"Today sure has been a fruitful day for my growth" I remarked sensing an immense rise in my strength. "I have taken advantage of every opportunity this dungeon could offer."
As I took a moment to reflect on my growth, I noted that my strength was touching a level comparable to the Six Stars—a title that was given to the six strongest hunters humanity had ever produced.
There was a myth surrounding them, suggesting that each of them possessed SS-rank unique skills. The strongest of them all, also known as "The Sky Above Stars," was rumored to have an SSS-rank unique skill, though there was no concrete evidence to support this claim.
"Although my agility and senses haven't yet reached the level of an S-rank hunter, but all of my other stats are now on par with an S-ranker."
Typically, an average S-rank hunter's stats were around level 200, but it varied depending on their potential like how much further they could push their limits.
Considering all the work one must have to do to achieve an S-rank, my own growth was nothing short of miraculous.
Humanity, along with many S-rank hunters, had conducted countless experiments to raise their level cap, but all efforts proved futile as none of them yielded any good result. Later this research was banned as it used humans as test subjects.
"I don't understand why did the government even approved of this, knowing all too well that it would require hunters as test subjects."
It wasn't clear until later that a theory emerged stating that the body's natural limit determined how much power a person could attain without reaching a breaking point or, worse, exploding from the overwhelming power. However, this theory had yet to be fully prooved as it remained a mystery that even the most brilliant minds of humanity have yet to unravel.
Many hunters feared pushing their limits too far, knowing that their bodies might not withstand the power they sought to obtain.
"With the [Infinite Adaptation], I wonder just how far I can push myself beyond the supposed limits of human capacity."
While I was engrossed in my thoughts, whole dungeon began shaking,"better leave the dungeon or else."
I left the dungeon, my next goal was clear: head to the apartment, freshen up and then go to the Hunter Association, exchange the mana stones for money, and move on to another dungeon to experiment with a new idea.
As I stepped outside, I was surprised to see the morning sun shining just like it had been before I entered the dungeon.
Confused, I asked the nearby guards, "What's the time?"
"7 a.m.," one replied.
My brows furrowed. "That can't be right. I went into the dungeon at 8 a.m. Wait…what's the date today?" I asked, suddenly realizing something was off.
"It's the 27th of February," the guard replied, looking a bit confused by my question.
My mind realized."Ahh, time dilation....how could I forget that dungeons have time dilation?" I thought. "Does that mean it's been 23 hours since I entered?"
The guard's concerned voice cut through my thoughts. "Is something wrong, sir?"
"Nevermind," I waved it off, masking my unease.
I then took a taxi and went back to my apartment. I took a bath and changed my outfit. Although the clothes I was wearing were unscathed, the bloodstains on my body stained them, so I had to change into new ones.
I jumped onto the bed with a smile curling on face,"let's see my status window, shall we?"
Ding!!!
A sudden ring of the doorbell disrupted my enjoyable moment. "Who the hell is it!" I yelled in annoyance.
I opened the door only to find Mr.Ethan smiling blankly at my face. "Good morning Mr.Zephyr, did we bother you?" he asked politely.
"No, no, Mr. Ethan, it's okay," I blurted out hastily. "But what brings you here this time?" I asked, even though a small part of me was already guessing what this was about,"probably another offer."
I felt slightly irritated that they were keeping such a close watch on me but I pushed the thought aside.
I knew they had their reasons, or at least I hoped they did. After all, being on the radar of the Hunter Association had its own perks, but there was always a price to pay for their too much attention.
"Mr. Ethan, the Chairman wants to have a meeting with you. Would you be kind enough to accept?" he asked eagerly, clearly hoping for a positive response.
"Well... it's not a problem. When did the Association's Chairman arrive—" I paused mid-sentence, realizing how pointless the question was. "Sorry, that shouldn't even be a question, it's obvious."
Mr. Ethan smiled, sensing my mild amusement. "No its okay, he arrived recently and requested to meet you as soon as possible. If you could accompany us, it would be appreciated."
I gave a small nod, wondering what the Chairman might want.
"We should continue our conversation in the car on the way to the Association," Mr. Ethan suggested, pointing to a sleek black car standing outside the apartment.
"Alright Mr.Ethan, just give me a moment," I said, going back into the apartment as I took the necessary things to bring with me. I came out and locked the apartment. Mr.Ethan was standing standing near car with a driver.
"Good to go, Mr.Ethan. Should we head to the Hunter Association," I waved to Mr.Ethan.
Without further delay, we entered the car. The car sped through the road.
"I can't help but wonder why the Chairman of the Hunters Association would be interested in me. Sure, I have grown significantly stronger, but that is only after raiding the recent dungeon," I mused, imagining how interesting this meeting would turn out to be
The ride was silent for the most part, with only the sound of the engine filling the space. Soon enough, the car pulled up in front of the Hunter Association building, its towering structure looming over us.
"Here we are," Mr. Ethan said as we stepped out.
We entered the Association promptly, with Mr. Ethan leading the way to the Chairman's office. The mood felt different inside the building than it did when I entered last time, almost tense.
After navigating through a few corridors, we arrived in front of the large wooden door with "Chairman" written on it in bold letters.
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Enjoy...