Chapter 127: Too Late

“Rank upgrade, right? What…!?”

Osman initially responded out of habit, nodding as he processed Jackson’s words. But a moment later, his expression froze. He slowly raised his head, staring at the young man standing before him as though he had just heard something absurd.

“Rank upgrade? How is that possible? Didn’t you just become a Bronze-Rank hunter one month ago? How could you possibly become a Silver-Rank hunter so quickly?”

His voice had grown louder without him realizing it.

As the initial shock wore off, Osman began to suspect that something was wrong. The young miss had shown Jackson considerable favor, and he couldn’t help wondering whether the boy had come here to exploit that connection. Perhaps he expected the Association to bend its rules just because of his relationship with her.

The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. A faint look of disgust crossed his face before he quickly suppressed it.

Unfortunately, Osman hadn’t been particularly quiet. His words carried across the registration hall, reaching the ears of everyone nearby.

The surrounding hunters turned toward Jackson almost simultaneously.

What did he just say?

This young man, who appeared to be around the same age as them, was already a Bronze-Rank hunter?

Some of the people waiting in line were still struggling at Iron Rank. Others had spent years accumulating resources, fighting monsters, and risking their lives, yet remained stuck at Bronze Rank. For many of them, advancing to the next sequence was a distant dream.

And now, someone barely out of his teens was claiming he could become a Silver-Rank hunter?

A few middle-aged men standing nearby exchanged glances before shaking their heads in disbelief.

“Ah, youngsters these days… They’ve become so prideful and conceited. Do they really think this is some kind of joke? Just because you claim you’re qualified to become a Silver-Rank hunter, we’re supposed to believe you?”

One of them scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.

Did this brat even understand what it took to reach the peak of the Second Sequence? The countless hours of cultivation, the expensive resources, the dangerous battles, and the sacrifices involved? Even reaching that stage was beyond the capabilities of most ordinary hunters.

Yet this boy spoke as though becoming a Silver-Rank hunter was as simple as walking through the front door.

Another hunter, a rather crude-looking man with a crooked smile, couldn’t resist joining in.

“Just look at his delicate hands and spotless appearance. I’m afraid the only hand he’s ever held in his life is his mother’s. From the looks of him, when he encounters a monster, the first thing he’ll do is hide behind his mother’s skirt!”

His loud laughter rang through the hall.

A few people nearby snickered, while others covered their mouths, struggling to suppress their amusement. Even those who hadn’t intended to mock Jackson found themselves looking at him with renewed curiosity, waiting to see how the young man would react.

However, Jackson remained completely still.

He had been ignoring the surrounding chatter from the beginning. Their opinions meant nothing to him, and he had no intention of wasting his time arguing with a bunch of strangers.

But this fellow had crossed a line.

Jackson’s gaze slowly shifted toward the crude-looking hunter. There was no anger on his face, nor did he raise his voice. He simply studied the man’s features for a brief moment, committing his appearance to memory.

Hmph.

A moment later, the Golden Brush appeared in his spiritual space.

Although granting someone an entirely new talent was still beyond his current capabilities, adding a negative trait was a different matter altogether.

The tip of the brush moved across the man’s status window, making a small but rather precise alteration.

[Untimely Warrior – During the final moments of a showdown, the user’s little brother will fall asleep.]

After completing the edit, Jackson withdrew the Golden Brush.

For the briefest instant, a cruel smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Unfortunately, no one noticed it. The man who had just mocked him continued laughing, completely unaware that his future romantic encounters had just become considerably more complicated.

Jackson didn’t bother giving him another glance.

Turning back toward Osman, he spoke in an earnest voice.

“Brother Osman, I’m not here to make a joke. It’s not as if the Hunter Association accepts rank upgrades based on nothing but someone’s word. If I’ve come here, it means I’m confident in my abilities. Just take me to the testing pillar, and we’ll know soon enough.”

His calm response, coupled with the complete absence of any attempt to defend himself, gradually quieted the surrounding crowd.

Osman also seemed to come out of his daze. He looked at Jackson for another moment before realizing that he had been making assumptions without even verifying the situation.

“You’re right. I was worrying over nothing.”

He cleared his throat, recovering his professional demeanor.

“Follow me, Jackson. The testing pillar here isn’t suitable for testing the Third Sequence. We’ll have to move to the special zone.”

Hearing those words, the surrounding hunters couldn’t help but look disappointed.

It seemed they wouldn’t get the chance to witness the young man making a fool of himself after all.

For many of them, this was a rather unfortunate turn of events. They had been expecting an entertaining spectacle, perhaps even a good laugh at the expense of an arrogant youngster. Instead, the matter was being settled privately.

Some exchanged disappointed glances before reluctantly returning their attention to the registration desks.

Meanwhile, Jackson followed Osman through a separate passageway. After passing through several security doors, they arrived at a pure white testing room. Its walls, floor, and ceiling were all constructed from some kind of smooth, seamless material, giving the place an almost sterile appearance. At the center stood a single testing pillar, its metallic surface gleaming faintly beneath the overhead lights.

There was no one else inside.

Osman gestured toward the pillar.

“Go ahead, Jackson. Just place your fist against it. The testing system will automatically assess your strength.”

Jackson nodded and approached the pillar. He stopped in front of it, took a deep breath, and extended his right fist.

The moment his knuckles made contact with the smooth surface, a powerful force swept out from within the pillar.

It wrapped around his arm like an invisible current, spreading from his fist toward his shoulder. Jackson could feel it probing his body, examining the strength of his spiritual force and mana. The sensation was peculiar, almost like having countless invisible threads pass through his body.

He didn’t resist.