"Are you the civilians who were dragged into the Rift?"
A man with glasses stepped forward, his posture far too upright for someone who had supposedly just fought through monsters. He wore a stylized black mantle draped over his armor, and in his hands held a staff that looked more like a collector's ornamental piece than an actual weapon.
"Are you all alright?" his voice echoed through the chamber.
The civilians reacted almost immediately, like shipwreck survivors spotting land on the horizon. Park Chae-won stepped forward, still pale from the thick stench of blood that clung to the cavern.
"We're… alive, thanks to him…" her voice faltered as she cast a quick glance at Jaemin.
The man with glasses followed her gaze, and for a moment, his eyes narrowed behind the lenses. His line of sight traced the path until it settled on Jaemin, standing a few meters away, his clothes still stained with dried blood.
"It's alright now, you're safe," he said, with a smile that seemed just a little too strange to be genuine. "My name is Ryu Sangho. I'm the leader of Team Dahlia, from the Black Lotus guild."
The group seemed to relax almost instantly. Some of the civilians rushed toward the Hunters, while others hesitated but still took a few cautious steps forward. Only Jaemin remained unmoving, as if he hadn't heard a word.
Ryu Sangho noticed. He lifted his chin slightly, his eyes returning to the pile of corpses.
"It seems things haven't been easy for you all…"
His gaze slid back to Jaemin. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"…who killed those monsters?"
Before Jaemin could respond, a child's voice cut through the tension.
Little Haneul tugged at the edge of Sangho's mantle, his eyes shining with innocent admiration.
"It was Hyung!" Haneul exclaimed, pointing with his little hand. "He's really strong!"
The comment sparked immediate murmurs and even a few exchanged glances among the members of Team Dahlia.
Sangho's eyes swept Jaemin up and down before he spoke:
"And you, who are you? I thought we were the first ones to enter this Rift… Which guild are you from?"
"We don't have time for that. What matters now is defeating the final boss and getting out of this Rift," Jaemin replied.
Sangho seemed to ponder for a moment before clapping his hands together.
"Alright, you're right, forgive me. We can introduce ourselves properly later…"
He shot a quick sidelong glance at Jaemin, studying him as if he were just another puzzle to solve, before turning back to the group.
"From here on, things will get far more dangerous," his voice echoed firmly through the cavern. "I'll leave one of my men here to protect you, while the rest of us head for the boss chamber. Is that acceptable to all of you?"
The reaction was immediate, relief on some civilians' faces, unease on others. Still, the simple fact that high-ranked Hunters were offering protection already felt like salvation.
While Sangho debated with his team and a few civilians over who would stay behind, Jaemin couldn't help but notice the man standing further back. The one who, for some reason, had caught his attention from the very first moment.
He couldn't say if it was because of the man's imposing build, broad shoulders, flawless posture, or because his face was so striking it was nearly impossible to ignore. But it wasn't just his looks. Every time Jaemin's gaze fell on him, a strange feeling twisted in his gut.
'He feels… familiar somehow. But just to be safe…'
[Skill: Appraise – Activated]
[Error]
'What?'
He frowned, discreetly adjusting the focus of the skill.
[Skill: Appraise – Activated]
[Error]
'Impossible. This has never happened before… what rank is this guy?'
A faint heat flared along his right arm. Jaemin felt the rune etched into his skin burning weakly, a warning that the suppressor was reacting to the strain. His teeth clenched.
But that gnawing sense of danger wouldn't leave him.
'If I break one of the suppressors, the reading goes up a level. But that'll also raise my mana signature, anyone with a perception boost will sense it instantly… is it worth the risk?'
He took a deep breath and decided it was better to know for sure who that man was than to be caught off guard later.
[Warning: Suppressor Integrity – 83%]
The rune burned faintly red before cracking like glass, subtle enough that no one else would notice. The power contained within him pulsed for a moment, straining to break free, before Jaemin forced it back down.
Suppressor runes were such rare items that they could only be crafted through a very specific process. In fact, only two units existed in the entire world, since their inventor, Han Jaemin himself, hadn't produced anything in a long time. They served no other purpose than what their name suggested: suppressing the user's power.
A necessity Jaemin had been forced to adopt after abandoning the life of a Hunter. After all, concealing mana density from other Hunters wasn't easy. And the higher one's rank, the denser that mana became.
[Skill: Appraise – Forced Evolution]
[Loading…]
The screen flared brighter, but the information that appeared was distorted, fragmented by static.
[Target: —]
[Rank: ?]
[Title(s): —]
[Warning: Target is under effect of a Concealment Artifact]
[Appearance: Altered. True form hidden.]
'Concealment Artifact?'
Jaemin narrowed his eyes, forcing himself to look again. The description flickered in front of him, as though even the System struggled to decipher the target.
The man with near-platinum hair, slicked neatly back, turned his head at that exact moment. For a heartbeat, Jaemin felt the unnerving sensation that he knew, that he was fully aware of being analyzed.
Their eyes met.
Jaemin's heart lurched against his will.
'Who the hell are you?'
No one else noticed. The civilians were too busy clinging to the illusion of safety offered by Black Lotus, and Sangho was already barking orders to his men. But for Jaemin, that instant stretched longer than it should have.
The corner of the stranger's mouth curved, so faintly that anyone else would have dismissed it as nothing more than an involuntary twitch.
And then, as if a voice had slipped between them, low enough for no one else to hear:
"Forcing abilities on people…" he murmured, his eyes still locked on Jaemin's. "…isn't exactly a smart move."
Jaemin stiffened at once. His muscles tightened, and a chill climbed his spine all the way to the nape of his neck.
'Bastard… he knows. I need to get out, now. If he opens his mouth here, I'm screwed.'
As he prepared to turn his back and walk away on his own, maybe even search for the Rift's exit himself, since it was obvious he wasn't needed here, he heard his name echo through the cavern.
"Mr Han Jaemin, I presume? The civilians told me your name."
It was Sangho, approaching with that flawless smile.
"My apologies for earlier. I thought you had entered this Rift intentionally, but they said you were dragged in as well."
"…What do you want?"
"You'll be coming with us, won't you? After all, it would be a waste not to count on a Hunter as talented as you."
Jaemin held Sangho's gaze for a moment, then turned away.
"No." His answer was curt, as he started walking back the way they had come.
Several members of the Dahlia squad exchanged uneasy looks. One of them, tall and heavyset with a spiked club in hand, scoffed in disdain. Sangho, however, never lost his smile.
"No?" He raised a brow, calmly adjusting his glasses. "Curious… this is the first time I've seen an awakened who could clear an entire pile of monsters on his own just turn his back and walk away."
He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, resting a hand on Jaemin's shoulder as if he owned the space.
"You've got the strength to handle dozens of monsters, but no registration, no recognition… not a single person here knows your name."
His gaze sharpened, the smile never reaching his eyes.
"It reminded me of something, actually. A story I once heard."
"I don't know what you're talk–"
He tilted his head, his smile widening.
"Some call them ghosts. Others, impostors. But I prefer… False Rankers."
Jaemin's teeth clenched. It wasn't an open accusation, but it was enough to chill his blood.
Most Hunters and civilians had no idea. To them, the Hunter Association was the beginning and end of authority.
But whispers spoke of those who lived outside its records, men and women powerful enough to stand among S-rankers, yet erased from official history. Hunters who deliberately concealed their existence, never registering, never stepping into the spotlight.
They were called False Rankers.
And unlike rogues or mercenaries, their existence was tied to something greater, an underground organization known only as The Ark.
No one knew where it began, or what its true purpose was. Some claimed it was a sanctuary for the disillusioned, others whispered it was a cult hoarding weapons for a war against humanity itself. To the Association, they were a myth, half rumor, half truth.
"Of course…" Sangho let out a low, mocking chuckle. "I'm not saying that's you. But if it were… it would make perfect sense, wouldn't it?"
Jaemin didn't respond. The only reaction was the tightening of his jaw.
Because of course he knew them.
Five years ago, back when he still joined raids, their presence was undeniable. The Ark's shadows lingered in every Hunter lounge, every whispered strategy meeting, even in the Association's records that pretended not to exist.
And then, just like him, they vanished.
One day they were everywhere, powerful, untouchable, untamed. The next, they were gone, scattered like smoke in the wind. No one knew why.
'This bastard's only going to cause me trouble… where the hell did he even pull that from?'
"You've got the wrong guy. I have nothing to do with them," Jaemin muttered.
"Oh? But I didn't explain what they are, did I?" Sangho's tone was almost playful, like a teacher dangling an answer in front of a stubborn student.
Jaemin's eyes narrowed. "…What?"
The smile on Sangho's lips deepened, just enough to be unnerving.
"How do you know them, then?"
'This fucker… does he ever shut the hell up?' Jaemin thought, jaw tightening as the words burned in his head.