Kael stared at the information displayed before him for another moment before silently dismissing Eye of Judgment.
"He’s quite powerful."
There was no exaggeration in his voice.
S Rank Hunters truly existed on another level. Compared to an A Rank, an S Rank wasn’t simply a stronger version of the same thing. The gap between the two was closer to stepping into an entirely different realm of strength.
Perhaps that was why there were so few S Rank Hunters in the world.
While Kael was still thinking about it, Ignas suddenly noticed him.
The middle-aged man looked in his direction before a bright smile spread across his face. He immediately walked over, his silver armor producing faint metallic sounds with every step.
"You must be Kael?"
"Yes."
Kael reached out and took the hand Ignas offered.
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
The moment their hands connected, Kael felt pressure.
Ignas was testing him.
It wasn’t particularly subtle either. The Knight gradually increased the strength of his grip, seemingly curious about how much force the young S Rank Hunter could withstand.
Kael’s expression didn’t change.
Earth energy quietly flowed through his arm and gathered around his hand, reinforcing his flesh and bones without producing any visible fluctuation.
The pressure continued for several seconds.
Neither of them moved.
Then Ignas suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
He released Kael’s hand and shook his head.
"Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted to check out the young man who managed to hold his own against that lunatic red-haired woman."
Kael’s brows furrowed slightly.
"The red-haired woman?"
He had a vague idea of who Ignas was talking about.
Scarlet Fist.
Kael was still relatively new to the world of S Rank Hunters. He knew the names of some of them, but he hadn’t bothered learning the reputations and personalities of every powerful Hunter in existence.
Apparently, Scarlet Fist had quite the reputation.
Ignas chuckled when he noticed Kael’s expression.
"Anyways, congratulations on becoming an S Rank Hunter. You’ve certainly earned it."
"Thanks."
"I’ve got to go."
Ignas turned around and walked back toward his team.
His group soon moved toward another corner of the area, where they began waiting for the exploration to officially begin.
Kael watched them for a moment before turning his attention elsewhere.
Not long afterward, the third team arrived.
Their leader was a stern-looking man who didn’t even bother paying much attention to the other teams. He simply walked toward the designated area with his team following behind him and remained there in silence.
A short while later, the fourth and final team arrived.
This time, their leader was a beautiful woman with golden hair, dressed in an outfit resembling that of a mage.
With the arrival of the fourth team, every exploration team was finally present.
All that remained was for the exploration to begin.
Time continued to pass.
Then the clock struck eight.
Jonas returned to the gathering area, having taken charge of coordinating the entire expedition. He looked over the assembled Hunters and the numerous specialists standing behind them before raising his voice.
"It’s eight o’clock. The exploration of the new Rift officially begins now."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
The Hunters began making their final preparations.
The specialists accompanying each team also began moving into position.
Unlike the main exploration teams, these people weren’t responsible for fighting their way through the Rift or mapping out its dangers themselves. Their job was to support the Hunters.
Some were porters responsible for carrying equipment and supplies.
Others operated specialized machines designed to measure things such as air toxicity, temperature, mana density, and other environmental factors.
There were also machines capable of assisting with mapping the Rift and recording various environmental data that would later be analyzed by the Association.
The moment Kael stepped through the tear in space, that familiar sensation returned.

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