"For his unrivaled performance… For reaching S-Rank merely three days after awakening… For killing an actual S-Rank beast alone… For demonstrating bypass capability against existence-level restrictions… Bruce Ackerman is hereby granted the title, The Anomaly of the Adventurer Guild."

Gasps erupted at once, small, broken sounds of disbelief. But the moment Bale spoke the words S-Rank, the last bit of color drained from the recruits' faces. Some staggered. Some covered their mouths. Some looked moments away from collapsing.

"The Anomaly…"

"They gave him that title…?"

"That's a continental-level honor…"

"I wonder how the former holder would feel…"

"Are you stupid? Bruce deserves it."

"You're ignoring the insane part, he's already S-Rank. I thought he was just a monster because of talent, but he actually levels like this in real life…?"

"Sigh… What can we do…"

Bale lifted another pouch, this one glowing faintly with contained mana.

He placed it into Bruce's hand.

Inside were mana crystals. A currency worth hundreds of times more than gold.

"One hundred gold coins equals one mana crystal," Bale said. "Your reward's value should speak for itself, it's 20 mana crystal in total."

Bruce accepted the pouch casually, like someone receiving a loaf of bread. The utter, effortless ease of it made several recruits want to scream.

Then Bale's tone hardened.

"Understand this clearly."

His gaze cut across the room like a falling guillotine.

"His strength, his standing, and his authority within the Guild… are miles above yours."

No one moved. No one dared even swallow. Some recruits clenched their fists until their knuckles turned bone-white. Others stared blankly, hollow-eyed. Some trembled uncontrollably, as though their bodies were shivering under an invisible storm.

Ozai felt something deep inside him crack, a sick, humiliating mixture of shame and helplessness. Jean's fingers twitched as she remembered the moment her frost cyclone shattered the instant he adapted. Claire bit her lip until blood welled. Heads slowly bowed across the room, forced downward by the sheer gravity of the truth before them.

But not everyone broke. For some, respect bloomed. Fear deepened. Admiration flickered alive. Because the truth was undeniable.

Bruce Ackerman was no longer one of them. He wasn't a recruit. He wasn't even just a prodigy.

He was a natural disaster wearing human skin.

Bale finally exhaled. "The announcement is complete."

Bruce simply stood there, calm, cold, impossibly composed, the walking embodiment of everything they feared… and everything they would one day beg to follow.

Bale stepped forward once more, hands clasped behind his back.

"As for every other adventurer," he said, his tone firm but acknowledging, "you all passed. This trial marks the first-ever Adventurer Guild examination with zero failures."

A ripple passed through the recruits, relief, disbelief, pride, yet all of it dim compared to the enormous shadow standing silently among them.

"You all," Bale continued, "are truly exceptional."

He let his gaze sweep slowly across the room.

No one dared look away.

"As for the events of this trial… everything has been recorded. The Adventurer Guild and the Thorne Family have entered a collaborative agreement. Using your smart bracelets, your performances, missions, and future expeditions will be viewable, monitored in real time, across all affiliated guild halls."

He lifted his wrist, showing his own official bracelet.

"This new invention will change Velmora. It will transform how we see adventurers, how we track dungeon activity, how we prepare for threats. Our technology has advanced farther in two years than the last two centuries."

Some recruits stiffened, realizing their every future decision would now be witnessed by guilds, nobles… and possibly the entire kingdom.

Bale wasn't finished.

"Each one of you will receive a smart bracelet. This device is your identification, your proof of certification, and your line of communication with the Guild. Treat it with care."

The room hummed with tension as attendants began handing out the bracelets one by one.

"You are now," Bale said, voice deep and absolute, "certified Adventurers of Velmora. By the law of this kingdom, you have the full rights to enter and clear dungeons up to the rank suited for your ability. You will receive contracts, assignments, village requests, scouting missions… and for many of you, this is the beginning of your first taste of true responsibility."

Murmurs rose, anxious, excited, fearful.

Bale continued, his tone shifting into a grave seriousness:

"But remember this: the Guild does not raise heroes. We raise those who stand between this world and its destruction. You've all witnessed what dungeon outbreaks can do. Some of you barely survived it in the trial."

The room fell utterly silent. Eyes widened. Throats tightened.

"And out there… beyond these walls…"

His gaze hardened.

"…the monsters don't despawn when you die."

A cold shiver ran through the recruits.

Bale then nodded once, sharply.

"With the trial complete, your ranks and rewards will be processed immediately. You will all be assigned to the guild formally within the next two hours."

Then, he glanced at Bruce.

Even Bale paused, ever so slightly.

"And for those… whose abilities are beyond our expectations… the Guild will offer personalized guidance and resources."

Bruce said nothing, but the room swallowed hard. Everyone knew exactly who Bale meant.

The senior instructor stepped back.

"Now then… prepare yourselves."

His voice echoed across the chamber, resounding with finality.

"The real work begins today."

Bale's words settled over the room like a heavy mantle, final, cold, and inescapable.

Silence reigned for a moment.

Then...

Footsteps.

Ozai Thorne slowly approached Bruce.

The room tensed instantly.

Everyone watched.

Everyone knew exactly why he was moving toward the monster who had broken him, humiliated him, and toppled his pride into the dirt.

Still… Ozai forced himself forward.

He stopped in front of Bruce, his jaw tight, his breath uneven. Then, with visible effort, he extended his hand.

Bruce looked at it.

Then at Ozai.

And he accepted the handshake.

The moment their palms touched, Bruce felt it, Ozai's hand was trembling. Not lightly. Not subtly.

It shook with the weight of fear… and shame.

Bruce didn't comment. He simply smiled faintly, offering Ozai no comfort, no mockery, just a silent acknowledgment of the absolute gap between them.

Ozai swallowed hard.

"I–I didn't know you'd already achieved S-Rank," he managed, his voice embarrassingly shaky. "I… I apologize for ambushing you during the trial. Don't… don't mind my behavior back then. Looking back, it was extremely childish. Reckless. Unprecedented."

Bruce's smile faded into something colder. He scoffed lightly, sending a cold chill coursing down Ozai's spine...

"I know exactly what you want, Ozai," he said. "So get straight to the point. Let's get this over with."

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