The First Lesson and the S-Rank Fan
I arrived at the Tower of the future S-rank hunter.
I was facing the greatest crisis of my life. I never imagined that Unni would choose English as the first subject for my homeschooling exam. The extent of my English vocabulary was limited to "Hello" and "I'm fine."
"Hmm? Can't you solve it?"
"O-oh, no…."
Of course I couldn't. Se-eun Unni probably wouldn't scold me for not knowing it, either. It was just a placement test to gauge my level before starting the actual homeschooling.
But still, I had a bit of pride that I wasn't actually a nine-year-old in terms of intelligence, you know? I wanted to show that off and get praised like, "Wow! Shiro is a genius!"
But I had failed miserably.
Do elementary school students these days really know how to solve all these English problems?
"Hmm… Shiro, what is 'door' in English?"
"D-door?"
"Then, outside the door. The exterior of the house?"
"Door-pass space?"
"Uh…."
Se-eun Unni scratched her head as if she were troubled, then handed me a book containing 1,000 English words that elementary students are supposed to memorize.
"From now on, we’ll have a test on 10 pages every week. Got it, Shiro?"
"Isn't that too much…!"
"You can do it, right? Shiro?"
"Ugh… Yes, Unni…."
I wasn't confident, but….
Since the real power in this house was Se-eun Unni, not Grandfather… I couldn't disobey her.
It was very sad.
"Wow~ Mr. Association President, is this for real?"
"…Even if you are an S-rank hunter, it is problematic for you to barge into the Association President's office as you please."
The magnificent Association building. Shiro had entered naturally with Kang Yong-su, so she might not have known, but the security here was extremely tight.
There were dozens of hunters directly employed by the Association stationed here, and the building was packed with mechanical devices that could be activated at a moment's notice.
However, for the woman currently standing in front of Lee Jong-wu, none of the building's defenses were an obstacle. She was Shin Yeon-hwa, one of the only 21 S-rank hunters in South Korea.
She had short hair mixed with red and white, and deep, dark blue eyes that contrasted with it. She was a 28-year-old hunter famous for wearing the varsity jacket of a prestigious university she had never even attended.
"Hey~ Let's not be so stiff between us. Hmm? It's no fun."
"…Even so, how could you just flip through documents as you please?"
"What can I do when the rumors are flying? They say a new rookie hunter that Lee Jong-wu has his eyes on has appeared."
The profession of Association President Lee Jong-wu was Appraiser (A).
It was difficult for him to participate in raids directly… but it was a profession recognized for its high value in identifying items or skills.
Among them, Lee Jong-wu was special because he possessed the ability to grasp a hunter's potential in detail compared to other appraisers.
Recognized for such traits, he was able to rise to the position of Association President after a rapid promotion. Every single hunter he took an interest in had become an S-rank hunter or someone of an equivalent level.
"But I didn't know that hunter would be a nine-year-old kid?"
"…Yes, that is correct. Since she is a young girl, I would appreciate it if you didn't take any further interest-"
"Actually, that's even better!"
"…Excuse me?"
Lee Jong-wu was confused about what on earth she was talking about. He even doubted if he had heard her correctly. Soon, he stared at Shin Yeon-hwa with the gaze one might use for a potential criminal.
Shin Yeon-hwa read his gaze and chewed over the words she had just spat out. She wasn't the type to think long and hard before speaking, so she often needed a process of rethinking like this.
"A-ah, no…!! That's not it…! No, I didn't mean that!"
"Ah… I see."
However, Lee Jong-wu's gaze showed no signs of returning to normal.
Shin Yeon-hwa was a certified hunter recognized by the Association. In other words, she was not a villain belonging to a criminal organization or a criminal who committed crimes. It meant she was on the side of justice in her own way.
However, she had many eccentricities in her daily behavior… and because she had a strong tendency to act recklessly, her reputation among the Association staff was very poor.
It seemed there were many fans on the internet who were attracted to that side of her, but to Lee Jong-wu, who had personally discovered and raised her, she was like a rebellious teenage daughter.
So—he couldn't immediately look at her with a favorable gaze, feeling anxious about what kind of trouble she would cause this time.
"I-I really didn't mean it like that…!!"
"I understand, so please calm down and speak."
"So, you know what I went through! I hate things like high-level guild political fights! Since she's young, she'll be pure, right?"
"…That isn't exactly a pleasant thing to hear, either."
"Oh, damn it, is that so? Anyway, it's not like that! It's just… a labyrinth appeared in the area I'm in charge of recently, and the heat is so intense that it's difficult to clear, so I wanted to get some help…."
Only after listening to her explanation did Lee Jong-wu nod his head.
Shin Yeon-hwa tended to operate with Cheorwon in Gangwon Province as her nest. The reason was simple; it was her hometown.
While Gates occurred all over the country, high-level hunters all existed in large cities, and hunter-neglected areas like Cheorwon often suffered great damage even if only a small Gate occurred.
In other words, Shin Yeon-hwa was a kind-hearted hunter who gave up fame and money to go down to the countryside to protect her hometown herself.
Since Lee Jong-wu knew that fact, he would often step in to cover for her even when she showed wayward behavior.
"That is unexpected. You usually clear labyrinths or Gates that occur in Cheorwon all by yourself. Your abilities are outstanding, after all."
"Right! Who do you think I am! But… you know, my abilities are weak against heat…. The labyrinth that appeared this time is quite difficult, so it's a bit hard to clear. But if I take the hunters from Cheorwon… they're too weak."
"Isn't it just because you don't get along with them?"
"I distinguish between public and private matters! I-I really do!"
Lee Jong-wu stroked his chin in thought. Her job was Wood Spirit's Brawler (S), and as she carried the mana of the plant attribute, she did show vulnerability to heat.
'But sending Shiro… seems too dangerous. I can't place such a harsh burden on a young girl….'
"S-so… that friend named Shiro… and… Y-Yong-su Hunter-nim, too…."
"Aha, so that was your true intention?"
Shin Yeon-hwa, who was sitting firmly in the Association President's chair, turned her head away with flushed cheeks. She was… a woman who was desperately in love with Kang Yong-su.
"Such an offer came in, are you going to do it? Dad?"
Honestly, when I heard Se-eun Unni's words, it looked fun. If a raid is fighting a boss, a labyrinth is literally an operation to explore the changed terrain, find the clear conditions, and restore it to its original state.
They said you could find various treasures in the process, and that quite a few interesting things happened.
"I'm worried that a labyrinth might be too dangerous for Shiro."
"But I'm strong…!"
"A labyrinth is not a matter of simply being strong or not."
There was a reason for Grandfather's words. In fighting a boss, you only had to be careful of the monster… but a labyrinth had many variables, starting from various traps to getting lost.
There was a reason why people said not to challenge a labyrinth if you hadn't even cleared the lower floors of the Tower.
"Then… how about I clear the Tower up to the 5th floor?!"
If that's the case, I just have to clear the lower floors of the Tower! I clenched my fist and stood up, thinking it was a groundbreaking proposal.
The Tower wasn't that dangerous, either. Even if you failed to clear it and met your death, you would just be summoned again from outside the Tower; you didn't actually die.
"Hmm…."
"I-is this not allowed, either? Why?"
"…Just because you don't die in the Tower doesn't mean it's all fine. There are not a few hunters who have become completely insane after repeating death."
"……."
Come to think of it, they said the Tower had a strong power of temptation. Because every time a hunter cleared the Tower, they could grow intuitively.
I heard that hunters addicted to the sense of accomplishment would challenge it again even if they failed, and if they repeated death, they would become insane and end up as complete wrecks or villains.
"Then… I'll just go in once… is that not allowed? Grandfather…?"
― Kyak-kyak….
I had no choice but to bring out a forbidden technique. I held Jeolmi in my arms, grabbed Grandfather's clothes with my remaining hand, and looked up at him, pleading.
Jeolmi tilted his head, letting out a pitiful cry as if to help with my charm offensive. As expected of a genius, I'll have to strengthen Jeolmi next time.
"…C-cough. Then, Se-eun Unni and Grandfather will be waiting at the entrance of the Tower, so if you fail even once, you must stop challenging the Tower first, got it?"
"Yay!"
Persuasion complete.
I could feel the gaze of Se-eun Unni, who had been listening from the side, but let's move on, as it was obvious she would also crumble before my charm.
"Whoa!"
The Tower of Awakening, which had transformed from Namsan Tower. I had seen it from afar while going back and forth to the nearby Association building, but it felt different seeing it properly like this.
The name "Tower of Awakening" was not decided by Korea, but by the International Awakened Association. They named it that because it was a tower where an Awakened could grow greatly if they entered.
It was in the form of a huge tower stretching straight up into the sky, and its end was connected to the inside of a giant Gate. It felt as if the sky had broken and the tower had fallen.
"You've arrived."
"Is that the kid?"
Since the Association headquarters was right next door, Mr. Jong-wu had come out to greet us. I was a little worried if that man had nothing better to do.
And next to him… was the person I had seen on the internet. Was it Hunter Shin Yeon-hwa? I remembered her making headlines for making an illegal U-turn and then smashing the car of the person who got angry at her and acted as if they were in the right.
"Hello."
"It's Yeon-hwa, yes. I heard the story."
I bowed politely, and Grandfather Yong-su laughed heartily, as if they were acquaintances, and reached out his hand for a handshake.
"Ah, ugh. Yes."
But why was that Unni twisting her body while shaking hands with Grandfather?