With each passing moment, the strain became almost unbearable.


    Just as Hans teetered on the brink of failure, the opposing force subsided, and the once uncontroble mana morphed, taking the shape of a ring.


    Instead of a typical mana circle, characterized by stationary mana with a rotating circle, Hans''s creation was inverse: the circle remained still, but it wasposed of rotating mana.


    This unconventional formation granted easier and faster ess to it, but of course, Hans still remained unaware of this fact.


    Meanwhile, the bed was now drenched in sweat, while Hans gasped for breath as if he had justpleted a marathon. Suddenly, a message appeared:


    [ Congrattions on forming your first circle:?You have gained 10 wisdom stats.?From now on, you can learn 1st tier spells!]


    [ Congrattions on bing a true mage and forging your own path:?You have gained 25 wisdom stats.?Your mana affinity has increased.?You can now cast spells one or more tiers lower than your level without needing to chant!]


    [ You are the first true mage on earth:?You have gained 25 wisdom stats.?Your affinity with mana has increased.?From now on, you can learn spells that are one tier above your level!]


    [ Due to the effect of {Almighty Knowled...


    ]


    A couple more windows popped up, but Hans''s eyes remained fixated on just one message: ''Learning spells that are one tier above myself?''


    "Crazy!" That was the only word that he managed to mutter at the time while barely able to articte his astonishment.


    ''Also, true mage? Is that a reward I got from advancing without relying on the system''s book? Or perhaps it''s because I advanced through high wisdom rather than reaching level ten? Either way, I guess that settles it!''


    "Status," he called in a hushed tone, almost whispering.


    [ Current Status:]?[ Name: Hans


    Age:18


    ss: Knowledge Seeker (UNKNOWN)


    Title: None


    Lvl: 5


    Strength: 19


    Agility: 19


    Endurance: 19


    Wisdom: 191


    ss Skills:


    -{Knowledge Hunger}


    -{Almighty Knowledge}


    -{Piercing Gaze}


    Normal Skills:


    -{Tier-0 Fireball}(NEW!) ]


    "This is insane! I should have at least four times the wisdom of a normal tier-1 mage And considering the fact that I am able to cast spells one rank above myself, I should be as capable as a tier-2 mage."


    However, stats and skills weren''t the only aspects that determined the power of an awakened. Factors like mentality, experience, and decision-making also influenced the results of battles.


    With that in mind, the Awakened Association, apany that rose during times of crisis to control and assist the awakened, decided to standardize the ranking based solely onbat power, the rankings were¨C G, F, E, D, C, B, A, andstly S, from the weakest to the strongest.


    Typically, these ranks ran parallel to the mage''s circles.


    An apprentice mage without a circle would be ranked G, limited to minor spells that could burn a little bit of grass or light a fire.


    A mage with a first circle would be ranked F, capable of more substantial feats like causing grave burns or repel enemies with a gust of wind.


    A mage with a second circle was ranked E, their spells capable of killing a normal person.


    One with the third circle was ranked D. Spells from a mage of this rank would crack a brick wall, while mages with the fourth circle were ranked C, spells from them would most definitely destroy a cement wall.


    As for mages in the fifth circle, who were ranked B, a casual spell from them could cause a massacre or create a crater in the ground.


    Mage with the sixth circle was ranked A. This was the realm of natural disasters, a mage of this level could probably create a typhoon or summon a meteor.


    Whereas a mage with a seventh circle, they were the most powerful and ranked as S. They were beyond disasters, there weren''t many times anyone had seen them fight outside of the gates, nheless, their powers wereparable to that of nuclear weapons.


    Normally, it wasn''t possible for a country to have many of them, and the public would look at them as superheroes or movie stars.


    "Even if my only spell is a tier 0 fireball, it should be enough to be categorized as rank E. However, if I were to get my hands on a tier two spell, considering the amount of mana and my affinity with it, I would probably be categorized around D-rank. At least that''s what I think," Hans mused after thinking about it.

 Chapter 5: Gate spotting

    <h4>Chapter 5: Gate spotting</h4>


    It was still early and Hans found himself torn about what to do next, so after some contemtion, he came up with a schedule to follow.


    First on his agenda was to visit the hospital and settle a couple of months'' worth of bills.


    And that''s what Hans did, he took a bus from his hometown and then used a train before arriving in the heart of the city, Chicago.


    Once arrived, he proceeded on foot for a brief moment before stopping in front of a three-story building with a grey facade.


    Written on top of the entrance was: "Cityview Medical Center"


    As he entered through the automatic door, the receptionist greeted him in acknowledgment before turning her attention back to her colleague and continued chatting.


    Ignoring the exchange, Hans made his way towards the elevator.


    "SIGH, poor guy, he''s so young, yet his life is already doomed," the receptionist who had previously greeted Hans let out a sigh while shaking her head as she looked at Hans''s back.


    "Why do you say so?" asked the colleague in confusion.


    "Oh right, I forgot that you were new here. His family met a tragic ident and since then he has been all by himself. He has no rtives, be it grandparents or uncles, and has to work to pay for his family''s medical expenses."


    The nurse then continued, a look of pity evident on her face, "It hurts me saying this but... he should just let them pull the plug and live on for himself, it has already been so long since his family has been ina, and... it''s possible that they won''t ever wake up."


    "And why would that be?" the colleague asked.


    "The incident that forced them into aa... do you remember it? It happened four years ago."


    Hearing the nurse, the colleague gasped in shock as she repeated, "Four years ago, do you mean-"


    "Mh," the receptionist responded with a nod.


    Meanwhile, Hans, who was already inside the elevator, had heard everything, probably because of his high wisdom stat which also heightened his senses.


    "Pull the plug huh... there''s no way I''ll ever do that," he shrugged.


    Once on his desired floor, Hans walked out of the elevator while slowly making his way to a room located in the farther corner of the floor.


    Not long after, he arrived at a room numbered 317, which had an almost-faded grey tag.


    Standing before the door, his body shook for a moment before he grabbed the handle and opened the door only to stare at the scene inside the room with a saddened expression for a few moments.


    Three beds were lined in the room coupled with sacks and tubes between them. On the other side of the room, opposite the door was a big window with a view of the city''s towering skyscrapers.


    While opposite to the beds was a TV that yed the news.


    Walking in with light steps, Hans took a chair from the corner of the room and sat before the three beds.


    First, he looked at the bed closest to the window, upon which rested a young girl with ck hair and pale skin along with sunken cheeks that showed her sickness.


    On the middle bedy a middle-aged man with slightly dark skin and hair, he looked nothing less than a mummy.


    Meanwhile, on the bed located closest to the door rested a middle-aged woman, deprived of her beauty due to the numerous wrinkles that ran all over her face because of her starving body.


    Seeing them, Hans lowered his head and started muttering, "Mom, Dad, now I''m finally an adult. My only wish was that I wanted to celebrate it with you. But now I can also make enough money, there''s no need for you to work, so hurry and wake up, please...that''s...the only thing you have to do," his voice almost crackled because of the pain he felt in his heart which brought him on the verge of crying. But before his parents could hear that pathetic side of him, Hans left the room and dried his tears before they could roll out.


    After returning to the ground floor, Hans paid almost forty thousand dors to settle the hospital bills for the following two months.


    Done with the first task on his list, the young man now had ns for the rest of the day: Gate hunting.


    Ever since the gates opened and monsters began emerging after that tragic event, some of the awakened tried to venture inside, and while many died, some managed toe out alive.


    But those who returned found their levels boosted, making them much stronger than before, and in most cases, the gate they exited from closed behind them.


    From then on, to avert the outbreaks of these monsters and any other such disasters, the awakened had to risk their lives within the gates to eradicate any of the threats rising within and seal them shut.


    This allowed humanity to restart the reconstruction of their once-ruined cities without having to worry about being attacked by the monsters again.


    Gates, however, were typically controlled by the association, and whoever entered it would be required to register themself.


    That was also why Hans decided that he shouldn''t simply get himself in trouble by registering himself as the lowest rank awakened who nned to venture into an F-rank gate alone.


    And that was when he realized that he had to use other means. There was still another way of entering the gates legally without being scrutinized, an action generally called gate spotting.


    It worked this way: The moment a gate appeared, people would tweet online and make videos about it along with those who would call the association to report it.


    Chicago was arge and crowded city, here tens of gates appeared every single day, and it took about two hours for the association to take control over them after they opened.


    After taking control of a gate, the Association would then either sell it to various guilds or open it as a training ground under their name, charging a set tax on the profits made from the materials that would be found inside the gates.


    As for the window between the discovery of the gate and the arrival of the association affiliates, during this short span, the awakened could legally enter the gates and since they had entered the gate when it wasn''t actually owned by anyone, their entries weren''t particrly ssified as trespassing.


    However, to do that, Hans had to be lucky enough for a gate to appear near him.


    With that in mind, the determined young fellow started scouring through various social media tforms, hunting for any news regarding the gates.


    A new B-rank gate opened in Chicago!


    Soon enough, he caught sight of one, and since generally there would only be about one of B-rank every month, the gate caused quite a big stir between the prominent guilds, who fought over it to gain the right to clear it.


    The reason for that was not only the honor and respect one obtained through a high-ranking gate raid, rather it was also because of the huge sum of money they could make from all the monster carcasses materials.


    Since most of the monster''s parts could be utilized as raw material for crafting weapons and armor, a great chunk of the whole market revolved around the big guilds and the powerful awakened.


    Apart from the B-rank gate, Hans came across news of various F-rank gates and E-rank gates appearing, but those were all too far for him to reach them in the required window of time.


    After about three hours of continuous searching, Hans finally found what he sought: an F-rank gate just a couple of minutes from him. Knowing that this was his chance, he didn''t hesitate to run there as fast as he could.


    By the time he arrived, a huge crowd had already formed around it, hindering his movement considerably.


    Struggling to pass the throng of people, Hans made his way through the human wall until he reached the gate, slipping through them before anyone could stop him.


    Among the countless gates worldwide, very few of them were identified through gate spotting and that was for a valid reason: when taking control over the gates, the association would always send scouts to assert the situation inside and assess the gate''s rank, this was because the approximation taken from the outside was simply based on the amount of mana that leaked out of the gates.


    Hans, who thought he had finally hit the jackpot with this gate, now found himself standing on muddy and wet terrain and to make matters even worse, the ce was covered in pitch darkness,pletely obscuring his vision.


    Realizing that there was no one around, Hans extended his hand and conjured a small me to illuminate his surroundings.


    { Fireball} (Tier-0)


    [ You have entered the E-rank gate: Moles'' burrow]


    "E...E-rank?! Wasn''t this supposed to be an F-rank?"


    ''Damn it! Just yesterday, I promised myself to be more cautious, yet here I am, risking my life at a gate that is an entire rank above mine. Should I just flee?'' He pondered earnestly.


    But after a moment, too reluctant to forgo such a valuable opportunity, Hans resolved to remain inside.


    His decision wasn''t purely based on the hope that he would get lucky and survive, rather, it was because of the type of dungeon he was in.


    Moles were the creatures of the underground, making it easy for him to detect them with the help of his heightened senses through the help of sound of their digging.


    Furthermore, their prominent weakness was their sensitivity to light, making them the perfect adversaries for the only spell Hans knew: Fireball.


    With that in mind, he delved deeper into thebyrinthine tunnels, mentally mapping the path of return to avoid getting lost.


    While walking down a circr tunnel roughly four meters in diameter, Hans suddenly paused for a few seconds before resuming his stride as if nothing had happened.


    Just as he walked five more steps, a tremor shook the ground and a ck creature emerged from one of the tunnel walls, its knife-sharp w closing onto Hans''s face.


    But that was when a blinding light sparked from his hands as he cast {Fireball}.


    The lump of fiery projectile struck the mole right in the face and blinded it, causing it to copse to the ground.


    Seizing the opportunity, Hans analyzed it with his {Piercing Gaze}.


    [ Race: Earth Mole


    Name: None


    Lvl: 32


    Strength: 31


    Dexterity: 19


    Endurance: 34


    Wisdom: 11


    Skills:


    { Blessing of the night (CURRENTLY INACTIVE): Doubles all stats while fighting in the dark}


    Description: A molerger and heavier by almost twice than its peers, with sharp ws and heightened strength and endurance allows it a swift travel inside not only dirt but also through rocks and minerals.


    Monster Evaluation: F-rank, closer to E-rank when fighting in dark environments.]

 Chapter 6: Mole鈥檚 burrow

    <h4>Chapter 6: Mole¡¯s burrow</h4>


    Without waiting for the earth mole to recover for even a moment, Hans conjured a fireball and thrust it into the monster''s head, instantly ending its life.


    [ You have killed a level 32 earth mole!]


    [ +270% Exp awarded due to level difference.]


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [ You have leveled... {Lvl: 9}


    [ You have gained 20 wisdom points, due to the effect of the skill {Almighty Knowledge} +2 have been added to all your other stats.]


    With that taken care of, Hans moved on quickly to make use of the remaining time before the arrival of the association scouts.


    After disposing of several other moles and finally reaching level 16, Hans realized that he had neared the end of exploring the entire area and began looking for spots he hadn''t already ventured into before.


    Making his way toward thest unexplored corner of the caves, Hans suddenly felt an unfamiliar sensation that resembled neither a sound nor a touch.


    It was the feeling of foreboding... DANGER.


    Feeling unsettled in his heart, Hans slightly tilted his head, and immediately after that, a red scratch appeared on his cheek, tracing a line between the corner of his mouth and his ear.


    It was a line drawn with nothing but his own blood. Had he been a secondte, no, even half a secondte, his head would''ve already been rolling on the muddy ground by now.


    Reacting quickly, he turned around and saw a cloud of dust rising in a certain spot and immediately reacted by activating, {Piercing Gaze}.


    [ Elite Monster


    Race: Shadow Mole


    Lvl: 37


    Strength: 40 (80)


    Agility: 16 (32)


    Endurance: 47 (94)


    Wisdom: 13 (26)


    Blessings: {Blessing of the shadow (CURRENTLY ACTIVE): Allows it to be hidden from the eyes of its enemies and the sound it produces is greatly reduced. While the enemy remains unaware of its position, all its stats are doubled. The blessing will cease to function when the enemy touches it.}


    Description: An elite soldier born amongst the ranks of the moles, its size is simr to that of a human and possesses the blessing of the shadow.


    Monster evaluation: High F-rank, when under the blessing of the shadow its power is equal to high E-rank.]


    ''Shit, shadow blessing?! It''s basically an ability to turn invisible! What do I do now?!''


    Just as he thought, another attack blitzed in, even faster than the first, however, this time it was aimed straight at Hans'' face.


    Fortunately for the young man, he had already sensed it and managed to dodge the attack, but the sheer force of the attack was enough to make his hair stand on end.


    As he evaded the second attack, another series of attacks soon followed, and the only thing Hans could do was dodge while asionally trying to parry a couple of them to minimize the damage.


    Luckily for him, it seemed like the mole wasn''t experienced in fighting, and struggled to control its speed; otherwise, the fight would have been over in minutes.


    However, as exhaustion set in and scratches started umting on his body, Hans realized that he couldn''t keep up with the fight''s rhythm. "It''s.. it''s too much! I won''t be able to hold it for long, I need to do something."


    "Think... think... That''s it!"


    Hans backed away a bit, cornering himself before using both of his hands to conjure arge fireball.


    His idea was toy a mantle of fire on the ground to see the monster''s movement so that he could have a chance to touch it, thereby allowing him to deactivate its blessing.


    However, while it seemed pretty easy theoretically, in a damp ce like a cave where he could find nothing that could be used to set the mes, it proved to be a challenging task.


    Hans was well aware of that and was left with only one possibility: the fire had to be sustained by him while parallelly he continued fighting.


    Since he had no other choice, Hans decided to try it.


    {FIREBALL} he said while holding a huge fire with his hands before spreading it out through the surroundings, using it to cover arge ground of the cave.


    Even if the heat and intensity of the mes were at the minimum, it still strained his mind heavily.


    Just when he was at its wits end, the me in a certain spot wavered, and a patch of ground not covered by mes started forming as it closed in on Hans faster and faster.


    Just when he saw the patch was right before him and the beast was about to collide with him, Hans ducked.


    As soon as he did so, the wall where he had rested his head a moment ago developed a hole followed by the debris falling off and the rise of a small cloud of dust in the surrounding area.


    Not shocked about having been in his spot for even a second would have been his demise, and afraid of the fact that he might lose this opportunity, Hans quickly raised his left arm, touching something hairy that stood at the level of his chest.


    As soon as his hand felt a touch, an ugly giant mole materialized beside him.


    But before he could even take a look at the mole''s panicked expression, Hans withdrew the mes on the ground and struck the monster''s face with a fiery jab, deforming its snout with numerous burns.


    Finally, Hans, who had risked his young life because of this troublesome opponent, had a chance to take out his anger as he spat, "Not attacking me anymore, are you??!!"


    A few minutester, the mole died and was only able tost that long thanks to its abnormal endurance.


    After the deactivation of its special ability of Shadow''s Blessing, the mole''s dexterity and intelligence had dropped below Hans'' level, making it nothing but a punchbag for the young man to vent his anger.


    After killing the beast, Hans plopped onto the wet ground, feeling breathless and fatigued while he gasped for air.


    Pant... pant...


    [ Congrattions! You have obtained the spell {Fire Veil}(Tier- 1) after modifying the spell {Fireball}]


    [ You have killed an elite monster: Shadow Mole]


    [ +200% Exp for an Elite Monster, +210% Exp because of the level difference.]


    [ You have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up {Current level: 23]


    [ From a shard of the shadow blessing, you have obtained the spell {Stealth} (Tier-1)]


    [ Your wisdom has surpassed the 250 threshold, you can now advance to the 2nd circle.]


    [ Name: Hans


    Age: 18


    ss: Knowledge Seeker (UNKNOWN)


    Title: None


    Level: 23


    Strength: 28


    Dexterity: 28


    Endurance:28


    Wisdom: 281


    ss skills:


    {Knowledge Hunger}


    {Almighty Knowledge}


    {Piercing Gaze}


    Normal Skills:


    {Fireball}(Tier-0)


    {Fire Veil}(Tier-1)(NEW!)


    { Skill name: Fire Veil.?Description: Achieved after possessing good control over the fire attribute.


    Effect: Creates a veil of fire of up to a ten-meter radius around the user.


    Everyone within the radius apart from the user will take burn damage over time and receive higher damage when hit by fire element spells.}


    {Skill Name: Stealth (Tier-1)?Effects: You can coat yourself with ayer of mana, allowing your breathing, smell, and sound to be hard to detect. Consumes mana every second. When an enemy isn''t aware of your ambush, you will get +30% attack damage}


    Evaluation: Tier-1 mage with astonishing control over mana, can face opponents slightly stronger than him.]


    Hans rubbed his eyes before double-checking the information to ensure that he wasn''t dreaming.


    In just one battle, he had acquired two spells, and with that, he was now ready to advance as 2nd tier mage.


    "It must be the result of fighting with my life on the line," Hans assumed as he stared at the dark ceiling above.


    After another half an hour of rest, he decided to call it quits.


    The boss monster within the E-rank gate was as formidable as a D-rank monster, and engaging something like that with his current state would certainly lead to his demise.


    After returning to the gate, Hans activated his {Stealth} before slipping through.


    As he made it to the other side, he was greeted by a blinding light, but using his hands as a cover, he slithered away among the crowd.


    _____


    Back at Hans'' home.


    "I survived the gate, leveled up, and can now advance to tier two mage. Along with that, I''ve also gained two valuable skills. But... what should I do with this?" he wondered as he extended his hand to reveal a shiny red stone.


    It was a stone casually dropped by the monsters and was renowned as a high-quality material for crafting weapons and tools.


    "It was in the shadow mole''s corpse, and I picked it up since I had read that they were valuable. But the question is, where should I sell it?"


    The next morning, after breakfast, Hans set off with a specific destination in mind: The Trading Center.


    The Trading Center was a market that had established branches in every corner of the world, its founder and owner was an awakened woman who was often referred to by the prefix "Money Maven".


    After the chaotic disaster all over the world, she exploited the opportunity to amass immense wealth by selling crucial items for awakened guilds, probably making her the richest person alive.


    The reason everyone trades there? It was pretty simple, because of the low taxes, and whatever one was to sell there would not pass through the hands of the authorities.


    Since everything that happens in the trading market stays in the trading market, there was no way anyone would know of someone''s transactions unless they were to reveal it by themselves.


    "That''s exactly what I need," Hans eximed to himself as he approached an imposing structure made out of quartz.


    Inside, he was greeted by a vast shopping mall organized in a circr shape with everything on sale sporting price tags with at least four digits.


    After Hans walked into one of the shops, he encountered a white-haired elderly woman with a pair of round sses sitting behind the ss counter.


    Thinking for a moment, Hans took out the stone and ced it on the counter while remaining silent, unsure of what to say.


    The elderly inspected the stone for a couple of seconds before stating, "A mana stone from an elite Rank E monster, with this size... I''ll take it for this much," and indicated four fingers.


    Although his hopes were a bit highpared to what she offered, Hans nodded. He had expected to get about ten thousand for it, but apparently, the market price was much lower than he had expected.


    Since he had no use for the stone, he decided toplete the deal and gave her his ount number, but soon enough he was shocked to see the message he had received.


    [ You received a deposit of 40,000$]


    Hans was utterly astonished and happy when he walked out of the mall with his newly acquired wealth.


    "I see why most people prefer to trade here. It''s as easy as drinking a ss of water," Hans reflected with a wide grin on his face.

 Chapter 7: The Incident

    <h4>Chapter 7: The Incident</h4>


    On his way back home, Hans stopped by to get some new clothes and groceries, making sure that he wouldn''t need toe out again for a couple of days.


    Today marked the day he would advance to the second circle of magehood.


    Only two days had passed since he officially became a mage and yet here he was, already on his way to make further advancement to the next circle.


    However, unlike the first advancement where one had to learn to create a circle, in the second circle, one had to pass a challenge set by the mana itself.


    Recalling an interview with a Tier-6 American who said, "It''s been around eight years since I embarked on the mage''s path, and even now, I can still vividly feel the emotions that I experienced while advancing to the second circle."


    "For some people, it might be easier while for some it turns out to be tough, but all I can tell you is that it was by far the most difficult and exhausting tier advancement I have ever experienced in my life."


    After making some final preparations, Hans felt like he was ready for everything, or at least that''s what he believed.


    Hansy atop a towel while sitting on the bed while being partially naked to avoid soiling the sheets and his clothes with his sweat.


    His not-so-refined body bore numerous scratches, a result of his recent battle with the shadow mole.


    As Hans entered a meditative state, his breathing became longer and more stable as if they were being regted, while the thoughts in his mind wandered astray.


    _____


    4 years ago...


    New York City, Manhattan.


    "M-mama, what is that?" Pointing his finger out at the distant sky, a kid eximed while dropping his ice cream on the ground.


    Looking at his pointed direction in the distant sea, a colossal ck figure seemed to have emerged from the waterbody, riding on the waves as it closed in towards the city.


    As the ck figure reached closer, people started realizing the creature''s enormity, eliciting everyone to freak out and inciting panic and screams among the popce in the region.


    "S-someone, call the association!"


    "My daughter, has someone seen my daughter?"


    "Honey, run, run fast!"


    "What the hell is that!?"


    The will to survive soon overcame the feeling of fear making people start to run away without even taking a look at the monster.


    The huge creature that had now arrived onnd was finally recognizable.


    It was a giant ck snake, with its head held high, it almost reached fifty meters above the ground while its body reached several hundred meters.


    The fangs of the snake-like creature were colossal and well-sharpened, while its eyes glowed a radiant green.


    In just a couple of minutes, before the awakened could even intervene, the snake had already swept its massive tail a few times,ying waste to many buildings and skyscrapers to the ground.


    As the snake continued to destroy and massacre, a group of awakened entered the scene, instilling hope in the hearts of the people who watched them from all over the world.


    Leading them was a young man with white hair and an elegant, dignified demeanor, astonishingly, growing out of his back were two white wings.


    [ America''s Rank 1 and the sole Epic ss, Angel of Death, Elijah Mitchell. ]


    Besides him many others had joined, intending to help.


    Particrly amongst the group of youngsters was a girl with white hair who stood out the most due to the chilling aura that surrounded her.


    Soon, the sh began.


    More than a thousand high-ranking awakened hade in aid, the strongest being the only American S-ss at the time: Elijah.


    Despite the battle raging for four hours and an uncountable amount of shes received by the awakened, the monster''s attack didn''t cease.


    Elijah''s sword and wings were already drenched in blood and everyone was tired, the only motivation they had was to protect their country from this abomination.


    Just as the frontline was about to be breached by the monster, Elijah soared into the sky, staring at the monster in its eyes before raising his sword to the heavens.


    {Devil''s Pact} {Judgment Sword}


    A sh of dark light manifested in the air and before anyone couldpletely see it, the sh befell the monstrous creature.


    <strong>"Hisss.....krreeee!!"</strong>


    After being injured, the snake let out a devious and extremely loud shriek before returning to the sea, fleeing to where it hade from.


    After the monster''s retreat, all the spectators were left astonished by the moves disyed by Elijah.


    Some stared at him in awe, some whispered, while there were some who shouted, happy for their victory in this battle.


    While all the people celebrated and the cheers echoed, only Elijah remained on the ground, kneeling with his sword in hand.


    People congratted and praised him while cheering for his amazing aplishments, but there was only one thing that no one ever noticed.


    His wings had turned ck.


    [ ss change: Angel''s Knight¡ª> Fallen Angel]


    _____


    6 hours before.


    "Hans!! Get ready, we''re heading out!"


    A cheerful yet immature voice echoed from behind the door.


    "Yes, yes, just give me a second and I''ll be there," Hans changed out of his pajamas and headed downstairs.


    His father sat in an armchair, engrossed in reading the newspaper, while his mother and sister were absorbed in a TV show.


    "I''m ready," Hans announced, slightly annoyed by the fact that no one had even acknowledged him.


    Seeing his impatience, Hans'' mother chuckled as she asked, "Shall we go then?"


    "Certainly honey," replied his father, setting the newspaper aside.


    After they walked out of the house together, the family made their way to the car.


    Hans'' father entered the driver''s seat with his mother beside him, while Hans settled behind his mother on the left, his sister sitting behind their father.


    Hans found the car ride boring and full of empty chatter, yet he resisted the urge to iste himself with his phone.


    As they arrived at the destination, Hans'' mother was the first one to get out of the car, followed by his sister, while his father lingered in the car for a moment.


    Turning to his son, Hans'' father met his eyes and said, "Thank you foring along today, son. I know it''s not the most exciting thing for you, but your mum cares a lot about these things."


    Hans sighed before replying, "No worries, Dad. I like seeing Mom happy too."


    Hearing his son''s words, Hans'' father smiled.


    With that, they also got out of the car and joined the rest of the family outside.


    Before them was a vast shopping mall, but as they walked in, both the male members of the family regretted the decision.


    Their shopping-thirsty wife and mother enlisted them as bag holders, dragging them from shop to shop without a second of respite. By the time they finally sat down for lunch, both of them were exhausted.


    But seeing her happy made them feel the same. Hans'' little sister was also delighted to indulge in a shopping spree with her mother.


    As they finished their meal, the lights in the entire restaurant dimmed while a waiter holding a cake approached their table.


    Seeing the waiter, Hans'' dad started singing and soon the whole family joined in, followed by the entire restaurant apanying them.


    "Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you, happy birthday..." Though quite childish, it was still good to see.


    The room erupted in apuse as their mom blew out the candles marking her 45th birthday on May 24th.


    It was supposed to be a special day, but unfortunately, it soon turned into a catastrophe.


    That day turned out to be thest day his parents ever spoke to him, moved, or even breathed. It was the day after which everything started going wrong.


    After the meal, as they wandered around the area, a city-wide announcement red through the megaphones.


    [Attention! Attention! The city has entered a state of red-level crisis. Citizens are asked to remain calm and proceed to the nearest shelter!]


    [Attention! ... ]


    The announcement was repeated again and again, almost bursting the ears of the citizens.


    Meanwhile, Hans froze in fear as he stared at the giant snake in the distance, but his father quickly grabbed his hand, "What are you doing?!? Come with me, quick."


    With his sister and mother already gone only his father stayed as he urged him to leave.


    They fled to a shelter, where they endured four hours of chaotic sounds of shing and battles that reverberated even through its thick walls.


    Just as the battle had ceased and silence finally fell, an otherworldly scream reached everyone''s eardrums, rendering everyone unconscious.


    Hans witnessed everyone copse on the ground before sumbing to it as well.


    While his eyes remained closed, a message appeared before his eyes.


    [ An unknown power is shielding you from the curse. You have resisted the curse.]


    [ Your ???? has changed].


    Hours passed before the military finally arrived and opened the shelter door.


    However, once inside, no one greeted them or seemed to have been relieved of seeing them, nor did anyone panic as to what had happened. All they found was a sea of unconscious bodies thaty sprawled.


    And a young boy weeping beside his father''s body.


    "Gamma here... yes, the situation is the same as in every other shelter. But there''s one exception.." The soldier''s words trailed off as he nced at the boy.


    Though they were just a couple of meters away from each other, Hans wasn''t able to hear anything and continued crying out an ocean of tears in grief for his father, mother, and sister.


    That treacherous day marked the beginning of his endless nightmare.

 Chapter 8: The Incident鈥檚 Aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 8: The Incident¡¯s Aftermath</h4>


    After he got closer, the soldier put his hand on Hans'' shoulder, which surprised the young boy as he turned around with teary eyes, only then did Hans finally return to his senses.


    His parentsy unconscious on the ground, and now it was his responsibility to take care of them, just as he had relied on them for the past fourteen years.


    Hundreds of thousands of people shared Hans'' family''s fate.


    The monster''s finalment before disappearing between the waves was a curse.


    For high-ranking awakened, the cry instilled fear, momentarily paralyzing them while the low-ranking awakened fell into slumber for a brief moment.


    But for the unawakened victims, it manifested as a cruel fate, giving them one of the few incurable illnesses remaining on the: Endless Slumber.


    In hopes of finding a solution, the government pouredrge amounts of funds into researching the curse and even sought aid from the rank one priest from Europe. Yet, all efforts were in vain, and soon the people stuck in aa became secondary concerns to deal withter.


    After the attack on Manhattan, millions of people were injured and the hospitals were flooded. And so, in search of a better hospital for his family members, Hans arrived in Chicago, only to be stunned by the exorbitant hospital fees for three beds which he had never been informed of before.


    But with no alternative, he searched for someone to help him with selling their home and car before starting to live in a modest suburban apartment in Chicago.


    Unable to afford to pay for the rest of his studies while also needing to sustain himself, Hans dropped out at 16 and started to work, prolonging the inevitable depletion of money in the hope that his family would wake up.


    However, as he turned 17, his hopes were crushed and he almost resigned after knowing that his family might never return.


    Among the countless people who had been the victim of the curse, not even one had woken up during the past three years, forcing many families to give the authorization to pull the plug due to theck of funds.


    His heart, however, was still reluctant to ept that.


    He had no friends, no family, and no money, nothing.


    He was all alone, with no support whatsoever, and there was no other way for him to continue, so Hans toiled as a delivery man.


    With that, six more months passed by until the money obtained from selling the house was depleted, and Hans was forced to take a loan from second-hand sources.


    Not knowing what to do, he worked like a dog, almost sixteen hours a day, but in the span of just half a year, both the money from the loans and his work wasn''t enough anymore.


    Approaching his eighteenth birthday, imagining his family members being evicted from the hospital and letting them die on the streets was thest thing he wanted.


    Resigned to despair, Hans took a decision.


    On the night before his birthday, he bought a couple of beer bottles home.


    After one final night, he nned to throw himself under a car knowing that thepensation received from his death was enough to keep his parents alive for a couple more months.


    During the night of his 18th birthday in the empty apartment, Hans sat on the dirty moquette, surrounded by beer bottles, all still closed.


    He picked up the first one and opened it using another as a bottle opener before slowly sipping from it.


    It was the first alcohol he ever tasted, and his reaction was not positive, "Ugh, it tastes like shit! How do people even like this?"


    He hoped that for hisst night, alcohol could at least help him wash away some of his feelings and troubles, bringing him some sce. Yet, each sip brought additional bitterness.


    But he still drank.


    Bottle after bottle, the regrets started to hit him as hard as trucks


    Out of cowardice, he had decided not to visit his family, afraid of facing them after taking the decision.


    All the time he had wasted on his phone, or watching TV, if only he had spent that time with his loving family instead.


    Right now even if he were to only receive a word of response from them, he would''ve dly given all he had.


    But he couldn''t.


    Amidst tears and swirling regrets, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol until his head started spinning.


    During all that chaos, his eyes brimmed with hope as a window appeared in front of his eyes.


    [ You have awakened as the unknown ss: Knowledge Se...].


    _____


    Present, back to Hans'' apartment...


    While still lying on the bed, the young man suddenly opened his eyes and stood up while his chest heaved up and down as he gasped for breath.


    His body had turned sweaty, making him think that he had just woken up from a nightmare.


    But soon, Hans calmed himself down and picked up his phone...


    Two days had passed since he started his advancement.


    Raising his chin, he finally took a look at something he wanted to check.


    [ Congrattions on advancing from a Tier 1 mage to a Tier 2 mage.]


    [ You have gained 25 wisdom points and your affinity and control over mana have increased.]


    [ Due to the effect of being a true mage, you have gained an additional 25 wisdom points; both, your affinity and control over mana have greatly increased.]


    [ Due to the effect of {Almighty Knowledge}, all your other stats have been raised by 5.]


    [ Due to the resistance disyed during the test, you have been gifted with a new skill:?( Strong Mind) (passive)]


    [ Current Status:]


    [ Name: Hans


    Age: 18


    ss: Knowledge Seeker (UNKNOWN)


    Title: None


    Level: 23


    Strength: 33


    Dexterity: 33


    Endurance: 33


    Wisdom: 331


    ss skills:


    {Knowledge Hunger}


    {Almighty Knowledge}


    {Piercing Gaze}


    Normal Skills:


    {Fireball}(Tier-0)


    {Fire Veil}(Tier-1)


    {Stealth}(Tier-1)


    {Strong Mind (passive) (NEW!)


    Description: Your mind is resistant to mental attacks and your will is firm.


    Effects: You will not be harmed by any low-rank illusionist spells, your mind power will recover faster.}


    Evaluation: A tier 2 mage with otherworldly control and affinity over manapared to peers with the same level.


    Current rank: mid Rank-D.]


    "Huuu," Hans let out a breath of relief.


    "I guess I did it, to think that the second test would be to rewatch your suffering while forming a circle.... it''s truly a diabolical challenge.''


    Failing to create a circle would result in one''s mana being sealed for quite a considerable period. And even upon its return, the practitioner will take time to return to their peak levels before trying to advance again.


    The main reason why the ones in the higher ranks were reluctant to advance was because of the vulnerability it would entail if they were to fail.


    Now that the world revolves around awakened abilities, it wouldn''t be surprising if someone were to hire assassins to eliminate those in power, akin to political maneuvers.


    For Hans, advancement only brought him relief.


    "Now? What should I do? I guess money is my priority. Hospital bills need to be settled and I also have to pay back what I have taken as a loan. Considering the high interest rates... it is likely nearing two hundred thousand. So I better get moving fast."


    "Working as a hunter in the gates would promise good earnings, but I shouldn''t reveal my talent as a mage just yet.


    There is fiercepetition between hunters and if I were to cross paths with a powerful one, it could endanger my family.


    So until I''m strong enough to the point where no one would even dare to provoke me, I mustn''t reveal the fact that I am a mage."


    While he thought all this, one question remained, "There is one problem though, how should I hide that I am a mage?"


    "Mages can detect each other''s circles if they were at the same level and those higher-ranking mages wouldn''t even need to take a nce to notice my secret."


    "Maybe I should craft a skill to conceal it."


    With that in mind, Hans spent the next two days locked in his room, immersing himself in researching a way to hide his circles, until he did it.


    But when he realized that his mastery over mana was way too low to retract itpletely inside him without letting a single particle spill out of his body, Hans devised a different tactic.


    He modified his stealth skill and created a sphere of concealment around his heart and circles.


    The theory was straightforward, but executing it required a lot of time and dedication.


    After he was done, a message greeted him once again.


    [ Due to the study and improvement on the skill {Stealth}, the skill rank has advanced:?Tier 1¡ª-> Tier 3]


    {Skill Name: Stealth (Tier-3)


    Active Effect: You will be able to conceal yourself with ayer of mana, making your breathing, smell, and sound difficult to detect. Consumes mana every second.


    Passive Effect: Enhances attack damage by 30% when ambushing an oblivious enemy. Your mana circles remain hidden, detectable only by those with a powerful observation skill or mages who are two or more tiers above you.}


    Proud of his creation, Hans was very happy that his hard work gave the required results.

 Chapter 9: Hunter鈥檚 works

    <h4>Chapter 9: Hunter¡¯s works</h4>


    After showering and changing into a new set of clothes, Hans headed out, making his way towards the awakened association.


    Even before entering the building, he was struck with its grandeur and elegance, though it was just a branch, the building was made out of a material simr to that of quartz and had tall columns, resembling an old Greek temple.


    Once inside, Hans was further impressed, just from the first impression, he could confirm something: the association truly floated in a sea of money.


    Approaching the front desk, he asked one of the fourdies, "Excuse me, could you tell me where I can take job assignments?"


    Taken aback by his question, the receptionist stared at him with eyes full of surprise, this was because it was the first time she had seen a customer not knowing something like that.


    With enthusiasm, thedy then started exining, happy to finally repeat what she had learned, something she had thought she''d never need to exin, "Oh you must be new around here, watch," saying as she picked up her phone and opened an app before she continued.


    "We mainly use this app for the awakened works, for example, this: [Mission: To close a Rank-E gate. Reward: 75% of the funds obtained by the selling of the monsters'' carcasses."


    Understanding it with ease, Hans nodded, "Oh, it sure is useful, I thought I would need toe here every time if I wanted to pick up a job."


    Thedy smiled at the young man''s ignorance and said, "But for that, you must first be registered."


    With that, the receptionist led him to another room filled with strange machines andputers.


    The first question he was asked was, "Are you a mage or an adventurer?"


    And of course, Hans lied about his ability.


    After that, he was asked to punch an iron wall, which measured his strength, andter on run for a hundred meters before doing some simple exercises, all this was done to test his strength, speed, and endurance.


    "Here!" With all the tests done, thedy handed over a card, officially registering him as an E-Rank knight.


    Though it was low, it was enough to allow him to enter the gates and have ess to job assignments.


    With all the things done, Hans scrolled through the app for a while before finding an appropriate target.


    [ Mission: To close an F-rank gate. Reward: Receive 85% of the funds after the selling of the monsters'' carcasses.]


    And then it was decided.


    However, first of all, he had to get himself a weapon, though it wouldn''t particrly turn out to be useful for him, a weapon would be useful for a coverup.


    And since he wanted just an average weapon, Hans entered the very first shop he came across.


    Inside, the shop was heated andfortable,pared to the freezing cold outside, making him want to stay in it.


    The weapons in the shop looked nothing out of the ordinary and the furniture wasn''t luxurious either, this modest appearance was what Hans sought after.


    A couple seconds after he rang the bell, a stout middle-aged man with some of his hair already white emerged from the back as he made his way through a ck curtain.


    The middle-aged man was dressed in a single T-shirt and shorts, his arms and legs extremely muscr while his entire body was dripping with sweat.


    His left hand wielded a sturdy ck hammer, while in his right he held a long ck pipe with some smokeing out of it.


    The old man took a breath from the pipe and asked, "Wacha want?!"


    Both intimidated and surprised by the cksmith''s tone, Hans replied, "I- I came here to find a weapon."


    "What wud'' someone like you need a weapon for anyway?!!"


    "It''s not like you''re a warrior or somethin''," stated the old man with one of his brows raised as he looked at Hans without any interest.


    Hans was taken aback, afraid that his ability was already seen through by the cksmith, and couldn''t help but feel alerted, "Ho- how do you even know that?"


    "Watchu mean how do I know ''tat, anyone cud'' tell just by lookin'' atch yor'' hands, what''re u? A pretty doll? I can''t see a single callus on yor'' palms"


    Hans gazed down and thought as he stared at his hands, ''Are they really that bad?''


    "Ye it is," muttered the old man.


    "What now?! Can you read minds too?!" Hans asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    "Calm down, will ya kid? It''s written all over yor face," the man stated as a matter of fact.


    Hans sighed aloud and then restarted the conversation, "Good morning sir, I came here to buy a weapon, it''s my first day as a hunter and I currently don''t know which type of weapon I should choose."


    "Well, a pleasure to meet ya kid, my name''s Sven. Mhhh, as for the weapon, which kind would you like?"


    Without a slight hint of doubt, the young man replied, "A cheap one."


    Hearing the response, the other side remained silent with their mouth open for a moment before replying emptily.


    "I- I see."


    All the formal, honest words previously used by the young man caused the shopkeeper to be surprised when his attitude shifted to that of a shameless person.


    "Then wait here a secon''."


    After saying that, the old man vanished behind the ck curtain only to return half a minuteter while holding a silver-colored long sword in his hands.


    Although it wasn''t particrly aesthetically pleasing, Hans found it remarkably easy to wield, suggesting its excellent bnce.


    "I am grateful that you showed this to me, but... I''m not sure if I''ll be able to afford it, you see, I don''t have much money," Hans hesitated beforemitting anything.


    "Nah it''s okay, it''s da first one of tha'' type I made, I was searchin'' for someone to test it. Come back in a week and tell me how it feels, will ya?" the middle-aged cksmith waved his hand


    Hans nodded gratefully before giving a slight bow, "Thank you. I''ll repay you as soon as I can."


    "That''s not what I need to be exact, but anyway, get outta here.


    I still got work to finish!!" saying that, the cksmith waved Hans off.


    Hans hurried out of the smithy before the old man could kick him in the butt.


    "What a... unique person, truly an interesting character," Hans muttered as he walked away from the building.


    Inside the shop, the old man hammered a scorching hot iron ingot and took a puff from his pipe.


    After letting out a long sigh of smoke, he whispered, "Did I do what should be done? My son."


    "Anyway, what would a second circle mage like him need a weapon fo''?


    When he entered the shop, I thought he was just her'' to fool around and make fun o'' me."


    _____


    By the time Hans reached the gate, the sun was high up.


    Probably because of its lower rank, this gate was smaller than the one he had been to a few days ago, and with a size like that, only one person could enter it at a time, not like anyone wanted to go inside.


    When he did, Hans understood why this gate wasn''t cleared even though it was one with the lowest ranks avable.


    A putrid smell emanated the whole area, and for mages like him, who had heightened senses, this would turn out to be even worse, the smell was so bad that Hans had to concentrate and create a wall of mana so as to surround his nose just so that he could not smell it.


    Right after he created a small barrier to stop the odor, a window popped up:


    [Congrattions on acquiring a new skill:


    {Mana Barrier (Tier- 0)


    Effect: Creates a barrier around parts of your body. Capable of withstanding hits from a G-Rank creature.}]


    "Ugh finally, that was unbelievably worse than what I had in mind," Hans breathed in some air in relief.


    After solving the problem he wandered into the foggy terrain filled with dead trees around; it looked more like a swamp that had been drained of its water.


    Soon, a repulsive sound came from his right.


    It sounded like many tiny legs were ticking on the ground, and indeed, when he turned around, standing with its head at a height of thirty centimeters was a green and disgusting centipede with its fangs covered in a dark green and thick liquid which Hans instantly recognized to be its poison.


    While he wasn''t sure if it was, he didn''t wish to test it.


    Unsheathing his sword, he rushed forward and shed it down on the disgusting creature.


    Much to his surprise, the monster was cut through like a hot knife through butter under the sharpened and refined de of his long sword.


    Even after being dead, the monster looked as disgusting as before, but for the sake of money, Hans had no choice but to carry it back to the gate and leave it down there.


    He then continued hunting a few more, carrying them back in groups of two or three until he couldn''t find any more.


    After a couple of hours, a mountain of those centipede monster corpses had formed beside the gate exit, and behind them was a Hans had brought to make it easier for him to carry all of them in one go.


    And now, there was just one thing left for him to do, defeat the boss, and close the gate.


    He had already found the boss''s location but took his time in hunting all the little centipedes and gathering them so that when he defeated the boss monster, he could bring all of them outside and sell them.


    With that, Hans ventured into the gate before arriving in front of a bunch of trees which were disposed of circrly, creating a sort of natural arena.


    Hans thrust his sword into a tree and cleared a path between its thick branches.


    When he finally made it to the other side, it looked like he had walked into apletely different territory.


    The fog that he had seen before wasn''t there anymore and a blue moon shone upon a giant centipede that stood in the middle of the arena.


    Without hesitating, Hans activated his skill, {Piercing Gaze}


    <strong>[ Boss Monster: Giant Centipede.]</strong>

 Chapter 10: Gates and Breaks

    <h4>Chapter 10: Gates and Breaks</h4>


    <strong>[Boss Monster</strong>


    Race: Giant Centipede


    Name: None


    Level: 24+


    Strength: 45


    Dexterity: 37


    Endurance: 34


    Wisdom: 21


    Skills: {Poisonous Fangs (D-Rank)


    Effect: Everyone whoes in contact with the giant centipede''s fangs will be poisoned and there is a possibility of death if not treated in time.}


    Evaluation: A difficult boss monster to hunt due to its high strength and deadly poison, high Rank-E.]


    As its name suggested, the centipede was monstrouslyrge and even caused the ground to tremble with every moment it made.


    Though a typical adventurer would''ve been quite frightened at this sight, Hans remained unperturbed while being caught in a dilemma: if he wanted to, he could easily dispatch this monster using magic, but what he needed right now was to hone his closebat skills to maintain his disguise as an adventurer and not a mage.


    After his encounter with the cksmith, Hans understood that without following the limitations of his stealth technique, many people could deduce that he wasn''t a knight.


    Theck of calloused hands and his untrained movements which didn''t resemble a trained knight or swordsman would betray his true ss to the observant.


    So he was now resolved to gain experience to perfect his deception and the best way to get it done was by fighting in these low-rank gates.


    With determination, Hans decided to engage the centipede by only using his sword and would resort to magic spells only if it turned out to be too dangerous or he was about to get poisoned by the beast.


    As Hans drew his sword from the sheath hanging from his belt, the monster charged towards him, rapidly closing the distance.


    The distance between the two continued to diminish with each passing second: 17 meters, 13..9...4...1.


    Before it could crash on him, Hans evaded its attack with a deft maneuver, throwing himself to the right, he squatted down and used his legs to help drive his sword right into the monster''s body. However, the effect of his attack resulted in nothing but a mere scratch on the centipede''s exoskeleton which further enraged it as the creature tried to clench Hans'' limbs in its sharp and venomous fangs.


    While the battle raged on as the monster attacked him left and right and simultaneously Hans tried to counterattack or sometimes save himself, a strange sense of excitement coursed through his body.


    It was strange but at the same time, it was both terrifying and enjoyable.


    Even with the shing of his sword, the rush of adrenaline, the sound of his heavy breathing, and even the sound of the centipede''s legs ticking on the ground, Hans remainedpletely absorbed in the battle as if it were the only thing that mattered and he couldn''t think of anything else at the moment.


    As if in a trance-like state, he continued to counterattack every move the monster threw at him, disregarding the n of using magic or the risk of being poisoned.


    After a grueling fifteen-minute fight, the centipede finallyy defeated, its head finally touching the ground, while exhausted, Hans also copsed on the muddy ground.


    "That was fun!"


    Hans eximed as he gasped, but after a moment his mind turned nk as he thought.


    ''?!''


    ''What?! Did I just say it was fun?? I was a breath away from getting poisoned and killed but I had fun?''


    How long had it been since thest time he had fun?


    So long that he couldn''t even remember the feeling.


    But something had finally stirred up that boring life of his, allowing him to enjoy something for the first time after a long while once again.


    There would always be something that he would be bothered with, be it the thought of hospital bills or the worry of his parents not waking up.


    But this time, the only thing on his mind was to fight, it felt relieving and freeing as it let him not worry about anything else but enjoy the fight.


    [You have killed the boss monster!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [ Your wisdom stat has been increased by 10, due to the effect of {Almighty Knowledge}, all your other stats will increase by 1.]


    [The gate will close in thirty minutes.]


    Upon seeing the messages, Hans got up and carried the huge corpse back to the gate''s entrance.


    As he tried to cross the gate carrying the dead monster''s body, it almost couldn''t fit through, and after getting the boss monster''s body out, Hans re-entered the gate and brought out the pile of other centipede corpses.


    Outside the gate, Hans made his way using the concrete path, and behind him followed two huge grotesque figures which he held using both his hands.


    His right hand was holding a that carried all the dead centipedes while using his left hand, he held one of the legs of the giant centipede and dragged the boss''s corpse on the street.


    As he continued to walk, two trails of blood formed on the street making the bystanders watch the spectacle with both surprise and disgust.


    ''I don''t want to make a scene, but the only thing I did this for was money, I''m not going to let go of a single penny by leaving any monster behind.''


    By the time he arrived in front of the association, someone had already notified the receptionist that a strange guy had carried monster corpses in front of the association which caused most of them to freak out, but in the end, one of them left the building and approached Hans to talk to him.


    "H-hello sir how may I help you?" The receptionist was quite intimidated by Hans'' condition which was enough to give chills to any normal civilian.


    "I''ve cleared the F-Rank gate, and these are the monsters I hunted from it. They instructed to deliver the materials to the association so that they would settle the sale and the tax collection."


    Hearing his exnation, the girl remained stunned for a few moments before she said, "I-I see, but, next time, could you please arrange for a truck at the gate instead of bringing them here yourself? You see, it could cause panic among the civilians."


    She then handed him a little ticket with a number and exined, "Here, call this number and they''ll transport it for you. Since it''s a privilege offered by the association, it''s free of charge."


    Feeling embarrassed by his ignorance, Hans took the ticket quietly before thanking her and leaving for home.


    After freshening up and changing clothes, Hans checked the messages in the system:


    [Congrattions on closing the F-Rank gate: Centipede''s Nest]


    [You have been rewarded with the 1st tier skill: {Strengthen}


    {Strengthen (1st Tier)


    Description: Mana can be used to bring help, other than destruction.


    Effect: The person hit with this spell will have their strength increased by 5% for thirty minutes.}]


    "Wow, that''lle in handy if someone asks me about my ss skills," Hans remarked.


    Having had a busy day and nothing particrly meaningful to do, he decided to rx a bit and scrolled through his phone, looking for something interesting online.


    [ The scandal between the actress...


    [ Released the new phone: 23 max....


    [ 25 steps to be a billionaire:


    N¡ã 1, mindset...]


    Finding nothing of interest, he opened an app he hadn''t used for years: a streaming tform.


    He just wanted to see if some new games were released or not, but after taking a look he was quite surprised when he found out that the category with the most viewers was the (#awakened).


    Technology didn''t work inside the gates, so how were people able to stream?


    Well, they didn''t stream gate hunts, but gate breaks.


    For example, the most-watched stream having a count of seven million views featured a gate break that happened in California on the outskirts of San Diego.


    Although gate rank evaluation was B, when the guild responsible for handling the gate entered, none of them returned.


    Instead, a gate break urred, releasing Rank-A monsters that ughtered the civilians.


    During that time, reinforcements arrived from New York, America''s strongest city in terms of awakened, specifically, it was the New York Defense Department''s second team.


    The leader of this team was a woman in her twenties with white hair and an alluring figure, her hands were covered in ck gloves and she wielded a long weapon in her hands which looked like a mix between a sword and a rapier.


    When the woman activated a skill, a thinyer of hoarfrost formed around and her previous sky-blue eyes turned crimson red while the rxed look on her face turned to serious and authoritative.


    She effortlessly and single-handedly swept through hordes of high-tier monsters like trolls, and following right behind her were her subordinates, who also held their own, helping each other with perfect synergy.


    After an hour of relentless battle, they were finally able to eliminate all the normal monsters, and the stream was abruptly shut down right before the battle against the boss.


    They probably didn''t want to let the viewers watch a tragic scene just in case one of the team members died a gruesome death during the battle.


    That was something that was done in almost every stream, except the most important ones, like the attack on Manhattan that happened about four years earlier.


    Witnessing the second teammander, Hans couldn''t help but feel a sense of familiarity.


    A spark of thought ignited in his head, ''Could she be the one who saved me that day?''


    He recalled his recent encounter with the goblins outside the gate and the person who brought him to the hospital.


    Although he couldn''t remember their face, the memory of the strike that had beheaded all of the goblins and the chilly aura he felt back then remained vividly clear in his mind.


    And this particr scene in the stream was extremely simr to the one he had vaguely witnessed that day.


    Hourster, the battle results were posted online where out of 74 who went into battle three had died, seven were seriously injured and twenty-one had sustained light injuries.


    However, Hans didn''t notice them as since had already drifted off to sleep by then.

 Chapter 11: Gate鈥檚 money

    <h4>Chapter 11: Gate¡¯s money</h4>


    The following morning, Hans woke upte since his schedule waspletely clear after he resigned from all his previous jobs to focus solely on conquering the gates.


    But trying to clear multiple gates in one day was taxing and prone to making some mistakes and injuries, so he opted for a more deliberate approach this time.


    He then checked his phone, and as expected, found a message from the association, detailing his earnings.


    [Initial Earnings: $43,000,


    Minus Association tax(15%)¡ª>$36,550,


    Minus Government taxes on F-Rank awakened(28%)¡ª>$26,316]


    Current bank bnce: [$66,506]


    "Mh, I should still be $130,000 short to repay the debt," he calcted and then thought, "And if I were to continue at this rate, it would only take a week or so to pay it all."


    "But first things first, let''s see what I can do today."


    After having his thoughts settled, Hans opened the app and started looking for gates nearby.


    He soon found out that a brand new F-rank gate had appeared not so far from him, which he decided to clear right away.


    Donning his coat, Hans left the apartment and walked until he was in front of the gate.


    And not much to his surprise, not even a single awakened seemed to be trying to clear it, something that was prettymon, and there was a reason for that.


    The best awakened would be hired as scouts by the big guilds and carried in higher-ranking gates, while the lower-tier ones were left to rot in the G-Rank gates.


    Since most people traveled in groups of three or more, the F-Rank gate didn''t provide much of an experience and the rewards were just about the same as the G-Rank ones, so it would be just a waste of time raiding it for many.


    However, the real differencey in E-Rank gates, where monsters had the possibility of dropping a valuable mana stone.


    The gates of higher ranks yielded substantial profits, with C-Rank gates potentially earning nearly a million dors and even higher ranks fetching millions for sessful raids by the groups.


    S-Rank gates, however, were seen more like a daunting problem due to their extreme difficulty and high-level bosses, which usually increased the likelihood of casualties among the raid teams.


    Seeing no one around, Hans entered the gate.


    [You have entered the gate ''Graveyard of the Living'']


    Just like in the previous gate he was enveloped in a thick fog, making him feel ufortable, however, this time Hans found himself on solid ground made of rock.


    Apart from that, there was nothing else that he could see, making Hans wonder where the gate''s name came from.


    However, it didn''t take long for him to find out the reason behind it as well.


    Soon he heard some approaching footsteps and Hans was doubtful to find a humanoid silhouette after turning around.


    But when it came closer, Hans couldn''t help but be stunned by the sight before him.


    It was a gray humanoid monster with almost nothing but bones as its body; its face was sunken, its fingers were reced with shape nails and very little hair could be seen left on its head.


    Shortly, a few other figures started emerging, even if there were some subtle differences in their height and body, they all looked almost the same.


    [ Race: Ghoul


    Name: None


    Lvl: 23


    Strength: 17


    Dexterity: 29


    Endurance: 12


    Wisdom: 1


    Skills: {Blessing of unity: When they die, unless their body ispletely destroyed, they will unite to form stronger beings.}


    Evaluation: Rank-F.]


    As the ghouls slowly walked towards him, Hans took out his sword in wary, and just when they got closer, they suddenly rushed to him with their sharp nails pointed at his face.


    He blocked the first one with his sword and shed to destroy the ones that followed.


    But after the 25th ghoul fell, the bodies of the fallen creatures started uniting in five spots, and after a couple of seconds, five abominations were born from them.


    Each of those newly formed creatures was using the skulls and various bones of the previous ghouls as its exoskeleton, while the small amount of skin and flesh that remained in the ghouls'' bodies was turned into a muscle-like structure.


    These five abominations stood at a height of about two and a half meters (8''2).


    Hans went ahead and used his skill, {Piercing Gaze}


    <strong>[Elite Monster</strong>


    Race: Giant Ghoul


    Name: None


    Level: 23


    Strength: 29


    Dexterity: 26


    Endurance: 31


    Wisdom: 1


    Skills: {Blessing of unity: When they die, unless their body ispletely destroyed, they will unite to form stronger beings.}


    Description: An abomination created by thebination of five ghouls through the blessing of unity.


    Evaluation: Almost on par with an E-Rank.]


    After they formed, these five monsters mindlessly started attacking Hans, who, for now, only focused on evading their attacks, taking advantage of his higher agility.


    But soon enough, as the battle progressed, he started to fight back, slicing right through the monsters as he unleashed his strength and sharp de.


    However, after he defeated them, the five Giant Ghouls united once again, forming an even bigger enemy.


    It looked much tougher, sturdier, chubbier, and taller than the previous ones.


    <strong>[ Boss Monster</strong>


    Race: Ghoul Golem


    Name: None


    Lvl: 23


    Strength: 42


    Dexterity: 23


    Endurance: 47


    Wisdom: 7


    Skills: None


    Description: An abomination created by thebination of five Giant Ghouls through the blessing of unity.


    Evaluation: A monster standing at the peak of Rank-E.]


    This time though, Hans didn''t n to waste his time on the boss and instead decided to make use of and hone his magic abilities.


    He extended his hands forward and conjured the spell {Fire Veil}.


    As the spell came into effect, everything around him was lit up in a zing me, scorching even a bit of the golem''s skin.


    With a swift motion, he then retracted one of his arms andunched a {Fireball} like a skilled pitcher.


    The fiery projectile hit the monster at an rming speed, burning a part of its torso.


    And as the mes subsided, the monster let out a provocative scream, as if taunting Hans that whatever he did wasn''t enough.


    However, its arrogance soon faded away when it understood its mistake as a barrage of spells rained down upon it.


    {Fireball} {Fireball} {Fireball}


    These three-tier-0 spells, coupled with Hans''s exceptional control over his mana and proficiency inflicted severe damage on the Ghoul Golem, letting it barely stand.


    Seeing that his spells from before still weren''t enough, Hans continued to cast more spells until the opponent finally copsed lifelessly.


    The battlested a mere 1 minute and 42 seconds, a testament to Hans'' formidable prowess.


    While it was a terrifying speed, for Hans it wasn''t.


    "It actually took that many spells", he couldn''t help but muse, "I should get my hands on some higher-level tomes. Otherwise, despite the boost in wisdom, my power won''t increase much."


    [You have killed the boss monster: Ghoul Golem]


    [You have leveled up, your wisdom stat has been increased by 5.]


    He then took the boss''s body and salvaged the non-burned parts before heading out with it.


    Learning from his previous mistake, this time he called the transport association to carry the materials for him.


    [Congrattions on clearing the F-Rank gate: Graveyard of the Livings]


    [You have been awarded with the 1st tier skill {Combine}


    {Skill Name: Combine (Tier-1)


    Effect: You canbine two first-tier spells and use them as one. The mana used will be triple the amountpared to the two skills when used separately.


    If the synergy between the two spellsbined is high, there is a possibility of gaining the newly created spell. But if the synergy is below the required level, the spell won''t form and the mana will go to waste.}]


    Five more days passed and Hans cleared one F-Rank gate each day.


    But the experience wasn''t enough to help him level up anymore and at the closing of thest two gates, he didn''t even gain a new skill.


    Nheless, he had finally managed to gather the money he needed to repay the debt, so he could finally rx a bit. The next day he nned to finally settle his obligations and whatever he earned after that would be his to spend.


    [Current Status]


    [Name: Hans


    Age: 18


    ss: Knowledge Seeker (UNKNOWN)


    Title: None


    Level: 29


    Strength: 40


    Dexterity: 40


    Endurance: 40


    Wisdom: 401


    ss Skills:


    {Knowledge Hunger}


    {Almighty Knowledge}


    {Piercing Gaze}


    Normal Skills:


    {Fireball} (Tier-0)


    {Fire Veil} (Tier-1)


    {Strong Mind} (E¨CRank)


    {Stealth} (Tier-3)


    {strengthen}(tier-1)


    {Mana Barrier} (Tier-1) (Lvl up!)


    {Combine} (Tier-1)


    {Mana Route} (Tier-1) (NEW!)


    {Sword Mastery}(G-rank) (NEW!)


    {Earth Projectile} (Tier-0) (NEW!)


    {Breeze} (Tier-0) (NEW!)


    Evaluation: An aspiring second-circle mage with the power surpassing that of a third-circle peer and an E-Rank swordsman]


    {Mana Barrier (Tier- 1)


    Effect: Creates a barrier around parts of the user''s body, capable of withstanding hits from an F-Rank creature.}


    {Mana Route (Tier-1)


    Description: A route of mana traveling around your body.


    Effect: +5% mana regeneration speed.}


    {Earth Projectile (Tier-0)


    Description: The basic spell of the Earth path.


    Effect: Create projectiles made of solid dirt by using mana.}


    {Breeze (Tier-0)


    Description: The basic spell of the Wind path.


    Effect: Creates a st of wind that is capable of moving an object that weighs about 15 kg.}


    {Sword Mastery (G-rank)


    Description: The level of a beginner swordsman.


    Effect: Increases the damage dealt with a sword by 5%.}


    After clearing two gates, he acquired tomes of Breeze and Earth Projectile spells from which Hans was able to gain an extra ten wisdom stats, thanks to his {Knowledge Hunger} skill.


    The only thing remaining for him to improve was higher-ranking spells that would bring him closer to gaining the prowess of a top third-circle mage.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    <strong><i>Author note</i></strong>:


    For those who don''t remember:


    Tier 0=G rank


    Tier 1=F rank


    Tier 2=E rank


    Tier 3=D rank


    Tier 4=C rank


    Tier 5=B rank


    Tier 6=A rank


    Tier 7=S rank...


    The tier is used for magic-rted spells and skills, while the rank is used for passive andbat-rted skills.

 Chapter 12: Loan sharks

    <h4>Chapter 12: Loan sharks</h4>


    The next morning, Hans made his way through the dirty streets on the outskirts of Chicago, drawing a couple of unfriendly gazes from the residents.


    Soon he found what he was searching for: a dark alley to his left where three men were sitting on some steps while they smoked.


    As he approached cautiously, Hans received skeptical stares from the trio.


    One of them even reached into his back pocket, taking out a pocket knife, however, while maintaining a calm demeanor, Hans dered, "There''s no need to do that; take me to your boss, I just need to repay some money."


    After a moment of silent talk between them, the three gazed at the sports bag in Hans'' hand before nodding and emerging out of the shadows, showing their faces.


    The one leading them, though young, looked quite tough and was a little bit shorter than Hans, while on his left, was a bald middle-aged man with a chubby and short stature, and under his loose white tank top, one could see various tattoos on his shoulder.


    On the right of the young fellow was another man, but other than being really ugly, there wasn''t much in him that stood out.


    The one leading the other two spoke, "Follow us."


    After that, they opened the door behind them, allowing Hans to enter a dimly lit bar.


    In the bar, many people remained seated but their faces were obscured due to the smoke and poor lighting.


    The room almost fell silent as Hans and the other three made their way except for some whispers here and there.


    The three apanied Hans to a table located at the furthest corner from the entrance before leaving for the entrance once again.


    Seated at the table was a tall man with defined muscles and sharp features.


    The man had ck hair and brown eyes and was dressed in a white shirt which was paired with a ck jacket and ck pants.


    He also wore a tie.


    He eyed Hans before asking, "What do you want?"


    "My name is Hans.


    Six months ago, I borrowed a significant sum of money and today I''m here to repay my debt," Hans replied naturally, though a hint of intimidation lingered beneath the surface.


    The leader noticed the bag in Hans''s hand and inquired, "How much do you have?"


    "It''s about a hundred and ny," Hans answered. However, after hearing the number, the people all over the bar turned around and stared at the young man and his bag with immense greed in their eyes.


    A guy even approached the boss and whispered in his ear, "Boss, should we-"


    But before the guy could even finish, a cold response came from the leader, "No!"


    After that, the boss ordered one of his goons to bring him the list of loans.


    After going through it and making his helper count the money, he signed the paper of Hans''s loan to be paid off and dered, "Well done, Hans. As for the ord, you have given back the money with a monthly interest rate of 10%, you now have no ties with our group. It was a pleasure doing business with you and you will be weed if you want toe back anytime." The man smiled.


    ''I hope I won''t ever have toe here again,'' Hans thought while giving a short bow before leaving the ce.


    While Hans made his way to the bar''s entrance, the guy from before went to the boss once again and asked, "Boss, should we follow him? We''ll manage to get some more out of him."


    However, the leader red at hisckey and rasped, "Liam, I have already told you that I''m staying here because I have to. I oppose these criminal activities of yours and while I''m here, refrain from doing these kinds of things. That boy has kept his word and repaid the debt, there is no need to go over that."


    "I-I understand," the guy named Liam could only lower his head and move back.


    Meanwhile, Hans, who had already walked quite a bit, was met with a sticky situation as a group of ten people surrounded him.


    "Hey rich boy,e with us obediently, you don''t want to cause a scene in the middle of the street, do you?" said one guy in the group, drawing attention from the residents.


    Speaking was the same young fellow who was guarding the entrance.


    "Sigh.... Come on, let''s settle this in private," Hans replied, knowing that there were people around.


    The group led him to a dimly lit storehouse and once inside, the leader of the small group brandished his knife and said arrogantly, "You see, the boss recalcted the sum and said that the money doesn''t add up, you will need to cough out another thirty thousand."


    Despite exploding in anger, Hans managed to keep hisposure.


    The only reason why he didn''t raze them to the ground was because of the gang behind them.


    The infamous Stripped n, identified by their ck leather jackets adorned with a tiger emblem.


    Their boss, whom he had met a couple of minutes ago, was rumored to be a C-Rank hunter, and messing with someone of that caliber wouldn''t bring any benefits to him.


    So he just held it in and replied with an annoyed tone, "Ah, I heard your gang used to keep their words. It seems like it was a lie after all. What do you think will happen if I were to spread the news?"


    The other man smiled disarmingly, "Haha, what makes you think you''ll be able to get out of here?"


    Before Hans could even retort, the guy continued, "Come on, I''ll give you three more days.


    We have investigated you and know why you needed the money. The fact that you managed to repay the debt can only mean one thing, right?" The guy smiled again, this time more like that of a creepy psychopath.


    "You let them die, didn''t yo-"


    Hans, who was doing his best to stay calm finally couldn''t hold it and lost it the moment the imbecile mentioned his family.


    Lunging forward, he punched the guy with a well-aimed jab that sent the fellow flying, and by the time his body touched the ground, he had already fallen unconscious while the others were left surprised by what had just happened.


    Only after a moment or two did one of the members raise his voice and urge the others, "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING!! GO GET HIM, HE''S ALONE!!"


    Hearing the call, all the others started rushing towards Hans from all directions, surrounding him and taking out their knives while others grabbed the crossbars scattered around.


    "Take this," a guy hissed with his knife aimed at Hans''s abdomen,


    However, just before the knife could get any closer to him, Hans grabbed the attacker by his hand and threw a punch, incapacitating the guy.


    Thinking that he was brighter than the first fellow, the second guy who was using a crossbar, tried to swing it to Hans''s head, but before he could even scratch his hair, Hans ducked and turned around, forcing him asleep with a good and old straight punch right in the head.


    The remaining seven attackers also fell one by one akin to leaves in autumn under Hans''s punches and kicks.


    By the time he was done with all of them, the unconscious leader woke up with a still blurry vision, but after looking around he could only see Hans''s silhouette.


    Seeing that he had woken up, Hans squatted, his face about fifty centimeters apart from the leader''s, and warned him with a firm voice, "Don''t ever try anything like this again, or I swear I won''t be as soft as I''ve been this time."


    The guy on the ground almost pissed his pants and backed away while using all the power he could muster from his left arm.


    Luckily for him, Hans left without going any further.


    _____


    20 minutester.


    Back at the bar.


    The boss was sitting at a table alone, smoking a cigar, when a breathless man burst in.


    Panting, he eximed, "Boss, we have a problem!" while holding onto the chair beside him to avoid falling due to exhaustion.


    "What is it now??! Liam," the boss grumbled.


    Between pants, Liam exined in his defense, "I forgot to tell the guys outside not to go after the guy... And they gathered a group of about ten members to squeeze something more out of hi-"


    Before he could finish speaking, the boss interrupted him, "Then what are you doing here!? Go give him his money back and go apologize!!"


    "That''s not the point boss!" Liam shook his head and continued while still gasping for breath.


    "Pant... pant... we found all of them were passed out in a storehouse."


    "And there were some who were even about to die."


    As Liam finished, the boss''s eyes widened in surprise as he asked furiously, "What in the world happened?!"


    "It''s only a guess, but between the witnesses for his strength and the money he made so quickly, there''s a probability that he is an awakened," Liam answered.


    "Awakened huh?! ... Ok," the boss calmed down and simply continued smoking his cigar.


    Seeing his boss''s unbothered attitude, Liam asked, "What will we do now, boss?!"


    "What do you mean we will do, just continue doing what you always do," the boss shrugged.


    "But boss, he injured our members, we have to pay him back-"


    "LISTEN WELL LIAM! This is thest time I''ll say it. Stop telling me what to do! It was your idea to irritate him even after the boy had repaid his debt. You should be grateful that he merely taught them a lesson or else I would''ve done that myself."


    "Now scram away before I beat the shit out of you," the boss rasped.


    Being ridiculed and humiliated in front of all the other tables, Liam ran outside.


    When the doors closed and he was left alone, Liam seethed with hatred and embarrassment in his voice, "How dare you, kid. Awakened or not, I swear I''ll f*ck*ng kill you."

 Chapter 13: Poisonous revenge

    <h4>Chapter 13: Poisonous revenge</h4>


    Sitting alone in his apartment, Hans wrote something on the paper, pondering over what he should do next.


    The weight of repaying his debt had been lifted and he could now easily keep up with the hospital expenses for his family. Yet, amidst this newfound stability, a sense of aimlessness pervaded his thoughts.


    "Should I just strive to be rich? It''s not like I need to, but just in case ''they'' were to wake up, I can''t imagine making them live in a quarter like this."


    "Sigh, it feels so empty now, and I have nothing to do."


    Just as he let out a sigh, the phone in his pocket vibrated, startling him, "Bzzz, bzzzz"


    "Hello, who is it?" Hans answered cautiously.


    Barely anyone knew his number and he had almost gotten no call in thest few years, making him wonder.


    Who could it be?


    "Hans, right?" A deep chuckle greeted him from the other end.


    "I heard that your family''s at the Cityview Hospital. Funny thing, I happen to have someone who is visiting there right now, wouldn''t it be a pity if something were to happen to them?" Hearing these words and the creepy voice, beads of sweat started forming on Hans''s forehead and his breathing turned heavy.


    "W-what is it? What do you want? Is this about money?"


    "Rx kid. You roughed up some of our menst time, don''t you recall?"


    Hans'' heart sank, ''Their people? What does he mean, the only people I''ve beaten up were those..''


    ''Ah... it''s them!''


    "Get it now? Well then,e to xxxxx, if I don''t see you in fifteen minutes, your family''s toast."


    "Beep, beep," with that, the man on the other side hung up.


    Panic coursed through Hans as he couldn''t think of what to do, but as long as his family was on the line he definitely wouldn''t just stand there messing around.


    "What to do? What to do? I have to go, but I can''t leave my family alone. I have to send someone, but who? Who could go? Who is it that I trust? Is there even anyone I trust?" It was at this moment that Hans realized, despite being eighteen he was utterly alone.


    All the time, the hours, the days he had spent trying to earn something had left him with nothing more than emptiness.


    But knowing that he didn''t have time to even think of anything, Hans simply rushed to the meeting point without looking back at his decision.


    It barely took him five minutes to get to the provided address and awaiting him was a rundown two-story building.


    The windows of the building were dirty and broken, some seemed a flick away from shattering while the floor was covered in ayer of dust and the light bulbs weren''t functioning.


    He entered a room that seemed like a reception before stepping lightly and silently under the effects of {Stealth}.


    From an adjacent room,ughter echoed, voices that were a bit familiar yet menacing. However, Hans slipped into the shadows, undetected by anyone.


    "Bhahaha"


    "Hey, boss~ what are we going to do with him when he gets here~" Questioned someone and Hans recognized that it was the very same guy who had previously pissed his pants out of fear in the warehouse a few days ago.


    Liam replied, his teeth subconsciously tightening, "Haha, dunno, maybe I''ll just skin him alive, or maybe I will y target with him."


    The other goons chuckled, "That''s too kind of you boss, I would''ve thrown him in a pit of fire if I were you."


    Liam nodded, "Mh, after what he has done to you guys, maybe I should make him suffer a bit more."


    "Boss, what about his sister? Can we y with her?" asked another underlying.


    "Pfft hahaha, did no one tell this fellow about her? She''s a mummy bro, she''s been in aa for four years, you''re better off ying with a doll," a burst ofughter filled the room, while Hans, at the entrance, was doing his best to hold back.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that they could cause trouble for her, Hans would''ve beaten them up if not killed them for insulting his sister.


    "By the way, shouldn''t he be here by now?" queried a fatty, raising his left arm and looking at the ticking hands on his silver watch.


    Liam reassured, "There''s no need to worry. He''s been paying for theira for four years now, he''s aplete fool for his family."


    "Is that so? Pfhaha, he is a fool. Who knows how much money he has spent? All of that would''ve been better off with me; I could have bought a house or something," remarked another.


    "Yeah, no kidding," chimed in a third.


    Hans, still standing at the entrance, had only one thought as he struggled to control himself, ''Hold it, I must hold it, if I were to act up here I wo-''


    "Don''t worry about his family! Since I n on killing him today, that means that the hospital will leave his dear parents and sister''s bodies rotting in the streets," Liam sneered.


    At this moment, thest thread holding Hans''s reasoning snapped.


    _____


    In the bar where Hans paid his debt.


    "Boss! Boss!" ackey came rushing.


    "Agh! For f*ck sake, what is it now?!" the boss grumbled.


    "I-i- it''s Liam! He gathered all his guys and went to kill that guy that beat them upst time!"


    Hearing this, the boss mmed his hand on the table, snapping it into two.


    <strong>"THAT FUCKER DARES?!</strong> Even though I told him countless times to let it go!"


    "Hey you, tell me the situation! Quickly!"


    "Y-yes, sir!"


    After hearing all the situation, the boss stormed out of the bar, heading towards the designated meeting spot before ordering some of his men to go to the hospital to take care of Liam''s men.


    By the time he arrived at the building, the boss noticed that it was run down and full of dust, but that was pretty normal.


    The unusual thing was that it was hot and was almost thirty degrees despite the winter weather. The boss was well aware that the building didn''t have any heating system, so what was this abnormal heat?


    As he progressed further into the building, the temperature continued to rise, apanied by the crackling of mes.


    "I-I''m sowe, pwese ''et me ''o, ai be'' u," (I''m sorry, please let me go, I beg you.)


    "Pwese... pwese," pleaded someone while the boss stood at the missing door, watching the scene inside the room.


    The boss could see that the mes had engulfed the walls and floor while many meny, probably dead.


    Amidst the inferno and a few burning bodies, a lone figure of a boy stood straight in the middle of the room, his left hand holding a man by the neck, holding him midair.


    "L-Liam?" The boss stammered as he called out, "Please wait a second!"


    However, the young man didn''t seem to have heard anything until the boss put his hand on his ming shoulder; being so close to him, the boss could tell that the heat was palpable, making him sweat.


    ''I.. am sweating? Someone like me? This boy... he must be a high-ranking mage!''


    "Excuse me!" He shouted, still holding onto Hans'' shoulder.


    The other side''s fierce and fiery eyes turned to him as if they were staring deep into his soul.


    Only then did Hans finally let go.


    Noticing the man, only one thought crossed Hans''s mind: ''What... is a monster like this doing here?''


    {Piercing Gaze}


    {[Name: Kwang-su Kim


    Age: 21


    ss: ???? (RARE)


    Title: ????


    Level: ???


    Strength: ????


    Dexterity: ????


    Endurance: ????


    Wisdom: ????


    Skills: ?????


    Hidden skills: ???? (RARE)


    Evaluation: Extremely dangerous individual to approach with your current strength. Estimated rank: A or higher. }


    Taking the chance, Liam, who had just been dropped to the ground, mustered all his remaining strength and pulled out a gun before pointing it towards both, the boss and Hans.


    Seeing this, Kwang-su Kim stepped ahead while the mes engulfing Hans quietened down a bit.


    "Didn''t I tell you to just let it go!" Kwang-su Kim admonished.


    "U astawd"(you bastard) id u ''ink ai ud ''ust oey or powers,"(did you think I would just obey your orders) Liam retorted.


    "Ey ay u ae a wong ''uner, I''d u ''ink aid elief at?" (They say you are a strong hunter, did you think I''d believe that?)


    " u ae us a wraud"(you are just a fraud) "IE!"(DIE!)


    With that, the trigger was pulled, and a loud BANG echoed through the silent building.


    However, much to Liam''s surprise, the bullet didn''t have any effect on Kwang-su Kim, rather, he looked at the fellow with pity and disgust.


    "I thought you had changed," Kwang-su Kim sighed.


    "Haaaa..."


    "I just let you be for a while because we were friends back in the day, But it seems that instead of maturing, you''ve only regressed, now it is time to say goodbye."


    ''Ooo, ait pwese!"(No wait please) ''I aent inkin raight,"(I wasn''t thinking straight) Liam pleaded.


    "Et I go, pwese is on ime, I ust ade a istae"(let it go, please this one time, I just made a mistake) Liam whose eyes were filled with madness to kill the two a moment ago was now crawling away from his old friend, his entire body shivering in fear while his swollen face uttering words that were impossible toprehend, if not for the begging look in his eyes.


    With every step Kwang-su Kim took, the ground cracked and his sorrowful face looked like it could shed a tear.


    He retracted his arm, as if to throw a straight punch and though his mouth opened, no words came out of it.


    ''If only you had listened to me, I wouldn''t be doing this right now. May we meet in another life.''


    An enormous flow of energy burst out from his pouch and his once-old friend was blown away, smashing into the wall before falling into his blood, lifeless.


    Meanwhile, even after witnessing this touching moment, Hans remained enraged.


    "WHAT ABOUT MY FAMILY?!" he asked.


    "Don''t worry, I have arranged my people to protect them. I ask for your forgiveness, neither this nor thest time was I informed of the ongoing events, I hope you won''t hold a grudge and forgive us," Kwang-su Kim replied with a forced smile.


    After ensuring that the matter wouldn''t be sought after anymore, Hans rushed to the hospital, relieved to find them unharmed.


    He had never been so happy to see them still in the same spot he left them.


    _____


    That night... at Kwang-su Kim''s ce.


    "Hans, that''s his name, let''s see... he should be a Rank-D mage right? Maybe even a Rank-C. But why would someone like him even need to borrow money? Hans...Hans, here it is, Rank... ...E??!!!"

 Chapter 14: Glimmer of hope

    <h4>Chapter 14: Glimmer of hope</h4>


    Hans walked closer to his sister''s bed before embracing her tightly, d that she waspletely safe.


    "Tch, if it wasn''t for this sh*tty illness," Hans muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his thoughts.


    He was tired of it, being alone all the time felt horrible.


    Even if there came a day when he wouldn''t return home, there wasn''t anyone who would care or notice. It was as if he simply didn''t exist.


    His gaze sharpened with determination as he activated his skill, "Let''s see what you really are?"{Piercing Gaze}


    {Name: Grant Richter (UNAWAKENED)


    Age: 46


    Strength: 1


    Dexterity: 1


    Endurance: 1


    Wisdom: 6


    Currently under the effect of a powerful curse.


    (Curse Name: Perpetual Slumber


    Normal people affected by this curse will be sucked dry of their stats and a small amount will be given to the caster.


    Caster: ????


    Dispel method: ????)


    Evaluation: A harmless middle-aged man, currently conscious.}


    Reading thest word almost made Hans jump in excitement, "C-conscious, does this mean that he-he can hear me?"


    Tears welled up in his eyes but he tried to hold them back, not wanting to sadden his father.


    With a shaky voice, Hans slowly said, "Don''t- don''t worry Dad, I promise I will find a way to get you back on your feet. Even mom, and sister will be back, I promise. But I need some more time, can you wait for me, just a little more?"


    Hans tried his best to hold back his tears as he checked the statues of his sister and mother.


    But after using his skill, Hans found out that it was only his father who was conscious, and as much as he wanted to stay by his side, the sight of his father in his current condition pained him.


    With swollen eyes, he hurried straight to the association.


    Though the question marks in his status window obstructed the information, the mere possibility that there was a way to break the curse meant that he could find it, and no matter what it took he would find its cure.


    In thesest few days, his skill {Piercing Gaze} had evolved many times, providing more detailed information about the inspected subjects, a development he attributed to either his level or wisdom.


    And the fastest way to improve both wasn''t unknown to him: Gates.


    What he had previously concealed to avoid trouble now demanded disclosure.


    He intended to reenter the association, retake the exam, and reveal his powers as a mage to the public.


    However, his n was thwarted before it began by one of the rules posed by the association. The rule stated that he couldn''t undergo a rank evaluation until a month had passed since thest test, and since he had retaken one just recently, he couldn''t take it again until a monthter.


    Yet, he refused to give up.


    Using the association''s app, he searched for an E-rank gate he could enter.


    And soon enough, he found the perfect option.


    {You have entered the Snakes'' Den.}


    Upon entering the space, Hans found himself in a humid and cold surrounding.


    It was arge, circr cave, illuminated only by a single strand of white moonlight that prated from the middle of the ceiling.


    Hand stood at the center, while the corners of the cave were cloaked by its shadows.


    Slowlying out of their hiding, countless snakes slithered on the gelid ground, hissing at the intruder.


    Not wanting to waste any moment, Hans used {Piercing Gaze}.


    {Race: Moon Snake


    Name: None


    Level: 32


    Strength: 16


    Dexterity: 38


    Endurance: 29


    Wisdom: 72


    Skills:


    {Moon bite (Tier-2)


    Description: A moon snake''s body is filled with cold mana and can inject arge amount of the mana with each bite.


    Effect: The bite will poison the prey with cold mana, slowing down the prey''s movement and causing extreme pain.


    The lower the prey''s wisdom, the faster the poison spreads.}


    Evaluation: Worst enemy for a close-range fighter, Rank: E.}


    But while there were many of those creatures, one stood out the most with its moon-clear white scales, blue eyes, and gigantic body.


    {Boss Monster


    Race: Moon Python


    Name: None


    Level: 51


    Strength: 45


    Dexterity: 62


    Endurance: 61


    Wisdom: 232


    Skills:


    {Moon Bite (Tier-2)


    Description: A moon python''s body overflows with cold mana, they will inject an enormous amount of it with every bite.


    Effect: Their bite will poison the prey with cold mana, slowing down the prey''s movement and causing it extreme pain.


    The lower the prey''s wisdom, the faster will be the rate of the poison spreading.}


    {Blizzard (Tier-3)


    Effect: Unleashes a powerful wave of ice, freezing everything in its wake.}


    {Frozen Arena (Tier-3)


    Description: The caster will release some of his cold mana into the surroundings, creating a field of ice.


    Effects: While the target is in the field, the spells with ice properties will inflict more damage on it.}


    {Blood Eyes (Tier-3) (Passive)


    Every enemy crossing gaze with this skill''s user will be cursed with the effect {Bleeding}.


    Bleeding is a skill where the cursed person won''t be able to stop the bleeding of their wound and existing wounds will bleed more.


    The length and effect of the skill are based on the caster and the opponent''s wisdom.}


    Evaluation: A high-level boss monster with rare skills and incredibly high stats, seems to be greatly enraged.


    Rank: Low Rank-C.}


    "An arena gate?!"


    "These kinds of gates have been deemed to be the most dangerous gates since the catastrophe eight years ago, and no one has ever proved this im wrong."


    In the so-called ''Arena Gates,'' all monsters, including the boss emerge simultaneously, and the battle unfolds in an open space, leaving no room for the hunters to hide.


    "Also.... WHAT THE HELL IS A C-RANK MONSTER DOING HERE?!"


    Typically, the gate''s boss was just one rank above the gate''s level.


    For instance, when Hans previously raided the F rank gate known as the {Centipede''s Nest}, the boss there was ranked E.


    This time, however... something abnormal had urred. The boss''s strength far exceeded his expectations, causing Hans some concern.


    "I got caught up in the moment and rushed here but... Maybe I should''ve been a bit more careful!"


    Hans thought as he dodged the other snakes that lunged at him.


    "Well, not like I can do anything else at the moment?"


    "Huuup"


    "COME AT ME, YOU BASTARDS!!"


    _____


    One by one, the snakes burned and perished under Hans'' fire spells while his mana remained abundant and his mind stayed clear.


    But just when he least expected it, the python disappeared from his view.


    The next moment, his chest throbbed like hell while his body was hurled several meters as the big snake''s tail hit his torso.


    Despite Hans'' desperation, the boss showed no signs of relenting.


    The ground froze and the air turned stinging.


    {Frozen Arena}


    Right after, arge amount of cold mana could be seen gathering around the boss snake''s head and once it was condensed enough, it started to spread out again, freezing everything in its path and rapidly approaching the injured young man.


    {Blizzard}


    Just before the frost could engulf him, Hans thrust his right arm forward and conjured a {Fireball}.


    A veil of vapor enveloped the field, shielding him briefly, and by the time it cleared, frost had covered his entire body.


    Meanwhile, the snake had once again started gathering cold mana to unleash yet another attack.


    At that moment, only Hans and the boss remained standing while the other snakes had been frozen by the blizzard.


    "Another one.... I don''t know if I can take this one. What should I do? Maybe, I can try that."


    Hans created a fireball in his palm and then conjured a breeze with the other, causing them to collide.


    In a matter of seconds, the small me had transformed into a towering inferno.


    [{Combine} has been activated]


    [The spell''spatibility is extremely high.]


    [A new spell has been created.]


    {Greater Fireball (Tier-2)


    Description: A higher-tiered fireball created by the perfect control and dosage of a fire and a wind spell.}


    Hans pushed it against the new iing attack, enveloping the field once again in vapor.


    "Damn, huff.... huff... even if I managed to repel it, huff...huff... I still couldn''t injure that beast?" he panted, frustration evident in his voice.


    Meanwhile, the snake remained unmoved, as if reveling in its prey''sst struggle.


    Driven to madness by the sight, Hans went berserk,


    "You know what? Pant... pant... Fuck it!"


    {Fire Veil} and {Breeze}


    {Combine}


    [Attention!! The spell''s affinity is too low to be fused.]


    "Shit.... Aaaarghhh"


    The spells he tried to conjure went out of control, burning a part of his arm, "F*ck, just blend...please"


    [The spell''s affinity isn''t high enough. Your mastery over mana is currently holding the spells together.]


    [The spells have been sessfullybined, and the temporary spell { Fire Arena} has been created.]


    {Fire Arena (Tier-2)


    Description: A spell created by amplifying the mes of the {Fire Veil} with the wind spell {Breeze}.


    Effect: Engulfs the area around the user in mes, inflicts burn damage over time, and increases the efficiency of fire-rted spells by a great degree.}


    As the fire ignited the area around him, the frozen ground started melting, apanied by the snakes trapped in it.


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [Your wisdom increased by ten points.]


    [Due to the effect of {Almighty Knowledge}, you''ve gained 1 point to all of your other stats.]


    With this tiny amount of renewed strength and mana after leveling up, Hans did his best to cast one final spell {Greater Fireball}, before pushing it with all the strength he could muster and dropping to the ground.


    With depleted mana reserves and cursed by {Bleeding}, Hans would face certain death if the snake survived hisst effort.


    Just when Hans teetered on the brink of closing his eyes from fatigue, a message popped up.


    [You have killed the gate''s boss!]


    [You have been awarded with the spell tome {Blizzard} (Tier-3)]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have...


    Hans chuckled faintly before sumbing to fatigue.


    "Haha, I... I did it-"

 Chapter 15: Irregular

    <h4>Chapter 15: Irregr</h4>


    A faint light filtered through Hans'' closed eyelids.


    By a stroke of luck, the sole ray of light in the whole cave fell precisely on him, jolting him awake.


    [..ou have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    The gate was about to close, leaving those left inside in an uncertain fate, nheless, Hans was sure it definitely wouldn''t turn out to be pleasant.


    Before departing, he grabbed the charred white snake''s body by its tail, dragging it along as he made his way out of the gate.


    All the smaller ones had been melted into oblivion by Hans''s mes, leaving nothing behind, so this time, he would have to settle with just the boss.


    Outside the gate, a truck was already waiting for him, ready to collect his spoils.


    The team in charge loaded the snake''s corpse on the truck and departed.


    [You have closed the E-Rank gate: {Snakes'' Den}]


    [You have obtained the spell tome { Ice Spear}]


    [Due to the gate''s danger level being above the norm, you have been rewarded with an extra item: {Moonlight Python''s Egg}(Rank-C)]


    Only then did Hans feel a bit relieved and shed some of the stress that had umted over the day.


    He had truly gone all out, but that feeling, the satisfaction of victory through his strength made it worthwhile for him.


    Although it was only 6 p.m., the sun had already fallen.


    It was October 27th, with winter approaching and bringing shorter days.


    He returned home after taking the bus and was quite irritated by the fact that he had to wait almost half an hour before he could find one.


    "I can''t be going around in a bus my whole life, I should take my driver''s license... and I don''t even have anything better to do."


    "I can clear about one Rank-E Gate every day if they all don''t turn out like thest one, and for the rest of the day, I will have to wait for my mana to recover.


    I might be able to stretch myself and clear two gates every day, but the fatigue would eventually umte and force me to take a break, so I''m better off not overexerting myself."


    "Simply not fighting is enough to recover my mana, so I should make the most out of my free time."


    With that, he started studying for his driver''s license and spent the rest of the day reading books and searching for information about the awakened and the gates.


    Since the egg showed no signs of change, he just left it unbothered.


    Unfortunately, the normal books he had seemed to no longer help him in increasing his wisdom anymore, so he decided to start learning {Blizzard}.


    After being exhausted from practicing the spell for a dozen hours just to cast it for the first time, Hans retired at 2 a.m. and after that, the temperature in his room remained cold all night.


    He couldn''t even warm himself with fire since he was afraid of burning down the building.


    The following morning, he went to the association yet again because this time they had summoned him to discuss the materials they received from his previous day''s hunt. Apparently, there was something that had to be discussed in person.


    He asked for directions at the reception and was guided to a wooden door.


    A couple of secondster, the door opened, revealing a tall woman dressed in a suit.


    She had dark hair and green eyes, her mere presence and stance radiated a feeling offort.


    Smiling, she greeted him, "Good morning."


    After sitting on the low ss table, thedy asked while picking up a porcin cup, "Would you like some coffee?"


    Hans only shook his head to refuse and cut to the chase,


    "What did you call me here for?"


    Even if he was quite impolite, he didn''t want to waste any of his time.


    "Straight at the point I see,"mented thedy before she introduced herself.


    "My name is Emily David, I am the chief of the materials management department of the association''s Chicago branch. I had something of importance to talk to you about, hence I called you here."


    Emily paused before letting out a sigh and continuing, "That monster, no, the gate boss that you killed in the E-Rank gate, I won''t ask how you did it, but we are in urgent need of information about it."


    Hans''s curiosity piqued as he tilted his head and asked, "Why would you need that?"


    Leading the conversation back to the matter at hand, Emily began, "You see, the association, other than simply monitoring the gates and the awakened, pays heed to all the monsters that might pose a threat to the public."


    "And the monster you vanquished, not to talk about being registered, hasn''t even been spotted once."


    Emily took another long pause and continued, "It''s something we like to call an irregr: a one-of-a-kind monster that only appears once, just like the Banshee that appeared in China or the Basilisk that appeared in Europe."


    "Even a C-Rank monster like the snake you defeated can help us grasp more about these kinds of monsters"


    "Okay, I get the point... but there''s still one thing I want to ask: you are not expecting me to hand over that information for free, right?!"


    The young man''s question caught thedy off guard, making her stutter for a moment even though she knew that it madeplete sense.


    After all, information is akin to power, and no one in their right mind would just give it away without expecting something in return.


    ''So it hase down to this, huh...'' thought the well-dresseddy.


    ''If that''s the case.''


    "Of course not, the association will furnish you with an artifact crafted by the blood eye of the boss you defeated, free of charge, and we''ll also lower the association''s tax you are subjected to by 5% for two whole years," she proposed.


    "Make it 10%." Hans inly stated.


    Without thinking for a moment, she agreed and the two shook hands, "Deal."


    Only then did ite to Hans'' mind that perhaps he should have asked for more seeing how quickly the other side had agreed.


    Meanwhile, Emily was pleased that she had managed to close a contract without taking up too much of her time.


    Hans then started exining.


    He talked about the monster''s attributes like its strength, and skill, and also about the little snakes that got melted.


    However, he carefully avoided divulging too much of the specifics, to avoid revealing his ss skill that allowed him to analyze the opponent.


    As Hans walked out of the room after having said everything he needed to, thedy remained incredulous in the office as she stared at the door through which Hans had just walked out.


    ''I-If even half of what that guy said is true, it''s far worse than what we could''ve ever imagined.''


    ''And the fact that he managed to defeat a monster like that... means that he is even more of a monster!''


    She thought as an image of Hans covered in blood while he held the snake''s corpse crossed her mind, sending shivers down her spine.


    Meanwhile, Hans leisurely made his way towards the exit, checking his phone for his next gate raid today but he suddenly bumped into someone.


    It was a skinny boy, no older than fourteen with brown hair and eyes.


    After bumping, the boy fell on his butt while the paper in his hands glided to the ground causing a big mess.


    "Ah! I-I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to," the boy apologized, saying it as if he had done something that was deserving of the death penalty.


    "Here let me help you," Hans offered, feeling responsible for bumping into the kid since he was the one on his phone.


    "Y-you don''t have t.. well thank you for your help," the boy stuttered, quickly gathering the papers and hurrying away in Hans'' opposite direction.


    Out of habit, Hans activated his skill {Piercing Gaze}.


    [Name: Aiden Everly


    Age: 14


    ss: Potion Brewer (COMMON)


    Title: None


    Lvl: 6


    Strength: 2


    Dexterity: 3


    Endurance: 6


    Wisdom: 19


    Current Status: Exhausted and unhappy due to long working hours.


    Description: Currently a candidate to be the holder of the unique ss: {Master Alchemist}


    Evaluation: An Rank-F Alchemist.


    Has the potential to be a Rank-C without any special ss, if he is to be chosen as the unique ss sessor, it would raise his potential to at least an S-rank.]


    Without thinking twice, Hans grabbed the boy''s arm and asked, "How about changing jobs?"


    Intimidated by the question, the kid stood there.


    "W-what do you mean sir, I didn''t mean to cause you any trouble, please do not," he almost dropped to the floor and begged, fearing that he had pulled himself into some great trouble.


    "Hey hey hey, get up, I didn''t mean it like that..." Hans forced a smile and shook his head before proposing, "How about working for me?"


    "A-are you joking?" the boy asked, incredulous.


    Hans'' face remained dead serious.


    "What for? " asked the little boy, changing his attitude a bit.


    "Would you believe me if I were to tell you that you have the potential to be a star," Hans tried to convince the guy.


    "Just like those awakened you see every day online or on the posters."


    "..." the boy stared at Hans nkly before answering firmly.


    "No, I wouldn''t!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    {Unique ss: {Master Alchemist}


    A ss specializing in potion making, enhancing the holder''s strength based on the potions created and consumed.


    Condition to advance: Complete the brewing of a potion two ranks above your current without anyone''s assistance.}

 Chapter 16: Chasing shadows

    <h4>Chapter 16: Chasing shadows</h4>


    "No, I wouldn''t," the boy firmly rejected.


    Hans looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze before remarking, "Is this the ambition of young men these days?? When I was your age I dreamt of wealth and fame."


    "Well, sorry I don''t have time to waste on that," the young boy retorted with a mocking tone.


    Hans shot another nce at the dreamless kid before him, "Weren''t you at least being polite before?! What changed you now?"


    "Mph! I don''t think you have the right to talk about respect while you are trying to deceive an innocent person like me."


    "Hey! I''m serious. How much do they pay you here? I''ll double it," Hans offered.


    "It''s not about money, I won''t work for you!" The young fellow rejected once again before he walked away and entered the elevator, casting a strange look at Hans as the doors closed.


    "It''ll take some time. I guess convincing someone to join your side isn''t so easy," Hans mused, not wanting to worsen the impression any more than he already had.


    _____


    Today''s target: {E-Rank gate, Wraith''s Lament.}


    [You have entered the gate: Wraith''s Lament.]


    The next moment, Hans found himself in a dense forest of pine trees where the air was cold and a pervasive silence that emanated an ominous feeling.


    After a brief exploration, he found his first prey: a floating creature, seemingly unaffected by gravity at all.


    Its red eyes pierced the darkness while its body wasposed of swirling ck smoke.


    At the end of each of its arms, instead of hands, there were three seemingly sharp ws.


    {Race: Wraith


    Name: None


    Lvl: 37


    Strength: 38


    Dexterity: 48


    Endurance: 12


    Intelligence: 21


    Skills:{Blessing of solidity


    Effect: Every time a part of the user''s body is damaged, it will be regenerated with the help of the rest of the body.}


    It didn''t take long before the creature''s instincts kicked in and it noticed Hans before charging toward him.


    {Fireball}


    Even though he didn''t have to cast the magic spell to conjure it, Hans still needed to think about it if he wanted to activate the spell.


    The fireball pierced right through the monster, but unlike other monsters, it persisted.


    Soon enough, the hole in the wraith''s body just a moment ago was reced with the smoke from the rest of the body while the monster didn''t even react, it was as if the creature was immune to pain.


    ''Again!'' {Fireball!} {Fireball!}


    The two consecutive spells once again pierced right through it, making holes into the creature''s body.


    However, this time, as it recovered from its wounds, Hans noticed that it looked much smaller and thinner than before.


    Realizing what was actually happening, Hans threw a couple of fireballs once again before the monster disintegrated with all its ashes falling to the ground.


    Every time the wraith had to heal a wound, its body wouldn''t actually regenerate, rather it would reced by one part of the body to the wounded spot, which meant that if arge amount of damage was dealt to the creature, its body would shrink until it was destroyed.


    For the next few wraiths he encountered, Hans managed to hunt them down much quicker and without any issues.


    After more than an hour, a slightlyrger wraith with something that seemed like a decayed crown donning its head appeared.


    {Boss Monster


    Race: Wraith King


    Name: None


    Lvl: 42


    Strength: 52


    Dexterity: 60


    Endurance: 23


    Wisdom: 40


    Skills:


    {Blessing of Solidity


    Effect: Every time a part of the user''s body is damaged, it will be regenerated with the help of the rest of the body.}


    Other than the wraith king, about a dozen figures appeared beside him for aid, consisting of normal wraiths.


    Hans, who had been patiently waiting for this kind of challenge, was delighted and unleashed {Blizzard} in his battle for the first time.


    This time, however, he had to cast and chant this new spell, {Blizzard}!


    A ball of cold mana formed above Hans'' head before rushing forward and dispersing into an extremely aggressive wind that froze all the monsters.


    Though the power of his spell wasn''t at the level used by the Moon Python, Hans was getting closer to it.


    Besides, low-endurance enemies like wraiths were a perfect target for practice.


    [You have defeated the boss monster]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [Current Level: 39]


    Unfortunately, this gate didn''t give any drops from the monsters. This was more because the monsters disappeared the moment they fell, forcing him to walk out empty-handed.


    [You have cleared the E-Rank gate: Wraith''s Lament]


    [You have been rewarded with the E-Rank Skill {Ghostification}]


    {Skill Name: Ghostification (Rank E)


    Effect: If someone tries to sh or pierce the user''s body, the user will be able to let the de pass through them without suffering any damage. Therger the wound the attack would''ve inflicted, the greater will be the stamina used.


    It cannot block attacks from enemies at the same level or higher.


    If your energy reserves are too low, the skill won''t activate.}


    Meanwhile, the rest of the day was spent learning to drive and studying his newly acquired spells.


    After training in a freezer room that wasn''t used anymore by a butcher, Hans was able to attain an intermediate proficiency with {Blizzard}.


    Additionally, he also managed to sessfully create the 1-st Tier spell {Ice Spear}


    {Ice Spear (1st Tier)


    Description: A low-level basic spell of the ice path for mages.


    Effect: Utilizes mana to conjure an ice spear; mastery over the spell will enhance the spear''s sharpness and size.}


    Over three days, Hans diligently repeated the same routine till he knew that he had perfected everything he needed for the driver''s license exam and both his ice skills had reached the proficiency level of an expert.


    This triggered the disappearance of both the tomes and the popping up of a familiar window.


    [Congrattions onprehending the Tier 3 {Blizzard} tome. Due to the effect of the skill {Knowledge Hunger}, you have been rewarded with 30 wisdom points.]


    [Congrattions onprehending the Tier 1 {Ice Spear} tome. Due to the effect of the skill {Knowledge Hunger}, you have been rewarded with 15 wisdom points.]


    [Your wisdom has surpassed the 500 threshold, current wisdom: 504]


    [You are now eligible to advance to the third circle.]


    "So, the time hase huh," Hans murmured. "Finally, my third circle..."


    "After that maybe I could dispel the curse, then they''ll wake up, and then-"


    The high-speed train of ideas that rushed through his mind suddenly stopped and calmed his excitement.


    He didn''t want to raise his expectations for nothing, after all, even if he were to advance, there was nothing that could assure him that he would be able to identify the curse, much less dispel it.


    "First of all, I must honor my promise to that old cksmith," he resolved.


    "I forgot to visit him yesterday despite having agreed to it a week ago. He must''ve thought I had already absconded away with his sword."


    Last time, advancing to the second circle took him almost three days and he didn''t know how long it would take this time. It wasn''t his character to go back on what he promised, so even if it was alreadyte, he picked up the sword and headed to the smithy, unwilling to break his work.


    It was silent and dark, but that changed the moment Hans entered the old man''s workshop.


    Upon entering the shop, he was greeted by a loud, rhythmic nking of metal that resonated throughout the room while a peaceful warmth covered him and a shadow of a man hammering the steel was vaguely discernible on the wall.


    Hans silently walked further in and arrived at the forge, where the old man was working hard to create yet another de.


    Thinking that it was impolite to disturb him, Hans simply waited there in silence.


    He waited, waited, waited, and waited while the old man heated the steel, when he annealed it, he tempered it and finally sharpened it.


    When the bearded man was finally done, sweat covered his body and a smile shined bright on his face.


    Seeing him like this, Hans wondered what the weapon was and out of curiosity, inspected it.


    {Piercing gaze}


    {Name: None


    Grade: Top Rare


    Master: None


    Creator: ???


    Requirements: To be able to manipte aura, the aura of the user has to satisfy the weapon standards.


    Effect: ??


    Special skill: ??}


    "Wh-what the hell is that!???" Hans eximed in disbelief.


    "Whatchu mean? This is my- Aaaaaah!!! Why the hell are ya here?!!!!" startled, the old man held his chest, afraid of his heart failing due to shock.


    "What do you mean why am I here? I obviously came here for this," Hans replied, holding up the borrowed sword.


    "Oh, so ya didn''t run away!" the old man chuckled to tease him.


    "Like hell I would!!" Hans retorted before he extended his arm to give the sword back while the old man epted it.


    "By the way, what would a mage like ya need a sword fo''?" the old man asked with genuine confusion.


    Hans quickly retracted his arm, caught off guard by the inquiry, "How do you know tha-"


    Though he began, thinking that the man in front of him was a dangerous individual, Hans instinctively used {Piercing Gaze}


    But the answer he received left him stunned with his mouth wide open.


    This was because it was the very first time that he had received such a result.


    [Unable to identify.]


    [The level difference is too high.]


    His eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    ''Too high?? Even a presumed A-ss could be analyzed by my skill, but this old cksmith isbeled-TOO HIGH!''


    At that moment, Hans realized something: the man standing before him was one of the greatest awakened, an S-Rank.


    And there was only one cksmith that currently resided in America that met the criteria.


    The legendary: Hephaestus

 Chapter 17: T-3

    <h4>Chapter 17: T-3</h4>


    Hephaestus.


    This was a title earned by the cksmith who forged Elijah''s sword and other vital artifacts for numerous other powerful American awakened.


    Like his namesake in Greek mythology, Hephaestus wielded terrifying mes that were capable of incinerating his opponents.


    Despite his renown, his ss remained a mystery to all, though rumors im him to be epic.


    However, it was surprising to think that a figure like such was residing in a rundown smithy like this...


    Initially, Hans had overlooked it, but the smithy was central and even close to the association, despite being in terrible conditions.


    Hans couldn''t help but wonder what a great person like Hephaestus could aplish by secluding himself in this rabbit hole of a shop.


    Curiosity battled with self-preservation, nheless, his will to live won over his curiosity, thinking that if Hephaestus were to discover that he knew about his secret, there was a possibility that Hans could be killed or silenced.


    Who knew... powerful people always had strange thoughts.


    "What? Here, give it back, I just let you borrow it for a while," the old man said as he saw Hans retract his hand back and continued, "Well, if you can, you are wee to buy it, hehe, a little bit of money wouldn''t hurt this old man."


    "Ah, yes here," Hans handed over the sword.


    ''What would you even need money for, you shameless old man, everyone knows Hephaestus is rich, filthy rich. Every single one of his crafted items goes for tens if not hundreds of millions of dors, while his masterpieces can even surpass billions in the market.''


    Once again, Hans suppressed his thoughts and questions to avoid offending Hephaestus.


    "So? How was it? I guess ya''ve had the chance to use it," said the cksmith as he analyzed the slightly scratched edge of the de.


    "O-oh yes, it was really sharp and the bnce was just right," Hans replied, praising the sword''s craftsmanship.


    The old man blushed a bit and cleared his throat beforeughing out, "Well, I guess even a mage ain''t as stupid as to not understand the greatness of one of ma swords."


    "Now get the hell outta here kid, it''s almost 2 a.m., does it seem like a good time for ya to sneak in at someone else''s ce?!!"


    The old man raised his hammer high above his short body, as a result, Hans, who was already afraid of facing an S-Rank''s wrath, got the hell out of the shop as fast as he possibly could.


    "Tch, kids these days!" Commented the old man before returning inside once he had chased Hans out.


    Even if his words were harsh, the end of his lips curved up to form a warm smile.


    _____


    The next morning...


    Having rested the entire night and made enough preparations to embark on the challenge that awaited him, Hans was determined to finally create his third circle.


    He closed his eyes and reclined on the floor with nothing but a towel between him and the dusty moquette.


    For mages, circles were like essential permit esses for higher spells, yet their significance extended beyond that of mere spellcasting.


    As a circle was formed, the mage''s connection with the mana deepened, so the higher the circle a mage had the higher their affinity was.


    A mage attuned to high circles would almost be seamlessly integrated with the world''s mana, simplifying the absorption and maniption of the mana.


    Typically, a mage drew the mana from nature to cast spells, using his own mana to control those spells.


    Consequently, when a mage has depleted their mana reserves, they won''t be able to cast any spells.


    However, the higher your circle, the less mana would be needed to control the ambient mana.


    The rigorous trial one has to pass in order to create his third circle involves experiencing a moment of "blend", wherein one''s body is harmonized with the world''s mana.


    Hans then began gathering mana from all his body, condensing it in a small sphere akin to a ping-pong ball.


    Once he had formed it, he carefully started spinning it around his heart as he had done in his previous attempts, ensuring to not let it out of control and potentially harm himself.


    As the circle created by the spinning mana slowly took its shape, and when he felt like it was stable enough, Hans left it on its own.


    The moment the circle was created, a terrifying feeling gripped Hans''s consciousness.


    His senses blurred, his head spun, and any kind of sound became indistinct to him while anything he saw became blurry and distorted.


    The breakfast that was still in his stomach refused to remain quiet and rose, spilling out from his mouth.


    Finally, he copsed to the ground, not moving even a single muscle.


    _____


    The day after.


    ''Mhhhh, what am I doing here?''


    Hans groaned as consciousness returned and he was greeted by a familiar sight of his ceiling once again.


    "I was forming the third circle, that''s right, I have to create it, and then I''ll bring them all back."


    It took another 18 hours of sleep and a couple more hours of rest for Hans'' body to recover from his first "blend" experience.


    Between the fleeting moments of closing his eyelids, Hans barely managed to see the window before his eyes.


    [Congrattions...


    ....on advancing.....]


    Then his eyes closed once again, remaining shut for the next four days.


    By the time he opened them once again, Hans'' vision was flooded with numerous messages.


    [Congrattions on advancing from a tier 2 mage to a tier 3 mage.]


    [You have gained 50 wisdom points and your affinity and control over mana have been increased.]


    [Due to the effect of being a true mage, you have gained an additional 50 wisdom points, significantly increasing your affinity and control over mana.]


    [You have experienced the state of "blend" for the first time, your wisdom has increased by 20.]


    [You have undergone a total "blend," due to your path as a true mage, most of the impurities in your body have been eliminated.]


    Raising his torso, he observed his abs.


    Not only were his muscles slightly more defined, but a sticky ck substance coated his entire body and the odor in the room was unbearable, akin to that of a public toilet.


    Other than that, his cheeks were dry; although advancing in ranks allowed the awakened to resist days or even weeks without eating and drinking, after six days of uninterrupted sleep, his body really didn''t have any fuel left.


    Partly out of curiosity and partly because he didn''t want to get up, Hans called out: "Status"


    [Current Status]


    [Name: Hans


    Age: 18


    ss: Knowledge Seeker (UNKNOWN)


    Title: None


    Level: 39


    Strength: 62


    Dexterity: 62


    Endurance: 62


    Wisdom: 624


    ss Skills:


    {Knowledge Hunger}


    {Almighty Knowledge}


    {Piercing Gaze}


    Normal Skills:


    {Fireball}(Tier-0)


    {Greater Fireball}(Tier-2) (NEW!)


    {Fire Veil}(Tier-1)


    {Strong Mind}


    {Stealth}(Tier-3)


    {Mana Barrier}(Tier-3)


    {Combine}(Tier-1)


    {Mana route}(Tier-1)


    {Sword Mastery}(G-Rank)


    {Earth Projectile}(Tier-0)


    {Breeze}(Tier-0)


    {Blizzard}(Tier-3) (NEW!)


    {Ice Spear}(Tier-1)(NEW!)


    {Lume}(Tier-0)(NEW!)


    {Shock}(Tier-0)(NEW!)


    Evaluation: Potential: ???


    Currently, a Tier-3 mage with enough mana to rival a Tier-4; control and affinity with mana also surpass a Tier-4 mage.


    A D-rank swordsman with exceptional bnce in his stats; butcks experience, making him slightly weaker than a normal D-rank.}


    In the days before advancing to the third circle, Hans cleared gates daily, acquiring two skills:


    {Skill Name: Lume (Tier-0)


    Description: Basic magic spell belonging to the Light''s path.


    Effect: Creates a feeble light, barely enough to help the user see a couple of steps ahead.}


    {Skill Name: Shock (Tier-0)


    Description: Basic spell belonging to the Electricity''s path.


    Effect: Creates a small burst of electricity from the user''s fingertips, the user might be able to leave a small wound if the opponent''s skin is soft.}


    With no more excuses, Hans managed to summon his remaining strength and get up, he quickly took a shower to alleviate the stench before hurrying out to buy some food.


    He stopped at a Pizza Hut, purchased enough pizza for a family, and devoured it alone, unconcerned about the money at all.


    Current bnce: [Above 300K$]


    Upgrading to raid E-Rank gates gave him a significant boost in ie.


    So much so that if he were to continue at this current pace, he could possibly be a millionaire within a month.


    However, Hans found little interest in that and was just happily enjoying his cheesy pizza.


    Not all the hunters could match his earnings. He raided the gates alone and did so once every day, not to talk about his tax reduction.


    Most hunters worked in teams and would have to wait at least a week before they returned to peak condition and attempt raiding another gate, and since they did it in teams of four or more they had to split their earnings as well.


    His current pay already rivaled that of a B-Rank hunter.


    After satisfying his hunger, Hans walked home peacefully, intending to visit his family in the afternoon.


    Before that, however, he ran into a problem: the room reeked, and very badly at that.


    He opened all the windows, letting the cold air take over his apartment, and in the meantime went to buy some perfumes to fix the situation.


    After he had finally finished all the cleaning, he headed to the bus station.


    Destination: the hospital.

 Chapter 18: Target

    <h4>Chapter 18: Target</h4>


    While he was on the bus, an overwhelming sense of anxiety gripped Hans''s mind and his foot tapped restlessly on the floor as the hospital drew closer.


    It wouldn''t take long for him to arrive at the hospital, and the oue of today''s visit would either create a path of hope for him to walk on, or condemn him to a lonely life once again.


    Before he could think about anything else, Hans arrived at his destination.


    He grabbed the door handle which today felt somewhat heavier than ever, and walked into the room before taking a seat beside his parents.


    "This is it. Maybe I can finally do it, bringing you back," Hans murmured as he looked at both his parents with pity.


    {Piercing Gaze}


    Hans didn''t even bother looking at the other annoying information and just skipped them all, arriving at the part he was awaiting the most.


    [Currently under the effect of a powerful curse.


    (Curse Name: Perpetual Slumber; normal people affected by this curse will be sucked dry of their stats, and a small amount of it will be given to the caster.


    Caster: ????


    Dispel Method: Death of the caster.)]


    ''Haaa, it''s-its possible. Finally, I know there is a way to do it,'' he breathed in relief.


    ''And it seems like the way to remove this curse is something I''ve been honing to be quite adept at since thest few weeks.''


    ''Death of the caster huh? If it''s the caster... then it must be that bastard.''


    The SS-Rank monster that wreaked havoc on Manhattan, one of the only monsters that hasn''t been subjugated, the titanic giant: The Abyssal Snake.


    After the attack on Manhattan, no one even dared to try or propose a raid for the Asbyssal snake, and the routes passing from the Antic ceased because of unforeseen attacks from monsters.


    It was a worldwide disaster that contributed to the impoverishment of the big states like the US, Spain, France, and the UK.


    They were still able to remain at the top of the economic pyramid, only because both Russia and China had to face their own difficulties.


    Now knowing who his opponent was, Hans knew that he had to get stronger, much stronger.


    Even theplete American defensive force had barely managed to repel the monster back into the sea after suffering immense damage.


    He knew that he couldn''t do it alone and needed people who would apany him, not some guild, but some really trustworthy people who would be willing to apany him to the very depths of hell.


    Before he could even contemte further on today''s work, a message shed on his phone:


    [+xx xxx xxxx xxx


    Come to the association as soon as possible, I have three surprises for you.]


    "Association? Oh, it must be that woman," Hans mused as he recalled the well-dresseddy who had greeted himst time.


    "Her name was... Emily, I think."


    He made his way to the association, without knowing what to expect from these three SURPRISES.


    Upon arrival, he met a familiar face on the earth floor: a skinny guy who didn''t look older than fourteen, the "candidate to a unique ss".


    Hans immediately waved at him, "Hello there kid!"


    "DO NOT call me kid!!! I am just four years younger than you, it''s you who is old, so you''ll also be the first to die"


    The young fellow replied, trying to annoy Hans who in response simply chuckled.


    More than a week had already passed since they first met, and in the days Hans passed clearing the gates and studying, he still managed to carve out some of his time to keep in touch with this young fellow.


    They grew quite close in a short time and since Hans was the only person who talked with Aiden, it seemed that for some strange reason, the workers didn''t want to have anything to do with him.


    Well, not like Hans cared.


    He brought Aiden ice cream one day and the day after a new video game, and now they were on friendly terms with each other, ''Kids truly are simple creatures,'' Hans couldn''t help but thinkparing how they had met before and now.


    "OK KID, I have got to run, I''ll see you around, bye-bye!"


    Before the other could say anything, Hans slipped into the elevator and pressed the icon with the number 13.


    After he arrived at the secondst floor, the elevator doors opened and a secretary apanied him to Emily''s office.


    When he grabbed the handle and pushed the door wide open, standing in front of him was a woman he almost couldn''t recognize.


    Her desk was made out of polished wood with ayer of leather on the top, and behind her was a wall window that overlooked the entire city of Chicago.


    The desk held a variety of items, but the most prominent were the fountain pens that were neatly arranged in a wooden pen holder, a monitor along with a mouse, and a keyboard that was positioned closest to her.


    Though during their previous encounter, she came across as friendly, this time she was authoritative and solemn.


    Emily spoke, gesturing to a chair, "Here, have a seat."


    Hans did as invited, taking a seat right in front of her.


    "I''ll begin with the best news. The artifact is finallypleted and here it is."


    Saying that she handed over a ck box that was roughly the size of a Rubik''s cube and continued.


    "It took our best artisans over ten hours of work to finish it so you better be grateful. Unfortunately, the other eye got destroyed during the process, but it served as a valuable learning experience to craft this, so it wasn''t in vain. Now, let''s start with the pressing matters."


    Hans stowed the box in his pocket and prepared to listen intently.


    "We have a problem, and I need you to resolve it. A D-Rank gate has emerged and all of our current awakened members are caught up with a mission hence they can''t clear it, the mission is also regarding the third news which I''ll tell you aboutter.


    So, that leaves me with no one but you, and since the gates will rupture in a couple of days, we''ll have no choice but to hand it over to one of the three major guilds if you don''t agree."


    ''The three major guilds huh, from what I learned online, they are the strongest guilds residing in Chicago, and each one of their guild masters has the power of an A-Rank.''


    The Asura guild.


    The Vortex guild.


    The ze Guild.


    ''The three guilds took their names based on their guild masters'' fighting styles, and the association''s job is to maintain an equilibrium between them to avoid conflict or alliance among any two of them.''


    ''Leaving a gate to one of them, even if it''s only for a while, would mean causing disparity and discussion between the others.''


    ''The association doesn''t want to risk the safety of the city by igniting one of the three bombs sleeping in it. So they now only have the option of letting an outsider take care of it.''


    "I''ll do it," said Hans without hesitation, after all, he now had a clear objective in mind, and he knew that it wasn''t an easy one.


    He needed to grow by using the fastest way he possibly could.


    Emily nodded in approval before moving on, "The third matter concerns with the upation of all the awakened associations, be it mid/high ranks. We have discovered a C-Rank gate, and it is our responsibility to raid it."


    "We are only hiring people that are D-Rank and above, but considering your skills, I know you should be able to participate. What do you think of it? Of course, we''ll alsopensate you ordingly for your contributions"


    ''A C-rank gate! If what she says is true then it''s definitely not something I can clear alone.


    In C-Rank gates, the monsters'' levels can range between 100 and 150, which means that even the weakest among them should be as strong as that giant bastard,'' he thought while recalling the white python.


    "Who else is going to participate?" Hans inquired knowing that even if he wanted to, he definitely couldn''t do it alone.


    After all, maybe he could take down a monster, or a few of them, but the boss had to be killed by someone else as it couldn''t be trifled with with his current strength.


    Thedy replied, "Currently, we have more than seventy-five people who have agreed to participate, and leading them is the A-Rank tank, Brick Garrison."


    Hearing the name, Hans was immediately convinced and agreed, "I''ll take part in the mission."


    This was the name of the association branch leader, the mighty hero who was renowned for his imprable defense and the owner of the rare ss: Pdin.


    People called him, The Divine Shield.


    "Excellent, I suggest you clear the D-Rank gate as soon as possible since the C-Rank raid is scheduled to take ce a week from now and is located on the outskirts of the city, I''ll send you the details in a few days."


    "Understood," Hans acknowledged as he left the room and the building before heading straight for the D-Rank gate.


    He was eager to grow, and more than that, he was eager to try out his new toy:


    {Name: Blood Eye Ring


    Grade: Rare Rank (low)


    Description: A golden ring with a python blood eye set in it.


    The blood eye has been forged multiple times and condensed to the extreme, maximizing its effects.


    The forge me that triumphed over the cold Python blood now resides within it.


    Effect: Grants the wearer +10 wisdom points.


    Grants the passive skill: {Hot blooded: The wearer''s body temperature will rise by 1¡ã and all their me spells will be boosted by 10%.}


    Grants the active skill: {Blood Eyes (Tier-3)(ACTIVE): Every enemy crossing gaze with this skill user will be cursed with the effect {Bleeding}}


    {Bleeding: The cursed person won''t be able to stop the bleeding of a wound while any existing wounds will bleed more.


    The length and the effect of the curse are based on the wisdom of the caster and that of the opponent.}

 Chapter 19: Polar gate

    <h4>Chapter 19: Pr gate</h4>


    Hans reached the entrance of the gate and was taken aback by its size; he didn''t doubt that it could easily fit at least a truck which was quite different to an E-Rank gate''s entrance which could only fit a few people at once.


    From what he had been told, among the four exploration teams sent inside, none had returned.


    Undaunted, Hans ventured forth. However, contrary to his expectations, what awaited him on the other side of the gate was far from ordinary.


    He couldn''t discern anything and only felt that it was difficult to move, which made him wonder, ''Am I... underwater?''


    Forming a cup with his hands and bringing it before his mouth, Hans released a bit of oxygen to determine which way was up. He then swam as swiftly as possible until his hand hit something.


    It was solid, but also very cold, only then did he realize that it was ice.


    Almost out of breath, Hans summoned his remaining energy to cast a spell.


    In his haste, he opted for {Fireball} and cast it right inside the ice to avoid the spell''s effect being stopped by the surrounding water.


    It didn''t take long for the ice to melt, finally allowing Hans to regain his almost-lost breath.


    "Cough! Cough... haaa"


    Exhausted, Hansy on the ice and tried to expel all the water he had identally inhaled while trying to breathe.


    Only when he stood up to his feet did Hans finally get the chance to survey his surroundings.


    After taking a look, he realized that he was in the middle of a frozenke that stretched out for a few hundred meters in all directions with distant white mountain peaks and plenty of pine trees covered with snow that could even be seen afar.


    The biting cold wind blew and prated Hans''s wet clothes, causing him to shiver as countless snowkes descended on him from the obscured sky.


    His breath formed a trail of steam that was big enough to rival that of a chimney''s plume.


    "First things first, let''s get out of this ice, standing on this isn''t a good idea, nor is it safe," Hans then started to walk.


    Nheless, with his clothes soaked wet and the temperature around being way below freezing, his endurance stat couldn''t keep him safe from the cold and his fingers started freezing, allowing frostbite to set in.


    After he arrived at the pines, Hans took off his clothes and released his skill, {Fire Veil}.


    Though the efficiency was barely sufficient to stave the chill and warm him, the mana consumption was insane, he took the chance to warm himself up and dry his clothes using a hot breeze.


    Only after he put his clothes back on did Hans finally start to feel a bit warmer and couldn''t help but consider himself lucky to have entered this gate during fall with his jacket and jumper on, or else, had he gone in there with nothing but a t-shirt and pants, he would''ve been frozen to death by now.


    The sensation of stuffing himself under threeyers of clothing was truly the bestfort for Hans at the moment.


    Just as he savored this peaceful moment of respite, a loud rustling sound erupted to his left. The trees in the distance started falling and the earth beneath Hans'' feet started trembling.


    What seemed to be an avnche was closing on Hans, obliteration to the ground everything that came in its path.


    Hans darted out of harm''s way and crouched close to the ground to observe the passing snowstorm, but when he observed it up close, he noticed that there was something inside it.


    When the avnche subsided, a massive beast that looked like the fusion between an owl and a bear, with snow-white fur remained on the floor, watching around to find the prey it seemed to have lost.


    Hans, who hid behind a tree, thought incredulously, ''Are you for real?''


    [Race: Owl Behemoth


    Name: None


    Level: 92


    Strength: 117


    Dexterity: 59


    Endurance: 99


    Wisdom: 23


    Skills:{Trained Hearing (E-Rank) (PASSIVE)


    Description: A trained ear of a hunter.


    Effect: Enables the user to hear even the slightest movements in their surroundings.}


    {Sting Release (D-Rank) (Race Skill)


    Description: When an owl behemoth gets scared, they''ll release spines like a porcupine, but from their abdomen.


    Effect: The enemies hit by these spikes will be less resistant to the cold, and if not heated, they will freeze to death over time.}


    Description: A silly predator who likes to hunt smaller animals. It gets scared easily if its prey shows signs of superiority.


    Evaluation: Peak Rank-D when it feels strong, low-rank D when scared.}


    "That would be considered a boss monster for an E-Rank gate, but here it''s just a normal monster," Hans couldn''t help but remark.


    "I have to look intimidating? But how am I supposed to do that when he''s five times taller than me?" Hans muttered in confusion while scratching his head.


    "Okay, let''s give this a shot!"


    With that, Hans covered the entire area in zing mes while the behemoth remained seated on the fresh snow, watching the mes with interest after being intrigued by the spectacle.


    ''Still not enough huh?'' Hans pushed himself further, igniting all the trees around them even though they were wet and snow was falling upon them.


    The giant owl now seemed to be feeling a bit intimidated, but... ''Fuck, it''s still not enough?!''


    Giving it his all, Hans melted the snow on the ground, burned the green on the trees, and even melted the falling snowkes, creating a barrenndscape around them.


    The owl, who had never seen a scenery without white snow was scared out of its wits and released its spines, shooting them in all directions.


    Even though Hans was struck by one, he rushed towards the monster that was attempting to escape.


    With his hand slightly burned and his body fuming, Hans screamed, "DON''T YOU DARE!!"


    The owl-like creature froze on the spot, unable to move a muscle after being terrified by the other''s aura.


    Hans closed in and touched the behemoth''s stomach and cast {Greater Fireball}, causing the monster''s mouth to erupt a bright light before the creature disintegrated into a thousand pieces.


    Hans, now boiling and dirtied from the creature''s blood, decided to immerse his body in an almost frozen pond he found in the surroundings.


    When he finally got out, Hans felt refreshed while the cold water had washed away all the bloody stains on his clothes umted from the previous battle, making them lookpletely new.


    But since they were wet now, Hans heated himself and the clothes once again before resuming his exploration.


    Almost two hours had passed since he entered the gate, and that was when he encountered a gruesome sight; ughtered bodies of many owls''y on the ground, and the creatures seemed to have been brutally killed since the innards of the monsters were sttered everywhere, truly not a pleasant scene to witness.


    Hans could confirm that it was definitely a work of some beast. With that, he decided to follow the blood stains, and after a while, when the sound of a shing came into his field of hearing, he activated the spell {Stealth} before hiding himself on top of a tree.


    In the distance, numerous behemoths had formed a circle, making it look like they were performing a ritual of some sort, but they were actually hunting.


    In the center of the circle, proudly stood the presumed killer of all the owls Hans had found before; a scary white bear, with sharp ws and fangs.


    The bear-like creature''s entire body was covered in spikes, while half of it being adorned in an almost broken earth armor.


    After a few minutes, the bear looked like it was one step away from its death. However, Hans, who had seen its status window, knew that it wouldn''t fall so easily and made preparations to take action.


    [Elite Monster


    Race: Mountain Bear


    Name: None


    Level: 95


    Strength: 142


    Speed: 113(-25)


    Endurance: 197


    Wisdom: 1


    Skills:


    {Stone Skin (Tier-3)


    Description: Envelopes the user''s entire body or the selected part of their body in hard stone, making it imprable for arrows and des.


    Effect: Dexterity -10, Endurance +30,


    Defense against sharp objects +100%.}


    {Berserk (C-Rank)


    Effect: Reduces the user''s wisdom to 1, but in exchange, raises all of their other stats by 50%.


    After the skill is used, all of the user''s stats will be reduced by 30%.}


    Sub-skills:


    {Death Cry (D-Rank)


    Effect: If in a critical situation, the moment berserk finishes, the user will emit an atrocious cry that will inflict an abnormal condition (Fear) on all of its enemies in the surroundings.}}


    Description: A wild bear who has won countless battles and evolved over time, its {Stone Skin} is currently weakened due to its low wisdom, a result of the skill {Berserk}.


    Current Evaluation: A low Rank-C beast due to the injuries it has sustained and the freezing effect caused by the spikes in its body.}


    A true monster among monsters.


    The moment the bear''s {Berserker} would finish, the {Death Cry} would apply the status {Fear} to the behemoth''s, turning them weaker.


    By then, the bear''s intelligence would''ve returned to normal, making it more sensitive towards sneak attacks.


    This meant that there was only one chance for Hans to kill it, and it was now.


    Hans rushed forward while maintaining his skill {Stealth}, closing onto the elite monster, and just when he was a couple of feet away from it, he started chanting the spell {Greater Fireball}.


    The monster, caught up in its fury, couldn''t manage to notice Hans, and by the time Hans'' hand touched its fur, the spell was already done.


    A violent heat surged into the bear''s body, causing it to suffer more than it ever had in its entire lifetime.


    Before dying, however, it decided to put up ast struggle, and dedicated all of its remaining energy to let out a deafening cry.


    <strong>{DEATH CRY}</strong>


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sub-skills:


    Sub-skills are specialized branches of a skill.


    For instance, within a martial art skill, the initial form could be considered its primary aspect. Whereas sub-skills are within a wide variety of skill sets, like {me Control}, which might include techniques like {me Spear} or {me Fist} which fall under the category of me arts.

 Chapter 20: Ice king

    <h4>Chapter 20: Ice king</h4>


    <i><strong>{DEATH CRY}</strong></i>


    <i><strong>"Ooooooouuu!"</strong></i>


    Face-to-face with death, the bear unleashed a horrifying scream, assaulting the eardrums of all the creatures in its vicinity while the overwhelming pressure emanating from that otherworldly cry scared the owls to death.


    Instinctively, they shot a barrage of spikes that erupted in all directions.


    The sheer number of spikes, shot by over thirty behemoths, was enough to rival the flurry of snowkes that descended from the winter sky.


    Hans, too, wasn''t safe and found himself under attack.


    Despite erecting a {Barrier}, dozens of spikes pierced his body, freezing him in ce. Now confronted by an army of monsters, Hans attempted to flee, but it proved to be his gravest mistake.


    Even though scared, the owls perceived Hans as a smaller prey that was trying to run away, triggering their predatory instincts once again, and making them start pursuing Hans relentlessly.


    As he desperately ran, his speed lessened over time due to the icy chill that was creeping through his body while the behemoths thundered right behind him, tearing down the trees like a natural disaster.


    Just when Hans started doubting his chances of survival, the monsters abruptly stopped, letting him slip away.


    Now that he was back at the iceke, Hans simply wanted to return outside and nned to try his luck the next day.


    While Hans was searching for the hole he had created to get out of the ice where he first arrived after entering the gate, a tremor rattled the entire frozen surface beneath his feet.


    Soon, cracks started to spread not far from where he stood.


    Wary of falling into the unknown waters below with this current condition, Hans sprinted as fast as his condition allowed.


    From the cracked section, a massive chunk of ice emerged, slowly ascending into the sky, then, he saw a w grip onto theyer of ice that left theke, the w was of a monster that wasing out of the freezing water.


    It was a majestic and colossal...ice dragon


    With its maw opened, the dragon emitted a casual roar akin to the bear''s death cry.


    [You have been affected with the skill: {Dragon''s Might}]


    [You are now under a status effect: (Slight Fear)]


    [All of your stats have been reduced by 10%.]


    Hans was terrified.


    If it hadn''t been for his high wisdom, he probably would''ve passed out then and there.


    {BOSS MONSTER


    Race: Ice Draconian


    Name: None


    Level: 99


    Strength: 223


    Dexterity:190


    Endurance: 182


    Wisdom: 440


    Race Skills:


    {Dragon''s Might (Tier-4)


    Description: Even if of partial blood, a dragon is still considered the king of monsters. Just a roar from it is enough to scare off all the enemies as long as their wisdom is on par or lower than the dragon''s.


    Effect: Induces fear in enemies based on their wisdom.}


    {World''s Affinity (Ex-tier)(PASSIVE)


    Due to the dragon blood running through his veins, it is blessed by mana and can cast spells up to two tiers higher than its own.


    Has a high affinity with all elements}


    {Ice King (Tier-4) (PASSIVE)


    Description: A skill acquired by reigning over and living in the ice regions for all its life.


    This has helped it to increase its mastery and affinity with the ice element, giving it ess to many active ice spells.}


    Description: A young draconian with minimum dragon lineage, cannot be underestimated.


    Feeds on ice mana residing in the frozenke, currently a Tier-3 mage.


    Evaluation: High-Rank C.}


    "F*ck," Hans, who was once scared of the owls couldn''t help but think that they were nothing but insignificant antspared to this dragon.


    In the face of a power that he couldn''t beat, the notion of just giving up crossed his mind.


    ''Is this, how I die?''


    Without any further action, perhaps because of itsziness or because of the other side''s inability to cause it any harm, the dragon silently returned to the depths of theke, leaving Hans petrified on the almost broken ice.


    A day passed...


    During this time, Hans regained most of his powers while he strived to level up and remain alive.


    By now, he had thrown away his tattered clothes and had reced them with the fur of the monstrous bear, wrapping two straps around his arms, two around his legs, one like a hoodie while the biggest served as a cloak.


    The previous day, After the encounter with the dragon, Hans slowly returned to the site where the bear hunt had taken ce, took out the freezing spines from his body, and started healing the frost with his fire spell.


    Upon discovering the bear''s carcass, Hans scavenged it using its own ws and made some clothing out of its hide.


    After recuperating, the hunt resumed. He relentlessly went around hunting behemoths nonstop, roasting their meat over his mes to feed himself.


    [Current level: 52


    Wisdom: 739(+10]


    As the monster began to lessen, Hans realized that he no longer had the chance to grow, this was because if he wanted to get out of the gate, he would need the power to beat that monstrous draconian that guarded the gate''s entrance.


    He still felt that he wasn''t ready.


    Therefore, Hans decided to seclude himself inside a cave to avoid being interrupted by anything during the attempts he was about to make.


    Soon, Hansy on the floor and began to cast various spells, repeatedly practicing them {Fireball} {Fireball} {Fireball...


    Several fireballs materialized, but instead of shooting them, Hans made them hover in the air, wanting to see how many he could conjure at once while simultaneously maintaining them.


    "8...9"


    "Come on.... Another one...T...en"


    "Pant... pant.."


    [Congrattions on oveing the master level in the basic spell {Fireball}]


    [The (Tier-0) spell {Fireball} has evolved into the (Tier-1) spell {me burst}]


    "So it works if I practice like this huh?"


    Hans smirked, "Just wait for me you oversized lizard."


    Despite trying to upgrade all of his current techniques, unfortunately, other than the {Fireball} only the {Fire Veil} managed to evolve into a (Tier 2) skill: {Fire Arena}.


    Back to the present...


    "It''s still not enough, if I want to beat that draconian, I need an ultimate move, one that will finish the battle. But how to do it?"


    "Maybe I could try upgrading the {Breeze} spell and then fuse it with the new {me burst}."


    "But that would take too long, and I''m not even sure if it might work..."


    After a moment of contemtion, an idea popped into his mind as he eximed, "Then, ohhh, I could do that."


    The following morning.


    Hans stood proudly near the frozenke, eager to test his newly created spell.


    He was really happy just thinking about the spell he managed to create overnight, which would allow him to do more than just possibly win the fight.


    Forming a {me burst} in his hand, Hans prepared tounch it into theke nning to provoke the draconian. However, before he could act and release the me from his hand, a deafening roar resounded throughout the mountains while the mouth of the ice draconian emerged from theke.


    At a rapid speed, the mouth rose to the sky, showing the monster''s body first followed by its wings, and finally its tail.


    There, in the air just before Hans, hovered a colossal ice dragon, emanating terror.


    Hans, who was already mentally prepared for this, barely managed to brush off the fear curse and prepared himself for the fight, while the dragon, which didn''t seem as calm as it had a couple of days ago, attacked the intruder that had barged into its territory.


    _____


    Meanwhile, in the association''s office, on the thirteenth floor of the building, a young secretary bashed in, leaving the door wide open and interrupted the woman who was seated at her desk and reading.


    "Sorry for the interruption madam but I have an urgent report!"


    The woman looked at the secretary before nodding, "Go ahead."


    "Madam, Hans Richter, the young man you sent to clear the D-rank gate"


    "Yes, what about him?" the woman asked.


    "He...he died in the gate."


    "..."


    _____


    Standing before the entrance of therge gate, Emily stared inside, however, her thoughts were elsewhere.


    ''I-I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have sent you in there, I knew damn well that the gate''s difficulty was high, but I thought you were just concealing your true strength.


    Since you cleared so many gates in that little time, I started thinking that you were a high-ranking awakened at the top of C-Rank, or maybe even a B-Rank.''


    She bowed, offering herst respects and then thought to herself, ''I am really sorry, I didn''t intend to.


    But don''t worry Hans Richter, I''ll take care of your family for you, and when they wake up, I''ll ensure that they learn that you lived a life without regrets and died heroically for our country.''


    While she was sending herst regards to the presumed dead, the gate sparkled, and a human-like figure walked out.


    It was none other than Hans.


    His abdomen was badly injured and some of his bones were also broken, nheless, he was still alive.


    He only wore a fur skirt and a cape on his body while on his back was a white ball also made of fur.


    When he ced it down, Hans saw the associationdy being regretful and was still bowing with her eyes closed.


    Deciding to annoy her a bit for all the trouble she had put him through by rmending him to this gate, he snickered, "Ah you association bastards, you must really want me dead!"


    Emily quickly raised her eyes after hearing the familiar voice, which opened as wide as saucers to confirm if what she was seeing was indeed real.


    "Oh, maybe you like irregrs," Hans continued.


    "Irregrs?" repeated Emily, confused by what the young man meant.


    "Yeah irregr: there was a freaking dragon in there," Hans mentioned, causing Emily to stare at him with a nk look.


    Meanwhile, the gate closed behind Hans'' back.

 Chapter 21: Desperate measures

    <h4>Chapter 21: Desperate measures</h4>


    "There was a freaking dragon in there," Hans eximed as he looked at Emily''s nk face.


    But after thinking for a moment, he corrected himself, "Well, it was draconian to be exact."


    Meanwhile, Emily''s eyes were still wide open with shock from witnessing a dead person return and stand right before her.


    Realizing that she didn''t seem to have any idea, Hans walked closer to her before he brought his face close to hers and whispered, "Don''t sell those, I need them," saying that, he fainted, leaving a slightly flushed Emily behind.


    When he regained consciousness, Hans found himself lying on an ufortable bed while he was again staring up at the nd ceiling.


    "The hospital huh? I guess I fainted," he mused.


    _____


    A while ago...


    The dragon attacked the intruder in its territory, greeting him with a freezing onught.


    A massive block of ice formed in the air and plummeted toward Hans''s head, who didn''t opt to waste any mana on parrying it and simply avoided the iing spell.


    A barrage of attacks followed¨C ice spears, frozen gusts, ice bombs, and blizzards, transforming the once beautiful, picturesque snow-coated forest into a frozen battlefield covered with ice spikes and carved out by the strong blizzards.


    Almost fifteen minutes since the battle started, but Hans still kept on dodging and was now drenched in sweat and exhausted, nheless, he held onto the hope that the dragon''s mana reserves would eventually deplete.


    With that, five more minutes passed, followed by ten, fifteen, thirty...


    Though the fight had been going on for over an hour, the monster still didn''t show any signs of slowing down, on the other hand, Hans''s body was at its limits and the young man couldn''t evade or defend against the dragon''s uing blows anymore.


    ''Why?! Why hasn''t its mana run out?!''


    "Pant... pant..." Hans gasped for breath.


    "He should''ve been drained of it by now."


    "Even if it possesses the skill {World''s Affinity}, casting higher ranked spells should cost a huge chunk of mana, so just why? Why isn''t that dragon out of its mana yet?"


    All of a sudden, a realization hit Hans and he checked the creature''s status one more time, using his {Piercing Gaze}.


    And what Hans saw next made him want to cough blood as he cursed, "Sh*t!"


    Although not many things had changed in the creature''s status, there was a notable difference in a few aspects of its stats, and it was in the evaluations.


    [Tier-3 Mage] ¡ª¡ª>[Tier-4 Mage]


    [Wisdom: 440]¡ª¡ª> [Wisdom: 540]


    [High Tier-C]¡ª¡ª>[Peak Tier-C]


    The reason why the dragon hadn''t attacked the intruder in its territory back then wasn''t because it felt pity or friendliness, rather, it was because the creature was on the verge of breaking through its fourth circle.


    ''What now?!''


    Hans''s previous ns crumbled to dust, he originally intended to exhaust the beast''s mana so that it would remove the ice armor that defended it, but his ns couldn''t work anymore.


    "If it hase down to this!!!" Hans grumbled knowing that he had to do the only thing he wanted to avoid at all cost: a direct confrontation.


    The dragon was already done ying around and also decided to get serious before finally casting the First (Tier-4) spell, something that Hans had never seen before.


    The next moment, thousands and thousands of spikes manifested in the air, slowly congregating into a single ball, while on the other side, Hans released his: {Fire Arena} and started casting his newly acquired spell.


    Hans first formed a {Fire burst} and then morphed it into the shape of a spear, simultaneously, he also started rotating the mes with the wind, ensuring that the spell would deliver more damage to the target.


    A couple of secondster, both the spells were ready to be fired and Hans started rushing towards the gate''s boss with the fire spear in his hand.


    Just when the dragon''s spells formedpletely, Hans jumped.


    Meanwhile, an incredible amount of mana lingered in the air, enough to force a normal awakened vomit their soul out.


    The spells came closer and closer, almost colliding with each other, right at thest moment, Hans used the spell {Breeze} to shift his body out of the way, avoiding sustaining any critical injuries, still, a part of the dragon''s spell hit his torso, fracturing a few of his ribs.


    Fortunately still alive, Hans managed tond on the dragon''s nose and grappled on it with one of his hands, while the other hand raised the high me spell, {me Javelin}.


    "And with this.....you''re dead!!!"


    "Spluuut!"


    The spear of fire went right through the dragon''s eye, piercing into its brain.


    A mournful roar erupted from the dragon''s mouth as it felt the insane pain it had been tormented with due to Hans''s spell.


    Although its roar had a dragon''s might imbued in it, Hans wasn''t the prey, this time he had taken the role of the hunter, and thest scream of his prey brought him nothing but relief.


    [You have killed this dungeon''s boss!]


    [You have gained an incredible amount of experience.]


    [You have obtained the (Tier-4) spell tome: {Ice Armor}.]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have..


    [You are now at level 73!]


    "Haha... haha.."


    Even though Hans was severely injured, he managed to salvage some of the dragon scales, ws, heart, and core before crawling out of the gate, barely clinging to his own life.


    Outside, a woman stood bowing towards the gate, whom he recognized as the one who had sent him into that hellish ce.


    With his vision already blurry, before fainting, he pleaded with her not to sell the materials he had barely managed to bring out.


    And now, here he was, staring at the ceiling, unable to move a muscle.


    In front of his nose, the only thing that weed him every time after a disgrace: was the status window.


    [You have closed the gate, Icy Mountains, due to its extreme difficulty; the rewards you receive will increase.]


    [You have been rewarded with the passive D-Rank skill, {Body Restoration}.]


    {Medium Body Restoration (D-Rank)(PASSIVE): Your body will recover 20% faster when outside a fight.}


    [Your passive skill: {Mana Route}(Tier-1) has evolved into the skill. {Low Mana Restoration (Tier-2) due to your high affinity with mana and repetitive use of skill.]


    ''Hah, I got so hurt that even my regeneration skills took pity on me,'' thought Hans.


    Several hours passed and he could just barely move his fingers and the loud noise from outside prevented him from falling asleep, which further irritated him.


    It wasn''t until about four hours after waking up that he heard the door handle being pushed down as it opened.


    The nurse entered, and following right behind her was the woman who had brought him to the emergency room: Emily.


    This time, she seemed more like a friend rather than a business partner.


    She had brought some fruits to aid his recovery and apologized for the inconvenience.


    "Don''t worry about the C-Rank gate raid; it will take ce the day after tomorrow, so you probably won''t even be able to move around like usual with that broken body of yours," said Emily before continuing, "We''ll process the materials you brought out free of charge, so don''t worry about those"


    However, Hans interrupted her, "Thank you for your concern but I''ll have to turn down both of your favors."


    She immediately looked crestfallen, thinking that Hans had refused because he was still mad at her for where she had sent him, meaning he wouldn''t want to have a rtionship with the association anymore.


    But Hans specified, "If you want to do something for me, appoint me as one of the team leaders in the gate raid. Can you do that for me?"


    Emily was about to say something but stopped before agreeing, "OK."


    With Emily gone, Hans now had some time to rest. Hey on the bed and didn''t get up until the next morning when he could finally walk.


    "Heeeup," he stretched his arms above his head.


    When he was discharged and prepared to pay, the receptionist informed him that he was free to go since the association had already paid the bills which made Hans think with irony, "I guess I won''t ever get to pay my hospital bills"


    Unfortunately, this wasn''t the Cityview Hospital where his family rested; otherwise, he would''ve stopped by to stay with them for a while.


    However, he didn''t have time that much time; Hans had two things he wanted to aplish by the end of the day


    The first was to learn the new spell {Ice Armor}.


    And second, he wanted to absorb the draconian''s heart.


    After he returned home, a huge package with his name on it was delivered to his doorway. Upon carrying it to his apartment, he opened it and found all the materials he had obtained inside the gate.


    The ten or so scales he managed to retrieve, the six ws, a core, and the heart that was kept in a mini refrigerator, were all in the package.


    He ignored everything else and just took out the heart, which was as big as his head if not bigger.


    {Draconian Heart (Rank-B)


    Effect: ???


    Consumption method: Eating


    Description: Even with just a trace, the owner of this heart still holds some pure dragon blood. It will bestow immense power upon whoever consumes it.}


    Without thinking much about it, Hans brought it to his mouth and started chewing.


    It was truly revolting and as if that wasn''t enough, it was hard to chew and digest. It took almost seven hours for the heart to bepletely absorbed, but once he had done it, the results were evident.


    [You have absorbed the B-Rank item {Draconian Heart}.]


    [Your wisdom has increased by 10.]


    [Your strength and dexterity has increased by 20.]


    [Your constitution has increased by 30.]


    [Due to the effect of the ss skill {Almighty Knowledge}, all of your stats will be redirected to wisdom.]


    [Your wisdom has increased by 80.]


    [Current wisdom: 924]

 Chapter 22: Raid organization

    <h4>Chapter 22: Raid organization</h4>


    [Congrattions! You have acquired the C-Rank skill: {Dragon''s Nemesis}.]


    {Dragon''s Nemesis (C-Rank)


    Description: As a human who has ingested a drop of dragon''s blood, you are now destined to fight against them.


    Effect: Any dragon encountering you will be enraged, +10% to all stats while facing a dragon, +30% boost to all stats when facing dragonoids]


    [Your body is now filled with mana.]


    As for the surplus mana he couldn''t absorb, Hans used it to practice the new tome he had acquired, {Ice Armor}.


    And with no concerns about mana consumption, it took him only four hours to reach


    intermediate proficiency, even if notpletely mastering it.


    {Ice Armor (Tier-3)(upleted tier-4)


    Description: Envelops your entire body in a resilient magical armor and decreases the damage received from sharp weapons.


    Since it''s made purely out of mana, it will be a heavy drain on your reserves but won''t impose any additional weight on your body.


    Effect: Provides +40 endurance to covered body part, mana consumption varies depending on the covered surface and part.}


    With all that done, Hans slept for eight hours to ensure that he''d be in his best condition for the uing raid.


    The next morning, Hans had a coffee to wake himself up, showered, and headed out. Strangely enough, between the high cold mana affinity he had gained, and the hot-blooded trait from his ring, he didn''t feel cold at all and headed out while simply being dressed in a t-shirt, facing off against the freezing temperatures of Chicago.


    _____


    In the heart of the city, a crowd had gathered around a massive gate that was ten meters in height and length and radiated a pure red color that reflected on the surrounding building''s windows.


    Other than the light being emitted from the gate and the people gathered around it, the city was dark and deste.


    Many awakened were making preparations, some sharpening their des, while some talking with their teammates.


    Amongst them, five individuals stood apart as they talked between themselves, three women and two men, discussing their role in the uing raid.


    The one who acted like the leader among them dered, "I''ll be saying this for thest time, even though we were assigned a new team leader yesterday, we will still be the members of the fifth raid team, and give our best to clear the gate."


    The squad consisted of five members just as the guy said, sitting atop a crate was a woman, probably around thirty, average height, and pitch ck hair.


    The womanmented, "Tch, why would they even let that guy be a team leader? I checked yesterday and he''s only an E-Rank."


    The one who had spoken before had a well-built body and brown hair, stood on his feet, and replied, unsure of what to say, "Ce on, they must have put him in charge for some reason."


    The young woman seconded him with light brown hair and green eyes whomented, "Y-yes that''s right! They must''ve put him because he deserved it."


    "My ass," spat the clearly recognizable archer of the team, who then continued to specify, "He has been appointed by someone high up because he probably paid his way through to steal some experience points."


    Thest woman, dressed in leather gear with a sword on her waist, a beautiful face, and blonde hair just nodded, but even if she didn''t open her mouth to voice her thoughts, her gaze was full of anger and disgust said everything.


    Among all the members, one stood out the most, a hulking man, standing at a height of two meters and ten (6"9), dwarfing his colleagues.


    The man was wearing heavy knight armor that only allowed him to show his face, surrounding it was a strap of white fur. He hadn''t shaved and the thick beard connected with his beastly brown hairs surrounded his rough but not ugly face.


    While the team was talking, a certain whisper erupted among the crowd as an individual closed in; he was a young man and was dressed in a in ck shirt and a thin white jacket on top of it.


    "Isn''t he cold?!"


    "Damn, I''m freezing even with this thicka$$ jacket of mine but people are still going around in t-shirts?"


    "Hey, are you kidding dude? The temperature is barely above 0."


    But attracting even more attention to the individual was a pin painted in gold with the number five on it, which signified that he was the captain of team five.


    Hans had arrived.


    The first person to approach him was Emily, who after greeting him and showing around the camp had to depart to continue with her work.


    Before leaving, however, she managed to introduce him to the rest of the members of his team.


    Using {Piercing Gaze}, Hans quickly assessed his new team.


    [Name: David Wilson


    ss: Light Knight (COMMON)


    Title: None


    Level: 102


    Strength: 72


    Dexterity: 131


    Endurance: 119


    Wisdom: 37


    Skills:


    {Sword Mastery} (D-Rank)


    {Shoulder Charge} (E-Rank)


    {Wind Sword Art} (C-Rank)


    Description: A knight with high endurance and speed, trained through countless battles and fights.


    Evaluation: Barely passable as a C-Rank knight]


    These were the stats of the strongest in their group, though it wasn''t bad, it wasn''t the best either.


    The stats of the other members were as follows.


    [Name: Brian Anderson


    ss: Archer (COMMON)


    Title: None


    Level: 82


    Strength: 51


    Dexterity: 130


    Endurance: 36


    Wisdom: 21


    Skills:


    {Heavy Shot} (D-Rank)


    {Tracking Mark} (D-Rank}


    Description: A young man with the potential to be a strong adventurer.


    Evaluation: Intermediate Rank-D.]


    [Name: Ava Turner


    ss: Priest (COMMON)


    Title: None


    Level: 74


    Strength:


    Dexterity: 14


    Endurance: 7


    Wisdom: 32


    Divine power: 147


    Skills:


    {Minor Heal}


    {Greater Heal}


    {Strengthen}


    {Dispel}


    {Haste}


    Description: A priest with vast potential, if she grows fast enough, might have the power to be on par with an A-ss priest.


    Evaluation: High Rank-D.]


    The other two women were less likely to make any progress, as it was clearly stated in their description which indicated that they had little room for advancement. The one with pitch-ck hair was an alchemist specializing in poison, standing at the peak of Rank-D.


    Meanwhile, the blond woman was just at low Rank D, and since the system stated that she couldn''t fight, Hans concluded that she could have progressed only by being carried during gates because of her appearance.


    "Hello, my name is Hans and I''ll be the leader of Team 5 for today," Hans said, introducing himself to the group.


    However, the group didn''t show any positive response and just listened before quietly retreating when dismissed.


    A speaker echoed through the bustling street, summoning all the team members, "All the team leaders are requested to gather at the main tent within the next five minutes, there will be a brief meeting before the start of the expedition."


    Hans slowly started walking towards the main tent, feeling the weight of unpleasant gazes from all around.


    When he entered inside, there was a table with five seats numbered ordingly from 1 to 5.


    He sat down in his ce and noticed a disrespectful attitude from a young man with the "THIRD" golden pin on his shoulder.


    The young man had fiery red hair and stood at one meter sixty-five (5"4).


    On the fourth seat was an average middle-aged man with dark hair and a slightly unkempt beard, while on the second seat was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and a pleasant figure.


    Hans quickly analyzed the three of them.


    The woman was a low-rank-B swordswoman, the middle-aged man was a high-rank-C assassin, and the young man was an intermediate-rank-C mage.


    Understanding the dynamics, Hans realized why the boy was so full of himself, finding a mage was rare, and when hiring them, the cost could be up to three times that of a knight of the same rank, so they probably paid him a significantpensation for this position, and it seemed to annoy the young man that someone like Hans, with a low rank, was allowed to stand at the same level as him.


    All the tension in the air was cut off the moment a towering man entered¨C Brick Garrison, an A-Rank hunter.


    They all stood up as a sign of respect but Brick simply smiled and waved it off saying, "Come on, there is no need for that, all of us are team leaders."


    He walked near the whiteboard and then started outlining the raid n.


    The raid would be organized like this if no problems arose during the initial phase; the five teams would split up and go their separate ways, hunting as many monsters as possible in a day''s time.


    After 24 hours from the start of the mission, the teams would regroup in the center of the gate, and if someone encountered an elite mob, they would lead the way for the others and all the teams would join forces to raid it together.


    After finishing the elite mob, they would wait to recuperate for half a day before ying the boss and would then transport all the retrieved materials outside.


    And in case no elite mob was found, they would directly attack the boss.


    "Do you understand?!" Brick demanded.


    "Yes!" the five team leaders replied in unison.


    "Well then, let''s get down to business," Brick nodded and the meeting came to an end.


    The speaker once again spread the message, "The gate raid will nowmence, all hunters are invited to regroup and enter the gate under the guidance of their team leaders."


    And so they did, after all the others had already gone inside, only Hans and his team remained.


    "Let''s go," Hans said as they made their way into the gate as well.


    [You have entered the C-Rank gate: Mountain Chain.]

 Chapter 23: Monster鈥檚 lair

    <h4>Chapter 23: Monster¡¯sir</h4>


    [You have entered the C-Rank gate: Mountain Chain.]


    Upon entering the gate, the various teams dispersed, going their separate ways. Hans''s team also followed suit, leaving the gate behind and venturing into the dense pine forest.


    Before long, they encountered their first opponent: one of the few inhabitants of high-altitude forests, a deer.


    It wasn''t however just any normal deer:


    [Race: Glimmerhart


    Title: None


    Level: 107


    Strength: 37


    Dexterity: 69


    Endurance: 83


    Wisdom: 190


    Skills:


    {Water Magic path (Tier-4)


    Effect: Able to cast various water spells reaching up to Tier-4}


    {Magic Coat (Tier-3)(PASSIVE)


    Description: Ayer of mana surrounds the whole body.


    Effect: Negates most of the magic-rted damage received from Tier-3 spells or lower.}


    Description: A magic beast, specializing in water spells, almost ranks at the bottom of the food chain in this region.


    Evaluation: Low C-Rank.]


    ''Uh, it''s the perfect counter for mages,'' Hans thought to himself as he gazed at the creature.


    ''Well, unfortunately for you, it''s not me who you''ll be facing.'' he thought further.


    "Everyone take your battle position!" Hansmanded.


    Though irritated by the unnecessary order, the teamplied.


    "David Wilson! Lead the charge and show me your team''s capabilities," Hans knew he wouldn''t be able to control a team he had just met as good as someone who had experience working with them for months, so he just left it to the expert.


    The original squad leader, David, although confused by Hans''s intentions and order, did as ordered, and wlessly coordinated his team''s attacks.


    Their fighting style was really simple yet efficient: first, the alchemy expert released variouspounds, debuffing the monster, the tank would then hold the monster in its ce while being buffed by the priest, while the archer dealt heavy damage with his {Heavy Shots}. The blondedy with the sword just stood in front of the priest and the alchemy specialist, to defend them in case of an unexpected danger.


    It took a couple of minutes and about a dozen arrows to slow down the creature''s movements before a sword could finally pierce its neck, giving an end to its pitiful suffering.


    After the brief struggle and taking down the monster, the squad, however, had to rest for almost twenty minutes before dering to be ready for another battle again.


    By the end of the day, they had hunted a total of twenty-six monsters and obtained eleven cores.


    The archer and the blonde teased Hans many times, asking him why he wasn''t joining in any battles, and always stood on the sidelines.


    Hans simply replied by saying that he was preserving his strength, eliciting augh from the two, while others could only stand watching.


    Like that, time passed quickly and the night soon fell, they camped just beside a river, and lit a couple of branches to scare off the normal animals.


    The group also took turns to stand on guard, ready to spot any possible iing danger.


    At dawn, as the sun slowly started to rise over the horizon, Hans''s team was already marching to the meeting point and arrived 40 minutes earlier than the others. The second team to arrive was the one led by thedy, followed by the team of the middle-aged man, then it was the young mage''s team, and the team to arrive at thest was the one belonging to the expedition leader, the first team.


    Once all the teams arrived, they started exchanging their information quickly before revealing their aplishments, the first team came back with almost two hundred cores, the third team brought a hundred while the other two brought back about five dozen (60).


    Hans''s team received some ridicule for their low performance, prompting a small smile on the third team leader''s face.


    Team 2, led by thedy, hade back with crucial information and reported the sighting of an elite monster, a Fire Wyvern.


    Getting the report, all of the teams immediately set off to the wyvern''sir.


    As they approached the elite monster''sir, thendscape around them grew barren.


    Leading the others, thedy suddenly halted and gazed at a rocky mountain in the


    distance, more precisely, she was staring at a huge cave that could be spotted even from miles away.


    Standing beside her, Brick Garrisonmented, "So it''s there huh?"


    Hans, who could barely spot the monster''s red wing, used his skill, {Piercing Gaze}.


    [Elite Monster


    Race: Fire Wyvern


    Title: None


    Level: 120


    Strength: 214


    Dexterity: 247


    Endurance: 197


    Wisdom: 212


    Skills:


    {Fire Breath (Tier-4)


    Description: The signature skill of every Fire Wyvern.


    Effect: Creates a fire wave from the caster''s throat with a wide area of effect and incredible firepower.


    WARNING: If the caster doesn''t have a body capable of handling it, it could inflict self-injuries.}


    Description: An exceptionally strong and agile wyvern that is capable of casting a powerful breath and not just doing rapid aerial movements.


    Evaluation: The creature possesses a strong body and has already formed its fourth circle. Stands at the peak of Rank-C.


    Note: Since the wyvern is considered a Dragonoid, your skill {Dragon''s Nemesis} will be active if you''re fighting this monster.]


    The entire raid team came to a halt, settling into their usual preparations.


    But before doing anything else, the expedition leader fulfilled his duty, inquiring, "Does anyone or any team want to volunteer for a solo battle? If you manage to win, all the loot obtained from the monster in question will be rewarded solely to you."


    A hush fell over the crowd. Even the arrogant mage, who initially wanted to try with his team, relented, recognizing the uncertain odds of the battle and was unwilling to risk his team members before the boss raid.


    ''No one huh? It''ll be a troublesome battle.'' the leader thought.


    Formally, the option to solo was presented to create an opportunity for those in pursuit of wealth and fame, who were willing to put their life on the line to confront the monster. However, in reality, it served only to avoid potential bigger losses during the main battle.


    If the participant won, then it would be all solved, and even if they died, the rest of the participants would gain important information to raid the boss.


    The fact that no one volunteered meant that they would have to face the wyvern without having any clue about its strength.


    ''Tch no on-''


    "I would like to try," Hans dered while everyone remained silent.


    His response bbergasted everyone, including his team members who watched him in astonishment.


    There wasn''t a single person who was unaware of his low rank, and yet no one stopped him.


    Some, like the third team leader, just wanted to see him make a fool out of himself, while others, like the expedition leader, were simply at a loss for words.


    At the end of the day, just allowing him to go to certain death would help them more than stopping him.


    Only his team''s priest murmured something, but that was disregarded by Hans as he walked away, leaving the expedition team behind him in silence.


    Finding the wyvern in its liar didn''t take Hans much longer.


    In the center of the cave, a huge, ferocious, crimson-colored wyvern was staring at him with a not-so-weing expression on its face.


    Meanwhile, back at the exploration camp, the leaders were discussing what just happened.


    The impartial fourth team leader asked, "Shouldn''t we send someone to follow him? At least to gain some info."


    But what came in response was a mockingment from the leader of the third team, who scoffed, "Pfft, hahaha, you think he''llst that long? I''ll tell you this, the moment that punk enters their he''s dead, he might have already been eaten alive by the monster."


    Both the first and the second team leaders seemed like they wanted to say something, but what could they possibly say? After all, what the guy said wasn''t wrong.


    The guilt of letting a low-ranking member face an elite boss alone started to weigh heavily on the first and second inmand, making them rethink their actions numerous times.


    Maybe they shouldn''t have let him go, or maybe they should send someone right now to get him back before anything worse happens to him.


    All these thoughts disappeared when a roar erupted from the mountain peak.


    This prompted all the members of the teams to turn around as just that one roar made many of the soldiers faint, and even inflicted the state of {Fear} on some of the squad leaders.


    "It has begun," Brick Garrison admitted with his head low, feeling quite guilty about what he had done.


    While every single person in the camp presumed him dead, Hans was bravely confronting the monster head-on.


    He only avoided its fiery breath, deeming it too dangerous for his body to sustain.


    As for physical attacks, Hans took most of them head-on, taking this chance to temper the iplete spell he had gained, {Ice Armor}.


    The armor now covered both his arms, and he was using them as shields for the iing attacks from the wyvern''s barbed tail and its powerful legs.


    Hans wasn''t just passively taking hits, he also counterattacked in every way when he got the chance.


    He had managed to inflict a significant amount of damage over time, and the fight had now been ongoing for almost an hour.


    Meanwhile, back in the camp...


    The third team''s leader''s inner doubts surfaced while he tried to rationalize the unexpected turn of events, ''What.. is happening right now? Why, why hasn''t that arrogant prick already dead? Could it be, he''s really facing off against that monster? Nah there''s no way, I bet when we get there we won''t even find his bones.''

 Chapter 24: Show offs

    <h4>Chapter 24: Show offs</h4>


    Again, again and again, the camp echoed with the shing sounds of the battle, prompting the leaders to reconsider their decisions repeatedly. However, before they could enact any alternative ns, the shing abruptly came to a stop.


    A single thought reverberated through everyone''s mind, HE''S DEAD.


    As the fight stopped, they all once again resumed preparations for the elite raid.


    When they all assembled like soldiers in a battalion, a looming shadow gradually approached them, growingrger and ominous with every moment.


    The colossal figure was red and imposing,pelling them to assume battle stances.


    Yet, the leader took a moment to think, sensing something peculiar in the approaching figure, ''Why would a wyvern walk when it can fly? And why would it take so long toe closer? Something is off...Is that... a person.''


    Despite blinking his eyes several times to confirm if what he had seen was right, and no matter how many times he closed and opened them, they still saw the figure of a man in the front.


    "HOLD IT!" Hemanded the troops, who were already poised to unleash spells and fire arrows.


    They all obeyed his order, a few more seconds passed without any order, but no one said anything at all.


    The human figure in front of the monster''s head was now visible to everyone, making them speechless.


    As the figure came closer, they recognized him, the so-called worthless E-Rank, the leader of the fifth team.


    It was Hans, who hade back victorious.


    What should have typically broken into loud cheering andplimenting, remained a dead silence, rendering the atmosphere tense.


    Unfazed, Hans just walked past most of them, dragging the wyvern''s corpse on the uneven ground, raising a bit of dust.


    He stopped in front of the exploration leader and left the wyvern there before returning to the tent, but before entering, he quoted, "If you manage to win, all the loot obtained from the monster in question will be rewarded solely to you."


    "That''s what you said, isn''t it? Honor your promise," as hisst action, he cast a threatening gaze toward the third team leader, who started sweating from the pressure, while the other leaders just let it happen and lowered their heads.


    nning to rest for a couple of hours, Hans fell onto the self-made mattress and muttered, "So... tired," before drifting into a deep slumber to muster the strength to rise once again.


    Upon awakening, while still half asleep and his eyes almost closed, Hans ventured outside his tent and walked towards the leaders'' gathering room.


    The previous day, he had been really rude, and ordered around the others, he was afraid that they would hold a grudge against him.


    As he quietly traversed to the camp, most people threw nces at him like before, something that he was used to, however, this time their gazes were different, they were neither filled with hate nor disrespect, instead, they were afraid and bowed their heads, while sweat could be seen surfacing on their pale skin.


    The only reason he could think of was his actions from yesterday, since he took down the elite boss alone, people must have now thought of him as a respectable leader.


    What he didn''t know, however, was that the real reason for their change in attitude was the haunting image of Hans covered in blood while he dragged the wyvern''s carcass was deeply imprinted in their mind.


    Inside the leaders'' tent, an important discussion to decide how the raid would continue was taking ce, while the others were expressing their personal opinions, the third team leader was blurting a lot of empty words, quoting some famous books and important people.


    However, the discussion suddenly came to a halt as the fifth group''s leader, Hans, entered, interpreting their silence as a sign of not being weed anymore.


    What to do now? Hans nned to create fame through the Elite Boss raid and recruit some people who in the distant future could help him aid in the impossible feat of killing the Abyssal Snake. And naturally, he also wanted to test his limits.


    Unfortunately, it seemed to him like his ns didn''t produce the anticipated effect, and he now found himself somewhat alienated from the other members.


    ''Should I just.. yes it''s better this way,'' he thought to himself.


    "I''m s-" Hans attempted to apologize, but was energetically interrupted by the beastly leader, who stole the words from Hans''s mouth.


    "I''m sorry!" Said the leader and even bowed his head.


    "I apologize for not providing any aid during yesterday''s raid," he continued, surprising Hans with the loud apology as Garrison was thest person he anticipated this from.


    The others nodded in understanding, except for the third team leader who just watched Hans with eyes full of envy.


    Ignoring the tension, Hans just let it slide and continued with his activities. This time around, his opinion was sought more frequently, and he was tasked with important missions.


    An official report had arrived: the boss monster''s nest had been located.


    It was not called a nest without any reason; an intricate structure of branches and trees was formed high up on the tallest peak of the mountain range, and flying high between the clouds could be seen a giant eagle, perpetually hungry and lingering around to hunt.


    The only reason they hadn''t managed to spot it until then was theck of information, as the notion of a flying monster soaring high above their head didn''t even cross their mind until they stumbled upon traces of such flying monsters after seeing the majestic wyvern, prompting them to search every corner of this world till they finally found it.


    The whole expedition team prepared for a while before heading out towards the boss''s nest.


    As a reward for clearing the elite mob, Hans and his squadron were allowed to not participate in the final raid, increasing their chance of survival. However, this wasn''t Hans''s intention in the slightest since he nned on showing off his skill to attract powerful and formidable allies.


    However, their journey was abruptly interrupted as a feline creature decided to block their path.


    It was a monster that reigned over high-altitude forests, known by many names, the mostmon being ... the mountain lion.


    [Race: Mountain lion


    Title: None


    Level: 120


    Strength: 144


    Dexterity: 190


    Endurance: 117


    Wisdom: 42


    Skills:


    ...


    -


    -


    -


    Description: A mountain lion that has ruled over the forest as its apex predator for thest few years. The only monsters it fears are the boss and the elite.


    Evaluation: A mid-tier C-Rank.]


    The third team leader, eager for achievements and validation, decided to lead his team to take down this dangerous monster.


    Despite having many skilled warriors under hismand, his terrible battle skills and sense couldn''t make up for it.


    The battle dragged on for over an hour, turning the more than twenty participants into objects of ridicule and making them aughingstock among their fellow hunters


    A battle that should''ve meant as a demonstration of his strength and wisdom instead devolved into a pathetic spectacle, making everyone realize how truly unprepared and childish this team leader was.


    The only thing he did was throw a final spell to kill the monster and gain the most number of XPs.


    In stark contrast, Hans, who had been able to take on his challenges alone, and even brought benefit to his team members was seen in a brighter light.

 Chapter 25: Show offs pt.2

    <h4>Chapter 25: Show offs pt.2</h4>


    Although most of the members of the third team wished to join the fifth team, the squads had been defined even before they entered the gate, so they could only dream of it.


    After nearly an hour of trekking, the entire squadron finally arrived at their destination.


    On the mountain peak, a faint dot that could barely be seen marked the giant beast''s nest.


    It didn''t even take time for a single click tick before the air started whistling, signaling that something hurtling down at an incredible speed.


    Most of the hunters failed to even see it, except for a few high-ranked C-Rankers and above.


    Naturally, Hans was among the ones who could see the creature, he immediately encased himself in ice armor, bracing himself for the impact. However, before it could hit the ground, something blocked it.


    It was their expedition leader, Brick Garrison, who stood tall with his heavy shield raised above his head. The ground started cracking under him, but his action provided enough time for the others to move out of harm''s way.


    Pushing himself to the limits, Garrison let out a primal scream to motivate himself, akin to someone pushing through their final reps at the gym.


    "Aah!"


    mes erupted underneath his heavy armor, casting a fiery glow around him.


    For the first time, a serious expression was painted on his face as he faced the beast that was now standing before him.


    [Name: Brick Garrison


    Age: 52


    ss: Pdin (rare)


    Title: None


    Level: 184


    Strength: ???


    Dexterity:???


    Endurance:???


    Wisdom: ??


    Skills:


    {Purgatory Fire Shield (B-Rank)


    Description: Grants the ability to create and control a fire that repels malevolent and impure beings.


    Effect: ??}


    {?????}


    {?????}


    {?????}


    {?????}


    {?????}


    Description: An incredibly sturdy A-Rank knight, with seemingly imprable defense, though hisbat prowess falls slightly short of a true A-Rank.}


    [Boss monster


    Race: Giant Mountain Eagle


    Name: None


    Level: 139


    Skills:


    {Gravity control} (B-Rank)]

 Chapter 26: Boss raid

    <h4>Chapter 26: Boss raid</h4>


    [Boss Monster


    Race: Giant Mountain Eagle


    Name: None


    Level: 139


    Strength: 215


    Dexterity: 311


    Endurance: 175


    Wisdom: 223


    Skills:


    {Gravity Control} (B-Rank)


    {Wind Magic} (Tier-3)


    Description: Peak predator of this mountain range, not even the overlord of the wyverns ever managed to stand up against her.


    Currently, a mother defending her soon-to-be-born children.


    Evaluation: Canpete with middle-Rank B beasts thanks to its rare skill of gravity control.}


    Since Brick Garrison remained in ce without countering, the beast immediately grasped its adversary''s inability to harm her and started targeting the others without holding anything back.


    While the human tried his best to block it and minimize the damage to his allies, the rest of the group didn''t just stand there and sprang into action, assisting in any way they could by throwing arrows and spells at the monster.


    Meanwhile, the not-so-bright third team leader, upon spotting the monster''s nest, reckoned it a wise move to target it, so that the beast would panic and get in his way while taking damage from the other members.


    ording to him, this n would work, after all, it was written in, "Twenty Unusual Ways to Defeat a Monster.", written by a renowned European A-Rank awakened.


    He was sure it would work.


    His life, however, was not scripted, much less part of a movie.


    The monster, preupied with the intruders, failed to notice the fireball that was hurtling towards its nest until it was toote, igniting the dried branches and causing the nest to copse in mes which finally caught the eagle''s attention.


    The only thing she was holding back for was to guard her baby and not create too much destruction near its nest, now that both reasons to keep the humans away from her nest had vanished, the monster abandoned the restraint and fought to the extreme, bringing out power way over its usual limits.


    Casting a vast gravitational field upon all the awakened, the eagle left its adversaries to float defenselessly in the air before ascending high up, preparing for herst suicidal attack by imbuing herself with various weight spells to augment her descent.


    The bird now descended at a terrifying rate, causing the air around them to whistle once again.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on the iing bullet beast, filled with fear, and sorrow while some were feeling angry.


    In this dire moment, the hidden personality of some of the hunters, especially the crafted personality of the refined and dignified second team leader, shattered as she cursed.


    "That sh*tty kid can''t do one single thing right, can he?!"


    In what they thought would be thest moments of their lives, the people showed their true selves; some tried to protect the others, while some, like the third team leader, tried to use others as shields.


    However, just moments before the monster could impact, something streaked in front of everyone''s eyes, striking the monster''s nk.


    When something moves at a really fast speed, though difficult to stop, it is really subject to deviations.


    Just a slight movement could redirect a bullet, with that in mind, Hans activated his skill {Ice Armor} and used the spell {Breeze} to throw himself at the enemy, redirecting its trajectory, thereby averting the catastrophe.


    The monster was smashed against the rocky mountain before falling to the ground.


    Once again, all the witnesses remained astonished by the scene that unfolded before them.


    "Is this the level of an A-Rank?" Hans asked, eliciting a mix of irony and disappointment.


    He wasn''t the one to bully the others, but considering the fact that many people entrusted their lives with Garrison, he was hoping for the fellow to do something better.


    No one expected him to one-shot the elite mobs or easily clear the gate since he was known for his defense, but they at least expected him to keep them safe and away from any danger.


    Indeed, he would''ve survived even the monster''sst attack, but he would''ve been the only one. He wouldn''t have been able to protect a single one of hispanions, and since he didn''t have any way of fighting back, Garrison would''ve eventually exhausted himself before sumbing under the eagle''s ws.


    If it hadn''t been for Hans'' actions just then, no one would''ve ever been able to leave that ce alive.


    Even though he heard Hans''sment, Brick Garrison remained silent, feeling an unbelievable amount of shame.


    The people now freed from the monster''s spell because of its unconsciousness, though grateful to Hans, didn''t forget the matter at hand, and under the orders from their almost crumbled leader, the group soon assembled once again, forming a true battle formation, ready to fight and defeat the boss.


    The battle resumed as soon as the eagle got back in the air, concluding with the victory of the hunters who took the bird''s head as their trophy.


    Following his first intervention, Hans opted not to participate in the fight anymore, since he didn''t want to turn more people against himself than what he already had.


    Also, his mere presence was enough for the beast to feel threatened and deterred it from using the same suicidal attack again.


    By the time they were finished, a total of one day and fourteen hours had passed since the time they entered the gate.


    They brought the spoils outside beforeing out themselves and were weed by a sea of shlights on the other side, especially covering Brick Garrison, who seemed a little out of spirit.


    The first interviewer asked hurriedly, "Mr. Garrison, would you mind telling us what happened."


    The other reporters soon followed.


    "Mr. Garrison has something bad happened"


    "Mr. Garrison, what''s with the long face?"


    "Mr. Garrison..."


    "Mr. Garrison..."


    "Mr. Garrison..."


    The tumultuous chaos overwhelmed his already weakened mind, and after taking a long breath, he finally spoke, silencing all the reporters momentarily.


    "Dear citizens of America, I have reflected on my shorings and concluded that I may not yet be ready to lead a great group like the association in this city. From now on, I will step back for a while to regroup and return stronger than before. Until then, I''ll appoint someone to fill my role."


    The other members of the group were as surprised as the crowd, sparking whispers andmentary, and since it was on broadcast, many people watching the TV from home alsomented and bid farewell to the protector of Chicago city.


    Unfazed, Hans discreetly slipped away using {Stealth}.


    Meanwhile, the arrogant and dumb third team leader was enjoying the spotlight, and boasted about his noble actions inside the gate, belittling all the fellow members, apart from Garrison obviously, since he was eager for a promotion, and the now vacant seat of the branch leader required that person''s favor.


    The fellow boasted so much that many of the reporters moved over to the other team leaders, asking them about what had happened.


    The two talked about the team leader of the fifth team, and his brave actions which stirred up mor among everyone, prompting headlines like, ''An Unknown Savior for the C-Rank Gate!'' and ''America''s Benefactor Keeps His Identity Hidden!'', to floor Chicago newspapers for the following few days, embarrassing Hans to death.


    However, despite the gossip and the interviews, there wasn''t a single person who had heard or knew anything about this famous fifth team leader.


    Feeling exhausted, Hans let himself drown in his bed, closing his already heavy eyelids.


    [You have contributed greatly in clearing the C-Rank gate: Mountain''s Chain.]


    [You have been rewarded with the rare path tome: {Gravity Control}(Tier-5).]


    [Because of your higher affinity with mana and its repetitive use, the skill {Breeze}


    (Tier-0) has evolved into {Wind Gust}(Tier-1).]


    The next morning, when Hans woke up, he remained a little quiet and tried toy low, just as advised by Emily.


    When she met him for the first time after the famous gate raid, Emily made fun of him calling Hans with names like, "America''s Benefactor" or "Mr. Unknown" while trying to hold herughter back as hard as she could.


    This made their bond a bit stronger, evolving into friendship.


    Hans also visited the kid many times and made stops at the cksmith.


    He decided to utilize the dragon''s scales he had obtained from the previous raid, thinking that they were too good of a material to be left collecting dust on the shelf, and requested for the cksmith to craft an armor out of them.


    Also, during thest gate raid, Hans realized how physical protection and endurance could prove useful in critical situations, he almost considered requesting a sword, but ultimately decided not to after finding out the exorbitant price he had to pay for the chest te.


    If he had decided to request a sword to be made on measure for him, Hand didn''t doubt that he would need to borrow money once again.

 Chapter 27: Illegal deal

    <h4>Chapter 27: Illegal deal</h4>


    In his cramped room, Hans now faced yet another dilemma.


    After emerging from the gate, his level and wisdom had both skyrocketed to impressive heights and now he stood at level 85 with an astonishing wisdom stat of 984.


    Taking a couple of days of rest, he then delved into training with his newly acquired spell tome.


    Two dayster, he achieved Expert level in {Gravity Control} (1st Rank).


    Unlike a spell tome, this was a path tome and hence didn''t disappear once he had mastered it, allowing him to ess it anytime. After arriving at the first rank, he gained ess to spells, {Load} and {Lighten}.


    {Load (Tier-1)


    Description: A spell obtained by reaching beginner proficiency in the 0thyer of the path {Gravity Control}.


    Effect: Increases the weight of a chosen object by 1.5 times}


    {Lighten (Tier-1)


    Description: A spell obtained by reaching beginner proficiency in the 1styer of the path {Gravity Control}.


    Effect: Decreases the weight of a chosen object by 1.5 times}


    After attaining this level of mastery, Hans received a message from the system.


    [You haveprehended 20% of the tome path {Gravity Control}]


    [Due to the effect of the skill {Knowledge Hunger}, your wisdom has increased by 20.]


    [Warning!!]


    [Failed to increase wisdom!]


    [The UNKNOWN ss {Knowledge Seeker} has blocked the wisdom''s increase!]


    [The UNKNOWN ss {Knowledge Seeker} is making a request!]


    {ss quest: Prove that you are worthy of advancing to a middle-ss mage by subduing a powerful threat.


    Quest requirements: Defeat a B-Rank monster alone.


    Until the quest ispleted, your wisdom will be capped at 999, and you won''t be able to form your 4th circle.


    Quest rewards:


    -Unsealing of the wisdom limit.


    -Increase of all the wisdom points umted in the meantime.


    -???}


    ''Now I can''t even grow in peace anymore?!'' Hans thought to himself.


    ''I need a B-rank. B-rank.. B-rank. Do I... really need to solo a C-rank gate?''


    ''No... I only have to kill the boss alone, as for the rest of the monsters, I can let others take care of them for me.''


    ''First of all, I should get some people to apany me,'' aftering to a decision, he slept overnight before paying a visit to Emily the next morning.


    Entering her office a sarcastic phrase came from the woman''s lips as she remarked, "What an honor to have you here Mr. Benefactor."


    A couple of seconds of silence followed before she burst into a loudughter and clutched her stomach.


    It took her a while topose herself, but even after that, she seemed to be struggling as her mind was telling her tough while she couldn''t help but imagine what might be the reaction of the citizens and the reporters if they realized that the person they crowned as their savior was just a barely grown kid.


    Hans on the other side, didn''t find it amusing and just averted his gaze, trying not to cross eyes with her.


    All this just wasn''t for him, and they both knew it.


    "Mh, Mh," Emily cleared her throat before continuing.


    "So what have youe here for Mr. Unknown"


    "Quit that!" Hans retorted.


    "I came here to ask for a favor," he said scratching his neck in embarrassment, after all, he only came to her when he needed something.


    "And what would it be?" she asked.


    "Can you organize a team of ''volunteers'' and a C-Rank gate for them to apany me in?"


    "And why would I do tha-"


    "I''ll give you half.."


    "Deal," Emily''s eyes shone like a star as she agreed before Hans could evenplete his sentence.


    ''As always, she''s easy to deal with,'' Hans thought and let out a sigh.


    Knowing that even if he were to raid any gates, his power wouldn''t increase, for the next week Hans just concentrated on raising his mastery over his spells.


    During this time, the {Gravity Control} reached Tier 2 and he had unlocked the skill {Gravity Field}.


    {Gravity Field (Tier-2)


    Description: A spell obtained by reaching beginner proficiency in the 2ndyer of the path {Gravity Control}.


    Effect: Increase the gravity in a certain circr space.


    The weight variation, covered surface, and mana consumption depends on the will of the caster and the skill proficiency}


    Along with that, the abilities of skills {Load} and {Lighten} had reached its maximum effectiveness of (3X).


    Finally, he received a message from Emily.


    [Tomorrow, 6:30, xxxxx]


    The following morning, Hans arrived at the given address early and found an unusual scene: many hunters lined up in front of a gate with Emily waiting eagerly for him.


    "Pleasure doing business with you," she shook Hans''s hand before taking her leave.


    The gate was located outside the city and unregistered by the association, in short, this was an illegal raid and if caught, they would go through a not-so-pleasant period of their life inside a cold and isted prison cell.


    There were a total of fifteen participants gathered in front of the gate, including all five members of the 5th team who were drawn by Hans''s performance during the previous gate raid.


    Some were enticed by the pay, while others sought to establish a good rtionship with such a formidable senior.


    When prepared, they entered the gate.


    But once inside, all of them couldn''t help but feel that something was wrong with the mana in the air around them. It didn''t take fifteen steps for them to find out what seemed off: a colossal shadow covered their bodies from the pleasant sun, prompting them to raise their head toprehend what it actually was.


    In the very next instant, their faces paled, and the previous enthusiasm on their faces vanished.


    At that moment, all their minds turned nk while their entire lives reyed before their eyes.


    A giant gray golem''s leg was rapidly closing in on them, trying to press them under a stomp.


    [You have entered the B-Rank gate: Machine''s Paradise]


    While the meteor-sized leg was closing up on them, all of them hurriedly tried to run back in the gate, except for Hans who put all of his mana on the line to create aplete cover for his body with the (Tier-4) spell {Ice Armor} he had just recently achieved.


    A stomp, just one single stomp was enough to destroy every kind of preparation they had done, destroying every hope they had of getting out alive from there, along with every thought in their brains.


    When the golem''s leg receded in the air, the part of the forest that grew all around the gate was razed to the ground, sttered with little spots of red that stained the dirt and surface of the golem''s leg.


    Amidst all the destruction, a hole remained in the middle of the razed, brown earth, and lying down in the deepest part of this hole was the unconscious Hans.


    His broken ice armor was slowly chipping off, revealing his bruised face.


    Time passed, but the golem remained in its ce, as if ready tounch another attack if needed.


    Even after waking up, Hans'' eyes remained fixed on the golem''s terrifying red ones and he didn''t dare to move even an inch, afraid of facing the same end as his fellow hunters.


    The only reason he had managed to survive was due to his calm mind, which helped him think of using the skill {Load} on himself before taking the blow and ending up underground instead of bing a sttered meat to fertilize the now empty pit.


    Grabbing onto the thought that his family needed him to stay alive, Hans managed to retain his reasoning and reminisced about what to do for hours and hours.


    His enemy stats remained unknown, all that the {Piercing Gaze} showed him was this:


    [Boss Monster


    Race: Titanium Golem


    Name: None


    Level: ???


    Strength: ????


    Dexterity: ????


    Endurance: ????


    Skills:


    Evaluation: An extremely powerful golem, probably surpassing A-Rank.


    Creator: ??? ]


    It took a while, but Hans finally came up with a n.


    A golem would only remain a golem and probably react to any movements in its field of vision.


    Thinking it through, Hans created an ice spear before lightening it and throwing it high up in the sky, a couple of secondster, the spear touched the ground, and as if feeling the movement, the golem immediately raised its leg.


    Taking the opportunity while it was distracted, Hans lightened himself with thest bits of mana he was left with and threw his injured body in the direction of the gate.


    Clearly detecting its enemy''s movement, the golem turned its head, but akin to aputer, the golem reacted to the first movement it had detected and finished stomping the ground where the spearnded, creating yet another hole which gave Hans some time to push himself towards the portal.


    On the other side, Hans''s bruised and weary body burst out, flying through the gate,nding in the deste space around it and found absolutely no one around.


    He wanted to make an urgent call, but since any kind of technology was ineffective in the gates, it was typical for hunters to not bring a phone with them to work, and the same was true for him.


    Ignoring his injuries, Hans sprinted as fast as he could with his remaining energy, and in ten minutes he reached the association''s branch.


    Not even noticing Aiden, who was carrying some packages around, Hans rushed up the stairs and reached Emily''s office.


    Opening the door, Emily stared at him with her eyes wide open because it hadn''t been more than a few hours since she saw him at the gate, but now his clothes were all ripped and his body was bleeding from all regions except a few.


    "Hans what happened!??" Emily hurried to catch the almost falling Hans and asked in worry, before he tried to say something as his eyes closed, "Hans!!"


    "Hans, can you hear me!?" Emily tried once again only to hear a few indiscernible words.


    "The, ga te.. A ran-"


    After that he fellpletely, weighing on Emily''s shoulder and making her fall too, causing the office to echo with a loud THUD.


    She sweated and stared at the ceiling, afraid of what would happen to them now.


    Though Hans wasn''t able to say much before falling unconscious, the mention of "A Ran" buzzed in her mind, and seeing his condition, she prayed that what she was thinking would not turn out to be true.

 Chapter 28: Deal closed

    <h4>Chapter 28: Deal closed</h4>


    With Hans lying unconscious on her, Emily perspired as she anxiously gazed at the ceiling, fearful of their uncertain fate.


    After all, how was she going to exin the seriousness of the situation without exposing their ndestine arrangement? She couldn''t just tell the truth, the penalty for raiding a gate illegally would entail facing years of prison, and hefty fines, which could obliterate her hard-earned career.


    For the moment, she escorted Hans to the hospital to get him treated and decided to wait until he regained consciousness before making any rash decisions.


    It took a couple of days for the young man to open his eyes.


    He was already getting sick and tired of looking at the hospital ceiling as the first thing after he woke up every time.


    "I... survived," he muttered to himself, his gaze drifting to his bandaged hands.


    Without adding anything, an unfamiliar sensation engulfed his hands, it was water... no, they were tears.


    His eyes couldn''t hold them and let them trickle down his cheeks before his hands slowly became drenched.


    One after the other, the tears continued to fall without a hint ofing to a stop, akin to the leaves in autumn, relentless and unyielding, until his eyes were swollen and turned crimson.


    In his mind, the same thoughts looped over and over again.


    ''I killed them.''


    ''My selfishness cost their lives.''


    ''Their family, their friends and children must be waiting for their return.''


    ''I''m sorry.''


    ''If only I hadn''t rushed it''


    ''If only I had ventured into that gate alone to inspect it before.''


    ''If only... if only I hadn''t been so selfish and foolish.''


    ''If only I could have protected them.''


    ''If only I were stronger.''


    The facade he had maintained, the Hans who was nothing but a child acting like a grown-up, shattered the moment he realized what he had done, giving way for the true Hans to emerge, the rest of the kind-hearted child he once was now influenced his actions, prompting Hans to weep his soul out.


    Meanwhile, Emily hurried from the association upon receiving the hospital''s call regarding Hans waking up.


    Just when she reached the ground floor, walked out of the lift, and was making her way toward the entrance, a young boy blocked her path, his arms outstretched.


    Pausing, she nced at him for a second before asking, "What do you want, kid? I''m in a hurry." Her tone wasn''t particrly friendly but neither was it rude, more like annoyed.


    The kid replied eagerly, "You are going to see brother Hans, aren''t you?! Please, take me with you."


    "What? No wa-"


    "I saw you the day before yesterday, you brought him aw-" Emily silenced the kid with a tap on her lips before grabbing his wrist and striding away with him.


    "Okay okay enough. You areing too."


    Aiden beamed, satisfied with his persuasive tactics.


    They hailed a taxi and arrived at the hospital, walking briskly inside.


    On their way, Aiden inquired if Hans was sick to be brought to a hospital, to which Emily responded, "He''s not sick, kid. He''s injured. Hisst raid didn''t go well."


    "Gasp! Brother Hans is a hunter? That''s so cool, I want to be one too. What do you mean, ''didn''t go well''?"


    "You dear brother risked his life along with all of hisrades."


    Aiden''s expressions and tone changed, and an insecure voice came out of his throat as his eyes widened, "What?"


    By now, Hans had regained some rity and the only way he managed to do that was by promising himself that he would never involve anyone else in his affairs.


    Those people''s lives and hopes...


    All of that disappeared because of him, and he vowed to himself that something like that should never happen again.


    As soon as Emily and Aiden entered the room and the boy saw Hans''s condition, he rushed over to him, asking what had happened.


    Meanwhile, Hans pondered how he could have approached such a naive guy just to make use of his powers.


    After reassuring Aiden that everything would turn out just fine, the two crime colleagues grappled with a pressing dilemma.


    What would they disclose to the public?


    There wasn''t a way for them to let the public know of the gate''s danger without avoiding revealing their secret deal. Plus, exining the deaths of all the other participants other than him posed another challenge. But foremost on Emily''s mind was one question: "What the hell exactly happened in there?"


    Hans, visibly pained, nced down before recounting: "After you went away, we were all set to enter the gate.


    Once inside, the air in the gate felt strange while the mana there seemed thicker than usual. Many of us dismissed it as a special circumstance and didn''t give it any thought until a window appeared in front of us, revealing the gate''s true rank.


    [B-Rank gate: Machine''s Paradise]


    The moment the message appeared, something cast a vast shadow over us, akin to a skyscraper.


    We all raised our heads to see what it was, only to see a colossal stone quickly descending upon us,ter on, I discovered that it was just the leg of the boss monster, a giant golem.


    It must''ve been at least a hundred meters tall, and even if it wasn''t emitting any mana, its sheer physical strength was enough to reduce everyone to dust in an instant.


    I barely managed to evade the golem''s stomp, but as you saw, not unscathed."


    "The situation isn''t good," Emily remarked, well aware of the catastrophe they had unleashed.


    "I''ll take care of it," Hans reassured her.


    "How will you do that?" Emily inquired.


    "The gate¨Cyou said it only appeared recently," he noted.


    "That''s right, I confirmed that it appeared two days ago," Emily nodded.


    "Then I''ll take care of it."


    "Take care of it?! Did you lose your mind or something after getting hit that hard?! That''s a fricking B-Rank gate!! Even the major guilds will lose many of its members to clear it out and you want to take care of it alone?!"


    "EMILY!! I told you I''ll take care of it! It is also my way of paying respect to those who perished at that bastard''s hands. This is what I''ll do, I''ll diligently try to increase my level as much as possible in the next three weeks before challenging the gate again. Since the association is in disarray after losing its branch leader, I''m sure you should be able to keep the gate hidden for that long."


    Hans then continued, "If I manage toe out alive, then we''ll recreate the death of those people and give their families properpensation, I''ll do so even if it''s out of my pocket."


    Then with a serious gaze, he looked into Emily''s eyes and said, "But if my body were to remain rotting inside that gate, tell the world that you discovered my illegal raid, and that those people died because of me."


    "Try to getpensation for them from the government and use my money to support my family. Also, I''ll entrust you with this. Open it only in case I won''te back from the gate. I trust you."


    Saying that he handed her a closed mail with a written paper inside.


    It held the secret to curing the endless slumber patients¨C a secret he didn''t want to reveal to anyone because he wouldn''t know how to answer its validation or in case someone asked the origin of this information.


    But if he were to perish, it would be right for the world to know a way to break the curse.


    After all, just like him, many were still anxiously waiting for their loved ones to wake up, clinging to the slightest hope that someday something would change.


    Emily epted the envelope, sliding it into her bag, and nodded before thanking Hans, and promising him that she would do her best for his family if he were to fail.


    "Though I might do what you have asked for, it might be better if you take care of them yourself. So try your best not to die" she added before leaving Hans alone, letting him drown in his silent thoughts once again.

 Chapter 29: The fifth team leader

    <h4>Chapter 29: The fifth team leader</h4>


    B-Rank gate clearance n: Start.


    Emily did her best to conceal the gate by purchasing most of thend around it, creating a private area inessible to outsiders.


    Meanwhile, Hans managed to make aplete recovery by the following morning.


    His immediate concern was enhancing his circle, meaning he would need to confront and win against a B-Rank monster alone.


    Initially, he didn''t n to disclose his identity, but he ultimately revealed himself as the fifth team leader from the previous C-Rank gate raid.


    However, he was reluctant to divulge his personal information or reveal his face, since it was embarrassing. So he sought advice from Emily, who suggested visiting the trading center.


    As soon as he entered the bustling trading center, a spectacr sight was unleashed before his eyes, and soon he started looking around for what he needed.


    Among the numerous shops, he stopped in front of a small one and observed the items that were disyed for the public, more specifically, he was drawn to a particr item that was being disyed.


    A wooden mask, shaped into a face, with only small holes for the eyes and the mouth.


    The tag under it stated:


    [Item: Druid Skin


    Item Type: Mask


    Effect: Voice Change


    Price: 39,989 $]


    Seeing those perks, the mask already looked appealing, but under the precise observation of his skill {Piercing Gaze}, another secret was unveiled to Hans.


    [Item Name: Druid''s Skin Mask


    Item Rank: Intermediate Rare Rank


    Item Effect (PASSIVE): Voice change, the voiceing from the user''s throat will be modified and indistinguishable to others.


    Item Effect (ACTIVE): By imprinting your mana on the mask and continuously feeding it, the mask will disappear for others and instead, they''ll see the face of someone else rather than that of the user.


    A must buy, that was the only thought that came to Hans'' mind after he read the item''s description.


    Hans obviously caught this crazy deal and equipped the mask before infusing his mana in it.


    His face morphed, changing from the face of some eighteen-year-old guy to the face of a thirty-year-old man.


    Happy with his purchase, Hans left the mall.


    Something, however, had escaped even his watchful eye.


    The middle-aged merchant he had just traded with left the counter of his shop, and walked further inside the building, his previous weing voice and smiley face changed into a serious and dangerous one before he picked up an old-style wired telephone.


    "I found it," he said on the phone.


    A mechanical voice replied from the other side, "Are we talking about the same thing?"


    "Yes! The information thedy was desperately looking for, I have found the only S-Rank target."


    "Great work, thedy will personally pay a visit as soon as her schedule consents," replied the mechanical voice.


    "ck!"


    "Beep... beep... beep"


    With the exchange of those few words, the call ended.


    Meanwhile, Hans stood before a D-Rank gate, limited to this until a gate of a higher rank emerged.


    Even if he couldn''t obtain any wisdom right away, the reward forpleting his ss quest would give him all of the umted stats. So, even if not right now, clearing the gates and raising his level would eventually benefit his growth.


    Ny-seven minutes, that''s all it took for Hans to clear the gate.


    He didn''t hold back at all, since showing extraordinary results would only increase the fame of his new identity.


    From now on he nned each of his actions to be recognized under the name of the famed, fifth team leader.


    With determination, Hans cleared four gates a day, not resting for even a second, and probably because the difficulty levels were too low, he didn''t get any new skills or spell tomes.


    Instead, he was rewarded with extra experience points, boosting his level exponentially before being capped to around ny like the other stats.


    Finally, after three days of arduous gate clearing, a C-Rank gate appeared, it was deemed as a property of the association and Hans was entitled as the leader of the raid team.


    Leading a sizable group of almost sixty people under hismand, Hans entered the gate, and curious to see the strength of their current captain, the team members also followed his orders wlessly.


    [You have entered the C-Rank gate: Veiled Colony ]


    They were walking into a pitch-dark underground space and allowing them to see around them was the oilntern they had brought along, its feeble me lighting up the huge cavern.


    Just as the name stated, the cave held an entire colony inside it, and they found many dirt shelters all around them, even though they looked refined, the shelters didn''t give off the feeling of being built by human hands.


    Soon their first adversary revealed itself, followed by many of its kind.


    {Piercing Gaze}


    [Race: Earth Worm


    Level: 124


    Strength: 145


    Dexterity: 115


    Endurance: 84


    Wisdom: 301


    Skills:


    {Blessing of the Earth (ACTIVE)


    Effect: The user will be able to manipte the earth, however, they can''t create any out of nowhere.


    Conditions: To use the skill, the user must remain underground.}


    Description: A worm that has lived its entire life without seeing light, it neither has eyes nor vision.


    The creature has the ability to detect what''s happening around it through sound waves.


    Evaluation: A Low C-Rank.]


    This time, the hunters weren''t divided into teams; they all received direct orders from Hans.


    Without hesitation, Hansmanded all the knights to rub their swords against their shields. Although many were confused by his instructions, they followed as asked, resulting in incredibly loud and annoying screeches echoing through the empty subterranean tunnels.


    The monster was immediately immobilized and easily gotten rid of.


    The three spy headhunters, sent by the three major guilds in order to monitor the new rising star of the city, were all thinking in unison:


    ''He has a terrifying deduction ability!''


    ''Seeing that the cave is filled with darkness, he hypothesized the monstercks senses apart from its hearing, and immediately verified it by attacking the creature with seemingly harmless methods.''


    ''What an incredibly sharp mind!''


    From then on, they considered Hans to be a candidate to be hired as a vice guild master, someone who even without any physical strength could change the course of a battle.


    Hans was indeed quite smart, though this time his observation skills yed the biggest role.


    As the raid continued, the raid team members remained quite disappointed by the ease and the speed of the gate clearance.


    All the members regrouped, which included people who were curious about Hans''s powers, so even powerful peoples of high C-Rank and over participated in the raid.


    But unfortunately, this also meant that the leader didn''t even need to step in.


    When the boss monster appeared, and all the other beasts had been defeated, the entire corps reassembled itself into a battle formation ready to take it on, expecting as usual that their captain would not take action.


    Unexpectedly, Hans stepped forward, waving down at the others, signaling them to rx.


    "You all can stay still; I''ll take it from here," he announced.


    Confused eyes followed his every move.


    ''He hasn''t fought anything by himself and now he''s taking on the boss?!" thought one of the surprised members.


    While the others were worried about what would happen to him, Hans continued advancing, closing to the gigantic worm in the middle of the cave room.


    [Boss Monster


    Race: Gigantic Earthworm


    Level: 131


    Strength: 212


    Dexterity: 123


    Endurance: 110


    Wisdom: 621


    Skills:


    {Blessing of the Earth (ACTIVE)


    Effect: The user will be able to manipte the earth, however, they can''t create any out of nowhere.


    Conditions: To use the skill, the user must remain underground.}


    Description: An old worm who has lived for countless years, even if its body has weakened due to time, its wisdom is higher than ever; very dangerous when paired with {Blessing of the Earth} and the terrain around it.


    Evaluation: Low B-Rank.]


    Hans'' objective was clear: he needed to kill the disgusting creature to advance to the fourth circle.


    Despite the monster''s incredibly high wisdom, there was a reason why its rank wasn''t higher, a weakness that only those with keen observation and astute minds could exploit: although the earth blessing granted the worm incredible control over the surrounding earth, in exchange, it took away the monster''s ability to cast spells independently, which meant, when isted, the monster''s fighting power would be greatly reduced, probably diminishing to that of a C-Rank if not lower.


    Hans exploited this weakness and initiated the battle in the best possible way.


    {Blizzard}


    The third-tier spell froze the entire surface of the cave, including all, the ceiling, the ground, and even the walls.


    This move made the monster''s abilitypletely useless as its mana couldn''t interact with the earth at all.


    Meanwhile, the team members who remained outside this ice cage were amazed by such an incredible disy of magic.


    Inside the cage, Hans activated his spell {Ice Armor} and engaged the monster inbat, throwing punches and spells on it for ten continuous minutes, before finally finishing it.


    As the iceyer created by Hans''s blizzard started to shatter, the fear of seeing the boss monster still alive entered the hunters'' minds, but it quickly dissipated when Hans emerged out of it, almost unscathed.


    Behind himy the giant corpse of the beast, covered in ice and bruises, which started to turn into an abominable pile of flesh as the ice thawed away.

 Chapter 30: Risky decision

    <h4>Chapter 30: Risky decision</h4>


    Once the raid wasplete after the boss monster was taken care of, the three scouts in the team rushed to Hans, wanting to talk to him, hoping to engage him in another meeting or anything through which they might be able to persuade him to join their respective guilds. But Hans strode past them as if they were invisible, heading straight for the gate.


    Once outside, he disappeared without a trace, eluding everyone''s notice.


    He slipped away under the cover of his {Stealth} and headed home, anticipating the moment he had been waiting for.


    [You have yed a pivotal role in the clearing of the C-Rank gate: Veiled Colony]


    [You have been awarded with the Tier-3 spell: {Earthquake}]


    {Earthquake (Tier-3)


    Effect: Upon activation, all the power in your strikes will disperse into the ground as seismic waves, creating ruptures and earthquakes in the vicinity.


    The width of the breach depends on the user''s strength and skill proficiency.}


    [ss Quest Completed.


    You have defeated the B-Rank monster: Gigantic Earthworm.


    You have been awarded the umted wisdom of 125 points.


    The hidden reward has been granted and the skill {Piercing Gaze} has evolved to the skill {Mystic Insight}.


    [Your wisdom has passed the threshold of a thousand, you are now allowed to shape and create your fourth circle.]


    {Skill Name: Mystic Insight


    Skill type: ss Skill (ACTIVE) and (PASSIVE)


    Active: Allows the user to scan and determine the precise statistics of opponents.


    Passive: Enhances the user''s ability to perceive mana''s flow much more clearly and also allows them to discern truths from lies, as long as the speaker''s level is lower than the user''s.


    In battle, it enables the user to predict the trajectory of the enemy''s attacks and identify weak points in the opponent''s body.}


    Truly a skill that almost seemed unfair due to its adaptability and powers.


    Well, everything around Hans was quite crazy.


    From the amount of skills, he had at his level to the incredible wisdom he possessed, not to talk about the ying of a B-Rank beast by a Tier-3 mage, all of that simply didn''t go bymon sense and stretched even outside the limits of imagination.


    Yet, for him, all of this was par for the course. He never paid heed to his peers; only the strongest held his interest. After all, that was the level he needed to eventually reach if he wanted to fulfill his objective¨C or rather, he had to aim even higher, he ought to reach the peak, attainable only by those who transcendedmon sense.


    Leisurely rxing on his bed, Hans prepared to advance once again.


    Mages between Tier-1 and Tier-3 were considered low-ranked, with the majority falling into this category. Beyond those, between Tier-4 and Tier-6, were middle-rank mages, but there weren''t many of them, and even in a rtively big city like Chicago, they would be eligible for roles of guild leaders or vice-leader.


    Surpassing even them, starting from the very least, was the strength of S-Ranks, who were the high-ranking mages. They were scarce and even in a big country like America, they might only be numbered enough to be counted on one''s fingers.


    The advancement through the circles remained the same as ever, it did, however, bestow higher rewards upon sess.


    Hans, as always, spread his lucky towel on the floor to avoid dirtying his room with sweat. As hey down, he initiated the process and startedposing his unique circle, adding one more to his collection.


    Though seemingly simple, the process took hours toplete. Yet, within a day and a half, he had advanced.


    [Congrattions on advancing and bing a Tier-4 Mage]


    [You have gained 50 wisdom points; your affinity and control over mana have increased.


    As a true mage, you have received an additional 50 stats for wisdom, further enhancing your affinity and control over mana exponentially.]


    [Congrattions on bing a medium-rank mage; you are rewarded with an additional fifty wisdom points.]


    [As a middle-rank mage, you can nowbine and modify spells through research and dedication. The skill you possess {Combine}, will cease to exist.]


    [Current Status]


    [Name: Hans


    Age: 18


    ss: Knowledge Seeker (UNKNOWN)


    Title: None


    Level: 93


    Strength: 127(+1)


    Dexterity: 127(+1)


    Endurance: 127(+1)


    Wisdom: 1274(+10)


    ss Skills:


    {Knowledge Hunger}


    {Almighty Knowledge}


    {Mystic Insight} (Level up^)


    Normal skills:


    {me Burst} (Tier-1)(Level up^)


    {Greater Fireball} (Tier-1)


    {Fire Javelin} (Tier-3)


    {Fire Arena} (Tier-2)(Lvl up^)


    {Strong Mind}


    {Stealth} (Tier-3)


    {Mana Barrier} (Tier-4)


    {Mana Route} (Tier-2)(Lvl up^)


    {Medium Body Restoration} (D-Rank)


    {Sword Mastery} (G-Rank)


    {Earth Projectile} (Tier-0)


    {Earthquake} (Tier-3)


    {Wind Gust} (Tier-1)


    {Ice armor} (Tier-4)(NEW!)


    {Blizzard} (Tier-3)


    {Ice Spike} (Tier-1)


    {Lume} (Tier-0)


    {Shock} (Tier-0)


    {Ghostification} (Rank-E)


    Paths:


    {Gravity Control} (Tier-2)(NEW!)


    Description: A newly promoted Tier-4 mage, already surpasses most of the Tier-5 mages and B-Rank warriors in terms of power.


    Your control over mana is immacte and unprecedented for the level.


    Evaluation: Middle of Rank-B]


    He was either a genius or a monster; those were the only descriptors that came close to describing him.


    However, time was running out relentlessly, with the promised deadline drawing closer at an rming pace.


    With just two weeks left, Hans was nowhere near the level he needed to conquer that titan¨C The Titanium Golem.


    If he didn''t bolster his strength, he wouldn''t have the chance of surviving after the fourteen days.


    Even if Hans continued to clear the gates nonstop, it wouldn''t give him much of an increase in level while the high-ranking gates posed a formidable challenge.


    Nervous gripped Hans as the looming challenge approached, leaving him with only one way out of this.


    ....


    Upon clearing the C-Rank gate, Hans'' wisdom stat soared past a thousand, triggering the effect of {Almighty Knowledge}, thereby elevating all of his other stats beyond a hundred.


    At that moment, alongside the questpletion notification, another window popped up in front of him:


    [Your strength stat has surpassed three digits; you can now manifest {Aura}.]


    Aura is a kind of energy that corresponds to mana, but it can only be used by those who follow the path of a knight.


    It is a rankless skill and its strength solely relies on the user''s proficiency with it and their strength.


    This means that the skill''s strength could increase at any given time without any defined prerequisites, but it also means that it could only be attained through rigorous training and practice.


    He didn''t know if half a month was enough for him to obtain it, but Hans had no choice other than going for it.


    After all that he had done to increase his strength, Hans definitely couldn''t relent because of a single doubt.


    After considering his abilities, Hans didn''t doubt that it wouldn''t be impossible for him to escape, but that would be at the cost of many lives and Emily''s imprisonment.


    He refused to be the cause of a disaster akin to the one that took his family away from him.


    If the choice was between igniting a disaster and facing death, then without hesitation, he would close thetter.


    Hans understood that he needed to seclude himself for a while and think about nothing but training, so he asked Emily, who provided a training room for him to stay in along with food and all the necessities inside, so that he wouldn''t have any distractions.


    For the next thirteen days, apart from the eight hours of sleep to maintain his body in optimal condition and the little time he spent eating and going to the bathroom, not a single moment was spared.


    With rigorous and heavy training, he repeated the sword swing movements tens of thousands of times which were now imprinted in his muscle memory along with the countless hours he had spent trying to gather energy to create {Aura} finally paid off.


    _____


    The day of the raid.


    Hans stood before the B-Rank gate, an eerie silence engulfed his being.


    The once-bustling streets, now deserted by Emily''s intervention, gave off a feeling of mncholy, particrly for Hans, who was uncertain of his return.


    He had already said hisst goodbyes to Emily in case something went wrong and also reminded her to continue with the already-told n if he failed to return within 24 hours.


    Hans''s chest was d in the sturdy dragon scale te, wlessly crafted by Hephaestus, ready to defend him from various unforeseen attacks.


    And hanging on his waist and resting in a shiny scabbard was the handle of a sword he had borrowed from that kind old man in the smithy.


    Raising his foot, Hans stepped inside the gate beforepletely disappearing into the unknown.


    [You have entered the B-Rank gate: Machine''s Paradise.]

 Chapter 31: Courage

    <h4>Chapter 31: Courage</h4>


    [You have entered the B-Rank gate: Machine''s Paradise.]


    Facing the terribly huge golem once again, Hans unsheathed his weapon, revealing a beautiful, yet deadly longsword.


    A sword he had recently christened Frost Fang.


    Two days prior...


    As Hans neared the end of his training, he decided to visit the smithy to collect hismissioned gear while also giving his strained body some break.


    After entering the shop, the old man weed him not so heartily before showing Hans his newly crafted work.


    Before long, a stunning chest te was ced on the old wooden table before the young man.


    It was really awe-inspiring, the clear azure scales shimmered in the dim light of the workshop.


    {Mystic Insight}


    [Item''s Name: Dragon''s Protection


    Item''s Rank: High-Rare


    Description: A chest armor piece crafted by a skilled cksmith from genuine draconian scales, it can protect the user from strong attacks and intimidate weaker foes.


    Effects:


    On the covered body sections:


    +150 endurance,


    +300% defence against sharp attack,


    +60% defence against magic spells.


    Grants the owner the skill:


    {Fearsome (Tier-4)


    Description: Emits a potent and violent mana, instilling fear in the nearby entities.


    Effect: Inflict {Slight Fear} on enemies of the same level as you, and give the status effect {Fear} to enemies whose level is quite lower than yours.


    If the difference of level between you and your adversary is significant, you might inflict the status {Complete Fear},pletely overwhelming them mentally and possibly even forcing them to flee or faint.]


    A High-Rare rank piece of equipment like this was an extremely rare and powerful resource, not many of them coould be found normally, and if a normal cksmith were to manage to create a piece like this, it would probably be deemed their life''s work.


    But for Hephaestus, something below this level wasn''t even worth it for him to look at.


    Perhaps out of sympathy for Hans or because of the desire to work with dragon scales, he had epted themission for a rtively modest sum and produced this masterpiece.


    "Here''s yor''mission''d item," dered the old man proudly, his eyes held up by two huge ck rings that had formed through the countless sleepless work hours.


    Despite all the umted tiredness, the old man seemed quite proud of his work.


    "Thank you," Hans replied, bowing deeply to express his gratitude.


    "And.." added Hans. "Do you perhaps have a sword I could buy, even a normal one will do."


    That day, Hans''s tone was a little low, and the observant bearded man, who noticed his unease decided to trust the young man with something that was quite important to him.


    After a moment''s hesitation, he exhaled loudly before offering. He hesitated for a bit, "Well, I don''t have anythin'' cheap for ya, but I do have a sword that is in need of a little testin''. Would ya mind tryin'' it out and tell me how you feel about it?"


    He then pulled out a sword, something Hans had previously seen, actually more than just looked. Hans had witnessed this very sword being pulled out of the force before being shaped.


    It was the nameless sword the old man had crafted after releasing gallons of sweat a few days earlier.


    Hans''s eyes lit up momentarily, however, he hesitated, feeling guilty for taking such a valuable weapon without even knowing if it was in his power to live enough to give it back.


    Hans wanted to be sure about his choice, so he asked insecurely, "Are you sure about this? I might...not be able to give it back to you."


    Even if not stated, the old man understood the unspoken concern within Hans'' words and replied, "If this sword isn''t even enough to protect you, then it''s not worth mourning over."


    Just like that, Hans got his hands on an immensely powerful weapon and he now held it firmly in his right hand, facing the monster he was about to attack.


    Meanwhile, the old man, acting on impulse, regretted giving away one of the finest swords he had craftedst year.


    Alone in his workshop, he couldn''t help but almost cry out thinking about it.


    The sword itself wasn''t shy, it was a simple yet sturdy longsword with a red gem adorning the hilt.


    Returning to the current situation, Hans faced the Titanium Golem without being intimidated. This time, he was prepared as thoroughly as he could, akin to taking a difficult test after doing his best to study.


    And now, he could see for himself how strong his enemy truly was.


    {Mystic Insight}


    [Boss Monster


    Race: Titanium Golem


    Name: None


    Lvl: -


    Strength: 326


    Dexterity: 126


    Endurance: 493


    Skills: None


    Description: A marvel of machinery, an incredibly high-ranking golem that is powered by a mana core. However, since all the mana is allocated for the machine''s movement, the machine does not possess consciousness, therefore, it will never be able to operate either mana or aura.


    Evaluation: Its body alone is enough to rival those of mid A-Rank monsters but due to theck of any intelligence and wisdom, its total evaluation tends to fall into a low Rank-A.


    State: This target does not feel any emotions.


    Note: The skill {Fearsome} granted to you by your equipment {Dragon''s Protection} will not have any effect on this target.]


    Facing such a creature was truly scary. A-Rank monsters were as scary as those in the fairytales meant to instil obedience in children. Facing something like that in real life seemed way too absurd for Hans.


    However, he had no choice. He needed to clear this gate or die trying.


    The towering golem began its advance, resulting in the earth beneath them to tremble.


    Just as he had witnessed before, the golem''s initial attack was a thunderous stomp. The next moment a colossal gray leg descended from the sky, poised to hit him.


    But this time, no matter how huge or fast it was, the pressure it gave off was nowhere near to what he had felt during the first encounter, during which everyone was surprised by the sudden iing attack.


    Being prepared gave Hans the opportunity to avoid the hit, but he still was affected by the shockwave generated due to the impact, sending his hair to stand on the end.


    After regaining his footing, Hans leapt onto the inclined leg of the golem, which allowed him to climb up the golem''s body and scale it until he reached the part that was analogous to a human''s abdomen.


    There, beneath the tough metal skin of the machine, arge circle marked a vulnerable point, revealed by Hans''s skill {Mystic Insight}.


    Recalling the monster''s description previously given by the skill, Hans deduced that in this very part resided the golem''s core.


    Hans unleashed all his strength and attacked with all the power he could muster, but despite all his efforts, with the golem''s incredibly high endurance, a clear hit like that didn''t even manage to scratch the golem''s protectiveyer, leaving Hans quite hopeless.


    The core''s central cing and the golem''s huge dimensions demonstrated just how confident the creator was in the golem''s defensive ability, suggesting that even the strong A-Rank attacks wouldn''t manage to leave a dent in it.


    Indeed, trying with various different attacks didn''t injure it at all.


    However, undeterred, Hans switched to a different approach, unleashing as many powerful spells for as long as he could, but even then, the young man only managed to slightly bruise the creature in exchange for draining arge chunk of his mana.


    This type of fight wasn''t one of the passive type damage where both the participants get slightly injured as the battle goes on, rather, it was a life and death battle, where a single smack from the golem could probably end Hans''s life or leave him stunned and vulnerable to another sessive attacks.


    His body slowly started tiring while time passed and when almost three hours had passed from the start of the battle, Hans''s swordsmanship improved by leaps and bounds, making him feel somewhat more confident after leaving a small gash in the middle of the golem''s chest.


    Then all of a sudden, a light started to radiate from his body as Hans closed his eyes to focus.


    The sword in his hand shone, transforming from a silver-colored one to a shade of the blue moon, reminiscing a starry night.


    {Aura}


    With this, he was now really set to start the fight again.

 Chapter 32: Pierce

    <h4>Chapter 32: Pierce</h4>


    The illuminated sword was enveloped in a bright andforting warm energy, a skill that was the result of Hans'' progress to reach his current stage during his intense training.


    {Aura}


    Once mastered, aura control could help people unleash immense strength or speed, depending on their inclination.


    Auras varied in types and could be recognized by their colors; the well-known ones included red for power, green for speed, blue for sharpness, and white for holiness.


    The intensity and the brightness of these colors also reflected the aura''stent power.


    Taking Elijah as an example, the color of his aura was a blinding white before transforming into a regretful gray after his ss change.


    However, typically an individual''s aura does not change, for that they would have to go through immense traumatic experiences or personality shifts for the color of their aura to modify.


    Strangely enough, Hans'' aura, unlike the regr, wasn''tposed of a single in color, rather, it looked more like a painting.


    It resembled a beautiful, pure starry night painting that would intrigue anyone who gazed deeply into it.


    Despite the aura bursting out of Hans'' body as if it were entirely on fire, the golem remained unfazed, unable to sense any pressure or fear from the human.


    But this didn''t bother Hans either as he was solely focused on his strategy.


    How to attack, counterattack, and breach through the opponent''s defense, were the only thoughts that ran in Hans'' mind.


    Han''s eyes turned serious as heunched yet another assault, aiming it toward the moving pile of titanium.


    [The nameless sword has acknowledged your mana. The name you have granted to the sword is epted.]


    [{Frost Fang} has unlocked its secret attributes.


    {Name: Frost Fang


    Grade: Rare Top


    Owner: Hans Richter


    Description: A perfectly crafted and extremely sharp sword that has acknowledged its owner''s mana and adapted to it.


    Effect: Frost Fang''s special ability is to adapt and amplify its owner''s aura.


    Current skills:


    {Amplification of Hans Richter''s Aura.}


    (Aura Rank: Undetermined


    Amplification: +100%)


    +10% to strength and dexterity while holding the sword.}]


    The sword''s enhancement also boosted Hans'' powers, making him stronger than what he already had be.


    As the giant monster swung its enormous arm right beside Hans, trying to hit him, the young man narrowly missed it by leaping high while simultaneously trying to reach the small dent he had previously inflicted on the golem''s abdomen.


    Hans tried to hit it with all his strength once again, and this time, the strength from the attack was enough to disorient the monster''s bnce, making it almost fall to the ground.


    However, right after regaining its footing, the golem raised both its arms high up before bringing them down, ready to smash Hans to death in retaliation.


    The human was barely able to manage to evade the attack by throwing himself to the side.


    After taking a moment to breathe, Hans gazed up to assess the damage he had dealt, but the next moment his face turned ugly.


    "Tch."


    The little scratch from before had widened slightly, but that was all, and in this manner, if he wanted to finish the monster, it would take a hundred more such attacks.


    And between his not-so-high endurance and the constant risk of a meaningless death looming around, Hans couldn''t afford to make the fightst for that long.


    He needed to end it and fast, if not, it wouldn''t end well for him.


    Meanwhile, the golem continued attacking heavily, while Hans unable to block those hits, could only avoid and patiently wait for an opening during the golem''s big movements.


    He slowly continued to chip away at the golem''s defense, constantly hitting the same spot over and over again.


    What had started once as a small dent in the golem''s body had now be a significant sh that dug into the thick titanium.


    But Hans was really on a tightrope and almost near exhaustion, and even if he could sense that he wasn''t far from reaching the monster''s core, he knew that his body couldn''t keep up with the rhythm of the ongoing fight like before.


    He could not allow it to go on like this, he needed to close this with a single decisive strike that would pierce right through the golem''s core.


    He thought about it while fighting and realized that his only chance was to utilize both his sword and spells.


    He cast {Lighten} on himself, before dodging one final attack, and leaped high up in the air. The golem that predictably followed him with its red emotionless eyes attacked while Hans was in the air, nning to get an easy hit while the human remained vulnerable.


    However, contrary to its calctions, the human suddenly fell to the ground as if pulled by an unseen force.


    {Load}


    As stated in its description, the golem was "just a machine" meaning when faced with a circumstance it couldn''t calcte, it would react in the wrong way.


    Hoping to confuse the machine, Hans made use of the {Gravity Path}''s spells.


    While the machine was momentarily confused with its arms still in the air, its torso was left wide open.


    Realizing that this was his only chance, with determination Hans unleashed his strike, nning to go ALL OUT for this single move.


    {Blizzard}


    {Ice Spear}


    {Earth Projectile}


    {Wind Gust}


    {Aura}


    He pushed his battered body to its limits, using every ounce of strength he was left with.


    The incredible blow derived by the shing of all these spells and Hans''s de with the golem sent it hurtling through the air,nding several meters away.


    Exhausted and barely able to stay upright, Hans knelt before the now-revealed core of the machine, his grip on the sword faltering as he tried to stand with its help.


    "Cough... cough!"


    Blood spilled from his mouth, covering his lips and staining his clothes.


    [You have defeated the boss monster: Titanium Golem]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have leveled up!]


    [You have....]


    [Current level: 105]


    The slight boost of endurance he gained by leveling up and the pain induced by his bleeding interiors managed to keep him conscious, albeit barely.


    It took him a couple of minutes just to rise to his feet.


    As he walked towards the gate, every single one of his muscles burst with pain, much less talk about the internal injuries he had received, it was painful, painful enough to just want to die because of it, but more than anything, Hans was grateful for having survived. Had that golem only been slightly faster or if it hadn''t moved as Hans had thought, he wouldn''t be in this world right now.


    Half-dead, Hans made his way home.


    Not to a hospital like most would, but home.


    He was sick and tired of it, he had been to the hospital too many times in the past few months, and even before that, the hospital reminded him of nothing but his family, leaving him despondent.


    He opened the door of his apartment and closed it right behind him before slowly passing through and making his way to the bed andpletely lying down.


    ''I''ll take a break from this.''


    ''Whether I''m strong or weak, it doesn''t matter if I''m dead.''


    ''Because of my reckless actions, people died. I need time to reflect.''


    His thoughts were unlike any he''d ever had before.


    For the first time in years, a person who always thought about his family had finally thought about himself, especially when he was on the verge of dying.


    Truly, the life he was living wasn''t a normal one.


    Despite having received no word from him, Emily was certain of his sess since the gate had disappeared. But since Hans hadn''t reached out, she decided to just leave him alone for a while.

 Chapter 33: Grief

    <h4>Chapter 33: Grief</h4>


    Morning greeted Hans'' t with warmth, contrasting sharply with the cold wind that could be seen through the blurry window.


    The room was filled with the sound of a boiling liquid while the strong aroma of coffee permeated the air, reaching Hans''s nostrils.


    Sniffing twice, he remarked, "Ah, the gas, better turn it off before it burns."


    He wasn''t really rich so his stove still ran on gas and wasn''t reced by induction panels.


    He removed the grey mocha from the stove before pouring it into a cup which was right before him and added the foamy milk he had prepared moments earlier.


    He slowly sipped the hot cappino while turning to the morning news.


    Despite somewhat bing a coffee addict over the years and turning into a machine fueled by it, Hans still enjoyed the beverage, after all, it reminded him of the ce he lived beforeing to America, the ce where he tasted it for the first time, his mother''s hometown.


    He had nothing but good memories from that ce; however, after he turned twelve, they moved out of the country and returned to his father''s home state, the USA. It took some time for Hans to adjust to this, but he eventually gave up the thoughts of returning to where he came from and also left his friends.


    And now, he didn''t have any intention of going back there.


    Today was just another day for the world, but Hans was about to witness the consequences of his actions.


    He needed to visit the homes of the deceased hunters who had apanied him in the B-Rank gate expedition.


    Following the military protocol, people had already gone and informed the family of the deceased about what happened to the adventurers, but as a sign of respect, Hans decided to deliver thepensation money himself.


    A heavy sense of responsibility weighed on his shoulders as he prepared dozens of envelopes containing thepensation for every person. And when the clock ticked to 12:00, he departed, leaving in a cozy jacket.


    Outside, the snowkes slowly and gently drifted to the ground, apanied by the chilly winter temperature that arrived in November.


    A thinyer of white covered the walkway while the wet streets were holed by many puddles that rippled with every passing car.


    Not every hunter was affluent, especially those in the lower tiers, so many of the houses of their rtives lived in the suburbs rather than the city center.


    He moved around, walking his way to them even knowing that it was quite a long way.


    After he arrived at the first address, he gazed at the house in front of him - a modest pre-built home with a red roof and a small front yard.


    He clicked and rang the doorbell, letting the sound echo through the house.


    "Drrrrrinnn."


    The loud sound reached a middle-aged woman''s ears, who got up from the sofa to open the door.


    She watched through the peephole and was surprised to find a young man with a solemn expression painted on his face at her door.


    Thedy proceeded to open the door and asked with a gentle and soft tone, "What brings you here, young man? And what''s with that long face? Has something wrong happened?"


    Hans''s face already wasn''t lively, but an awful sensation surged up in him seeing the lone woman.


    He felt so bad that he was tempted to say he just got the wrong house before walking away.


    But he quickly regained his resolve and acted as nned.


    "Miss, I''vee here from the association."


    The woman flinched and her gaze lowered.


    "I''ve personally worked alongside your son and am deeply saddened by his passing. However, today I am here to deliver thepensation issued by the government in such cases."


    He was ashamed, not because he was telling her something like that, but because he was lying to her.


    He didn''t actually know her son, Ethan Collins, rather, Hans just happened to work with him a couple of times and barely remembered his name and face, but how could he tell her that, how could he say that her son died a worthless death because of his fault.


    Maybe, for thedy it would turn out better this way, making her think that her son died heroically for the country.


    ''Ethan Collins, I may not know you well, but rest assured, I''ll watch over your mother.''


    With that, he walked away, moved by the olddy''s emotions just as she returned inside and started crying.


    Her son was gone, he wasn''t there anymore, her husband had left this world a couple of years ago, and now, even her young child wasn''t there anymore.


    Just like that, Hans continued doing the same all day, passing through countless houses and delivering the envelope.


    Throughout the day, during his visits to numerous houses, Hans witnessed various reactions. When he visited the third house, the deceased''s sister couldn''t ept it, and screamed at him in anguish, "Take back your money!! I don''t want those!! Give back my brother instead!!!"


    Amidst the screams and tears, Hans was forced to leave the envelope in the mailbox.


    Tears flowed freely as others mourned and called for their departed family members.


    The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the neighborhood.


    Meanwhile, Hans found himself in front of thest house he had to visit, the house of the previous fifth team leader, David Wilson.


    Being somewhat richer than the others, David''s house wasparatively bigger and not far from the city center.


    Hans rang the doorbell for the fourteenth time today and answering the wooden door was a brown-haired child, who cheerfully weed him.


    "What do you want?!" the kid asked curiously.


    However, before Hans could answer, a loud voice came from inside the house, "Liaaamm, how many times have I told you not to open the door to strangers?!!"


    "Ack" the kid almost jumped from the sudden scream before trying to defend himself.


    "It-it''s okay Mom,"


    "It''s just a guy, he-he looks like a kind person."


    "Oh, don''t trust guys like those, they''re the worst ones," came the mother''s reply which caused the kid to stand there and ponder hard about another response while Hans stood at the door with an awkward smile.


    Despite the death of the father, this family was lively, and even though Hans felt somewhat happy about it, he wondered if there was something wrong.


    The woman came to the doorway and chased the kid away, "Liam, next time you open the door to someone, you''ll stay two weeks without your tablet.


    "Haa? That''s unfair!!!" the kid pouted before running in.


    "Sigh.." the moment the kid left, the woman''s face dropped, bing gloomy and sad.


    Two big dark circles underscored her tired eyes that stood out even more now that her smile had faded away.


    Realization dawned on Hans ¨C the kid was unaware of his father''s death.


    The mother had kept the news about his father to herself, keeping her child''s life happy till she was able to.


    "Ms... I''m here from the association," whispered Hans.


    "Oh," just like all the previous families, the look on her face was empty and Hans could see some tears streaming down her eyes.


    "I see,e inside, let''s talk about it over a coffee," she spoke as loud as possible, to make the situation seem normal to the child, but Hans couldn''t help but feel bad seeing her almost choke as she spoke.


    "It''s okay miss, I have a full agenda to attend," he replied in the same high tone before whispering, "He doesn''t know right?"


    The woman nodded, her gaze empty yet tearful.


    With a sigh, Hans continued with his low tone, "You are a good mother miss, I came here just to deliver this."


    As he handed the envelope, the woman gazed at the money inside with a hint of disdain in her eyes, but still quietly epted it.


    Even if she didn''t want to take the money paid by her husband''s death, she was now alone and had a child to take care of, so she needed this financial aid.


    After a quick mental reasoning, she thought that her husband would be happier this way so she decided to take the money.


    After handing the letter, Hans left while the woman returned inside.


    Her smile remained non-existent and her son, who saw it, asked in concern if something was wrong. At that moment, the woman made an important and painful decision, "Liam...e sit down, I have to tell you something."


    Hans, returned home more depressed than ever and jumped on his bed, hugging the pillow.


    All that he had seen today, all those broken families, all those people waiting for someone they cared for to return home left him despondent.


    It was sad.


    Sure he had always heard about situations like these and exactly for that reason, the moment he managed to get his family out ofa, Hans nned on retiring and living a normal life.


    But after witnessing the sadness and pain it brought to people, now he wasn''tpletely sure about what he would do.


    Maybe, he could avoid the death of many people and lessen the pain that might be incurred upon their loved ones.


    "Well, I have to get there first, I''ll think about it when I''m there."


    With those words, Hans closed his eyes.


    Throughout the night he tossed and turned in the bed while sleeping and had countless nightmares.


    All which he had seen with his eyes during the day was now amplified in his mind while the sorrow only intensified in his dreams.

 Chapter 34: Day off

    <h4>Chapter 34: Day off</h4>


    "Yaaaan!"


    Hans woke up and stretched his arms as the morning light flooded his room through the windows, casting a golden hue on everything.


    A momentter, he pinched the bridge between his eyes due to a headache. It was more difficult for an awakened person to get sick, so usually, when a mage felt a headache, it was a sign of excessive consumption of mana.


    This time, however, it was because of the nightmares that gued Hans throughout the night, leaving him restless.


    He kept dreaming about the dead who called his name and used him of their death.


    He also dreamt that some of the families of the deceased med him for the death of their loved ones.


    "Not a pleasant night if I must say," he muttered to himself.


    Realizing that he couldn''t fall asleep anymore, Hans decided to get moving and start his day early.


    Today was a day off, actually, it was the first one in thest few weeks.


    His relentless pursuit of strength had left little room to even bother wasting time on things like rxation or peace of mind.


    But perhaps, it seemed that, especially for a mage like himself, taking time to rest and recharge his mind was not something to be underestimated.


    The fatigue and stress that had built up after fighting the golem still apanied him and he didn''t want to face another gate in such conditions.


    Luckily, because of his {Medium Body Restoration}, he could recover a bit over the night, easing his movements.


    And his {Mana Route} also helped in alleviating the mental strain from the innumerable spell casting.


    But even with those, his strength remained about the same as that of a Tier-2 mage, meaning he definitely couldn''t enter any gates with those ranks.


    But.... What to do now?


    He had no friends, no hobbies, no family.


    What would he do all day?


    He pondered over it and after much consideration, it seemed that, for him, finding an answer to this particr question was even more difficult than clearing a gate.


    Nheless, Hans finally found a decent option and settled on a n.


    You see, he had just made lots of money and with his work as a hunter, it won''t be difficult to get a loan from the association.


    While it would be better to take it from the bank since the interest over there is lower, because of the high death rates of the hunters, banks had stopped giving loans to them quite a long time ago.


    Anyway, this meant that he was almost considered rich.


    And for a newly made rich person like him to live in a small t like this truly didn''t truly suit him well.


    Since he had no interest in other things, all his money would be left there, bing moldy.


    Instead, it would be better for him to move into a new house.


    Actually, having a good house to wee his family wasn''t the only reason he needed it, rather, it was also because the safety inside his apartment wasn''t really the best, and he was always left vulnerable while he was busy creating new circles, so considering that he would grow in fame sooner orter, it would be more and more dangerous for him to live in a t located in the city suburbs.


    After searching online, Hans discovered that the highest sum of money that a registered C-Rank hunter could take was 250,000 $. That, coupled with more than a hundred thousand of savings he had in his bank ount would be more than enough to buy a decent house, to say the least.


    Leaving his apartment, Hans headed to a nearby real estate agency which he would often see when making his way to the association.


    However, by the time he arrived, it was closed.


    "Huh? Are you for real? I passed by dozens of times all this long and never saw it close but today it is??!!"


    Hans cried inwardly and didn''t know what to do, so he started searching for another one around him, however, much to his surprise, even the maps told him that all the estate agencies were closed.


    Hans couldn''t help but wonder why it was such until he looked at his phone and something dawned upon him.


    It was a Sunday.


    He was lost in his work so muchtely that he didn''t even think that there would be any break days for agencies. And now, Hans couldn''t do anything other than postpone his n.


    Since he didn''t have anything else to do, the young man decided to spend some of his time with Aiden.


    He would always see that kid alone and even if Hans had initially approached him because of his unique ss potential, he had now grown attached to the boy and wished to see him thrive.


    Making someone work at such a young age wasn''t something good for them and Hans was well aware of how painful it was to be alone and be forced to work at an early age.


    Hans knew that he couldn''t leave Aiden to fend for himself.


    He messaged Aiden, who had given him his number long ago.


    [Are you free right now? Care for a coffee?]


    [I''m having breakfast at the bar beside the association, you cane here if you want to.]


    An immediate response came from the other side, readily agreeing to the invitation.


    [Sure, wait for me, I''ll be there in five minutes]


    Five minutester, Aiden arrived, clearly out of breath because of running.


    "B-brother Hans," he gasped, sinking into a chair beside Hans.


    "Hey, you could''ve taken your time, there wasn''t any need for such a hurry," Hans shook his head.


    "I didn''t want to keep you waiting," Aiden replied, still catching his breath.


    "Ah that''s not a problem; I have got nothing to do today."


    The reason why Aiden had hurried toe here was because it had been three weeks since hest saw Hans. Thest time the two met was during the young boy''s visit to the hospital and since then, there had been no word from him whatsoever.


    No messages, no visits to the association, or anything.


    When he asked Emily what was going on, she simply answered, "Well, he has a matter he needs to resolve on his own, it''s better that you don''t disturb him."


    However, even if she said that, Aiden could grasp the curiosity in her voice which stated that she was also wondering what Hans was doing.


    So when he finally got a message, Aiden wasted no time and rushed as fast as he could.


    "Have you finished what you needed to do?" Aiden inquired.


    Hans, quite surprised by the question, took a moment before smiling and answered, "Yes, I have."


    "That''s good." Aiden nodded.


    The waitress approached and asked if they wanted something, Hans ordered a cream-filled brioche along with coffee, while Aiden ordered a ss of hot milk with a donut.


    After the waitress took the order with a smile and walked away, a smirk formed on the corner of Hans'' lips as he nced at Aiden and sneered, "See, you really are a kid, only kids order milk at a bar."


    ...


    Time flew quickly as the two stayed at the bar and chatted, before they could even notice it, almost an hour had passed away.


    Aiden talked about how he still went to school and how he struggled to make friends, the reason being that he spent all his time after school working at the association.


    Apparently, he became an orphan at the tender age of seven because of the disaster and lived in an orphanage until he turned ten, after which he awakened as a potion brewer.


    After that, someone finally was willing to adopt him; the person was the current association security team leader, who adopted him because of his production ss, something that was much sought after at the time and he hoped to make money out of the young boy.


    The adopted father taught him many recipes and invested in him, but as time passed and Aiden''s skills still hadn''t grown, his new father began to despise him, leaving him to fend for himself with little support.


    The once warm and weing smile on his face left, reced with just disgust and hate, which were now present in his gaze every time he crossed paths with his adopted son.


    After two years, his father decided to abandon him, however, since he couldn''t do it publicly as it would ruin his image, in the pretext of making him experience real life, the man just sent Aiden to work, not even paying him while barely giving him a ce to sleep and food on the table despite working for over eight hours every day.


    Later on, the man prohibited anyone in the association from helping the young boy, threatening them with lower pay or firing.


    Even though they pitied him, the workers dared not toe close to Aiden, afraid of losing their jobs.


    Insiders knew the young boy''s poor conditions but no one posed a helping hand, afraid of offending the association security team leader, a fearsome B-Rank warrior.


    With that, Aiden grew up alone and had to spend all his time studying and working.


    Later on, he met Hans, someone who continuously talked with him and also gave him attention.


    The two soon became friends despite the difference in their ages being significant.


    And now, there was someone he could fully trust.


    In a life so dark that it was difficult to look ahead, even a faint light like Hans''s kindness shone bright akin to a star, making Aiden finally feel like a normal person and bringing him the pleasure of living.


    Hans felt guilty, even if for a different reason, he had approached Aiden with the same


    intentions as that despicable human: to make use of his powers.


    At that instance, he made another vow to himself, the moment he would be able to, he would take Aiden under his wing, send him to college, and make him live a normal life.


    He wanted to do it immediately, but he had yet to obtain enough power to do so.


    "You know, Aiden, I have a younger sister and she is the same age as you," Hans mentioned.


    "Is she pretty?" Aiden asked, his brows raised high.


    ''Maybe... I should just leave him to suffer a bit more,'' Hans thought in all seriousness while his face twitched.

 Chapter 35: Day off 2

    <h4>Chapter 35: Day off 2</h4>


    Having finished their breakfast, Hans decided to apany Aiden to the arcade after being bombarded by countless requests from his eager friend.


    Upon arrival, Aiden exined how the arcade worked, confessing that he had never been there due tock of money, but was dying to try it out after hearing his ssmates rave about it.


    "See there? You buy coins and then use them to y the games you want," Aiden elucidated.


    "How much does a gamest?" Hans inquired.


    Aiden tapped his temple thoughtfully, "Mhhh, I don''t know for sure, but I think about three minutes."


    "Do you want to stay here until lunch?" Hans suggested looking at Aiden, who quickly nodded in agreement.


    "Ok, I''ll go buy some, you can watch around and decide which ones you''d want to y," Hans offered.


    "Ok."


    .....


    After a few minutes, Hans returned with a leather bag in his hand.


    "Brother Hans, did they run out of coins?" Aiden asked forcing a smile.


    "No, they''re in here," Hans replied, raising the bag to show it to Aiden.


    "B-brother how many did you buy?" Aiden stammered.


    "Well, I made some calctions and came to the result that we''ll need about a hundred and twenty coins, so just to be sure I bought a hundred and fifty."


    "Ha-ha, I-I don''t think we''ll be able to finish them today," Aiden chuckled nervously.


    "It''s fine, just in case youe here with your friends, you can save them for the next time," Hans reassured.


    "...thank you."


    "Shall we start now?" Hans prompted, eager to try a few games himself now.


    One after the other, all the arcades fell at the feet of the mighty duo, with Hans asionally letting Aiden win in one-on-one games to boost the boy''s morale.


    By the time they walked out of that ce, only fifty-four coins remained in the bag.


    "Where would you like to eat, Aiden?" Hans asked.


    "Can I choose anything?" Aiden asked, his eyes shining like stars.


    "Mh Mh," Hans affirmed with a smile.


    "Then can we get pizza?" Aiden requested.


    As if his student had answered a question perfectly, Hans was proud of the response Aiden hade up with and immediately brought him to a nearby pizza restaurant.


    With Aiden not having any particr preferences, Hans decided to order two margarita pizzas and two cokes.


    The melted cheese and the hot tomato sauce were heavenly which was apanied by the perfectly crunchy crust.


    "So good."


    Savoring the food, they both enjoyed the moment.


    "Hans... could you take me to an amusement park?" Aiden asked.


    "Sure, I''ve always wanted to go to one myself," Hans replied.


    "Really?!" Aiden couldn''t help but exim.


    "Hahaha, yes."


    That day, Hans felt like a good person, bringing joy instead of tears of sorrow, almost forgetting about his nightmares.


    Aiden was a weak spot for him, reminding him of his young self and his sister, two reasons to protect him.


    Also, now that he had lived in it a bit, he didn''t want Aiden to enter the world of the awakened, afraid of losing him.


    He truly was a kind-hearted boy.


    They enjoyed all the rides and then watched the sunset from the Ferris wheel.


    When covered by the setting sunlight, the city of Chicago became majestic.


    At 5 pm, when the sun was already down, they bid farewell to each other and went their separate ways.


    Aiden happily yed with the bag of coins Hans had handed him as he entered his home.


    No one seemed to be home since the lights were off, but the moment he stepped in, a deep voice came from the direction of the sofa. His father asked in an intimidating tone, "Where have you been up until now?.. Aiden."


    _____


    The next morning.


    Hans sat alone in his apartment while having his breakfast, making ns about the house he would buy.


    He wanted an apartment in the middle of the city, one which had a big dining room and three bedrooms; one for him, one for his parents, and one for his little sister.


    He wanted it to be at least on the sixth floor, allowing him to gaze over the city akin to the view Emily had from her office.


    His reverie was interrupted by a message from Emily.


    "Hans,e here quickly!! The ex-association branch leader wants to talk to you."


    ''Pffffff!'' Hans spit out his coffee and almost choked on it.


    "Cough..cough.."


    ''Sh*t! The association branch leader, Brick Garrison. Is he mad at me because of what I said to himst time???"


    ''Should I apologize? well, it''s not like I said something wrong.''


    While he was subconsciously thinking of all of that, Hans had already changed and walked out before leaving for the association in a hurry.


    After he entered the association''s first floor, he saw a familiar back.


    And even if he was in a hurry, he stopped to say bye at least.


    "Hey there, Aiden, how''s it going," Hans greeted, causing the familiar figure to freeze in ce.


    "Hey, what''s wron-" Hans asked as he posed his hand on Aiden''s shoulder and managed to catch a glimpse of his face only to be slightly taken aback.


    Aiden''s once beautiful facial features were marred by bruises and scratches.


    "Who did this?!" Hans demanded angrily.


    "It''s-it''s nothing to be concerned about," Aiden mumbled.


    "I asked who did this!!" Hans persisted but was only met with silence.


    "Was it your father?!!" Hans'' voice rose with concern.


    ''I''ll fucking kill him,'' Hans thought, seeing Aiden lower his gaze.


    However, before he could do anything else, Emily interrupted, grabbed Hans''s hand, and dragged him away.


    "What are you doing?! Come fast," Emily urged.


    While he was being dragged away, Hans stared at Aiden, who did not dare look him in the eye.


    As they rode the elevator, Hans'' mind raced with thoughts regarding how to kill Aiden''s fake father.


    Maybe burning him to death or maybe a guillotine. Hans was so immersed in thinking about it that he didn''t even notice that Emily had apologized for her abrupt actions.


    When the elevator doors opened, he quietly followed her only to find himself in the grandest office he had ever seen.


    It was all adorned with antique furniture. And sitting on the leather chair in the center was the A-Rank awakened, Brick Garrison.


    "Come, have a seat," Garrison invited and Hansplied without hesitation.


    "I have summoned you here today for something that is of extreme importance..." the bearded man began.


    "You see, after experiencing for myself that my power still isn''t sufficient to protect the people of this city, I''ve decided to resign from my current position as branch leader. However, unfortunately, I won''t be able to retire until I find a suitable sessor."


    "Hans, I have personally witnessed the disy of your strength during the C-Rank gate raid we did together and rumors of your achievement of ying a C-Rank gate boss have also reached my ears." Garrison praised.


    "Other than that, I have also witnessed your desire to save people even when they doubted you, making you an upright person. And also, we are in need of fresh minds, it''s time for our generation to pave the way for yours."


    "I still have memories and lingering feelings from before the catastrophe and haven''t forgotten how life worked before the tragedy." Garrison let out a sigh and continued.


    "Someone who always dreams of recreating the past must not be allowed to participate in the making of the future.


    How about it? Would you like to take up this role?" he finally asked.


    "I think you are misunderstanding something," Hans interjected. "I too constantly dwell thinking about the past."


    That was the truth, he also remembered the world before and dreamt of it, however, more than anything else, he dreamt about having his family back.


    Garrison''s eyes rxed and he let out another sigh before thinking, ''So he won''t ept it, huh? I guess I''ll need to find someone el..''


    "But," Hans''s words made him abruptly stop what he was thinking as he continued.


    "I could still take up that role depending on something."


    "What is it? I''ll do my best to give you a satisfactory answer," Garrison immediately interrupted.


    "If I were in the position you are sitting in right now..."


    "Yes.." the bearded man''s eyes narrowed, wondering what the young man was nning to offer.


    "Would I be able to kill the security team leader?"


    Hans'' tone lowered and his face became serious.


    Were they talking about a normal person, Garrison would''ve kicked Hans out of his room and changed the candidate for selection.


    However, they were talking about the security team leader of the Chicago association, the man who was infamous for being a wicked and corrupt person: Logan Harris.


    "Huuuuu... if you''re thinking about killing him, it''ll be difficult," Garrison admitted.


    "You said difficult, not impossible," Hans replied determinedly.


    After thinking for a moment, Garrison asked for Emily to stand outside before covering the entire ce with a soundproof mana artifact and began his exnation.


    Once he was finished, the barrier was taken down and they concluded the discussion.


    "Is that all I need?" Hans couldn''t help but ask after listening to Garrison''s n.


    "Yes," replied Garrison.


    Then, Hans extended his hand and shook it with the association leader.


    "It''ll be a pleasure and my honor to defend the city in your absence," Hans dered.


    "Thank you for taking this heavy responsibility on your shoulders," Garrison acknowledged gratefully.

 Chapter 36: First step

    <h4>Chapter 36: First step</h4>


    Hans stepped outside the association building after not finding Aiden on the first floor at all. It seemed that the fellow had run away and didn''t want his friend to see his vulnerable side.


    ''It''s better to leave him alone for a while,'' Hans thought, sensing that the immature boy didn''t want to see anyone at the moment.


    While he was taking the bus to the outskirts of Chicago, Hans mulled over his recent conversation with Garrison.


    "The first thing you have to do to kill Logan, that is, if you care least about the consequences of your actions, is to bring him down from his position," Garrison had advised.


    "If it were so simple and you knew his character, why haven''t you kicked him out already," Hans had questioned this after this suggestion.


    "Calm down, it''s not so straightforward...right now, even if you do manage to fire him, the association will lose power, inviting intervention from the higher-ups, who in turn might strip you of your powers and put him inmand," Garrison had exined.


    "That is why, you need to find a recement, someone with a strength of at least B-Rank. If you do that, the troubles with the higher-ups can be resolved."


    "Find a candidate and worry about the restter."


    This was what the bearded man had concluded.


    Meanwhile, Hans proceeded with the first step of his n to get rid of Aiden''s tormentor.


    Initially, he had thought about asking Hephaestus, but he quickly trashed the idea, afraid of receiving that old man''s hammer on his head. After all, the smith still didn''t know that Hans was aware of his true identity.


    Then, another name came to his mind: the only other person above B-Rank whom he would possibly be able to persuade¨C someone who liked money above everything else.


    Thest time he had met this person, Hans was left astonished by his incredible disy of strength and solemnity.


    A person who didn''t even hesitate to kill his friend for straying down the wrong path, the leader of the underworld loan business: Kwang-su Kim.


    Hans retraced the path he had walked a couple of weeks ago and turned into the dark alley after the corner, where three goons were sitting and lounging on the steps, each having a cigarette in hand.


    The youngest one, slightly shorter than Hans, sat in the middle, nked by the chubby and short man with various tattoos under his loose white tank top on the left and a particrly ugly guy on the right.


    Hans recognized the three from the previous encounter.


    Their stares were unfriendly and they acted all tough, until they realized who was standing in front of them.


    Rumors about him had spread in their striped gang after the incident with their vice team leader, Liam.


    People talked about how he was like a devil that came out of hell just to punish them, but those involved in the case knew damn well that he was way worse than that.


    The heat of those terrifying mes was deeply imprinted in their minds, making them sweat just after thinking about it.


    And so, the moment they recognized Hans, all their tough facades shattered and their bodies started shaking uncontrobly as if they were going to lose their bowels the next moment.


    This time, instead of demanding they take him to their boss, Hans simply strode past them, already aware of his destination.


    As the bar''s doors swung open, the sunlight pierced through the thick smoke in the air, revealing the faces of some gangsters.


    The ones hit by the light covered their eyes with their arms that used to stay in the dark not allowed to see anything. While the others simply watched Hans, whose face was shrouded in shadow against his brightly lit shoulders.


    He slowly walked towards the corner table where Kwang-su Kim sat, sipping a ss of red wine.


    "What have youe here for?" Kim asked, lounging on the couch.


    "Need money again?" he continued.


    "Not this time. I am here for another purpose today, could we talk in private?" Hans replied, eyeing the men at the table.


    "Follow me," responded Boss Kim.


    They moved their conversation to another room.


    The new spot was dark and warm while the wooden tables furnishing the room were low, making it seem like an ideal atmosphere to y card games.


    The armchairs were made out of red leather and were veryfortable to sit on.


    "So? What''s important enough to warrant a change of ce?" inquired Boss Kim, who as always, was dressed in a ck suit which contrasted against his white shirt.


    "I have a job for you, not a temporarymission, but a stable job with good pay," Hans began.


    "It''ll just require you to fight criminals and people like them, also-"


    However, before Hans could finish his sentence, the man interrupted him with a firm and serious tone.


    "I''ll agree, but under two conditions."


    Hans listened attentively, awaiting Kim''s conditions.


    "First, since I''ll likely need to expose my face in public, I want a fake identity and an artifact to alter my body structure. You see, there are some people where I came from who don''t exactly have warm feelings toward me and are constantly on my lookout, so I don''t want a half-assed identity, but a wless one that won''t be tracked down even if the entire CIAes knocking at my door."


    The man then paused for Hans''s response, who thought about the condition for a while before nodding and giving his approval for the first condition.


    "Second, I need a personal favor from you. I have witnessed your strength as a magest time and there will be a day where I''ll need your assistance in taking down certain people."


    The second condition carried more weight than the first. It was vague and Hans could be led into doing anything, but still, he didn''t have a choice. It wouldn''t be toote to back down when the time came.


    Just as Hans was about to ept his second condition as well, Kwang-su Kim added, "Don''t worry, the ones I''m talking about are those who havemitted things that would deserve a death penalty at the very least and my request won''t be too outrageous."


    Convinced, Hans agreed.


    "Deal. The identity will take some time, but I''ll contact you as soon as it''s ready."


    Before departing, the man in a suit asked jokingly, "Shouldn''t you at least tell me what job I''ll have to do?"


    Hans replied with a smile, "Oh, right. You''ll be the security team leader of the Chicago branch association."


    As if he had seen a ghost, the man was shocked.


    Meanwhile, seeing him like this, Hans continued, "What is it, don''t tell me...


    ____


    [Name: Kwang-su Kim


    Age: 21


    ss: Shadow Assassin (RARE)


    Title: ck Devil


    Lvl: 192


    Strength: 214


    Dexterity: 274


    Endurance: 159


    Wisdom: 103


    Skills:


    {Shadow Camouge (ss Skill)


    Effect: The user will be able to hide in the shadow cast by all non-living objects. When hiding inside a shadow, if the opponent does not have an acute perception or a specialized ability, the user will remain effectively invisible.


    Note: The effects of the skill can be reduced if the user makes any sounds or if they move too much.}


    {Swordsmanship} (C-Rank)


    ....


    Hidden skills:


    {Shadow Domain}(??)


    Unlocking Conditions: (????)


    Description: A skilled swordsman with the troublesome ability to hide in the shadows. If the user ns for an ambush, they could potentially confront someone above their rank.


    Evaluation: Low A-Rank]


    _____


    ...that you don''t have the ability to do so." Hans finished as he assessed the fellow.


    "N-no, it''s not that. It''s just, to be able to appoint me as the security team leader of the branch, who are you?"


    "Of course.... the next branch leader."


    Hans left the gang''s hideout before returning to the association to consult with Garrison.


    When the ex-branch leader saw him entering his office, he wondered if Hans had rethought his decision and wanted to take a step back.


    However, he soon realized that wasn''t the case.


    Hans had returned because he had already found a candidate to rece the current security team leader and just needed a fake identity for him.


    Hans specifically requested an Eastern Asian identity, already knowing that it would be meaningless trying to hide it.


    It was now time to proceed with the second step of the n- to strip Aiden''s father of his current position and powers.


    "Here they are," Garrison said, tossing a stack of documents on the office table before his chair.


    Hans picked them up and started going through them.


    Tax evasion, murder, rape, drug dealing, smuggling, violence, corruption.


    These were some of the many crimesmitted by the man in question.


    Over the five years he had served as the association branch leader, Garrison had umted all of this evidence and was ready to release it in case of a sudden political attack from Logan Harris.


    He wanted to release them but knew that the absence of a security team leader would mean the weakening of the association''s branch, allowing the other guilds to act bolder and more fearlessly in the city.


    Meanwhile, after reading line after line of those documents, a sense of anger and disgust grew in Hans'' heart.


    Never once in his life had he thought that someone deserved death as much as this man.


    It was time to put an end to this monster''s life.

 Chapter 37: Vortex guild

    <h4>Chapter 37: Vortex guild</h4>


    It was time to put an end to this monster''s life.


    As Hans left the association, Garrison''s words echoed in his mind once again.


    "The second step you must do to bring Logan down from his power is to sever his backing."


    "Many times in the past and even currently, he has been concealing affairs from the three big guilds to amass wealth and favors, meaning that if you were to take him down now, the three big guilds would oppose, fearing their secrets might be exposed."


    "Immoral and unpleasant as it may be, you will have to give them the certainty that you will cover up their sh*t."


    "First of all, start by talking with the Vortex Guild''s master; he is the most cool-headed out of the three and will be easier to talk to."


    That was exactly where Hans was headed right now.


    After a brisk five-minute walk, he arrived at the desired destination: a tall, white skyscraper that stood before him, its towering form gleamed due to the brilliant sunlight, making it challenging to gaze at directly.


    Without any hesitation, Hans stepped inside.


    The hall on the first floor was surprisingly small andcked both people and furniture, save for the two front desks, various doors, and an elevator entrance.


    It seemed quite strange for an association as prominent as this to have such a cramped hall instead of a luxurious and spacious ce for the hunters to takemissions and rx.


    Nevertheless, Hans walked up to the front desk and requested a meeting with the guild master.


    The two receptionists were quite baffled by his request, but before denying him an opportunity, one of them asked, "Sir, do you perhaps have a rmendation?"


    "Oh, yes, here it is," Hans replied, handing over a white envelope.


    At first sight, it appeared nothing different than normal white mail, but for a trained eye like the one of the two receptionists, it held another meaning.


    The ck-purple stamp on the mail belonged to a special position and it was well known everywhere.


    The seal of an association branch leader.


    It must be noted that whoever brought something like this would be treated as if they were the branch leader and every word from them would hold the same value as the branch leader''s.


    Blocking someone like that at the entrance would signify denying the association''s authority and even possibly offending it.


    One of the receptionists immediately bowed to Hans and escorted him to the elevator.


    Contrary to the cramped lobby, the elevator was proportionally spacious and could easily amodate twenty people without any problems, with its walls made of expensive-looking white material.


    The moment the elevator''s doors closed, the receptionist who didn''t escort Hans breathed a sigh of relief and discharged the tension he had umted over thest few seconds.


    But just as he was about tomence his work once again, a thought came to his mind.


    ''Didn''t the association branch leader retire?''


    ''Then...''


    ''Could it be that that young man will be the next branch leader?!''


    As the elevator with Hans and his escort approached the fourth floor, the youngdy beside him exined, "The ce you''re about to enter is a space that is usually only reserved for insiders and future guild members, under normal circumstances, people from other organizations would not be allowed to ess it."


    "It''s a ce where hunters take on jobs and can rx freely with theirrades, between the hours of deathly work as a hunter, it is needed to relieve stress."


    "It is a freely essible space that we insiders like to call, The zone."


    The doors opened in the inverse direction, revealing an amazing sight before Hans'' eyes.


    The fourth-floor room was huge, measuring at least as much as the trading center Hans had visited before.


    Peace permeated the air of the whole room.


    The white luxurious walls were brightly reflecting the sunlight that entered from one of the four walls that waspletely made out of ss.


    The ceiling was more than twelve meters (almost 40 feet) high and at half the height. On the side of the room were attached some internal balconies that were upied by various tables and chairs for the bars.


    All these balconies were connected by white bridges and handrails made out of steel connected to the ss panels.


    The people present here were smiling showing no signs of sadness or conflict anywhere.


    Since hunters were typically prideful and often surrounded by the deaths of theirrades, witnessing them so jubnt was a rare sight indeed.


    As Hans stayed there and looked around, it felt as if all his worries were being swept away.


    Scattered throughout the various points of the huge room were some desks where people could seek information and notice boards where hunters could discover possible gates to raid.


    At the center, four transparent cylindrical tubes pierced through the towering ceiling, with elevators that could be seen ascending and descending within three of them.


    However, one of the tubes remained still in its ce, the one to which Hans was escorted.


    While the elevator rose, Hans gazed downward through the transparent walls, marveling at the architectural masterpiece that was this building.


    It was as if he had just emerged from the purgatory, purged of all the negative emotions from his body, now filled with peace.


    The floor panel of the elevator disyed only one button and written on it were the three letters: C.E.O.


    Seeing this, Hans remembered his original objective foring here andposed himself.


    Benjamin Carter, the founder, guild master, and C.E.O. Of the Vortex Guild.


    When he awakened at the age of fifty-one, he was just a normal person. Thanks to his unyielding will and his rare ss: the Windweaver, he managed to create a paradise like this.


    He owned 100% of the guild, served as the guild master, and also directly oversaw the activities of the production ss, awakened and workers in the guild.


    Hearing of him, one might describe him as a perfect man.


    What could someone like him possibly conceal?


    Well... he indeed is a perfect man, however, he does have a weak spot and that is his


    daughter.


    His seventeen-year-old daughter is a troublesome pest. Since childhood, she had caused trouble and chaos, the reason being that she awakened at the age of twelve, and not just that, she awakened with the rare magic ss: Wind Slinger.


    Where many parents would''ve boosted their kids'' egos and grown them into powerful warriors, Benjamin just wanted his daughter to be safe and sound.


    He forbade her from entering any gates and fighting, hoping to let her live a normal life. However, she inherited the fiery personality of her now-absent mother and refused to heed his words.


    She attempted every method to enter gates and battled the awakened to improve herself. Despite that, in five years, she only managed to reach the first circle since her father always intervened before she could progress any further.


    Once, she had turned upside down the whole ssroom of the school she was attending, and beat up a teacher who continued insulting the awakened people, iming that trained teachers deserved to be paid more than the mindless awakened who knew nothing but solely relied on brute strength.


    This was Benjamin''s only secret, but he did not want it to be revealed, so he paid the association''s security team leader a hefty sum to keep it under wraps.


    He was truly a fool for his daughter, perhaps because he missed his dead wife, or just because he had always been this way. Regardless, there was nothing anyone could do to change it.


    When Hans reached the desired floor, he found an old man with a defined jawline and white hair waiting for him, seated in a red chair.


    If it wasn''t for the suit he was wearing and the desk full of documents lying in front of him, anyone might have misjudged him as a normal father.


    "So it''s you," said the OLD man.


    ''Garrison, you fool, why have you chosen a little boy this time.''


    His gaze then fell on Hans, filled with skepticism, he asked, "Are you sure you can properly take care of this city?"


    "Kid."

 Chapter 38: One out of three

    <h4>Chapter 38: One out of three</h4>


    "Are you sure you can really take care of this city?"


    "Kid."


    The man''s icy cold gaze was fixed upon Hans, who felt a pang of intimidation but tried to act normal.


    Shortly after, the white-haired man resumed speaking, "You know, one of my old friends called me the other day. He did so to exin to me the reasons behind his sudden retirement from a sessful position."


    "I was worried for him and helped him pick his sessor. I sent a long list of candidates. Yet, just yesterday, he called me, saying not to worry, as he had already found the perfect person to take on the role."


    "And now, I discover that his chosen PERFECT PERSON is just a kid, barely old enough to live independently."


    "A kid who won''t be able to protect ormand the citizens of this city since he probably can''t even take care of himself."


    "Perhaps instead of reassuring him to have made the right choice, I should''ve beaten him until he understood what a terrible mistake he had made."


    "What do you think?"


    The man was expecting no response from the rookie, but an unexpected response came to his question.


    Actually, more than an answer, it was another question.


    "And on what basis.... are you assuming all that?"


    "What?!"


    "I mean, what biases are you referring to? Talking about me, seeing how you speak ill of me this way, I guess you don''t know who I am and how I''ve lived up until now."


    "Judging someone solely by their age isn''t polite, is it? I expected more from an admired businessman like yourself."


    The man remained stunned by the retort, something that was far from what he had anticipated.


    While he observed Hans''s demeanor along with his every action and word, he thought of something, something that he kept for himself.


    ''This kid is... quite good, where did you find someone like him? Garrison,'' he couldn''t help but wonder.


    And Hans, whose personality hadpletely shifted, was just a breath away from wiping away the sweat from his face.


    He wasn''t usually arrogant, but Garrison had specifically instructed him how to deal with the three guild leaders.


    For Benjamin, a hostile approach was rmended. "Benjamin? That old man always favors youngsters, except for those who try to get close to his daughter."


    "To get along with him, you only need to do three things. First of all, stay as far away as you can from his daughter, secondly, act that you are quite confident in yourself, and third, try not to break the thin line that separates confidence and arrogance. Otherwise, I can''t promise that I will see you return with good news."


    Had he acted too cocky? Maybe a bit too disrespectful.


    ''Should I have just stuck to my normal attitude? What if he kicks me out?'' Hans was acting as told, yet he wasn''t entirely sure about the oue.


    The old man just remained silent, observing Hans with his piercing, eagle-like eyes.


    He scoffed, before continuing, "Anyway, what have youe here for? Need help with the association business? I suppose even that old coot of a man suggested you find me, after all, I''m widely known for bei-"


    "Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not here for a meaningless reason like that today... Logan Harris, I''m sure the name rings a bell."


    The man''s expression, previously annoyed due to Hans'' interruption, quickly shifted, turning curious as to what the young man wanted to say.


    "Yes, the security team leader, what about him? Are you here to speak on his behalf?" He asked, looking more serious than he was before.


    "No, it''s quite the contrary. I came here to ask your approval for taking him down. I won''t need any help from you, rather, I just need the assurance that you won''t take part in the discussion. You see, having the three guilds interfere with my work wouldn''t be optimal."


    Before giving the other a chance to speak, Hans continued, "Regarding the information he holds on your daughter, rest assured, there won''t be any voices or rumors about what happened."


    Even though the proposal changed nothing for Benjamin, as an experienced dealer, he knew it was possible for more negotiation. After all, the other side had no choice but to concede.


    So he posed an additional request.


    "I, Benjamin Carter, swear on my honor as the guild master of the Vortex guild, that I won''t meddle in the association''s affairs under two conditions."


    "First, as you''ve already mentioned, no rumors about what happened with my daughter''s school will leak out."


    "And second.... You, with the authority and connections of the association, must find a magic teacher for my daughter. They have to be at least a Tier-5, if not higher."


    "Considering that you''re still a greenhorn without any connections, I''ll give you four months at most."


    "But if after a hundred and twenty days you still haven''t found an appropriate teacher, then I''ll personallye knocking at your door, and I can assure you that it won''t be a pleasant experience."


    "KRK"


    The old man cracked his knuckles and exuded a strong aura, which in the confines of the office, seemed to bear down heavily on Hans, pressing him with an incredible weight.


    Though nothing happened physically, mentally Hans felt as if he was being crushed by a car.


    It truly wasn''t a pleasant sensation, one that was on the list of things Hans never wanted to experience again.


    Then, the next moment, all the pressure vanished as if it had never been there.


    "You''re free to go."


    Hans breathed heavily as he left the building.


    Even if his wisdom was above the average, he was still a newly promoted Tier-4 mage, equivalent to a C-Rank.


    This meant that the aura of an A-Rank was more than enough to intimidate him.


    If it weren''t for his high wisdom and strong mentality, he might have already been lying unconscious on that office floor right now, making a fool out of himself in front of the guild leader.


    ''Luckily that didn''t happen,'' Hans thought as he gazed at the floor where he met the guild leader.


    ''Also... it''s better to keep my promise this time. After all, I do not want to get


    chased down by that monster.''


    [Name: Benjamin Carter


    Age: 59


    ss: Windweaver (RARE)


    Level: 242


    Strength: 320


    Dexterity: 399


    Endurance: 256


    Wisdom: 62


    ss Skills:


    {Wind Swordsmanship (Rare)


    Effect: This swordsmanship allows the user to bend the wind at their will and use it to hasten and strengthen their attacks.}


    {Wind Aura (Rare)


    Effect: When manifesting aura, it will react as a powerful wind, cutting and sweeping everything it encounters in its path.


    The user''s aura element will be imbued with sharpness}


    Description: An incredibly talented warrior and intelligent individual, who has the qualities of both a leader and a great warrior.


    Evaluation: High Rank-A]


    In his office alone, Benjamin pondered the young and bold man who had just visited him.


    "Mmhhhh.... I''d say 8/10.


    "If only he were a bit stronger. He''s still the highest rating I''ve given after all, however, no one with a rating lower than ten will pass."


    From the beginning of their encounter and even before they met, the old man had been aware of Hans. This time around, the test was not to prove Hans''s qualifications as a branch leader, but rather his suitability as a potential husband for his daughter.


    And... the young man had failed.


    _____


    "One out of three"


    Hansy in bed, thinking of what he had aplished that day.


    He managed to convince one of the three guild leaders, one of the figures that he, and all citizens of Chicago, believed to be legendary.


    A hero who had protected the city and the country countless times.


    But above all, he was now the association branch leader.


    The announcement ceremony was scheduled in five days, giving him enough time to gain the approval of the other two leaders and to prepare everything needed to fire the security team leader.


    After that, he would ''simply'' have to kill him.


    "Haaaaa.." Hans sighed, already tired of the work he had troubled himself with.


    He didn''t want to remain in that position; he was merely holding an empty seat until the owner returned. In the meantime, he wanted to use his powers to alleviate his friend''s suffering.


    He was doing this for Aiden.


    After all, when Hans was young, no one had helped him. It had hurt and Hans understood that pain all too well. That''s why he was the only person with the will and determination to do it.


    Hans closed his eyes and his clouded mind quieted, releasing all the depressing thoughts that had been dwelling within it.

 Chapter 39: Fiery

    <h4>Chapter 39: Fiery</h4>


    The next morning, the early sunlight painted the sky with a gentle red hue, casting a beautiful view from the window of Hans''s t.


    He stirred shortly after, the allure of the sunrise quickly fading as Hans sipped his coffee and took a shower.


    By the time he finally left the apartment, the sky was covered in gray clouds and a chilling wind swept through the few people that stood in the lonely streets.


    Hans was one among these few people and step after step, he boarded on the city bus and settled on the ufortable seats.


    Despite having already taken the written exam and applied for it, his driver''s license was yet to be issued and he still needed to pass a practical test.


    So for now, he had no option but to go around like this.


    The bus speaker announced: [Next stop, "Greenfield train station"]


    This was one of Chicago''srgest train stations and also the district that housed one of the three big guilds: the ze Guild.


    Hans got down from the bus and walked a bit before finding himself in front of an imposing building. Unlike the Vortex guild''s towering structure, this building sprawled horizontally, its size more pronounced than in height.


    Entering the building, the young man was once again greeted by an incredible sense of tranquility and despite the asional cluster of people gathered here and there to watch a battle or a duel, it was still harmonious.


    But what truly stood out the most and captured his attention was high up above Hans''s head, the rooftop.


    The ceiling was built entirely out of ss panels and it wasn''t in just any in shape like normal roofs, instead, it was unique, crafted in such a manner that it resembled the shape of fractured waves.


    The sunlight filtering through this strange roof''s structure created the enchanting illusion of being underwater.


    It was truly a sight to behold.


    The moment he arrived at the gate, an assistant approached to greet him and guided him directly to the Guildmaster''s office.


    It seemed like even for information from the inside of one of the three guilds, it would be difficult not to reach the ears of the other two.


    Rumors of his visit to the Vortex guild had likely reached the ze guild''s master.


    The assistant who had escorted him until then stopped before a dark wooden door with a golden tag on it.


    Written in ck on the golden tag was: [Sophia Lewis]


    "Come in."


    An authoritative female voice came from the other side.


    Hearing the response, he grabbed the door''s cold handle and pushed it down, opening it.


    As he did so, Hans was greeted by a woman, reclining on a low chair.


    The woman''s hair was bright red and so were her eyes and was dressed in a top and some trousers, revealing a portion of her abs.


    Although she could not be called particrly young, she definitely was not old.


    Her muscles were neatly toned and defined, showing a body that belonged more to a man than to a woman.


    Even if rxed, she gave off the feeling of being a predator.


    Though it was not at the same level as the one showed by Benjamin, Sophia Lewis''s aura was intimidating and contrary to the Vortex guild''s master''s, her aura was always active, deterring everyone around her except for a few high officials of the guild and the vice-guild master who could withstand it, making her unapproachable by all the other members.


    Her hair was unkempt and even her chaotic stance gave off the feeling of the presence of a wild beast.


    At that moment, Hans recalled Garrison''s words which described the woman who was before him right now, "If you do manage to convince Benjamin, the next person you want to aim for is Sophia. She is an unpredictable wild beast and I have no idea as to what she could ask from you."


    "But I know one thing for sure, that woman is obsessed with strength if you manage to show off a bit in front of her, it''ll be more than useful."


    "The things you have to be wary of while you''re around her are many: your first worry however, has to be about your artifacts and equipment."


    "Of the numerous things she is known for, being a freak over treasure is one of the most widely known among the hunters."


    "If you have a treasure, definitely do not try to unt it in her presence, or else you won''t be able to hold it till tomorrow."


    "That ring the association has crafted for you... I think it could be used as a bargaining chip to bring her on our side, so be ready to give it up."


    ''No way I''ll do that,'' Hans thought, remembering how much he had to suffer in order to get the ring.


    Having nearly lost his life battling that moon python, handing it away to someone for free was definitely not a part of Hans'' n.


    But it would depend on how the situation turns out.


    Hans sat in front of the woman, who did nothing but have her gaze fixated on him, after that she scanned him from chest to abdomen before her gaze lingered on the golden ming ring adorning Hans''s right hand.


    A smile flickered across her face, her eyes greedy as they red at the glinting reflection of the light from the golden essory.


    Her avarice seemed so boundless that she had started salivating, akin to a lioness eyeing her prey.


    Sensing her unsettling stare, Hans raised his finger, the one adorned with the jewelry close to his face, drawing the other side''s attention back to him.


    "I heard that you havee here to ask a favor. Is it to crush those Vortex bastards? I''d love to do that," she inquired.


    "Sorry to disappoint you, but no," Hans replied, eliciting a click of annoyance from Sophia.


    "Tch."


    "What have youe here for then?" the woman pressed.


    "I am not here to ask for a favor today. I''ll leave after getting your authorization to proceed without interference from the ze guild in a certain matter," Hans rified.


    "Hoho, let me hear about it," Sophia urged.


    "Logan Harris. I n on firing him," Hans stated.


    Sophia''s gaze intensified, staring even more carefully at Hans, who in reply just specified, "About the incident that happened three years ago, nothing will be revealed, I can assure you."


    "I can''t risk my guild''s reputation on a promise from a mere kid. How do I know that it won''t be leaked by him after getting fired?" she countered.


    "Removing him from his position would mean unleashing a crazy dog that was chained by his work loose. It would do more harm than good. Go back, you won''t have my support," she dered.


    To what sounded like the conclusion of the meeting, Hans added onest phrase that reopened the conversation, "I''m certainly not nning... on letting a mad dog run crazy."


    The moment the woman heard Hans'' words, her expression shifted as if she had deducted something from them. Unable to contain it inside, she muttered, "Does that mean.."


    Hans confirmed, finishing the phrase, "Yes, Logan Harris will meet his demise under ''unidentified'' circumstances the day after his retirement."


    She took a moment to process what she had just heard before finallying up with a proposal.


    "Me and my guild won''t butt in your business, but under one condition," she stipted.


    "You see, my fighting style just happens to be centered on fire and it seems to me that you are in possession of something really... special."


    Her greedy eyes traced Hans''s hand, more precisely, his blood eye ring that shone as bright as a star in her mind.


    "Are you nning to rob someone in broad daylight?!" Hans asked, hiding the artifact with his other hand.


    "No, no. I''m not going to request it, but I''ll bet with you, how about it."


    Hans didn''t respond, letting her speak, "If you win, I''ll just promise to take your side without receiving anything in exchange, but if you lose, I''ll take that beautiful piece. Are you in?"


    "Can you first tell me about what we are going to bet on?"


    The woman grinned, "Oh it''s nothing much, as the new branch leader, you must be pretty formidable, right? How about proving it?"


    Her aura expanded even more, bing on par with that of Benjamin''s.


    Though Hans had already experienced it, this time felt different. The first time, he felt as if he was about to die from a sudden sh, but this time, he felt like his body was slowly melting under the aura, akin to being ced in pure magma.


    "Don''t tell me that... I''ll have to fight you," Hans muttered under his breath.


    [Name: Sophia Lewis


    Age: 37


    Lvl: 229


    ss: Fiery Fighter


    Strength: 383


    Agility: 209


    Endurance: 255


    Wisdom: 31


    ss skills:


    {Fiery Greatswordsmanship (Rare)


    Description: Fiery swordsmanship which allows the user to embed their great sword with fire, enhancing the blows'' power and damage, if not resisted, the target hit by this skill will be under the status effect: {Burn}}


    {Fiery Path (Rare) (PASSIVE)


    Effect: The user''s mana mutates to the fire attribute, bing more violent and hot, melting whateveres in its path.}


    Description: A strong-willed woman who revels inbat, currently too formidable for the host to confront.


    Evaluation: high Rank-A.]

 Chapter 40: Crazy

    <h4>Chapter 40: Crazy</h4>


    "Don''t tell me that... I''ll need to fight you," Hans eximed, his mind racing with implications.


    Hans hade a long way since his awakening and could now truly be considered a high-ranking awakened. But even then, the thought of trying to fight the woman before him seemed nothing short of suicide. He would be more willing to just give up the ring instead of enduring a trashing from her.


    "Oh,e on, I''m not that heartless. Though I heard you fought like a beast in the recent C-Rank gate and even managed to take down the boss monster, you are definitely not at a level to spar with me, well if you insist I''ll take up that offer," the woman said with a smirk.


    Hans shook his head quickly, signaling he definitely did not want to do that.


    "Also, just so you know, you won''t be allowed to use any artifacts like you did in the boss raid," she added, catching him off guard.


    Hans was surprised by this exmation.


    ''Artifacts? Which artifacts? Could she be talking about...''


    The scouts sent inside the gate by the three major guilds in order to figure out Hans''s


    capabilities had reported in incredible detail the events that took ce during the fight.


    However, the only thing they witnessed was Hans conjuring a massive ice cage.


    This was misinterpreted by the guild masters, who had already heard rumors about his physical strength, thinking that it was an artifact rather than a magical spell.


    And realizing that this could only mean that the woman before him didn''t know of his mage identity, granting him the advantage of being underestimated in their bet.


    "I ept," Hans dered.


    The smirk on the woman''s face widened as she rose from her seat before opening the door and gesturing Hans to follow her.


    "Come on, boy, follow me. Let''s take you to the test arena," she said, leading the way.


    As they passed, the onlookers alternated between staring at the guildmaster and Hans. But when the distance between them and Sophia diminished, they all started sweating from her melting aura, and just like that, the attention directed towards Hans increased even more, wondering how he could remain so leisurely while walking beside her.


    "Sh-sh*t man, I feel like I''m about to die from the heat," one bystander muttered.


    "Me too, man," another agreed.


    "How is that boy even standing on his feet while being so close to her?" someone else marveled.


    "He must be a high-ranking awakened!"


    Witnessing this spectacle, where even their own guild master appeared to them as a monster, Hans recalled a conversation with Garrison after he had asked the question:


    "I''m sorry Mr. Garrison, but why do you call her a crazy woman?"


    Making a strange face, Garrison replied, "Are you really asking me because you don''t know?!"


    But after looking at Hans'' genuinely confused face, the bearded man started, "Oh that''s right, you are quite new around here. Well then, let me tell you."


    "Even if right now it''s just a nickname that spread due to her intense aura, there is actually a reason why it was given to her and it is also the information you will have to swear to cover....


    ______


    {Six years ago}...


    Among the plethora of guilds rising in Chicago''s suburbs and city center, only two stood out the most, both led by C-Rank awakened, both of which were founded less than six months from the start of the catastrophe: the Vortex Guild, and the Rose Guild.


    The Vortex guild had a stable economy and was being controlled, and directed by Benjamin, who at the time, could still be considered a middle-aged man and had most of his hair still brown.


    The Rose Guild was controlled by the two guild masters, Sophia Lewis and Noah White, which was more based on its sheer fighting power.


    All their ie stemmed from dungeon raids and the guild boasted two C-Rank awakened, an impressive feat at the time.


    During that period even Elijah was a newly promoted B-Rank awakened.


    Even if they established a barely decent internal hierarchy, there were close to no feuds between the members since the two powerful guild masters were long-dated friends.


    Because of their refined and beautiful fighting style, they gave the name, "ROSE" to the guild.


    One fateful Sunday, a D-Rank gate on the outskirts of Chicago reached its time limit, transforming into a breach and unleashing powerful monsters in the grey buildings of the city.


    From the D-Rank gate, the monsters that would then be known as Blood Hounds poured into the city, attacked the civilians, and sucked their veins dry of any blood.


    When the officials of the Rose Guild arrived at the scene, nearly a hundred victims had already fallen prey to the fearsome canines.


    Amidst the chaos, aposed and elegant woman was fighting with one of the wolves that had its fur colored simr to that of her straight red hair.


    Though many other members also fought alongside her, as the number of monsters multiplied and the boss of the gate, [Blood Wolf] appeared, they started losing control of the situation.


    The woman witnessed some of her friends perish before her eyes, but since it hadn''t been the first time, she quickly managed to recover her stance and started fighting again despite exhaustion weighing down heavily upon her.


    "Have you contacted the guild?!" Sophia screamed.


    In response, another member shouted, "Yes!!! But there''s no answer."


    "Could they have abandoned us?!" asked another guy.


    "Don''t say anything stupid like that again!!" the woman scolded.


    "They must''vee across a tricky situation, keeping these monsters busy!! Just hold on for as long as you can, help will be here soon."


    Sophia hoped, she really hoped that someone would arrive to their rescue, but as time passed, there wasn''t even a single trace of any iing aid.


    One after the other, herrades fell lifeless to the ground, leaving behind nothing but a crimson stain that spread on the cold concrete.


    In the end, when the boss monster finally sumbed to Sophia''s attack, instead of celebrating, she fell to her knees, mourning over the bodies of her now-deadpanions.


    Only she and one of the two vice guild masters, Albert, who was extremely loyal to her, remained standing.


    At that moment, some footsteps started closing on to them and in the distance, Noah White and the other vice guild master could be seen.


    Finally seeing someone familiar, Sophia started crying out his name.


    "Noah.. Noah, they died," between her tears and sobs, her words were almost inaudible, "They''re dead, waaa, it''s, it''s my fault."


    Even if she was now somewhat used to it, witnessing someone she treasured die was not taken easily.


    When someone you know exists, and you know their preferences and have shared moments with them, dies, it bes difficult to realize that they aren''t there anymore.


    And when most of her friends died, she could do nothing but shatter into pieces, all her dignified aura disappeared, as the face of a regretful kid took its ce.


    Yet, even amidst her despair, Noah approached, seemingly unworried, and was apanied by his assistant.


    Albert''s eyes widened in horror seeing that something amiss in Noah''s appearance.


    Noah''s clothes werepletely fine, his body didn''t even have a single scratch and the same went for the assistant.


    Something was definitely wrong.


    "Are you sad about their deaths?" Noah asked, trying to sound empathic.


    The realization hit Albert, who in ast-ditch effort tried to scream and warn Sophia of the danger.


    "Sophia be caref-"


    However, before he could finish, a swift strike almost sliced his torso in half, silencing his warning forever.


    Holding the handle of the clear white de was no one other than Noah, who smirked at the disgusting sight of Albert''s body covered in blood.


    "Don''t be so sad, I''ll send you to them before you even notice that they have been gone for long," he taunted, drawing the de and turning it towards Sophia.


    Terrorized, Sophia watched the person whom she thought was her friend holding a sword pointed at her throat.


    Her mind went nk and her ears malfunctioned, the only strength she managed to muster was used to whisper as the world around her crumbled.


    <i>"Why?"</i>

 Chapter 41: The other side

    <h4>Chapter 41: The other side</h4>


    <i>"Why?"</i>


    "Why?!! You have the audacity to ask me why?!"


    With his sword still poised at her jugr, threatening to slice it at any passing moment, Noah leaned in close to Sophia, and with his expression twisted from disgust, he started.


    "You b*tch! I created this guild. Do you honestly think I''ll allow it to fall in the hands of someone like you??!!" He yanked her hair to the side, sending her crashing to the blood-stained ground.


    "THUMPP"


    Then, he delivered a swift kick to her body, making her roll across the hard floor.


    Meanwhile, as the grim scene unfolded before his eyes, the vice guild master remained stoic and unmoving.


    Sophia couldn''t understand. Why? Why had it ended up like this? Where was all of Noah''s resentmenting from and why had he gone to the point of killing her friends and now he was trying to take her life?


    Their guild was now thriving and both of their lives were going well.


    They weren''t billionaires, but they werefortably well-off and their health was in robust condition.


    Sophia really couldn''t figure out why her friend, with whom she had shared so many beautiful and important memories, could betray her.


    However, the other side of the story painted a different picture.


    Back in university, when they first met each other, Noah immediately fell for Sophia. Her vibrant red hair and infectious smiles brightened his days and he was determined to win her heart.


    Over the passage of time, they developed a close friendship, but Noah never mustered enough courage to confess his feelings.


    Amidst the tests and the onset of their professional lives, they lost touch.


    Then, a few yearster, the catastrophe struck and Noah was among the first to awaken as a warrior.


    When he identally found her curriculum scrolling through possible candidates to make a good, non-fighter member of the guild, he immediately saw it as an opportunity and gave her the position of vice-guild master, believing that showcasing his strength and bravery would finally win her affection.


    But that didn''t happen as they remained friends for over four months. Just as Noah was a couple of steps away from asking her out, something unexpected happened.


    Sophia awakened as a rare {Fiery Fighter} ss.


    Noah took it really well and was happy, he even thought that in the future they could both fight alongside each other, which would only strengthen their bond.


    He shared the guild master title with her, and together, they started gathering even more members to aid them in expanding their guild.


    But as she began to develop, he realized the wide gap that stood between hismon ss and her rare one.


    She was growing quickly, catching up to him as swiftly as an arrow.


    He didn''t want to be left behind, so he trained, trained himself till the point he fainted, and perfected his swordsmanship until he could cleanly cut a falling feather. Finally, almost two years after the catastrophe, he reached C-Rank.


    It was an incredible achievement, one he wanted to show off and boast about with Sophia.


    As he ran into her room to inform her of the news, a powerful aura emanated from inside, making his face pale along with that, shattering his self-esteem.


    Opening the wooden door, he watched the red-haired woman standing on the floor as she stared down at her hands, before turning around after hearing the sound of the door.


    She smiled and watched Noah before joyfully eximing, "I... broke through"


    Her enthusiasm this time, however, was not weed by Noah, who just thought of her like a monster.


    Day by day, his sense of inferiority dragged him into endless nightmares and horrible thoughts.


    But in front of the others, he acted normal.


    Every single night, he filled his stomach with sleeping pills in the hopes of closing his eyes for three or four hours at the very least and wore makeup during the day to seem normal.


    No one noticed it and neither did anyone care about it.


    It was when Sophia broke through the middle C-Rank, that his psyche finally snapped.


    Consumed by his sense of inferiority which had been feeding off his soul like a parasite, envy finally took control, making him n the betrayal of the guild and the assassination of his once friend, Sophia.


    He convinced one of the two guild masters, an extremely materialistic person, promising him the position of the guild master and cut off all means ofmunication with Sophia''s squad, making them fight off against the monsters, thereby tying them with the battlefield they would enter because of their stupid sense of justice. This way, he didn''t have to n in case they escaped.


    He wanted to wear them down, before personally piercing their hearts with his long sword.


    However, the monsters turned out to be stronger than Noah had anticipated, resulting in the death of most of Sophia''s team, despite her emerging victorious.


    "I''m lucky that those weren''t your run-of-the-mill monsters," Noah mused from his hiding spot, observing the fight between Sophia and the giant wolf beast.


    Considering her ability to take down such a formidable opponent, a standard boss wouldn''t have posed much of a challenge for her.


    But now, with Sophia being both physically and mentally drained, it was the perfect opportune moment for Noah to ambush her.


    Noah and the vice guild master walked towards them as if nothing around mattered to them, aiming for a sneak attack before the start of the fight.


    And just as nned, Sophia fell right into the trap, not even suspecting anything sinister, while her loyal vice guild master, who managed to pick up some strange feelings from them was immediately taken out by Noah''s de.


    Now, facing imminent death, Sophia could only resign herself to sadness and regrets, she couldn''t do anything but surrender as the steel sword quickly approached her neck.


    In those fleeting moments that she perceived as countless minutes, she made a deathbed decision to bet her future to survive and activated herst card.


    An artifact, one of the only rare rank artifacts that existed at the time, or maybe more than an artifact, it would be better to call it a cursed object.


    Sophia had managed to retrieve this artifact during a D-Rank gate raid in the cave of an elite monster and had kept it hidden from the others to prevent chaos from spreading among the members who wished to get their hands on it; it was the artifact: Raging Phoenix''s Feather.


    {Raging Phoenix Feather (Rare Rank)


    Description: A feather of a phoenix nearing the end of its life who decided to burn its chance of rebirth in order to avenge the death of its child.


    Effect: When infused with mana, it will unlock powers way beyond the holder''s capabilities, however, after that, for two entire years it will be impossible for the wielder to level up.}


    Her almost drained aura slid into the feather that was resting in her pocket, lighting it up.


    Soon, an incredibly fierce torrent of aura poured out of her ming hot feather before engulfing her body and enveloping her red hair in a zing fire.


    Driven by instinct rather than any reasoning, she just picked up the great sword that belonged to Albert andunched a ferocious attack on Noah.


    Caught off guard, Noah jumped back with his sword in hand.


    ''It''s, it''s hot, could it be ..."


    He blinked and when he reopened his eyes, Noah couldn''t find Sophia''s body, it was as if it had vanished.


    But the next moment, he saw her dash towards him.


    Not even having been given the time it took to blink once more, Noah saw the great sword that was already befalling him.


    In that sh of a moment, an extremely powerful sh sliced his body into two halves.


    And like a ferocious tiger, after letting Noah lifelessly fall on the ground, Sophia brought her attention to the vice guild master who couldn''t even manage tost more than three hits before ending up sttered onto the concrete.


    Mad, confused, angry and sad.


    A storm of emotions was gushing in her mind, making her unable to reason.


    Even though there hadn''t been any feud among the members, the guild was still divided into two sections, red and blue, controlled by Sophia and Noah respectively.


    That night, Sophia entered the blue section''s dormitory and unleashed her wrath by razing the building to the ground, leaving nothing but dust and bones behind.


    She had fought like a wild beast and gave birth to her now renowned {Fiery Great Swordsmanship}


    During the time of the feather''s effect, Sophia''s power had effectively reached B-Rank, cing her in the top ten awakened in the world.


    However, after what she had done, she didn''t dare to look anyone in the eyes and spent all her personal money to cover up the matter and prevent rumors about her personality from spreading and tarnishing her reputation.


    Maybe because one of them had saved her life or because she had no other means to grow at the moment, she became extremely obsessed with artifacts and started gathering as many as she could.


    In the following few years, she managed to find trustworthy people whom she could entrust the guild with while she remained cursed but she was never able topletely trust any of them and always kept surveince on their every move and action.


    Even after the curse was lifted and the ability to level up returned, this obsession didn''t leave her.


    From that night, whatever artifact she set her eyes on could not escape from her greed.


    And even this time, she thought that she would be able to take the gold ring away from Hans as well.


    But the situation took an unexpected turn.

 Chapter 42: Spar

    <h4>Chapter 42: Spar</h4>


    Sophia was confident that she could snatch Hans of his golden ring, but the situation took an unexpected turn.


    After they arrived at the training hall, they were greeted by its expansive, well-lit space. The white floor and the walls made it even brighter, especially to Hans''s eyes.


    They moved beside a sparring tform that was slightly raised inparison to the normal floor while being connected to it by two steps.


    While Hans stepped up on the tform, Sophia took out an expensive-looking phone from her pocket and proceeded to tap the screen a couple of times before holding it to her ear.


    In the absolute silence that enveloped the deserted training room, the sound of the phone ringing echoed, audible even to Hans.


    "Beeeep, beeeep, beee- "


    Before the third beep could finish, the call was answered by the other side.


    "William," the woman called seriously, prompting an immediate response from the other end, "Yes ma''am?"


    "I need you to SPAR with my young friend here. Come to training hall number one and don''t forget to bring your spear along."


    "...I''ll be there in a minute," the male voice replied.


    After a couple of minutes, the doors of the training room were opened, revealing the young man standing behind it.


    His light brown hair matched his eyes and he was dressed in what seemed like a training suit with a blue and white colour.


    In his right hand, he held a silver spear, but since it was causally posed on his shoulder, it looked more like a traveling stick.


    Just by the way he was holding it, Hans could tell that the spear was extremely heavy.


    The man who had just entered was quite concerned about the reason he was summoned.


    Looking around for a moment, the man thought, ''It''s not new for her to call me to spar with someone to show them the guild''s power, but this is the first time I''ve been summoned to the training room No. 1.''


    ''The materials used for the fortification of the structure here are all precious and are made specifically to sustain high-ranking awakened attacks. Where is this fearsome adversary I have to face this time?!''


    He shook his head left and right, searching for the opponent, but in the entire room he could only see the guild master and a young boy.


    ''Maybe he''s not here yet,'' William thought, rxing his tensed shoulders.


    But the moment he approached the guild master, her announcement shattered that assumption.


    "Get up, you can start immediately."


    ''What!? Could it be that I have to fight with this guy?''


    William wasn''t one to discriminate against someone by their age, since he himself was twenty-six years old and was considered young and a prodigy for his age, having reached B-Rank through countless efforts and training and holding the precious position of vice guild master in a big association like the ze Guild. Yet, it seemed strange to him that someone as young as Hans could possibly spar with him.


    Also, guys younger than twenty-one weren''t typically involved with the awakened, despite themselves being one. This was because their family members would normally stop them from doing such dangerous jobs and even after the catastrophe, schools were still a thing, forcing most of the young people to attend them until their mid-twenties.


    Well, those two limitations didn''t apply to Hans, since his family couldn''t tell him anything and he had dropped out of school as soon as he was able to.


    But no one knew that despite being young, Hans was already a powerful mage, probably the best they could find in Chicago.


    Reluctant to fight, William readied his weapon, holding it with both hands before assuming a battle stance.


    ''It doesn''t matter that he''s young.


    If it''ll help the guild, I''ll win. Nheless... I should hold back enough to not identally kill him. I think about 20% of my strength should be enough. Right? Please, lord, tell me that he is strong enough to survive that much of my power.''


    William was a rightful guy, someone who definitely didn''t want to be charged with murder, however, he was still afraid of losing and embarrassing himself after underestimating his opponent.


    Just as he was ready to dash forward and strike Hans with his spear, the red-haired woman''s voice halted William in his tracks.


    "William," he turned around, meeting her gaze.


    "Do not hold back. He might look young, but he should be about the same rank as yours," she advised.


    "What???" William was astonished hearing this and nced at Hans in disbelief.


    "This kid has the same rank as me?"


    He kept switching his gaze between Hans and the guild leader, silently questioning the validity of the statement, "Are you for real."


    But the woman''s serious expressionpelled him to reconsider his approach.


    ''If what the leader says is true, then I think I''ll need to change my strategy. It''s time to go all out. Just, please don''t die, I''m still young and don''t want to spend the next few years of my life rotting in prison,'' he thought to himself, acknowledging the gravity of the situation.


    Even if he was uncertain of his opponent''s strength, William charged at Hans, wielding his long spear which produced a menacing swish through the air.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Hans calmly observed his opponent, analyzing his body with the skill {Mystic Insight}.


    [Name: William Johnson


    Age: 29


    ss: Stone Lancer (RARE)


    Lvl: 175


    Strength: 225


    Agility: 111


    Endurance: 213


    Wisdom: 39


    ss Skills:


    {Earth Spearmanship (Rare)


    Effect: Enables the user to imbue their spear technique with the earth attribute, increasing the weight and the force of strikes or shes.}


    (Unawakened){????}(Rare)


    Skills:


    {Spearmanship} (C-Rank)


    {Hand To Hand Combat} (D-Rank)


    Description: A powerful warrior with incredible potential, he has not yet fully mastered all his ss''s skills and some even remain unawakened. However, he possesses remarkably refined spearmanship.


    If he continues to grow at his current pace, it would take about half a dozen years to reach S-Rank.


    Evaluation: Mid B-Rank]


    ''What a pity,'' Hans thought to himself.


    It was a well-known fact that the person standing before him was a prodigy. William had gained fame online for his rapid growth in the ranks, bing a B-Rank awakened and had also managed to climb thedder to be a vice guild master, all this despite having only awakened a couple of years ago


    However, it was indeed a pity that such a talent had emerged rtivelyte, if he had awakened earlier, Chicago City might''ve already be the birthce of an S-Rank awakened.


    Other than that, Hans wasn''t concerned about anything.


    He deftly avoided the spear sh that was extremely fast, causing the heavy spear to smash to the ground, creating an incredibly loud noise. However, thanks to the fact that it was specially made to withstand such attacks, the floor remained intact and didn''t develop even a single scratch, nheless, just the shockwaves created by the spear''s hit were enough to reach Sophia, causing her hair to flutter.


    The spear once again regained its speed, this time aimed at Hans''s waist, but the boy skilfully jumped, effortlessly avoiding the attack yet again.


    They exchanged a few blows, which actually just included William''s attacks, while Hans was simply avoiding them, following his opponent and reading his strong but not-so-fast movements, thanks to the passive effect of the skill {Mystic Insight}.


    ''He''s really good,'' while William acknowledged, he didn''t seem to show any signs of fatigue.


    ''It''s about time to get serious!'' he decided and soon the white spear he held was enveloped in a golden aura, making it gleam in the already well-lit room.


    After that, William advanced, anticipating his opponent''s countermove.


    Hans was really tired of acting like a warrior and had already collected enough information about his opponent, so when William''s aura erupted from his spear, Hans determined that it was time to start fighting seriously¨C time to fight like a mage.


    Sophia watched the battle unfold and wondered why Hans had refused to engage in armedbat when given the chance.


    Just as she saw the vice guild master imbue his spear with aura, Sophia waited for Hans to respond, expecting him to infuse his aura in his fists and try to fight and in such a scenario she was confident of her victory.


    However, contrary to her expectations, Hans manifested something entirely unexpected, it wasn''t aura, it was...


    "Mana?!"


    "Mana!!"


    Both the onlookers in the arena eximed in unison.

 Chapter 43: Mage鈥檚 gambit

    <h4>Chapter 43: Mage¡¯s gambit</h4>


    "Mana?!"


    "Mana!!"


    Both theposed Sophia and the aggressive William exhibited visible changes in their expressions.


    The shock was so big that it made the guild leader take a step back while sweat gathered on her forehead.


    Not only was she now at the risk of losing her bet, but she also found herself unable to figure something out.


    ''Which kind of mage moves like that??''


    It wasn''t just her who wanted to know the answer to this question; William, whose attacks had been deftly evaded by Hans, had regarded the fellow as a skilled warrior, capable enough to force him to utilize his aura was also wondering the same.


    And now, the fellow realized that his opponent was a mage.


    "Judging from the mana emanating from him, he must be a medium-ranking mage, perhaps about Rank-C, no, maybe even a Rank-B," William muttered in disbelief.


    "There are only two possibilities: either my senses are ying tricks on me, or there''s something off about this kid."


    Their reaction seemed excessive for merely sensing mana from someone they thought of as a warrior, and indeed it wasn''t solely because of that.


    Hans seized the perfect opportunity to gain the upper hand in the mental battle between him and his opponent by releasing not only his aura but also the passive skill {Fearsome}, granted by his overpowered equipment.


    [The skill {Fearsome} has affected 1 person, inflicting upon him the status of {Slight Fear}.]


    Under the effects of {Slight Fear}, William''s stats were reduced by 10%, making him more vulnerable.


    And thus, the real fight finallymenced.


    Hans took the initiative and was the first one tounch an attack.


    {Fire Burst}


    A hot and fast me was conjured on Hans''s palm before being hurled flying towards his opponent, who had recovered from his daze and defended himself from the attack by slicing it with his long spear that was enveloped in earth aura.


    Undeterred, Hans took it up a notch and cast the 2nd Tier spell {Fire Arena} followed by {Greater Fireball}, shooting it with the intention of repelling his sparring opponent.


    Even if it wasn''t as fast as the previous attack, this spell was many times stronger and potent, forcing William to dodge instead of taking it head-on or trying to sh it.


    BAMMM!


    As the spell reached the wall and broke, it unleashed all the heat and the fire within, creating a shockwave that was as strong as the one caused by William''s spear, if not more.


    The spell was so strong that the structure of the wall changed a bit, some of it began melting due to the effect.


    William turned around to look at the wall that wasn''t in its best state anymore and realized the peril he would face if he got hit by that spell himself, ''Sh*t, I''ve got to make sure to avoid that.''


    The battle raged on, but Hans didn''t stop casting {Fire Burst} and {Greater Fireball}, conjuring at least a spell or two every second. His opponent struggled to get close, preupied with identifying which one of the two spells wasing at him while trying his best to avoid the powerful one and cutting the rest in half.


    Although a Tier 2 spell definitely wouldn''t have been able to bring him down, the damage umted over time during the battle posed a significant threat.


    The fight continued this way for another thirty seconds with the spearman exerting all his might to quicken his pace and close the distance. However, whenever William neared his opponent, Hans simply countered by casting more extra spells and sending them his way.


    Hans, who was still casting countless spells and had almost used up a third of his mana due to the constant barrage so far, decided to stop the onught of the useless spells and unleashed a more formidable one¨C a spell that had proved its efficacy just a few moments after its creation, helping him battle and defend himself against the ice king that once dwelt in the cier.


    {Fire Javelin}


    Seeing a fast spell, the vice guild master mistook it for a standard {me Burst} and braced himself to take it head-on, trying to intercept it with his spear from above.


    One should know that the power of a normal Tier-3 spell was the same as one of the strongest attacks from a D-Rank knight. However, the spell Hans cast just now was far from being normal, it was cast with an enormous quantity of his mana that boosted the firepower and was also further upgraded thanks to his {Fire Arena} and under the effect of his ring.


    In other words, the force behind it rivaled that of an ultimate move from a peak C-Rank warrior, if not a low B-Rank warrior.


    Taking it head-on with a normal hit, William was sent flying off the stage.


    Actually, it wasn''t just that; he was effectively mmed against the wall that was more than a couple of meters away, somewhat cracking it a little.


    Sophia, who had been watching the battle from the start, couldn''t even manage to catch him; unfortunately, agility wasn''t her strong suit and she remained frozen in shock.


    Hans walked past her and remarked, "Pleasure betting with you. I expect you to honor your words and take my side in five days."


    Even after Hans departed, Sophia remained motionless.


    Meanwhile, William quickly got back on his feet; for someone with his endurance, the attack wasn''t life-threatening.


    Sophia was really surprised, more than being surprised by the fact that Hans was a fire mage or being surprised by the smart y he had pulled out in order to force William down from the sparring tform, she was surprised about something else.


    For the first time in her life, she had lost a bet and she had lost to a kid at that.


    She had let an artifact she coveted get away from her and didn''t even manage to graze her fingers on it.


    Meanwhile, William picked up his spear and walked beside Sophia before bowing apologetically.


    "I apologize, I underestimated his strength as a mage; I should''ve dodged all those spells instead of trying to sh some to get close to him."


    She looked at him for a moment before letting out a sigh.


    "Haaa.... don''t worry, it''s not your fault, your opponent this time was a bit exceptional."


    "Maybe, it''s time for me to stop with these stupid bets"


    While she was saying that, William pondered hard about what was about to happen.


    ''Damn it, someone ten years younger than me managed to overpower me in a head-on battle, which by the way should also have been disadvantageous for people with a mage ss such as him.''


    ''What a shame, truly, what a shame. But still, he must be young and inexperienced, when he joins the guild, I''ll be sure to serve as a proper senior and teach him everything I know about the gates, maybe I should also teach him my spearmanship; then I would be the master of a magic warrior.''


    "Madam, when will he join our guild and what position will he hold? If it''s not a problem, I would like to take him under myself and be his mentor," William asked.


    However, all his hopes were shattered by the woman''s response, who touched her forehead with her palm before saying, "Don''t even dream about it, William. The guy you just sparred with will be crowned the association''s branch leader of Chicago in a few days and his authority will be equivalent to if not superior to mine."


    While she walked out, still reflecting on the duel she had just witnessed, the vice guild master remained stunned in ce, his heavy spear dropping to the ground.


    "An 18.. years-old... association.. branch leader..."


    "And I just fought someone like thaaat????"


    His head was set aze, save for a couple of degrees away from exploding.


    Meanwhile, Hans made his way towards the bus stop, his body aching a bit and feeling a slight headache due to having exerted himself and used almost half of his mana in that small duration battle.


    "Now I only need to convince the Asura Guild and then I will obtain all the smaller guild''s guild masters'' votes who will try to gain the favor of the three big ns and the new association branch leader, or in other words, me."


    "But first, I need a break."

 Chapter 44: Crimson Tyranny

    <h4>Chapter 44: Crimson Tyranny</h4>


    "Are you sure all I need to do is get the three big guilds on my side?" Hans inquired, trying to grasp Garrison''s n.


    Garrison answered, "You see, the association wants to adopt something similiar to a political approach, which is why all the changes in power within it must follow the republican procedure. This means, one person is not allowed to decide something by themselves, even if they are the branch leader, except for some extreme situations."


    "The votes aren''t only cast by the officials of the association but also by the guild leaders involved in the decision. For instance, since the security department holds the authority to make decisions in all of Chicago and its outskirts, all the major guilds in the city will be called to vote, it might be in favor or contrary to your proposal of changing his position. And just like in politics, having a simple majority of 50% isn''t enough to attain a direct result without a major vote; you need 70% for a definitive result."


    "Bringing the three big guilds on your side should sway the votes of all the other guilds to probably align with them."


    "Plus, most of the association officials are corrupt, so you can simply pay them more than Logan does and they''ll easily take your side. As for those that are rightful in the association, you won''t even need to pay them, they for themself will vote for you, knowing the atrocious acts he hasmitted. With their support, you could secure 100% of the votes, thereby discreetly closing the matter."


    "But if you fail to convince even one of the three guilds, it mightplicate the matter as the small guilds that wouldn''t dare to speak up to a branch leader could take the sides of the major guilds to express their opinions, thereby giving that guild even more powerful standing."


    "Do you think I''ll be able to win them all over to my side?" Hans questioned.


    Garrison took a moment to think it through before answering, "Honestly speaking, you have about a 50% chance of getting Vortex on your side, as for ze, I think the probability won''t be more than 25%, but talking about Asura, the chance is around 1% that is if luck is on your side."


    "Is it that bad??" Hans couldn''t help but stare at Garrison with a nk face.


    "It is. Of the three, the Asura guild was the one to be founded thetest. It was created by the current guild master four years ago."


    "How?"


    "You ask how they were able to climb up thedder and be one of the three major guilds in just four years. It''s simple, they relied on two main factors."


    "First of all, their vice guild master is a rare-ss mage, he is currently a fifth-circle mage, but with his ss being rare, his skills are probably on par with an A-Rank mage, granting the guild the power of two A-Ranks after adding the guild master himself."


    "And because of their higher power, they could impose their ideas among the smaller guilds, destroying them and absorbing them until bing big enough to rival the other two major ones."


    "Secondly, more than a guild, it would be better to call them as a den of criminals. Not a single member of that guild is innocent."


    "You see this?" Garrison then took up the information about Logan''s wrongdoings and waved it before Hans.


    "There are at least ten people in that guild who have done the same things as him, if not worse. And they need to rely on Logan to cover for them, they can''t simply trust the first guy that approaches them. After all, it could cost them some heavy penalties."


    "If that''s the case, why hasn''t anyone tried to take them down or expose them? Are people unaware of their crimes?"


    "No, they''re not," Garrison shook his head and let out a sigh.


    Hans jumped from the chair and stared deep into Garrison''s eyes and asked, "Then you, who knew about them and what they were doing, why haven''t you done anything? Just what kind of association branch leader are you, you have done nothing to prevent their crimes. The same goes for Logan, you used the association''s higher-ups as a justificationst time, what excuse do you have this time?"


    "Hans, sit down, I can understand what it seems like, but this time, my EXCUSE is more serious. I nned to tell you this right before your election as the branch leader to protect you from danger."


    Hans settled back into his chair, actually concerned about what Garrison was about to reveal.


    ''Something capable of killing me? Maybe they have connections with the government or something,'' Hans wondered.


    "The Crimson Tyranny. I guess you must''ve heard about them. There are rumors saying they have the backs of the Asura Guild''s bastards."


    "F*ck!!"


    Hans'' speech differed significantly from normal guys. Even when unperturbed, he rarely resorted to using profane words simply because he found them unnecessary to use in normal circumstances. However, when he did use suchnguage, it assumed a special meaning, it signified that the situation was truly exceptional and unexpected or dire.


    And this time, it certainly denoted something bad.


    The Crimson Tyranny¨C an association popted by entities that were better described as evil beasts than considered human beings.


    Within its ranks, strength was the sole determinant of status and all the members thought they could get whatever they desired through the use of their strength.


    _____


    When the catastrophe first broke out, the world was plunged into chaos. With the deaths of countless people, poverty proliferated everywhere, to levels that far exceeded before, it was to the extent that out of five only one could afford to live in a shelter.


    It took almost five years for humanity to rebuild its cities and take control of the situation. Yet, even now, certain countries sumb to waves of monsters, rendering hell on earth for the people who would even dream of returning.


    During those five years, especially in impoverished regions such as most of Africa, parts of South America, some regions of Russia, and Southern Asia, crime rates skyrocketed.


    Even those once known as totally clean and regted cities becamewless territories where the right to live solely belonged to the strongest.


    With the absence of any authorities or any controls and intervention from such people, who were preupied with their own survival, awakened became the rulers of the underworld.


    Even after most of the world was fixed and the situation had almost returned to stability, many of these figures sought to hold their authority, dering themselves public enemies of the Awakened Association.


    However, their ends didn''t turn out happy, one after the other, these small associations fell and most of them were put in jails, restricted for life, or even met their demise.


    When all they had created started to crumble, quickly bing nothing more than dust and ruin, they coalesced under a single n.


    Leading them was a tyrant and all they aspired to was achieved through the spilling of other''s blood, earning them the title of the "Crimson Tyranny", a title they weed with open arms and embraced as their name.


    The man known as the tyrant was the epitome of evil known to mankind and was a being who surpassed S-Rank, standing at the same level as Elijah and other world leaders.


    He was the reason which prevented the association from barging into the Crimson n and razing it to the ground.


    Little was known about him¨C his visage, age, physical appearance, or even his ss.


    The only certainty about him was his incredible strength and the fact that he was merciless, to the point of making even the most evil and formidable awakened tremble in his presence.


    With someone of such caliber backing the Asura guild, provoking them under the name of the Awakened Association could do nothing but provoke something more than a bloody skirmish among guilds; it could even possibly turn into a disaster for the entire world.

 Chapter 45: Solved

    <h4>Chapter 45: Solved</h4>


    ''And now, I am about to enter the tiger''s den,'' Hans muttered to himself.


    Standing just outside a huge property, Hans gazed at what looked like a European mansion straight out of the sixteenth century.


    The grandeur of the estate was matched by the meticulously maintained gardens that could be spotted even from the outside through the iron bars encircling it.


    However, it wasn''t the only thing that protected the ce. Unseen to the naked eye, surrounding the whole ce was a formidable magic barrier that enveloped the entire property, which seemed to block both intrusion and eavesdropping.


    Hans was aware that some mages were capable of putting up such barriers, but seeing one in person was truly fascinating, the mana was firmly held in ce, not allowing it to move even an inch and if someone wanted to destroy it, they would need the power of an A-Rank.


    As Hans suspected, the Asura guild spared no expense in hiring such a skilled barrier master.


    Just as he was about to touch it, eager to inspect it more carefully, an elegant old man greeted him.


    "You must be today''s guest. Let''s see... brownish skin and amber eyes, I guess not amonbination. Follow me; the master wishes to meet you."


    It was early morning and the grass in the garden was still damp from the dew.


    After a day''s rest, Hans was ready to continue with his n. He needed to get thest guild on his side and as it happened with the second, he couldn''t discount the possibility that he wouldn''t need to fight.


    He was currently in peak condition, ready to take on anything that mighte his way.


    As he strode through the garden, the winter cold breeze blew on Hans, invigorating his mind.


    Walking among all this green almost felt like a paradise, just that something felt amiss and Hans really couldn''t shake that feeling.


    There was something extremely disgusting, his keen senses not only managed to pick it up but also amplified it tenfold, making it seem even worse.


    The source soon became apparent: it was the man beside him.


    Even though he was wearing the facade of a normal butler, the stench of blood stained his elegant clothes.


    The fact that a normal man in their mansion had such a stench made Hans truly wonder if it was okay for him to trap himself in such a ce.


    Therge double doors were opened, revealing the main hall of the dimly lit mansion.


    In the hall were many low sofas made with leather and as soon as Hans entered, every person who sat on them, turned around, wanting to take a look at the irregr guest.


    Hans wasn''t weed; this was something their gazes clearly signified, nheless, he just kept following the butler, walking past the clouds of smoke that hinted more than just cigarettes.


    They weren''t just normal cigs, something Hans could tell by the strong smell of ''grass'' that was mixed with the bloody stench.


    Hans noted that the green moquette ced on the stairs was ttened by his and the butler''s shoes as they walked upstairs.


    The corridors were all exactly the same, making the building look like abyrinth.


    After they walked for a couple of minutes, passing through various rooms and hallways and making numerous turns, they finally stopped in front of a room that looked no different than all the others.


    But Hans'' eyes and senses could identify a strong presence that was emanating from within.


    It was a power akin to his own, it wasn''t aura, rather, it was mana.


    The quantity was about the same and the quality was almost simr, but there was something about this aura that he could not quite understand.


    It had a mysterious feeling to it, making it seem unknown to Hans.


    It was the aura of a mage that was one tier higher than him, the aura of a Tier-5 Mage.


    Hans entered the room while the butler remained outside.


    Currently, three people were present in the room and even if everything was clean and nothing seemed out of ce, the stench of blood became so overwhelming that it almost made Hans want to barf.


    It was disgusting, making him feel as if he had walked inside a room whose floor was covered in rotting blood.


    It was so vivid that he could almost feel it; as if the blood moved under his feet every time he took a step.


    But even then, he maintained hisposure and reached the seat in front of the two, opposite to which already sat the impably dressed "Gentlemen".


    Their attire consisted of a ck and white, shirt and tie, which made them look more like businessmen than criminals.


    Seated in the central chair was the guild master of the Asura guild, also known as "the Berserk", the person who was suspected of having ties with the Crimson Tyranny: Brandon Mitchell.


    His defined muscr body was evident even through the clothes and despite sitting on a chair, he still towered over others with his considerable height.


    His skin was slightly tanned and his hair was a blend of brown and ck, while his scary and furious eyes were colored brown.


    And on his right sat the mastermind behind all of the guild''s actions, Brandon''s most trusted ally and the only Tier-5 mage of Chicago: Zachary Barnes.


    The man possessed a quite tall and slim build with pitch-ck hair which contrasted his paleplexion, resembling the white snow.


    He wore some sses that were kept slightly farther from the eyes than usual.


    These two were amongst the most powerful people in Chicago and were currently sitting right in front of Hans.


    Though their presence didn''t intimidate him, it made him realize just how much he had progressed in the past few months.


    He had awakened just about three months ago and now he was already at the same level as an A-Rank. Yet, he knew well that it was nowhere near enough to what he needed to achieve in order to reunite with his family.


    The first person to break the silence among them was the guild leader, who immediately reprimanded Hans'' actions, "Are you the little boy who met with both Benjamin and Sophia? I wonder how those two even granted you ess to their guild hall. Anyway, is there a specific reason why the Berserk guild is thest on your visit list?! Are you underestimating our guild just because we''re newly founded?! If so, I don''t think the Association and the Asura Guild will be on good terms while you''re its branch leader, you better give me an exnation."


    His tone was stern and he sounded genuinely angry over something so simple, just as people described him, he was the definition of all brawn and no brain.


    Maintaining the facade, while trying to be as friendly as possible Hans said, "Haha, they suggested that I should keep the best forst, so that''s precisely what I did."


    "Haha, is that so? Then you''re in the clear," the man seemed genuinely pleased with the answer.


    "So? What are you here for?"


    Hans tried to keep it as simple as possible, ensuring that even the muscr bear in front of him could understand.


    "Logan Harris, the security team leader of the association, he wronged me and must pay for it. I need him stripped down from his position, but to achieve that, it''s better to have all three of the major guilds'' votes. Since both Vortex and ze agreed, I hope you will also not have anyints regarding my decision."


    "As for the secrets he holds, I can assure no other soul will know about them. In the end, I''ll be doing you nothing but a favor."


    Indeed, Logan''s possession of sensitive information about all the guilds proved both a lifesaver and an eyesore for them. Even the not-so-bright guild master recognized that and was on the verge of agreeing when the vice guild master intervened, extending his hand toward Hans for a handshake.


    "I''ll take it from here. It''s a pleasure to get to know you, Hans Ritcher, or should I call you, Mr. Unknown?"


    _____


    Just fifteen minutes after his arrival, Hans managed to walk out of the mansion, bringing with him favorable oues.


    With all three guilds on his side now, Hans only needed to pay a bit of money to the associations'' other important personnel to have an assured victory in the voting.


    But... he couldn''t help but wonder that if Garrison had described his sess in getting the three leaders on his as 1%, then why was it this easy, there was definitely something wrong.


    After returning home, Hans dedicated the next two days to studying a bit about the association, after all, even if he nned to leave the position as soon as possible, he knew that he would still need to maintain it for at least a month or so, otherwise, the public opinion about him would probably fall rock bottom.


    Though he poured in six hours of reading each day, his wisdom increased by only a mere 3 points.


    It seemed that after having the taste of magic spells, his skill {Knowledge Hunger} wasn''t so interested in conventional books anymore.


    Finally, the day arrived. Today, he would assume the role of the association branch leader.


    A press conference was organized by Garrison, since, apart from the three guild leaders, no one knew the identity of the individual who would be entitled to such a prestigious position.


    Among the crowd waiting for the press to start which included countless journalists, stood a familiar mage.


    The leader of the third team from the C-Rank gate raid, who used to boast about his strength.


    He hoped to secure the position of the association''s branch leader since he wasn''t affiliated with any guild. However, unfortunately for him, Garrison had already made his choice, leaving him curious about who might be the chosen sessor.


    In the backstage, Hans had just finished changing.


    For the first time in his life, he was dressed in elegant attire and since he knew nothing about style and such, he just made the association helpers do everything.


    They chose his suit and his hairstyle, even if truthfully, it hadn''t changed that much.


    He was wearing a ck suit with a dark orange inner lining, corrting with his amber-colored eyes.


    "Mh, mh," Garrison cleared his throat to direct everyone''s attention towards him with the sudden halt of the chatter.


    Just as he hoped, everyone''s eyes turned to him and so did the cameras.


    The moment he started speaking, a sea of shes went off, blinding his almost closed eyes.


    "As you''ve guessed, I have gathered all of you here today to announce the new association branch leader. Last time, I spoke of my momentary retirement and this time, I''m proud to say that I have found the perfect person to act as my sessor."


    "Even though he may be young, his skills are top notch and his decision-making is impable."


    Without further ado, Garrison continued.


    "I would like to introduce to all of you...the new association leader of the Chicago branch: Hans Ritcher."


    Be it on the screens of the TVs of most citizens, on the coffee televisions, and even on a small screen hanging in the hospital room hosting Hans''s parents, the young man''s name resounded throughout all of Chicago.

 Chapter 46 You鈥檙e fired

    Chapter 46 You¡¯re fired


    Across the phone, the radio, and all the television screens of Chicago''s citizens, only one name echoed¡­


    "The association branch''s new leader: Hans Ritcher."


    As the doors opened and the young man stepped out, he wasn''t even given the time to breathe as all the cameras instantly swiveled towards him, the shes blinding him akin to the summer sun.


    Despite the difort, he did his best to endure it for the sake of his newfound position.


    Among the onlookers, there were some who were more shocked than others, for example, the former leader of the third team fainted on his chair, while the other people who knew Hans from the previous gate raid remained surprised as they watched him from their home.


    In a lonely hospital room, where his familyy unconscious, a single thought came into the man''s mind when he heard the name on the TV.


    "Hans Ritcher"


    ''My¡­. Son.''


    Though his body didn''t move and nor did his breathing change, his mind worked.


    He felt a swell of pride, finally, his son had moved on, it was time, he couldn''t just waste his life caring for them.


    Just like a bird that had seen its youngling take its first fly, he finally felt ready to die, knowing that his legacy would be passed down to his son.


    Even then, a single tear welled in his eye, it wasn''t even big enough to slide off his hollowed cheeks and fall.


    Meanwhile, back at the conference, Hans walked across the room before finally arriving at the chair next to Garrison and taking a seat.


    Then the tempest started: a wave, no, a tsunami of questions was directed toward him.


    Everyone tried to get closer and closer, while the bodyguards hired by the association formed a barrier to keep them at a distance.


    All the hands holding the microphones were directed towards Hans, pointing them at him as if they were swords and so the barrage of questions began.


    "Mr. Ritcher, would you like to tell us something about yourself?"


    "Mr. Ritcher, how old are you?"


    "Mr. Ritcher, how did youe to know Mr. Garrison?"


    "Mr. Ritcher, are you going to reveal your ss?"


    "Mr. Ritcher, would you be kind enough to share with us the ns you have for the future of the association?"


    "Mr. Ritcher¡­" "Mr. Ritcher.." "Mr. Ritcher.."


    Garrison pitifully looked at Hans, feeling sorry for letting the young man shoulder all this stress and responsibilities at such a young age.


    ''Maybe, I shouldn''t have retired.''


    At that moment, the worry that Hans wouldn''t be able to lead the branch well really hit Garrison, making him wonder if he had made the right choice.


    However, Hans, whose eyes remained closed because of all the shes, remained calm andposed. And after taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes, causing all the reporters to halt their questions. For now, it seemed that his authority hadn''t degraded and was still on the same level as Garrison''s.


    But in the future, it could be influenced by his actions as the leader.


    In case he turned out to be unqualified for the position of branch leader, the citizens with the support of the other guilds would retaliate against him and his words would lose all their power and his position wouldn''t provide him any authority.


    After getting their attention, Hans started talking and knowing well that he was being heard by at least a million people, his words weren''t filled with fear or insecurity, nor were theyced with any jokes or useless words.


    While his tone remained normal, his heavy and authoritative words pierced right into the citizens'' hearts, and for the people from the asion, he made it even deeper.


    "First of all, I would first like to express my thanks to all of you who havee here today."


    "As for your questions¡­ let''s see, my name is Hans Ritcher and I am currently eighteen."


    "Some of you might know me under another name and face... I first met Mr. Garrison a few months back when we were raiding a C-Rank gate."


    "During the operation, I acquired a unique nickname thanks to my position and some people started calling me ''Fifth Team Leader''"


    The faces of all the people before him froze in shock. It hadn''t been long since he was crowned as the savior of the city and now they discovered that not only was he barely an adult, but also ted to be the next branch leader. Hearing him, there was only one word that came to the minds of all the reporters.


    HEADLINE!


    In the realm of hunters, everything became famous, especially when it involved Mr. Unknown, the fifth team leader, and publishing an article about him guaranteed a headline.


    Nevertheless, Hans pressed on with his speech, "As for talking about my ss, it''s not really appropriate for me to disclose it, isn''t it?


    "But, if we are talking about my ns for the association.."


    His words slowed down, his cold gaze reached the eyes of a middle-aged man, who stood among the association''s high-ranking seats: Logan Harris.


    "First and foremost, I''ll be sure to purge out the rotten branches from the association. I''ll rip them apart, right down to their veryst root."


    A palpable force emanated from his being, causing the man who had been previously boldly meeting his gaze to avert his eyes as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.


    Suddenly, everything in the conference stopped.


    It was an unprecedented move, one that no one had ever done before, leaving everyone around stunned.


    "Well then, it was my pleasure meeting all of you," Hans dered, letting the microphone crash onto the table, producing an unpleasant sound that shattered the absolute silence as he rose from his seat and began to stride away.


    No one dared to speak; they didn''t even know what to say.


    ''This was my warning sign, Logan. The real battle begins and ends tomorrow,'' thought Hans as he pushed the doors open, leaving behind him nothing but a crowd of astonished onlookers.


    Witnessing Hans'' departure, Garrison''s concerns from before dissipated into nothing; it seemed like retiring had been the best decision he had made for the association in his whole life.


    There was, however, someone who took Hans''s actions more seriously: Logan Harris, who was now furious.


    ''What the f*ck does that brat think he''s doing? He must be inexperienced about how things work around here,'' Logan seethed, his gaze shifting to the former branch leader, who had always been a hassle for his actions before a small smirk appeared on his lips, recing his once angry expression.


    He muttered, "Garrison, have you truly not taught that kid anything at all? Hahaha, then I''ll let hime to me, it''ll be a pleasure to devour him and take the position for myself."


    With those words, Logan also departed, preparing for what could possibly happen in the near future with such an unpredictable branch leader.


    True to the expectations of the interviewers, Hans''s interview dominated the front pages of Chicago''s newspaper the following morning.


    From the first page to the very third, Hans''s name loomedrge, leaving only the fourth page that was written with something that wasn''t rted to him.


    /Mobilization of the entire Asura guild/


    A sudden appearance of a B-Rank gate in the Asura guild''s territory had forced its team of officers and guild leader to enter the gate in an effort to protect the urban district where it appeared, thereby preventing civilian casualties.


    "Dammit," Hans muttered, mming the newspaper onto the table.


    "So that''s the reason..."


    When he had gone to negotiate with the Asura guild, they hadn''t promised any aid and only agreed to abstain from voting in exchange for a box of high-grade healing potions.


    At the time, Hans had little time to haggle and didn''t want to remain inside that mansion any longer, hence he agreed quickly without investigating any further. After all, even just an abstention from the vote would mean his absolute victory in the vote.


    But he couldn''t have ever known that they would''ve had to abstain from voting anyway, after all, during the time of voting they would be in the gate.


    "Haaaa, it''s fine. I haven''t lost anything and the association hasn''t suffered any major losses either." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since high-grade potions could only be crafted by B-Rank alchemists, they weren''t produced in Chicago and all those that the guilds possessed came from external deals, which made those potions really expensive and challenging to obtain.


    ''I''ll just need to make sure to avoid letting the members get injured in the next raid and I''ll be even,'' Hans reassured himself, knowing damn well that it was just a flimsyfort.


    "Anyway, it''s time for me to go," he nced at the clock, which read 07: 16.


    Dressed slightly more stylish than usual in an attire just as rmended by the designers hired by the associationst time, Hans wore a yellow-orange waistcoat over a ck shirt that was paired with white pants and a light jacket.


    Adorning his chest, right above his heart was a golden pin that denoted his status as the association branch leader.


    At half past seven, Hans arrived at the association branch, drawing awed gazes from the workers, however, Aiden seemed conspicuously absent.


    Taking the elevator to the seventieth floor, he waited to arrive at his destination.


    After the elevator opened, only a door stood in front, separating him from his target.


    SWOOSH


    He pushed it open and walked inside the room, the opening of therge door resulted in a swishing sound.


    As he entered the office, Hans couldn''t help but have his eyes widened.


    Although the room was huge, it had little to no furniture, definitely something one wouldn''t expect from the rich association.


    There was only a single lectern which stood in the center and in front of it were many steps, forming a semicircle, reminiscent of the old Roman theaters.


    Hans walked up to the stage and posed his arms on the lectern before he started speaking in the microphone.


    "I am sure all of you must''ve already heard enough about me. So I''ll start immediately without wasting our time with any small talk."


    "Today''s subject:


    Logan Harris¡­


    You''re fired."


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