CHAPTER 232: POTENTIAL SSS RANK? (BONUS CHAPTER)

Before deciding to walk toward the lonesome door at the corner of the hall, Liam had given it some thought. He wondered whether his telekinesis and regeneration traits would qualify as unique abilities. According to the information Lucy had gathered, unique abilities varied greatly—coming in countless forms and classifications. If that was the case, then either or both of his abilities should qualify.

Even if they didn’t, it didn’t matter, as he would still receive a ranking classification.

Liam’s hand touched the cold metal handle, and he pushed the door open, and stepped through.The door sealed shut behind him with.

Inside was another hall—large, but not nearly as crowded as the testing chamber outside. Several people in formal suits stood near consoles and data screens, with calm and alert expression on their faces.

A woman in her early thirties approached, dressed in the same black-and-silver uniform as the examiners outside. She looked professional, sharp-eyed, but not unkind.

"Good afternoon," she said politely. "Are you here to declare a unique ability?"

Liam nodded once. "Yes."

She studied him for a moment, probably scanning for nervousness or arrogance—she found neither. Then she nodded and gestured toward a corridor on the right.

"This way, please."

They passed through a set of glass doors into a smaller chamber. Inside, five examiners waited—three men and two women, each holding tablets. They looked up when Liam entered. Their gazes lingered on him, but none spoke.

The woman who’d escorted him handed over his registration card and quietly stepped back out, sealing the door behind her.

A man with a narrow face and tired eyes approached. He looked like someone who’d done this thousands of times and expected nothing new.

"Name?" he asked, stylus poised over his tablet.

"Liam Scott."

The man tapped the name into the system. "Age?"

"Eighteen."

"Alright, Mr. Scott." He didn’t look up yet. "What ability do you believe qualifies as unique?"

"I have two," Liam said calmly.

The man froze mid-motion. His head lifted slowly, disbelief crossing his face.

For a heartbeat, no one spoke.

"...Two?" the man repeated, blinking. Then, a short incredulous laugh escaped him. "I see. Two unique abilities, you say?"

He wasn’t mocking Liam. He was just surprised. Since the Great Awakening, no one had ever possessed two unique abilities.

Having even one was enough to make a person instantly famous—major guilds would fight to recruit them, offering fortunes and influence beyond measure.

Yet here, standing before him, was someone calmly claiming to have two. It was impossible, absurd even—but the examiner had no choice but to proceed. It was his job and procedure was procedure.

"Very well," he said, composing himself. "State them."

"Telekinesis," Liam began evenly. "And regeneration."

The examiner’s expression faltered again. He glanced at his colleagues, who now looked openly skeptical.

Telekinesis as a unique ability, yes. But regeneration? True regeneration was considered a myth; not even SSS-Rank healers possessed it naturally.

It was the kind of thing you only read about in the first months after the Awakening, when rumors ran wild.

He cleared his throat. "Mr. Scott, you understand that false declarations are penalized, yes?"

"I do," Liam smiled.

The man sighed and rubbed his temple. "Alright then. Let’s begin verification. Please, demonstrate."

"How would you like me to do that?" Liam asked.

"For regeneration," the man said hesitantly, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a slim silver dagger, "cut yourself—lightly. Just a surface wound. Nothing deep."

He extended the dagger carefully, emphasizing his words. "It’s only to verify. Don’t take it too far."

Liam accepted the dagger, his eyes gleaming in amusement.

"This world really loves its procedures," he murmured. "It’d be easier if everyone just had status windows."

The examiner frowned. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Liam said, smiling. He turned the dagger in his hand, examining the blade under the fluorescent light. Then, without warning, he moved.

The man didn’t even have time to stop him.

A flash of silver followed by the sound of a clean slice.

Gasps erupted around the room.

Blood welled briefly against Liam’s smooth skin and then stopped. Before their eyes, the wound closed like melting wax, flesh knitting back together in seconds. Bone, tissue, and nerve reformed perfectly. In less than ten heartbeats, the finger he’d cut clean off was whole again.

The severed finger itself hadn’t even touched the floor. It hovered in midair, suspended by invisible force—turning slowly and calmly, like a leaf caught in a gentle current.

Every examiner in the room stared.

Their monitors were silent. The mana detectors along the walls showed no reading—not even the slightest fluctuation. The regeneration process had registered nothing.

Zero fluctuation.

It was impossible. The chamber was built to detect energy levels up to SS+, and yet it had sensed no mana at all. To them, it looked like a miracle performed by someone who didn’t exist on the mana scale.

Liam flexed his restored hand, then looked up.

"Would you like me to demonstrate telekinesis as well?" he asked politely, tilting his head toward the floating finger.

For a second, no one spoke. Then the lead examiner coughed awkwardly and waved a trembling hand.

"N-No, that won’t be necessary."

He tried to sound professional but couldn’t hide the tremor in his voice. The others were still staring, wide-eyed, as if the laws of nature had just been rewritten in front of them.

"Understood," Liam said simply. The hovering finger drifted toward him, and he placed it in his pocket, and sent it to the Dimensional Space.

The man gestured stiffly toward the door. "Mr. Scott, if you’ll follow me, please."

They stepped out into the corridor. The atmosphere had changed. The air felt charged, filled with whispers and quick footsteps echoing from distant rooms.

The news was spreading already. The staff moved differently, glancing at him, trying to look discreet and failing.

A man was waiting at the end of the hallway—tall, broad-shouldered, with streaks of silver in his dark hair. His suit was immaculate, and his expression was composed but curious.

"Senior Examiner," the man with the tablet said quickly. "This is the declaration candidate. He—"

"I know," the senior examiner interrupted softly. His gaze lingered on Liam. "You may return to your station."

The other man nodded and left without another word.

The senior examiner smiled faintly. "Mr. Scott. Would you walk with me?"

"Of course," Liam replied.

They walked down another corridor lined with soundproof panels and sealed doors. The senior examiner didn’t speak at first. He was studying Liam—not his face, but his presence, as if trying to find something he could classify. He found nothing.

Finally, he said, "You’ve caused quite a stir, Mr. Scott. The sensors in that chamber were built to detect up to SS+ Rank mana signatures. They read nothing from you—nothing at all."

Liam frowned when he heard this, still trying to process what the senior examiner just said. It’s not that he’s slow but he knew that this was a terrible misunderstanding.

The examiner continued, his tone thoughtful. ""The last person who produced a reading anomaly like that was the only SSS-Rank Hunter in the world."

They stopped outside a reinforced office door labeled DECLARATION REGISTRY – AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

The examiner placed his hand on the scanner. The door opened with a click.

Inside was a smaller, quieter room—one desk, two chairs, a single light overhead. The man gestured for Liam to sit.

"I’ll need to record your details," he said, retrieving a secure tablet. "You may decline to share personal history if you prefer. However, your results will be forwarded to the National Registry automatically."

Liam nodded, taking a seat. "That’s fine."

The man began typing, his eyes darting between the screen and Liam. "Age, eighteen. Strength, Agility, Stamina — all D+. Mana Capacity, unable to read. Declaration — verified. Abilities: Telekinesis and Regeneration."

He paused, then looked up with an expression close to awe. He didn’t want to believe it. He would had concluded that Liam’s an ordinary person but results from his stat tests and the fact that he regenerated a finger cancels that.

"Do you understand what this means, Mr. Scott?"

Liam met his gaze evenly. "That I’ll be categorized?"

"That you’ll be classified," the man corrected softly. "Your results already triggered a review flag. You will be registered as a potential SSS-Rank candidate—the second in the world. But your current classification will be A Rank."