Ruby Anne's smirk deepened as she stepped off the massive serpent and onto the stone ground, her boots clicking softly against the worn surface. The torches around them flickered as if responding to the charged atmosphere.
"You’re right, Zenon," she said, her voice carrying a strange amusement. "This raid wasn’t about the Gate Boss. It was about you."
Zenon narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
"The Gate Association has its rules," she continued, twirling her katana lazily in one hand. "And one of them is that S-Rank candidates must be proven before they’re acknowledged.
Zenon remained expressionless, but inside, his mind was already analyzing her words. Is that what this is? A hidden ranking test?
"You don’t seem surprised," she noted.
“Well, that much reasoning is expected,” Zenon re
