Athena sighed, her golden eyes narrowing. “Because only one person in the world has ever been in that class. It’s not something you or anyone else can access easily. The Unknown class is… well, it’s exactly what the name suggests: a mystery. No one really knows what it is, how it works, or why it exists.”

Cross frowned. “So, who’s the person in that class?”

“You’re going to the King Familia, yes?” Athena laughed. “This must be fate. See, the only person in the Unknown class is the very person Bronx wants to defeat: the strongest person in the world— X.”

Her lips curled into a smile. “You want to know something even crazier? X isn’t a Talent Holder. He doesn’t have any special abilities or heaven-defying talents. He just has the Unknown class, and somehow, it’s taken him to the very top of the world.”

Cross was silent for a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in. “Wait… you’re telling me that X doesn’t have a Talent, and yet he’s still the strongest Ranker alive? How?”

Athena’s expression darkened, as if recalling something unpleasant. “That’s what makes him so terrifying. His Unknown power allows him to nullify all other Source-classes. It’s like he can just erase your abilities. Only Talent Holders have any chance of hurting him, but even they struggle.”

Cross’s mind raced as he tried to wrap his head around what she was saying. X could nullify other classes? That sounded impossible. How could someone who wasn’t even a Talent Holder reach such heights?

Athena continued, her voice low. “There are rumors that there’s a seventh stage for the Unknown class. We don’t know if it’s true, but here’s something to think about: ten of the strongest Rankers in the world, all in Stage Six of their respective classes, teamed up and tried to take down X. They failed. It was a stalemate. If there really is a seventh stage in the Unknown class, X might be the only one who’s reached it.”

Cross stared at Athena for a moment, taking in everything she had said about the Unknown class and X. But there was something he was keeping to himself—something he had noticed the moment he used his Heavenly Eyes. He could see them. Those strange, unknown particles that she mentioned, swirling faintly in the air. He wasn’t sure what they were, but they didn’t match the usual Source particles he had come to recognize.

But now wasn’t the time to reveal that. He would keep that little detail to himself for now. Best not to put all his cards on the table.

Athena seemed to sense that the conversation had run its course because she smiled at him, the intensity in her eyes softening just a bit. “Alright, enough talk about world-shattering power. Let’s get back to business.”

Cross blinked, shaking off the heavy thoughts that had settled over him. “Business?”

Athena nodded. “You said you wanted to register as a Ranker, right?”

Cross nodded, feeling a surge of excitement return. “Yeah, I do.”

Athena’s lips curled into a smirk. “Well, usually, I wouldn’t do this. It’s not my style to hand out favors, but considering you’re going to be part of the King Familia, and I owe Bronx a small favor, I’m going to make an exception.”

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Cross raised an eyebrow. “An exception?”

She laughed heartily, the sound filling the room. “I’m going to let you take the third level of the Ranker test.”

Cross frowned, confused. “I thought anybody could take the test?”

“Oh, by the gods, no,” Athena laughed. “You need to at least have either my or the recognition of a major familia/force in this world. Well, you’ve got both.”

“. . .I see. So, what’s this test about?”

Athena leaned forward, eyes twinkling with amusement. “It’s pretty simple, really. You’re going to be transported to a special dimension. Once there, you’ll have seven days to defeat all the monsters in that realm. If you leave even one alive by the time the seven days are up, you’ll be disqualified.”

Cross’s eyes widened. “Seven days to kill… all the monsters?”

“That’s right,” Athena said with a grin. “It’s a good chance for you to accumulate some Source while you’re at it. The dimension is connected to one of the first-ranked Towers here in the States. There’ll be plenty of Source particles floating around for you to absorb.”

Cross felt a shiver of anticipation run down his spine. “And what happens if I succeed?”

Athena’s grin widened. “You’ll be boosted immediately to the status of a Top-rank Ranker even if you haven’t stepped into Stage One of any class - consider it sort of like an investment on our part. This status would mean that you'll skip the lower levels and get direct access to better missions, resources, and more.”

“We won’t stop until you reach the top.”

Cross nodded, trying to keep his expression neutral, though the excitement was bubbling up inside him. A fast track to being overpowered? That was exactly what he needed.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll take the third level.”

Athena laughed again, a booming sound that echoed through the room. “Good answer. Now, let’s not waste any more time. I’ll call Emily to take you where you need to go.”

Before Cross could respond, Athena tapped a button on her desk, summoning Emily. They exchanged a few more lighthearted jokes, mostly about how crazy it was that Cross was diving headfirst into this challenge. Athena even made a quip about how Bronx might be biting off more than she could chew with him, which made Cross chuckle nervously.

A few minutes later, Emily entered the room, her professional demeanor back in full force. Athena turned to Cross, giving him one final grin. “Good luck, Cross. I’ll be watching your progress.”

Cross nodded, and as he followed Emily out of the office, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. But as the door closed behind him, Athena’s expression shifted. The room seemed to darken as her face became serious. She leaned back in her chair, fingers steepled in thought.

“Another monster has descended upon this world,” she muttered to herself.

Athena’s eyes narrowed as she replayed the brief mental interaction she had with Cross. She had tried to probe deeper into his mind, just to get a sense of who he was and what he was capable of, but it hadn’t worked. Even with her being in the sixth stage of the Mind class, she couldn’t peer into the depths of his thoughts, let alone his soul.

That wasn’t normal. In fact, it was impossible—or should have been.

Athena stood up and walked to the large window that overlooked the city. In the distance, she could see the looming silhouette of one of the tallest Towers in the country, its shadow stretching across the landscape like a dark omen.

“To think that little monster is going to be in the King Familia…” she muttered, her lips curling into a smile. “Bronx knows how to pick them.”

She crossed her arms, watching as the Tower seemed to shimmer in the fading light of the day. The world was changing. New threats, new powers were always emerging, and it seemed like the younger generation was catching up faster than she had anticipated.

Athena exhaled slowly, her mind drifting to the other top Familias in the country. They had all been playing this game for years, carefully nurturing their talents and consolidating their power. But now, with Cross joining the King Familia… things were about to shift.

The balance of power wouldn’t last much longer. In two, maybe five years, the King Familia would rise to the top. And when that happened, the other top Familias would be left in the dust.

Athena turned away from the window, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Truly, the young will always overtake the old.”