Hunter Rank Assessment

Early morning.

"Ling Xia, bring me that skinning knife." Xu Shan called toward the inner room as he straightened his clothes.

The hide backpack behind him was stuffed full. The various dissection tools in the basket hanging from his right hand clinked softly as he moved, making a hard, metallic sound.

"Brother Piao's raid team cleared an E-class underground city yesterday.

I need to get there early today. If I finish processing the monster corpses, I might get a few more scraps."

Yang Ning Xia poked her head out of the kitchen, still holding a spatula.

She looked at her husband all geared up, worry clouding her brow.

"An E-class one? Be careful, and don't get so caught up in your work that you forget to look around.

If you see a monster that isn't quite dead, get over to the hunters right away. Don't get hurt and keep quiet about it like last time."

"I know. If anything happens, I'll run faster than anyone." Xu Shan grinned and patted his sturdy chest. "Those big guys on the raid team will be there. Even if the sky falls, it won't hit little helpers like us."

"Dad, Mom."

Xu Feng's bedroom door eased open, and the young man's voice rang out, tinged with excitement.

Without turning around, Xu Shan put on his usual stern expression. "You little rascal, what do you want now? I'm telling you, don't even think about following in my footsteps. You think this job is fun? You're risking your neck every time you go out—"

He broke off mid-sentence.

The tool basket crashed to the floor with a clatter.

Xu Shan spun around, eyes wide as he stared at the figure in the doorway, as if he were seeing his son for the first time.

Yang Ning Xia froze too, and nearly dropped the spatula.

Xu Feng, standing in the doorway, was nothing like the frail young man from yesterday, who looked as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

His shoulders and back were broad, stretching his once-comfortable old T-shirt until it was tight. The muscles in his exposed arms bulged with an indescribable sense of power. He looked like a tower of steel.

Xu Feng rubbed his hands together and scratched the back of his head with his solid right arm, managing an awkward smile.

"Um... Mom, Dad, I think I awakened last night."

His gaze swept over his parents' stunned faces. Deep in his eyes, a hint of slyness flickered.

The physical transformation brought on by breaking through to the Blood Replacement Realm was too dramatic to hide.

Rather than struggle to conceal it, he might as well go along with it and attribute everything to an "awakening."

As for the secret of martial arts, he had to keep it to himself, even from his closest family.

At least for now.

A path to the extraordinary that didn't rely on the "hunter" system was enough to drive the entire world into a frenzy.

Until he was strong enough to protect himself, this secret could never come to light.

"A-awakened...?" Xu Shan repeated under his breath, his voice dry and his gaze unfocused.

Was this towering, muscular young man really his son, the frail child who had worried him sick ever since he was little?

The shock was so overwhelming that he was at a loss for words, left in a daze.

"Hey, what are you standing there gawking for?" Yang Ning Xia snapped, recovering first. She slapped her husband's broad back, her reproach full of delight. "Xiao Feng awakened! That's wonderful news! Hurry up and take him to the Hunter Association to get his rank assessed!"

The slap brought Xu Shan back to his senses.

Joy erupted like a volcano, instantly sweeping away the blank look on his face.

"Right, right! The assessment! We're going now!" He was so excited he could barely get the words out. Every wrinkle on his face smoothed into a smile. "Ha! Oh, this is great! My son did it! My son's a hunter! The Xu family has finally made something of itself!"

In a flurry, he took off his hide backpack, pulled out his old phone, and dialed Piao Zhi Yong's number with trembling fingers.

Laughter and congratulations came from the other end. Piao Zhi Yong readily approved his leave and even joked that if Xu Feng's assessment came back at D-Rank or higher, he was welcome to join his raid team—and he wouldn't be treated unfairly.

"Thanks, Brother Piao! Thank you so much!" Xu Shan thanked him repeatedly. When he hung up, his face was even more flushed with excitement. "Come on, let's go right—"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as if he had remembered something extremely important.

A rare hesitation crossed his face, but then his expression turned resolute.

He turned and strode into the bedroom he shared with his wife.

A moment later, he came out carrying a rectangular wooden box carefully wrapped in red silk.

"Xiao Feng, take this." Xu Shan solemnly handed the box to his son, lowering his voice, his expression serious.

Xu Feng opened the box, puzzled.

Inside lay a piece of jerky about the length of his palm. It was dark brown and densely textured, its surface covered with the lines left by drying.

A faint aura wafted from it, much like the meat of the Octopus Monster he had eaten before, but deeper and more potent.

It was the aura of magic power.

"Is this... D-class monster jerky?" Xu Feng looked up at his father.

"That's right. It's meat from a D-class Monster that's safe for humans to eat. I've kept it hidden for a long time." Xu Shan warily glanced around and lowered his voice even further. "You're a hunter now, so your body can handle it.

"If you eat it, some of the magic power will remain in your body for a while. When the Association measures your Magic Power Content, it'll also..."

Xu Shan left the rest unsaid, simply giving his son a meaningful look.

Xu Feng immediately understood what his father had in mind.

He hoped this discreet trick would nudge his hunter assessment score up a little.

Xu Feng couldn't help feeling moved.

It solved a problem he had been facing.

As a martial artist, he had entered the extraordinary by tempering his blood and qi, but he didn't have any "magic power" in the true sense of the word.

He had already planned to make up an excuse like "my ability is unusual, and my magic power is concealed."

His father's suggestion gave him a much more natural explanation, one that was less likely to arouse suspicion.

"I understand, Dad." Xu Feng nodded and carefully slipped the small wooden box into the inside pocket of his jacket. "I'll eat it when we get to the Association."