A week had passed since the mission at Magnolia and things were… normal, almost like how they used to be. Blake and Gustav had joined the clan without even taking the assessment.

Turns out the usual worldwide assessment for new recruits was only meant to see if they were strong enough to handle or properly contain their Veil.

But since Blake and his subordinate already had Veils, there was no need for them to take part in that particular test. Regardless of his past deeds, Master Zuki had actually accepted him into the clan, though Blake himself didn't really feel like he was part of it.

He never truly associated with the members and always stuck with Gustav. The two of them would sit around together, drinking endlessly all day and keeping to themselves.

Though they had skipped the traditional life-and-death trial, Master Zuki made sure they didn't completely bypass evaluation. Instead, they underwent another form of assessment where their Veils were tested directly under his supervision.

From there, they were each awarded a rank. Blake received a B rank, while Gustav was given a C rank. Blake's Veil was actually a little stronger than the average B ranker's, and by raw strength alone, he could have easily touched the level above. But Zuki refused to grant him anything higher.

His reasoning was simple:

"You need to prove yourself worthy. You can't just walk into the clan and expect me to hand you a very high rank on a platter. That would be unfair to the others. This is why I'm giving you a B rank. Work hard, show that you are truly our clan's material, and only then will you be granted a much higher rank. Take care of yourself and make sure you don't waste this chance."

Blake, however, didn't care much about all that. Instead, he wasted his days away on the upper floor, drinking to dull his sorrows. He still had a handful of ethers left to himself, so he didn't even bother accepting more missions.

Meanwhile, Jace, who had been awarded a B rank before the mission as well, didn't go around parading himself or hanging out with the other rankers upstairs. Despite being urged to socialize, he stayed mostly with his own group down below. The clan still forced him to take quarters in the upper floors, but Jace never changed much about his routine or his company.

Another good thing had happened too. After successfully completing the mission, the group had been rewarded 200 MP for putting down the scammers, plus an additional 300 MP for defeating the A-ranked beast and killing Xar. On top of that, they were each awarded twenty ethers.

And now, Zen was officially recognized as a B-ranked Reaver, his MP pool sitting proudly at 420. Vynn was only a hundred MP away from breaking into the B rank himself, while Jace stood just two hundred MP short of the A rank.

Tom had already advanced and was now an A ranker.

Aria was also inching closer to the B rank. Just like Jace, Zen still refused to hang out with the higher rankers despite his promotion. He preferred the comfort of his own circle.

Still, he couldn't deny the benefits — his room on the upper floor was far more spacious than before, and he now had access to higher-level quests, the kind only B rankers and above could attempt.

'Well, I'll be damned,' Zen thought with a small smile as he made his way slowly down the stairs. 'In just a month and a half since joining the clan as an F ranker, I'm now standing as a B ranke.

It's crazy when I think about it. A shame my stats are still pitiful though. Oh well, at least now that I'm officially a B ranker, I need to focus on getting solid equipment especially since my sword got destroyed during the last mission. A weapon upgrade is definitely a must.'

"Hey, Zen." Vynn called out, waving at the Reaver who quickly walked over.

Now, he stood at a table where Jace, Vynn, Erin, and Aria sat with drinks in front of them, happily chatting.

Zen grabbed his own drink and food before seating himself down with them, and the lively conversation continued.

"Damn! Even though I got into the clan before you, you actually managed to become a B-ranked Reaver before me. Damn, I'm envious." Vynn chuckled, lifting his mug and taking a heavy chug of his drink.

"Who would've ever thought the weakest of us back then would grow this much? Though, if you ask me, he's still weak." Erin scoffed, her smirk making her words sting a little.

"How is he still weak? He's a B ranker now." Aria asked with a raised brow, clearly offended on Zen's behalf.

"Remind me what his Veil is again." Erin said as she picked up her spoon and pointed it toward Aria.

"To cancel out other active Veils." Aria replied flatly.

"Exactly. Take that away and what else does he have? He's just a weakling hiding behind a fancy trick. Find a way to bypass that, and what else is he?" Erin pressed with a slight scowl, her eyes narrowing as if daring Zen to answer.

Zen, unfazed, casually muttered, "Pro gamer, genius, and millionaire back in reality."

"Tch!" Erin scoffed again and turned her head away, pretending she hadn't even heard him.

"So what's popping? Should we take up any missions? I feel bored after a week of not taking any." Jace asked with a slight yawn, stretching his arms before slumping back into his seat.

"I can't join you guys this time. Got a mission of my own I want to take tomorrow. But before I leave, something's bothering me." Zen said as he scooped a spoonful of food into his mouth and chewed slowly.

"What?" Vynn asked with a raised brow, leaning closer.

"Xar. Something feels off about our battle with him. I mean, explain to me how it's possible for an alien race to be in this game. I'll admit, I didn't play it for long, but you two did, right?" Zen pointed his spoon toward Jace and Vynn. "So tell me, did you ever come across a level where an alien race existed?"

"I don't think I ever experienced something like that." Jace admitted, rubbing his temples with a thoughtful frown.

"Neither did I." Vynn added quickly. "The NPCs I fought against were all pretty human to me. No aliens or strange races."

"Which means there's something bigger brewing, something we know nothing about. And if we're not careful, it could turn disastrous for us." Zen said grimly, finishing the last of his meal while staring down at the table as though piecing together a puzzle.

"We need to formulate a plan that can get us through whatever we might face, as soon as possible." Erin whispered, glancing over her shoulders at the other clan members who were eating and chatting without a care.

"And we also need to figure out who's a real-world player and who's just an NPC. It's of the utmost importance." Jace added firmly, and the group nodded along, the air between them growing heavier with the realization of what might be coming.

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