The Awakened Association building was, as always, massive, sleek, and full of luxury. Daniel walked through the main entrance, glanced at the directory, and tried to figure out where he needed to go.

After a moment of focus, he managed to find the direction for the "Awakened Info Registration and Update Section."

He took a deep breath and moved forward, approaching one of the staff members.

"Hi, excuse me. Where should I go to update infos?"

"East wing, fourth hall, Awakened section." The man behind the desk gave him a quick glance, no smile.

Daniel thanked him and followed the path. Contrary to his expectations, the hall wasn't crowded. A few people were waiting, but there were no long lines or any unusual commotion. He spotted a booth with no one in front of it and walked over.

"Hi, I'm here to update my awakening info." A woman in a uniform sat behind the desk. Daniel gave a small smile and said.

"Please provide your Awakening ID card," she responded formally.

Daniel pulled out the small, metallic card from his pocket and handed it over. The woman scanned it. A holographic screen popped up, displaying Daniel's information. She asked,

"What details need to be updated?"

Daniel scratched the back of his neck.

"My rank reached D, and I cleared the first floor of the tower."

She nodded and began typing. But then… her eyes froze on a specific part of the data.

Awakening Date: Less than a week ago.

Her eyes widened. She stared at the screen in disbelief, then slowly looked up at Daniel.

Daniel noticed.

"Is everything okay? Something wrong?"

She quickly pulled herself together.

"Yes, sir… everything's fine."

But her mind was racing.

'Wha—? How did this guy rank up twice in just four days? His card isn't even dry yet… And what's this mark on his panel?!'

She looked closer. A red symbol was blinking in the corner of the screen. This mark was only added by the Association's Criminal Division.

Worse still, there was no explanation. These marks were used when an Awakened was under suspicion, but the Criminal Division had no evidence against them yet.

There was no note on Daniel's ID card explaining why a red mark had been added.

'A player killer? Or worse… a corruption worshiper?!'

Her hands trembled slightly. She quietly filed a low-level alert for further review while continuing the update process. She handed the card back to Daniel.

Daniel took the card and stared at her.

Why does she look so scared? Did I do something to her?

Confused, Daniel looked at the woman again, trying to remember if he'd ever done anything to hurt her.

"So... will you explain the rank D benefits now?" he asked.

She adjusted her glasses, clearly trying to shake off the shock.

"Yes, of course."

"First, your monthly allowance increases from 25,000 Zen to 50,000 Zen."

"You gain access to the Awakened Association's online store, where you can buy rare items, potions, and equipment through the official community."

"You're now allowed to accept mid- to high-level missions, which offer more rewards than regular ones. Things like closing dimensional rifts or apprehending criminals."

"You can also apply to become an official employee of the Federation."

"Fifty thousand Zen? Double the amount? Not bad… that'll help me manage expenses better. Especially with the car, rent, and Alice's stuff…" Daniel smiled slightly after hearing the benefits.

"Thanks for the explanation." With that, he left the booth.

He still don't get why she looked so nervous… He slipped the card into his pocket.

As he calmly walked away from the counter, Daniel thought about checking out the Association's store when he got home.

"To enter the Celestial Domain, I need to be prepared. I'll need solid weapons… maybe grab some support items too."

Behind him, the woman at the desk let out a deep breath. The fear and tension that had nearly taken her breath moments ago began to fade.

"Corruption worshipers… they're always the most dangerous Awakened. Just standing near someone like that… it's suffocating." She sighed and tried to calm herself down.

Daniel, walking toward the exit, was still thinking about the woman's odd reaction.

But before he had time to think more—he sensed danger.

He stopped.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several people approaching. Slowly, but in sync. Their uniforms instantly caught his attention: Awakened Association guards.

Six of them. Five D-ranks… and one whose energy stood out immediately—a C-rank.

"Is there a problem?" Daniel asked calmly, without changing his expression.

The leader, a tall man with gray-streaked hair, stepped closer. His eyes were cold, like stone.

"Sorry, but you need to come with us. It's a security matter."

"Security? Can you be more specific?" Daniel tilted his head slightly.

The man paused for a moment. Then said,

"Internal investigation regarding corruption worship. Your name has been flagged as a suspect."

Silence.

Daniel's eyes twitched. For a moment, everything went quiet.

"Corruption worshiper? Me?!"

He took a deep breath, focusing on the C-rank guard.

'I can take down the D-ranks… but not him. He'll crush me before I even get the chance to escape…'

But this was just an initial check. He wasn't stupid enough to try running. If he did, the entire Criminal Division would come after him—and he didn't want that.

With the help of the Fallens, he could've easily taken them all down.

The real question was: why exactly was he being suspected of being a corruption worshipper?

He knew about them—more accurately, the entire world knew about them.

They were basically like terrorists—hated by the public, and hunted by nearly every anti-crime organization out there.

But he couldn't remember doing anything, or even being in contact with a single corruption worshipper, that could make anyone label him as one.

"I understand. No problem," he said calmly.

The guards exchanged glances, then walked up to him and gently placed the mana-restraining cuffs on his wrists. Mana-suppressing chains that could even shut down a B-rank Awakened for several minutes.

Daniel didn't resist.