Chapter 14

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Phew, I finally managed to resolve one more thing. Now, all I need to do is wrap up the contract and awaken her, and it’s done.

“I feel so embarrassed saying this. Just sign it quickly, and I’ll awaken you.”

“I understand. Oh, this is so funny.”

“Don’t laugh.”

“Your neck is turning red, Uncle!”

“You’re not exactly composed yourself, you know?”

Park Yerim giggled as she signed the contract. As the two signature fields were filled, the contract began to emit a faint light. Then, its surface became smooth as if it had been coated. Yerim, intrigued, touched the contract.

“Now it can’t be modified.”

“It shouldn’t be able to.”

I took the contract back and put it in my inventory. With this, all the preparations are complete.

“Shall I use the awakening skill now?”

“Wait a moment.”

She waved her hand and sat up straight, as if about to meditate. Then, she took a deep breath.

“Will the awakening happen right away?”

“If you’re lucky. It can take up to a week at most.”

The 'Promising Seedling' skill would apply immediately, but I set a week just in case. I can’t be sure if I can apply it immediately when awakening someone else in the future.

“Okay, go ahead!”

There’s no need to be so tense. I used the 'Promising Seedling Optimal Awakening' skill on Park Yerim. Then,

“Really, a message window popped up! Uncle! How do I check my rank?”

“Think about opening the status window. You can also say it out loud.”

“Status window! Oh? Wow!”

Park Yerim’s mouth opened wide, as if the words 'shock' were etched on her face.

Yeah, it’s understandable that she’s shocked. With S-rank stats and even SS-rank skills, it’s quite impressive. Yerim, excited, shouted and touched the table—

“Uncle! It’s S-!”

-Crack!

Uh? Did the table break? No, did her hand pierce it? The thick tabletop caved in, shaped like a hand. Oh my.

“Uh...”

“Don’t move!”

Damn it. Hyun clearly said that anyone above C-rank wouldn’t immediately adapt to their suddenly increased physical abilities. Since Yerim is S-rank... this is bad.

“Your strength is now incredibly powerful. Don’t touch anything. Understand?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Good. Let’s be careful as we leave. Move very slowly. Imagine walking silently and slowly, as if you’re tiptoeing.”

Yerim slowly and cautiously got up from her seat. Her movements were precarious, like walking a tightrope. Watching her, I felt as anxious as if I were watching a child who might fall at any moment.

Fortunately, this is the first floor without a basement, so even if the floor collapses, no one will get hurt.

“Slowly, one step at a time. That’s it, that’s it.”

“I think I’m getting used to it a bit.”

“Still, don’t rush. It might take a day.”

Without taking my eyes off her, I opened the sliding door. I put on my shoes first and picked up Yerim’s sneakers. They’re quite worn out. They even look too big for her feet. I should buy her new ones instead of passing down used ones.

“I’ll help you put them on, so extend your foot.”

“Yes. Uh... It’s a bit unstable standing on one foot.”

“Then sit down carefully. Slowly—”

Uh, a handprint was left on the floor. Still, unlike the table, it only left a slight scratch. I helped her put on her sneakers, and she giggled, finding something amusing.

“Aren’t you excited about this?”

“I’m not excited; I’m trembling.”

Why am I the one who’s excited? I warned her again not to touch anything and headed to the counter. I’ll have to pay for the table.

“Here’s the bill. And the table is a bit broken—”

“Ah, a fly!”

“No!”

-Crack

The corner of the table crumbled like a biscuit. Yerim laughed, saying, “I’ve gotten used to swatting bugs in restaurants. It’s a habit, hahaha.”

Don’t laugh. The employee behind the counter stared at the table and Yerim with wide eyes. I’m really sorry about this. I apologized and handed over my card.

“Please include the cost of the seat and the table in the bill.”

Feel free to charge me more.

The return to the Hae-yeon Guild was relatively smooth. The headrest of the car’s front seat was broken, and the sidewalk tiles cracked under her feet, but as long as no one gets hurt, it’s fine.

Stay away, Yerim. She keeps trying to get close. It’s understandable to be anxious with sudden changes, but if you touch me, my arm will break. I’m F-rank.

I only informed the guild leader, Hyun, about Park Yerim’s situation to avoid any leaks that could cause trouble. The new S-rank would be officially recognized through the Hunter Association’s ranking evaluation.

To prevent any unfortunate victims like Kim Sung-han, I kept a watchful eye as we headed to the elevator. It was fortunate that the lobby was nearly empty on this weekend evening. We had to go through security checks to enter areas beyond the 1st to 3rd floors, but Hyun had already arranged for us to bypass them.

“Feels a bit thrilling.”

As the elevator doors closed, Yerim came closer to me again.

“Don’t get too close. There’s no place to avoid you.”

“I won’t touch you. I’m worried I might not control it.”

“After crushing the headrest, you still say that? If someone was sitting in front, you’d be a murderer.”

At the word 'murderer,' Yerim’s lips pouted. I might have been a bit harsh, but it’s better to warn her considering the future. The difference between a non-awakened person and an S-rank is like comparing apples to oranges.

To prevent accidents, she needs to always remember that she’s not ordinary.

In the guild leader’s office, only Hyun was waiting. He smiled professionally as we entered.

“Welcome, Miss Park Yerim.”

“...Hello.”

Yerim bowed awkwardly. She usually doesn’t seem shy, so this is unusual.

“First, I’ll show you a place where you can stay while you adapt to your new abilities. On average, S-rank individuals adapt within a day. After that, you can resume your normal life, so there’s no need to worry.”

Hyun explained politely. It felt a bit unfamiliar, but considering the value of an S-rank, this is the proper approach. Maybe I’ve been treating Yerim too casually.

“Please follow me.”

Hyun led the way out of the room. What should I do? It’s time to feed Peace. Should I go?

“Uncle, why aren’t you coming?”

Yerim called me with a wave of her hand, even glaring at me for not coming quickly. I remembered I agreed to be her guardian. I should follow.

We took the elevator, which didn’t stop on the 1st to 3rd floors, down to the basement. The basement had training facilities for awakened individuals.

As we walked down the long corridor, Hyun continued his explanation.

“From the 2nd to 3rd basement floors, there are spaces for training. However, for serious combat training above A-rank, you need to go to the training facility in Gyeonggi Province for safety reasons. Especially, using lethal skills in the city is strictly prohibited, so please be careful.”

“...There’s a lot to learn.”

“You’ll receive formal training after registering as an awakened individual. Until then, just be careful with skill usage.”

“Understood.”

By the way, what’s Yerim’s skill effect? I’m curious.

“This physical training room is where Miss Park Yerim will stay for a day.”

We arrived at a spacious room with various exercise equipment. The high ceiling and walls and floor that didn’t seem to be made of ordinary materials caught my eye.

“The equipment here can be broken without issue. Use it to get a feel for your new abilities. The walls and floor can withstand the strength of an S-rank level 1. However, if your strength stat exceeds 100?”

“No, it’s 61.”

“That should be fine.”

61? That’s three times my total stats. In terms of strength alone, it’s fifteen times. While a fifteen-fold increase in stats doesn’t mean a fifteen-fold increase in actual strength, the difference is undeniable.

“There’s also a shower and sleeping area over there. While they can be broken, it’s best to use them after you’re somewhat familiar with your strength.”

“What if I need something?”

“You can request it through the phone in the sleeping area. If you break the phone, press the emergency button next to the door.”

Hyun asked if there were any other questions. Yerim shook her head.

“Then, we’ll continue the discussion after you’ve adapted to your abilities tomorrow.”

With that, Hyun turned to leave. I need to go feed Peace. I’ll wait for the kid.

“Uncle, where are you going!”

As I turned to leave, Yerim shouted. Where am I going?

“Home.”

“Leaving me alone? How can you do that? You said you’d take responsibility!”

She’s not wrong, but the tone is a bit off. Hyun, who was about to leave, turned to look at me.

“Responsibility? Brother?”

“I agreed to be her guardian.”

“Guardian?”

“She doesn’t have parents, and her uncle, with whom she’s staying, doesn’t get along. She doesn’t want to be involved with that family.”

It’s not a bad thing, right? But Hyun’s expression was not good.

“Guardians for minor awakened individuals are usually higher or similar ranks to ensure control. There have been several cases where guardians with lower ranks were assaulted by their wards while giving advice. If you need a guardian, I can—”

“I already agreed to be her guardian.”

Park Yerim interrupted Hyun. Her expression was cold, reminding me of the Ice Witch Park Yerim from the past and future. Why is she overreacting?

“Miss Park Yerim. For the guardian’s safety, it’s not advisable. There have been cases where guardians without family support were assaulted by their wards while giving advice.”

Oh... I didn’t know that. Handling a powerful, stormy teenager is definitely not easy.

Thinking about it, I felt a bit scared. The contract says Yerim will protect me, so maybe it’s okay?

“I agreed to protect Uncle. So, there’s no safety issue. Besides, I have no intention of hurting him.”

“Even so, whether Brother can properly fulfill the role of a guardian is a separate issue. The significant rank difference will also bring various other problems.”

“...I don’t know about that. But—”

Yerim looked at me and continued.

“If you don’t let Uncle be my guardian, I won’t join the Hae-yeon Guild.”

...What? Wait a minute?

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ⓒ Geunseo

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