Chapter 367: _Officially An International Celebrity

Morozov Private Manor

"The tea temperature is just fine. Thank you, Solomon." Irina quietly reassured the young assistant as she settled down onto the nearest couch.

She parted strands of her hair, one leg crossed over the other, and changed the channel to the news.

Ever since her boy moved in with Devon and that C-Rank Guide he insists he’s not permanently linked to, he’s needed his assistant less and less.

Solomon had to spend most days at the manor, upgraded to a majordomo just a few weeks ago.

"Ugh," she snapped her neck, arching a brow at the headlines popping on the screen.

Breaking news?

"Just minutes ago," a reporter began, "reports came back from the IHC’s assessment facility here in Aurelia. Confirming the awakening of the world’s sixteenth SS-Rank Esper. Or rather—I think the accurate term here would be reawakening."

Her brows knitted further.

"You heard that right. A reawakening. Only three Hunters have experienced a reawakening since the Emergence. And today one of those three was a C-Rank Guide who months ago had been under the limelight for quitting from Phoenix Flight amongst other cases."

The second she heard C-Rank Guide, every thought came to a halt. All except one.

Could it be—

A live clip of Ambrose Hale covered the screen, showing him struggling to navigate past reporters and cameramen trying to get him to make a statement.

Irina’s fingers trembled around her teacup, the little she’d sipped hooking in her throat.

Her eyes batted as she tried making sense of what she was seeing.

"Chto v mire?"

★★★★★

Phoenix Flight HQ, Guild Master’s Office

BOOM.

"I knew it!" Magnus pointed at the big screen television, startling his secretary who’d come to drop off some documents. "I knew there was something unique about this Guide. But a reawakening?! Double S rank?"

The secretary stood aside awkwardly before silently creeping back until she was out of the office. Magnus barely noticed her, rubbing his chin with an excited light in those golden red eyes.

It’s been years since this world was graced with the presence of an SS-Rank. Years since a Hunter powerful enough to face a Cataclysm-level Rift Awakened.

And with the increase in dungeon anomalies—he’d begun losing hope for the next generation and the future of the planet.

But now...

He barked a hearty laugh, rising to his feet as he stared at the live clip of Ambrose Hale.

"The C-Rank Guide... is now an SS-Rank existence." He shook his head. "Maybe there is hope."

Outside his office, almost every soul in the building saw the news as well, either on their phones or respective televisions.

"Holy shit." Someone gasped. "Is this real?"

"It has to be AI, bro."

"Dude, can you be for real?! It’s on the fucking news."

Downstairs in the lobby, Trina and Alisha couldn’t tear their eyes off one of the big screens. The latter suddenly remembered all the impossible situations Ambrose had somehow survived.

’... How long has he been reawakened?’

★★★★★

Seoul, South Korea

Hunter Han Ji-Hoon stepped out of her family’s ancestral columbaria, her expression sullen. She’d just visited her brother’s urn, replacing a few of the wilted flowers around it.

Throughout the span of the visit, she’d made sure to turn off her phone—but now that she was out...

She pulled it out and simply turned it on, sliding it back into her pocket as she readjusted her clothes. That’s when they began hitting.

DING!

DING!

DING! DING! DING!

Tons of notifications must’ve come through by the time she pulled out the device again. She stared at the screen, agitated and ready to switch it off again.

"Wait," She froze, a particular notification catching her eye. A news headline from the Daily Mail. "First SS-Rank Hunter in nearly a decade shown leaving... what?!"

Her eyes all but shot out of their sockets when she skimmed past the words and saw the photos attached to the news.

For a split second, she thought her eyes were playing tricks.

"... Ambrose Hale?" The wind picked up, carrying leaves from nearby trees swirling through the night air.

She stood rooted to that spot, recalling how obsessed she and her late brother had gotten attempting to ’expose’ what he truly was.

She’d abandoned the mission shortly before Jae-won died.

Yet here was the glaring evidence that they’d been right all along.

Despite herself, a small smile stretched her lips, head angling to the night sky.

"Jae-won," she murmured under her breath. "If only you were here to witness this." A chuckle escaped her. "You’d probably be livid..."

★★★★★

Washington DC, White House

Josiah had just come out of a meeting with the country’s President, disclosing details on the now-closed S-Rank Rift from three days ago.

He’d barely taken a dozen steps down the polished corridor when his assistant’s pace faltered beside him.

"Sir..."

He didn’t look up immediately. "Hm?"

"I think you’ll want to see this." She turned her tablet toward him.

At first Josiah only caught sight of the words BREAKING NEWS splashed across the screen.

Then he saw the image beneath.

Ambrose Hale.

Surrounded by reporters.

The caption underneath read:

Former C-Rank Guide Reawakens As World’s Newest SS-Rank Esper.

Josiah stopped walking altogether.

The hallway seemed strangely quiet despite the bustle of government staff moving around them.

He stared at the screen for several long seconds, reading the headline twice before opening the attached report.

"SS-Rank," he murmured.

His assistant cautiously nodded. "Reporters at the IHC confirmed it less than ten minutes ago."

Josiah’s thumb hovered over the image.

So that was it.

No wonder the young man had remained an enigma. No wonder every investigation had ended with more questions than answers.

He slowly exhaled through his nose.

"Interesting." That was all he said.

Yet the thoughtful look settling in his eyes told a far different story.

★★★★★

"Move!"

"Mr Hale!"

"One interview!"

"Please look this way!"

By the time Ambrose finally broke free from the sea of microphones and cameras, he felt like he’d survived another dungeon.

Devon had already shoved open the back door of the car. "Get in!"

Rose didn’t waste a second.

The instant he threw himself inside, Viktor slammed the door shut while Devon locked every door before flooring the accelerator.

The reporters were still shouting when the car disappeared into traffic.

Only then did silence finally settle.

Ambrose leaned back against the seat, dragging a hand down his face. "I’m never going out in public again."

Viktor laughed. "You survived, didn’t you?"

"Barely."

Devon glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "So?"

Rose looked out the window at the city rushing past. "I have a feeling everything that happened today is eventually going to bite me in the ass."

[Congratulations, sweetheart.] Aura chimed cheerfully. [You’re officially an international celebrity.]

"Aura."

[Hm?]

"I could contact future Ambrose and find a way to make you—"

[I’ll shut up.]

"Thank you."

He closed his eyes.

Today was definitely not the end of his problems.