What was going on? Jung Gi-Soo ended his call with Baek Yoon-Ho and tilted his head. It was already surprising enough that an E-rank Hunter had stepped up for a reassessment, but now the master of the Baekho Guild wanted the result of that Hunter's reassessment immediately.
*'Is there really something to it?'*
Coming from no one other than Baek Yoon-Ho, who was speaking so seriously, it did make him think there might be something to it. But he quickly shook his head.
*'Nah, no way.'*
Awakening after awakening wasn't a phenomenon you could just see every day. Had it been a few months ago? The whole Hunter's Association had been turned upside down when a suspected re-awakening case showed up. Of course, that had also turned out to be a false alarm. Actual cases were rare as hen's teeth, and misunderstandings were frequent when it came to re-awakening.
*'There were plenty of cases where people came in thinking they were re-awakened, only to leave having paid the reassessment fee for nothing...'*
The Baekho Guild must have gotten some serious misconception. Still, considering his relationship with the Baekho Guild, he couldn't refuse the request of Chairman Baek Yoon-Ho.
"I'll be going out for a bit." "Where are you going, Deputy?" "I just remembered I had some business in Building B."
Building B was a kind of slang among the Association staff for the building that housed the mana measurement room.
"Understood." "Call me right away if anything comes up." "Yes."
Even as Jung Gi-Soo inwardly dismissed the notion of 're-awakening,' he headed for Building B, picturing the face of Baek Yoon-Ho, who should have already departed by now.
***
Jin-Woo settled his hips at the far end of the waiting seats. There were three other people waiting. All of them had faces full of obvious tension. Jin-Woo could fully understand how they felt.
*'Your entire future is decided based on the assessment result.'*
When he had first visited the Association, he had been thinking the same things as these people. If I become A-rank, no, if I just become B-rank, what if I suddenly hit S-rank? The shock of being judged as E-rank after being lost in such happy daydreams was immense. He recalled four years ago and gave a faint smile.
*'What's he smiling at?' 'More importantly, can he really be smiling now?'*
The other people waiting gave him odd looks, but Jin-Woo remained calm.
*'Born with nerves of steel?' 'Doesn't seem nervous at all.'*
Seeing his composed reaction, the somewhat embarrassed people looked away in different directions.
*'Not much has changed since then.'*
This, too, was in Jin-Woo's memory. He'd felt bothered by the people sitting next to him and had been curious about what grade the others would get. Smiling to himself, Jin-Woo slowly looked around the inside of the building. The people were the same, and the building was also largely unchanged. Since the Hunter's Association itself was less than ten years old, the building was still as clean as new. The interior was almost just as he remembered. The only difference was.
*'Those people.'*
As Jin-Woo stared intently at the men and women in neat suits gathered across from him, the man sitting beside him spoke up.
"They say they're all from guilds." "From guilds?" "Yeah. Smaller guilds don't get many Hunters visiting them, so they lurk like that to poach the newly awakened ones after their grade is determined."
No wonder there had been a cold vibe coming from them.
*'And their eyes are sharp when they look this way.'*
There was a good reason for that.
"Just so you know, it's better not to join guilds like that." "Why is that?" "I heard smaller guilds often take on dangerous raids, and the Hunter mortality rate is high."
Jin-Woo nodded. Smaller guilds were inevitably in an awkward position. They weren't satisfied just going into lower-level Dungeons like private raid teams, but they also lacked the skill to tackle higher-level Dungeons. So accidents happened frequently.
*'Recruiting Hunters would be a critical issue for them.'*
It seemed they had reached the point where they had to follow people all the way into the Association building and stake out new recruits like this.
"Ah."
A man who was dabbing at the sweat on his exposed forehead with a towel carefully extended his hand to Jin-Woo.
"Since we've met like this, it must be fate. How about we introduce ourselves? I'm Yoon Jung-Hoon." "I'm Sung Jin-Woo."
The brief introductions ended, and the two quietly waited for their turns.
"Next person please."
The measurement area was open, so you could read the expression of someone who had finished their mana measurement or the staff's reaction. The face of the awakened person who had just finished measuring was not good.
*'Probably D or even E.'*
The people from the guilds seemed to think the same as Jin-Woo, because they showed no interest at all as the awakened person passed by. Should you call it an honest reaction? Or perhaps, he even thought, they might have another way to find out the results.
"Next person, please."
Another result came out. This time, too, it didn't seem to be good news. The heavy steps of the awakened person heading out were understandable.
*'If high-rank Hunters came out that often, the salaries wouldn't be so high.'*
For ordinary people, even C-rank was a jackpot. You could get rich joining a private raid team, and with a bit of luck, you could even aim for a major guild. Among the new recruits of the Baekho Guild, there had been four C-ranks. If you succeeded in getting into a major guild, you were guaranteed an income that any doctor or lawyer would envy. The older man next to him spoke again.
"I heard you get a large sum as a signing bonus if you join a major guild?"
The fingertips of the man holding the handkerchief were trembling slightly.
"Actually, I have some debts. Because of that, I'm living apart from my daughter right now. That's why I'm so nervous."
Muttering this, the man suddenly seemed startled and bowed hastily to Jin-Woo.
"Oh my, what am I saying in front of a stranger... I'm really scatterbrained, aren't I? When I get nervous, I tend to talk too much."
"It's okay."
Jin-Woo smiled and bowed his head in return. The man wasn't kidding about being nervous, as he kept taking deep breaths. Another awakened person left.
"You can come in now."
It was the older man's turn. But the man, who had been breaking into a cold sweat, carefully tugged at Jin-Woo's sleeve. Was he in pain?
"Are you hurt somewhere?"
Jin-Woo asked with concern. The man shook his head.
"No, it's not that... Would you mind going first? I'm too nervous right now."
The man's eyes were pleading. Was there any reason to refuse when he was offering to let him go first? Jin-Woo readily agreed. If the next few minutes could decide the rest of his life, who wouldn't be nervous? Jin-Woo stood up in the man's place and approached the staff member. The staff member asked in a businesslike tone.
"What is your name?" "Sung Jin-Woo." "Sung Jin-Woo... Yes, you can place your hand on that black plate and wait."
Following the staff member's instructions, Jin-Woo walked over to the measurement device and placed his hand on the black plate.
*'Huh? He's the one who was judged as an E-rank awakened person?'*
The staff member, looking at the documents, sent a surprised look. Why was it that every Hunter who came for a reassessment was an E-rank? The staff member, who had been sending a disapproving look, belatedly turned on the measurement device. *Click.* *Whirrr—* The mana measurement device, which made a noise as it spun for a moment, soon stopped operating. The result appeared on the monitor.
*'Huh? What's with this?'*
The staff member tilted his head, then spoke to Jin-Woo, who was lifting his hand.
"Wait a moment." "Yes?" "Let me try one more time." "Okay."
Jin-Woo placed his hand again. *Click.*
*'Huh?'*
This had never happened before. The staff member's expression grew increasingly stiff. Why did the device have to malfunction at a time like this? The staff member asked for Jin-Woo's patience one more time.
"I'm sorry. Just once more, please." "..."
Facing repeated requests for re-measurement, Jin-Woo decided not to lift his hand at all and just wait. *Click.* *Click.*
*'What on earth is wrong with this thing?'*
Cold sweat began to bead on the staff member's forehead. *Buzz buzz.* By this point, others had also started to notice that something was off.
*'What is it? Is something wrong?' 'How many times has he run the machine now?' 'I think there's a problem...'*
As the stares poured in, the staff member's cold sweat grew even heavier. *Click.*
*'Ah, seriously, what am I supposed to do?'*
Just as he was at his wit's end.
"What's this? Where did Chang-Sik go, leaving you here alone?"
The staff member turned around. There stood Jung Gi-Soo, the Deputy from the admissions department.
"Deputy Jung!"
The unexpected appearance of reinforcements brought a look of relief to the staff member's face.
"My senior went to the restroom for a moment." "You rascal, do you know what time it is, leaving your post during work hours..."
Jung Gi-Soo couldn't finish his sentence.
*'...I'm the same.'*
Ahem. Anyway, he seemed to have arrived at just the right time. Wasn't the new staff member breaking into a cold sweat while the senior was away? This was exactly when the veteran should step in.
"What is it? What's the problem?"
Jung Gi-Soo showed interest.
"The measurement device is acting up." "The device?" "Look. It keeps showing an error."
Instead of the staff member who stepped aside, Jung Gi-Soo stood in front of the monitor displaying the measurement result. Jung Gi-Soo's face became rigid.
"...How long have you been working here?" "About half a year. Did I press something wrong?" "No. Just call Chang-Sik and tell him to come here right away." "What?" "Right now the restroom isn't important, so call him over quickly!"
Jung Gi-Soo's voice rose. The staff member flinched and asked.
"Why, why is that, Deputy?" "This isn't an error, it's a measurement failure! Don't you know what a measurement failure means?" "Huh? Isn't that just an error message?"
Why were new recruits all so dense? Jung Gi-Soo's gaze left the new recruit and settled on the subject being measured.
*'How can this be...'*
Sung Jin-Woo. The man whose results the master of the Baekho Guild had asked to be told. Without taking his eyes off Sung Jin-Woo, Jung Gi-Soo spoke to the new recruit.
"It means our measurement device cannot measure the subject's mana, you idiot." "What? Could it be, that..."
The kid said he'd been working here half a year? Half a year, he said. It hadn't appeared in nearly two years, so it wasn't strange that the new recruit didn't know. Jung Gi-Soo continued in a trembling voice.
"That's right... He's S-rank."
Special. While the term was so widely used that it seemed like an official grade, it actually meant a grade that could not be measured.
"So call Chang-Sik over right away." "I'll call him immediately."
Kim Chang-Sik, who had rushed over after receiving the call, was out of breath and awkwardly pulling up his pants.
"Huff, huff, what is it?"
The color drained from Kim Chang-Sik's face as he checked the monitor. Then, an earthquake struck his pupils as he looked toward Jin-Woo.
*'This man is Korea's tenth...'*
Kim Chang-Sik approached Jin-Woo. Only then did Jin-Woo's hand finally lift from the device.
"Um... Right now, with this machine, Mr. Sung Jin-Woo."
Kim Chang-Sik then remembered that Jin-Woo was a Hunter who possessed a license, and changed how he addressed him.
"No, it is impossible to measure the mana of Hunter Sung Jin-Woo. To use the precision measurement device, we need approval from upper management, so could you please visit the Association again in three days?"
Kim Chang-Sik followed procedure. How long had it been since he'd had to say these words? It was all hazy in his memory. As a Hunter with experience, Jin-Woo immediately understood what that meant.
*'Good.'*
A measurement suspension judgment. In other words, if he got a measurement failure again at the precision measurement in three days, it meant he would become S-rank.
*'Good job.'*
If he had gotten an A-rank result now, he would have had to raise his stats further and visit the Association again. But what if, on top of a rare re-awakening, he said he had awakened yet again? While the first re-awakening might be luck, starting from a third awakening, he might receive suspicious looks. He didn't want to get involved in troublesome affairs and waste his time.
*'Phew...'*
Relieved by the outcome, Jin-Woo let out a sigh of relief inwardly. Then he turned around.
"Huh?"
Everyone inside the Association was looking at him.
***
"Oh my, I know you must be busy, so why do you keep coming by?" "Well, I can't just call Chief Park of the Hunter's Association, can I? I have to meet you face to face and explain."
As Choi Jong-In sent a friendly smile and spoke amicably, Chief Park, who was well into his forties, chuckled and smiled. Who was this man in front of him? He was the man leading Korea's top guild, 'Hunters'. Choi Jong-In, the ultimate weapon. With just one word from him, Korea's strongest elite raid team moved in perfect order. When such a man was being this flattering, how could he feel bad about it? Choi Jong-In picked up a cigarette and asked.
"Mind if I have a smoke?" "Ah, of course." "You too, Chief?" "No, I'm fine."
Putting the lit cigarette in his mouth, Choi Jong-In was a man who exuded the confidence of someone who had everything at a young age.
*'Is this what charisma looks like?'*
As the chief stared at him as if hypnotized, Choi Jong-In suddenly asked.
"By the way, it's a bit noisy over in Building B today?" "Building B?"
The chief looked toward Building B. In fact, he couldn't hear any noise at all. But Choi Jong-In was an S-rank Hunter. His five senses were on a level incomparable to ordinary people. If Choi Jong-In said it was noisy, then something must really be happening. With such an important guest present, what an embarrassment. The chief frowned and said.
"I'll go take a look." "No."
Choi Jong-In flicked his cigarette to the floor and crushed it with his foot.
"I'm curious about what's going on, too."
As he lifted his head, a glint of interest flashed in Choi Jong-In's eyes. At the same time, a subtle smile appeared on his lips.
"Let's go together."