Chapter 31: Rank Reassessment Part One

Cashel kept walking beside Amia as they left the café floor of the BMM building. The elevator doors closed behind them with a soft ding.

"What did you mean by that?" he asked. "About Eclipse and the BMM. The leaders not being fond of each other."

Amia exhaled a thin stream of smoke and crushed the cigarette in a nearby tray before answering. "They used to be one." Cashel was already aware of that—they had once worked under the same banner. "The leaders were best friends, rumoured lovers even. Same roots, same founders, same methods. After the old government fell, the strongest factions carved up the remaining land." She took out another cigarette from her pocket, and he helped her light it.

"Thanks," she smiled and continued. "Eclipse took the South because they believe it gives them a greater overlook of the other factions. They think it’s easier to attack if they stand at the center."

Cashel narrowed his eyes. "How is that the center? Shouldn’t the BMM be right at the center?"

Amia laughed softly. She dragged deeply from her cigarette and glanced around the lower floors of the building. It was sparse, with only a few masked people moving in and out of elevators.

There were also receptionists here, and they were just as good-looking as expected.

"Eclipse stands at the center because they have influence over everything that the BMM doesn’t," she answered, typing something on her phone. Once she was done, she handed it to him.

Cashel reluctantly received the device. He cast a suspicious glance at her briefly before looking at the screen.

On it was a ranking list.

Hunter Rankings: Multiple Categories

Supreme Hunters

Above S

S-ranked hunters

Below S

Unaffiliated Hunters

Affiliated Hunters and Heroes

Rankings Based on Every Class

Danger, Disaster and Chaos levels

Scrolling further, the last title was expanded into organisation categories.

Rankings for Five Consecutive Years

Danger Levels:

#1. Eclipse and BMM: Draw

#2. SAMD

#3. SAMD — Medical Faction

#4. ARM — Higher Ups

#5. ARM — Team 1109

Disaster Level: Civilian Deaths, Dungeon Breaks, City Collapses, City Takeovers and Awakener Deaths

#1. BMM

#2. SAMD — Second Division and Fourth Division

#3. Eclipse

Chaos Levels: Unnecessary Fear, City Pandemic, Lockdowns, Mysterious Phenomena (Includes Virus Outbreak) — Records from Ten Years Ago Before Records Vanished

#1. Eclipse

#2. Eclipse — Laboratory Heads

#3. SAMD — Recruit Teams

Cashel nodded slowly, letting the information settle into his mind. He was a little more relieved now that he had a clearer picture of this strange world.

He had initially not cared because he wanted nothing to do with any of it. Living peacefully and happily with Andeen, that was all he wanted.

They made their way outside the building and into the hot parking lot. Cashel’s car sat under a canopy with its windows tinted. But before he could reach it, Amia grabbed his arm.

"Don’t leave yet."

"I need to pick up Andeen," he said. "She’s still getting treated at SAMD. I’ll just drive close and wait."

Amia raised an eyebrow as she gently released him. "An S-class needing treatment after a C-rank beast and a half-cleared dungeon? That’s new."

Cashel shrugged. "I have no idea either. She didn’t explain."

Amia studied him for a second longer, then made her way toward the car. "Since you’re going there, the General wants to see you."

Cashel raised a brow, internally wondering why Rain would want to see him when he had barely contributed to the clearing.

"The request came shortly after the official reports from yesterday’s mission."

Cashel exhaled deeply. He nodded in understanding and made his way to the car.

---

General Rain’s office sat on one of the higher floors of the SAMD building. The room was clean, minimally designed, and oddly peaceful. Rain sat behind a wide desk with a stack of reports scattered across it.

Amia remained on the balcony, completely unbothered as she smoked and scrolled through her phone, while Cashel took the chair opposite the desk.

Rain was in a white button-up shirt, her jacket hanging off one shoulder and a pair of glasses resting on her nose. Once Cashel was settled, she spoke.

"The official report is already circulating. Your performance inside Gate A-173 has attracted more attention than expected. The main military branch, several Association offices, and two external organizations have submitted a formal request."

Cashel leaned back slightly, still confused about why they were so interested in him. He had barely done anything. "For what?"

"Another rank assessment. They believe the original machine failed to evaluate you correctly. They want a controlled re-test under observation."

Cashel almost laughed. The amount of attention was mildly amusing.

At the same time, the idea of having his rank fully exposed was inconvenient. His plans worked better while people remained uncertain about what he could actually do. If they knew his true rank, they might try to keep him at bay the same way they did with Andeen.

Still, he was curious. Nathan had already told him his awakening was unusual and something Andeen would worry about, but it was clear that he was strong.

The issue was how strong?

The system had also said nothing about it.

Nathan had probably seen his class and used that to judge his strength. Cashel wasn’t certain, but the curiosity remained.

After a short silence, Cashel nodded.

"Fine. I’ll do it."

Rain studied him for a moment, then closed the file and stood. "The assessment chamber is ready. The doctor will handle the procedure."

Cashel said nothing. He got up, called for Amia, and they both left the office.

On their way to the laboratory on the far side of the building, as they approached the reception area, he spotted Nathan casually laughing with one of the male attendants as if he had been there the entire afternoon.

The moment Nathan noticed Cashel, his expression shifted into a familiar grin.

"Look who finally decided to show up. I was starting to think you’d run off with the money and disappear."

Cashel stopped in front of him. "Some of us have schedules."

"Some of us also have a habit of making assessment machines cry," Nathan replied. "Congratulations. You’re officially interesting enough that half the city wants a second look."

They exchanged a few more dry remarks before Nathan’s tone settled.

"I’ll be conducting the new evaluation in a newer and much larger chamber." He paused and smirked. "There are fewer spectators this time, but the equipment is more thorough."

Cashel’s eyes narrowed slightly. The casual atmosphere around Nathan always carried an undercurrent of something else. He was used to it by now. It was increasingly obvious that the man acted more like an older brother than an uncle.

He was Andeen’s uncle, and yet he looked so young.

When Amia stepped closer, that undercurrent doubled for half a second, making Cashel feel more curious than he had expected.

Nathan’s gaze flicked toward her, then away again almost too quickly. Cashel didn’t miss it. The exchange raised more questions. They had been together during the first trial, yet they still acted like strangers.

’A secret affair?’ he wondered, but Nathan didn’t seem like that kind of person, and Amia was open about many things, 3xcept her face, of course.

Nathan then gestured down the corridor. "This way."

Cashel followed, while Amia remained near the reception desk without comment.

The hallway leading to the new assessment chamber was quieter than the rest of the building and nearly as large as the entire first floor.

Nathan unlocked the huge doors to the main chamber with a key card and held them open.

Inside, the familiar crystal platform and surrounding sensors waited under soft white lights in a large room, surrounded by aluminium walls and an observation deck above.

Nathan threw an arm over Cashel’s shoulder and smiled. "Today we get to find out your rank—and the direction of your future."