[Current Location: Inside a Rolls Royce Phantom]
[Time: 06:45 AM]
The interior of the car smelled of expensive leather and lavender.
Ryan smelled of rotten banana peels, old pizza, and morgue chemicals.
He leaned back comfortably in the plush seat, completely ignoring the disgusted look on the driver's face. He grabbed a bottle of premium water from the mini-fridge and gulped it down.
Sitting opposite him was the woman in sunglasses. She finally took them off, revealing sharp, icy blue eyes.
"You have quite an appetite for someone who just stared death in the face," she said coldly.
"Fear burns calories," Ryan replied, wiping his mouth with his sleeve (ruining the upholstery). "So, who are you? FBI? CIA? The Men in Black?"
The woman tapped a folder on her lap.
"I am Agent Zoya. I work for the NBPA—National Bureau of Paranormal Affairs. We manage the 'Awakened' and clean up the mess left by spirits."
She opened the folder. Inside were photos of Ryan.
Photos of him at House No. 44.
Photos of him entering the Hospital.
And a satellite image of the explosion that destroyed the boiler room.
"Ryan. Age 22. Dropout. Unemployed. Debt: $50,000 (Cleared recently)," Zoya read his file. "No combat training. No magical lineage. Yet, you walked into two S-Rank Danger Zones and came out alive."
She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.
"And according to our sensors... the 'Headless Butcher' didn't just disappear. He was erased. And the 'Weeping Mother' vanished without a trace."
She paused.
"Where did you put them, Ryan?"
Ryan's heart skipped a beat.
The Government knew.
They suspected he had a way to "capture" spirits. If they found out about the System, they would dissect him like a frog in a lab.
[System Alert: Host is being interrogated.]
[Advice: Bluff. Act mysterious.]
[Passive Skill 'Poker Face' activated.]
Ryan yawned. He actually yawned.
"I didn't put them anywhere," Ryan said lazily. "I just exorcised them. I have a very... unique technique. It's a family secret."
"Family secret?" Zoya raised an eyebrow. "Your file says you are an orphan."
"Adopted family," Ryan lied smoothly. "Very secretive. You wouldn't know them. They live in... Canada."
Zoya stared at him for a long minute. She was a high-level mental awakener. She could usually smell lies. But looking at Ryan, she felt nothing. Just a void. (Thanks to the System).
"Fine," Zoya sighed, closing the folder. "Keep your secrets. But you are 'Awakened' now. By law, you must register with the Bureau. Or go to jail."
The car slowed down.
"We are here."
The Bureau Headquarters (The Dragon Tower).
The car pulled into an underground parking lot beneath a massive skyscraper.
As Ryan stepped out, he saw dozens of people walking around. Some wore military uniforms, others wore tactical gear. Some carried glowing swords, others had staffs.
These were Hunters. The elite of humanity.
And here was Ryan, wearing a dirty hoodie and a butcher's apron, smelling like trash.
As they walked towards the elevator, a group of three young Hunters blocked their path. They were wearing shiny, expensive armor. The leader, a blonde guy with a smug face, laughed.
"Whoa, Zoya! Did you pick up a homeless guy on the way to work?" The blonde guy sneered, pinching his nose. "God, he smells like a sewer rat. Is this the 'Special Recruit' you were talking about?"
Ryan looked at the guy.
[System Scan Activated]
[Target: Brad (Hunter Rank: D)]
[Ability: Fireball (Level 2)]
[Weakness: Arrogant. Weak chin. Daddy's money.]
Ryan didn't get angry. He smiled.
This was a classic "Young Master" from novels. The System loved these guys. They were free EXP.
"Agent Zoya," Ryan asked loudly. "Does the Bureau hire clowns? Or is he just here for a birthday party?"
The hallway went silent.
Brad's face turned red. "What did you say, trash?"
"I said," Ryan stepped closer, ignoring the height difference. "You smell like cheap cologne and insecurity. Now move. The adults are talking."
User_Slayer69 (in Ryan's head): "ROAST HIM!"
Brad growled. His hand lit up with a small flame. "You think you're tough because Zoya brought you? I challenge you! A duel! Right now!"
Zoya stepped in, looking annoyed. "Brad, stand down. He is—"
"No, no," Ryan interrupted. He looked at Brad's shiny armor. "I accept. But I don't fight for free. If I win, I want that shiny watch on your wrist. It looks like a Rolex."
Brad laughed. "You want my watch? If you win, I'll give you my car! But if you lose, you crawl out of here on your knees!"
"Deal," Ryan said instantly.
[System Mission Triggered: The First Duel.]
[Objective: Humiliate the arrogant Hunter.]
[Reward: +200 Fear Points (from the crowd).]
A crowd gathered instantly. Hunters loved a fight.
They formed a circle in the parking lot.
Brad cracked his knuckles. Flames danced around his fists. He was a Elementalist. High damage, low defense.
Ryan stood there, hands in his pockets. He had no weapon (The Desert Eagle was broken).
"Start!" someone shouted.
Brad launched a fireball. "Burn!"
Whoosh!
The fireball flew towards Ryan's face.
Ryan didn't move.
He simply activated the 'Mother's Tear' necklace in his pocket.
[Item Ability: Mental Suppression (Active)]
Ryan glared at Brad. For a split second, he projected the despair and horror of the Weeping Mother directly into Brad's brain.
Brad froze mid-attack.
Suddenly, he didn't see Ryan. He saw a bleeding woman with sewn eyes screaming in his face.
He felt the cold, crushing weight of a Level 4 Spirit.
"M-Mommy?" Brad whimpered.
The fireball in his hand fizzled out.
Brad's knees shook. His eyes rolled back.
And then... he fainted. Foaming at the mouth.
THUD.
Ryan hadn't even lifted a finger.
The crowd gasped.
"What happened?"
"Did he use a mental attack?"
"He knocked him out with a stare!"
Ryan walked over to the unconscious Brad, unclasped the Rolex watch from his wrist, and put it on.
"Nice watch," Ryan said to the stunned crowd. "Anyone else want to donate to charity?"
Nobody moved. They looked at Ryan with fear.
This wasn't a beggar. This was a monster in disguise.
[Ding! Mission Complete.]
[Fear Points: +200]
[Reputation: 'The Mysterious Psycho' established.]
Zoya looked at Ryan, her eyes wide with shock. She hadn't sensed any magic. How did he do that?
"Come on, Zoya," Ryan checked his new Rolex. "I'm hungry. Where is the cafeteria?"
The Director's Office (Top Floor).
Half an hour later (after Ryan ate three burgers in the cafeteria), he was sitting in a dark office.
Sitting behind the desk was an old man with a scar running down his eye. Director Malik.
"You defeated a D-Rank Hunter in 1 second," Malik said, reading a report. "Without moving."
"He tripped," Ryan said innocently.
Malik chuckled. "I like you, Ryan. You're efficient. And you're ruthless. We need people like you."
He slid a contract across the table.
[Hunter Academy Enrollment Form]
"We want you to join the National Hunter Academy," Malik said seriousl. "The 'Spirit Era' is getting worse. New Gates are opening. We need to train a new generation of S-Class Hunters. We will give you resources, money, and protection."
Ryan looked at the contract.
"What's the catch?"
"The catch," Malik leaned forward, "is that the Academy is not a school. It's a survival camp. 500 students enter. Only 50 graduate. The rest... die or quit."
"Also," Malik added, "The 'Collector'—Lord No. 7—has put a bounty on your head. The dark guilds are hunting you. The Academy is the only place they can't enter."
Ryan smiled.
A school full of arrogant young masters?
A place protected from Demon Lords?
And free resources to farm points?
It sounded like a buffet.
"Where do I sign?" Ryan picked up the pen.
[System Notification: New Main Quest Unlocked.]
[Quest: Dominate the Academy.]
[Objective: Become the #1 Ranked Student.]
[Reward: Shop Level 2 Access + Mystery S-Rank Skill.]
Ryan signed his name with a flourish.
The Beggar Streamer was gone.
Ryan, the Hunter Student, was born.