A week had passed since the B-Rank dungeon. Renji just arrived at the association's lobby greeting the staff and people he past by.
His phone buzzed. A single message coming from the leader. Renji come to the office
Renji exhaled through his nose. Meetings with power rarely ended without consequence. Still, he walked through the Association's polished halls until the glass doors to the top office loomed ahead.
Inside, the atmosphere was already heavy. RM sat with arms folded, his usually relaxed posture tight with restraint. Across from him, Chaewon offered a small, encouraging smile, though her eyes betrayed nerves. At the head of the room stood the Association Leader, gaze firm and calculating.
"Renji," the Leader began, voice measured. "We need to discuss your rank."
Renji said nothing. He already didn't like where this was going.
Chaewon leaned forward, her tone gentle but insistent. "Renji, what happened in that dungeon an E-Rank couldn't have survived, let alone fought. Everyone knows that."
RM's voice was harder, blunt. "Keeping you as E-Rank isn't just a mistake it's dangerous. Guilds will underestimate you. Missions will put you with teams who can't cover you and after that Alpha, people are already whispering."
Renji's fingers tapped the armrest once, then stilled. " I don't want the spotlight." His eyes met theirs, flat, unyielding. "The higher the rank, the more attention. That's not what I came back for."
But RM didn't let up. "Spotlight or not, hiding behind a false label will paint a bigger target on you. Do you want reckless guilds dragging you into their raids thinking you're weak? Or officials poking at why an E-Rank keeps joining A-rank hunters on dungeon raids?"
Silence pressed down. Chaewon added softly, "We're not asking you to show everything. Just enough to keep you safe."
Renji closed his eyes for a long moment. His instincts screamed to keep low, to move in shadows. But deep down he knew RM was right pretending to be E-Rank was no longer protection. It was exposure.
When he opened them, his answer was quiet. "Fine. I'll do the re-evaluation."
The Association Leader gave a single nod, as though he'd known the answer all along. "Good. The testing will be arranged tomorrow. Until then, keep this matter silent."
As Renji turned to leave, the inevitability pressed against his back like a blade. He had wanted obscurity, but once again, the world refused to let him have it.
The next day, the re-evaluation chamber buzzed with quiet anticipation. Word had spread fast an E-Rank was being re-tested under direct orders from the Association Leader. Such a thing almost never happened. Hunters, staff, even a few instructors lined the observation deck above, curiosity sharp in their eyes.
Renji stepped into the chamber, hands in his pockets. His expression didn't change at the whispers that trailed him like smoke.
"That's the guy from the Alpha raid?"
"No way he's E-Rank"
"Why would the Leader personally call this?"
Chaewon and RM stood on the sidelines, watching closely.
At the center of the room stood the testing apparatus: a crystalline monolith, etched with glowing veins of mana, capable of measuring a hunter's raw essence. It pulsed faintly, waiting.
"Renji," the examiner said formally. "Place your hand on the crystal."
Renji hesitated only a fraction of a second before complying. His palm pressed against the cool surface. For a moment, nothing. Then
The crystal flared violently, blinding light flooding the chamber. Gasps erupted from the observers as the runes surged past the thresholds of C-Rank, then B-Rank, climbing higher and higher.
"A-Rank" one of the examiners whispered, voice trembling. "It's stabilizing at A-Rank!"
The crystal's glow dimmed, settling into a steady, brilliant hue reserved for only the highest of hunters. The room went silent.
From the observation deck, instructors exchanged bewildered glances. An E-Rank to an A-Rank?
Renji withdrew his hand calmly, though his eyes flickered with annoyance. He hadn't pushed even half his real strength, yet the crystal had screamed his power to the world.
"Rank adjusted," the examiner said quickly, trying to mask his own unease. "Effective immediately, Hunter Renji is recognized as A-Rank."
Murmurs spread like wildfire, disbelief laced with suspicion. Renji turned away from the crystal without a word. To him, the rank meant nothing it was a chain, a spotlight he'd tried to avoid but he could already feel the eyes drilling into his back.
Chaewon let out a relieved breath. RM smirked faintly, though there was tension in his shoulders. Both knew what this meant.
Renji wasn't hiding anymore and the world had just been given one more reason to keep watching him.
The Association's training hall echoed with the clatter of weapons and bursts of mana, but all of it faded as Chaewon pushed open the doors, Renji in tow. Her team was already there five familiar faces turning toward him at once.
"Look who it is!" Yunjin smirked, crossing her arms. "Mr. A-Rank himself. First E-Rank in history to shoot straight to the top. You planning to sign autographs after training too?"
"Don't forget the magazine covers," Sakura added, her voice dry but her grin giving her away. "We should probably get in line before the fans show up."
Kazuha tilted her head, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Should we bow now? Or do A-Ranks prefer kneeling?"
Eunchae bounded forward, bouncing with energy. "Waaah, our Renji-oppa is the legendary Mr. A-Rank Hunter!" she declared loudly, throwing her arms up in mock reverence. " Please continue to teach me your ways, oh great one!"
Chaewon pinched the bridge of her nose, but she was smiling. "Don't let them get to your head, Renji. They've been waiting all morning to pull this."
Renji didn't rise to the bait. Instead, his lips curved into the faintest smirk. "Mr. A-Rank Hunter, huh?" His gaze swept across the team, finally landing on Eunchae. "Alright then. Since you all respect the title so much"
Without warning, he clapped his hands together sharply. "Double the drills. Starting with you, Eunchae."
Her jaw dropped. "E-Eh?! Wait, what?! That's not fair!"
"It's perfectly fair," Renji said, utterly calm. "You wanted my wisdom. Consider this my gift."
The room erupted in laughter Yunjin clutching her stomach, Kazuha trying to stifle her giggles, Sakura hiding her smile behind her hand. Even Chaewon couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out.
Eunchae pouted, stomping her foot. "I take it back! I don't want your gift anymore!"
Renji stepped past her toward the sparring mats, rolling his shoulders. "Too late. You asked for Mr. A-Rank. You'll get Mr. A-Rank."
As Eunchae groaned dramatically and dragged her feet toward the center, the rest of the team fell into line behind her, still grinning. The mood was light, playful like siblings poking fun at the eldest, only to get knocked back into place when he pushed back harder.
Chaewon got a call saying that the leader was calling for her and that she would be back to eat with them after their training. Her members groaned saying how lucky she was avoiding Renji. News spread fast about Renj's sudden evaluation and most guilds have received news about his sudden rise in the ranks
Ironfang - Guild building - Leader's office
The room was lined with steel décor, a reflection of Ironfang's brutal efficiency.
Guild Leader Suho, a scarred veteran hunter, tapped his finger against the Association report. Across from him stood Kai, vice leader, his expression sharp.
"An E-Rank to A-Rank" Suho's gravelly voice carried irritation. "Do they take us for children?"
Kai's eyes narrowed. "I was there, Hyung. That kid isn't normal. He walked out of that portal untouched while Yeonjun was carried out half-dead. If the Association says he's A-Rank now, I believe it but" his lips curled into a smirk, "I think they're still underestimating him."
Suho grunted. "Which makes him dangerous."
Stormwatch - Guild building - Strategy Room
Guild Leader Irene, a regal woman in her thirties, sat at the head of the glass table. Seulgi lounged lazily in her chair, but her sharp eyes betrayed her interest.
"First E-Rank in history to jump to A," Min-ji said smoothly, folding her hands. "The Association is making a spectacle of itself."
Seulgi gave a dry laugh. "Or covering up how badly they botched his evaluation. Hunters climb step by step. You don't just leap half the ladder unless you've been hiding something."
Irene tilted her head. "And you saw him?"
Seulgi nodded. "Calm. Composed. Like someone who's fought monsters far above our pay grade."
The guild leader's lips curved faintly. "Then he is either a miracle or a problem. Both can be exploited."
Lunarveil - Secret Chamber
The Lunarveil Guild was notorious for its elegance and secrecy. Guild Leader Lee Jong-suk, a man with an unreadable smile, sat across from IU, his trusted vice leader. Winter and Karina were also present, silent but attentive.
"Renji," Jong-suk said softly, almost like a whisper. "The Association crowns him A-Rank now. Do you believe it?"
IU's voice was calm, almost detached. "I don't believe in accidents of this scale. If they were forced to correct him, it means his strength was undeniable but the real question" she turned her gaze to the others, "why only A?"
Winter frowned. "If he's as strong as he looked walking out of that portal, shouldn't he be higher?"
Karina added quietly, "Or they're hiding him, the way they always do with dangerous hunters."
Jong-suk chuckled, low and smooth. "Exactly. Better to release him as an A-Rank than reveal what he truly is and if that's the case" His smile sharpened. "then the Association has just handed us a mystery worth unraveling."
RM and Chaewon met at the entrance of Ma Dong Seok's office and went inside together. The room was quiet, only the muted tick of a clock breaking the stillness. Behind his massive desk, Dong-seok sat like a mountain, the dim light catching the faint scars on his knuckles. A man who had fought, bled, and returned from where no ordinary hunter could survive.
Before him lay a folder stamped with the Association's seal: Hunter Rank Reevaluation Report — Renji.
Dong-seok's voice carried the weight of stone as he spoke. "So it's happened. Renji has been put in the spotlight for all the other guilds to see"
Chaewon leaned forward, her hands tightening on her knees. "Sir, we were already prepared for the outcome. You know what strength looks like. Renji's no E-Rank. He never was. If we didn't recognize him, the guilds would."
RM nodded, his tone sharper. "Holding him back would have been more suspicious. The vice leaders were already watching him when we came out of that portal. The truth was going to spread, one way or another."
Dong-seok studied them both, his eyes narrowing not in disbelief, but in the weary acknowledgment of someone who had seen this before. Finally, he exhaled through his nose, folding his arms across his broad chest. "You're right. I knew the boy wasn't ordinary the moment I saw him. The way he carries himself, the quiet restraint he has." His gaze hardened, voice dropping lower. "But he's different from other returners."
Chaewon could only look down though she already knew the power of the returners, she believed that Renji was a step above them all. RM just stood quietly acknowledging that Renji was powerful from normal returners
Dong-seok continued. "That's why this will be a storm. Returners like him are hounded by guilds to increase their forces, especially the Behemoth Guild."
At that name, RM's jaw tightened. "Of course. Minister Jang's leash-dogs. They've already sunk their claws into half the Association with politics. If they get even a whisper of Renji being a returner."
"They won't stop," Chaewon finished grimly. Her tone was sharper than usual, almost bitter. "Behemoth doesn't recruit, they hunt. They'll either cage him under their banner or crush him before anyone else can claim him."
Dong-seok leaned back in his chair, his broad shoulders casting a long shadow over the desk. His expression didn't waver, but his fingers drummed once against the folder marked with Renji's name. "That's why I pushed the reevaluation through despite the backlash. Better that he's recognized under the Association's eye than sniffed out in secret at least here, we can shield him for now."
RM frowned, arms crossed. "But recognition means exposure. The other guilds will raise questions. Ironfang, Stormwatch, Lunarveil, they'll all want answers and Behemoth will be the loudest of them all."
"They already are," Dong-seok muttered. He opened a drawer and pulled out a thin stack of reports, sliding them across the desk. "Behemoth filed a request this morning for records of Renji's combat aptitude. They're moving faster than I expected."
Chaewon's lips pressed into a thin line as she scanned the report. "They're testing the waters. Looking for weaknesses."
"Looking for leverage," Dong-seok corrected. His gaze flicked between the two of them, his voice heavy with warning. "You both understand what's at stake. A returner isn't just a hunter. He's a weapon. And weapons attract wars."
The room fell quiet. The tick of the clock felt louder now, each second stretching.
Finally, RM broke the silence with a dry chuckle, though his eyes carried no humor. "So what you're saying is, we've just painted a target on Renji's back."
Dong-seok's lips curved not into a smile, but into something harder.
"No. He painted it himself the moment he survived the Origin Realm."
Chaewon's hands curled into fists on her lap. "Then we'll make sure he's ready. If Behemoth tries to reach for him, they'll regret it."
Dong-seok studied her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "See that he is because once Behemoth moves openly, this won't just be about Renji. It will be the start of something larger."
His words hung in the air like prophecy, casting a shadow over the room.
Dong-seok broke the silence first. "The timing couldn't be worse. The Hunter Festival begins in a month."
RM's brows shot up. "I forgot about the yearly event. Every guild and hunter would want to participate to show their skills in front of everyone in the nation."
"Exactly," Dong-seok said grimly. "Guilds use it to flaunt their strength. Politicians use it to negotiate deals in the shadows and this year, Minister Jang is hosting it."
Chaewon exhaled sharply, realizing where this was going. "You're saying Renji's reevaluation isn't just a problem it's an invitation. They'll challenge him there. Make a spectacle of it."
Dong-seok's gaze hardened, his voice low but unshakable. "They won't settle for rumors. They'll want proof and they'll engineer it in front of thousands of people. If he fails, he'll become a fraud and the association would take the blame for it."
RM dragged a hand down his face. "So either way, he becomes the centerpiece."
"The centerpiece of a war of influence," Dong-seok confirmed. He leaned forward, folding his massive arms on the desk. "That's why I called you both. Aside from Renji, your teams need to excel in this year's hunter festival. If we can eliminate the other hunters then Renji can hold back his power and avoid their eyes."
Chaewon exhaled slowly, her gaze narrowing. "You're asking Lesserafim to be the shield."
Dong-seok gave a single nod. "Not just a shield, proof. The Festival isn't only about raw strength. Strategy, teamwork, adaptability those matter as much as firepower. If your teams shine, the spotlight stays away from him."
RM rubbed his temples, the weight of the words pressing down. "And if they don't?"
The Association Leader's voice dropped, carrying the gravity of final judgment. "Then Renji will become the battlefield. Every guild will see him as the prize, and Behemoth will not hesitate to strike first."
Silence followed, the air tense. The ticking clock seemed louder than before.
Chaewon finally broke it, her voice firm. "We'll prepare. Lesserafim won't falter."
RM straightened in his seat, forcing a grin despite the pressure. "My team too. We'll take the heat so Renji doesn't have to burn."
For a rare moment, Dong-seok allowed himself the smallest smile. "Good because this year's Festival isn't just a competition. It's war with rules."
He tapped the folder again, his knuckles heavy against the wood. "Train them like their lives depend on it because in a way they do."
The Behemoth Guild's private chamber was dim, lit only by the soft glow of mana crystals embedded into the walls. Shadows stretched long across the polished black stone table where the guild's inner circle convened.
Seungri sat with his usual smirk, legs crossed casually, though his eyes carried the sharp glint of someone who thrived in the game of power. He twirled a glass of crimson wine in his hand, watching the liquid swirl.
"So" he began, his voice dripping with amusement, "the Association really jumped him from E-Rank to A-Rank in one test. I didn't expect that from Ma Dong Seok"
From the far end of the table, a figure leaned back in his chair, face hidden beneath the hood of his tailored coat. His presence filled the room without effort, silent but suffocating. This was the Guild Leader of Behemoth the man whose name alone was enough to make guilds tremble, though few outside the inner circle ever saw him.
"He's gotten soft," the leader said finally, his tone calm but razor-edged. "He's hiding him from our clutches."
Seungri's smirk widened. "Which means he's worth something. Returner, weapon, maybe both and if he's both?" He raised his glass as if toasting. "He belongs to us."
Another officer scoffed from the side. "You think someone like that would join willingly? Hunters like him don't bow easily."
Seungri glanced sideways, his grin never faltering. "That's why you don't give them a choice. We test him. We push him until he's forced to show his cards. If he passes" His eyes glittered. "We make him an offer he can't refuse."
"And if he refuses?" the officer pressed.
The Guild Leader's voice cut through the chamber, calm but heavy as iron.
"Then we do what we always do."
Seungri leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, smile thinning into something darker. "We eliminate him. Quietly. Outside the Festival. Just like others who refused to join. They all act high and mighty at first but lack in experience fighting people."
A silence lingered, broken only by the faint hum of mana from the walls.
Finally, the leader spoke again, his voice low, unreadable.
"The Association thinks they can keep him hidden but no one hides prey from Behemoth forever. Begin preparations. Watch him during the Festival. If he doesn't bend"
The shadows seemed to deepen as his final words fell.
"we'll make sure he breaks."