Selene adjusted her coat as she entered the preparation chamber, where Teo's mana levels would be measured. The faint hum of magical equipment greeted her. Though her mind still lingered on Teo, his history, his potential, and the storm his reassessment might unleash. She forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

Coordinating the logistics for an assessment of this scale was no simple feat. She had done it countless times before, but the stakes had never felt quite so high. Everything needed to run perfectly. No malfunctions, no oversights. Not today.

The room was a controlled chaos of activity. Technicians in crisp uniforms moved between the machines, triple-checking every connection and reading. Selene greeted them with a curt nod as she approached the lead operator.

"Listen carefully," she said, her tone sharp and commanding. "This isn't going to be a typical reading. I expect his mana levels to surpass A-rank, potentially breaching S. You need to monitor the system closely. The last thing we need is for the machine to overload or explode after it hits the upper limit."

The lead operator, an older man with glasses, glanced at her nervously. "Explode ma'am?"

Selene's eyes narrowed. "It's not a joke. The last time an S-rank reading happened, the machine did explode; it's just that it has been a long time, so most people forgot about it. Even though we reinforced the system for this test, there's always a risk when dealing with S-rank mana output. Do you all understand?"

She let her gaze sweep across the room, taking in the tension on each technician's face.

"Yes, ma'am!" they shouted in unison, straightening their postures like soldiers under inspection.

Satisfied, Selene nodded. “That’s all from me. The hunter being tested is Teo Amanar, so be prepared.” Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and left the room.

The technicians watched her go, the tension in the room shifting as soon as the door closed behind her.

“The butcher?” One of them mumbled under his breath, his voice barely audible over the noise of the machines.

“Will he really become S-rank?” The lead operator muttered, his brow furrowed. “This cannot be good. Someone like him at that level... it’s dangerous.”

A junior technician, barely out of training, shrugged dismissively. “Who cares about that butcher or whatever? As long as we have Lady Karmov, all is well. Did you see her? She was so cool!”

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“That’s right,” another chimed in, a hint of admiration creeping into her tone. “Don’t forget, she’s S-rank as well. She’ll handle whatever happens.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, and the atmosphere gradually lightened. Feeling reassured by Selene's presence, the staff refocused on their tasks, the earlier unease buried beneath their shared respect for the woman who had just left.

After leaving the technicians, Selene made her way to the arena, her mind shifting gears. The assessment would begin soon, and there was still so much to do. She had to ensure everything was in place, especially with the involvement of the extermination squad.

The squad was an elite squad compromised of a select few that would do missions that were either very dangerous or no other people would want to do. As she reached the arena, she spotted a few familiar faces seated on the judge seats, exchanging words.

"Captain!" A tall, broad-shouldered giant waved her over. Ashura, one of the older members of the extermination squad, offered her a nod of respect as she approached. His short black hair framed piercing gray eyes, and he wore the squad's standard black combat uniform, its short sleeves exposing arms covered in battle scars, a testament to years of conflict. The red snake insignia on his chest marked him as one of the extermination squad's elite. "Everything ready to go?"

"Everything's in order," Selene replied, her tone calm. "We're just waiting for Teo to arrive."

She then turned toward the others. Two more members of the squad sat next to Ashura, arms crossed, waiting patiently. One of them, a wolf woman with striking blue eyes and long blue hair tied back in a ponytail, leaned forward with a knowing smile.

"You're the same as always, Captain. Nervous?" She asked, her tone playful as her sharp gaze met Selene's.

Selene returned the smile and offered a firm handshake. "You're the same as well, Valena. But it’s a relief that you’re here."

Valena chuckled, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "No problem, even though I had to rush back right after my mission. Can’t have a reassessment without a healer, right?" she said with a teasing smile. "You really do enjoy working us to the bone," she added, her voice light but warm.

Selene turned toward the last member of the group, a young man with long purple hair and sharp, delicate features that gave him a pretty boy appearance. His violet eyes gleamed with quiet composure, but the squad knew better; despite his youthful looks, Corvus was one of the oldest and most experienced members of the team.

"Corvus?" Selene's brow furrowed in surprise. "I thought I asked Zarek to join us as the third. Why are you here?"

Corvus stood gracefully and offered a slight bow, his tone polite. "Captain Zarek sends his apologies. He had some urgent family matters to attend to and asked me to fill in for him. I hope I’m an acceptable substitute."

Selene sighed but quickly smirked, crossing her arms. "Fine. But you can tell Zarek he’ll owe me for this. I’ll make sure he makes up for it later."

The other three exchanged knowing looks. They didn’t dare speak, but a silent understanding passed between them. Poor Zarek. They each offered a brief mental prayer for their absent comrade.