The Hunter Association headquarters was nothing like the grand halls of his past.
It was sterile, cold, artificial.
Everything was bathed in a dull white glow, from the towering holographic screens flickering across the walls to the endless rows of machines humming softly in the background.
Kael Ardyn stood in the center of it all, his expression unreadable.
A king without a throne.
["Now processing—S-Rank registration. Please verify all biometric data."]
A smooth, mechanical voice filled the air.
Kael's steel-gray eyes flicked toward the large black scanner in front of him.
A faint pulse of blue glyphs shimmered across its surface, waiting for his touch.
This was his induction into their system.
A process meant to categorize him, define him, reduce him into data.
---
A young researcher stood nearby, holding a sleek tablet displaying Kael's registration file.
She was small—barely reaching his chest—and visibly nervous.
Her hands trembled slightly as she tapped through menus, her eyes darting toward him every few seconds.
It was as if she expected him to lash out at any moment.
"L-Lord Kael…?" she stammered, swallowing hard. "C-Could you place your hand on the scanner?"
Kael turned his head toward her, slowly.
He didn't speak.
Did she fear him?
Did she see him as a beast, barely leashed?
He had seen that look before.
On the battlefield.
When soldiers gazed upon something they could not understand.
He had seen it in the faces of men who stood before their gods and realized they were nothing more than dust in the wind.
This was no different.
Kael exhaled softly, then extended his gloved hand, pressing it against the scanner.
A pulse of blue light flickered across his palm, as if the machine itself hesitated before analyzing something it could not comprehend.
[Analyzing biometric data…]
A faint hum filled the air.
Then—
[Error. Unknown mana signature detected.]
The researcher flinched.
"O-Oh, um…" She forced a nervous smile, tapping frantically on her tablet. "D-Don't worry! We, uh—we expected this!"
Her fingers danced across the screen, forcing a manual override.
The scanner flickered.
[Override accepted. Registering S-Rank Hunter: Kael Ardyn.]
A holographic profile popped up beside him, displaying his information.
---
[HUNTER PROFILE]
[NAME]: Kael Ardyn
[RANK]: S-Rank
[STATUS]: Registered Hunter (Under HA Observation)
[AFFILIATION]: None
---
Kael's eyes flicked toward the 'Observation' tag.
Ah.
So that was how they would try to keep him contained.
They had already placed him in a box, assigned him a rank, a label, a category.
As if that could define him.
How amusing.
The researcher exhaled in relief, visibly relaxing.
"There! All done, sir!" she said, forcing another smile.
Kael withdrew his hand, his expression unreadable.
He had walked through the golden halls of gods, stood on battlefields drenched in the blood of kings—
And now, he had been registered like livestock.
What an absurd new world.
Still…
For now, he would play along.
---
The holographic display flickered once before stabilizing, confirming the completion of Kael's registration.
["S-Rank Hunter registration completed. Generating Hunter Identification…"]
A mechanical arm descended from the ceiling, sleek and metallic, carrying a small black card embedded with glowing blue circuitry.
This was the symbol of a Hunter.
A formal identification that granted access to Hunter-exclusive resources, ranked missions, and regulated systems.
It landed softly on a glass platform, where the researcher carefully picked it up.
She hesitated for a moment.
Then, cautiously, she turned toward Kael.
Kael's steel-gray eyes flickered toward the card.
It was… small.
Barely the size of his palm, engraved with his Hunter Registration Number and name.
This was supposed to define him?
A king, reduced to a mere piece of polished plastic and circuitry.
The researcher swallowed nervously.
"A-Ah, here you go, sir." She extended the card toward him with both hands, as if offering something sacred.
Kael took it between his fingers.
It was light. Fragile.
How amusing.
The weight of a sword, the weight of a kingdom—those were things he understood.
But this?
This was nothing.
---
"You'll need that for identification, mission authorization, and accessing Hunter-exclusive areas," she continued, quickly filling the silence.
She tapped on her tablet, pulling up a series of documents.
"There's also a formal induction package, a briefing on Hunter policies, and—"
Kael held up a hand.
The researcher froze.
"…That will not be necessary," Kael said, his voice calm, but firm.
The researcher hesitated.
"B-But sir, you need to—"
Kael turned his gaze toward her.
She immediately shut her mouth.
There was no anger in his eyes. No malice.
Only authority.
The kind that could not be challenged.
The atmosphere shifted.
The other staff members had been pretending not to stare, but now their gazes flickered nervously toward each other.
It was clear.
Even though Kael was silent, even though he did nothing but stand there—
They felt it.
The presence of someone who had once commanded thousands, who had once held the fate of an entire kingdom in his hands.
The kind of presence that could not be contained within a simple S-Rank classification.
The researcher slowly nodded.
"U-Understood, sir…"
She took a step back.
Kael's gaze lowered back to the card.
This would be his new identity in this world.
Not as a king. Not as a demigod apostle.
But as a Hunter.
For now…
He would play along.
But only for now.
.
.
The news cycle had turned into a maelstrom.
Kael Ardyn—a man who had not existed in any records before this moment—was now an S-Rank Hunter.
And the world wanted answers.
---
[BREAKING NEWS] – Mystery Hunter Appears in A-Rank Raid!
A well-dressed news anchor sat behind a sleek, modern desk, her expression tense.
"This is Kim Hae-Won, reporting live from Seoul. The Hunter Association has confirmed the official registration of an S-Rank Hunter previously unknown to the world."
A large holographic screen behind her flickered, showing a blurry image of Kael exiting the ruined Gate site.
His steel-gray eyes, his silver hair, and the bloodstained cloak fluttering behind him made for an almost mythical image.
But there was no available background information.
Nothing.
No military records.
No past affiliations.
No documented history.
Just a name.
Kael Ardyn.
---
The screen then shifted, displaying footage of the Abyssal Knight battle.
The camera shook violently as terrified Hunters recorded from a distance.
The blades clashing.
The shockwaves tearing through the ground.
Kael moving like a phantom, parrying the Abyssal Knight's monstrous strikes with precision.
---
Kim Hae-Won turned to the camera.
"This footage, captured by Hunter Association drones and survivors of the raid, confirms that Kael Ardyn was directly involved in the battle against an unclassified, humanoid Abyssal-type entity."
She turned toward her co-anchor, Choi Min-Soo.
"Min-Soo, how does a previously unknown individual suddenly appear in an A-Rank Raid and engage in direct combat against an S+ Rank monster?"
Choi Min-Soo frowned.
"That's exactly what the Hunter community is asking," he said.
He turned toward another screen, which displayed social media reactions, online forums, and trending searches.
The top hashtags were:
#WhoIsKaelArdyn
#SecretWeapon
#PhantomSRank
#AbyssalKnightSlayer
The internet was in chaos.
---
📱 [Online Forum – HunterNet]
🔹 User: ShadowSlayer77 – There's NO WAY the HA just found a random S-Rank out of nowhere. This guy has to be some kind of secret weapon.
🔹 User: TheTrueHunter – Did you SEE how he fought?! That's not just 'S-Rank.' That's beyond anything we've seen before!
🔹 User: ConspiracyHunterX – The government's hiding something. I bet he's from some underground Hunter experiment. No way he just 'appeared.'
🔹 User: ManaGod88 – I want to know who trained this guy. You don't fight like that unless you've been through hell and back.
🔹 User: PhantomStriker – I think we just saw the strongest Hunter in the world.
---
[Live Debate – HA vs. Investigative Panel]
The broadcast cut to a heated debate between a Hunter Association representative and investigative journalists.
"Are you telling us that Kael Ardyn has no past records at all?" a journalist pressed.
"We are currently verifying all available data," the HA representative responded carefully.
Another journalist scoffed.
"So you just let an unverified S-Rank into the system without proper investigation?"
The HA representative hesitated.
"We… conducted all necessary assessments," he said.
It was a weak answer.
And the public knew it.
---
[HA Headquarters]
Inside the HA headquarters, tension hung thick in the air.
Kim Seung-Ho, the Director of the Hunter Association, rubbed his temples as he listened to the news.
"This is worse than I expected," he muttered.
The PR department was overwhelmed.
No matter how carefully they controlled the information, the world was tearing the story apart, dissecting every inconsistency.
The biggest problem?
Kael's presence in the A-Rank Gate didn't make sense.
---
🔹 How did an unknown S-Rank get assigned to an A-Rank Raid?
🔹 Why was he there?
🔹 Who authorized it?
🔹 Why were there no records of him prior to this?
And worst of all—
🔹 Why was the World Hunter Association remaining silent?
Because if the WHA had any concerns, they would have already intervened.
Instead, there was nothing.
Just silence.
Which meant they were watching.
And that was even worse.
Kim Seung-Ho exhaled sharply.
"We need to get ahead of this before it spirals further," he said, turning toward his intelligence director, Kwon Tae-Hyun.
"Prepare a statement."
Kwon nodded.
But deep down, they both knew.
This was just the beginning.
---
The media storm was one thing.
The political aftermath was something else entirely.
In boardrooms, war rooms, and secretive digital conferences across the world—Kael Ardyn's existence had sent ripples into the very foundation of global Hunter politics.
He wasn't just a mystery.
He was a problem.
---
[Private Video Conference – World Hunter Association (WHA) HQ]
The atmosphere was grim.
Inside a dimly lit, high-security conference room, the most powerful figures in the global Hunter system watched, analyzed, and prepared.
Alexander Graves, the Director-General of the WHA, sat at the head of the long table, his piercing blue eyes sweeping across the holographic projections of international representatives.
The United States.
The European Federation.
Japan's Hunter Bureau.
South Korea's Hunter Association.
Every major power was present.
Every one of them was concerned.
---
A large screen behind Graves displayed footage of the Abyssal Knight battle.
The conference remained silent as Kael's movements played out—his inhuman precision, supernatural reaction time, and masterful technique.
And then, the killing blow.
Kael's blade pierced the Abyssal Knight's skull.
A decisive victory.
But no one in this room looked relieved.
If anything, their expressions had darkened.
Graves tapped his fingers against the table, slowly.
"Well."
His voice was calm. Measured. Absolute.
"I assume I don't need to explain why we're having this meeting."
No one spoke.
But the weight in the air was suffocating.
Victoria Hayes, the U.S. Guild Association Representative, was the first to break the silence.
She leaned forward, her green eyes sharp.
"We need to establish what, exactly, we're dealing with here," she said.
Her tone was clinical, pragmatic—like discussing an uncontained bio-weapon.
"Because if Kael Ardyn is truly an S-Rank, then that battle shouldn't have happened the way it did."
She tapped a button on her console.
The screen flickered, replaying Kael's fight in slow motion.
---
🔹 The Knight's overwhelming strength.
🔹 Kael's ability to counter and read its movements.
🔹 His near-flawless execution.
---
Victoria's expression remained cold.
"Even among S-Ranks, this isn't normal," she continued.
"He's not just a powerful Hunter. He's a warrior. A trained, battle-hardened killer."
Her fingers tapped against the table.
"The way he moves—it's not the product of raw talent or an Awakening. That kind of skill takes decades of training."
She let the words linger.
Everyone knew what she was implying.
Magnus Falk, the European Federation's Guild Leader, finally exhaled.
His icy blue eyes flicked toward the screen before settling on Graves.
"I don't believe we're dealing with an ordinary Awakening," he said, his voice deep and measured.
He crossed his arms.
"In all my years, I have never seen an S-Rank fight quite like that."
His gaze narrowed.
"If I had to compare… He moves more like an old-world swordsman than a modern Hunter."
The room remained silent.
Because everyone had come to the same conclusion.
Takamura Kaito, the Japan Hunter Bureau Representative, was the next to speak.
But unlike Victoria and Magnus, he did not rush his words.
Instead, he took a slow sip of tea, his posture relaxed, unreadable.
Then, he finally spoke.
"…We are missing something," he said, voice smooth and unreadable.
His dark eyes flickered toward Graves.
"We have searched every database. Every archive. Every traceable record."
A pause.
"There is no 'Kael Ardyn.'"
His fingers tapped lightly against his cup.
"Which leads me to only one question."
He turned toward Kim Seung-Ho, the South Korean HA Director.
"Where did he come from?"
---
[South Korean Government Emergency Meeting]
Inside a high-security government chamber, South Korea's highest officials sat in tense silence.
The Minister of Hunter Affairs, Kim Eun-Jae, finally sighed.
"This is a mess," she muttered.
Jung Min-Jae, the Defense Representative, scoffed.
"You're telling me. Do you have any idea how many foreign intelligence agencies are suddenly interested in South Korea?"
He dropped a stack of reports onto the table.
"The U.S. is already running background checks on every high-ranking Hunter in Korea, searching for possible 'hidden projects.'"
He scoffed.
"The Russians? Probably worse."
Kim Eun-Jae frowned.
"Any official stance from the WHA?"
Kim Seung-Ho exhaled.
"They're staying silent. For now."
He tapped a button.
A holographic image of Kael Ardyn appeared.
"But we all know what that means."
He turned toward the others.
"They're waiting."
---
[WHA Headquarters]
Alexander Graves finally leaned forward, folding his hands.
He had listened to every concern.
Every doubt.
And now, it was his turn to speak.
His voice was calm.
"We will continue observing."
A pause.
He glanced toward Takamura Kaito.
"But I will ask Japan to discreetly conduct a deeper investigation into his background."
Kaito's expression remained unreadable.
Graves turned to Victoria.
"America will want to test him, I assume?"
She smirked slightly.
"Of course."
Graves nodded, then turned toward Magnus.
"And Europe?"
The older man exhaled.
"For now, I will watch."
Graves finally exhaled.
"Then it's decided."
The screens flickered off.
But the storm had only begun.
.
.
The Hunter Association Headquarters was nothing like the halls of Eredhyn.
There were no grand banners bearing the insignias of noble houses. No towering statues honoring the gods.
Only glass, steel, and artificial light.
Kael Ardyn stood at the entrance of the Hunter Orientation Wing, his steel-gray eyes scanning the modern, sterile architecture.
To the humans here, this was normal.
To him, it felt alien.
---
["New S-Rank Hunter registered… Initiating orientation process."]
A soft, mechanical voice echoed through the hallway as automated doors slid open.
Kael's gaze flicked toward the smooth walls lined with interactive digital panels.
One displayed a map of the HA's facilities.
Another showed a timeline of major Hunter-related events.
Another listed top-ranked Hunters in the country.
He took it all in, absorbing details effortlessly.
Centuries of battlefield experience had trained his mind to process information quickly.
This was no different.
A woman approached.
Not a Hunter.
A researcher, judging by the HA insignia on her uniform.
She stopped a few steps away, hesitating.
Then, with a deep breath, she stepped forward.
"Lord Kael," she greeted, her voice polite but cautious.
Kael turned his gaze toward her, silent.
The researcher straightened instinctively, as if standing before a king.
Her voice was steady, but he could hear the underlying nervousness.
"I'll be leading your orientation today," she continued.
A pause.
"My name is Han Soo-Jin."
Kael studied her for a moment.
Her posture was stiff, but not from arrogance.
From uncertainty.
He could see the questions swirling in her mind—who is he? what is he? how should I address him?
It was the same uncertainty that all modern humans had toward him.
He had felt it since the moment he arrived in this world.
Kael finally gave a slight nod.
"Lead the way."
Soo-Jin hesitated—then quickly turned, motioning for him to follow.
---
[Hunter Orientation: Advanced Combat Analysis Room]
The orientation process was simple.
Or at least, it was supposed to be.
Kael was taken to a high-tech combat evaluation chamber, where Hunters typically had their fighting styles assessed and cataloged.
Multiple HA personnel were present, including analysts and combat researchers.
Several high-ranking Hunters stood in the background, watching.
And at the center of the room—
A sleek, floating drone-like construct.
["Welcome, Hunter Kael Ardyn. Initiating Combat Proficiency Scan."]
Kael's gaze flickered toward Soo-Jin.
"This… construct," he said slowly, his voice neutral.
"How does it assess one's strength?"
Soo-Jin hesitated, then gestured toward the floating device.
"This is an Autonomous Combat Evaluator, or ACE for short," she explained.
"It records and analyzes a Hunter's mana output, physical attributes, combat proficiency, and reaction speeds."
She turned toward a large digital screen.
"Your data will be compiled into a Hunter Combat Profile, which helps us classify unique fighting styles and—"
"I see," Kael interrupted.
Soo-Jin immediately fell silent.
She wasn't sure whether to take that as approval or dismissal.
But Kael wasn't concerned with modern procedures.
He was focused on something else.
---
Kael stepped forward.
The moment he did, the ACE construct flickered, scanning his entire body with a soft blue light.
["Analyzing… Processing mana flow… Evaluating combat structure…"]
A low hum filled the air.
Then—
["Error. Unrecognized energy signature detected. Unable to measure mana output."]
The room fell into silence.
Soo-Jin's eyes widened.
One of the combat analysts cursed under his breath.
Kael remained unmoved.
Of course.
These humans had never seen Divine Authority before.
Soo-Jin quickly adjusted her tablet, bypassing the system's automatic mana readings.
"S-Sorry about that," she stammered. "We, uh… sometimes run into interference when analyzing high-tier Hunters with unique traits."
Kael said nothing.
But he knew she was lying.
This wasn't 'interference.'
This was incompatibility.
Their machines were trying to measure something beyond their comprehension.
And they couldn't.
---
The ACE construct recalibrated, shifting to a different assessment method.
["Initiating physical combat evaluation."]
A section of the wall slid open, revealing multiple weapon racks.
["Select your preferred weapon."]
Kael turned his head slightly.
The racks were lined with modernized melee weapons—swords, spears, and daggers made from enhanced materials.
He walked forward, fingers grazing the hilt of a high-frequency blade.
It wasn't his own Divine Armament.
But it would suffice.
For now.
As he grasped the sword, a combat simulation activated.
The holographic projection of an opponent flickered into existence—an A-Rank humanoid-type combat dummy.
Soo-Jin gestured toward the field.
"For this test, you'll engage in mock combat to determine—"
She didn't get to finish.
Because the moment the simulation began—
Kael moved.
.
.
The moment Kael moved, the entire room shifted.
A sharp mechanical hum filled the air as the simulation adapted.
Holographic constructs flickered, forming a solidified humanoid opponent.
An A-Rank Combat Dummy.
It was programmed to replicate the combat techniques of high-tier Hunters—capable of strategy, reactionary movements, and calculated aggression.
And yet—
Kael was not impressed.
---
[Hunter Combat Assessment]
The dummy moved first.
A rapid burst of mana-enhanced footwork propelled it forward, sword flashing in a textbook high-speed thrust.
It was a precise, modern technique—one designed for efficiency and speed.
But it was predictable.
Kael didn't even parry.
He simply turned.
A single step to the left, just outside the blade's arc.
The strike missed him completely.
---
The HA researchers blinked.
Soo-Jin hesitated, gripping her tablet.
The dummy's attack had been perfect.
It was trained from countless battle recordings of S-Rank Hunters, using optimized movement patterns—
And yet, Kael had dodged without any excess motion.
No unnecessary movements.
No wasted energy.
Not even a sign of exertion.
He had simply shifted his weight, read the attack, and moved accordingly.
It was… effortless.
---
The dummy adjusted instantly, shifting tactics.
["Evaluating response... Adjusting combat parameters."]
It pivoted, switching into an aggressive flow of chained sword strikes.
A horizontal cut—feinting into a sudden rising slash.
Then a step-in, aiming for a precise lunge at Kael's torso.
Kael's sword moved.
Not defensively—but with absolute control.
🔹 First strike—redirected, blade barely touching but guiding it away.
🔹 Second attack—sidestepped with fluid ease, forcing the dummy's balance to shift.
🔹 Third lunge—intercepted with a single flick of his wrist.
A barely noticeable tap at the dummy's extended sword arm.
And suddenly—
The construct overextended, its balance thrown off.
"What—"
One of the analysts leaned forward, eyes wide.
Soo-Jin's fingers hovered over her screen.
She wasn't sure what she was seeing.
This wasn't just evasion or counterplay.
Kael wasn't reacting.
He was dictating.
Forcing the simulation into a position where it had no optimal attack left to execute.
This level of control wasn't just skill.
It was absolute battlefield mastery.
---
The dummy corrected its balance, resetting into a defensive stance.
Kael exhaled softly.
A simple modern simulation.
It was fast.
It was refined.
It was flawless by this world's standards.
But it was not enough.
And so, he attacked.
One step.
Kael surged forward, closing the gap faster than the simulation could process.
His blade was already in motion.
The dummy reacted, shifting into a high guard to intercept—
But Kael's footwork changed.
At the last moment, his momentum softened.
The incoming slash that should have collided with full force…
Never landed.
Instead, Kael's blade curved like water, weaving past the defense.
A ghost-like feint.
And then—
The edge of his sword stopped at the dummy's throat.
Without even making contact.
A killing stroke.
---
Silence.
Then—
BEEP.
The ACE system flickered, processing the event.
["Error. Target status: Defeated."]
The room remained frozen.
Soo-Jin inhaled sharply.
The first engagement had lasted less than fifteen seconds.
And the simulation had already lost.
Not due to power.
But due to pure technical superiority.
Kael had neutralized his opponent without even needing to wound it.
---
[Hunter Combat Assessment – Phase 3: Tactical Adaptation]
The construct flickered.
["Recalibrating… Adjusting difficulty."]
Soo-Jin barely processed what had happened before her console flashed red.
["Increasing opponent combat level."]
She barely had time to read the next notification before it appeared—
[Opponent Strength Adjusted to S-Rank.]
.
.
The room hummed with tension.
Soo-Jin's console flashed red, and she barely had time to react before a notification popped up—
[Opponent Strength Adjusted to S-Rank.]
Her breath caught in her throat.
The ACE system had automatically escalated the combat level—an adjustment meant for only the most elite Hunters.
And Kael hadn't even exerted himself yet.
Her fingers tightened around her tablet.
"This is insane," one of the analysts muttered.
Another nodded, pale-faced.
"No one has ever forced an S-Rank adjustment this quickly. Not even the top Hunters in Korea."
---
[ACE Combat System Recalibrating]
The room flickered as the simulation shifted.
The previous A-Rank opponent vanished, replaced by a more refined, humanoid combatant.
Its stance was different.
It no longer resembled a modern Hunter.
Instead—
It felt like a warrior.
[S-Rank Opponent: "Blademaster Construct" Initialized]
The construct unsheathed a second sword.
Twin blades.
A style designed for both overwhelming offense and precise counters.
Soo-Jin swallowed hard.
"This isn't a simulation anymore," she murmured.
The dummy was no longer just replicating Hunter techniques.
It was studying Kael. Learning from him.
---
The construct attacked immediately.
Its movement was different.
There was no predictable linearity. No wasted motions.
It moved with intention, with purpose, with refined efficiency.
The twin swords came at Kael from opposite angles—
One cutting from the left, the other from above.
Kael stepped forward.
The attack should have been a deadly combination.
Any normal opponent would be forced to retreat or block.
But Kael did neither.
He advanced.
His footwork changed—a subtle but perfect rotation of his hips.
His blade angled upward, meeting the descending strike.
A single deflection—
🔹 The first sword redirected.
Kael's free hand extended slightly—
A subtle tap against the second blade's trajectory.
🔹 The second strike collapsed in on itself, thrown off course.
For the construct, it was as if the laws of combat had been rewritten.
A perfect two-blade assault—
Destroyed with a single step.
The researchers stared in shock.
One of the analysts muttered, "…Impossible."
But Kael wasn't finished.
Because in the next heartbeat—
He attacked.
---
The simulation struggled to adapt.
Kael's sword blurred.
A single draw cut—faster than a human eye could follow.
🔹 First strike— The construct barely parried, the force sending it sliding backward.
🔹 Second strike— A lateral cut so fast that its secondary sword shattered on impact.
🔹 Third strike— A precise thrust aimed directly at its core.
[WARNING! Unstable Combat Data Detected!]
Soo-Jin's console flashed warnings.
The ACE system was unable to predict or calculate Kael's technique.
The algorithms weren't just failing to keep up.
They were breaking.
Kael exhaled slowly.
He hadn't even used his full power.
No Divine Authority.
No supernatural enhancements.
Only pure technique.
And yet, this machine—this so-called S-Rank assessment tool—
Was falling apart.
---
[Critical System Error!]
The construct lurched backward, body glitching.
Its algorithmic brain had reached a dead end.
It had no counter.
No adjustment.
No survival strategy.
Because Kael was beyond its understanding.
---
[FINAL ATTEMPT: EMERGENCY OVERRIDE]
The simulation overclocked, flooding the construct with reactive data.
It went berserk.
A final, desperate attempt—
A full-speed charge, swords spinning wildly, its core glowing red.
A self-destructive kamikaze attack.
Kael didn't move.
He didn't even shift his stance.
He simply raised his sword.
And waited.
The moment the construct closed the distance—
Kael vanished.
No.
Not vanished.
He simply moved faster than anyone could see.
A sharp, clean sound echoed through the chamber.
A single slash.
Kael stood behind the construct, blade extended.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
[SYSTEM SHUTDOWN]
The construct froze.
Then, its head slid off.
Its body crumbled.
And the entire ACE system crashed.
---
Silence.
Total, absolute silence.
Then—
[EVALUATION ERROR: NO CLASSIFICATION AVAILABLE.]
The room exploded into chaos.