[14th Everdusk, 2103] – CGA Branch, Dyna Crest Country, DC-23 City
At the heart of the ground floor inside the Ceruleth Global Association building, a unique desk sat at the center—separate from the regular inquiry counters. Unlike the others, this one was strictly reserved for Tier 2 hunters and above.
Despite being a mere Tier 0 hunter, I—Evan—walked straight up to that desk without hesitation. I had my reasons. Lilia had personally instructed me to get my Hunter ID updated.
Two attendants, a man and a woman, were busy at the desk. As I stopped before them, I tapped gently to draw their attention.
"Hello sir, how may I... Oh. Tier 0?" The woman raised her brows. "Sir, please head to the general inquiry desk. This counter isn't for your current rank."
She returned to her work—until she noticed I wasn't moving.
"Sir, like I said, we don't handle—"
"Apologies," I cut in, calm but firm. "I'm here on Branch Manager Lilia's instructions. I was sent to modify my Hunter ID with the Solo Raid mark."
The woman frowned. "I wasn't informed of this."
"But I was," the male attendant beside her interjected. "Manager Lilia gave Mr. Darian the order, and he passed the task to me. I'll handle this, so don't worry."
She gave a nod and returned to her tasks.
"Sir, may I have your ID?" the man asked. I handed it over wordlessly.
"Thank you. Please wait a few minutes while I make the changes."
I gave him a slight nod and stepped back, waiting… until my gaze caught a familiar figure in the crowd.
A boy with black hair and eyes stood confidently beside a woman clad in light armor, a bow slung over her shoulder. There was some noise around them—a minor commotion stirred by an argument with a third party.
Lucas.And the woman with him was Tess.
They weren't alone. Another man stood before them, arguing animatedly. He didn't look familiar—probably a regular hunter from this city.
"Sigh. What sort of trouble is Lucas involved in this time?' I shook my head but decided to inform the attendant before stepping away.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," I told him.
He nodded. "No problem, sir. I'll continue the update."
I made my way toward the growing crowd. People were gathered but stayed passive, enjoying the drama without interfering.
"Brother, what's going on?" I asked a guy near the edge of the crowd.
"Eh, nothing special. Just some rich kid trying to steal a group member from that black-haired guy's team. The lady refused, and now they're arguing." Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
Another cliché drama, then.
As I moved closer, I caught the tail end of the argument.
"You think being rich gives you the right to steal someone's teammate?" Lucas scoffed.
His tone was light, but his smirk provoked the other man.
It wasn't hard to guess what happened—the guy had probably hit on Tess, trying to get her to ditch Lucas for his team. From his flashy Erith-grade gear, he was either rich or a spoiled son of someone powerful.
"Yes, I do. This lady's over level 50, and you're still stuck under 30. She's wasting her time with you," the man sneered. "Come with me instead, lady, or you'll regret it."
Tess didn't even bother with words. She stepped forward and delivered a crisp slap.
The man collapsed to the floor in front of everyone, stunned.
"I already told you I'm not coming with you," Tess said coldly. "Stop bothering me."
Without waiting, she turned and walked back toward Lucas, who looked downright entertained by the whole scene.
The man picked himself up, eyes darting around as he noticed the amused stares and hushed chuckles. Flushed with shame, he backed away—but not before muttering:
"I'll make you regret this… just wait."
He turned and marched out of the building, followed by his group members, their glares sharp as knives.
The crowd dispersed shortly after, murmuring with mild amusement. I decided not to linger. No need to get tangled in that mess. I had my own path to walk—and I wouldn't delay my growth for petty drama.
"Trouble magnets, the lot of them…" I muttered to myself. "But those Destined Ones really do stumble upon opportunities left and right."
With that, I returned to the desk.
"Is my ID ready?" I asked.
The male attendant looked up from his terminal, then nodded. "Yes, sir. Your ID has been updated with the Solo Raid authorization."
He pulled the ID card from the machine and handed it over.
I examined it. A small wolf insignia was now imprinted beneath my photo—a mark denoting clearance for solo dungeon raids.
"Perfect. Thank you," I said, pocketing the card and turning toward the dungeon inquiry desks on the left side of the hall.
Behind me, I heard the two attendants whispering.
"...Senpai, who was that guy?" the woman asked curiously. "Is he some big shot's son or maybe an S-rank?"
The man shook his head.
"No, not even close. He's a D-rank Necromancer. But he passed the Test of Courage—beat someone at least ten levels above him, maybe more. Over 90% of hunters here can't even attempt that test, let alone pass it."
"...Eh?" she blinked. "Then how did he—?"
"He's just not normal," he said flatly. "If he survives, he's going to be someone big. Mark my words. If you see him again… it's worth keeping an eye on him."
She gave a quiet nod, returning to her tasks as the man glanced at my retreating back one last time.