Huh!
Everyone turned away in disappointment.
"Is he that weak?" someone commented from the crowd, loud enough for Denzel to hear.
Even Denzel was shocked by his rank test. In his past life, he had reached B-rank — he had been expecting at least an A-rank this time around. What luck he had! Everything had been going too smoothly, he thought.
Ella, the secretariat conducting the experiment, didn't know how to react to what she had just witnessed. How could someone be so weak that the [Ether Machine] didn't even glow for long?
After a long, awkward silence, she gave Denzel the only logical result left:
"Denzel Rünter, F-rank player."
Denzel stood there, confused.
Wasn't I way stronger than in my past life?
Too many variables have changed...
The crowd burst into laughter.
"He's the lowest rank here!" cackled a chubby, bearded man with overgrown hair.
The crowd quickly shifted their attention back to Ryan — the new star of the day.
Ryan's rank had been officially confirmed by the Association: S-rank.
Only the 21st S-rank player recorded worldwide... and the 5th in the Netherlands!
The Dutch were now officially the new powerhouse country, surpassing the US and Japan in the number of S-rank players. Cheers erupted, and people crowded around Ryan, trying to get his autograph or a quick picture.
After all, who wouldn't want a selfie with a newly-minted global celebrity?
Meanwhile, Denzel was left alone, wallowing in his despair in a corner.
How embarrassing...
The commotion died down eventually, and Ella — yes, the same secretariat — returned.
Clearing her throat, she said, "Ryan, the Association Chairman would like to speak with you."
She motioned for Ryan to follow, then hesitated slightly before sighing and waving Denzel along too. (No one really knew why he tagged along.)
They entered a private elevator that shot them to the highest floor of the building. The moment they stepped into the Chairman's office, the air shifted.
A strong, oppressive aura filled the room.
Behind the grand desk sat a man in his late 50s or early 60s, neatly trimmed beard, sharp gray eyes — a man who had clearly seen battle.
It was Ruud Van Hasten, the Chairman of the Netherlands Players' Association.
And he wasn't just any man.
[Entrenched Players]
When the dungeons and towers first appeared a week ago, a few individuals with maxed-out stats had already emerged. These rare beings were known as Entrenched Players.
Their systems were "locked," meaning they could no longer level up, adjust their skills, or enter towers. Despite that, they possessed immense strength and insider knowledge of the dungeons.
Most of them were veterans or former high-ranking officials, like Chairman Ruud — once the Minister of Finance before awakening as an Entrenched Player.
Chairman Ruud stood up and casually walked toward Ryan.
Denzel's legs started shaking uncontrollably. He's going to kill us!
Without warning, Ruud cocked his fist back and threw a punch at Ryan.
Ryan, acting on pure instinct, dodged.
BOOM!
The punch obliterated part of the wall, sending chunks of debris flying outside the skyscraper.
Denzel froze in horror.
He actually tried to kill him!
Ruud turned to face Ryan — and burst into hearty laughter.
Ryan, pissed off, punched the wall in frustration.
"Grandpaaaa!" Ryan roared. "I've told you to stop punching me! Do I look like a punching bag to you? I swear, your brain gets more rotten the older you get!"
Ruud laughed louder. "You never change, Ryan! Still that awful energy... and now it's even affected your fashion sense," he said, scanning Ryan's outfit with mock disdain.
Ryan gasped. "What?! I have poor fashion sense? You once wore a suit and tie to the beach!"
"I had a meeting before I came to the beach, numbskull," Ruud snorted. "Well, if that's what you feel most comfortable in, suit yourself."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"I almost forgot — congratulations on your S-rank. There are a lot of formalities involved... but you can skip those."
Ruud's expression turned serious. "One thing, though: you must not form allegiance with any other country. Especially not because of that grudge you have against me."
He folded his arms.
"We'll also give you full authorization to enter dungeons and towers freely — but only within Dutch borders."
Ryan scoffed. "Tch. You think I'm that petty? I'm not switching allegiance over that nonsense. But..." He pointed at Denzel. "I want one thing added."
Ruud raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Give him the same privileges."
The Chairman turned to look at Denzel.
"Oh, him?" Ruud chuckled. "I think I can pull a few strings."
Turning to Denzel, he asked, "You're my grandson's best friend, right?"
Denzel, still trembling, saluted instinctively.
"Yes, sir!"
Ruud smiled slightly. "Good. Then it's done. You'll both get your Player IDs and Gold Passes. Ella will handle the rest."
They thanked the Chairman and left the office with Ella leading them.
Ruud Van Hasten watched them from the window, his gaze sharp.
His silver eyes began to glow faintly as he stared at Denzel's retreating figure.
Suddenly, a shadowy portal opened on the floor behind him. A dark figure, cloaked completely in shadow with glowing purple eyes, emerged silently.
"Keep an eye on that kid," Ruud said, not turning around. "According to Ella, he's an F-rank. But..."
He narrowed his eyes.
"I can't sense his aura at all. That's not possible — not for a rookie like him."
The dark figure nodded. His voice was low and eerie.
"Got it, sir."
Ruud's mind raced with possibilities. Only two explanations made sense:
Denzel was truly weak — so weak that even Ruud's abilities couldn't detect him.
Denzel was a dangerous anomaly — so strong that even Ruud's senses and the Ether Machine couldn't comprehend him.
Neither possibility sat well with the Chairman.
If Denzel became a problem... he would be eliminated.
[End of Chapter 5]