Nina woke slowly, her body aching as if it had been through a war. Her eyelids felt heavy, the sterile scent of antiseptic and clean sheets overwhelming her senses. She blinked, staring at the white ceiling of the hospital room, disoriented. How long had she been here?

The last thing she remembered was the monster—the Apocalypse creature that had torn through everything in its path. And Vincent… her memory blurred, the images of that day shifting in and out of focus.

She groaned softly, trying to sit up when she heard a familiar voice.

"Nina! You're awake!" Her mother's face came into view, her eyes swollen with tears, but a relieved smile spread across her lips. Her father stood behind her, arms crossed but his face softened with concern.

Her mother reached out, touching Nina's hand gently. "We've been so worried. It's been… it's been so long. We didn't know if you would—"

"How long?" Nina's voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. "How long was I…?"

Her father stepped forward. "Three months. You've been unconscious for three months."

Nina's eyes widened, shock flooding through her. Three months? The weight of the words settled over her like a suffocating blanket. She tried to process it, but everything felt distant, surreal.

"We'll leave you to rest now," her father said softly, squeezing her hand before they turned to leave. "Someone else is waiting to speak to you."

As her parents left the room, the door opened again, and Guildmaster Marcus stepped in, his usually stoic face lined with something akin to worry. He stood by her bed, his arms crossed over his chest, regarding her in silence for a moment before he sighed.

"It's good to see you awake," he said, his voice quieter than usual.

Nina struggled to sit up, her head still spinning from the revelation of how much time had passed. "Where's Vincent? Is he okay? What happened to the Apocalypse monster?"

Marcus's expression darkened, and he let out a heavy breath. "Apocalypse monster went back into gate but Vincent…" He paused, as though searching for the right words. "It's complicated."

Nina's heart sank. "What happened? Marcus, where is he?"

He began slowly, pulling up a chair to sit beside her. "The incident that day… it's caused a lot of damage. Not just to the city, but to people's minds. There was a lot of fear, a lot of bloodshed. Vincent…" He trailed off again, his brow furrowed. "Vincent is now labeled as a summoner terrorist."

Nina's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!" she whispered harshly. "That's impossible. He didn't do it! I was there, Marcus. He wasn't the one who summoned that thing."

Marcus nodded, his face grim. "I know. I believe you. But the public… they needed someone to blame. And Vincent, being an unregistered awakener with questionable power, made him the perfect scapegoat."

Nina clenched her fists. "That's not fair! You know he didn't summon that Apocalypse monster!"

"I do," Marcus agreed, his voice steady. "But after that day… things changed. You saw how it unfolded. A criminal or organization capable of summoning monsters, forcefully opening gates—it's something we've suspected for a while. But summoning an Apocalypse monster? We're not even sure that's possible."

"Then why blame him?" Nina's voice trembled, frustration building inside her.

"People are afraid, Nina. Imagine the horror of that day: civilians and A-rankers alike massacred in the streets, reduced to nothing. And the only survivor was Vincent, a man with suspicious identity, untouched while everyone else around him was killed. The government wanted someone to answer for that."

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Nina fell silent. She understood the logic, but it still felt wrong. Vincent wasn't the villain here. She had seen the monster with her own eyes, and yet... Vincent had survived. How?

"I would never protect someone who put our guild at risk," Marcus continued quietly, his voice heavy with the weight of his position. "You know that. I have a responsibility to everyone under my command. And I can't prioritize some guy we barely knew over the entire guild."

Nina swallowed hard, her throat tight. Marcus's reasoning was cold, but she couldn't argue with it. She had known him long enough to understand his loyalty to the guild was absolute.

But one thing was clear—Vincent was alive. "So where is he now?" Nina asked, her voice soft.

Marcus leaned back, exhaling slowly. "According to the reinforcements who arrived that day… after the battle, he went into the gate along with the Apocalypse monster. He disappeared inside."

Nina's heart skipped a beat. Into the gate? Her chest tightened with a sense of dread. Vincent had gone into the very thing that had destroyed everything around them. Why? What was he looking for?

She sat back against the pillows, her mind racing with unanswered questions, but one thing stood out clearly in her mind: Vincent wasn't the monster they had painted him to be. And if he was still alive, wherever he was, she knew she had to find him.

Meanwhile

Three months had passed since the training at Horizon Guild, and Evan had kept a low profile throughout the entire time. He didn't draw attention to himself, blending in with the other trainees as much as he could. He played the part of the underdog, staying quiet, making sure no one suspected what was really going on. But now, that was about to change.

Standing in front of the Awakeners Measurement Center, Evan felt a thrill run through him. As he approached the reception desk, a young woman greeted him with a polite smile. "Is this your first time measuring?" she asked.

"No," Evan replied smoothly. "It's my second time."

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "And your previous rank?"

"E-rank," Evan answered, his voice calm.

The woman muttered under her breath, barely audible. "Not again…"

Evan caught the words and smiled to himself. He had heard that kind of skepticism before, and it only made what was about to happen that much sweeter.

"What rank do you plan to challenge today?" she asked, her tone now slightly dismissive. "Maybe D-rank?"

Evan's smile widened. "I'm here to challenge the S-rank test."

The receptionist froze for a moment, her eyes wide. "Excuse me?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard him correctly. "You want to… challenge the S-rank test?"

"That's right," Evan said casually, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

The receptionist's expression shifted from shock to disbelief. "You realize the gap between E-rank and S-rank is—"

"I'll be fine," Evan interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind.

Her eyes flicked over to the S-rank testing room, then back to him, clearly trying to decide whether this was some kind of joke. But she swallowed nervously and waved him through.

As Evan stood before the door to the S-rank simulation test room, whispers rippled through the gathered crowd. People who had come for their own tests or to observe others now turned their attention to him. A man who had only ever been E-rank was challenging the S-rank test. The idea was laughable.

"He's got to be out of his mind," one voice muttered from the crowd.

"No chance," another chimed in. "This'll be over in seconds."

But Evan didn't care. Their words were meaningless. In three months, he had leveled up from 48 to 100 and gained numerous skills. According to the system's evaluation, S-ranks were typically around level 70. But he was at level 100 now. He was ready.

The simulation began, and the first wave of monsters rushed in—a horde of beast-like creatures, their fangs bared and claws ready to tear into him. There were dozens, far too many to take down one by one. Evan smirked, his fingers twitching as he activated Void Wave. A dark pulse radiated outward, hitting every monster in its path. In a matter of seconds, the entire wave was obliterated, leaving only dust and silence.

The second wave followed quickly—mythical creatures, fewer in number but far stronger. Winged griffins, fire-breathing drakes, and massive stone golems lumbered toward him. Evan darted forward, using Shadow Step to blink between them. His blades flashed as he took down a griffin with a clean slice to its neck, dodging a burst of fire from a drake. With Frost Blade, he countered the flames, freezing the drake's maw shut before finishing it with a swift strike. He moved with precision and speed, cutting through each creature until nothing remained.

The simulation ended, and the screen flashed his time—he had beaten the record.

Stunned silence followed as he returned to the reception desk. "I believe I've earned my S-rank card," Evan said with a smile.

The receptionist fumbled, her hands shaking as she quickly contacted the higher-ups. A few minutes later, men in black suits entered the center, parting the crowd. They moved with purpose, and at the center of them was a tall man with a commanding presence, dressed in an official uniform.

He approached Evan, his expression unreadable. "I'm the head of the National Awakeners Organization," he introduced himself, his voice carrying authority. "Let's talk."

Evan smiled, a slow, dangerous curve to his lips. It's time to take control.