Chapter 42: HUNTER ID
"You also show strong potential," the woman added. "Keep training and your rank could rise quickly. Please have a seat—I’ll get your registration form ready."
As she left the room, Raito sank into a nearby chair, his heart still racing.
He stared at his palm and smiled faintly. A rank C hunter... it’s a start.
From here, I’ll climb higher. Stronger. Until I can face monsters like that Hydra again—and this time, win for real.
"I have to try my best to reach level fifty," Raito muttered as he looked down at the glowing card in his hand. "If I reach level fifty, I’ll be capable of facing anyone... even monsters like that Rank S Hydra I fought."
He exhaled, still staring at the card. His name, age, and every required detail were neatly engraved in gold letters.
HUNTER ID
Name: Rikue Raito
Rank: C
Mana Capacity: C-tier
"Wow... this is amazing," he said quietly, a small smile breaking across his face.
"You have to pay a registration fee of 500 Yen," the receptionist reminded him politely.
"Oh—right," Raito replied, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the bills and placed them into the payment box.
"Thank you," she said, nodding.
"I’ll be taking my leave," Raito replied as he turned toward the exit.
The woman gave a courteous bow, and Raito walked out into the bright afternoon. The sunlight hit his face, warm but almost blinding after the dim room.
He slipped the Hunter ID into his pocket and sighed. "I was expecting a higher rank... maybe B, at least," he muttered. "I mean, I managed to take down a Rank A monster like the Giant Scorpion... even the Hydra. But that’s not right. I didn’t defeat them with my strength."
His expression hardened as he stopped on the stairs outside the association.
"If that skill hadn’t activated, I’d be dead. I can’t lie to myself."
He looked up at the sky. The city’s skyline shimmered with tall buildings and floating holo-ads for hunter guilds, potion shops.
A car pulled up slowly to the front of the Hunter Association. Two men stepped out, one wearing glasses, the other a mask that hid his entire face. Recognition hit Raito immediately. These were the same men who had come to question him at his apartment.
He decided to ignore them for now, pretending not to notice. The two descended the small set of stairs outside the association, moving as if they belonged there.
Just as they were about to turn away, the man with glasses, Seizo, spoke, his voice cutting through the afternoon air.
"Hey, we meet again. How are you doing?"
Raito straightened, meeting Seizo’s gaze calmly. "I’m fine. Is there a problem?"
Seizo shook his head slowly, his expression unreadable. "No, not really. But do you mind coming with us?"
Raito raised an eyebrow. "I don’t follow strangers without reason. Where exactly are you taking me, and why?"
Seizo’s tone dropped, careful and deliberate. "There’s some information about you, things we need to discuss privately. Public isn’t the right place."
"How did you know where I was?" Raito asked, trying to hide the tension creeping into his voice.
Seizo smirked faintly. "You have a mobile phone. It doesn’t matter where you go, anyone can be tracked with one these days."
The man in the mask, Keito, remained silent, his eyes scanning Raito from behind the obscured face. He didn’t speak, he simply let Seizo handle the conversation, the quiet presence of his companion adding an extra layer of unease.
"So what if I say no? What’s going to happen?" Raito asked quietly, his mind racing.
"No isn’t an option in this situation," Seizo said firmly. "Sit."
Raito’s heart thumped. What’s really going on? If I don’t comply, he’ll force me. But why? And if I fight, I don’t stand a chance. One of them is already on a completely different level. And the other, the one in the mask, staying silent... I can feel it. He’s even more terrifying.
Raito swallowed, weighing his options. This isn’t negotiable.
"Just a quick talk. Nothing more," Seizo added, his tone almost casual.
Raito exhaled slowly. Fine. I’ll go.
He moved toward the car as Seizo opened the door for him. Sliding inside, he found himself positioned between the two men, the masked figure sitting silently beside him. The driver started the engine, and the car pulled smoothly into traffic.
Seizo broke the silence. "Do you remember anything from that day? The closed train station... when a dungeon appeared there? Hunters were sent in to fight the monsters."
Raito’s mind raced. The train station... I remember fragments. But not everything. What exactly does he want from me?
"I’m sorry, but I don’t remember," Raito said carefully. "And what does that day have to do with me?"
"Have you forgotten? Something happened to you when you were in the hospital," Seizo said, his voice calm but probing. "It was the day we were called to the train station because of a monster attack. When we arrived, most of the station walls were broken, but we didn’t see a single monster. That day... you were in the hospital."
Raito frowned, trying to recall. "Oh... maybe... or maybe not. I don’t remember," he said quietly.
For a few moments, silence fell inside the car. Only the hum of the engine and distant city noises filled the space. After several minutes, the driver spoke. "We have reached our destination."
Seizo and Keito stepped aside and opened the doors. Raito exited, hands in his pockets, and looked up. The building before him loomed massive and imposing—the Dragon Fang Hunter Guild.
It was his first time seeing it up close. The scale of the structure was staggering, even more than he had imagined. This was where the country’s most skilled hunters gathered, trained, and coordinated operations.
"Wow... it’s huge," Raito muttered. His pulse quickened. Why had they brought him here?
"Please, sir, follow us," Seizo instructed, motioning toward the entrance. Raito fell in step behind him.