Ethan scanned the people gathered around him, his gaze moving thodically from one face to the next.
’Eighteen in total, including myself, and most of them are E and D Rank.’
How could he tell?
Well, it was obvious from the way they carried themselves: uneasy, alert, and not seasoned. There were also a handful of C Ranks among them, more composed, and they were the ones who had called him out.
But there was one who stood out the most.
He was one of the figures who had stepped forward, but he didn’t speak. Despite that, his presence alone commanded attention. He was tall and slender, a spear resting easily in his grip like it was an extension of his body.
’He’s strong.’
Ethan couldn’t see his stats like with beasts, nor could he asure anything directly, but he could feel it.
It was the sa with the others.
Strength had a presence, an aura, sothing instinctive that pressed against your senses.
And that guy’s presence?
It was solid.
"Well," the man said, his voice calm yet carrying natural authority, "you’re not the last to arrive, Ethan. We’re still waiting on one more."
He gestured casually toward the others.
"Why don’t you get to know the squad?"
Ethan gave a small nod.
"Sure."
He moved toward the lower ranks, the ones who looked more open to conversation, unlike the C Ranks, who had already called him out for being late.
Surprisingly, no one gave him trouble.
No arrogance, unnecessary flexing, or trying to assert dominance.
They were just normal people who one day randomly received Titles, and now entered Gates as they paid more than anything else they were capable of.
Most gates were cleared within a day, with a C- Rank Gate like this usually being cleared within a matter of hours with such a large group.
For just tagging along, they would be paid what would take dozens of tis those hours in a normal job. Then again, in most normal jobs, they didn’t have the constant risk of dying.
Ethan was underwheld by most of the Titled around him.
They felt like unfortunate people focused on survival, being paid, and getting through this alive.
’Most of them look like they’re just here to make ends et.’
Not that he was in any better situation, with only a couple of bucks to his na. Putting money aside, he wanted to get a better gauge of those he would be clearing a gate alongside.
Ethan picked up nas here and there as he listened in and exchanged brief words.
The spear user - his na was Darius Cole, and he was a B Rank.
Ethan didn’t get the exact na of his Title, but it was sothing flashy and explosive. He was experienced in leading gate parties, adaptable, and respected by others.
That much was clear.
Darius was a natural leader and had four C Ranks he usually cleared gates with.
Lena Voss - she had dual daggers on her belt and a sharp aura
Marcus Hale - he had large gauntlets on his hands, yet was calm
Rina Kade - she was short and wielded a bow
Jared Flint - he was massive and clad in reinforced armour, wielding a shield
They looked like sothing straight out of a video ga: fully equipped and ard with dieval-like weaponry.
’Honestly... it’s a bit overkill,’ Ethan thought as he observed the clearing squad keenly.
He didn’t bother rembering the nas of all the others, but the remaining twelve were made up of a mix of D and E Ranks. Interacting with most of them briefly, they were all waiting for the A Rank to show up.
It was hard not to grow restless, with annoyed murmurs spreading through the group.
That’s when soone among them spotted them.
"She’s here."
Ethan looked up.
The final person had arrived, the A Rank, and the mont he laid eyes on her, he realised sothing imdiately.
’That’s not what I was expecting...’
He had registered late and was just an E Rank, so they would have left without even waiting up for him.
In their eyes, he was an expendable Titled that would act as support at best: carrying supplies, staying out of the way, and maybe dealing with so weak mobs if needed.
But the sa couldn’t be said for the highest rank in the group, and all they could do was wait.
’An A Rank entering a C Rank Gate...’
It felt odd, and overkill didn’t even begin to describe it, especially with a party this large. But the mont Ethan saw her, he could see that this wasn’t a normal A Rank.
She stepped out of a vehicle, and Ethan blinked in confusion.
’Huh?’
She looked like she had just rolled out of bed.
ssy blonde hair frad her face in uneven strands, sticking out in different directions like she hadn’t even bothered to fix it. She appeared to be in her early to mid twenties, and nothing about her stood out.
anwhile, her clothes were simple and casual, just like his own, nothing resembling combat gear.
She had no visible weapons or armour.
But what stood out the most was her red eyes - they weren’t glowing or radiating power; they were just red, unsettlingly so.
And despite supposedly being an A Rank, Ethan felt nothing.
There was no pressure, aura, or instinctive warning like he felt when he had co across other Titled.
Nothing at all.
’That’s weird.’
His eyes narrowed slightly.
’It must be because she’s so much stronger than ...’
That had to be it.
The gap was too vast for him even to perceive.
That was the only explanation that made sense.
Not that he had any ti to dwell on it; the tense silence after she appeared was suddenly broken.
"Alright."
Darius stepped forward again, drawing everyone’s attention.
"Now that everyone’s here, we’ll do a quick recap before entering the Gate."
He still acted as the leader, which was strange, considering he wasn’t the highest rank anymore. But Ethan glanced at the A Rank, and she didn’t so much as react.
She didn’t speak, challenge him, or even seem interested.
What was more surprising was that no one else questioned it either, as Darius continued.
"We’ll be splitting into four groups."
He gestured toward the Gate.
"This is a first clear attempt, and the Gate hasn’t been scouted."
A few people shifted uncomfortably.
"Which ans we have limited information," he went on. "All we know is that it’s a stable, lower-end C Rank Gate."
Ethan exhaled quietly.
’So that’s why it’s C- Rank... It’s probably closer to a D Rank in reality.’
"We will all be fine as long as we remain united," Darius added.
There was a asured confidence in his voice that Ethan couldn’t help but respect.
"Each group will have one C Rank as the lead," Darius said. "The rest will act as support."
He tapped his spear lightly against the ground.
"I’ll be roaming solo, moving between groups as needed."
A few nods followed.
It made sense for him to act as flexible support, and he himself was likely stronger than each of the groups.
"That’s the plan."
It was simple, clean and adaptable - there was nothing he could fault him on, not that he would have, regardless. The C Ranks then began picking who would be in their groups, and let’s just say Ethan wasn’t first pick...
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