After a few minutes of the receptionist leaving, a new worker replaced her. This time, Frank Lee was immediately attended to. He was directed to a room by number, so he took the elevator and arrived at the designated floor.
After walking for a bit, he found the room. He knocked on the door, and upon hearing a voice from inside telling him to enter, he immediately opened it. Inside, he saw a woman of substantial body mass seated, chewing on a bag of chips.
Upon seeing Frank Lee, the woman glanced at him briefly before continuing to eat her chips and watch a show on TV. Frank Lee wanted to speak, but the woman raised her hand, signaling him to wait as she focused on the screen.
Frank Lee looked at the woman in disbelief. It took about an hour before the woman finished eating and turned her attention to him. Frank Lee couldn't help but internally criticize the absurdity of the situation.
Afterward, he was taken to an enormous area, an empty room filled with all sorts of equipment.
Frank Lee watched as the lady went behind the screen that separated the room from the outside. This wasn't his first time doing this. When he became a hunter, he had taken a test to measure his physical capacity. Physical capacity usually increased with each level up, although it was rare and nearly impossible for someone to jump from one rank to a much higher one, like from E rank to D rank, or B rank to S rank.
Improvement within ranks was more feasible, with categories like low-level, mid-level, high-level, and peak-level. For instance, a peak-level C rank could compete with a low-level D rank. However, this did not apply across all grades, as the difference between higher ranks was substantial. E ranks might hold their own against low D ranks, but they stood no chance against top A ranks or S ranks. S ranks were particularly rare, with only one known leader of the Hunter Association, while the others remained hidden.
There were also rumors of cultivators and martial artists who existed outside the norm of awakening as hunters. These individuals supposedly came from secret families and sects that passed down their techniques, growing stronger over time. However, information about them was limited.
Frank Lee wasted no time getting onto a machine that resembled a treadmill but was much larger and more intricately designed. He began walking, gradually increasing his pace until he was sprinting at full force. The lady watched from the side, taking notes while monitoring his performance through a translucent glass.
After completing various physical exercises, such as punching dummies and dodging projectiles, Frank Lee exited the room, washed up, and changed back into his clothes. He was then directed to sit in the lobby outside the lady's office.
The lady eventually emerged and handed him a bag and a document, instructing him to collect the rest of his documents from the receptionist. Frank Lee, beaming with excitement, knew this meant he could finally start taking missions.
As he walked, he collided with someone, almost tripping but quickly regaining his balance. The man he bumped into was slouched over, with rough, wavy hair that looked electrically styled, dark circles under his eyes, and a pale, gaunt appearance. He resembled a walking dead, Frank Lee thought.
Before Frank Lee could apologize, the man shouted, "What's wrong with you?" in a hoarse voice, his eyes twitching. Frank Lee quickly apologized, but the man muttered unintelligibly and walked away. Frank Lee decided to ignore it and continued on his way, heading home, after all he had already fulfilled his objective here.