Chapter 19

Chapter 18: Awakening Test (3)

At Jinhyuk's words, Kim Gitaes flinched.

"Alone... you're going to take on the entire guild?"

It's sheer recklessness and arrogance.

After all, guilds were formed to overcome the limitations of a single individual.

Not to mention, Fight Daddy is a super-large guild, ranking second in the country.

"Now that you've come for the test, your level must be low, right...?"

"Low. I'm still level 1."

"I can't believe it. Do you really think you can do that?"

The average level of the top players in Fight Daddy is over 20.

Moreover, there are more than ten players stronger than Kim Gitaes.

But.

"If you judge everything based on level alone, you completely misunderstand the Tower of Trials."

Jinhyuk's voice remained flat.

'Was he serious?'

Kim Gitaes swallowed hard.

This isn't a lie.

It's the confidence that allows him to be so relaxed.

Of course, he can't actually defeat the hundreds of members of Fight Daddy.

At the very least.

'He's stronger than me.'

That much is certain.

Kim Gitaes, who had been tight-lipped, finally spoke.

"The exchange conditions...?"

"Hmm?"

"What are the exchange conditions?"

It seems he's made his decision.

To proceed with the deal.

"It's simple. I'll tell you the location where you can find Mandragora, and in return, you'll hand over 10 exclusive dungeons from Fight Daddy."

Exclusive dungeons.

Unlike general dungeons, which anyone can enter, these are dungeons that each guild owns exclusively.

They offer substantial rewards despite their low risk, making them highly coveted.

Therefore, each guild is fiercely competing to secure these exclusive dungeons.

Yet, he's asking for 10 of them.

That's 30% of all the exclusive dungeons Fight Daddy owns.

"The price is ridiculously high."

"It's the cost to resolve mana poisoning. Isn't it only natural that it's expensive?"

Don't just grumble about the immediate price.

Compare it relatively.

Ten dungeons versus the relationship with China.

Which is more important to Fight Daddy?

"..."

Kim Gitaes' mind raced.

He pushed aside his emotions and cooled his head.

He began to weigh the pros and cons.

Ten exclusive dungeons.

It would be a loss, but if he could find the location of the Mandragora, it wouldn't be a bad deal.

The problem lies elsewhere.

The existence of the opponent.

'If he's this strong at just level 1... '

How strong will he become when he levels up?

It's terrifying.

His growth rate, potential, and future.

Everything.

But, this isn't something Kim Gitaes can decide alone.

It's not a light matter that can be decided by just one person.

"I'll talk to the guild officers. We'll discuss the conditions you mentioned and give you an answer."

"That's a wise decision."

Jinhyuk smiled.

With that, their conversation ended.

[Level 3 'Dark Curtain Barrier' has been dismantled.]

The transparent barrier disappeared along with the message.

***

"I, I'm out!"

"Ooh!"

"What happened?"

"What kind of conversation did you have in there?"

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

"Hey, put down the camera. Hey, can't you hear me? Get rid of the camera!"

"Unless you want to cry about press freedom, hand over what you've filmed. I believe everyone knows about the revised Awakened Special Law."

Players from the Black Raven Guild and Fight Daddy Guild blocked the reporters.

'Hmm, this is quite convenient.'

Thanks to this, he avoided getting entangled in a troublesome situation.

It seemed it would end quietly.

Kwaang!

"Kyaah!"

A loud noise echoed, and a figure tumbled to the ground.

Did he get hit by an ogre?

His nose was completely flattened.

'That must hurt.'

Jinhyuk glanced in the direction the figure had come from.

There, he saw a woman in a tracksuit, her joints bent.

"Move. All of you. If you don't want to die."

A player known for her 'Nuclear Fist' technique.

Yoo Yeon-hwa.

And behind her, he saw Lee Tae-min.

"Bro! Are you okay? If they said anything, just say the word. I'll tear them apart."

"Mr. Kim Gitaes. I'm disappointed. I didn't think you'd do something like this. Why did you even set up a barrier?"

The two showed strong animosity.

Despite initially avoiding conflicts with other guilds...

When the situation arose, they acted without hesitation.

It felt good.

They were standing up for him, for his sake.

***

'Yoo Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min...'

Kim Gitaes' face hardened even more.

He thought they were just acquaintances.

Given that they are quite famous in this field, they wouldn't casually form connections.

But, he didn't expect them to go this far.

This wasn't just a casual acquaintance.

If he were to provoke them...

It felt like they were prepared to go to war.

"It was just a conversation. There's nothing to worry about."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. He was more reasonable than I thought."

This time, Jinhyuk answered.

"If you say so..."

"Alright, I understand."

Only then did Yoo Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min release the mana they had built up.

The tense atmosphere subsided.

Kim Gitaes, who was about to turn around, paused.

He looked at Yoo Yeon-hwa.

"Ah, right. I almost forgot. Is Elder Yoo Cheonyeong doing well?"

"Grandpa is flying around, so you don't need to worry about him."

"Hmm. Alright, if you say so. An insider would know."

With a twisted smile, Kim Gitaes resumed his walk.

In contrast, Yoo Yeon-hwa bit her lip in frustration.

They passed each other.

At that moment, Park Haejin was the one who panicked.

"Wait! You're just going to let them go like that?"

Having been thoroughly humiliated, he was waiting for a chance to take revenge.

What's with this sudden deflation?

Park Haejin couldn't understand.

This time, he wanted to take full advantage and crush them to relieve his frustration.

"Leave it. You're not a match for them."

Kim Gitaes drew the line.

"But—"

"But what?"

"Ah... No, I just... I want another chance..."

"Another chance? Sure, I gave you a chance. The chance for your head to stay on your shoulders. The luck to not die when you recklessly attacked that monster."

"..."

"If you contradict me again, you'll regret it. Remember, the ones who want to team up with us are strong."

"I... understand."

Park Haejin gritted his teeth.

Glaring at Jinhyuk with a murderous intent was an added bonus.

At that moment.

Ding!

[Conditions met.]

[Skill 'Shallow Breathing (D)' copied successfully!]

[The copied skill will be stored in 'World's Memory'.]

[Shallow Breathing (Passive)]

Acquisition difficulty: D

Description: Allows you to control your breathing and heart rate. (The limit varies by skill level.)

His animosity had reached its peak.

Being rejected by the person he most wanted to impress, it was inevitable.

But, that's his problem.

'I'll use this well.'

Jinhyuk smiled contentedly as he looked at the new passive skill he had obtained.

***

As the chaotic atmosphere settled, the test resumed.

Of course, the number of test-takers had significantly decreased.

The indoor atmosphere had been so intense that the test-takers' morale was crushed.

Many had either given up or were waiting to see what would happen, causing the original order to be disrupted.

In the end, only those who wanted to take the test on a first-come, first-served basis proceeded.

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

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

[3rd place: Oh Jung-hoon. Measurement: 845. Grade B-]

[...]

'Hmm.'

Jinhyuk let out a small exclamation as he checked the display.

Somehow, Park Hana was in first place.

With a dominant score.

'Did she eat ginseng or something?'

Given the nature of the test, which is conducted one-on-one with the examiner in a room, he couldn't know the method.

But, it was definitely some interesting trickery.

And just then.

"Next person, please come in."

It was Jinhyuk's turn.

Creak!

Opening the door, he found a fairly spacious room.

A large mana stone was in the center.

Next to it, an Awakened Association examiner was holding a tablet PC.

"Ah, hello."

The examiner flinched upon seeing Jinhyuk.

Probably due to what had just happened.

He understood.

He understood, but...

It would be nice if the examiner would stop being so stiff and explain the test.

"What do I need to do?"

"Ah, yes. The test is simple. Just strike the mana stone in front of you. You can use your unique ability or any items. The essence is the potential shown when the mana stone is struck."

In short, 'hit the mana stone with all your might.'

'Easy enough.'

It wasn't difficult.

Jinhyuk stood in front of the mana stone.

He took out his enhanced dagger.

"A dagger. Are you going to use only the weapon without your unique ability?"

"Yes, this is enough."

"Understood. You can start whenever you're ready."

As soon as the examiner finished speaking,

Whirr!

Mana began to flow along the blade.

The tip of the dagger trembled.

Glowing with a blood-red light.

At that moment,

Kaga-gag!

The dagger, like a flash of lightning, scratched the surface of the mana stone.

A thin, long scratch appeared on the surface of the mana stone.

A well-balanced strike of speed and power.

However,

[589th place: Gang Jinhyuk. Measurement: 91. Grade F]

The measurement displayed on the screen showed a completely unexpected result.

"Good job, F... grade."

The examiner read the score with a dubious expression.

On the other hand,

Jinhyuk smiled at the same result.

There was no reason to be surprised.

After all,

Isn't this a cliché often seen in novels?

The talented protagonist takes the awakening test for the first time but gets an F grade, a cliché so overused it's trite.

There are countless reasons that could be given, like system errors or defective mana stones.

"I've been curious for a while."

Jinhyuk took a step forward.

"Why do people just accept strange results and move on?"

If they had received the proper grade,

The many protagonists in novels would have grown much faster and more smoothly.

They would have known about areas, dungeons, and information they couldn't access due to their F grade.

Everything would have been smoother from the start.

But,

I won't let the same thing happen in my reality.

"Excuse me, examiner?"

"Me? Did you call me?"

The examiner, who had been looking around, was startled.

His body trembled.

Of course, he would be scared.

The scene of Jinhyuk toying with Park Haejin was still fresh in his mind.

For a low-level civil servant who only checks numbers during tests, it was natural to feel fear.

"Is there another examiner here besides you?"

"No! No, there isn't. Unfortunately, I'm the only one. So, what can I help you with?"

"The mana stone seems strange. How about we replace it? At least with a mid-level one."

"Why... why would we replace a perfectly fine mana stone..."

This is frustrating.

"Can you see the crack on this mana stone?"

Jinhyuk pointed to the surface of the mana stone.

Though faint, a clear scratch was visible.

"I... I see it."

"A mana stone doesn't budge under ordinary attacks. Yet, it has a scratch, and I got an F grade? Does that make sense to you?"

Do people wear their eyes as decorations? Or are they pretending not to see?

I don't know.

Either way, it's equally frustrating.

Anyway,

"You're still here?"

Jinhyuk frowned.

"I'll... I'll prepare right away! Give me one minute. No, 30 seconds!"

The examiner ran to the storage room as fast as he could.