TL: Hayath
Chapter 27
Fate Rides the Wind (2)
“Assistant Manager, is it true that the mercenary from the Ice Fortress is coming?”
“Hey, don’t you see all the scouts gathered around? From major guilds to minor ones, they’re all here! If the rumor is true, they’ll definitely come for the rank reassessment.”
The lobby of the Hunter Agency’s main office.
Two people holding cameras and phones looked around and said this.
Then:
The ID cards around their necks swayed each time they turned their heads.
Assistant Manager Park Dae-seong adjusted his glasses and continued to survey the surroundings.
A few hours ago, a rumor had been posted on the information board.
It said that the mercenary from the Ice Fortress would come to the main office of the Hunter Agency today for a rank reassessment.
The mercenary from the Ice Fortress.
No personal information was available due to confidentiality, but they were a rising star who had taken down two Luminus members infiltrating the Asin Guild and saved four hunters during the Ice Fortress incident.
Rumor had it that this mysterious hunter had even told Kang Cheol-man, the guild master of the Asin Guild, to get lost.
While this information hadn’t spread widely among the general public, many guilds were extremely interested behind the scenes.
Recently, there hadn’t been any noteworthy newcomers in the hunter industry, so the appearance of a significant figure after a long time was drawing massive attention.
As a result:
“Is the information reliable? They’re really coming today?”
“Yeah, it is. It’s not much, but other guilds even found out their name, spending tens of millions to do so.”
“Seriously? I really want to see what they look like.”
The lobby of the Hunter Agency’s main office was abuzz with talk about the mercenary from the Ice Fortress.
The rumor had spread among the hunters, and many guilds had sent scouts en masse in response to the news that had surfaced today.
With numerous media reporters joining the scouts, a large crowd was inevitable.
However, someone found the situation very exhausting.
“Wow, so many people have gathered. Where did the information leak from?”
It was Shin Dae-hoon, the head of the Hunter Agency’s third personnel department.
Upon Han Sang-woo’s request, they decided to proceed with the rank reassessment, but scouts swarmed in, as if they had smelled blood.
Their intelligence capabilities were indeed formidable.
Despite no official announcement, they had not only trailed Han Sang-woo during raids but also figured out the schedule for the rank reassessment.
Right after the Ice Fortress incident, the Asin Guild had dispatched informants to all hunting grounds in Seoul to find Han Sang-woo, and other guilds followed suit, trying to gather information. It seemed that those efforts were indeed true.
‘With such strict surveillance at the entrance, we might have to postpone the reassessment.’
If he entered, he’d be immediately surrounded by the crowd and bombarded with questions. Could he even get in?
Shin Dae-hoon looked at the lobby with concern, but his worry was unfounded.
While he waited with his arms crossed for Han Sang-woo to appear, a voice suddenly called out from behind.
“Manager, here I am.”
“What! Hunter Han Sang-woo? When did you arrive? And how did you get here? I didn’t see you coming in….”
It was baffling.
To reach the elevator where he stood, one had to pass through the lobby, yet Han Sang-woo’s figure had been unseen.
Shin Dae-hoon was bewildered, but Han Sang-woo, who had entered unnoticed thanks to Lee Kyu-jin’s [Infiltration] skill, replied calmly.
“Well, let’s just say I have my methods. Anyway, where should I go for the reassessment?”
“Ah, follow me. We’ll use a special room since there might be paparazzi upstairs. But… are you okay with this? It could get very troublesome. Undergoing the rank reassessment will almost certainly reveal your identity. Many guilds are currently looking for you.”
Even the fact that over a hundred people had gathered in the lobby showed that.
Undergoing the rank reassessment would mean his identity would be revealed.
While they would try to maintain security, many connections existed between the Hunter Agency’s hunters and the hunters from general guilds, both publicly and privately.
For now, only a relatively small number knew that Han Sang-woo was the mercenary from the Ice Fortress. But with the reassessment, there was a high chance that his name and basic details would spread widely.
However, Han Sang-woo didn’t seem concerned about that anymore.
“It’s fine. I’m the one who spread the information.”
“What…? You spread it yourself?”
“Yes. I can’t hide forever. Besides, the reason I kept my identity confidential has been somewhat resolved.”
“Can I ask what that reason was?”
“Well….”
Han Sang-woo trailed off at Shin Dae-hoon’s question.
There wasn’t a particular reason.
The main reason for not revealing his identity was to gain enough power to protect himself when his abilities became known.
Now, he could defeat B-rank hunters, and the duration of his [Character Summoning] had significantly increased, so there was no need to hide desperately. Moreover, the difficulty of hidden quests was gradually increasing, making it harder to solve them alone secretly.
After thorough consideration from various angles, Han Sang-woo had made his decision. But he couldn’t explain all this in detail to Shin Dae-hoon.
They didn’t have that kind of relationship, nor did he completely trust him.
Han Sang-woo smiled faintly and gave a vague response.
“It’s personal, so it’s difficult to explain.”
“I see. Still, thank you for sharing to some extent. It has cleared up some of my curiosity. This way, please. I’ll assist you with the rank reassessment.”
Even this much information was something.
Though Han Sang-woo didn’t reveal the specifics, Shin Dae-hoon felt satisfied with that and led him to a special room connected to the main building.
As they passed through the corridor linking the buildings, the number of people around them decreased sharply, revealing a cleaner and more sophisticated examination room compared to the South Seoul Hunter Agency.
When Han Sang-woo and Shin Dae-hoon entered:
“Hello, welcome.”
“Nice to meet you. Are you Hunter Han Sang-woo who requested the rank reassessment?”
Nearly ten examiners greeted the two of them.
“Yes, that’s me, but there are quite a few people here.”
“Haha, it’s for a more precise examination and verification.”
Seeing more people than during the initial assessment, Han Sang-woo scratched his cheek.
Moreover, there was a familiar face.
“Nice to see you again. We meet again.”
It was Lee Eun-ha, the S-rank hunter of the Hunter Agency.
Standing among the examiners, she waved at Han Sang-woo.
‘Why is the head of the first dungeon team, who should be on raids, here?’
Han Sang-woo tilted his head in confusion and returned her greeting.
“What brings you here?”
“I was passing by and stopped in. I have something to ask you.”
“To ask me? I’ve already submitted a written report on what happened at the Ice Fortress….”
Han Sang-woo thought that the only thing Lee Eun-ha could be curious about was that, but she had something else in mind.
“It’s something else. Shall we start with the examination? I seem to be taking up your valuable time.”
She brushed off Han Sang-woo’s words, indicating with a smile that he shouldn’t mind her.
‘Seems like she’s here to watch.’
Han Sang-woo immediately realized it, seeing the larger number of people than before.
Though he felt like an animal in a zoo, he had already prepared for this.
Considering it, he himself would have been too curious to endure if he were a staff member of the Hunter Agency.
“Please put down your items and step into this machine.”
Following the examiner’s instructions, Han Sang-woo put down his Volcano Sword and Volcano Shield before stepping into the cylindrical machine.
In the South Seoul Hunter Agency, he had stood on a scale-like device and held the handles, but this time it looked like a newer model than before.
The performance seemed to be better as well.
Ding-! Woooong-!
The announcement appeared in a short time, and the results were displayed.
[Name – Han Sang-woo]
[Level – 75]
[Strength: 108] [Agility: 107] [Intelligence: 97] [Stamina: 115] [Magic: 145]
[Imperial Knights’ Swordsmanship] [Little Blacksmith’s Blessing] [Infiltration]
The level, stats, and skill entries measured were displayed on the glass part of the cylinder.
Then:
The examiners, Lee Eun-ha, and Shin Dae-hoon gathered around the printed results to discuss.
“Hmm? His level isn’t as high as I thought. Since he beat a B-rank hunter, I expected it to be over 180. Based on level alone, he’s D-rank.”
“But his stats are high. It’s not quite enough for B-rank, but it’s at C-rank level.”
“There are only three skills as well. It seems difficult to defeat a B-rank hunter with just these.”
“But his growth rate is crazy. He was measured as F-rank not long ago, and now he’s grown this much. This growth rate is unprecedented.”
Both praise and criticism emerged simultaneously, creating a strange situation.
Considering he had subdued Luminus at the Ice Fortress, his level, stats, and skills were lower than expected.
Those who expected too much were disappointed, and those who knew him only vaguely were amazed by his phenomenal growth.
Amidst this, only one person, Lee Eun-ha, was deep in thought with her arms crossed.
‘I knew it. He doesn’t have many skills, but his stat distribution is exceptionally balanced. His skill level is likely at or above the highest level we know. Let’s see his mana level. What will it be?’
She speculated based on the information displayed and keenly observed Han Sang-woo’s abilities.
After a while:
“Let’s measure his mana level now. Hunter Han Sang-woo, please channel your mana into this device.”
An examiner gave instructions, and Han Sang-woo took the Volcano Sword and stepped forward.
When he grasped the silver sphere attached to the device, a strong suction force drew his mana out.
‘Ugh… this machine is really annoying.’
When the mana gauge rose to 100, the light turned off, and the figure was displayed.
<210/210>
When his mana level appeared, the examiners murmured again.
“Only 210? That’s lower than the average D-rank.”
“Well, considering the initial measurement was 30, it’s a great increase. His previous growth rate should be taken into account.”
Their voices contained mixed emotions.
Han Sang-woo’s mana level was high considering his initial measurement, but it still wasn’t high enough to defeat a B-rank hunter.
After all, B-rank hunters had mana levels between 250 and 500.
Then Lee Eun-ha asked the gathered examiners:
“But we should consider the real combat situation as well. If Hunter Han Sang-woo allows, shall we measure his skills in actual combat?”
They all agreed, as such measurements would be more accurate in assessing real abilities than numbers.
Considering their opinions:
“Yes. Please do.”
Han Sang-woo accepted and stepped forward.
A few examiners and Lee Eun-ha moved to the nearby combat practice field.
Lee Eun-ha’s interest in him made the other examiners even more curious, resulting in a strong desire to test his real combat skills.
While they prepared the practice field, Han Sang-woo picked up his Volcano Sword and Volcano Shield.
He checked the equipment and briefly observed his surroundings before stepping onto the field.
In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to stand there with ease.
But now, he didn’t feel as nervous, thinking of the growth he’d achieved in a short time.
When he took his position, Lee Eun-ha smiled brightly and spoke to the examiners.
“Now, I’ll ask a simple question before we start the real combat measurement.”
At her words, the examiners looked puzzled, but she didn’t mind and continued.
“Hunter Han Sang-woo, do you think you’re capable of defeating a B-rank hunter in real combat?”
The question drew the examiners’ interest.
Depending on the answer, the result of the reassessment could significantly change.
Then:
“…”
Han Sang-woo closed his eyes for a moment before replying.
“Yes. I believe I can.”
His confident voice resonated.
“Very well. Then, shall we test it now?”
Lee Eun-ha nodded and signaled the start of the measurement.
The moment of truth had come.
