My Scumbag System - Chapter 116

Chapter 116: The Three Types of People at a Hunter Party
The VHC Headquarters swallowed us whole, its cavernous atrium opening up like the maw of some ancient leviathan.

I had seen palaces in my past life, been inside the most exclusive clubs Tokyo had to offer, but this—this was power made manifest in glass and stone.

The Apex Atrium soared above us, impossibly high. The ceiling was a living map of constellations marking every known S-Rank Gate on the planet, tiny pinpricks of light shifting and pulsing with data. Smart-glass walls formed a transparent barrier between the elite gathered here and the city sprawling below, the message clear: you rule over that world from this one.

“Smile,” Luka muttered, nudging me with his massive elbow as another flash went off. “These pictures end up in databases.”

I offered what I hoped passed for a bashful, earnest smile. Just another rookie overwhelmed by his first taste of the big leagues. The photographer nodded approvingly and moved on to capture Natalia, who gave him her perfected ice-princess stare, chin lifted just so.

The marble floor beneath us was shot through with veins of actual gold. Not gold-leaf, not gold paint—actual fucking gold, polished to a mirror shine. Who did that? The same people who installed actual gravitational dampeners, apparently, because despite the crush of bodies moving across it, the sound in here remained a carefully controlled symphony of murmurs and gentle music.

Even the air felt different—filtered, purified, and subtly scented with something that reminded me of mountain forests. The temperature was perfect. The lighting flattered everyone.

“Don’t wander off,” Kimiko said, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle from my lapel, her touch lingering a moment too long. Her eyes searched mine. “Remember what we discussed.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” I promised.

Luka clapped a hand on my shoulder. “There’s Jenkins! I want you to meet him—best trap specialist in Aegis Prime.” He glanced at Natalia, his enthusiasm dimming slightly as he registered the frost between us. “Nat, you coming?”

“I should say hello to the Miyamoto twins,” she replied, not looking at me.

“Right. Well. Find us before dinner?”

“Of course, Father.”

Kimiko gave me one last warning look before allowing herself to be led away by Luka, drawn into a circle of hunters wearing Aegis Prime insignia. I watched as she seamlessly adapted, transforming into the perfect Hunter’s wife—supportive, gracious, with just the right touch of self-deprecating humor about being a Zero in a room full of Aspect users.

And then it was just Natalia and me, standing in our bubble of manufactured tension. She deliberately took a half-step away, angling her body so her back was partially turned toward me.

“Good luck,” she murmured, the words barely audible.

“Enjoy your evening.”

She sauntered away, the backless dress giving me a perfect view of smooth skin and toned muscle. Heads turned as she passed—men and women alike tracking her movement with undisguised interest. My fingers itched to claim what was mine, but that was for later. For now, I had a mission.

The crowd was a living, breathing organism, and I began dissecting it layer by layer.

The Apex Predators were easy to spot. They were the still points in the swirling chaos, the ones who didn’t need to move because everyone orbited them. S-Rank Hunters had an unmistakable presence—it wasn’t just confidence, it was certainty. The certainty that came from being able to level a building with a thought or command the elements with a gesture. They stood in loose groups of two or three, radiating casual power like heat.

A woman with a platinum streak through her black hair held court near one of the massive windows. Four or five people hung on her every word, their laughter just a second too loud, their body language screaming desperation for approval. Classic sycophants. The woman’s eyes—sharp, assessing, and utterly bored—swept the room continuously. Not missing a detail. Not missing me.

Moving on.

The Peacocks were equally obvious but infinitely more annoying. These were the legacy cases, the sons and daughters of established Hunters who had never had to work for a damn thing. They flaunted family crests on custom-tailored jackets, wore jewelry made from rare monster parts, and talked too loudly about their latest exploits.

In the center of the largest cluster stood a young man maybe a year or two older than me. Tall, blond, with a face that belonged on a recruitment poster. He wore his expensive suit like he was born in it, which he probably was. Four or five others surrounded him, laughing at something he had said. Among them I spotted a familiar face—La Sirena herself, Reyna Cabana, looking bored but playing along.

The blond caught my gaze across the room and held it a second too long. His eyebrow twitched up in silent evaluation before he dismissed me, turning back to his admirers.

A notification blinked in my peripheral vision.

[Target for ‘The Alpha’s Debut’ acquired: Julian Valerius]

Well, hello there, mission objective. You and I were going to have so much fun tonight.

The third group—the Jackals—worked the edges of the room. Guild recruiters with sharp eyes assessing the fresh meat. Information brokers pretending to be service staff, collecting gossip more valuable than gold. Corporate representatives with hidden agendas, looking for fresh talent or exploitable weaknesses.

I made my way to a relatively quiet spot near one of the refreshment tables, snagging a flute of something bubbly from a passing server. The perfect vantage point to observe without being obvious about it.

“First timer?”

I turned to find a woman in her early-thirties, wearing a red dress that complemented her dark skin. Her smile was friendly enough, but her eyes were shrewdly assessing.

“That obvious?”

“Don’t worry, I’m a rookie too,” she said, extending a hand. “Valerie Kwan, Celestial Sentinels recruitment.”

I shook it. “Satori Nakano.”

“Nakano…” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Any relation to Dr. Kenji Nakano?”

“My uncle I think,” I said simply. “Though I never knew him.”

She studied me with new interest. “I see the resemblance now. Same eyes.”

Before I could ask what exactly she meant by that, she was smoothly changing subjects.

“Your Aspect manifested recently, yes? Something fire-based, if I recall the reports.”

Reports. Of course. Everyone in this room likely knew everything about me before I walked in.

“Thermal Incision,” I confirmed. “Still learning to control it.”

“Fascinating.” She took a sip of her drink. “The Sentinels are always looking for unique Aspects. We value versatility over raw power.”

“I’m flattered, but I haven’t even taken the entrance exams yet.”

“Forward planning is how we stay competitive,” she said with a wink. “Keep us in mind when you’re weighing your options.”

A commotion near the main entrance drew our attention. The crowd parted like a wave as a woman entered, flanked by two silent attendants. She was tall, strikingly beautiful, with flowing white hair that seemed to catch non-existent starlight.

“Well,” Valerie murmured, “this just got interesting. Seraphina Vance herself.”

The President of the VHC. The woman who knew what happened to my father.

“She rarely attends these functions,” Valerie continued. “Must be someone important on the guest list.”

Behind Seraphina followed a younger woman, perhaps my age or slightly older. She had the same white hair and ethereal beauty, though her expression was less severe, almost curious. The family resemblance was unmistakable.

“And that’s Celeste Vance,” Valerie added, noting my interest. “The younger sister. Soon to be first year at New Vein Academy, just like you’ll be. Supposedly has an Aspect to rival her sister’s, though no one’s seen it in action.”

[Side Quest: Know Thy Enemy – Target identified: Celeste Vance]

Well, wasn’t this convenient.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I said to Valerie, “I think I need to refresh my drink.”