Half an hour later, Soren arrived at his destination.
The Kalmira Awakened Registry Bureau stood in the Merchant’s Crown district.
A large, modern building made of reinforced concrete and Mana-infused glass.
The structure was imposing, angular, and designed to withstand Gate Break incidents. Silver banners bearing the Bureau’s emblem hung from the entrance.
Soren pushed through the heavy glass doors into the main lobby.
The space was crowded. Dozens of people milled about, some young and clearly new Awakened like him, others older and more experienced. The air buzzed with overlapping Mana signatures, making his newly awakened senses tingle.
He approached the reception desk.
A middle-aged woman with sharp eyes looked up from her terminal. "Name and purpose?"
"Soren Valmere. I awakened yesterday. Here to register and apply for a Hunter’s License."
She typed rapidly.
"Date of awakening?"
"March 1st. Yesterday night."
"Within the 72-hour window. Good." She handed him a tablet. "Fill out the initial form. Once you’re done, proceed to Testing Wing B. Follow the blue line on the floor."
"Thank you."
Soren took the tablet and found a bench along the wall.
The form was extensive. Personal information, medical history, emergency contacts, previous occupation, reason for pursuing Hunter work, and so on. He filled it out methodically, answering honestly where it mattered and vaguely where it didn’t.
Date of birth: April 15, Year 175 PA.
Age: 22.
Education: .....
....
He submitted the form and followed the blue line through a corridor into the testing facility.
The Testing Wing was divided into sections. Physical assessment areas, Mana testing chambers, ability evaluation rooms, etc. Technicians in white coats moved between stations, managing equipment and guiding examinees.
A young man with a clipboard approached. "Soren Valmere?"
"Yes."
"I’m Technician Mori. I’ll be overseeing your evaluation today. Follow me."
Soren followed him to the first station, a cylindrical chamber made of transparent crystal.
"Step inside," Mori instructed. "This will measure your Mana capacity, affinity, and Core stability. Stand still and circulate your Mana naturally."
Soren entered the chamber.
The door sealed with a soft hiss. The crystal walls began to glow, pulsing with light. He felt gentle pressure against his Core, like invisible fingers probing his energy.
He circulated his Mana as instructed, letting it flow through the pathways established by the Glacial Emperor Scripture.
The crystal walls flared brighter. Blue light dominated, swirling in intricate patterns. A secondary color appeared as well, pale green, fainter but present.
After a minute, the light faded.
The door opened. Technician Mori studied his tablet, eyes widening.
"Interesting," he muttered. "Very interesting."
"Is something wrong?"
"Wrong? No. Quite the opposite." Mori looked up. "Congratulations, you have dual affinity. Ice primary, Wind secondary. And both are high-grade."
He gestured toward the next station. "Place your hand on the evaluation crystal."
Soren pressed his palm against a smooth, spherical crystal mounted on a pedestal.
It flared with light, projecting a holographic display.
————————
[AFFINITY EVALUATION]
Primary Affinity: ICE
Grade: 7 (S-Rank)
Potency: High
Compatibility: Excellent
Secondary Affinity: WIND
Grade: 5 (B-Rank)
Potency: Moderate
Compatibility: Good
[INNATE ABILITIES]
1. Accelerated Regeneration
Grade: C-Rank
Type: Biological Enhancement
Effect: Advanced healing, toxin resistance
2. Fortified Body Constitution
Grade: D-Rank
Type: Physical Enhancement
Effect: 5x baseline human capability
[CIRCLE RANK]
Current: First Circle (Early Stage)
Core Capacity: 2,547 / 10,000
Core Stability: Excellent
Pathway Integrity: Excellent
[OVERALL ASSESSMENT]
Rank: HIGH POTENTIAL (S-CLASS)
Classification: Combat-Type Awakened
Recommended Path: Hunter / Gate Clearing
Estimated Peak: Seventh Circle
————————
Technician Mori stared at the display, then at Soren, then back at the display.
"Grade 7 ice affinity. S-rank talent." He shook his head slowly. "That’s top 5% globally. Dual affinity on top of that. And two innate abilities."
He tapped something on his tablet, then froze. "Wait. How old are you?"
"Twenty-two."
Mori’s eyes widened further. "Twenty-two? You awakened at twenty-two?"
"Yes. Just yesterday."
"That’s..." Mori looked genuinely stunned. "That’s unheard of. The latest recorded natural awakening is twenty. Anything past that requires artificial stimulus or extreme trauma, and even then, it almost never works."
He studied Soren with open curiosity now. "What happened? What triggered it?"
Soren kept his expression neutral. "It was a life-threatening situation."
"So extreme stress awakening." Mori made rapid notes. "At age twenty-two with S-rank affinity and dual innates. This is going to cause a stir."
"A stir?"
"Your data will be flagged immediately. The Bureau, the guilds, probably even the National Awakened Defense Corps will want to talk to you."
Soren’s jaw tightened slightly. "I set my profile to restricted."
"Smart. But it won’t stop official organizations." Mori glanced at him. "The Bureau especially. They recruit high-potential Awakened for government work. You’ll probably get contacted within a week."
"I see."
"One more test. Physical assessment."
Mori led him to a training area with various equipment.
"Show me what you can do. Strength, speed, endurance."
Soren moved through the tests.
He lifted 250 kilograms overhead without strain. His sprint clocked at 48 miles per hour. His stamina held through fifteen minutes of continuous exertion without fatigue.
The Fortified Body Constitution was indeed powerful despite being a D rank ability.
Mori recorded everything, increasingly impressed.
"Alright. That’s sufficient. Let’s process your license."
Twenty minutes later, Soren held his official Hunter’s License.
A sleek card made of reinforced material, embedded with a Mana-signature chip.
————————
Name: Soren Valmere
ID: KAL-1973-047821
Age: 22
Rank: First Circle
Hunter Rank: F
License Type: Standard Hunter
Issued: March 2, Year 197 PA
————————
Mori then handed him an information packet. "Access codes for the Hunter Network. App and web portal. You can access gate schedules, equipment vendors, party recruitment, legal resources, and many more."
"Thank you."
"One more thing." Mori’s expression turned serious. "As a new First Circle, I strongly recommend that you don’t attempt solo Gates immediately. Join a party first. Get experience. A lot of rookies die because they overestimate themselves."
"Understood."
Just as Soren turned to leave, a woman in a formal suit approached.
She was in her thirties, sharp-featured, with an official Bureau badge on her lapel. Her Mana signature was strong. Fourth Circle at least.
"Mr. Valmere," she said smoothly. "I’m Senior Administrator Veyra from the Bureau’s Talent Acquisition Department. Do you have a moment?"
Soren stopped. "For?"
"A brief conversation about opportunities with the Kalmira Bureau. Given your exceptional evaluation results, we’d like to discuss potential career paths that might interest you."
Her smile was professional, but her eyes were calculating.
"I appreciate the offer," Soren said carefully. "But I’m not interested in joining an organization right now. I have personal matters to handle first."
"Of course. Family comes first." Her smile didn’t waver. "But please, take my card. When you’re ready to consider your options, we offer excellent benefits. Training resources, access to restricted Gates, stable income, protection."
She handed him a sleek black business card.
————————
Administrator Veyra Lewis
Talent Acquisition Department
Kalmira Awakened Registry Bureau
Direct Line: (555) 0198
————————
"Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind."
"Please do. And Mr. Valmere?" Her tone shifted slightly. "Your profile may be restricted, but S-rank potential doesn’t stay hidden long. You’ll receive many offers. I hope you’ll choose carefully and keep us in mind."
She nodded one last time and walked away.
Soren pocketed the card and left the building.
Outside, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows.
He looked down at the license in his hand, his lips curling up faintly.
He was a registered Hunter now.
Which meant he could start earning real money. Enough to afford those healing meals. Enough to support Ethea’s recovery properly.
Soren pulled out his phone and opened the Hunter Network app.
The interface loaded.
————————
[HUNTER NETWORK - KALMIRA BRANCH]
Welcome, Soren Valmere!
Available Features:
- Gate Schedule & Availability
- Party Recruitment Board
- Equipment Market
- Resource Exchange
- Quest Listings
- Training Facilities
————————
He navigated to the Gate Schedule.
Several First Circle Gates were available in the Kalmira region.
However, none of them permitted a solo clear.
He continued scrolling and finally stopped at the title.
[FIRST CIRCLE GATE - AZURE SLIME FOREST]
[Status: OPEN (Solo permitted)]
’...’ Soren stared at it before tapping. ’Should I... try my luck?’