Chapter 106

A day later, Taewoon first sought out Yerin to have a brief conversation about their future plans.

“So, for now, the plan is to raise our ranks to tackle higher-level dungeons, right?”

“Exactly. Rumors are spreading rapidly anyway, and it’s true that the situation has changed in many ways. It might be better to act in a way that allows us to get what we can.”

“That definitely seems like the better option. I don’t mind.”

It was an unfortunate turn of events for Yerin, but she was no longer in a position to withdraw from the current series of incidents.

If that was the case, she had to focus on building her strength as quickly as possible, regardless of the means.

The re-measurement of their ranks was an extension of that goal.

“Has the date been set?”

“I heard it’s possible as early as tomorrow. Since there’s an expiration date on the tickets, it’s better to get it handled quickly.”

While Taewoon had grown continuously by conquering the Theater, the growth of a Hunter is, in reality, most closely linked to Dungeons.

In a way, it wouldn’t have been strange if he had neglected that aspect until now.

“Are you all ready?”

“Yes. No problem.”

The next day, Taewoon and Yerin, fully prepared, visited the center of the Association headquarters and headed to the appointed location.

A few Supervisors from the Association and Hongyeon were waiting there, and they immediately received an explanation regarding the re-measurement procedure from the Supervisors.

“So, to summarize… you don’t need to think about it too complicatedly. In the end, providing clear evidence sufficient to justify a change in rank is enough.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Then, in what order would you like to go?”

At that, Taewoon briefly exchanged glances with Yerin, and they decided that Yerin would step forward first for her measurement while he waited.

As Taewoon sat in silence, Hongyeon approached him softly and spoke.

“What do you want to do? The Association has proposed that they will keep your information as private as possible from the public if you wish.”

“…Won’t the people who need to know find out anyway? The data will be transmitted to the major agencies of other countries as well.”

“That may be true, but it might be better than openly advertising it.”

Since she wasn’t wrong, Taewoon gave a slight nod, deciding to accept the favor.

“I’ll block all unnecessary attention on my end, but there might still be those who act out of greed despite that.”

“That will be something I’ll have to handle. I’ve made my own preparations, so it should be fine.”

“Well, considering you were able to stall even against that Kalliedu… I suppose there’s no need to worry too much. Still, just stay cautious.”

After finishing her words, Hongyeon moved away, and shortly after, notice arrived that Yerin’s rank re-measurement was complete.

Despite the distance, the sound of buzzing excitement could be heard. He had heard that Yerin’s ‘Roulette’ had also grown while conquering the Heavenly Secret Manual Theater, so it was possible she had achieved results beyond expectations.

“Ah, they say you can come in now. It ended faster than I thought.”

“Were there any problems?”

“No. I pulled a good ability… and I’ve been steadily practicing the shaman’s Martial Arts.”

Having consumed the Spiritual Medicine, which was a Special Prize, her amount of Magical Power had increased terrifyingly; the current Yerin would be able to exert power exceeding Level 3-rank with a sword alone.

Feeling once again that she had become a completely different person, Taewoon stood up and walked toward the designated area.

With a bit of curiosity and anticipation, he wondered what level of realm he had objectively reached.

Kang Yeongsu, an Association Supervisor and a retired Level 4-rank Hunter, actually harbored doubts about the re-measurement case he was assigned today.

There were two subjects.

One Level 1-rank Hunter who hadn’t even passed their first year, and one rookie Hunter who was included in the candidates for promotion to Level 2.

‘Looking at the profiles… there’s nothing special about them at all.’

Yeongsu had also heard the rumors. That the two Hunters visiting today were the parties involved in the rampage caused by Kalliedu a while ago.

However, it was something that defied Yeongsu’s common sense.

‘Kalliedu, one of the Five Fingers of the Gwangseong Church. Two fledgling Hunters stopped that monster? There’s a limit to jokes.’

Since Yeongsu himself had been an active Level 4-rank Hunter until a few years ago, he knew.

He knew the immense prestige the Five Fingers of the Gwangseong Church held in the world.

Kalliedu was a young genius known for possessing outstanding talent even within Level 5. Even if ten people like Yeongsu banded together, there was no possibility of winning, and he was not an opponent a rookie with meager combat experience could face.

‘No matter how I think about it, it makes no sense… yet everyone believes this story so readily?’

Thus, Yeongsu believed there must be some hidden circumstances entangled in this series of events.

If the two Hunters visiting today showed substandard performance, he was fully prepared to protest to his superiors immediately.

However.

“Uh… would this be enough?”

“…Thank you for your hard work. You may return to your seat now.”

Contrary to Yeongsu’s expectations, the woman who went first possessed sufficient skill.

In particular, her technique in handling weapons seemed to be even superior to Yeongsu’s.

‘…How on earth is this possible?’

She was a woman who had been a Level 1 Hunter until recently. As if to prove it, the database recorded that she had some peculiar Traits, but nothing particularly noteworthy.

Had she been hiding her skills? While his thoughts grew complicated, the second subject, who had been waiting, entered the measurement room.

“What should I do?”

“Let’s see… You can create objects containing special Origins and stories, and exert abilities based on them… Could you perhaps demonstrate that part?”

“Of course.”

Taewoon slightly drew out Barata and summoned a mass of Subterranean Tree stems before his eyes.

Then, taking a stance, he deployed the first Technique of the Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear and sliced through them in a single stroke.

“This is a weapon called the Divine Spear Barata. As you can see, it can summon sturdy tree stems and move them freely, and it has the effect of increasing the user’s Physical Ability.”

“I-Impressive. Could I perhaps check other items as well?”

“Yes. I can.”

Honestly, Yeongsu could not hide his shock from this scene alone.

The ability of the weapon Taewoon produced was one thing, but the level of spear technique he displayed afterward was truly extraordinary.

“This is a Magic Tome called the Remegethon. I heard you are a Magic Series Hunter; if you don’t mind, could you fire a spell toward this Magic Tome?”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

Yeongsu, stepping back to take a stance, created and fired a crystal flowing with intense cold, and Taewoon’s Remegethon emitted an ominous Magical Power, greedily swallowing it all.

And then.

“Like this… it is also possible to spit back the absorbed attack.”

The absorbed crystals were ejected sequentially, striking the special partition installed at the front of the measurement room, and a wind filled with cold air swirled inside the room.

After that, Taewoon showcased Artifacts such as Fenrir’s Claw and Aquila, explaining their effects to an appropriate degree, while Yeongsu recorded everything in a daze, completely flabbergasted.

‘Who on earth is this man?’

At this point, he had no choice but to admit it, even if he didn’t want to. The abilities Taewoon possessed were indeed very special and mysterious.

If he continued to develop his Trait and create even more powerful items, it was difficult to even guess how strong he could become.

‘At this level… this is a talent that would work even on the front lines.’

An all-time great talent that would likely receive a flood of love calls not only from the Three Major Guilds but also from famous overseas guilds.

Of course, since Baran had already snatched him up, such contracts wouldn’t happen immediately, but that didn’t diminish his value.

‘I’m not sure how much to trust his past record, honestly…’

He could only speculate that various interests were entangled, but anything beyond that was not Yeongsu’s concern.

‘Perhaps I am witnessing the birth of someone truly tremendous.’

With a sigh, Yeongsu quietly gazed at Taewoon’s back as he left the measurement room.

The results were received immediately that evening.

Taewoon was now a state-certified Level 4-rank Hunter, and Yerin became a Level 3-rank Hunter, one step below him.

“It’s pretty much as expected. It might have been different if I had brought out Gemini…”

“Since I’ve stated that Artifacts obtained through my Trait cannot be shared, it’ll prevent unnecessary hassles from increasing.”

Anyway, once one reached Level 3-rank, there were no problems accompanying them into dungeons, provided certain conditions were met.

It could be said that the most necessary foundation had been established for now.

“So, what are you going to do from now on?”

“I don’t know. For now, while I don’t have any tickets, I’m thinking of joining Baran’s Raid Party and focusing on conquering dungeons.”

The Baran Guild’s first-string Raid Party had the strength to conquer dungeons up to Level 5-rank.

Of course, that was including the Guild Master, Hongyeon, but it meant that even without her, they had no major issues conquering Level 4-rank dungeons.

“There are still a few days left, so if we hurry, we might be able to participate in one raid.”

With that, Taewoon contacted Hongyeon and received news that a raid on a Level 4-rank dungeon in Hongcheon was scheduled for two days later.

At that rate, it seemed he could barely make the schedule.

The next day, Taewoon, who decided to join the Raid Party with Yerin, exchanged light greetings with them and showed his face at the briefing held one day before the raid.

Since the first-string Raid Party spent so much time traveling, he didn’t encounter them often, but perhaps because they had been tipped off by Hongyeon, they welcomed the two of them readily.

And then.

“Hello. This is the first time we’re working together like this.”

Someone with a face quite familiar to Taewoon approached him softly and offered a greeting.