The city felt different up close.
Suho walked along the main road in silence, his hands in his pockets, his gaze steady but observant. Ten years had changed everything. The streets were cleaner, more structured, but there was a tension beneath it all. People moved with purpose. Some carried weapons openly, others wore gear that clearly wasn't for decoration.
Hunters.
Even without looking directly, he could tell who they were. The way they walked, the way they observed their surroundings—it was familiar. Nothing like the past, when strength had been hidden behind screens.
Now, it was out in the open.
Suho stopped in front of a large building. The structure was modern, reinforced with materials that clearly weren't ordinary. A bold emblem stood above the entrance, marking it as an official facility.
Hunter Registration Center.
For a brief moment, he said nothing.
Then he stepped inside.
The interior was spacious, filled with people. Some looked nervous, others excited. A few stood confidently, already convinced of their worth. Staff members moved efficiently behind the counters, guiding individuals through the process.
It hadn't changed much.
Just more organized.
Suho approached the reception desk.
"I'd like to register."
The woman behind the counter looked up at him, her expression professional. "First-time registration?"
"Yes."
She nodded and handed him a form. "Fill this in. After that, proceed to the awakening assessment room. You'll be guided from there."
Suho took the form without hesitation.
Name.
Age.
Basic information.
He filled it in quickly.
When he returned it, the woman scanned it briefly before gesturing toward a hallway.
"Room 3. Wait until your name is called."
Suho nodded and walked away.
The waiting area was quiet.
Too quiet.
Everyone sat with the same expression—anticipation mixed with anxiety. Some whispered among themselves, others stared at the floor, lost in thought.
Suho leaned back in his seat.
This part…
He remembered clearly.
The beginning.
For most people, this was where everything changed.
Or where nothing did.
A door opened.
"Aaron Wells."
A young man stood up quickly, his movements stiff with nerves. Suho watched as he walked inside, his back tense.
Moments passed.
Then—
A faint light shone through the gap beneath the door.
Murmurs spread across the room.
"That's a good sign…"
"Yeah… looks like he awakened."
The door opened again.
The same boy stepped out, but his expression had changed completely. The tension was gone, replaced by relief and excitement.
"A-class… Guardian Knight…"
The whispers grew louder.
Suho looked away.
It didn't matter.
Not anymore.
---
"Next. Suho."
The voice was calm.
Clear.
Suho stood up without hesitation and walked into the room.
The space inside was simple. At the center stood a pedestal, and on top of it rested a crystal sphere, faintly glowing.
An instructor stood nearby, watching him.
"Place your hand on the crystal," the man said. "If you've awakened, it will respond."
Suho nodded.
He stepped forward.
For a brief moment, he paused.
Then placed his hand on the sphere.
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Light exploded outward.
---
It wasn't like the others.
It wasn't soft.
It wasn't contained.
The moment contact was made, the crystal reacted violently. A deep, overwhelming energy surged through it, spreading rapidly across the surface.
The instructor's expression changed instantly.
"What—?"
The light intensified.
Brighter.
Denser.
The air in the room shifted.
Suho felt it clearly.
Something inside him—
Responding.
The system.
No—
Something deeper than that.
A presence awakened.
---
[Initial Trait Detected]
---
The words appeared in his mind, clear and undeniable.
Suho's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So this is it."
The next line appeared immediately.
---
[System Administrator — EX Rank]
---
For the first time, Suho's expression shifted.
Not shock.
But recognition.
"…EX Rank."
That wasn't normal.
Not even close.
He understood immediately.
This wasn't something that should be revealed.
Not here.
Not now.
The light continued to grow.
The instructor took a step back, clearly unsettled. "This level of reaction… what kind of—"
Suho moved.
Not outwardly.
Not visibly.
But within.
The moment he focused, the energy shifted.
Compressed.
Controlled.
As if something had taken authority over it.
---
[Skill Generated]
[Modifier — A Rank]
---
The overwhelming light faded.
Slowly.
Gradually.
Until it returned to something manageable.
The instructor blinked, trying to process what had just happened.
"…A-Rank," he said, his voice uncertain. "That… that was an A-Rank response."
He looked at Suho carefully, as if trying to figure something out.
But whatever he had seen before—
Was gone.
Suho removed his hand from the crystal calmly.
"What's my classification?" he asked.
The instructor hesitated for a moment, then checked the reading again.
"…Warrior type," he replied. "Primary skill: Modifier. A-Rank."
Suho nodded.
"Understood."
No reaction.
No excitement.
Nothing that would draw attention.
Just acceptance.
---
Outside, the room was still quiet.
People looked up as he stepped out, trying to read his expression.
Suho walked past them without saying a word.
No one stopped him.
No one questioned him.
To them—
He was just another awakened.
---
But inside—
Everything had changed.
---
System Administrator.
EX Rank.
---
Suho walked out of the building, the sunlight hitting his face as he stepped onto the street.
For a moment, he paused.
Then he let out a quiet breath.
"…Let's keep this simple."
His gaze shifted slightly.
Focused.
Calm.
Controlled.
"Not yet."
There was no need to rush.
No need to stand out.
Not when the world already had its heroes.
---
For now—
He would remain just another hunter.