TL: Hayath
Chapter 9
There was no reason to refuse Alex’s proposal. Advancing the exam by 1 hour and 30 minutes was something I couldn’t pass up if I had the connections.
“Is there some kind of VIP exam hall?”
“How did you know? There’s a better exam hall than this one. No, it’s incomparably better.”
I wondered why such good facilities were needed just to renew my E-rank, but the main point was time-saving.
For johan, who didn’t particularly like waiting, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“Let’s go. It’s not far.”
Alex led johan with a broad smile, evidently pleased about something.
Predicting that Alex might have ulterior motives, johan tried to figure out what they were.
However, there was nothing that Alex could take from him since he had nothing special to lose.
‘Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I can find out where this other exam hall is this time.’
“There it is.”
Alex led johan out of the building and to the adjacent one. It was a gym owned by the administration, built by demolishing an alleyway.
“There’s an exam hall here too?”
“Technically, it’s an examiner. At this time, there’s a passionate person always training here. He’s a pretty rigid guy too.”
“An examiner?”
Was an examiner needed for an E-rank exam?
It was a simple test that only required measuring magic power.
‘There’s definitely something going on. That sly fox.’
Seeing Alex’s twitching lips, it was clear there was something. There’s no way he would offer such kindness without a reason.
‘Should I play along for now?’
johan considered going back to the administration office but decided to watch a bit more.
If Alex made a strange request, he could just refuse, and Alex wasn’t someone who would make harmful proposals.
Hwaak-
As soon as the training room door opened, warm air hit johan’s skin.
The slightly sticky heat was an artificial warmth created by people’s body heat.
In the middle of the training room was someone emitting heat.
‘That person is…’
A muscular man was training with his shirt off, unaware of the sweat dripping around him.
A middle-aged man in his 40s with deep wrinkles on his forehead.
“You seem to recognize him.”
As Alex said, johan knew him already. He had met this man numerous times over the past eight years.
“Mr. Sanggu!”
Alex called out to him. Sanggu glanced at the door and, upon recognizing johan, frowned.
It was evident he felt uncomfortable.
‘What’s Alex up to, bringing me here?’
johan felt uncomfortable too.
It was because Sanggu was one of the many people who had continuously challenged johan back in the day when he was active.
Because johan was deemed incompetent as an F-rank.
‘That annoying stickler for rules.’
The memories johan had forgotten started resurfacing.
Sanggu had often clashed head-on with johan, who had received quite a few privileges back then, passionately arguing the importance of principles.
He wasn’t a bad person. Just excessively obsessed with principles.
‘Judging by that look in his eyes, he hasn’t changed.’
“There’s no need for an introduction, right? I was thinking we might need a tea time.”
Alex’s expression was subtle.
His twitching lips suggested he didn’t just bring johan for fun.
“You’ve brought an uninvited guest, Ja-cheol.”
“Oh, I’m on duty, so could you call me Alex, Deputy Team Leader? And I don’t think he’s an uninvited guest. We all lived through the same era…”
“Stop joking and get to the point quickly. This isn’t a pleasant situation.”
Sanggu was as inflexible as ever. A person who couldn’t take jokes or banter.
Swiik-
johan shrugged and lightly responded to Sanggu’s cold gaze.
“Congratulations on your promotion to Team Leader. I thought you were a section chief.”
“…It’s been over three years. Time always flies. But it seems you haven’t changed much.”
Sparks flew from their eyes. Despite the passing years, Sanggu’s hostility remained.
In fact, it seemed even deeper.
“Hey now, I didn’t bring you two here to fight. Chotto matte yo~”
Alex waved his hands to diffuse the tense atmosphere. Beads of sweat were forming at the ends of his sideburns.
“Then why did you bring him? He’s not even a welcome face.”
“Well, it’s for a special exam. If there are two Team Leaders from the administration, they can independently evaluate an Awakener’s rank.”
“An exam?”
Sanggu seemed unaware.
“The waiting line was too long. Considering it’s johan’s rank assessment, I thought you might be interested.”
Spark-
This time, Sanggu’s eyes genuinely sparkled with suspicion.
“You’re not talking about the rank assessment from F to E, are you?”
“Is there any other rank assessment?”
“That’s absurd. He’s a hopeless F-rank.”
“Hearing you call someone hopeless in front of them makes you seem pretty hopeless yourself.”
Unable to bear it any longer, johan frowned and retorted. Sanggu ignored johan’s reaction.
“He’s someone who hasn’t escaped F-rank for nearly ten years. And now he wants to take the test?”
“I’ve been waiting for this moment. Do you know how much I wanted it?”
Alex clasped his hands together, and the sweat that had been running down his forehead had already dried up.
“If you see johan’s transformation, Mr. Sanggu, you might reconsider the issue of canceling the high-rank dungeon entry permit.”
Sanggu flinched.
johan finally understood why Alex had brought him here.
‘So it’s because of that.’
The high-rank dungeon entry permit.
A government document that allowed johan, despite being only F-rank, to enter S-rank dungeons for his Tracer missions.
This document was issued exclusively to johan in South Korea, and Sanggu had vehemently opposed it.
It must have been even more unacceptable to him since it was a privilege given to only one person.
‘Judging by the current situation, it seems his opposition is finally bearing fruit.’
The government must also be agreeing to the cancellation.
Now johan was just another Tracer, wandering through low-rank dungeons.
There was no longer a need to maintain the permit.
It was bitter, but it was understandable.
He was also changing to escape such perceptions.
“Even if you raise your rank, it’ll only be to E. Nothing will change.”
“But what if it’s not the end?”
“What?”
“What if I can raise my rank even higher? This is just the beginning. What if I can reach D, C, or even B-rank?”
There was a certainty in Alex’s voice, even though he didn’t know much. For a moment, Sanggu’s eyes shook in surprise.
“What if the Tracer you so despised finally got his wings? What if he meets the criteria to receive the permit?”
Sanggu’s gaze turned to johan, as if seeking an explanation.
Nod-
Alex also looked straight at johan, nodding.
Now johan perfectly understood Alex’s intentions.
‘He’s helping and testing me simultaneously. He’s asking if I deserve such kindness.’
Indeed, there’s no such thing as unintentional kindness. He knew johan inside out and wanted to have him under his command.
“I’m also curious. How strong my star has become.”
‘He didn’t get to the team leader position by chance. A sly old fox.’
He knew nothing. Yet, saying such things and demanding confirmation from johan meant he wanted to verify it himself.
johan’s abilities and determination.
‘It won’t go as you expect.’
“The E-rank test is about emitting a certain level of magic, right?”
He had an obligation to show that he was not someone to be predicted or evaluated.
This was johan’s first step into the world, akin to an opening statement.
Paaat-
He released all the spirit he had. From johan’s entire body, a deep, abyss-like aura began to rise.
Dense, rising spirit. Though not large in quantity, it exuded a definite presence.
The essence of spirit, clinging to the atmosphere like cobwebs, dripped and drooled.
“……!!”
“What kind of aura is this……!”
Their eyes widened. The magic power johan emitted was unlike anything they knew.
A force closer to death.
Just feeling it made their entire bodies shiver with goosebumps; it was a cruel aura they had never felt before.
“Is it a pass?”
“Gaining this kind of power…”
“Is there any reason I should explain? Should I step forward and explain?”
Gulp-
“N-no need for that, of course.”
Alex’s expression changed rapidly. Straightening his posture, it seemed he was revising his evaluation of johan.
“Indeed, it’s magic power that surpasses E-rank. Not just the amount, but the quality too… it’s unlike any magic I’ve ever felt.”
They were astonished. Although they had expected johan to grow, they hadn’t anticipated such a dense deathly aura.
“How about it, Mr. Sanggu? Was I wrong?”
“…It seems we’re equally surprised.”
“Well, let’s set that aside. It’s not important.”
Sanggu couldn’t hide the sparkle in his eyes.
“Even the Grim Reaper Kim Jae-hoon didn’t possess such magic. Is it really human magic?”
“Is that a compliment? Saying I’ve transcended humanity’s bounds!”
“Damn. I should just keep my mouth shut.”
Sanggu closed his eyes, seemingly not wanting to see johan’s smugness.
One thing was clear: Sanggu’s hostility had noticeably lessened.
“Still, I can’t trust you.”
“You’re pretty stingy.”
“Don’t be mistaken. You don’t have the authority to pass or fail the test.”
Sanggu stared at johan.
“Prove that you are worthy of the high-rank dungeon entry permit, not just through your strength.”
