Demon Evolution System

Chapter 14

Miles waited for thirty minutes before it finally reached his turn as there were several other individuals who had come before him to their mana reading as well in order to become a registered hunter.

Miles was escorted by a staff member to the lab room.In the room they were sent several technicians analyzing data on the computers and at the center of the room was a huge vacuum tube.

Upon walking into the room, a man dressed in a lab coat walked towards Chris and greeted

“Welcome, Miles Reed. I'm going to be in charge of taking your mana reading today to determine your Awakened rank.” he gestured Miles towards the vacuum tube. “All you need to do is enter this tube and release your Mana and the machine will read your mana pool capacity to help us judge your rank.”

The examination hall fell into a hushed stillness as Miles stepped onto the circular platform at its center. Smooth white tiles stretched outward in perfect symmetry, engraved with ancient runes that slowly awakened, their soft cerulean glow spreading beneath his boots. Suspended above the platform, the vacuum-measuring device emitted a low hum as it calibrated itself.

“Place your palm on the crystal,” the examiner instructed.

Miles complied, resting his hand against the cool surface. The moment contact was made, the crystal pulsed once, then again, responding to the faint flow of vacuum circulating through his body. He closed his eyes, allowing the energy to move naturally—nothing forced, nothing restrained.

At first, everything appeared normal.

The crystal glowed steadily as numbers formed in the air, settling within an acceptable range. A few officials nodded to themselves, already drawing conclusions.

“Another high-tier awakener at best,” one murmured.

Then the machine screamed.

A sharp, metallic shriek tore through the room as the crystal erupted in blinding white light. The runes beneath Miles flared violently, lines of vacuum racing across the platform like lightning. The numbers in the air skyrocketed—A-rank shattered in an instant, S-rank obliterated just as quickly.

“What’s happening?!” someone shouted.

The readings continued to climb, surging beyond the device’s maximum threshold. Warning symbols flashed rapidly as the machine struggled to process the overwhelming influx. Cracks formed along the crystal’s surface, and the pressure in the room intensified, pressing down on everyone present.

“Shut it down—now!” an examiner yelled.

Before the emergency protocols could activate, the surge vanished.

The blinding light dimmed. The pressure dissipated. The crystal’s glow softened, the cracks sealing as the numbers plummeted—falling, stabilizing, and finally settling into an unremarkable, almost mundane vacuum reading.

Silence followed.

Confusion rippled through the hall as the officials stared at the display, then at Miles, who had already withdrawn his hand. His expression remained composed, unreadable, as though nothing unusual had occurred.

After a brief pause, murmurs filled the room.

“Must’ve been a vacuum outburst.”

“An emotional spike. It happens.”

“The device probably overreacted.”

Some shook their heads in disappointment. “For a moment, I thought we’d discovered another S-rank.”

The examiners quickly recorded the final reading and waved Miles off the platform. To most of them, the incident was already forgotten—dismissed as an anomaly.

All except one.

The senior examiner lingered at the control panel, his eyes fixed on the raw data logs. The machine hadn’t malfunctioned. It had been overwhelmed—then forcibly stabilized.

“That wasn’t a spike,” he muttered quietly.

He looked up, watching Miles exit the hall.

Whatever that young man was hiding, it wasn’t something a simple vacuum test could expose.

---

When Miles returned to the lobby, the atmosphere felt noticeably different—less tense, yet heavier in an unspoken way. He approached the reception desk, where a woman in the Awakener Association uniform typed briefly on her console before looking up at him.

“Miles Reed,” she said, offering a polite smile. “Your examination is complete.”

She paused, scanning the screen once more.

“Based on your results, you’ve been scheduled for a practice raid test.”

Miles’ gaze sharpened slightly.

“The test will take place tomorrow,” she continued. “Its purpose is to confirm whether you are mentally suited to operate as a hunter under real combat conditions. You’ll be placed in a group and assessed on your judgment, composure, and cooperation during the raid.

"And after that?” Miles asked.

“If you pass,” she said, “you’ll receive your hunter license.

She slid a digital pass across the counter.

“Please report back to the Awakener Association tomorrow morning. You will meet the rest of your group members here. Your group assignment and raid details will be provided then by the instructor assigned by the association to guide you practice test.”

Miles accepted the pass without comment.

It was evening by the time he left the association.

The city lights flickered on one by one, casting long shadows across the streets. The crowd thickened—workers heading home, vendors closing shop, hunters swapping stories over drinks.

Miles stepped into the flow of people. It was getting late so he decided to head home. However as Miles walked away form the awkwardness association building, heading to the bus station a familiar figure was watching him.

Cole came to the Awakener association to handle some matters until he caught sight of Miles walking out of the building.

Cole froze the moment he saw him. "That’s impossible."

Miles Reed stepped out of the Awakener Association like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t been abandoned inside a demon rift. Like he hadn’t been bleeding out while monsters closed in.

Cole’s heartbeat slammed against his ribs.

"He should be dead." he muttered.

Ryan had been sure of it.

They all had.

Cole ducked behind a pillar, watching as Miles walked past the entrance and merged into the evening crowd. There was something different about him—his posture, his presence was calm and controlled but carried the aura of danger.

"Did he report us?" Cole thought, his panic rising. "Did he come to the Association to expose everything?"

If that happened, they were finished.

Cole swallowed hard and followed at a distance.