Chapter 66: S-rank promotion
Pale Smoke briefly glanced at the thin red wound on Teo’s neck, his expressionless grey eyes narrowing just a fraction as he evaluated the mark.
’He’s not lying.’ he thought.
Teo was far too paralyzed by the immediate fear of death to concoct such a specific story about a smoky blade, meaning the information about Leon’s weapon was genuine.
He then turned his attention back to the dark television screen above the wooden counter, his mind shifting away from the pathetic man kneeling on the floor.
He let out another slow, irritated breath, muttering under his breath in a deeply annoyed tone, "Why do I have to be the one in charge of Leon Allistar’s case?"
The sudden assignment had completely disrupted his regular schedule, forcing him to hunt down a dangerous anomaly in the middle of a massive national media circus that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
This was, after all, an opponent whose true capabilities remained completely wrapped in mystery, making the entire assignment feel like a massive gamble with his own life.
Entering a battle against someone without having a complete, detailed breakdown of their skills, talent, and hidden trump cards was a quick way for even a high-level veteran player to end up dead in a ditch.
Yet, despite the extreme level of danger and the massive lack of reliable intelligence, he was the specific rogue element that the Player Guild Association had officially assigned him to take care of.
The higher-ups wanted the problem solved quietly and efficiently, and they had chosen him to act as the primary executioner for the rogue Allistar son.
Leon might have thought that no player had been sent after him due to the complete lack of active guild patrols or public warrants on the streets today.
But a highly lethal player had indeed been sent after him in secret, someone who operated entirely outside the boundaries of the standard law, and that player was none other than Pale Smoke himself.
The Association had intentionally kept the investigation underground to avoid a public clash with the Roaring Lions guild, choosing to deploy a shadow assassin rather than a standard military strike team.
’Those fucking geezers... they’re S-rank, why can’t they find him on their own?’ he thought, gnashing his teeth.
He felt a deep sense of resentment toward the powerful council members who sat comfortably in their high chairs while sending lower-ranking players to do their dirty work.
The leaders of the Association possessed more than enough power to flatten entire city blocks and locate the boy within minutes, yet they chose to hide in the background like cowards.
He knew the ugly truth behind their cowardly decisions though, which was that the council was still actively trying to gauge the full extent of Leon’s abilities before risking their own S-rank players after him.
They were intentionally using high-rank A-rank hunters like him as common bait, sending them into the field to trigger a confrontation so they could safely analyze Leon’s power from afar.
If the rogue boy proved to be too monstrous to handle, the S-rank geezers would sacrifice Pale Smoke without a single ounce of hesitation or regret.
Normally, a cautious and experienced player like him would immediately turn down such an incredibly dangerous, life-threatening mission without a second thought.
He valued his own survival above everything else, and he had lived this long by avoiding unknown variables that could potentially overpower his unique smoke magic.
But the rewards he was explicitly promised by the Association board for completing the mission were simply too much to ignore.
He clenched his fists, his breathing turning shallow as he thought in pure, ’a promotion to S-rank... a promotion to fucking S-rank! For that, I would hunt even the devil himself!’
The mere thought of achieving that status made his heart race violently, erasing any lingering doubts or fears he had about the extreme danger of the mission.
S-rank was a legendary tier of power that he had been desperately chasing for years now. However, the S-rank was completely different from the lower player ranks that only needed a standard examination or a basic measurement of magic power.
To officially become an S-rank player, a player needed to first get the formal approval of at least two existing S-ranks before they would even be allowed to take the promotional examination.
The system was intentionally designed to be an exclusive club, where the individuals at the very top held control over who was permitted to join their ranks.
Without those two signatures of recommendation from the S-ranks, an A-rank hunter would remain permanently stuck in the lower ranks forever, no matter how many dungeons they cleared.
Getting that official approval was the main problem that had blocked his path for over a decade, since the reigning S-ranks rarely gave their approval for new S-ranks to emerge.
If he managed to successfully bring Leon Allistar in though, all of those barriers would be instantly swept away, and he would be immediately promoted to S-rank!
’but then... bringing that bastard in alive would be incredibly difficult, but no matter how strong he is, he can’t escape my ’poison’.’ he thought.
He stretched his frail, pale hand out over the worn wooden counter of the empty bar, his long, skeletal fingers spreading wide in the dim lighting.
A thick stream of dark grey smoke immediately responded to his will, curling out from his skin and twisting into a perfectly tight, spinning ball floating above his palm.
The miniature orb pulsed with a highly concentrated, toxic energy for a few brief seconds, radiating a chilling, suffocating pressure before it completely dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
He looked down at the trembling form of Teo kneeling on the floor, a smug, confident smirk playing on his lips.
’If my guess is right... Leon should be in Ceens right now... to confront his father. My main body will be there waiting for him, hehe.’ he thought.
His body rapidly turned into grey smoke, starting directly from his hand before spreading upward along his frail, skeletal arm.
The dark grey vapor consumed his flesh at an incredible speed, quickly reaching his chest, before every part of him evaporated into smoke, leaving the wooden bar stool empty within seconds.
The smoke drifted quietly in the air for a while, before vanishing into thin air.
Teo, who was still kneeling against the hard floor, finally exhaled a massive breath of relief. The suffocating pressure that had kept his muscles locked completely disappeared the moment the A-rank player left, causing him to instantly collapse onto the ground.
He lay there trembling violently, his chest heaving as the hot tears continued to drip freely from his eyes and soak into the dust, his mind still utterly paralyzed by how close he had just come to being cooked from the inside out.
*
Minutes later...
The massive headquarters of the Roaring Lions stood tall against the city skyline, its giant structure towering over all the surrounding skyscrapers like an indomitable fortress.
The architecture was made of gleaming black glass and reinforced steel, reflecting the afternoon sun in a way that commanded respect from every single pedestrian below.
Right at the very top of the building, a massive, golden logo of three furious lion heads intertwined with each other was roaring fiercely toward the heavens, serving as a permanent visual reminder of the guild’s S-rank authority over the continent.
Yeon stood right in front of the entrance of the headquarters. He wasn’t alone, as he was accompanied by three other players who had been assigned to stand alongside him.
The three other players dared not to even glance at Yeon, keeping their gazes locked firmly on the ground below their boots in fear.
They knew exactly how volatile the man’s temper could be, and none of them wanted to draw his wrath while he was in such an obviously foul mood.
They stood completely rigid like statues, their shoulders tense and their hands clasped tightly behind their backs as they desperately tried to blend into the background of the fortress walls.
Yeon, on the other hand, had a furious expression, his handsome features contorted into a dark, venomous scowl that made him look almost monstrous.
The aura oozing out of his body was terrifying, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent.
The three players standing beside him felt like they could die if they even breathed wrongly beside Yeon right now.
’Just stay here... until Leon arrives... that’s what father told me.’ Yeon thought, gnashing his teeth bitterly.
The command echoed in his mind like a humiliating slap to the face, fueling the resentment that was rapidly burning through his veins.
He clenched his fists so hard that his bones popped loudly under the heavy fabric of his uniform, his gaze drilling into the distant pavement as he waited for the younger brother he despised.
’After all I’ve done, after all my efforts... how could he treat me like a mere gateman...?’ he thought.