Chapter 20
Alex, the Head of Management Team 1
He is responsible for assigning and distributing tasks to Tracers. Recently, he’s been focusing on a particular individual.
“Name: Shin Yohan, Age: 30. Former comprehensive martial artist who served in the search squad. Was the leader of the top Tracer team, Tracker. Started freelancing after leaving the team for some reason.”
A person with a distinguished background. Alex, a veteran at the Management Bureau, is one of the people who has been observing him for a long time.
Recently, he even made moves for Yohan’s sake.
‘There are rumors that he’s a runaway who betrayed his team, but that’s not true. There’s no way the spiritual support of Lim Kang-in would do such a thing.’
Although it’s unclear why he doesn’t refute the rumors, one thing is certain.
His false rumors will soon be dispelled one by one.
The things he has shown so far cannot simply be attributed to luck.
Having observed all awakened individuals in Korea, Alex was certain of it.
“Team Leader, aren’t you paying too much attention to that person? He’s just one of the growing awakened individuals. He’s not particularly special.”
Na-young, a member of Team 1, asked in a tone that suggested she couldn’t understand. It seemed to her that Alex’s favor was excessive.
“Despite having a limited budget, you generously gave him bonuses, including bonuses I’ve never received.”
“Is that what this is about?”
“Not entirely, but still.”
“Na-young, how old are you this year?”
“I’m 23.”
“Then you might not know. You were probably busy preparing for the college entrance exam, not knowing anything about the Management Bureau.”
“Huh? About what?”
“What do you think are the limits of an F-Rank awakened person?”
“Um, honestly, isn’t it a bit embarrassing to even call an F-Rank person ‘awakened’? Can we even call someone who doesn’t have any proper abilities awakened? Their physical abilities are only at the level of an ordinary athlete.”
“Right. For the average person, you’re 100% correct.”
Alex was lost in memories, looking into the distance as if recalling the past.
“What if an F-Rank Tracer successfully completed a B-Rank dungeon request purely on his own ability? Oh, of course, equipped with some pretty decent items.”
“Does that even make sense? How could an F-Rank Tracer survive in a B-Rank dungeon? Even with items, it would be impossible. F-Rank s aren’t even allowed to enter B-Rank dungeons.”
“There was a time when, with the government’s permission, even F-Rank s could enter S-Rank dungeons.”
Living through the tumultuous times, he felt a nostalgia for the wild lifestyle of that era.
“It doesn’t make sense. If the success rate of a mission could increase by 20% because of one person, it’s truly unbelievable.”
‘But such a crazy thing actually happened.’
Recently, Yohan’s changed appearance was enough to evoke that nostalgia.
Just yesterday, he almost asked him directly.
Even though he had just become an E-Rank , how did he manage to handle a D-Rank hunter?
Does that even make sense?
‘Moreover, he caught a boss monster that even Lim Kang-in struggled with. That makes even less sense. It’s a boss monster that could be at least top D-Rank or even C-Rank .’
Although he didn’t mention it to Yohan, he was secretly astonished.
If it were anyone else, he would have clung to them until he knew the truth.
‘Though they say he also completed a B-Rank dungeon mission, that was a mission. Combat is a different story.’
He kept all his doubts to himself, not wanting to spoil an unfinished effort.
Knowing Yohan, he would only emerge into the world when he felt fully prepared.
‘What on earth happened? Did a god bestow him with power?’
As a fan of Yohan, Alex naturally welcomed it.
The eyes Yohan showed when he unleashed his magic. They were no longer the dead, zombie-like eyes he showed every day.
They were the determined eyes of someone preparing to make a leap.
‘Let’s wait. Even though I’m curious, I can’t reveal interesting cards prematurely.’
The grand phrase “Return of the Legend,” Alex loved stories that sounded like novels very, very much.
“A storm will soon blow. A strong storm that will shake the world of the awakened.”
An existence that led the top Tracer team with the despairing Rank of F.
Alex was thrilled to witness the beginning of such a legend before his very eyes.
“Na-young.”
“Yes.”
“Has the right person for the agenda from the last meeting been decided?”
“The Tracer support policy? It seems Lim Kang-in will be the model.”
“Ah, so it’s not confirmed yet?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
Alex smiled deeply. It was a smile that appeared whenever he was about to scheme something.
“Oh, please refrain from making me do anything strange. Please.”
“Don’t worry. I just thought of a typhoon summoning spell that will overturn this rotten stream.”
Returning home, Yohan invested the entire day in sleeping. He woke up late and ordered a hamburger.
“Indeed, Frank Burger is the best.”
After devouring the burger in three minutes, he thought about what to do next.
Having met the qualifications for D-Rank , it was time to renew it.
“I also need to check out the new skill. I have a lot to do.”
He should be tired, but strangely, he wasn’t.
Maybe because he was fulfilling his desire to become stronger.
With adrenaline flowing, he only felt like moving faster.
“I need to get back in the rankings. I can’t remain a one-hit wonder.”
If he hadn’t climbed up before, he might not have felt this way. But having reached the top, Yohan’s longing was even stronger.
“Will the guys welcome me?”
Even before, but now with more power, he thought of his former teammates.
Having left the team without properly talking to them because of his pride, the only thing he could do for them was to make a comeback in a noticeable way.
Ding dong.
The bell rang. He hadn’t ordered any deliveries, but someone who seemed to be a delivery person was leaving a box at his door.
“What’s this? Did I order something and forget?”
It was a rather large box. His last delivery was a month ago.
Looking at the sender, Yohan made an incredulous expression, one filled with affection.
“Lim kang-in?”
The sender was none other than Lim Kang-in .
Yohan tore off the tape without hesitation and scratched his head as he checked the potion inside the small metal box.
He tried to contain the indescribable emotions that surged through him.
– Just thought of you during an interview. Wasn’t it your birthday recently? Don’t overdo it and get hurt. Use the potion, your hyungs and noonas have calmed down a lot.
“That brat, pretending to be an adult now.”
The potion was an A-Rank regeneration potion.
A miraculous potion that could heal all wounds without leaving a scar unless the injury was a severed limb, and it was worth over a billion won.
“Just in time, I ran out of potions. This is perfect.”
He put aside Gangin’s letter. The boy’s neat handwriting was still cute.
“I should have stopped already, what’s so good about a runaway?”
Gangin was the one who followed him the most.
He used to say that he respected his hyung the most, that an A-Rank like him respected an F-Rank .
And he said it with eyes that showed no hint of a lie.
So Yohan wanted to leave the team even more. A hero’s departure should be celebrated.
“It was the right choice. If I had stayed with the team, Gangin wouldn’t have spread his wings like this.”
Now, Tracker and Yohan were strangers who couldn’t mix.
Even if he gained more power, he wouldn’t shamelessly go back.
While he was away, they had strengthened their bond and climbed to higher places.
He could only pray and hope that they would climb even higher.
That was the best and most respectful thing he could do for them.
After preparing to leave, the place he arrived at was the Management Bureau in Gwanghwamun.
Returning to the Bureau after a few days, it was still bustling with people.
“How can I help you?”
“I’m here to renew my Awakener ID.”
He handed over his still shiny E-Rank Awakener ID without much thought.
The receptionist, who received the card, tilted her head as she checked the renewal date on it.
“Uh, are you here because there’s a problem with the card? Like, the magnet is faulty, or the IC chip isn’t working.”
“I’m here to renew my Rank .”
“Renew your Rank ?”
She rubbed her eyes and checked again. It had clearly been less than a week.
“Uh, please go over there for now. I’ll help you with the application.”
She guided him to the measurement room with a look of half disbelief.
The receptionist whispered something to the staff who assisted with Rank measurement.
The staff’s expression subtly changed.
Yohan pretended not to notice their exchanged glances and stared at his phone screen.
In truth, with his heightened senses, he could hear their entire conversation.
‘Please keep an eye on this person. He’s here to renew his Rank in less than a week.’
‘Huh? He seems like just another bragger, do we really need to keep an eye on him?’
‘Team Leader Alex ordered us to watch him closely.’
‘Ah… Okay. I’ll keep track and report back.’
Pretending not to notice was truly a challenge.
The Sensory Stat enhanced all abilities related to senses.
It awakened all senses from the five senses to the sixth sense, making him feel like he was living in a different world.
‘Alex, that sly fox. Even last time, and now he’s given a secret order to keep an eye on me.’
Just like when he took the E-Rank test, Alex was meticulous.
He might be the one who assessed Yohan the most accurately.
‘It’s not a bad thing. He’s offering me convenience.’
“Shin Yohan, please come in.”
An hour later, Yohan entered the measurement room as instructed by the staff. It was a machine that measured physical and magical Rank s, similar to an InBody machine.
“Please release all your energy for five seconds. Imagine it’s a life-or-death situation.”
Ding-
The machine’s green light indicated it was ready for him to release his energy.
“Alright.”
Focusing all his nerves, Yohan released his magic. The sharp intensity of his aura was so thick that it took the staff’s breath away.
“Th-thank you, that’s enough.”
Ding!
The machine displayed a letter after completing the measurement.
D.
The staff member, who saw the letter, looked back and forth between the Awakener ID given by the guide and the machine, displaying a look of disbelief.
“Could you please measure again? This situation is just too unbelievable.”
Yohan agreed readily and underwent the measurement up to four times before it was completely finished.
“This is impossible…”
“Are we done now?”
“Yes, yes! I’m sorry for the inconvenience. We needed to verify it due to a possible error.”
“The renewal, it can be done right away, right?”
“Of course! Please follow me!”
The now extremely courteous staff member personally escorted Yohan to the administrative office. The reaction there was no different from the staff’s.
Yohan was told he was the only person in Korea to request a Rank renewal within a week.
“Um, when do you plan to renew to C-Rank ?”
“I don’t know either. It could be soon.”
“Here is your renewed Awakener ID. I look forward to seeing you soon!”
The staff’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. It was a look Yohan hadn’t seen in exactly eight years.
“Yes, I hope so too.”
Yohan, having left the Management Bureau, expected that his name would soon reappear on portal sites.
The explosive announcement of a new beginning went off as he intended, and even the wind seemed to scatter coolly according to Yohan’s feelings.
In the tomb of the absolute ruler, where human warmth had vanished, a woman was examining the dungeon.
Despite her annoyed expression, the sharp-looking woman was meticulously scanning her surroundings.
“There’s no point in searching forever. Nothing’s going to come out.”
Looking at the photo on her phone, the woman, staring at the unlikable smiling face of Lim Kang-in , headed toward the place where the scent of blood was thickest.
In the boss room, the collapsed and hollowed-out interior was filled with the stench of rotting blood.
The woman alternated her gaze between the entrance and the inside, clutching her head.
“In the end, he touched it. This guy said he couldn’t handle this level of an institution and lied.”
The boss room, a complete mess, was a ruin no matter who looked at it.
Seeing the exposed tomb, it was highly likely there were no treasures left.
“As expected, nothing. There shouldn’t be anything.”
There was indeed nothing inside the tomb she entered. The woman took pictures with her camera, capturing any possible traces.
“Damn bastard. If I had caught him, I would’ve crushed his soul.”
Sniff, sniff—
She came out of the tomb and took a deep breath.
Able to distinguish the smell of blood, she remembered Lim Kang-in ‘s scent.
“The smell of blood from eight people is mixed in. Six must be those killed by him, so whose blood is the seventh?”
Someone else’s blood was mixed with Lim Kang-in ‘s. This meant they had a confrontation.
“Just one person? The investigation unit usually moves in groups of five or more.”
Something was odd. There was a definite difference from the movements of the Management Bureau she knew.
“Moreover, he fought the boss monster too. Judging by the moisture, he killed the boss monster first and then fought Lim Kang-in .”
He killed a boss monster estimated to be C-Rank and then fought Lim Kang-in .
This meant the person with him had the skills of at least a high C-Rank to B-Rank hunter.
“There was nothing like this in the Management Bureau’s report. Did they intentionally hide it? Why would they hide it?”
“Would there be any reason to hide the person who captured the serial killer, Lim Kang-in ?”
“No matter how notorious the Reaper Guild is, they wouldn’t retaliate over something like this.”
“If it wasn’t for the treasure, I wouldn’t be searching for traces like this.”
Snap.
“That means the person who took the treasure knows it’s what we were looking for. Haha, this is getting interesting.”
“To dare take the treasure knowing it was what the Reaper Guild was after.”
“In other words, this isn’t just a confrontation with Lim Kang-in ; it’s a provocation against the Reaper Guild.”
“Impressive. They tried to hide this, knowing we’d come after it.”
“The Reaper Guild has never missed anything they’ve targeted.”
“Moreover, the treasure here was particularly coveted by the guild leader.”
Ring ring ring—
The woman, now outside the dungeon, made a phone call.
The call was swiftly connected as if expected.
“Did you find it?”
A middle-aged man’s voice.
The woman, who seemed fearless to the world, showed respect even over the phone.
“Master. I haven’t found its location, but I did find an important clue.”
“What is it?”
“Someone took the treasure knowing what we were looking for. Judging by how they captured Lim Kang-in right after taking down the boss, their skills are at least C-Rank to B-Rank or higher. They’re no easy target.”
“Are you saying they provoked us?”
“Indeed. Arrogance. They dared to take something marked by the Reapers.”
“Can you find it?”
The woman confidently laughed at the man’s question.
It was a hearty laugh without a trace of doubt.
“There’s nothing in this world I can’t find. I will bring the treasure right before your eyes.”
After ending the call, the woman dialed another number.
This time, a young woman’s voice answered.
“Bribe someone in the Management Bureau. Get a complete list of everyone who entered the dungeon and requested entry on the day Lim Kang-in was killed.”
