The silence in the testing grounds lasted for exactly five seconds. Then the VIP viewing boxes erupted into absolute chaos.

Guild recruiters scrambled over each other shouting into their communication crystals and waving digital contracts in the air. The elite students in the stands were completely speechless staring at the unconscious body of Fraser Lennox and the boy in the black jacket who had put him there.

Glen ignored the screaming recruiters. He turned his back on the arena and walked toward the exit. He had made his point. He had secured his reputation. Now he needed to leave before the Association tried to lock him in a laboratory to study him.

As he walked down the shaded stone pathway leading away from the testing grounds a group of men in sleek gray suits blocked his path. They wore the insignia of the Valor Guild on their lapels.

"Glen Mcdonald" the lead recruiter said holding up a glowing digital tablet. "I represent the Valor Guild. We are prepared to offer you a Class A rookie contract right now. Ten million credits a year full medical benefits and access to our private training dungeons."

It was a dream offer. A week ago Glen would have killed for a fraction of that money.

Glen looked at the recruiter and let out a short laugh. "Ten million? That is cute. But I do not do leashes. Tell your Guild Master I am not interested in being a corporate attack dog."

The recruiter frowned. "You do not understand boy. You displayed an unregistered mana signature today. The Association will want answers. The Valor Guild can protect you from their questions. Without us you are a target."

"I have been a target my whole life" Glen said stepping past the men in suits. "I am used to it. Have a nice day."

He left the recruiters standing on the path and headed toward the older abandoned section of the academy campus. He needed a quiet place to check his system notifications and figure out his next move.

He found an old stone courtyard overgrown with ivy and sat down on a crumbling bench. He opened his status window.

Name: Glen Mcdonald

Class: Skill Predator (Unique)

Level: 6

Core Capacity: 2 of 3 Slots Filled

He still had one empty slot in his core. He needed to find another high tier skill to steal preferably a defensive or utility skill to round out his combat style.

"That was not a Mimic skill."

Glen closed his status window instantly. He looked up.

Standing in the shadows of an old oak tree was a breathtakingly beautiful girl. She looked to be about his age but she carried herself with the rigid posture of a seasoned veteran. She had sharp piercing green eyes and dark hair tied back in a practical braid. She wore a faded but high quality combat duster and resting at her hips were two massive heavily modified mana pistols. Even beneath all that anyone could see her beautiful figure.

Glen recognized her immediately. Isla Sinclair. An A Rank Spirit Gunner. She was one of the top three students in the entire academy but she rarely interacted with anyone. Rumor had it she came from a fallen aristocratic guild family that had been bankrupted by rivals.

"I do not know what you are talking about" Glen said leaning back on the bench and crossing his arms. "I mimicked his fire and blew it back at him. Basic physics."

Isla stepped out of the shadows. She did not smile. "Do not insult my intelligence Mcdonald. I have eyes. You did not use fire mana. You used purple lightning. And before that you used raw physical strength that an F Rank body could never generate. You are hiding something massive."

Glen stared at her. His hand slowly drifted toward the hilt of the silver sword strapped to his back. "And what if I am? Are you going to report me to the Association?"

Isla let out a dry humorless laugh. "The Association is corrupt. The major guilds are worse. I do not care if you are an illegal anomaly or a secret government experiment. I only care about power."

She walked closer stopping a few feet away from the bench. She looked at him with intense calculating eyes.

"My family guild is dead" Isla said her voice hard. "The major guilds crushed us and stole our dungeon territories. I am going to take them back. But I cannot do it alone. I need someone who is willing to break the rules. Someone who hits hard and does not care about guild politics."

Glen raised an eyebrow. "You want to team up? An A Rank elite and an F Rank slum rat?"

"You are not an F Rank" Isla countered. "I watched you walk through a B Rank inferno without a scratch. You need access to high tier dungeons to grow whatever that power of yours is. But without a guild sponsor the Association will never grant you a gate permit. You will be stuck fighting slimes in E Rank caves."

She crossed her arms mirroring his posture. "I still have my family’s master permit. I can open any gate up to B Rank without Association oversight. I provide the access and the cover story. You provide your skills and abillities, then we split the loot fifty fifty."

Glen looked at her. She was sharp pragmatic and completely ruthless, she did not care about his secrets she only cared about her own goals. It was the perfect arrangement.

A slow dark smile spread across Glen’s face. He stood up from the bench.

"Fifty fifty" Glen said holding out his hand. "And I get first pick of any boss cores we find."

Isla looked at his hand and then met his eyes. A faint smirk finally broke through her rigid expression. She reached out and shook his hand. Her grip was incredibly strong.

"Deal" Isla said. "Get your gear ready Mcdonald. Tomorrow morning we are hitting a B Rank dungeon. Let us see what you can really do."

The rogue mercenary party was officially born. The major guilds had no idea what was coming for them.