Episode 30
The original assessment method was for one high-ranking ranker to take the remaining applicants and clear a dungeon together.
“However, taking into account that casualties may occur if it were done that way, starting this year, it will be a bit more difficult, but you will have one-on-one sparring matches with established rankers.”
At the same time, about ten people entered from behind the podium.
‘The two on the left are A-Rank.’
Having already faced two A-Rank opponents, Jonghyeon could immediately tell who was A-Rank.
Judging by the aura and overall impression, the two on the left were likely one A-Rank warrior and one mage.
“The schedule will be carried out over two days. If you go outside, we are distributing number tickets in the order you applied, so please receive your ticket and re-enter the auditorium according to the time slot listed on it.”
The participants, including Jonghyeon, began to exit the auditorium again, and outside, a pretty young lady was distributing number tickets.
Jonghyeon was number 96. It was today.
‘Hmm, there are still about three hours left.’
Those who had received earlier numbers went back inside, while the rest presented various scenes, such as warming up.
People meditating, people hitting on the girl handing out tickets, people warming up, people quarreling.
Watching the diverse sights, Jonghyeon suddenly felt hungry.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything since the in-flight meal.’
Jonghyeon looked around curiously at all sorts of people, then came outside the building.
Fortunately, there was a restaurant district outside the building.
He had never enjoyed food leisurely during overseas business trips.
But it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the current him was traveling for himself, not for work.
In fact, the rank assessment had already been negotiated such that obtaining B-Rank would be sufficient. Of course, B-Rank was nothing to Jonghyeon now.
Among the nearby restaurants, Jonghyeon found a quiet handmade burger joint.
“One B-set here. Hm, do you happen to have cold green tea?”
Jonghyeon was quite disappointed to hear there was no cold green tea, but since he hadn’t exactly expected it at a burger joint, he sat down and waited.
“Your B-set is here, sir.”
He expressed his gratitude to the young lady who had kindly delivered it to him and began eating the burger delightfully. Though it was a small hamburger, Jonghyeon, enjoying leisure for the first time in a while, ate it very deliciously.
After finishing his burger and stepping outside for a cigarette, a rather bothersome sound reached Jonghyeon’s ears.
“Wow. How is that possible? They say only five out of the applicants from numbers 1 to 49 passed. What did they change the assessment criteria to?”
“Right, it wasn’t like this back when they used the dungeon-clearing method.”
Judging by their suited appearance, they seemed to be staff related to the World Rank Assessment.
Curious, Jonghyeon finished his cigarette and went back inside the auditorium.
His turn was still a ways off, but he wanted to know the general nature of the assessment.
“You cannot enter inside. Please wait for your turn.”
At the entrance stood two men in black suits, stopping people who were curious about the inside.
Seeing the auditorium door slightly ajar, Jonghyeon considered transforming into a shadow to sneak in, but turned away.
‘Well, there’s less than two hours left anyway.’
Jonghyeon sat in front of the auditorium and quietly waited for his turn.
And from the auditorium, faint screams seemed to be heard.
Shortly after. When his turn came, Jonghyeon entered immediately without delay.
“Welcome. Please find your seat in the sections divided into A, B, and C according to the guide.”
Upon entering the inner auditorium, he saw the area divided by three lines.
Behind that, he could see several men lying down with medical staff, apparently quite injured during sparring.
When Jonghyeon presented his number ticket, the pretty young lady from earlier guided him to Section C.
“Hm. I’d like to go to Section B.”
The lady answered with a smile.
“I’m sorry, but since you are D-Rank, it is correct to take the promotion assessment starting from C-Rank. Please take your place.”
In that smile, which held a slightly commanding tone, Jonghyeon felt a sneer.
How dare a D-Rank think he can take the B-Rank test.
She seemed to be saying that.
Jonghyeon stood at the very front of Section C.
The opponent standing before him seemed to be around B-Rank.
“We need to conduct a brief interview first. It’s an added test because of a few applicants who didn’t have the right mindset. Please understand.”
The ranker in front of Jonghyeon said so, then picked up some papers from behind and began asking him a few questions.
“Dungeon clearing experience?”
“Five years.”
But from the very first question, the ranker looked at Jonghyeon suspiciously.
“That’s strange. Isn’t your clear count too low for five years? And you’ve barely cleared any dungeons recently? The ones you cleared before were almost all D-Rank.”
‘Because they were unofficial.’
Jonghyeon forced down the words rising to his throat and answered.
“I was training.”
The ranker tilted his head slightly and moved to the next question.
“Your reason for applying?”
Jonghyeon thought for a moment, but couldn’t actually find a reason.
“The country told me to come back with at least B-Rank...”
With that answer, several gazes focused on Jonghyeon, and he scratched his head under the weight of their stares.
And the ranker raised his voice at Jonghyeon with an irritated face.
“Are you joking with me right now? B-Rank? This isn’t a place made for you to show off!”
As his voice rose considerably, the moderator approached Section C as if to intervene.
“Please calm down now. I told you not to speak to participants like that under normal circumstances. May I ask the final question? Mister Ryu.”
The moderator’s smiling face, which had been looking at the documents regarding Jonghyeon, turned to him, and Jonghyeon quietly nodded.
“What would you like to do first once you become a ranker? What is your purpose in becoming a ranker?”
Though his face wore a smile, the eyes within that smile were quite fearsome. Jonghyeon pondered briefly before answering.
“First, I’ll run some dungeons... travel, gain some knowledge... well, I plan to try various things. It’s just that nothing is firmly decided yet.”
An answer that would normally lead to elimination in an interview. The Jonghyeon who had torn into Director Kim Jeong-tae was nowhere to be found, and a clueless fool stood in his place.
“Well. There are no disqualifying factors. Then let us begin the test.”
The smiling moderator spoke after a brief chuckle, and at those words, the ranker from earlier was holding two wooden swords.
“Take this. You don’t use a sword? I do have a few other wooden ones, though.”
Jonghyeon wanted to say he used a Sotae-do, but since there was no way they’d have a wooden Sotae-do, he decided to just go with a sword.
“No. It’s fine. Let’s just use this.”
At Jonghyeon’s words, the referee raised his hand in the center, and Jonghyeon and the ranker stood a short distance apart with him in the middle.
“Start!”
Even after the referee’s starting signal fell, both were busy keeping each other in check.
They were fighting with gazes alone. However, Jonghyeon’s eyes were eyes that even Chairman Lee would fall for. In a fight between masters, if your momentum falters, you launch a preemptive strike.
One cannot simply stand still and endure such momentum.
“I knocked down half of the ones lying in the back there. And I have no intention of going easy on you!”
And occasionally, there were people who ran their mouths like this. Jonghyeon had seen many such people. At the same time, he felt like ruffling this ranker’s feathers a bit.
And Jonghyeon relaxed his stance.
“What are you doing!”
When Jonghyeon relaxed his stance and even yawned, the ranker who couldn’t tolerate that behavior quickly slashed forward.
‘Slow.’
Against the ranker’s attack that swiftly cut from left to right, Jonghyeon simply dodged and got behind him.
It was a truly astonishing movement, and in that instant, everyone in the auditorium except for a few personnel watched that sight.
Flustered when Jonghyeon disappeared from his sight, the ranker tried to quickly look around, but Jonghyeon didn’t even allow that.
A wooden sword was already pressed against his neck.
The hall fell into silence.
“Mister Ryu! Victory!”
They hadn’t even exchanged a single proper move.
Having subdued his opponent with just a single motion and earned a victory, everyone sent him applause and cheers.
Clap, clap, clap— Whoo—!
Though Jonghyeon wasn’t used to such gazes, he somehow felt good.
The feeling of being acknowledged was stranger and better than he had thought. That they cheered and applauded the martial art itself, not its utility. Funnily enough, this was the first time Jonghyeon had experienced such a thing.
While bewildered, the moderator walked out from behind the ranker who was grinding his teeth and clapped for Jonghyeon.
“So your claim of aiming for B-Rank wasn’t a lie? Amazing.”
Speaking so, the moderator who had been carefully examining the documents continued.
“I think you’d be recognized as B-Rank even without taking the B-Rank assessment. Would you be willing to take the A-Rank test?”
Though he didn’t show it, Jonghyeon was very surprised by the sudden proposal of the A-Rank assessment.
‘A-Rank... could I take the A-Rank assessment that I’ve only ever dreamed of?’
Since his days as a fixer, Jonghyeon had prioritized money. But there was a realm that martial artists dreamed of.
Jonghyeon hadn’t been fully aware of it himself, but before he knew it, he had come to respect the rank of A.
In the current era, it was the position praised as the pinnacle by all martial artists.
It was none other than an A-Rank Hunter.
After a brief moment of thought, Jonghyeon nodded with difficulty. Because of a slight embarrassment, he simply couldn’t get any words out.
“Then we will conduct the assessment right here on the spot.”
Saying so, the moderator took off his suit microphone and picked up a wooden sword.
“Right now? Do you mean Raven-nim will be overseeing?”
The ranker looked at him in confusion. Who was Raven? The undisputed human weapon of America. As a Chinese-American, he was also the one who first spread martial arts in America.
There were rumors that he had entered as an examiner for S-Class Ranker selection exams; in America, he was respected and recognized.
And such a man was conducting the exam personally?
Regardless of passing or failing, it was no ordinary honor. In fact, even the martial artists of China, who were known for their strong territoriality, considered sparring with Raven even once a lifelong honor.
“Please draw your own weapon, Mister Ryu.”
Jonghyeon looked at him curiously. The man held a wooden sword while telling Jonghyeon to draw a weapon?
That was truly tremendous confidence.
Of course, Jonghyeon didn’t have accurate information about him. He had little interest in famous rankers in the first place, and he had never imagined that America’s hero was standing right before him.
“Hmm. Now that I think about it, there are many eyes here. It doesn’t matter to us, but it might to them. Shall we move?”
Having noticed Jonghyeon hesitating while remaining aware of his surroundings, Raven proposed to him.
But this feeling was merely unfamiliar to Jonghyeon. He didn’t dislike it.
“No. Let’s begin.”
With those final words, Jonghyeon drew his Sotae-do, and a curious glint passed through Raven’s eyes upon seeing the Sotae-do.
“You wield an unusual weapon. Then here I come!”
Before the referee’s signal even fell, their wooden sword and Sotae-do collided, causing a tremendous storm of ki.
---------= Afterword =---------
Raven. America's Hero. Dungeons Cleared: 376. Age: Unknown / Likes: Naps
He'll appear often. Haha.
Please give it a recommendation > <