"Are you... a bloodline?" the towering man asked again.
Akira shook his head slowly. "No."
The man turned to Haruto. "Is this the boy?"
Haruto nodded. "Yes, Guild Master. He's been the one conquering low-ranked gates all on his own. We've confirmed thirteen gate closures. Including some with a level 4 high orc. I've never heard of anything like it. Not solo. Not at his age."
The female staffer beside them added, "Sir, if I may... we should check his Zeir status. Maybe there's something special."
The Guild Master folded his arms. "Do it. Then bring the report to my office."
With a nod, the woman unlocked the cell gate and removed Akira's restraints. He rubbed his wrists, eyes narrowing at them.
They led him through the guild's halls, passing by lift platforms and corridors packed with magical gear and monster remains. As the lift moved up, Akira saw the glint of rare monster cores and weapons scavenged from high-tier hunts.
Then the doors opened.
He was face to face with the four fanged hunters of the guild—the elite. They carried bags filled with monster loot and aura so thick it nearly made him stumble backward.
They glanced at him curiously but moved on.
The woman led Akira to a clean chamber filled with scanning devices. "Please place your hand on the panel," she instructed.
Akira smirked. *This time my Zeir should be way up. That training paid off.*
He placed his hand.
*Beep.*
The woman frowned. "That's... odd. Let's try again. Might be a calibration issue."
Akira chuckled. "Even the machine can't keep up, huh?"
She rebooted the system. He pressed again.
*Beep.*
The woman stared.
She called over another staff member. A senior technician arrived, checked the readings, and recoiled.
"This can't be. This isn't a mistake. His Zeir level... it's not hunter-class. It's not even civilian-advanced. It's 2.0. Practically normal human levels."
The hall grew quiet.
"Just how\... how are you conquering gates? You don't even have Zeir."
Akira blinked. "No. No, that can't be. I'm strong now. I—"
He shouted, "INVENTORY!"
Nothing.
Again, louder, more desperate: "INVENTORY!"
Still nothing.
People gathered in the observation hall, staring at him.
"He doesn't even have Zeir. Is he some joke?"
"Who are his parents? Must be bottom-tier."
"Freak."
Akira stood frozen, the humiliation crashing in.
A staff member whispered to Haruto. Word reached the Guild Master.
"Perhaps we made a mistake. He's not the one," the master said flatly.
Haruto frowned. "Then what do we do with him?"
The Guild Master waved a hand. "Reevaluate his ID. Assign him a Carrier Status. He can accompany scout teams."
Akira stared at the new ID card they handed him.
"This isn't what I wanted," he muttered.
But still, he accepted it.
*At least... I'm registered now. At least to a guild.*
He stepped out of the hall, people still whispering around him.
His fists clenched.
*One day... you'll see.*
*I'll prove it.*
*This isn't the end. It's just the beginning.*