Chapter 65: 65 | Ultra Rank
Dexter nodded honestly.
This place alone was enough to make anyone understand why the Hero Association was considered one of humanity’s greatest powers.
Standing here, watching heroes walk past like ordinary commuters going to work, it was easy to forget that each one of them could probably level a city block if they wanted to.
Near the entrance stood an enormous holographic display.
It displayed rankings, achievements, dungeon statistics, and city-wide alerts. Numbers scrolled constantly. Dungeon clear rates. Monster activity reports. Hero deployment statuses. The information was endless and updated in real time.
One section caught Dexter’s attention immediately.
═══════════════════
Hero Classification System
F-Rank Heroes. Entry-Level Heroes who have successfully cleared at least one dungeon.
E-Rank Heroes. Competent Heroes who have cleared at least three dungeons.
D-Rank Heroes. Experienced Heroes who have cleared at least five dungeons.
C-Rank Heroes. Professional Heroes who have cleared ten or more dungeons, including C-Rank Dungeons.
B-Rank Heroes. Elite Heroes who have cleared twenty or more dungeons, including B-Rank Dungeons.
A-Rank Heroes. Master-Class Heroes capable of clearing S-Rank Dungeons.
S-Rank Heroes. Legendary Heroes capable of changing the fate of entire cities.
════════════════════
Dexter read through the classifications carefully. Each rank represented a different level of power, experience, and responsibility.
The gap between F-Rank and S-Rank was so vast that an F-Rank hero might as well be an ant standing before a dragon.
Yet every hero started somewhere.
Even the legends were once beginners who entered their first dungeon with trembling hands and racing hearts.
As Rachel approached the entrance gate, she produced an identification card.
Several guards immediately saluted.
Dexter, however, wasn’t looking at the card.
He was staring at the guards.
Every single one of them radiated immense pressure.
Superhuman Realm.
Peak Superhuman Realm.
Every single guard.
Dexter couldn’t hide his shock.
Peak Superhumans were supposed to be powerful experts.
The kind of people that ordinary heroes spoke about with respect and caution.
Yet here they were.
Working security.
Standing at gates and checking IDs. Waving cars through. Like bouncers at a nightclub. Except these bouncers could probably flatten the nightclub if they sneezed too hard.
Rachel noticed his expression and laughed softly.
"Superhuman Heroes aren’t nearly as rare as ordinary people think."
She pointed toward one of the guards.
"Besides, working for the Hero Association pays incredibly well. About 500k annually. "
"Many heroes prefer stable income over risking their lives in dungeons every week."
Dexter was stunned. That’s almost a billion in one year!
She shrugged.
"If I didn’t already enjoy field work, I probably would’ve become a guard too."
Dexter was genuinely surprised.
Being a guard actually paid that much?
Maybe becoming security wasn’t such a bad career choice after all. Standing at the gate all day, doing nothing but scanning the IDs and getting paid handsomely without dungeon hunting.
It sounded almost peaceful.
Rachel drove toward the parking area and parked the car.
Both of them stepped out.
The inside of the compound was even larger
There were separate buildings everywhere.
The Dungeon Registration Hall. A wide building with a constant flow of heroes entering and exiting.
Some looked excited. Others looked exhausted. A few looked like they had seen things they wished they could forget.
The Hero Licensing Center. A more formal structure with official banners and a line of nervous newcomers waiting outside.
The Medical Wing.
The Hero Hospital. Larger than the Medical Wing. Several heroes on stretchers were being wheeled inside by medical staff while concerned teammates followed behind.
The Research Division. A futuristic building covered in sensors and antennas. Drones flew in and out of open windows carrying samples and equipment.
The Beast Material Exchange Department. Heroes walked out carrying bags of materials. Monster parts. Herbs. Crystals. All harvested from dungeons and brought here for evaluation and sale.
The Auction Hall. An elegant building with marble pillars. Through the open doors, Dexter could hear an auctioneer’s voice calling out prices.
The Training Complex. The largest building visible. Multiple combat arenas were visible through transparent reinforced glass walls. Inside, heroes sparred while instructors observed from elevated platforms.
The Combat Arena. A circular colosseum-like structure that roared with the sound of explosions and cheering crowds.
The Hero Academy Liaison Office. A smaller building with young students in uniforms entering and exiting.
There was even a private shopping district exclusively for registered heroes.
Heroes could buy weapons, armor, artifacts, potions, and dungeon supplies there at discounted prices.
Mana-powered trains connected different sections of the compound together.
Small platforms dotted the pathways where heroes waited for the next train.
The entire place felt like a miniature city.
A city built by heroes and for heroes.
Rachel smiled as she watched his expression.
"Not what you expected?"
Dexter shook his head honestly.
"Not even close."
He had expected an office building.
Instead, he found an entire civilization built around heroes. A self-sustaining ecosystem where every need was catered to.
Rachel laughed.
"Welcome to the center of Stargate City’s power."
She led him toward the main entrance.
Heroes constantly passed by them.
Some were chatting casually about recent dungeon runs. Comparing kills and sharing strategies.
Some looked exhausted. Others looked injured. One hero walked past with half his face covered in fresh bandages.
Several carried freshly harvested monster materials.
Dexter even spotted someone carrying the severed claw of a monster larger than a truck.
Suddenly.
His steps suddenly slowed and his pupils constricted as a powerful aura swept past him.
He instinctively turned his head.
An Ultra Rank Hero.
The pressure radiating from the man was unlike anything Dexter had ever felt before.
The man walked through the crowd and people parted around him without being asked. Without even thinking about it. Like water flowing around a stone in a river.
It felt as though a mountain had walked past him.
Before he could fully process it, another figure emerged from the building.
This time, the entire entrance hall fell silent.
People moved aside instinctively for this woman without hesitation.
Dexter looked up.
A woman stepped out of the building.
Long silver hair flowed behind her like a river of moonlight.
She wore a black combat coat with silver trim. The coat was fitted perfectly to her body.
Comments