The Last Player: When the Game Became Reality

The Ranking Test

The Hunter Association was packed before Ethan even arrived.

People filled the streets around the building.

Some had traveled from other cities just to take the ranking test.

Others were there to watch.

A giant screen had been installed above the entrance.

HUNTER RANKING ASSESSMENT

F ? S

The letters were simple.

But everyone understood what they meant.

A rank could determine a person's future.

Better guild offers.

Better dungeon access.

Better equipment.

Better pay.

Status.

Power.

Ethan watched the crowd.

Some people were nervous.

Others were already boasting.

"I'll get B-rank."

"My brother awakened an A-rank class."

"There's supposed to be someone with S-rank potential."

The world had changed quickly.

Too quickly.

Only weeks ago, most people had ordinary lives.

Now everyone was asking the same question:

Who will become the strongest?

Ethan wasn't interested in the answer.

Not yet.

He was still trying to understand himself.

________________________________________

Inside the assessment center, the process was simple.

Name.

Level.

Class.

Ability.

Potential.

Then the crystal.

One player stepped forward.

[LEVEL: 8]

[CLASS: SWORDSMAN]

[ASSESSMENT: D-RANK]

The crowd applauded.

Another.

[LEVEL: 12]

[CLASS: ARCHER]

[ASSESSMENT: C-RANK]

Another.

[LEVEL: 18]

[CLASS: BERSERKER]

[ASSESSMENT: B-RANK]

The higher the rank became, the louder the crowd reacted.

Then a young woman stepped forward.

She was wearing a white robe.

The crystal immediately lit up.

[LEVEL: 21]

[CLASS: HOLY PRIESTESS]

[ASSESSMENT: A-RANK]

The room erupted.

Ethan watched quietly.

Mina whispered:

"She's strong."

"Yes."

"Are you jealous?"

"No."

"Not even a little?"

Ethan smiled.

"I'm Level 14."

Mina laughed.

"Fair."

________________________________________

Then a familiar name was called.

"Ethan Vale."

The room became quieter.

Ethan stepped forward.

People recognized him.

Some had heard about the broken crystal.

Others knew about his former reputation in Eternal Ascension of Tower.

Whispers spread.

"That's him."

"The old Rank 1?"

"He's only Level 14."

"Maybe the old rankings don't matter anymore."

Ethan ignored them.

He placed his hand on the assessment crystal.

Nothing happened.

The examiner frowned.

"Again."

Ethan tried.

Nothing.

The examiner replaced the crystal.

"Use this one."

Ethan placed his hand on it.

Still nothing.

The examiner looked confused.

"Are you suppressing your energy?"

"No."

"Are you sure you're awakened?"

"Yes."

"Class?"

"None."

The room erupted in laughter.

"Level 14 and no class?"

"How did he even survive?"

"Maybe he really was carried by his guild."

Ethan didn't react.

The examiner looked uncomfortable.

"Step aside."

Ethan did.

The moment he turned around—

CRACK.

The crystal shattered.

The room fell silent.

Again.

The examiner stared.

Someone whispered:

"It happened again."

A blue window appeared.

This time, everyone could see it.

[ASSESSMENT ERROR.]

[TARGET CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED.]

The examiner stepped backward.

"What..."

The system flickered.

Then the message changed.

[PUBLIC RANKING: UNREGISTERED]

That was it.

No F.

No E.

No D.

No C.

No B.

No A.

No S.

Just—

Unregistered.

The examiner looked at Ethan.

"You're finished."

Ethan nodded.

He walked away.

Mina followed.

But the whispers behind them became louder.

________________________________________

Outside the building, Ethan stopped.

Mina looked frustrated.

"They're treating you like you're broken."

"I'm fine."

"You should be angry."

"Why?"

"Because they're laughing at you."

Ethan shrugged.

"Let them."

Mina looked at him.

"You really don't care?"

Ethan looked at the sky.

"No."

He smiled.

"They're judging me based on what they can see."

"And?"

"They can't see everything."

________________________________________

Across the street, a black vehicle was parked.

Inside sat three people.

One of them was Adrian.

He watched Ethan through the window.

A man beside him spoke.

"Is that really him?"

"Yes."

"He looks ordinary."

"He is."

The man frowned.

"Then why can't the system classify him?"

Adrian remained silent.

Another person spoke.

"Should we approach him?"

"No."

"Why?"

Adrian looked at Ethan.

"Because he's still too weak."

The others looked confused.

Adrian continued.

"Let him grow."

"How strong could he become?"

Adrian smiled faintly.

"You don't understand."

He looked toward the Hunter Association.

"We aren't waiting for Ethan Vale to become strong."

He paused.

"We're waiting for him to remember how strong he already was."

________________________________________

That evening, Ethan returned to the forest.

He needed to clear his head.

He hunted alone.

One monster.

Then another.

Nothing difficult.

But Ethan noticed something.

His movements were improving.

Not because his stats had increased.

His body was adapting.

He was learning again.

After killing the fifth monster, his status appeared.

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL 14 ? 15]

Ethan smiled.

"Slowly."

He continued.

Level 15.

Then 16.

He stopped after reaching Level 16.

His body was exhausted.

But he felt good.

For the first time since the world changed, he could feel himself progressing.

Not dramatically.

Not magically.

Just naturally.

He sat beneath a tree.

Then his status appeared again.

[HIDDEN POTENTIAL ANALYSIS: 15%]

Ethan frowned.

"Why did it increase?"

He hadn't remembered anything.

He hadn't completed a dungeon.

He hadn't found another fragment.

Then he noticed the final line.

[CONDITION SATISFIED.]

[PLAYER HAS ACCEPTED HIS CURRENT WEAKNESS.]

Ethan stared at the message.

He understood.

The hidden potential wasn't measuring strength.

It was measuring his growth.

The system wanted him to start from the bottom.

To experience weakness.

Failure.

Fear.

Pain.

Loss.

Only then could he become something greater.

Ethan closed the window.

"Fine."

He stood.

"If that's the game..."

He looked toward the dark forest.

"...I'll play it properly this time."

________________________________________

The next morning, Ethan received a message.

Not from the Hunter Association.

Not from Mina.

Not from the system.

A private invitation.

[YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO JOIN A PARTY.]

Ethan opened it.

Five names appeared.

He recognized one immediately.

Leonard Cross.

The former global Rank 12.

Below his name were four others.

Former players.

People Ethan had fought alongside years ago.

People he had trusted.

People he thought were gone.

Then a final message appeared.

[WE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE.]

Ethan stared.

Another message followed.

[MEET US AT THE OLD TOWER GATE.]

His expression changed.

The old Tower Gate was a location from the original game.

But there was no such place in the real world.

At least—

there wasn't supposed to be.

Mina walked into the room.

"What happened?"

Ethan slowly closed the window.

"Something interesting."

"What?"

Ethan looked at her.

"I think I found my first real party."

Mina smiled.

"Finally."

Ethan grabbed his jacket.

But before he left, another message appeared.

[WARNING.]

[PARTY INVITATION CONTAINS A HIDDEN CONDITION.]

Ethan's smile disappeared.

He opened the details.

Only one sentence was written beneath it.

[ONE OF THE FIVE WILL BETRAY YOU.]

Ethan stared at the screen.

Then he looked at the five names again.

He knew all of them.

And that made the message even worse.

Because if the system was telling the truth—

one of them was already waiting for the chance to betray him.