Ren stepped through the towering gates of the Guild Headquarters, the weight of his eight months of struggle settling into his bones. The air inside was thick with tension and excitement—new recruits and seasoned Shikari moving in and out, discussing bounties, exchanging essence cores, and preparing for their next hunts.

  But the moment he stepped further in, a familiar voice called out.

  “Well, well, look who finally decided to show up.”

  Ren turned, already smirking before he even laid eyes on the speaker.

  Jin leaned against a wooden post near the quest board, arms crossed over his chest, his dark green cloak draped over his shoulders. His once carefree grin had been tempered by experience, his eyes sharper than before. Mae stood beside him, her red-and-black armor fitting her better now that she’d grown into her role as a fighter.

  “Tch. You’re still alive?” Ren said, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Figured you’d have been eaten by now.”

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  Jin scoffed. “Funny. I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

  Mae rolled her eyes. “You two really haven’t changed.”

  Ren shrugged, but there was something genuine in his smirk this time.

  It was strange—for months, they had barely seen each other, each forced to train under senior Shikari, thrown into hunts with more experienced teams to build up their skills before they could be considered full-fledged hunters.

  They had survived the trial, but the Guild didn’t just hand out titles.

  No.

  They had to earn it.

  “So today’s the day, huh?” Ren said, tilting his head. “We finally stop being glorified trainees and actually become real Shikari?”

  Jin grinned. “Damn right. We’re officially joining the ranks today.”

  Mae nodded, her expression softer. “Feels… surreal, doesn’t it?”

  Ren hummed, glancing around the hall. The weight of it all settled in—eight months ago, they were desperate recruits trying to survive the trial. Now, they stood here as warriors, recognized by the Guild, strong enough to carve out a place in this ruthless world.

  He let out a low chuckle. “Yeah. Guess it does.”