Ethan stood in a large metallic chamber filled with strange devices that blinked with neon lights and pulsed with soft hums.
The room smelled faintly of sterilized steel and machine oil. Large support beams lined the ceiling above, and along the walls were screens displaying live biometric data feeds, rank protocols, and combat records of various registered heroes.
This was one of the Association's Verification Chambers—where claims of rank advancement were either certified or exposed as fraud.
The guide who had initially greeted Ethan earlier had finally calmed herself after the emotional whiplash of learning that the once Level 1 recruit had somehow reached Level 4—in just three months.
After taking several deep breaths and shooting Ethan a still-stunned glance, she excused herself and passed the registration request to the higher-ups.
