17
Hong Yeon-ah.
The Hongryeon Guild, representing Busan and one of Korea's Top 10 Guilds. The granddaughter of Guild Master Hong Yeon-soo, a celebrity that no one in Busan could possibly not know.
And right now, that celebrity Hong Yeon-ah was staring at the closed door of the examination room Baek Woo-jin had entered with a peculiar look in her eyes.
'Was it my imagination?'
One of the two skills she had acquired along with the dream of awakening two days ago, 'Survival Instinct,' had reacted to the man who had entered the examination room a moment ago. No, it seemed to have reacted.
It was a skill that allowed her to sense beings who harbored malice toward her or could pose a threat, essentially a passive that enhanced her innate crisis detection ability. That was why Hong Yeon-ah couldn't help but show an ambiguous reaction.
'I must have felt it wrong.'
Having just come out from battling virtually summoned monsters until a moment ago, both her mind and body were more sensitive than necessary, leading her to conclude that it was merely a delusion.
"Please have a seat."
Through the still-open door, a middle-aged man in a suit came out holding a tablet.
"Is there anyone else using this besides me today?"
"Not that I'm aware of. Hoho, more importantly, tomorrow South Korea is going to be quite bustling."
The middle-aged man, Manager Kwak Du-seok, held out the tablet he had brought to Hong Yeon-ah.
Name: Hong Yeon-ah
Age: 20 Gender: Female
Strength: 21(D) Stamina: 25(D)
Agility: 22(D) Mana: 33(D)
The average starting line for awakeners who awakened through dreams began at E-rank. Among them, innately D-rank awakeners appeared very rarely, and even then, their stat values mostly stayed in the early 20s.
And currently, the officially known highest starting point was recorded by a French-born woman named Isabelle Avento, who recorded 30 in all three categories of Strength, Stamina, and Agility. She was a representative awakener of France and was called the reincarnation of Joan of Arc.
"Is this accurate with no margin of error?"
"From E-rank to A-rank. It's data recording stats in units of 1."
Unlike the rough machine measurements that one would just glance over, the practical test meticulously recorded actual measured values using virtual combat and all sorts of tools, so even if there was a margin of error, it had never exceeded the ±1 range.
"Grandfather will be pleased."
The wall of 30 that had seemed absolutely unbreakable was broken. How could he not be happy when the culprit was his own granddaughter?
Handing the tablet back to Kwak Du-seok, Hong Yeon-ah asked.
"He said his name was Baek Woo-jin."
"Baek Woo-jin?"
"He went in there earlier."
Hong Yeon-ah gestured with her chin toward the door behind Kwak Du-seok, but Kwak Du-seok simply chuckled without looking back.
"As I mentioned earlier, I'm quite busy these days. Even I don't know everything."
"Just asking. I'll be leaving now."
"Oh my, I forgot the vice guild master is waiting. Let's hurry out."
Kwak Du-seok took the lead with slightly exaggerated gestures, and Hong Yeon-ah glared once more at the door of the examination room Baek Woo-jin had entered before turning away.
**
-Yes. You may stop now.
"Huu."
At the receptionist's voice coming from the speaker on the ceiling, Baek Woo-jin removed his hand from the pillar made of mana stone and took a light breath. This was already the third time.
The first step of the practical test was mana measurement, and the pillar he had just had his hand on was the device used for that measurement.
When an awakener pours all their mana into the mana stone pillar, the absorbed mana stacks up from the bottom, rising with a blue light, and that height equaled the mana value.
And Baek Woo-jin, who had recovered his depleted mana with the mana potion prepared by the receptionist and undertaken the measurement, was now feeling bloated from the mana potions he had drunk on an empty stomach since he hadn't eaten breakfast before coming out, all thanks to the receptionist who requested re-measurement twice.
If it had been any other awakener, they would have given the receptionist a piece of their mind by now, but knowing why the receptionist kept requesting re-measurements, Baek Woo-jin planned to just accept it and faithfully undergo the measurement even though his stomach felt a bit bloated.
"Hunter Baek Woo-jin."
"Measuring again?"
"No. That won't be necessary. I'll conclude the mana measurement here."
He had been prepared to undergo it a couple more times, but at the receptionist's unexpectedly quick acceptance, Baek Woo-jin tidied up and came outside for the next test.
"I'm sorry."
The receptionist who had been recording the values approached Baek Woo-jin as he came out and bowed in apology.
"Both the first and second times produced the exact same value with no margin of error. However, it was such a... hard-to-believe value that I requested a third measurement. I'm truly sorry."
If his mana value had been low, that would be one thing. Knowing that the female receptionist's attitude stemmed from the exact opposite situation, Baek Woo-jin didn't feel any displeasure at all.
"Can I take a few potions with me when I leave?"
"If it's mana potions, you may take up to 5."
"Is that normally allowed?"
The receptionist simply smiled without a word.
'I should pocket them carefully.'
He hadn't planned to hold their mistake against them anyway, but if there was a benefit to be gained, shouldn't he naturally take it?
Having reached an implicit agreement to forgive this incident in exchange for 5 potions, the two quickly proceeded with the remaining tests that had been delayed due to the mana measurement.
He entered a zone with adjustable gravity to move his body for the strength measurement, and rolled around this way and that to dodge rubber bullets that progressively sped up for the agility measurement.
"Hah, hah."
Finally, he ran on a specially crafted treadmill for the stamina measurement.
"Good work. Please rest for a moment before proceeding to the virtual combat."
Baek Woo-jin roughly wiped his sweat with the towel the receptionist brought and quenched his thirst with water from a bottle.
"I'm ready."
"This way, please."
The examination room itself was incredibly spacious. Baek Woo-jin followed the receptionist and entered the last door located opposite the entrance.
"Do you have a preferred weapon?"
"I'll use a sword."
"Understood. Please stand on the foot sticker over there."
Entering a square space made of thin glass, Baek Woo-jin stood on the foot sticker the receptionist had pointed to.
Vwooom.
The floor beneath split open, and a stand with a sword of appropriate length resting on it rose up.
-One E-rank monster will be summoned at random. The monster will not attack first and is programmed to act only after Hunter Baek Woo-jin makes a move. Please draw the sword when you're ready.
Having already cleared dungeons and hunted monsters countless times over the past month, Baek Woo-jin picked up the sword from the stand as soon as he heard the receptionist's explanation.
**
'Baek Woo-jin?'
Manager Kwak Du-seok, who had expended more mental energy than necessary dealing with the Hong family who had suddenly shown up unannounced today, returned to the VIP passage right after seeing off Hong Yeon-ah and her father, found the examination room in use, and opened the door to enter.
'Not finished yet, I see.'
Given that the equipment's lights were on but the person wasn't there, it seemed he was in the middle of the final virtual combat test. Quickly grasping the situation, Kwak Du-seok walked to the opposite side and carefully opened the door.
'Just in time.'
Discovering the tall young man with a clean-cut face standing in the glass space made of special materials, Kwak Du-seok quietly stepped inside and slightly closed the door behind him with his rear.
'A Bloody Wolf, huh.'
As the young man, Baek Woo-jin, took the sword from the stand in his hand, a gray wolf with a head twice the size of an adult male appeared opposite him.
It was a monster with a curse of bleeding on its teeth and claws. Stat-wise it was an E-rank, but it was a tricky opponent more difficult to deal with than most D-rank monsters.
'He's an E-rank whose face I don't even recognize, and yet they brought him here.'
Just as he was about to find out whose order it was and consider disciplinary action depending on the circumstances.
"Hmm?"
Kwak Du-seok's head, which had been observing the situation, tilted slightly.
Contrary to its massive build, the Bloody Wolf's mobility was quite outstanding. So much so that ranged dealers of the same rank wouldn't dare attempt an attack without a tanker.
Yet the young man standing opposite such a Bloody Wolf was holding the sword in a reverse grip and assuming a throwing stance, which inevitably made one tilt their head.
'Tsk tsk. This is the problem with young people these days. You never know when or where you'll encounter what kind of monster, so they should study a bit──'
KWAANG!!
"……."
Along with a heavy roar that struck his ears, Kwak Du-seok blinked with his head still tilted.
He had gripped the sword in a reverse grip, stepped forward with his left foot in a throwing stance. And just as his muscles seemed to expand for a brief moment, the Bloody Wolf that had been growling on the opposite side shattered into hologram fragments and disappeared.
'What, is this?'
Something seemed to flash, then a roar rang out, and by the time he came to his senses, the Bloody Wolf that had been created was disappearing with its head blown apart. And behind the disappearing Bloody Wolf, a single sword lay plainly on the ground.
Just as Kwak Du-seok's brain was rapidly trying to comprehend the situation.
-May I leave?
"Yes. All examinations are complete. Good work."
At the receptionist's response announcing the end, Baek Woo-jin picked up the sword he had thrown, placed it back on the stand, and came outside.
"Please wait outside for a moment...?"
The receptionist, who had turned around following Baek Woo-jin coming out, seemed to finally notice Kwak Du-seok's presence standing right in front of the door, and blinked.
"Manager?"
"Oh? Ah, s-sorry. My apologies."
Coming to his senses at the receptionist's call, Kwak Du-seok quickly stepped aside and cleared the path for Baek Woo-jin. As he opened the door and left, Baek Woo-jin briefly glanced at Kwak Du-seok but then quietly closed the door and left without saying anything.
"Manager. Entering during an examination is──"
"I know. I'll apologize for that separately later. The test form. Show me the test form first."
The receptionist let out a small sigh and handed him the tablet she was holding.
Name: Baek Woo-jin
Age: 20 Gender: Male
Strength: 19(E) Stamina: 19(E)
Agility: 19(E) Mana: 39(D)
※Special Note: Subject to re-examination.
The mana was excessively high, but this was a difference that could sufficiently occur depending on how one decided their growth direction. In other words, while the mana differed significantly from the other stats, it wasn't a value that warranted particular attention.
"Re-examination?"
"Yes. He was originally an F-rank hunter."
"Seems he hasn't updated his rank in quite a while."
"No."
"No?"
When Kwak Du-seok raised his head, the receptionist skillfully manipulated the panel in his hand and switched the screen.
Baek Woo-jin (F) - Registration Date: January 1, 2030.
"Was this year 2031?"
"It's 2030."
"Son of a—"
Kwak Du-seok returned the tablet to the receptionist and immediately pulled his loosely loosened tie tight before walking out the door.