Seducing the Guideverse With My System — Raising an Anomaly [BL]

Three Days Later, International Hunters Council Assessment Facility

"So, sir... name?"

"Tucker Haynes."

"Age."

"Twenty-five."

"Time of suspected aether exposure? Was it days ago or—"

"About three or four days ago. During the Washington S-Rank Rift."

"What changes have you noticed exactly? Abilities, side effects... anything different at all."

In a hallway where hundreds of people from all walks of life gathered, a young man from Washington was asked all these questions.

Why—you may ask.

Well, it was because this young man was about to undergo an evaluation... and by the end of it he might be walking out of this building as a member of Earth’s Awakened society.

Most of his life he’s seen and heard stories about Hunters—Guides and Espers and their great battles against beasts as they saved the planet. He’s always wanted to be one.

Always wanted the respect that came with being a respected Hunter.

And now here he was.

At first he got afraid after the aether exposure that it would give him one of those aether-related terminal illnesses instead of an awakening.

But nope.

He’d gotten tested for those first before being led to this hall—where some of the biggest names in Hunter history had walked and even had their own tests done on them.

"Okayyyy." The woman behind the counter nodded, typing something into her laptop. "Based on your descriptions, you seem most likely to be an Esper."

Tucker grinned.

So far so good!

"The descriptions of the abilities you got are still vague," she said, raising her head, calm eyes that had seen thousands of people like him over the years meeting him. "So you’ll need to go in and have an official assessment for your Rank and ability."

The young man nodded a bit too enthusiastically. "Sure!"

After being given a card and directions to the assessment room, he scurried off. A few people sitting on the waiting seats behind him had already begun murmuring.

"I could’ve sworn I heard the lady say he’s an Esper."

"You think he’ll be a powerful one?"

"It’s anyone’s guess. A colleague of mine who did one of these last month told me that high-rank Awakened from A and above are becoming slightly rarer to find..."

The rest of the conversation filtered into background noise as Tucker navigated a hallway and found a door that fit the descriptions.

"Good morning." Two people, a man and a woman in dark suits, greeted him once he entered the crisp room.

The polished marble floor reflected the white lights—but Tucker barely had time to gaze at that when his attention shifted to the machinery at the end of the room.

There was a raised metallic platform, just large enough for one adult to stand on. And ahead of it was a black crystal resting atop a waist-high steel pedestal, its surface gleaming beneath the white lights.

"Please step onto the platform and place your hands on the black crystal." The suited guy gestured, heading for a table with holographic screens hovering above.

Tucker sucked in a deep breath before crossing the room.

The moment his boots padded on the platform, the air pulsed. He flinched at first... until the woman gave him a reassuring look to continue.

He placed his hands on the cool surface.

"Now concentrate. There should be energy stirring inside you. Reach for that energy and just pull out a tiny wisp from it."

He followed those instructions.

His heart rate came to a soft pace.

Within seconds, small bursts of his aether seeped out, sinking into the crystal.

The suited man adjusted his glasses, typing across the holographic screens. Several strings of data rushed past.

His brows knitted. "That’s... interesting."

Tucker’s aether surged through him, carrying his short black hair into the windless room.

Several gruelling seconds passed... before the data flashing across the screens stopped, something new blinking.

"All done, sir." When he heard the voice of the suited man again, there was an obvious hint of awe behind it.

He opened his eyes, fixing them on the man and then on the screen. A card printed out of a machine on the table was passed to Tucker’s waiting hands.

"Congratulations." The man’s grin widened. "You’re our country’s newest S-Rank."

Tucker stared at the identification card resting in his hands.

His photograph sat at the top corner alongside his personal information, but his eyes never lingered on any of that.

They stayed glued to one line.

Rank: S-Rank Esper.

His fingers trembled, a laugh escaping him before he could stop it.

"It actually happened."

All those years of dreaming. Watching Hunters save cities on television. Wondering what it would feel like to stand among them.

Now... He was one of them.

The suited pair watched him with faint smiles as he thanked them repeatedly before hurrying toward the exit.

The moment the assessment room door slid open, dozens of curious eyes landed on him.

"Well?"

"What rank?"

"Look at that grin on his face. It must’ve been good!"

Tucker only smiled awkwardly, still staring at the card as he walked. He barely noticed the people moving aside until someone caught a glimpse of the bold lettering near the bottom.

The man’s eyes widened. "...S-Rank?"

Silence dropped at first.

Then the hallway erupted.

"Did he just say S-Rank?!"

"No way!"

"Holy shit, that’s insane!"

Before Tucker could react, several sharply dressed men and women forced their way through the growing crowd.

"I’m from Titan Claw Guild! We’d love to discuss recruitment!"

"Ignore him. Star Horizon offers far better benefits, and we’re an S-Rank Guild!"

"Our Guild Master would like to meet you immediately!"

Business cards were shoved toward him from every direction.

People who moments ago had merely been curious now looked at him with admiration, disbelief and outright envy.

Tucker could only stand there, completely overwhelmed as the hallway descended into chaos.

Meanwhile, as this buzz went on, the pedestrian doors slid open again.

Ambrose stepped inside, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.

His gaze drifted over the commotion surrounding the newly awakened Hunter before shifting away just as quickly.

’Hmm.’

Someone had apparently awakened with quite the impressive rank.

Without paying the crowd any further attention, he walked toward the reception counter.

The woman behind the laptop looked up with her usual professional smile. "Good morning. How may I help you?"

"I’d like to schedule a reassessment."

Her fingers stopped above the keyboard.

"...A reassessment?" She slowly raised her head. "Are you saying you believe you’ve undergone a reawakening?"

"Yes."

There was a brief pause before she opened a new file.

"I’ll... I’ll need your name first, sir."

Ambrose met her eyes. "Ambrose Hale."

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