The days after Emil became an E-rank hunter passed quietly.
Exactly as he wanted.
He continued accepting simple missions.
Herb gathering.
Monster extermination.
Material collection.
Nothing too dangerous.
Nothing that would attract unnecessary attention.
To everyone in Galant, Emil Myers was simply a strange young hunter.
A blind swordsman with unusual instincts.
Nothing more.
---
But Emil was not wasting his time.
Every mission was an opportunity.
The forest had taught him how to survive.
The Hunter Association was teaching him how the world worked.
---
He spent his mornings studying the Hunter Association's records.
Monster information.
Geographical maps.
Historical events.
Reports from experienced hunters.
The amount of knowledge available amazed him.
The Forbidden Forest had hidden countless secrets, but outside its borders, humanity had spent thousands of years recording everything.
---
One day, Emil discovered something interesting.
A report about the Forbidden Forest.
He froze when he saw the name.
Forbidden Forest — Restricted Territory
Danger Rating: Unknown
Known Information:
- Home to countless high-level monsters.
- Contains ancient ruins.
- Several exploration teams have disappeared.
- Even high-ranking hunters avoid the deepest regions.
---
Emil stared at the page.
Unknown.
That was the word used by outsiders.
They didn't know about the ancient civilization.
They didn't know about the Energy Core.
They didn't know about the Void energy.
They didn't know about the beings hiding within.
---
He closed the record.
The forest was not just dangerous.
It was a world of its own.
---
Several weeks passed.
Emil's reputation among E-rank hunters slowly grew.
Not because of his strength.
Because of his behavior.
He never wasted time.
He never complained.
He never panicked.
And no matter what mission he accepted...
He always returned.
---
Other hunters began talking.
"That blind kid is strange."
"Why?"
"He doesn't act like a beginner."
Another hunter laughed.
"Maybe he was trained before becoming a hunter."
---
They were not wrong.
But they had no idea how far from the truth they were.
---
One afternoon, Emil accepted a gathering mission near a mountain region.
The mission seemed simple.
Collect rare herbs used for healing potions.
But when he arrived...
He noticed something wrong.
The area was too quiet.
---
No insects.
No birds.
No small animals.
Only silence.
A silence Emil knew very well.
The silence of a predator's territory.
---
He stopped walking.
His hand rested on his sword.
"Something is here."
---
A moment later...
A powerful roar echoed through the mountains.
The ground shook.
A massive creature emerged from between the trees.
A Mountain Fang Bear.
A creature classified as D-rank.
Not extremely dangerous.
But far beyond the level of ordinary E-rank missions.
---
The bear stared at Emil.
The young blind hunter.
The easy target.
---
Emil sighed.
"Of course."
Even outside the Forbidden Forest, trouble still found him.
---
The bear charged.
Its weight destroyed everything in its path.
An ordinary E-rank hunter would have been unable to react.
But Emil simply moved.
---
One step.
The attack missed.
The bear turned.
Again.
Another attack.
Again.
Missed.
---
The bear became angry.
It couldn't understand.
Why couldn't it hit this human?
---
Emil studied it.
Its breathing.
Its movements.
Its balance.
Its weaknesses.
---
In the Forbidden Forest, every mistake meant death.
That experience had become instinct.
---
He drew his sword.
Only basic swordsmanship.
No Sun Step.
No Sun Sword.
No energy.
---
The bear attacked.
Emil moved forward instead.
A single slash.
---
The Mountain Fang Bear stopped.
A thin line appeared across its body.
Then it collapsed.
---
Ding!
D-rank monster defeated.
Experience gained.
---
Emil looked at the creature.
A D-rank monster.
Something considered dangerous by normal E-rank hunters.
Yet to him...
It was another lesson.
---
He completed the mission and returned.
But this time...
Someone noticed.
---
A woman wearing a silver hunter badge stood inside the Association.
Her rank was far above E-rank.
She watched Emil submit the materials.
"That monster..."
She looked at the report.
"Mountain Fang Bear?"
The receptionist nodded.
"Yes."
"An E-rank hunter defeated it alone?"
The woman looked toward Emil.
The blind boy was already leaving.
---
"Interesting."
---
The receptionist lowered her voice.
"Do you think he is hiding something?"
The woman smiled.
"Everyone hides something."
"Especially those who survive."
---
That evening, Emil sat in his room cultivating.
The Sun God Breathing Technique circulated quietly.
His progress had slowed compared to the Forbidden Forest.
Not because he lacked talent.
Because he was deliberately restricting himself.
---
The system appeared.
Ding!
Host Hunter Rank Progress Updated.
Current Rank:
E-Rank
Contribution:
Increasing.
---
Recommendation: Host may request rank evaluation.
---
Emil shook his head.
"Not yet."
---
He needed more information.
More understanding.
More control.
Power without knowledge was dangerous.
---
The next morning, he entered the Hunter Association again.
This time, he wasn't looking at the mission board.
He was looking at something else.
A notice.
---
Special Event
Beginner Hunter Assessment Tournament
Open to all newly registered hunters.
Purpose:
- Evaluate combat ability.
- Discover potential talents.
- Provide promotion opportunities.
---
Emil stared at the announcement.
A tournament.
Many hunters.
Many observers.
A chance to gain information.
But also...
A chance to attract attention.
---
He considered it carefully.
Then smiled.
"Maybe..."
"It is time to see how strong the hunters of Galant really are."
---
The hidden swordsman had entered the Hunter Association.
Now...
The Hunter Association was about to see a glimpse of him.