Episode 18: Awakening Test (3)

At Jinhyuk’s words, Kim Gitaek flinched.

“Alone… You want to take on an entire guild?”

It was both audacious and arrogant.

After all, a guild is a collective formed to overcome the limitations of an individual entity.

Moreover, considering they would be dealing with Ssauleoby, the second-largest mega guild in the country?

“If you’ve come for the test now, then your level must be low…”

“Low. I’m still level 1.”

“It’s ludicrous. But really, you think you can do it?”

The average level of the top members of Ssauleoby guild exceeds 20.

There are even more than ten players stronger than Kim Gitaek himself.

However.

“If you judge everything by level alone, then you completely misunderstand the Tower of Trials.”

Jinhyuk’s voice remained level and unfluctuating.

‘Could he be serious?’

Kim Gitaek swallowed hard.

It wasn’t an exaggeration. It was a confidence that came from surety.

Of course, it wouldn’t be possible to actually beat hundreds of members from the Ssauleoby guild.

But at the least.

‘He’s stronger than me.’

That much was certain.

Kim Gitaek, who had been silent, finally spoke.

“What are the conditions for the exchange…?”

“Hmm?”

“The conditions for the exchange. What are they?”

He seemed to have made a decision.

To start negotiations.

“Simple. I’ll tell you the location of the Mandragora, and in return, you give me possession of 10 exclusive dungeons owned by Ssauleoby.”

Exclusive dungeons.

Unlike publicly accessible dungeons, these are privately owned by guilds.

They are the golden egg-laying geese with low risk but juicy rewards.

Therefore, all guilds were desperate to secure these exclusive dungeons.

But to give up 10 of them?

That’s 30% of the total exclusive dungeons owned by Ssauleoby guild.

“The price is ridiculously high.”

“It’s the cost of curing mana addiction. Isn’t it only natural that it’s expensive?”

Instead of complaining about the current price.

Make a relative comparison.

Ten dungeons versus relations with China.

Which is more important to Ssauleoby?

“…”

Kim Gitaek’s mind raced.

Stripping away emotions, he thought coldly, weighing gains and losses.

Ten exclusive dungeons.

A pity to let go, but if he could learn the location of the Mandragora, it wouldn’t be a bad deal.

The problem lay elsewhere.

‘If he’s this strong at just level 1…’

Just how formidable would he become as his level increased?

It was frightening.

His growth rate, potential, and the future.

All of it.

However, making the decision was not Kim Gitaek’s to make alone.

It was not a matter light enough for just one person to decide.

“I’ll talk to the guild’s leadership. I’ll discuss your conditions and get back to you.”

“A wise decision.”

Jinhyuk quietly smiled.

With that, their conversation ended.

[Lv3 ‘Dark Veil’ has been dispelled.]

Along with the message, the transparent barrier vanished.

＊＊＊

“I’m out!”

“Ooooh!”

“What happened in there?”

“What did you discuss inside?”

As the two emerged, the people who had been anxiously waiting bombarded them with questions.

“Hey, put down that camera. Hey, are you listening? I said put the camera away!”

“If you don’t want to start squealing about freedom of the press, hand over what you’ve recorded. We trust you’re all aware of the revised Awakeners Special Law.”

Players from the Black Crow and Ssauleoby guilds were blocking the press.

‘Hmm, this is quite convenient.’

Thanks to this, he didn’t have to worry about getting involved in annoying situations.

Just when he thought things would end quietly…

Boom!

“Aaagh!”

With an explosion of sound, a figure went tumbling across the floor.

Was he struck square on by an ogre?

His nose seemed to have completely collapsed.

‘That’s going to hurt like hell.’

Jinhyuk glanced toward the direction from which the bulky form came flying.

He saw a woman in a tracksuit, bending joints.

“Move. All of you. Unless you want to die.”

A player known as Bbulgwangdong Nuclear Fist.

It was Yu Yeonhwa.

And behind her was the figure of Lee Taemin.

“Big brother! Are you okay? Just tell me if those jerks said anything. I’ll tear them down completely.”

“Kim Gitaek, I’m disappointed. I didn’t expect this from you. What were you doing behind that barrier?”

The two expressed their hostility.

Initially averse to any conflict with other guilds…

When a situation arose, they dove in headlong without a second thought.

Not a bad feeling.

For standing by my side. For choosing to be on my side.

＊＊＊

‘Yeonhwa and Lee Taemin…’

Kim Gitaek’s face hardened further.

He had only thought they were acquaintances.

It made no sense for two such famous figures to casually make connections in these circles.

But to think they would go this far.

This was more than just knowing each other’s faces.

If he antagonized them…

He could feel their willingness to take it as far as a full-scale confrontation.

“It was just a bit of a conversation. Nothing you need to worry about.”

“Is that the truth?”

“Sure. Turns out they were more reasonable than expected.”

This time, it was Jinhyuk who spoke up.

“If my big brother says so…”

“Alright, I understand.”

Finally, Yeonhwa and Lee Taemin released the mana they had gathered.

The tension in the air faded.

Just as Kim Gitaek was about to turn away, he paused briefly and then looked at Yeonhwa.

“Oh, I almost forgot. How’s the health of Elder Yu Cheonyeong?”

“You don’t have to worry about my grandfather, he’s flying around well enough.”

“Hmm, well, alright. If an insider says so, I guess that’s how it is.”

With a twisted smile, Kim Gitaek hurried on his way.

Meanwhile, Yeonhwa bit her lip in frustration.

They brushed past each other.

And the impatient one was Park Hajin.

“Wait a minute! Are you just going to let those guys go like that?”

Having been humiliated enough, he had been waiting for a chance to get even.

What’s with this sudden deflating atmosphere?

Park Hajin couldn’t accept it.

He felt his chest would only clear if he smashed his adversary to bits with everything he had.

“Let it be. You’re not in a position to do anything about that monster.”

Kim Gitaek laid down the line.

“But, but!”

“But?”

“Ah… never mind. I was just hoping to get another chance…”

“A chance? I did give you one. The chance that your neck is still attached to your head. You should feel lucky you didn’t touch that monster and managed to survive.”

“…”

“If you dare to argue with me again, remember you will regret it. Keep in mind, there are plenty who wish to ally with us.”

“Understood…”

Park Hajin gritted his teeth.

Glaring murderously at Jinhyuk was an added bonus.

At that moment.

Ding!

[Conditions have been met.]

[You’ve successfully copied the skill ‘Shallow Breath (D)’!]

[The copied skill is stored in ‘Memory of the World’.]

[Shallow Breath (Passive)]

Difficulty to acquire: D

Details: You can control your breathing and heart rate. (Limits vary according to skill level.)

His hostility must have reached its peak.

Bearing the grudge of being abandoned by those he wanted to impress the most.

However, that was his problem.

‘Let’s make good use of this.’

Jinhyuk looked at the newly acquired passive skill and smiled contentedly.

＊＊＊

As the atmosphere settled down, the test resumed.

The number of candidates had decreased significantly.

Having stirred the room so violently, the candidates’ spirit had been broken.

Many were eyeing each other or had given up on the exam, causing the original order to become a total mess.

In the end, only those eager to continue were allowed to take the test.

[1st Place Park Hana. Measurement: 1755. Grade A]

[2nd Place Han Minhee. Measurement: 989. Grade B]

[3rd Place Oh Junghoon. Measurement: 845. Grade B-]

[……]

‘Huh.’

Jinhyuk let out a small exclamation of admiration after checking the leaderboard.

Whatever they had done, Park Hana was in first place.

And by an overwhelming margin.

‘Did she consume ginseng before coming in?’

Given the nature of the test conducted alone with an examiner in a room, there was no way of knowing the exact method used, but she had certainly pulled off an amusing trick.

And at that moment.

“Next, please come in.”

It was Jinhyuk’s turn.

Thud!

He opened the door, revealing a fairly large room.

In the center was a giant mana stone.

Beside it, an Awakeners Association examiner holding a tablet PC was present.

“Ah, hello.”

The examiner recoiled on seeing Jinhyuk, probably because of the recent events.

Understandable, but…

He wished the man would just stop being stiff and explain the test.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Yes. For the test, you just need to strike the mana stone in front of you. You can use your unique abilities if you like, or utilize items. Ultimately, it’s about the potential displayed when you hit the mana stone.”

Basically, ‘hit the mana stone with all your might,’ right?

‘That’s simple enough.’

It wasn’t difficult at all.

Jinhyuk approached the mana stone.

He drew his enhanced dagger.

“A dagger, huh? You’re not going to use your unique abilities, just the weapon?”

“Yes. This is sufficient.”

“Okay. You can start when you’re ready.”

As soon as the examiner finished speaking.

Woosh!

Mana began to flow along the blade.

The tip of the dagger trembled.

Imbued with a crimson light as though steeped in blood.

In that instant.

Crack!

Like lightning, the slashing blade grazed the surface of the mana stone.

A fine, long scratch appeared on the stone’s surface.

The strike was a perfect blend of speed and power.

However.

[589th Place Kang Jinhyuk. Measurement: 91. Grade F]

The displayed measurement on the screen showed an incredibly disconnected result.

“Thank you for your effort… you’ve received an F… grade.”

The examiner recited the result with a sour expression.

Meanwhile.

Jinhyuk smiled wryly at the same outcome.

There was nothing surprising.

It’s like the cliché often found in novels.

The talented protagonist takes the initial awakening test but ends up with an F grade. The overused cliché with various excuses like system error, defective mana stone, and more.

“Since long ago, I’ve been curious.”

Jinhyuk took a step forward.

“Why have they always accepted such bizarre results without question?”

If they had received the correct grade from the beginning,

Numerous novel protagonists could have grown much faster and smoother.

They would have had access to areas, dungeons, and information that were off-limits due to being rated F.

Their path was twisted from the start.

But.

In the reality where I stand, I won’t let the same thing happen.

“Excuse me, Mr. Examiner?”

“Do, do you mean me?”

The examiner, who had been looking around nervously, answered with a start, shaking slightly.

It was only natural.

The vision of Jinhyuk playing around with Park Hajin was still vivid in his eyes.

For a low-level civil servant who merely checked numbers in a test, it was only reasonable to feel fear.

“Is there another examiner here besides you?”

“Yes! Yes! No, there isn’t, unfortunately. How can I assist you?”

“I think there’s something wrong with the mana stone. How about we change it? Not to a low-grade one, but at least a mid-grade or higher.”

“Change the mana stone? But why, suddenly, when this perfectly fine mana stone…”

It’s frustrating.

“Do you see the fracture on the stone here?”

Jinhyuk pointed to the surface of the mana stone.

Although faint, there was indeed a thin line of scar on it.

“I… see it.”

“A mana stone doesn’t budge from just any attack. But there’s a mark, and it’s graded F? Does that make sense to you?”

Do all of them just keep their eyes for decoration? Or do they pretend not to know?

It’s unclear.

Anyway…

“You’re still here?”

Jinhyuk furrowed his brow.

“Oh, I’ll get it ready right away! Just give me a minute. No, just 30 seconds, please.”

The examiner ran towards the storage as if his life depended on it.