Chapter 31

I thought they were showing an interesting movie or something.

The Association’s Training Arena was packed with people, and every single one of their faces was filled with excitement.

The gazes they kept sneaking our way were also full of anticipation.

And they were muttering numbers among themselves, like 0.5 seconds, 1 second, 2 seconds.

Don’t tell me that’s them betting on how long I’ll last.

Damn it, they could have at least given me 3 seconds.

“This is the first time I’ve seen so many people gather for an initiation.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong approached me, a fed-up look on his face.

“You know, right? I bet a hundred thousand won on you winning. It’ll be a jackpot if I win.”

Even so, this was a bit much.

“If not, just try to last 10 seconds.”

That’s also a bit much.

“Anyway, how was the executive meeting? The atmosphere was murderous, wasn’t it?”

“It wasn’t great.”

We’re supposed to be on the same side, yet they came at me like they wanted to kill me.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong smiled bitterly.

“Still, they’re not bad people by nature. It’s just that they’ve become unable to trust people after getting tangled up with so many weirdos in this line of work.”

He scratched his chin and said.

“Being in this business for a long time just makes you more suspicious. When some guy hiding his Status Window one day claims he’s a C-Rank, then a B-Rank, how can you not be suspicious?”

“……”

“There were also a lot of rat-like bastards who charmed kids that way.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong frowned, as if recalling a bad memory.

“Those Demon bastards.”

“Demons?”

“What, you haven’t heard of them?”

“I’ve heard of them.”

I just haven’t seen one.

What did Han Seung-hoon say? That they were humans who sided with Monsters.

“But aren’t all the Demons trapped on Jeju Island?”

“There are some hiding on the Mainland like rats. They might even be hiding in the Association.”

For a moment, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s eyes turned chilling. It was the first time I’d seen such a look in his eyes.

Well, now that he’d put it that way, I could understand why they reacted so sensitively toward me.

But there was one thing I had to make clear, too.

“It’s certainly understandable to be suspicious.”

“But your face says you have a lot more to say.”

“My soul has been a little wounded.”

That’s why I was planning to show them what I’ve got today.

If they still spout nonsense after that, then we’ll all have to find our own ways to survive.

“You should put some ointment on a wound.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong smirked after looking at my face.

“I heard the Association President is on his way from Jeju Island right now. He said he’s going to get you something S-Rank. A Skill Book, an Item, whatever.”

This.

This was certainly very effective. It felt like new flesh was growing over my wounded soul in real time.

“And for the initiation, just show them you’re at least an A-Rank. The kids will quiet down on their own.”

“As I said, I’m a B-Rank.”

“Not that, your Potential Rank. It’s an unspoken rule. Only those with a Potential Rank of A-Rank or higher become Squad Leaders.”

He then jutted his chin toward one side.

“If you turn out to be an S-Rank, that guy will probably make you coffee every day.”

Over there was Hong Gyeong-pyo, who was glaring at me with displeasure.

Coffee?

He didn’t seem like the type at all. If anything, he’d probably use my S-Rank as an excuse to haze me even more.

“Ah. You don’t know Hong Gyeong-pyo yet. That guy, he’s a completely power-oriented person. He’s acting like that now because he’s afraid his sponsor will be cut off.”

I tilted my head.

“Sponsor?”

“Lee Jeong-hwan raised him by feeding him Elixirs. He’s probably worried sick that all that support will go to you from now on.”

“Isn’t that a bribe?”

“What’s wrong with taking a few bribes in a world like this.”

He said it so coolly that even I was taken aback.

“We’re short-staffed at the Association as it is, we can’t just kick people out for taking a few bribes. Ah, but not those kids you brought.”

He then looked at my group and shook his head. I was reminded once again today. In this world, you absolutely have to be powerful.

Anyway, A-Rank, huh.

I could see Jung Hye-in warming up on the Training Arena.

Like a person without feelings, like a robot with no expression at all.

Beep— Beep—

What was more distracting than that was the alarm magic that had been ringing in my head for a while now.

So the person who was watching me when I took down the General manager was Jung Hye-in.

In any case, if the rumors were true and Jung Hye-in could see Potential Ranks.

She would know that I was higher than an A-Rank.

I’m not the only one going through the initiation today.

My entire ragtag family is fated to be knocked out by Jung Hye-in. In front of everyone.

But for some reason, they seemed to like that, waiting with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

“To think I get a chance to fight the famous Jung Hye-in.”

“You happy about that?”

“Of course! What, you’re not happy, Oppa?”

“I don’t have a hobby of getting beaten up.”

I said with a click of my tongue.

“Don’t get too discouraged.”

“Huh? By what?”

I flinched at Choi Soo-jung’s overly cheerful reply.

“Don’t mind what other people say.”

“Why would I be discouraged? I’m used to those kinds of looks. Maybe because I’ve never been looked at with expectation my whole life, but this feels comfortable now.”

Ah, right. These kids were the same type as me.

I glanced to the side, wondering about the others.

Kim Soo-gyeom and Lee Won-sik were busy giggling, saying they’d heard someone call them the ragtag family as they passed by.

After staring at them pathetically for a moment, Choi Soo-jung spoke casually.

“But you know.”

“Know what.”

“Your Buff Skill, did its Rank go up by any chance?”

“…What?”

“It just feels a little different.”

I’d felt this for a while, but her senses were no joke either. To think she could feel that after just one day of training.

While I was vaguely telling her it had gotten better, Jung Hye-in spoke from the Training Arena, her voice flat.

“Please come up one by one.”

But why did it feel like she was looking right at me as she said it.

Was she telling me to come up now?

“The team’s one and only Potential Rank C close-range Dealer will now sortie.”

Kim Soo-gyeom stepped up as the first contender.

He’d been so excited about getting to fight the Jung Hye-in. He was overflowing with confidence.

“You can come at me first.”

“Can I go all out?”

“……”

Jung Hye-in nodded without a word.

Naturally, no one had any expectations for Kim Soo-gyeom.

“Here I come!”

And the result was as expected.

The moment Kim Soo-gyeom closed the distance and swung his sword.

Whoosh!

Jung Hye-in, who had lightly stepped to the side, brought her thumb and middle finger together.

Hm?

That stance is.

Thwack!

A finger flick?

Right after I tilted my head, Kim Soo-gyeom, who had been flicked on the forehead, collapsed.

And just like that, he fainted.

Did it even take a second?

It was the expected result, so I wasn’t surprised.

A finger flick, well, sure. That could happen. Judging by the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like she was looking down on him.

But the part I found strange was.

“That’s amazing no matter how many times I see it.”

“She didn’t use a Skill just now, right?”

“What, you haven’t done the initiation?”

“I couldn’t. They skipped it, saying Jung Hye-in was busy.”

“That was a Skill.”

“It was? But how is it possible to control the power of a Skill?”

Exactly.

The System’s Skills, unlike the magic I used, couldn’t be power-controlled. They were designed that way from the start.

You input a set amount of Mana, and you get a corresponding result.

But just now, it looked like she used just enough power to make Kim Soo-gyeom faint.

“How should I know. Maybe that kind of thing is possible once you become an S-Rank.”

While I was wondering, Jung Hye-in was calling for the next person. Her eyes still fixed on me.

“Oppa, I’ll be back.”

As if heading to a battlefield, Choi Soo-jung went up with her bow.

Thwack!

And in an instant, Choi Soo-jung collapsed.

The process and the result were exactly the same.

First, Choi Soo-jung attacks, then she dodges slightly and delivers a finger flick.

Thwack!

It was the same for Lee Won-sik, who went up cracking his neck.

“Huh.”

At that point, a suspicion began to sprout in my mind.

Is she… deliberately controlling her power?

A plausible hypothesis flashed through my mind.

Could it be that she was letting them have the First Strike Right to gauge their power, then precisely adjusting her Rank to just enough to knock them out?

It was then.

My eyes met Jung Hye-in’s.

“Next person, please come up.”

Unlike before, all sorts of attention, both positive and negative, was focused on me.

What in the world are they expecting.

But the problem was that I was getting my hopes up, too.

As I walked up to the Training Arena, I thought.

If this is how it is, I might have a chance.

I didn’t know if it would work, but just in case.

“I just need to go first, right?”

Jung Hye-in nodded nonchalantly.

We moved at the same time.

[Fireball]

A light start.

I was infusing it with the Mana of an F-Rank.

Watching the slowly extending Fireball, Jung Hye-in sent a very slight, suspicious glance my way.

After a moment, she naturally matched her power to F-Rank and rushed toward me.

Then she brought her fingers together, putting in just enough power to make an F-Rank Awakener faint.

Whoosh!

I twisted my head and dodged the attack.

As if she hadn’t expected this, Jung Hye-in’s eyes widened slightly.

Good. The first stage is a success.

I widened the distance and threw another spell.

[Chain Lightning]

This time, as an E-Rank.

Lightly blocking the arcing electricity, Jung Hye-in once again came in, aiming for my forehead.

She grabbed my shoulder to keep me from escaping.

But this was exactly what I was aiming for.

I drastically increased the intensity.

[Binding]

[Restraint]

[Sense Disruption]

I consecutively unleashed three Mental Magic spells set to C-Rank.

“……!”

For a moment, a fleeting moment, she flinched.

It was the moment my suspicion turned into certainty.

Now.

If I miss this chance, there won’t be a next time for me.

From now on, it’s all or nothing.

[Extreme Concentration]

Time began to flow very slowly.

[Area Detection]

Not yet, Jung Hye-in’s Mana wasn’t moving.

[Crimson Flame Spear]

I threw it with the heavy sensation in my hand. Jung Hye-in’s pupils slowly began to widen.

Not yet. I have to move a little faster.

[Divine Punishment]

I extended the blade of my other hand. At this rate, I might have a chance…!

…or so I thought. Before I knew it, Jung Hye-in was right in front of me. Somehow, all of my magic had scattered into nature.

A lot had changed from before.

The first was that the look in Jung Hye-in’s eyes had turned cold.

The second was that her outstretched fist was imbued with the Mana of an S-Rank.

And the third was.

Fwoosh!

For some reason, a part of Ian’s memory began to play in my head.

-The ones named Advanced Magic are the ones with the names of gods attached. No. Not our gods, these are gods from another world. Gods from another world. Interesting.

-The system is certainly different from previous magic. This is fascinating. Dragon Language Magic starts from Advanced Magic…

What was even stranger was that I had never seen this scene in my dreams.

-Ares’ Shield, huh. If I were to interpret this in my own way…

Just as the memory was about to continue, my consciousness snapped back to reality, as if I had emerged from deep water.

Fwoosh!

At the same time, Mana moved from my body, regardless of my will.

[Ares’ Shield]

It came with a feeling of my heart being squeezed.

In an instant, a translucent wall formed in front of my body.

C-c-c-crack—

The shield shattered miserably.

But it saved me.

Because Jung Hye-in, who had snapped to her senses, stopped her fist right in front of my face.

“……”

“……”

Jung Hye-in, frozen in place, was staring at me. Her pupils were wide as saucers, as if she had seen a ghost.

I stared at that for a moment, then slightly stepped aside.

It didn’t seem like an atmosphere to continue the fight. Even then, Jung Hye-in said nothing.

More than that, I felt like a hole was about to be drilled into the back of my head. The pouring gazes were unbearable. I stealthily looked at the crowd. They were even worse than Jung Hye-in.

I searched for Head of department Kim Yoon-joong with my eyes. I needed him to mediate or something… no, he was no good either. With a dazed face, he looked like he was thinking, what am I seeing right now*.

Come to think of it, how much time had passed?

Suddenly, the stopwatch in the Training Arena caught my eye. The clock had been stopped for a while.

31 seconds.

That was the time I had endured.