Celine had an icy aura surrounding her, and her body was encased in shimmering ice armor. Her legs were adorned with long ice boots that featured high heels, while her upper body showcased intricately detailed armor that gleamed in the light. She resembled a warrior goddess, radiating both elegance and power. As she began to descend, each step was deliberate, and with every movement, a beautiful ice crystal materialized beneath her foot, forming a glistening stairway that led her gracefully to the ground.

Celine slowly approached Lucas, each step causing the temperature around them to drop even further. She hovered just a few meters away, standing atop a snow crystal-shaped ice formation that glistened beneath her. "I like your attitude; you're just the kind of person I admire. Why don't you join my guild?"

Despite her alluring presence, Celine was known for her cold and ruthless nature. This reputation extended to all members of her guild, who shared her traits. For her, power and decisiveness were crucial, but it was the willingness to be ruthless toward one's enemies that truly determined a prospective guild member's worth.

Seeing that those pathetic men were still alive indicated that Lucas still had mercy within him, but Celine recognized his potential and believed she could iron out those flaws over time. Lucas was at a loss for words. Celine was a legendary figure in this city, and while there might be a mayor, everyone understood that the Frozen Flower and Blazing Beast Guilds truly ruled Gateway City. Typically, a low-level city would have only one S-rank hunter, but the unique location of Gateway City allowed for multiple high-ranking hunters to coexist.

Just as Lucas was about to accept her offer, a booming laughter rang out, causing everyone to wince in pain. "Hahaha! You old witch, aren't you being hasty with your actions? I didn't even make an offer. You are not the only S-rank guild in this town!"

The voice boomed as something fell into the courtyard like a meteor, creating a small crater upon impact. From the dust and smoke emerged a beast of a man, towering at nearly 2.5 meters with bulging muscles. He had a giant sword resting on his shoulder, exuding an aura of power and intimidation.

He was in his forties, with a weathered yet fierce face. His red, blazing eyes glimmered with intensity, while his bushy eyebrows resembled small tongues of fire. Though his hair was balding on top, the strands around it stood up like a blazing crimson flame. Coupled with his thick red beard, it gave the impression that his head was on fire.

Celine's cold expression remained unchanged, but a hint of annoyance crept in as the side of her mouth twitched and her teeth ground together. "Who are you calling old? You senile savage beast! When do I need your permission to recruit a newbie?"

Blazing Lion Gaspard Fournier wasn't angry; on the contrary, he relished the moment. To him, being called a beast only reinforced the idea that others felt inferior in the face of his unmatched physical power. Gaspard was a rare type of S-rank hunter. While most hunters specialized in either magic or physical prowess, he was a mixed hunter, excelling primarily in brute strength while also wielding fire magic—though to a lesser extent.

He couldn't rely on magic alone to defeat an S-rank, but he could easily take down a B-rank. The combination of his swordsmanship and fire magic expanded the destructive range of his already impressive physical power. In contrast, Celine possessed low physical strength, equivalent to that of a C-rank, but her mastery of magical control and ice armor allowed her to stand as an S-rank beside him. While they had never gone all out in their clashes, both believed themselves to be the superior hunter.

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Gaspard let out another booming laugh, further taunting her. "Of course, I'm old. I'm twice your age!" He shook his head as if lamenting the state of things. "In my time, we would wait for our elders, but you're no spring chicken either, you old witch. When are you going to start acting your age?"

Thanks to the mana coursing through their bodies, hunters enjoyed a longer lifespan compared to ordinary humans. S-ranks like them could live for over 300-500 years; those were all guesses since no hunter was older than 200. Gaspard was already past 180 but still appeared middle-aged, making him one of the oldest hunters around.

A freezing wind surged toward Gaspard while a blazing fire erupted from him to meet the icy gust head-on. The two magical forces clashed, creating a shockwave that pushed everyone else back. As the tumultuous energy began to settle, Celine opened her mouth to speak, but Gaspard brushed past her, angering her further. "Brat, what is your S-rank skill called? You should be able to sense it if you focus," he commanded. When someone awakened, they instinctively knew the name of their skill and usually possessed basic knowledge of how to use it.

Lucas closed his eyes, concentrating. At first, he was met with silence, but suddenly, two words crystallized in his mind: "Second Life..." Gaspard raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. "Is that it? That's an unusually plain name for an S-rank skill."

All S-rank skills typically had either grand or authoritative names. For example, Gaspard's own skill was called Conquer Blazing Lion Art. Finding Lucas's skill name vague, he pressed on. "Is there no other basic knowledge about your skill? Focus on that name. There must be something more."

S-rank skills typically came with more detail upon awakening, allowing S-rank hunters to train their abilities more efficiently and grow stronger at a faster pace. Both Gaspard and Celine sensed that everything about Lucas's skill was unusual.

Lucas focused intently on the name for at least ten minutes, but all he could perceive was a shrouding mist surrounding it. Determined to break through that haze, he delved deeper, pushing himself to penetrate the obscurity. However, as he became engulfed in the mist, his consciousness began to tremble violently, and ultimately, he lost consciousness.

...

After a few minutes, Lucas regained consciousness and found himself in a bed. The surroundings were unfamiliar; it resembled a hospital room but felt more luxurious and otherworldly. It was as if he were underwater. An invisible force enveloped him, initially feeling strange and heavy but gradually becoming comfortable, like quenching a long-standing thirst.

The walls were adorned with unfamiliar lines and characters, all pulsing with a soft blue hue. As he attempted to sit up, the door opened, and a nurse entered. Confused about his location, Lucas turned to her and asked, "Where am I?" She paused her inspection of his vitals and responded respectfully, "Sir, you are in the Esperanza Guild Hospital. Lady Carlyle and Lord Fournier brought you here."

Upon hearing this, Lucas's eyes widened in shock. It made sense why this room felt so alien to him; he was in a hunter-exclusive hospital run by A-rank healer Alejandro Medina. He glanced around the room again, taking in its luxurious surroundings. This place must have cost an arm and a leg. When he looked at the woman again, he noticed an ID card on her chest. She wasn't a nurse but a C-rank healer.

Curiously, Lucas asked, "What is this invisible substance around us? It feels like a fluid." The woman smiled softly, recognizing the confusion of someone experiencing it for the first time. However, she was also puzzled; as the newest S-rank, he should instinctively know it was mana. She thought he might be purely a physical hunter with lower magical talent than a D-rank.

"It's a mana concentration formation," she explained. "Our guild leader invented it to help hunters heal faster. This particular room has the best mana concentration, designed for S-rank hunters." Lucas felt fascinated—so this was what mana felt like. "Can I see the guild leaders and thank them?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, but they aren't here. I've already sent a message, and they will get back to us when they have the time." Lucas felt a pang of irritation; it seemed a bit rude to leave him just because he had passed out for a few minutes. As if sensing his thoughts, the woman added, "Sir, you've been unconscious for three days."

Lucas felt as if he had been slapped. How was this possible? To him, it felt like he had spent only ten or, at most, twenty minutes focusing on his skill, yet three whole days had passed.