Chapter 74 | Close Your Eyes, Monica
Chapter 74: 74 | Close Your Eyes, Monica
Inside the observation room was total silence.
"My life has been a waste, I can’t work here anymore."
An official dropped his cap, his uniform and his badge and left the place in despair.
Two others followed him.
Kellan’s mouth moved, but no sound came out at first. Then, in a broken whisper, "Impossible... He... he killed a Lord Boss. Single-handedly."
Mira had sunk into a chair, her face pale.
Constant slowly exhaled, the breath hissing through his teeth. For the first time, he looked not just surprised, but genuinely shaken.
He had expected talent. He had expected hidden strength. But a Lord Boss? That would require hundreds of Level 7 Ultras working together, and even then, victory wasn’t guaranteed.
But it has been defeated by a single punch.
"Single-handedly," Constant echoed, rubbing his beard. "Adric, you old bastard, what did you and Elena really leave behind?"
The officials slowly turned their gazes from the screen to the door leading to the simulation chamber.
Now they were staring at that door as if it held something completely abnormal.
A monster. No, a monster among monsters.
...
The door hissed open, and Andrew stepped out, rolling his shoulder.
"That was intense."
He looked up and sighed. ’I miss weed.’
The life pleasure of rolling one and feeling it hit your brain, only sex and battle could compare.
Combat for anger, sex for pleasure and weed...
Monica was already waiting in the corridor, her own test clearly finished.
She hurried toward him. "What did you do?" she whispered, half-worried, half-accusing.
Andrew looked at her with a casual shrug. "Nothing much." He even yawned slightly, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "I just killed a few beasts."
Monica crossed her arms and stared at him with narrowed eyes. "A few beasts."
He nodded, perfectly serious.
She huffed, letting her arms drop. "Fine. Don’t tell me yet." A proud smile crept onto her face. "I reached D-Rank. I got a D-Rank license."
Andrew’s expression softened with genuine approval. "Impressive. For your first real assessment, that’s really solid."
Her smile widened, but she quickly pointed a finger at his chest. "Now, your turn. What rank?"
He shrugged again, as if the answer was boring. "S-Rank."
Silence. Monica stared at him. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "...Stop lying."
Andrew met her eyes, his gaze calm and steady. "I’m serious."
She opened her mouth to argue, but a loud, booming laugh cut through the hall before she could.
"Hahahahaha!"
Principal Constant strode over, a cluster of Era Association officials trailing behind him like ducklings. The old man’s face was glowing, his grin so wide it threatened to split his beard. Without warning, he brought a heavy hand down on Andrew’s shoulder.
"SMACK."
Andrew stumbled forward a step. The principal laughed even louder. "I knew it! I knew from the very first moment I met you that you were a monster!" He shook his head, eyes gleaming with delight. "But I didn’t think... you were that much of a monster. Good! Very good! You’ve made me proud!"
The officials nearby twitched. The way Constant spoke, it was as if Andrew was his own grandson, his personal project.
One of them, muttered under his breath, "Proud... he says. The kid just broke a city record and he’s acting like he won a school prize."
Constant ignored them all. He grinned down at Andrew and gestured broadly. "Come. Let’s get your hunter license. No more waiting around with this cheap student card."
---
A few minutes later, Andrew sat in a quiet registration office. The room was small but elegant, with dark wood panels and soft golden lighting. One of the officials—Mira, the older woman with silver-streaked hair—approached him with careful, almost reverent steps. She placed something on the polished table before him.
A Completely black, card, the same kind Principal Constant had flashed earlier. Its surface was metallic, faintly shimmering beneath the overhead lights.
Embedded into the material was Andrew’s face, captured with perfect clarity. Below his photo ran his identification details: personal information, a serial registration number, and at the very center, his name written in elegant golden letters.
Beneath it, in slightly smaller but equally radiant script:
[S-RANK ULTRA LICENSE HOLDER]
Beside the card, Mira laid out several official documents one by one. Property rights certificates. Government registration forms. Ultra Association legal recognition papers. Combat authorization permits.
Andrew stared at the pile quietly.
He picked up the black card and turned it slowly between his fingers. "So," he muttered to himself, "this is what people need just to enter the upper world. A piece of plastic and a bunch of papers." He shook his head, a dry smile flickering across his lips. "This world is insane."
Mira bowed her head slightly. "Sir, that card grants you access to nearly any facility in the association, priority dungeon entry, and diplomatic immunity in many regions. It’s... not just a piece of plastic."
Andrew slid the card into his pocket and stood. "Right. Thanks." He said it simply.
Throughout the office, everyone kept staring at him, not just with respect now, but with awed fear. As if they were looking at some legendary creature that had accidentally wandered into their building.
It wasn’t that he was powerful, any random level 20 could release a punch equally devastating. But a level 7 doing the same thing...?
---
Outside the Association, the evening sun cast long orange shadows across the plaza. Principal Constance appeared beside Andrew and Monica,
Without wasting a word, he grabbed both of them by the shoulders. The world blurred instantly.
"BOOOOM."
’AGAIN!?’
Andrew roared in his mind with helpless as his perfect hair was scattered.
Less than a minute later, they reappeared directly in front of the Andrew’s dorm.
Constant released them, but this time, his face was serious.
He crossed his arms. "All right, young lad. As long as you remain inside academy grounds, you should be safe." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "Your S-Rank result... will stir too many waves. Our plans regarding the upcoming tournament and the secret realm might be affected."
Andrew frowned. "How bad?"
Constant sighed heavily. "I need to go personally deal with a few people. Too many witnesses today. I have to make sure certain mouths stay shut, at least for now." He looked at Andrew with a rare, genuine softness. He opened his mouth but eventually said nothing.
Andrew nodded. "All right. Take care, Principal."
Monica smiled and waved. The old man gave one final grin and then he vanished, leaving the two of them standing alone in the golden evening light.
---
Andrew and Monica stood inside his private dormitory. The room was quiet, lit by soft artificial lamps that cast warm shadows across the modern furniture.
Monica lingered near the living room, her arms folded loosely. Her face had turned slightly red, though she wasn’t sure why.
Neither of them spoke.
Andrew watched her for a few seconds, then broke the quiet.
"Monica."
She looked up, her heart giving a strange little jump. "...Yes?"
His expression grew serious, but gentle. "I want to show you something."
She blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"
Andrew stepped closer slowly. Monica’s breathing became slightly uneven, her cheeks warming further.
He stopped just in front of her inches from her and said softly. "Close your eyes."