Chapter 41

I walked out of the room where my mana had been measured, only to be immediately confronted by chaos. A crowd had gathered, their eyes wide with awe, their whispers filling the air.

"It was SS+ Rank, wasn't it?"

"Unbelievable! Someone at the level of the White God!"

"Is he even human?"

The murmurs surrounded me like an ocean of noise, and dozens of sparkling eyes were fixed on me. Startled by the overwhelming attention, I quickly retreated back inside, shutting the door behind me.

Inside, the two humans who had been measuring my mana earlier were waiting, their faces lit with wide grins.

"What's happening out there?" I demanded, still catching my breath.

One of them chuckled. "Well, you've been officially ranked as SS+. That hasn't happened in over a decade. Naturally, you've caused quite the stir. Everyone out there wants a piece of you."

"SS+…" I muttered. Though the number was meaningless to me, the impact it had on these humans was clear.

The man continued, gesturing to another door. "You'll want to avoid the main entrance. Use that door over there instead. It should lead to a quieter area, though I can't promise it'll be completely crowd-free. That's also where you can collect your official ID. Some guild leaders are there too; you might want to speak with them. Oh, and take these—your power measurement records."

He handed me a stack of papers, which I took before nodding. Without another word, I made my way to the alternate door, pushing it open to reveal a long hallway.

---

The hallway led to a spacious hall filled with large, round tables. The atmosphere here was much calmer, with small groups of people chatting in hushed tones. Yet, as I stepped in, I noticed their gazes shift toward me, conversations halting mid-sentence.

A man at one of the tables whispered to someone beside him. "Boss… is that him? The new SS+ Ranker?"

The woman he spoke to turned to look at me, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Hmm…"

Soon, more heads turned. Whispers spread like wildfire.

Before I could fully process the shift in attention, a woman approached me. Her stride was confident, her expression eager.

"Excuse me," she said. "Are you the new SS+ Ranker?"

I met her gaze and replied, my voice calm but resolute. "Yes. Do you need something?"

Her face lit up with a smile as she handed me a card. "We'd like to invite you to join our guild."

I raised an eyebrow at her directness. No introduction, no pleasantries—straight to the point. How crude.

"Not—" I began, but she cut me off.

"We're offering you the position of vice leader. Our guild is ranked fourth in all of Japan."

Her desperation was obvious now, and it only irritated me further. "When you're making an offer," I said coldly, "don't reveal your own desires first. It's unbecoming."

I turned away, but she wasn't done yet. "Wait! The position is one of the most highly rewarded in the entire hero industry!"

I stopped in my tracks and glanced at her over my shoulder. "Not interested, kid. Go home."

A ripple of chuckles spread through the room at my remark. Her face turned red, a mix of embarrassment and frustration, and she stormed back to her table.

---

I found an empty round table in a corner and sat down. The murmurs around me had subsided somewhat, but I wasn't naïve. Something about the situation felt off.

For someone like me—an SS+ Ranker—to appear, it should have caused a stampede of offers. And yet, aside from that desperate girl, no one else dared to approach me.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the voices around me, letting my enhanced hearing pick up the whispers.

"There's no point trying. Every SS+ Ranker ends up joining them."

"Yeah, the Titans have already marked him, no doubt."

"It's basically a tradition. Why waste the effort?"

One name kept surfacing: Titans.

So, every SS+ Ranker joins this "Titans" guild, do they? And judging by the resigned tone in their voices, this wasn't just a suggestion—it was an expectation.

Before I could ponder further, the door to the hall slammed open, and a group of figures entered.

Their presence was overwhelming. While the others in the hall acted nonchalant, I saw the truth with my enhanced vision. These weren't ordinary humans.

They were lesser gods.

"So, here they come again," someone nearby muttered under their breath. "The Titans."

My eyes narrowed as I observed the group. Their steps were confident, their auras radiating divine energy that set them apart from everyone else in the room.

A guild of gods…

Now I understood. This wasn't just about power or prestige. The Titans weren't an ordinary guild—they were a collective of deities.

As they scanned the room, their eyes eventually landed on me. One of them, a tall figure with glowing golden eyes, smirked as he approached.

"So," he said, his voice carrying a weight that silenced the entire hall. "You must be the new SS+ Ranker."

I met his gaze, unflinching. "And you must be with the Titans."

He chuckled, the sound reverberating through the room. "Indeed. Let's talk."