Before leaving the floating city, Jhonathan was directed to the central evaluation hall.
It was a massive structure made of crystalline lawstone—built specifically to measure strength without bias, emotion, or political interference.
Adventurers lined the walls, watching quietly.
Jhonathan stepped forward and placed his hand on the evaluation crystal.
The crystal flickered.
Half of a rainbow burst through its surface, unstable and incomplete—like it couldn't decide how much of him to reveal.
The evaluator narrowed their eyes.
"…Analysis complete."
A pause.
Then—
"Level 321."
The hall went silent.
"…Rank: 7-Star."
Jhonathan blinked.
"…That's it?"
He pointed at himself, confused.
The evaluator slowly nodded.
"Yes."
A heavier pause followed.
"…Seven is the highest recorded rank."
The room shifted.
Whispers spread instantly.
"Only three 7-Star rankers are known…"
"They disappeared during the coronation wars…"
"…The missing Kings…"
The evaluator's voice lowered slightly.
"…You are the fourth."
Silence turned into tension.
Then—
a new tone entered the room.
Suspicion.
"If he's really 7-star…"
"…prove it."
Two 4-star adventurers stepped forward.
Then three more.
Then five.
"We don't accept frauds."
"We've fought wars for less."
"We'll kill him if we have to."
Jhonathan sighed slightly.
"…You really don't have to do this."
They attacked anyway.
All at once.
Blades, spells, aura strikes—coordinated, lethal, fast.
The hall exploded with energy.
And then—
Jhonathan moved.
No buildup.
No stance.
Just disappearance.
A blink later—
every attacker was on the ground.
Unconscious.
Not injured beyond repair.
Just completely overruled in speed, timing, and existence of response.
The hall went dead silent.
The evaluator swallowed slightly.
"…Confirmed."
They stamped the crystal permit.
A glowing seal formed in Jhonathan's hand.
"You are cleared to leave the city."
A pause.
"…7-Star Ranker."
Jhonathan looked at the seal.
Then at the open gates beyond the hall.
For the first time in a while—
the world didn't feel like it was forcing him into a fight.
"…This is really a new beginning."
Behind him, the city buzzed again.
But ahead—
the outside world waited.