《The Architect [Solo Leveling]》 The Beginning Waking up within a dimly lit area, a young man could be seen sitting up from the floor. Having no recollection of how he had come into such a place, the last he remembered was going to bank to finally withdraw his pay after months of working for it but then he slumped. Now he was here, looking around he could see some sort of red light¡­ Was it a fire in the distance and some shadowy figures along with a lot of noise. "Mr, Kim Sang-Shik?" he heard a voice call out "... But¡­ But I also have a family, I don''t want to die here" he heard another voice reply. "Die?" The man asked as he immediately jumped to his feet. He still couldn''t see clearly though, everything existed as a blur to him no matter how much he cleaned his eyes. He could see the bright light and the shadowy figures standing within the light produced by the flames but besides that there was nothing. "I''m sorry, I can''t stay here any longer" He heard the so-called Kim Sang-Shik say as the person tried to stifle their tears After that, he heard the sound of someone running followed by a long scrapping on the floor as though something was closing. "Where the fuck am I?" The man whispered as he tried to look around but for some reason he still couldn''t see. Hearing the words ''die'' and ''altar'' multiple times wasn''t something he was comfortable with. His heart was already beating rapidly from what the initial person had said. However, he didn''t know the backstory of whatever was going on here and above that he couldn''t even see. He could already tell at this point because he had heard the remaining four people, a Sung Jin-Woo who seemed to be a young man but should be badly injured, at least his voice and laboured breathing suggested that. There was also the one who was suffering something called ''Mana Exhaustion'', It was a female and apparently she was a healer. And finally there was the only voice that sounded a bit stable amongst all this, the elderly voice that belonged to a Song Chi-Yul. This meant that there were three people within this place apart from him and going to meet them sounded like a good idea but they all sound as though something was after them. From their tone and their conversation, it wasn''t hard for the man to figure out that they weren''t really doing well so he removed all thoughts of going to join them. That option would definitely lead to his death even faster so he planned to escape on his own. At least whatever it was that was attacking them, hadn''t noticed him yet if not he would have been dead long ago. He didn''t know how he had gotten himself into such a position but he would definitely get out of it. Feeling around himself, I found what felt like wall. A stone wall with several grooves on it¡­ No, they were writings. Feeling around and squinting enough, he could make out a figure holding what looked like a stone tablet. However, it wasn''t his business, his business was with the wall he could see just beside it. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Slowly feeling his way towards the wall, he began walking. His destination was unknown for now but he had seen that this room existed as a circle, he would eventually chance upon the exit. Using the statues or platforms to hide, he began his journey but just then, he heard it. The heavy steps of movements and the scrapping of the door. The steps weren''t towards him, so he knew he was safe for now but if the door closed then he was trapped in here with whatever it was that was killing people. He couldn''t run because he would fall and that would make noise which would notify the enemies of his existence. With every step that was taken, his heartbeat faster and louder. Even if the steps clearly sounded as though they were walking away from him, he felt as though there was already a sword point to his throat. The noise from the other group was his only hope, he was sorry to hope for their death but at the moment, it was either them or him. He wasn''t a hero nor was he some villain, he simply wanted to survive, and he must do so even if they died. Quickening his steps, the man followed the wall as he bypassed may statues and platforms until he could finally see the door but then he heard it. The scraping of the door again. "Noo!!!" He screamed in fear as he quickly left the wall and began running for the door. He may not see it clearly, but he could see it, it was closing and would soon be shut trapping him within. *Boom* A loud sound was heard as the door was shut, trapping him within with the monsters he had tried to escape. Kneeling before the door as tears began forming in his eyes, the man lost all hope. He couldn''t see and now he was trapped with monsters that were killing people with legit magical powers. He could feel the eyes on him, the pressure and insignificance between himself and the monsters within the room. [Interesting] he heard a voice from directly above him Looking up, he couldn''t see much but he could see the familiar figure. The wings, the stone tablet with the writings on it and the giant white teeth. "Nothing is interesting here, monster, I may not have any magic powers, but I am still a black belt at Krav Maga" The man said as he summoned the courage to stand Taking a stance and ready for battle, the man steeled his resolve, if he was to die then he would die in battle not begging it. [Interesting] the creature said again Looking up at it, the man suddenly saw a massive pillar flying towards him before he was hit and sent flying into the door. blam The man splattered on the floor from the door with his entire body aching him. He couldn''t move at all, and blood flowed from each of his orifices. [You''re different, you''re like me but you''re not, what is your name, human?] "Keurghk" the man replied gagging on his own blood. Proposition [Unique but still vulnerable] the creature said before raising it hand above the nearly dead man As soon as it did so, a large bottle appeared in its outstretched hands. Without further hesitation, the creature poured the contents of the bottle on the dying man. The contents of the bottle completely drenched the man almost as though he was inside an ocean. In the same instant, he felt his bones snap back into place, the aching stopped almost instantly, almost as though it didn''t exist in the first place. *Cough! Cough!* The man immediately began to cough violently as blood came out each time, thankfully he didn''t feel any worse rather, he felt better with each mouthful he spat out. [Feeling better?] the being asked Hearing the voice again, the man immediately reached for his eyes as he immediately began cleaning off the blood that covered his eyes. Looking up to the creature, he could finally see it. It was a massive statue that stood at a height of about eight (8) feet tall or possibly more. It had wings that didn''t flap or move but it remained suspended in the air before him, behind it stood an army of gigantic stone knights and behind those was an even taller statue. "What do you want from me?" He asked after confirming that his situation was truly hopeless. [I want you, you are different, a being out of time and space] the creature answered in a surprisingly relaxed tone. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It sounded as though it was talking to a long time friend about something it had discovered but even the his heart continued to beat even louder and faster with each of its movements. "So, I don''t see how that helps you in anyway" He replied, He just wanted to escape, a death may be a release but it isn''t a desired outcome even if it was happening for the second time. [I have a proposition for you, accept and you walk out of here alive and unscathed, fail and you see a fate far worse than death] "...." The man laid on the floor tired as he continued staring at the creature, he couldn''t tell what was going on within the being''s mind. It literally wanted to kill him just a second ago and now it had a proposition. [Do you accept it or not?] He didn''t need to know what the proposal was, he just knew that he shouldn''t accept it. "Yes I do" But he didn''t have any choice. He may not know what was going on here or exactly where it was he had found himself but he knew one thing and that was that, this was the only way for him to survive even if there was a chase it was lying. [Excellent] the creature said in a weird tone. As soon as he heard the creature speak, he felt something enter him, almost as though a crucial part of him had returned but before he could explore further, he closed as the darkness took over.
You can read ahead on my patreon @Ink_Verse Hospital [Ashborn has his and now I have mine] the creature said as it looked on at the now unconscious human before it. ¡­. "Stop!!" The man screamed as he sat up from the bed he was lying in. *Huff huff* He heaved as he tried to regulate his breathing, thankfully it was all a dream, a nightmare. With that thought, he slowly calmed down enough to notice his environment. The white walls and the various equipment. The bed and the various tubes that were going in and out of his body. He was in a hospital. "I didn''t die?" he questioned, He didn''t know exactly what it was that may have caused him to collapse but thankfully it seems he survived it. "... Last time I checked on him, he was still sl¡­ Oh! He''s awake now" A female voice was heard as he looked in her direction. Looking towards her, he could see the source, a female nurse and following behind her were two men, both dressed in suits and looked as official as one could get. ''Why are they Asian?'' the man thought as he looked on in confusion "Good day sir" The two men greeted politely "Good day" He answered clearly still suspicious of the two. Their presence alone meant that it could all be real, he knew that he normally had no business with any Asian talk more any one in suit. "We are from the Korean Hunter Association¡­ " one of them said as he handed over an ID Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Looking at the ID, he found nothing wrong with it but he had never heard of such an association before. Even then he didn''t judge since he had never been to an Asian Country before so this may be a normal thing within such areas. "Okay, so what do you want with me?" He asked as he reached out to hand over the ID before suddenly withdrawing his hand. The ID was in Korean! He could read Korean! ''Since When?" he thought Noticing his odd behavior, he quickly handed the ID back to the man. Everything so far was weird but there was nothing weirder than this. How could he read Korean?... Thinking about it now as he listened to the two inspectors, he too was speaking Korean and he could hear it perfectly. It was as though it was his native language and one he had used for so long that it sounded like English to him. "May we know your name, Sir?" one of them asked "Steve Grant" He answered truthfully "Okay then sir, if possible we would like to know what happened within the Gate and how you had gotten into it?" "What Gate?... Are you talking about the room with the statues?" He asked He didn''t know what they were talking about but the weirdest think that happened to him so far was the room with the Statues and the Architect statue. "Yes, all the other survivors have confirmed that you weren''t amongst the party that went in to explore the Gate" One of them asked as the atmosphere suddenly got heavy. Assessment [Ashborn has his and now I have mine] the creature said as it looked on at the now unconscious human before it. ¡­. "Stop!!" The man screamed as he sat up from the bed he was lying in. *Huff huff* He heaved as he tried to regulate his breathing, thankfully it was all a dream, a nightmare. With that thought, he slowly calmed down enough to notice his environment. The white walls and the various equipment. The bed and the various tubes that were going in and out of his body. He was in a hospital. "I didn''t die?" he questioned, He didn''t know exactly what it was that may have caused him to collapse but thankfully it seems he survived it. "... Last time I checked on him, he was still sl¡­ Oh! He''s awake now" A female voice was heard as he looked in her direction. Looking towards her, he could see the source, a female nurse and following behind her were two men, both dressed in suits and looked as official as one could get. ''Why are they Asian?'' the man thought as he looked on in confusion "Good day sir" The two men greeted politely "Good day" He answered clearly still suspicious of the two. Their presence alone meant that it could all be real, he knew that he normally had no business with any Asian talk more any one in suit. "We are from the Korean Hunter Association¡­ " one of them said as he handed over an ID The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Looking at the ID, he found nothing wrong with it but he had never heard of such an association before. Even then he didn''t judge since he had never been to an Asian Country before so this may be a normal thing within such areas. "Okay, so what do you want with me?" He asked as he reached out to hand over the ID before suddenly withdrawing his hand. The ID was in Korean! He could read Korean! ''Since When?" he thought Noticing his odd behavior, he quickly handed the ID back to the man. Everything so far was weird but there was nothing weirder than this. How could he read Korean?... Thinking about it now as he listened to the two inspectors, he too was speaking Korean and he could hear it perfectly. It was as though it was his native language and one he had used for so long that it sounded like English to him. "May we know your name, Sir?" one of them asked "Steve Grant" He answered truthfully "Okay then sir, if possible we would like to know what happened within the Gate and how you had gotten into it?" "What Gate?... Are you talking about the room with the statues?" He asked He didn''t know what they were talking about but the weirdest think that happened to him so far was the room with the Statues and the Architect statue. "Yes, all the other survivors have confirmed that you weren''t amongst the party that went in to explore the Gate" One of them asked as the atmosphere suddenly got heavy. Status Page After they left, the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a frown as he looked forward. "They couldn''t see it?" Steve asked, somewhat confused. Before him was a large holographic screen with the words ''Welcome Architect'' written on it. He didn''t know where it had come from, but ever since he awakened, it had been there. He assumed that the inspectors would be able to see it as well, but they both acted as though it didn''t exist. "Is it a normal phenomenon?" he asked. He didn''t know what was normal in this world, so he couldn''t tell if they acted as though it didn''t exist because it was a normal occurrence, or it was just because they didn''t see it. "Hello sir, is there anything else you would need?" the familiar female voice was heard as Steve turned to its source. It was the nurse who could now be seen standing just a few meters away from his bed. "Ehm... Yes, actually, may I know who will be paying for all this?" Steve asked. "That''s easy, here in Korea, Hunter medical bills are handled by the Government. So you can rest easy, you are currently under Government care," the lady said with a smile. "I see, then thank you," Steve replied with an equal smile. If the expenses were being handled by the government, then he didn''t have to worry about anything. Since that was off his mind, he quickly turned his attention back to the holographic system before him. "Accept," he said out loud while staring at the options given. As soon as he said so, the screen changed as what looked like a status page appeared before him. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "It''s really like a game," Steve laughed. ¡­ Name: Steven Grant Age: 35 Title: Architect''s Prot¨¦g¨¦ Mana: 200 Abilities: Prot¨¦g¨¦ of the Architect Architect''s Touch Architect''s Insight ¡­ "Where is the level and such?" he asked, surprised at how simple the page was. Normal status pages showcased the level, stats, and other features of the player; this one didn''t do any of that. It was as though it was created solely to inform him of his abilities. It was just as its name implied, a ''Status page''. ¡­ Prot¨¦g¨¦ of the Architect: As the Prot¨¦g¨¦ of the architect, the user is capable of learning all construction-related skills and abilities with increased ease than normal. Architect''s Touch: As an Architect, the user is capable of manipulating any structure based on their level of knowledge or understanding of said structure. Architect''s Insight: The user gains a rudimentary insight into the nature or structure of any object or structure. ¡­ "That''s all?" he asked, surprised. Nothing he was seeing here seemed to fit in with what he exactly wanted. Didn''t the books say that when one reincarnated and got a system, they would get abilities that would put them at the top of the world? If the others got that, then why was his like this? "As long as I understand the structure of said thing," Steve quoted as he looked beside him. The phrase was a bit weird; did he have to understand the very makeup of the structure, or did it mean the principle of how it worked? Status Page After they left, the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a frown as he looked forward. "They couldn''t see it?" Steve asked, somewhat confused. Before him was a large holographic screen with the words ''Welcome Architect'' written on it. He didn''t know where it had come from, but ever since he awakened, it had been there. He assumed that the inspectors would be able to see it as well, but they both acted as though it didn''t exist. "Is it a normal phenomenon?" he asked. He didn''t know what was normal in this world, so he couldn''t tell if they acted as though it didn''t exist because it was a normal occurrence, or it was just because they didn''t see it. "Hello sir, is there anything else you would need?" the familiar female voice was heard as Steve turned to its source. It was the nurse who could now be seen standing just a few meters away from his bed. "Ehm... Yes, actually, may I know who will be paying for all this?" Steve asked. "That''s easy, here in Korea, Hunter medical bills are handled by the Government. So you can rest easy, you are currently under Government care," the lady said with a smile. "I see, then thank you," Steve replied with an equal smile. If the expenses were being handled by the government, then he didn''t have to worry about anything. Since that was off his mind, he quickly turned his attention back to the holographic system before him. "Accept," he said out loud while staring at the options given. As soon as he said so, the screen changed as what looked like a status page appeared before him. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "It''s really like a game," Steve laughed. ¡­ Name: Steven Grant Age: 35 Title: Architect''s Prot¨¦g¨¦ Mana: 200 Abilities: Prot¨¦g¨¦ of the Architect Architect''s Touch Architect''s Insight ¡­ "Where is the level and such?" he asked, surprised at how simple the page was. Normal status pages showcased the level, stats, and other features of the player; this one didn''t do any of that. It was as though it was created solely to inform him of his abilities. It was just as its name implied, a ''Status page''. ¡­ Prot¨¦g¨¦ of the Architect: As the Prot¨¦g¨¦ of the architect, the user is capable of learning all construction-related skills and abilities with increased ease than normal. Architect''s Touch: As an Architect, the user is capable of manipulating any structure based on their level of knowledge or understanding of said structure. Architect''s Insight: The user gains a rudimentary insight into the nature or structure of any object or structure. ¡­ "That''s all?" he asked, surprised. Nothing he was seeing here seemed to fit in with what he exactly wanted. Didn''t the books say that when one reincarnated and got a system, they would get abilities that would put them at the top of the world? If the others got that, then why was his like this? "As long as I understand the structure of said thing," Steve quoted as he looked beside him. The phrase was a bit weird; did he have to understand the very makeup of the structure, or did it mean the principle of how it worked? Architects Touch Looking around him, Steve found a cup lying on the table beside him. It was the only thing he could say he understood for sure within the room. ''Let''s see, a sword?'' he thought as he considered using the Architect''s Touch ability. With that touch, he willed the cup to turn into a sword. As soon as he did so, he felt some form of energy leave his body. ... Mana: 25 (-175) ... Immediately after, he fell limp on the bed, but the object in his hand was now heavier. The rules of the ability turned out to be simple. Despite the excited smile on his face, his body felt as though it had been undergoing intense training for so long that it gave out. He wasn''t worried, though, as any gamer would at least know the cause of this. The Status page already showed him that he had mana, so overusing it should also lead to some form of energy drain mode or something. Due to his current lack of strength to hold up anything, the object in his hand finally fell off as it clattered to the ground. As it fell, it slid into open view, and his smile grew even bigger. It was a small dagger; he had successfully changed the cup into a dagger. The rules weren''t as complicated as they were made to look; he just needed to know what he wanted to make and have at least an idea of how to make it. ''At least my golden finger isn''t some sham,'' he said before finally drifting off to sleep. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Meanwhile, in the hallways of the hospital, two men could be seen walking through it with two files now in their hands. ''Mr. Jinchul, what do you think about their stories? They both confirm the existence of the Double Dungeon, but even this Jin Woo doesn''t know who the other guy is,'' one man said. ''Taeshik, we are investigating a Double Dungeon event that led to the loss of multiple lives. What I think doesn''t matter... Their stories at least check out, and so far, Mr. Grant seems to be a victim of the event. According to them, there were thirty of them within the dungeon; there is a possibility that they may not have seen him, and the man himself must be suffering from amnesia,'' Jin Chul replied as he rubbed his forehead. This event was much more of a headache than he expected, and worse, none of the two last survivors were reawakened. The problem here wasn''t that they survived; the problem was that they survived such a supposedly dangerous dungeon, but neither of the two was reawakened. ''I''m sorry, sir,'' Taeshik replied. ''Don''t worry. It''s just, how can both of them be E-ranks even after such an event?'' Jin Chul asked. ''Should I call a surveillance team on both of them?'' ''Not necessary. If they are special, we will eventually hear about it. Just keep an ear out for them,'' the man replied as he left. There was nothing here anymore apart from frustration, so it was best they left and attended to their other pressing matters." Learning more about this world "Three days now and he still runs?" Steve said as he looked through one of the hospital windows. Just outside the window were a multitude of patients ranging from the elderly to even young children. Amongst them was a familiar figure; it was the boy from within the room. Steve had absolutely zero idea how the boy had survived, but then again, he was also in the same situation. "Wait, does he also have a holographic screen helping him?... His rate of improvement is terrifying," Steve noted. Just the day before, he had seen the boy collapse nearly six times as he tried to perform some push-ups. However, today he went through more than 50 at a single go. It definitely wasn''t normal, which meant that he surely had a status page with him... well, a more complete version unlike his own. The only reasonable explanation for his quick adaptation to such intense exercise was that the boy had access to something like that. "Do I ask him about it?... Also, shouldn''t I be training here too?" Steve asked himself. It was already pretty clear that the world he was in wasn''t one that he could easily survive in. There existed monsters in this world. The past few days had drilled that much into his head. The news was always on about the Gates and the Hunters who help secure the gates. The Gates were, in simple terms, instance dungeons. They appear, and when you defeat all the monsters within it, it disappears. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Each one is graded according to how much mana or energy it discharges, and as for hunters, they were superpowered humans who awakened abilities that helped them fight against the monsters within the Gates. The Hunters, in general, were watched over by the Hunter Association, which is where the inspector Kim Jin Chul was from. However, due to monetary reasons, other powerful hunters created their own associations called Guilds. The Association can''t exactly do anything to them, so they let them be but still do their best to watch over all of them. There was the Hunter''s Guild, the Tiger''s Guild, and two more that he didn''t know much about. He had also learned of how weak he was; the E-rank he initially thought granted some form of power truly was trash. It was nothing, and worse, he was even weaker than a regular E-rank. "No, the best is to learn; the more I know, the better I can use my abilities," Steve decided. His ability was clear; the more he knew, the better he could manipulate something, anything at all. "Oh, I see you''re up. How was your night, sir?" "Great, Miss Sung, but I have a question. Can I leave the hospital? I want to go to the Hunters Association to get registered; is that possible?" he asked. "Of course, sir, hunters heal a lot faster than normal humans. This is simply a compulsory wait period before discharge just so we can be sure you are truly healthy." "Oh, I see. Okay then, I may have to trouble you to direct me towards there," he asked politely. Creation "Sure," the nurse replied without much thought. Hearing that, Steve smiled as he returned back to his bed, the screen right in front of him. It had been a week since he was admitted and as it turns out, you can stay within the hospital for as long as you can but you must have a good reason to do so. Despite the fact that his health was guaranteed, his case was a bit different due to the double dungeon incident. Apparently such a situation had never happened before. Considering his current situation, it was best he stayed here for now. Thankfully that would change soon, he was entitled to some compensation from the association due to the event . He didn''t know exactly how much it was but hopefully it would be enough to get himself a new place to stay. So far all he had done was training his skills and try to gain more mana. The latter was difficult but easy all at once and the other one could be done passively. Turns out that when you utilize a lot of mana within this world and recover it, it increases by a bit. ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á Mana: 357 (+157) ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á This was the result of his hard work so far, may seem like nothing but it was a massive improvement. As for his actual skills, that was easy to determine. The space around his bed was filled with swords or daggers. His ability was as fascinating as he initially thought it to be. He could manipulate any material as long as he had an idea what it was. Even if he didn''t know what it was, he could manipulate it still, however it will take took much mana from him. It was a reasonably balanced but still incredibly overpowered ability. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Wait wouldnt this make me like some super tier blacksmith or something like that, if I get access to monster materials, I can at least make a lot of money. Wasn''t the ability just tailor made for him. If he used it right then he could get rich quickly by simply just selling an artifact he creates. Thinking about this, Steve picked up on of the many short swords and daggers on the floor. It was shaped irregularly unlike a regular short sword but then this was a fantasy world using game logic such equipment should exist here naturally. "Insight" Steve chanted while focusing all his attention on the sword ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á Name: Nameless Item type: Dagger Material: Magic Steel Attribute: Sharpness III, Durability I. Attack Power: +500 (II) Description: A dagger created by the Architect, Steven Grant. A tool designed with care and precise cutting in mind. It is made with |Magic Steel|, a magical metal created when steel absorbs a lot of mana World Rank: C ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á "Even this should fetch me a lot of money, right?" He asked. His lack of understanding to the way of life here was incredibly annoying, he didn''t know the standard for even E-rank weapons talk more C-rank. He had no idea how expensive they were, or how powerful they were. This was called a C-rank tool but exactly what made it a C-rank tool. ¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã A/N: Numbers will not be used for attack power anymore; this was more to draw parallels between the actual Solo leveling system and the fanfiction. Instead, I will be using the roman numerals, I to V. I = 100 - 250 = E-C II = 250 - 950 = B III = 950 - 1250 = A IV = 1250 - 1950 = S V = 1950 and above = S and above C-rank Clothing Looking at the other Daggers and short swords within the room, many of them had similar rankings, which wasn''t exactly good for him to base his products off of. "At least I know C-rank is high tier enough to at least get me something," he said before dropping the Daggers to start preparing for his journey to the Hunter Association for his compensation and ID. Picking up the tattered clothes he had with him, a frown immediately appeared. He had nowhere to go, so this was literally his only possession in this new life. All through his stay here, he had been in the hospital gown, even if it was no longer needed. "Being broke is a sin," he quoted before sitting down on the chair nearby and placing his shirt on the table. Since he had mastered his abilities to a certain degree, then remaking his clothes shouldn''t be a difficult thing to do. Imbuing his mana into the fabric, the weaving immediately began to be undone. The only good thing was that he could feel that the clothing was still relatively new, which meant that even if it was torn from battle, it could still hold up. Using mana to connect the broken strings, Steve began his work. He couldn''t say that he had ever weaved before in his life, but like practically every other person out there, he had seen it on YouTube. But unlike many out there, he had actually paid attention. Of course, in practical thinking, just because you paid attention doesn''t mean you would be able to replicate it. However, now, things were different. He had magical abilities. He just needed to know how to do it. As he performed his magic, the shirt immediately began to unravel as all that remained was the long string it was made out of. Imbuing his mana into the string, Steve began again. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The weaving began and was done much faster than it took to unravel it. Seconds passed, and there was a brand new shirt sitting in front of him. "It really worked?" Steve asked, surprised, as he immediately used Insight on it. Item type: Clothing (Shirt) Material: Magic Cotton Attributes: [Protection I], [Thermoregulation I], [Comfort I] Durability: II Description: A piece of clothing worn to protect and cover the upper body, created by the Architect, Steven Grant. Created using Magic Cotton, a material born when cotton is imbued with a lot of mana, which grants ultimate comfort and protection when needed. World Rank: C "Does that mean that everything I create would be C-ranked until I get stronger?" Steve asked himself as he examined the shirt he just made. Of course, as its creator, he had embroidered his own logo at its back and had boldly written the letters ''Architect''s Studio'' under it. The shirt looked like some very expensive product he would buy from some high-ranking brand. The material quality was superb, but then again, what did he expect from a magical material? "Moment of truth," he said before he put on the shirt. This would be the first time he was actually using one of his creations. He had the swords, but exactly what does he use them on? As soon as he wore the shirt, he felt some weird form of energy permeate his body. It felt safe and just right, if that was a feeling. It was neither cold nor hot; it was just right despite the slight cold within the room. "Attack power may be zero, but damn!" Steve praised himself. Hunters Association Without anymore hesitation, he did the same to his torn trousers and just like the shirt, it gained a few attributes and was also a C-ranked item. *At this point, wouldn''t opening a store be much better than raiding dungeons" Steve contemplated. Both routes would give him money and power. It wasn''t like he actually had a leveling system that makes him stronger the more he killed monsters. "Well lets get registered first" he said before wearing his shoes as it was. The best he could do was to remove the dirt on it. He didn''t know how to make a shoe so this was the best he could do for now. Of course, dismantling the shoe and learning it now was also a way but it wasn''t what he was after as of now. Soon he was ready and looking as neat as possible, despite the clothes being the same as the one he had used in the dungeon, he looked like a completely different person. With a smile on his face, Steve picked up on of the Daggers on the floor and made a makeshift shealth for it using the extra material from the clothes. Turns out imbuing magic into cotton, enlongates it. Which meant that he had a few extra materials lying around after remaking his clothes. Soon after he was on his way, the nurses were thankfully kind enough to give him the directions to the association building. Steve found it weird that with how big the association claimed to be and what their duty was, it didn''t have branches in every part of the country. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. By his understanding, there should be a hunters association center beside every police station. It will help with faster reaction time when a gate opens. Either way, it wasn''t really his business, his business for now was to get the Hunter ID. It will serve as some form of identification for him from now on since it seems to be a world wide accepted ID. Nearly an hour later, he was standing in front of the association building. It was a large skyscraper¡­ A series of skyscrapers that met each other at certain points. The building was as magnificent as he thought it would be. "Good day, welcome to the Hunters Association, how may I help you today?" he heard a voice call out almost as soon as he entered the building. Turning to his side, he found the source, a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties could be seen just standing there with a smile on her face. "Hi, good morning, I came to get registered as a hunter, would that be possible?" Steve asked "Okay then, please follow this route to the left, you will see someone there to assist you on that" The lady said "Thank you" Steve replied before moving on to the place, he was directed to. The interior of the building didn''t look all that different from normal offices. The down floor seemed to be just a general lounge area or something like that with multiple reception area located here and there. Gift After a short while, Steve finally saw the place. It was as expected a large reception room, however unlike the majority of the other receptions here, this one had many people waiting in line. Looking at the long line of people, he didn''t need to ask any stupid question and just joined the line since it was obviously the line of attendance and besides it had come to his understanding that E-rank was very low. Who knew what the ranks of these people were. It took nearly an hour before it was finally his turn. "Next!" the receptionist shouted as he walked up. "Hello" He greeted with a smile "Hi, how may I help you today?" the receptionist asked "That''s simple, I want to get registered as a hunter, the inspector Kim Jinchul told me that''s done here, right?" Steve asked "Of course, however we are required that this will involve you surrendering a lot of your personal information as well as showing us what you can do, would it be possible for you?" the receptionist asked "That is not a problem" Steve replied He didn''t exactly have anything to hide. He had no past in this world that mattered, and his abilities were something that he believed would become popular soon enough. "Okay then sir, if you will please fill this form while we get your set ready" she said as she handed him a paper. He immediately collected it and began going through it. It was just as the lady had said, it asked a lot of personal questions, but he noticed that they didn''t ask for any form of identification for some reason. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Well, he didn''t care that they didn''t, it helped him who didn''t have any. Quickly filling the form, Steve began waiting for the rest of his set. The test was apparently done in sets of four for some reason he had yet to figure out, but it did save time so it sort of made sense. Several minutes later, he was standing before a group of men and women in suits. All of them looked serious, as though they were part of some special forces group or something. "Mr. Grant, we meet again" a very familiar voice called out as Steve turned to see the Inspector again. "Mr Jinchul!" Steve called out in reply as he shook the man''s hand. "I see you took my words seriously" "Well I checked even closer and found out I practically don''t exist in this world, so I am applying, so I can get a means of identification" Steve replied "If that''s so, you wouldn''t mind me staying to watch, right?" "Of course not, oh and also I brought this to give to you" Steve said as he brought out his carefully wrapped dagger. "I don''t know if you''re a dagger user or not, but You''re an inspector, if you can''t use it, you''ll definitely find someone who can" Of course, this wasn''t why he actually brought the dagger, he brought to see the man''s reaction to seeing it. He couldn''t tell the inspector''s rank even with |Insight| but he believed that the man would surely react if he noticed anything special about it. Tests He would say he trusted the system, but then it was given to him by a statue that nearly killed him. "What''s this?" Jin Chul asked as he watched Steve unwrap it. As soon as the wrap came off, the dagger was revealed. It looked like the standard issue Daggers he used back in the military, but it was different. There was an unnecessary cold to it. It was clear that the dagger didn''t have much special about it, but just looking at it, He felt as though it would cut him. He was A-rank and his ability was mostly physical, so how was that possible. "You made this?" Jin Chul asked as he collected the dagger from him. Soon as he touched it, he felt it relax into his hand, almost as though it was made for him. "Yeah, turns out I can make things, I may not be able to cut down monsters but crafting works as well" Steve answered truthfully. "Well then thank you, I''ll have this appraised later and a report on it will be said back to you" "Thank you, I will appreciate that" Steve said with a smile, his aim was achieved. He had got more than expected from it, but it was still something. After that, he followed the other applicants to get tested. The test involved a lot of physical tests, which he failed. The 200-meter sprint, which had a five-second maximum requirement. The jump tests, which he also failed because he couldn''t meet the rank. There were many others like this that he failed, but saw the others pass with flying colours. For some reason, though, he felt that he should have expected it. The assessment done in hospital tested out his man and not his physicals. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He felt that it was understandable that he failed them but then again, if he fails them. How would he get his identity. Assuming such a thing was needed to own a shop. Meanwhile, in a small section of the testing grounds, a group of people could be seen standing and watching the group who were performing their tests. Amongst them was the Inspector Kim Jin Chul. "Sir are you sure, this guy is reawakened?" one of the examiners asked turning to him. "That''s why we are here, aren''t we?" he answered Even if he was seeing it with his own eyes, he still couldn''t believe it. None of it made sense, only a re-awakener could have survived the double dungeon. He had seen the level of carnage left behind by the mysterious dungeon. Even the two were found in very dangerous conditions, the boy was barely breathing, and the man here had all his bones broken. How they had survived such a thing was beyond him, but somehow both of them didn''t get any power ups that would explain anything. "I need the report on that appraisal immediately" He shouted at one of the many interns there If his ability didn''t lie in fighting, then he may be a craftsman. He wouldn''t be the first, such type of awakeners were rare, but they existed. Lady Selene of London was one such person, creating the legendary weapon known as Excalibur at the peak of her life. Even Haruto of Japan was one such person as well. Maybe this Steve Grant was also like that. Following his orders, the interns and various other officers on duty rushed to do his bidding as quickly as possible. If he was putting such interest on the dagger, then it must be important. Mana Tests An hour later, Steve was done with all the physical tests, and it was finally time for the mana test. This was the part he was waiting for, if he failed at the physical, then he will surely excel at the mana part of it. He was very sure about that, after a brief moment of rest, a new device was brought. Even for a clueless person like him, he could immediately tell what it was for. It was a clear crystal orb, with just a glance, Steve could already tell that something was special about it. "This is a special mana stone that reacts to one''s mana quality and quantity¡­" the examiner went about explaining ¡­. Item Type: Mana Measure Material: Mana Stone Attributes: [Colour Change III], [Mana Detection III], [Mana Measurement III] Description: A device born from human ingenuity, utilises a mana stone''s natural affinity to measure one''s mana. According to current world ranking, E-rank will make the stone glow red, D-rank will make it glow orange, C-rank, green B-rank, blue A-rank, Silver S-rank and above, white ¡­ Checking out the artefact, he simply nodded in understanding; however, his curiosity was far from solved. He wanted to learn how to make one on his own. "Okay everyone, please come place your hand on the device when you are called upon" the examiner said as everyone nodded Many people went up one after another to get their mana measured. The results varied vastly for most when compared to their physical stats, then there were the perfect bastards like the one up there at the moment. The Orb was glowing with a silvery hue. It was weird that they could even different between silver and white so brilliantly despite the shine of the Orb. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "As Expected of the son of an A-rank" one of the participants said "That explains a lot" Steve answered before finally shrugging it off. "Mr Grant, please step up to get tested" The Examiner called out for him. Hearing her, he immediately stood up with renewed confidence, he may be physically weak, but he had trained his mana well enough. Without hesitation, he immediately placed his hand on the orb as he flashed a confident smile to all within the room. If there was anything he knew about games, it was that physical types eventually become useless and the mage-type becomes the focus. ¡­. Mana: 3274 (-300) ¡­ After a brief second, the orb immediately released a blinding white light as his smile grew even larger. This was what he was after, and it was done. "S-rank?" many of the participants who were with him shouted in surprise. "Mr. Steven Grant, S-rank" the examiner stated, somehow maintaining a neutral expression despite the light she had just seen. Back in the observation deck, Jin Chul could be seen looking at the readings before him in confusion. In his hands were the files and readings taken back at the hospital. "How?" Jin Chul asked "Sir, the reports are back" one of the interns said as he handed over the sword and a small document "C-rank?" He asked in surprise. Looking up back to the swagging fool who had finally returned to his seat, Jin Chul simply smiled as he watched the man even closer. He wasn''t the first that they have heard about who increased their mana pool from a low rank to a much higher rank within a short time. S-Ranked In fact if one thought about it, it was a common thing to do for every mage type, hence why some C-ranks had enough mana to match S-ranks but completely lacked the destructive nature of the S-ranks. What was strange was the time period, it had only been a week, that shouldn''t even be possible. For a week''s time, D or even C-rank made more sense but S-rank in just a week was completely absurd. Worse, he couldn''t sense that amount of mana even if the person was directly before him. It was weird and a completely bizarre situation. "Inform the chairman and also, this man is entitled to a compensation package from the Association, prepare it as well, he seems to be ready to face the world" Jin Chul said as he looked at the readings before him, it was impressive but he knew that it was all useless because the man in question lacked the kind of destructiveness needed to be a true S-rank. "Sir, I don''t know how we should grade him?" one of the examiners in the room asked him. "E-rank physicals but S-rank Mana, he''s neither a mage nor a combat based hunter, he seems to be a craftsman¡­ What do you think would be a suitable rank for someone who can make C-rank weapons from regular materials" Jin Chul asked "Okay sir" The examiner replied before turning to the rest of the examiners before having a brief discussion. While they did that, Stave could be seen still with his hands on the Orb. However, though he could be seen smiling and waving happily, his mind was busy. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Using his ability |Architect''s Touch|, he was able to feel the inner workings of the Orb. Just like he had initially guessed, it was simply a big and high ranking mana stone. However, unlike the regular mana stones, he could sense that this one had been tampered with and in such an unrefined manner, yet it works perfectly. "Sir, you can remove your hand from the Orb now" The examiner stated "Oh, okay" Steve replied, acting clueless. Withdrawing his hand from the device, he returned to his seat with a whole new understanding of mana devices. Several minutes later, the entire thing was done and they were made to wait within a room for their IDs. Steve simply sat as he went through all he had learnt today. The Mana Measure was a truly wonderful device but it was simply a colour changing device. The requirements for it to change from color to color varied but it still functioned in a very simple manner. He could do better, something much more precise. It was about imbuing your intent into the object, that was all. "Mr. Grant, please can you come with us" one of the examiners said as she entered the room "Sure" Steve answered before standing and following her out of the room "Lucky bastard! " one of the examinees said as Steve left. They didn''t need some genius to tell them what was going on, he had S-rank mana. It may be common but if he proved that he could use that mana well enough either offensively or in healing then, he would automatically be given the S-rank.