Chapter 27 The Hunt For The S-Rank Monster Begins

The completely leveled landscape stretched as far as the eye could see, its surface scorched and impaled into the ground, presenting a terrifying sight.

At the edge of the destruction, where the ground remained relatively untouched, stood a man in a black suit. He had short black hair and glasses, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he surveyed the devastation.

Behind him were several vehicles, including investigation cars, while numerous personnel equipped with different devices moved cautiously through the area, scanning for traces of radiation as they gradually advanced across the site.

Several minutes passed before footsteps approached from behind.

A woman stepped forward. She had beautiful blonde hair and a voluptuous figure, with a huge bust that remained noticeable even beneath her armor. As she approached the man, her breasts bounced slightly with each step.

She eventually stopped beside him, crossing her arms as she stared at the destruction.

"Damn. What the fuck kind of creature does this? It just wiped out an entire district."

The black-haired man continued staring ahead.

"It has to be at least A-rank. Hell, we might have a loose S-rank magic beast roaming around."

The blonde woman immediately turned toward him.

"S-rank? That’s not possible. There hasn’t been any S-rank. It was a C-rank breakout. There’s no way it could have been an S-rank."

He finally glanced at her.

"What? So what would you assume it was then, Maki? Because I don’t know about you, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen an entire district leveled."

He paused, pointing toward one side of the devastated landscape.

The blonde woman followed his gesture, noticing an area where the ground appeared to have been completely uprooted.

"Do you know what was there?" he asked.

"No."

"Do you care to enlighten me?"

She looked at him briefly, waiting for an explanation.

"That was where the security footage was kept. Whatever monster did this was intelligent enough to recognize what it was and destroy it. Our agents weren’t looking for your regular beast. That’s why I said, at best, it’s an A-rank."

The black-haired man turned toward her.

"That’s why I called for you."

Maki paused.

"You’re saying A-rank at best? I’m an A-rank. If it is an S-rank, then I’m practically being sent on a suicide mission."

"You don’t need to worry about your safety. I can guarantee you that."

"Guarantee me that?" Maki raised a brow. "You just said there’s an intelligent S-rank capable of wiping out an entire district. What do you think is going to happen if I actually find it and no one is around to assist me?"

"You’ll have your own personal security during the hunt. All you need to worry about is tracking down the beast and reporting its location to me."

"Reporting its location to you?" Maki repeated. "And what happens when you find out where it is? What if it’s really an S-rank?"

The black-haired man remained composed. His hands stayed in his pockets as he took a leisurely step forward.

"Then I’ll go and face it."

Maki stared at him for a moment, struggling to understand where that confidence came from.

"And if it really is an S-rank?" she pressed.

He met her gaze without the slightest hesitation.

"I would win."

Maki fell silent.

There was no bravado in his voice, no attempt to make himself sound intimidating. He had said it so casually, as though the outcome had already been decided.

"You shouldn’t concern yourself with that," he continued. "Just focus on getting the job done. This creature is a potential threat to humanity, and we need your tracking abilities to find it. Once you do, leave the rest to me."

He gave her a final look.

"Now, get to work."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small pebble, and tossed it toward her.

Maki caught it.

" What is this?"

" If you get in a situation where you need any help, just shatter the pebble, and I’ll be there in less than no time." He looked away from her. "Think of it like a contingency, just incase things ever goes south."

She looked at him again, taking in the confidence with which he had spoken.

He was Dylan Cage, one of the strongest S-ranks known to man.

Could he really defeat whatever monster had caused this destruction?

Somehow, his confidence made her believe that he possibly could. She smiled and nodded.

"Understood. So, where should I start?"

He pointed toward the side.

"There’s a crater over there. How about that?"

She followed his gesture and spotted the crater.

Without giving him a reply, she simply walked toward it.

When she arrived, she stopped and carefully examined the ground. Taking a deep breath, her eyes shifted slightly as she activated her tracking ability.

There!

She could make out what appeared to be faint footprints leading away from the devastated area and toward the crater.

Her gaze followed their direction, but as the trail continued forward, the footprints suddenly disappeared.

She lowered her head slightly.

"Hmm..."

Then she slowly raised her eyes toward the sky.

It was intelligent enough to even try to lose our trail. How powerful is this beast we’re up against?

***

The hot water poured over my skin, washing away the last traces of my encounters with Ivy and Julia as my muscles gradually relaxed.

Today had been incredibly satisfying. In fact, it was shaping up to be one of the best days since the beginning of my transmigrated life.

I picked up the shampoo and worked it into my hair before continuing to wash myself. As the water streamed over my head, I found myself reflecting on everything that had happened.

It had been an amazing day, keeping me on my toes at every turn. And the best part? It wasn’t even over yet.

Not only had I acquired a system, found myself surrounded by beauties, and landed one of the best-paying jobs imaginable, but there was still something else I was looking forward to.

My gaze shifted to the system notification hovering beside me.

Everything was just... incredible. This was only my first day, and things had already reached this level.

I glanced at the first entry.

[Name: Vanessa Reed]

[Taboo Resonance: 31%]

The next entry caught my eye.

[Name: Ivy Reed]

[Taboo Resonance: 27%]

I paused.

Twenty-seven percent?

Somehow, Ivy’s resonance had increased much faster than Vanessa’s. I couldn’t help smiling at the discovery, but the final entry was what truly caught my attention.

[Name: Julia Silver]

[Taboo Resonance: 43%]

My eyes widened.

Julia was already that high?!