[ Location: Hunter Association Building District H ]

[ Hunter Association's Administration Room ]

" You want another entrance test to become a Hunter!? " said the hunter admin to me as I announce that I will quit my job as a Bait and ascend to the Hunter job which had better profits.

" Of course, is it possible? " I ask her the admin tells that it can be done for the Hunter test only just to measure the Core that I had now in order to know which Hunter rank the association should position me as the admin and then take me to the test room where the measurement orb is placed there to measure the hunter candidates.

"( It seems I'm the only one here on the entrance test right now? )" I say to myself as I ask Twelve if he sees someone nearby in his spiritual form that I can see roaming around the room.

"( There's no one here kid! you're on your own! )" he says while I thought to myself that is odd since usually, the entrance test had a lot of people who like it, but it seems this time it's different as I continue to follow the admin to meet the tester.

" Um .. excuse me, forgive me if I'm being rude but.. "

" Why the place is so quiet here unlike the other days before, if I may ask? " I ask the admin.

" Oh, it is because it's only 8 a.m., usually the entrance test candidates loved to do their test either in the afternoon or in the evening," she tells me I now realized that I was too early to do the test unlike the others, which is good since I didn't want anyone to witness if everything in the future goes nuts in this test.

"( You can do it, Ragna ...!!! )"

"( Nobody else is watching right now if you fail!! )" I say to myself while remembering the past test where I was immediately mocked by other candidates for having no power at all as the result decided that I can only be a Carrier and a Bait if I do want to enter the association.

"( Hope this time it will be different. )" I say to myself, realizing that my current level 30 is probably enough to settle things as my Core Tier is around 1.5 which means that during my level up, my core Tier grows even though I did not know why it happens, not even Twelve.

As I approached the testing orb, the admin and the tester then instructs me to place my hand on top of it and I do just that.

"( I'm definitely going to be placed as an F Rank... )" I say to myself as I already knew that the testing orb detects the value of the candidates' Gift Core Tier number.

Minutes passed by, and the orb immediately shows the result which the tester and the admin then informs me that based on the Orb's test, my rank as a Hunter is on the E Rank.

"( Not bad for a beginner kid!! )" said Twelve as he says that I've improved quite well for once being the Ungifted which I had to reply with a yes as the admin and the tester then tells me that the mission hall will be opened at 10 a.m. since the newcomers, especially from the lower ranks will definitely be included in a Raid Party with the higher Ranks.

After listening to that, I then begin to go to the canteen where I see the news of the Inquisitors and Hunters holding a Collaboration Raid again where I see them flashingly using their Gifts to action.

"( Those guys are seriously gifted huh.. I envy them ... )" I say in my mind, realizing that those peoples are lucky to have fancy Gift abilities while I had only a curse and some basic skills.

< Lifelink Latching -- lvl.4 >

As I used it, I then see the liquidated latching black web filled with little tusks inside it as I wondered what would happen if I used it on my targets since I had never gotten the chance to try it despite already upgrading it to level 4.

"( I think this skill can only work if I had the chance to shine on the Raid. )" I say to myself Twelve then suddenly tells me to deactivate the ability since there is someone coming I then knew the people as the C-Rank Hunters who used to be with me during my first entrance test which I then decide to cover my head with my hoodie to avoid talking to them while drinking my hot tea as I can sense them walk past behind me.

"( Those runts again? )" I curse them as I knew those Hunters since Junior High School, their names are William Clarke and Hugo Butcher, if I know them better these two are the duo punks from my late Junior High School, the place I hated so much.

"( You know these runts...!!!? )" Twelve asks me as he was very insulted for having them in the place same as ours.

"( Yeah, and I need to get out of here before they noticed  ...)"

"( No! stay here! )" Twelve instructs me.

"( Escaping them now will make them notice you further as they will have their suspicions about who you are... )" Twelve explains to me.

"( After all, if you run and leave right now, the chances for them to follow is likely higher for these punks usually had the mentality to follow an escaping prey. )" Twelve tells me and instructs me to act normally like a normal person inside a bar while hearing what they had to say behind me.

As I followed Twelve's advice, I then sit there and hear every piece of information that Clarke and Butcher had to say as they talked and laugh about killing a troll on District T's Dungeon Gate.

From there, I can hear them laughingly discuss the things they've done by smuggling many explosives and ammunition into their bags despite the Hunter Rules Prohibition to destroy any Dungeon if it was not identified as a Danger Dungeon.

"( Goddamit, how much longer should I wait for the mission hall to be opened!? )" I say to myself as suddenly I hear the admin's announcement from the Canteen's speaker that the mission hall is now opened and the available Hunters can pick their missions there.

As it happens, both William and Hugo leave the canteen first while I stay there and finish my drink I felt grateful that I didn't have to meet them right now as I was very fearful that my Tier 1.5 Gift Core can't stand a chance against both of their Tier 2 Gift Core which made their level is around 40 based on the System scans.

"( Dammit, I still need 10 levels to go. )" I say to myself as I ask Twelve if I should leave now and he instructs me to do that and go to the Mission Hall ASAP.

"( Roger that ... )" I replied to him as I immediately take the available mission for an E-Rank today which is a normal Dungeon that I hoped I can finish in two hours without any help as I then take it for my Leveling sake.

"( Before I had to meet those two again, my level must at least above level 35, or else I will be butchered... )" I say to myself as I enter the Normal Dungeon to do my first quest for the day.

Note:

Ragna thought that it will be a risk to fight a two-level 40 Hunters at his current level. In his worry, he calculated and concluded he would need to gain some EXPs first to be on par with them.