As soon as Ryo stepped out of the gate…
He vanished.
No sound. No flash.
Just gone—like the wind never touched him.
The hunters nearby were too focused on the aftermath, the screams, and the injured. No one noticed the figure that ended the chaos.
All that remained… was the gate.
It flickered—blue lines breaking apart like pieces of glass.
Then—
shatter
It collapsed into thousands of glowing pixels…
and disappeared without a trace.
Ryo stood atop a tall building, overlooking Brightport Town, South Korea.
The sun hung high in the sky—it was already mid-morning. Cars moved, people laughed, and hunters patrolled the streets below. Life buzzed like normal.
But to Ryo, everything felt… unfamiliar.
[System Notification]
You must register as a hunter to access gate privileges, cities, and rewards.
Warning: Your power levels exceed global standards. Suggestion: Condense your energy to avoid exposure.
Ryo exhaled slowly.
“Tch… still need to play by the rules, huh?”
He closed his eyes. The immense pressure around him—like a storm waiting to burst—suddenly pulled inward.
His energy compressed, coiling deep within.
The air around him calmed.
To the world, he felt like any average man now.
But under the surface… a sleeping beast.
Ryo jumped down from the building, landing quietly in a shaded alley.
He walked out slowly, blending into the crowd like a shadow.
Ahead, he saw a long line of people stretching outside a large white building. The words Brightport Hunter Association were carved in silver across the glass doors.
He raised an eyebrow.
“…What’s going on?”
[System Notification]
Many are here to register. Sudden awakenings have increased by 37% this week.
Also, Rank S hunter detected nearby—on top of the Association building. Identified as… female.
Ryo sighed.
“You don’t need to say ‘female.’”
[System Comment]
Oh? You’re not interested in having a girlfriend?
How cold. Even Monarchs need love, you know…
He rolled his eyes and kept walking.
Ryo entered the bright lobby of the Brightport Hunter Association. Marble floors. LED lights. Holograms floating above the reception desk showing active gates.
A staff member greeted him with a smile.
“Welcome to the Association. Are you here to register?”
Ryo nodded once.
“Yeah.”
He was led to a side room. A silver machine stood in the center, shaped like a pod with glowing panels.
“Please place your hand on the scanner.”
Ryo did as instructed.
The machine hummed to life.
[System Notification]
Power compression active. Actual stats hidden.
Estimated Rank: B
The screen flashed: RANK B — Validated
The staff member looked impressed.
“Not bad! A solid B-rank on first scan. You’re qualified for mid-tier gates immediately.”
Ryo stayed silent.
“Please join the other participants in the main hall for your physical and combat test.”
He handed Ryo a black card marked with “#207 – New Registrant.”
Ryo sat quietly among the crowd of applicants, his posture relaxed, almost lazy. His simple clothes, calm demeanor, and lean build made him seem… unimpressive.
Whispers echoed.
"Who's that guy?"
"He looks like he barely made it here."
"Is he even awake? What a waste of a spot."
"He’s got zero pressure... probably here by mistake."
Ryo didn’t respond. His eyes were half-lidded, but sharp—watching the test unfold below with unsettling stillness.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
[System Notification]
Observation Zone: Hunter Evaluation Field, Brightport.
Scanning High-Power Signature…
Name: Seraphina Velthorn
Rank: Obsidian Crest (Formerly S-Rank Equivalent)
Title: “Tempest Valkyrie”
Known For: Storm Manipulation, Skyblade Arts, Top Speed Combat
Position: #4 in the Global Rankings.
She stood on the upper platform, golden hair flowing in the morning breeze, her sharp black eyes locked onto the fighters below. Her presence alone made others straighten their backs.
Beside her stood a composed woman with long brown hair, glasses, and a navy trench coat bearing the seal of the Brightport Hunter Association—Director Elira Vaughn.
[System Comment]
“Zero presence, zero muscle, zero flash. Are you trying to cosplay as a weakling? Or maybe just trying not to steal the spotlight again, Ryo?”
“…Also, not even a little interested in that Valkyrie lady? No? Just checking.”
Ryo exhaled lightly.
“Loud as always,” he muttered.
After several participants showed off their skills—some decent, others barely holding up—the examiner finally called out:
“Next! Ryo Kisaragi. Step forward.”
Ryo stood and walked with an indifferent calmness toward the arena. The other participants barely gave him a glance, some smirked, a few rolled their eyes.
The examiner gestured toward the weapon rack. “Choose your gear.”
Swords. Spears. Bows. Magic focuses. Even elemental orbs.
But Ryo's hand moved past all of them.
He stopped in front of a simple, worn-looking pair of combat gloves.
He slid them on.
The chuckles started immediately.
“Gloves? What is he, a boxer?”
“Must’ve thought this was street fighting.”
“Dead meat. He’s so screwed.”
Above, Seraphina’s sharp gaze narrowed. “Gloves…?”
Director Elira beside her raised a brow as well. “Uncommon choice. That’s either a reckless fool—or someone terrifyingly precise.”
Seraphina kept her eyes locked on Ryo. “Let’s see which.”
[System Notification]
Combat Trial: Initiated.
Enemy: Arcblade Tiger (Simulated, Class: Iron Fang)
Evaluation Begins…
A massive tiger formed from lightning and steel claws materialized, roaring across the arena. Its body pulsed with surging volts. The crowd flinched.
But Ryo?
He didn’t even blink.
He raised a single gloved hand, flexing his fingers like cracking knuckles.
Then whispered, “Let’s get this over with.”
The Arcblade Tiger lunged at Ryo with terrifying speed, its claws crackling with raw energy. The audience gasped.
“Here it comes! This’ll be over in seconds!” someone shouted.
Ryo stood unmoving, his eyes fixated on the beast’s rapid advance. His fingers flexed inside the gloves, still calm, still unbothered.
And then, in the blink of an eye—
The tiger lunged, its massive claws slashing toward him.
But Ryo didn’t flinch.
He gripped the tiger’s neck in mid-air, his hands like iron vices. The crowd froze.
A sickening crack echoed through the arena, and the tiger let out a strangled roar before Ryo slammed its head hard into the ground. The force was enough to send cracks spider-webbing across the floor. The beast’s head smashed into the stone with an audible snap, its body going limp instantly.
A deep silence fell over the crowd.
Not a single person spoke.
Ryo exhaled, wiping his gloved hands as if cleaning them off after a job well done.
“Let’s show off,” he muttered, then added under his breath, “but still weak…”
[System Comment]
“Host has successfully crushed an opponent. Sigh. A bit overkill, don’t you think? Then again, I guess subtlety is not your thing, huh?”
[System Update]
Combat Evaluation: Perfect Score
Combat Level: Unmatched
Current Rank: B – Displaying Skills Beyond Initial Assessment
The examiner stood there, mouth agape, unsure of how to even process what just happened. The other participants were speechless, their earlier mockery now replaced with uncertainty and awe.
The arena fell into a stunned silence after Ryo’s decisive move. The combatants, who had been chuckling just moments ago, now looked at him with a mix of awe and disbelief.
Even the examiner, who had seen countless participants, was speechless. His hand was frozen in the air, as if he couldn’t believe the result.
From the elevated viewing area, Manager Elira’s eyes widened as she watched Ryo stand unfazed in the center of the arena. She quickly turned to Seraphina, whose cold gaze was fixed on the young man below.
Elira spoke first, her voice filled with rare admiration. “Who is this kid? I’ve never seen a B-rank participant dispatch a Class B beast like that...”
Seraphina didn’t take her eyes off Ryo, her expression unreadable. “It’s unusual. It’s almost... too easy for him.”
Elira leaned forward, eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the way Ryo handled the fight, how effortless it seemed. “He chose gloves. Not a weapon to be taken lightly. But the way he fought... There’s no doubt. He’s hiding something.”
Seraphina slowly tilted her head, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of her chair. “That’s an understatement. He’s suppressing his power... but the precision, the control he showed, that wasn’t just strength—it was something else. He made a Class B monster seem like nothing.”
Elira turned her head to Seraphina, a questioning look in her eyes. “Think he’s holding back for a reason?”
Seraphina’s gaze softened for a moment. “Most likely. Either that, or he’s playing with us.”
The system chirped in the back of Ryo’s mind, its usual dry tone adding a slight edge of humor to the situation.
[System Comment]
“Ahem. You’ve made quite the impression, Host. So much for going unnoticed, huh? Well, it’s not like you tried to hide it much.”
Ryo’s eyes shifted briefly toward the viewing area but then quickly returned to the floor. His expression remained as cool and indifferent as ever.
“Let’s get this over with,” he muttered to himself, but the words carried a sense of finality.
[System Update]
Rank Assessment: B – Unmatched Combat Efficiency. Estimated Power: High Tier. Await further combat evaluations...
Seraphina’s voice cut through the air, cool and clear. “Elira, I think we should keep an eye on him. Whoever this boy is, he’s much more than he appears.”
Elira nodded slowly, her mind already working on the possibilities. “I’ll be sure to do that. If he keeps this up, his registration might just be the least of his surprises.”
The crowd was slowly beginning to stir again, muttering among themselves. The other participants who had once mocked Ryo now kept their distance, clearly aware that they had witnessed something extraordinary.
---
As the news of Ryo’s shocking performance spread like wildfire, social media exploded. Videos of his fight with the tiger were replayed millions of times, each clip more popular than the last. Memes, debates, and fan theories about his true power flooded every corner of the internet. By the end of the day, the name Ryo had become the trending topic worldwide.
"B-Rank Hunter Ryo: A New Legend in the Making?" was the headline that flashed across news stations, followed by "Young Hunter’s Mysterious Power Shakes Brightport to its Core!". Ryo had become an overnight sensation, and his rank of 5th among B-rank hunters made him an enigma everyone wanted to know more about.
As the attention grew, Elira turned to Seraphina with a thoughtful look. The manager had a keen eye for talent, and she knew this opportunity could not be wasted.
“Elira,” Seraphina spoke after a long silence, “What do you think about this kid? He’s certainly not what we expected.”
Elira smiled, tapping her chin in thought. “I think he's a gold mine, Seraphina. In fact, I have a proposal. Why don’t you create your own guild? You could recruit him. With his power and your leadership, it’d be unstoppable. The guild would be famous.”
Seraphina blinked, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion. “Me? Create my own guild?” She hesitated, her expression unreadable. “I... don’t know. I’m not good at conversations with people. I don’t think I can handle that much responsibility.”
Elira leaned in closer, her voice playful yet serious. “Oh, come on, Seraphina. Everybody knows you. You’re one of the most influential hunters in the city. People will flock to you and join your guild the moment you say the word. And if you recruit someone like Ryo? Well, you'll have even more support than you realize.”
Seraphina frowned slightly, the thought clearly weighing on her. “But it’s not just about recruiting, Elira. It’s about what comes after. Managing a guild, keeping it together... it’s not as easy as just gathering people.”
“Sure,” Elira replied, grinning. “But you’ve managed everything so far with ease, haven’t you? You’ve already built a reputation, and if you add Ryo into the mix, your guild could skyrocket in both power and influence.”
Seraphina stared out the window for a moment, watching as the bustling streets below slowly quieted. She exhaled slowly, her fingers tapping lightly against her armrest. “I’ll think about it... but no promises.”
Elira chuckled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “No pressure, Seraphina. Just remember that opportunities like this don’t come often. It could be your chance to change everything.”
Seraphina remained quiet for a moment, lost in thought. The weight of the decision was clear in her mind, but the allure of having Ryo and the potential to create something powerful was undeniable.
