The neon lights of the Hunter Association headquarters felt blinding after the suffocating grey of the illegal gate. Kai walked through the lobby, his hood pulled low. He moved differently now—less like a man trying to avoid being stepped on, and more like a shadow cutting through a crowd. His Level 7 stats had balanced his stride; he was no longer limping from his old injuries, but he kept his shoulders slumped to maintain the "scavenger" persona. Just one more transaction, he thought, feeling the heavy, warm weight of the Weaver's Mana Crystal in his pocket. Then Minae is safe for another month.
"Mr. Draven."
The voice was quiet, but it stopped Kai in his tracks. He didn't turn around immediately. He felt his Predator Instinct flare—a warning prickle at the base of his skull. Behind him stood two men in black suits, and between them, Director Han.
Han wasn't wearing his glasses today. His eyes were cold and analytical. "You're hard to find, Kai. Most E-ranks spend their recovery time in a hospital bed, not wandering District 9."
Kai turned slowly. "I needed air, Director. And a way to pay my bills. The Association doesn't exactly offer a generous pension for 'disposables'."
Han stepped closer, his gaze dropping to Kai's hands. Kai's knuckles were still dusted with concrete powder from the Weaver's lair.
"District 9 is a restricted zone. High-frequency mana fluctuations were detected there an hour ago. A D-Rank signature that suddenly... vanished." Han leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Along with the signature of an unlicensed gate."
The air between them grew heavy. Kai felt the Abyss stir in his chest, a dark urge to strike, to silence the threat. He suppressed it, forcing his heart rate to remain steady.
"I wouldn't know anything about that," Kai said evenly. "I was looking for scrap metal."
Han stared at him for a long, agonizing beat. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile; it was the look of a scientist who had finally found a successful culture in a petri dish.
"Follow me. We're going to do a private re-evaluation."
"I haven't requested one," Kai countered.
"I'm not asking," Han replied, turning toward the private elevators. "If the Internal Security Bureau finds that crystal in your pocket before I 'verify' your status, you won't be going back to the hospital. You'll be going to a black-site dungeon."
The elevator ride was silent. Kai watched the floor numbers climb. He realized he was being cornered, but he also saw an opportunity. To reach A-Rank, he needed access to higher-level gates. He couldn't do that as an E-rank scavenger.
They entered a private testing chamber. In the center stood a massive, obsidian-glass pillar—the Mana Calibration Siphon.
"Place your hand on the glass," Han commanded. "And Kai... don't bother hiding. I've already seen the footage of the Behemoth crater. I know the math doesn't add up."
Kai walked to the pillar. He looked at his reflection in the black glass. Behind him, Han was holding a tablet, ready to record the data that would change Kai's life forever.
If I show too much, I'm a target. If I show too little, I'm a prisoner.
> [System Interference Detected]
> [Would you like to mask your Mana Signature?]
> [Current Abyss Level: 2.5%]
No, Kai thought. Give him just enough to keep him interested, but not enough to make him fear me. Not yet.
Kai pressed his palm against the glass. The pillar hummed. A deep, violet light began to swirl at the base, climbing slowly toward the top. The sensors on Han's tablet began to beep frantically.
"E-Rank... D-Rank... C..." Han's voice trailed off as the light hit the mid-point of the pillar and stayed there. It pulsed with a strange, rhythmic darkness that seemed to swallow the light around it.
"C-Rank?" Han whispered, his eyes wide. "In three days? That's... biologically impossible."
"I'm a late bloomer," Kai said, pulling his hand away. The violet light vanished instantly.
Han looked from the tablet to Kai. He knew it was a lie. He knew the energy he just felt wasn't standard mana—it was something colder. But he also saw the potential.
"A C-Rank with a 'stealth' specialty," Han mused, tapping his chin. "Very well. I will update your files. But in exchange, you don't go to the open market for your next gate. You work for me. Privately."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "And Minae's bills?"
"Consider them paid. Permanently." Han turned to leave. "Welcome to the real world, Kai Draven. Try not to let it devour you."
As the door closed, Kai looked at the system screen that only he could see.
> [Rank Update Confirmed: C-Rank (Hidden)]
> [Abyss Level Increased: 3.0%]
> [New Quest: The Commander's First Lesson]
> [Objective: Clear a C-Rank Gate with 100% Extraction Rate]
"Devour me?" Kai whispered, his shadow elongating across the white floor, shifting into the shape of the Iron-Hide Weaver he had successfully extracted. "I'm the one who's hungry."