The testing hall inside the Authority registration facility felt more like a military bunker than a training arena.
Reinforced concrete walls surrounded the chamber from every side. Thick energy barriers covered the combat rings, designed to absorb both monster attacks and hunter abilities without collapsing.
Authority didn't trust hunters.
Not completely.
Which was understandable.
Some hunters were more dangerous than the monsters they hunted.
Rows of metal railings surrounded the central arena floor, separating the combat rings from the waiting applicants and observers.
More than three hundred hunters filled the hall.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked excited.
A few simply looked bored.
The loudspeaker crackled.
"Combat evaluation will begin in two minutes."
The crowd shifted.
Most of them knew what this meant.
The resonance scanner only measured Gate affinity.
The combat test determined actual rank.
And real rank decided everything.
Access to missions.
Authority contracts.
Payment rates.
Even survival chances.
Because stronger hunters got better jobs.
And better jobs meant stronger cores.
Which meant more power.
Arin Vale stood near the back of the observation area with his hands inside his coat pockets.
He watched the arena quietly.
Most hunters studied their competition.
Arin studied the exits.
Old habit.
Three main exits.
Two emergency corridors.
One ventilation shaft large enough to crawl through.
He nodded slightly.
Efficient building.
The loudspeaker spoke again.
"First combat pair, step forward."
Two hunters entered the ring.
One carried a long spear.
The other wore reinforced gauntlets glowing faintly with Gate energy.
The barrier activated around them.
A translucent blue dome sealed the arena.
The referee raised a hand.
"Begin."
The spear user attacked immediately.
Fast.
Controlled.
The gauntlet user blocked the first strike and countered with a heavy punch.
The impact cracked the arena floor.
The crowd reacted with cheers.
Arin tilted his head slightly.
"…Slow."
The fight lasted thirty seconds.
The gauntlet user won.
Authority technicians recorded the result.
"Provisional rank: C-class."
The victor grinned.
His friends applauded loudly.
Arin remained unimpressed.
C-class hunters were useful.
But they weren't interesting.
High above the arena floor, inside the observation gallery, Evelyn Cross watched the fight through a floating tactical display.
Energy readings streamed across the screen.
Reaction times.
Impact force.
Ability output.
The analyst beside her leaned forward.
"Solid performance."
Evelyn shrugged.
"Average."
The analyst looked confused.
"That punch cracked reinforced flooring."
"Barely."
Her eyes moved across the arena.
Then stopped.
On Arin.
He wasn't watching the fight.
He was studying the building.
Evelyn folded her arms.
"…Interesting."
The second match began.
A blade user against a barrier specialist.
This one lasted longer.
The barrier hunter blocked several attacks before the blade finally slipped through the defense.
The crowd reacted louder this time.
Combat always entertained people.
Even hunters.
Arin watched quietly.
The fight ended.
Another rank assigned.
Another name added to the board.
He sighed.
"Pointless."
Most hunters fought too hard during the test.
They showed everything.
Their speed.
Their abilities.
Their weaknesses.
Authority collected the data.
Arin preferred the opposite approach.
Give them nothing.
Eventually the loudspeaker called the next name.
"Arin Vale."
Several heads turned.
Maya Lin turned faster than the rest.
She had been watching him since the scanner test.
Her sensor bracelet was still behaving strangely.
The reading from earlier had made no sense.
The scanner said E-rank.
But the bracelet had detected something stronger.
Much stronger.
Arin stepped into the arena calmly.
Across the ring stood his opponent.
A large hunter wearing reinforced armor and carrying a heavy hammer almost the size of his torso.
The man looked Arin up and down.
Then laughed.
"E-rank?"
Arin shrugged.
"That's what the machine said."
The hammer user grinned.
"Good."
"This will be quick."
Arin nodded.
"I hope so."
The referee raised a hand.
"Begin."
The hammer user charged immediately.
His weapon slammed into the floor with explosive force.
Concrete cracked.
Dust rose into the air.
Arin stepped aside.
Casually.
The hammer swung again.
Arin moved again.
The crowd began murmuring.
"Why isn't he attacking?"
"Maybe he's scared."
"Typical E-rank."
Another hammer strike.
Arin dodged again.
The weapon smashed into the floor.
Cracks spread across the arena.
Arin looked down at the damage.
"…You'll have to pay for that."
Some of the hunters laughed.
The hammer user growled.
"Stop running!"
He swung again.
Arin leaned back just enough for the weapon to miss.
The hammer struck the floor.
Hard.
The hunter pulled it free and charged again.
Arin stepped forward instead of backward.
The hammer passed inches from his shoulder.
For a moment—
Arin considered ending the fight.
A single pulse of Abyss Seal would drop the man instantly.
But that would raise questions.
And questions slowed things down.
So he didn't.
Instead he tapped the hunter lightly on the chest.
A push.
Nothing more.
But the timing was perfect.
The armored hunter stumbled backward.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Out of the arena boundary.
The referee raised his hand.
"Out of bounds."
Silence spread through the hall.
The hammer user blinked.
"What?"
The technician checked the system.
"…Winner: Arin Vale."
Scattered laughter followed.
"Lucky."
"Total accident."
"Big guy tripped."
Arin stepped out of the arena.
"…Good enough."
From the observation platform, Evelyn leaned forward slightly.
"Did you see that?"
The analyst frowned.
"He pushed him."
"No."
Evelyn zoomed the replay feed.
The footage slowed.
Arin's movement appeared again.
Measured.
Precise.
"He calculated the distance."
"What?"
"That hunter weighs over one hundred kilograms with armor."
"So?"
"So an E-rank shouldn't be able to move him."
The analyst blinked.
"…Unless—"
"Unless he wanted to."
Down on the arena floor, Maya watched Arin leave the ring.
Her bracelet was still reacting.
The numbers didn't match the scanner result.
Something about him felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too controlled.
She stepped toward the exit corridor.
Arin had already reached the hallway.
He lit a cigarette.
"…Waste of time."
"Was it?"
Arin turned slightly.
Maya stood a few meters behind him.
"You held back," she said.
Arin took a drag.
"Did I?"
"You moved too fast."
"Maybe he moved too slow."
Maya crossed her arms.
"You're stronger than an E-rank."
"That sounds unhealthy."
She smiled.
"You're the Gate Ghost."
Arin exhaled smoke slowly.
"…That's a stupid name."
Maya tilted her head.
"So it's true."
Arin walked past her.
"I never said that."
She watched him disappear down the corridor.
"…Interesting."
High above the arena, Evelyn Cross continued watching the hallway camera feed.
Arin moved through the corridor calmly.
No celebration.
No conversation.
Just quiet movement toward the exit.
The analyst beside her spoke.
"Probably a lucky match."
Evelyn shook her head.
"No."
She closed the video feed.
"Prepare a file."
"Why?"
Evelyn turned toward the control room.
"Because if I'm right…"
Her voice remained calm.
"…he's the most dangerous hunter in this building."