E-Rank Seong Ye-han
YP Research Institute. The company where Seong Ye-han had clocked in for a full year. A subsidiary of the world-renowned megacorp YH Group, it wielded overwhelming influence in Korea when it came to researching mana phenomena, new materials, and novel drugs.
For Seong Ye-han—a Hunter Academy graduate who lamented his harsh reality but still desperately wanted one foot in the hunter industry—this place had been like a lifeline from the heavens.
In the early days of the Gate Incident, research using magic stones, mana, and monster byproducts wasn't optional; it was essential. But there was one massive hurdle: ordinary researchers were far less sensitive to mana than awakeners, making observation and measurement exponentially more laborious. On top of that, they couldn't withstand the toxicity of certain monster byproducts.
Everything was new back then. No one knew what was beneficial or harmful, so any awakener—E-rank or otherwise—had to rush out to hold back the monsters. The research environment at the time was said to have been utter hell.
These days, with advanced measurement equipment, protective gear, and established laws of mana, even normals could handle monster materials. But of course, all that came at a steep cost...
In the end, it was far cheaper for companies to hire and exploit low-rank E- to D-rank awakeners.
So, it wasn't unusual for YP—the top research institute in the country—to recruit low-tier awakener manpower. But just as there's sky above the sky, there's a basement below the ground floor, and another sub-basement below that.
Honestly, when Seong Ye-han submitted his application and went for the interview, he never dreamed he'd land the spot. With droves of awakeners applying for a prestigious institute's full-time position, what reason was there to pick him—the E-rank of E-ranks, practically EE?
Well, he'd been working there without incident for a year now, so it wasn't something he needed to worry about anymore. But curiosity was curiosity.
He'd probably never find out.
Seong Ye-han passed through the gleaming lobby of the research institute's first floor, its smooth marble floors shining brightly, and headed toward a more secluded corner. He traversed a corridor painted in stark white, arriving at his destination amid thick, somehow unpleasant air drifting through the hall.
Monster Material Management Department
The place where he'd worked for a year—the last nest for discarded awakeners.
"Hello."
Today, too, he pushed open that door, which always felt inexplicably heavy.
The light of the workday for office workers: lunchtime.
The employee cafeteria inside the YP Research Institute building was a neat buffet-style setup with high-quality food that earned rave reviews from staff.
In this era, with food prices skyrocketing since the Gate Incident, eating out required serious resolve. The common joke among employees—"I come to work just for the meals"—didn't sound like just a joke anymore.
"We've got a massive shipment coming in this afternoon, so stuff yourself."
"Got it~"
The Team 3 leader from the Byproduct Management Department said that before darting out of the department locker room.
They'd spent the morning hauling, sorting, and trimming useless parts from byproducts—which were essentially monster corpses. Handling that stuff naturally left blood and all sorts of gunk on their work clothes.
Even on a cold winter day, and even with attention to hygiene, traces lingered. The locker room, thick with the peculiar stench of monsters, was uncomfortable for anyone—which explained the leader's haste.
Seong Ye-han wasn't an exception. He changed quickly and left the locker room without a backward glance.
By the time he reached the cafeteria, it was already packed. A massive transparent window along one wall offered a clear view of the institute's grassy garden.
Despite the midwinter chill, the bright, warmly heated space felt like another world, even after a year.
And among it all, one spot stood out most.
A table by the window, bathed in the faint but unmistakably warm glow of winter sunlight. Sleek black hair gleamed with a healthy sheen. A crisp white blouse paired with a deep gray H-skirt—an ordinary office look, yet it radiated undeniable allure from her well-curved figure and full breasts.
The kind of woman who'd make anyone on the street turn back for a second look. The kind who'd inspire fantasies of dragging her to bed and ravishing her over and over.
Yet her overall vibe was cool and intellectual beauty.
She'd been one of the interviewers when Seong Ye-han applied to YP. Though she hadn't seemed particularly interested, just glancing at him briefly without a single question.
He hadn't known her name then, but he did now: Lee Yun.
At just twenty-five, she held the position of senior researcher at Korea's top institute, YP. She'd racked up major achievements multiple times and was a real power player there. Rumors said she'd played a big role in upgrading and refining the recovery potions that built YH Group's current empire.
An elite among elites.
Even her chopstick work exuded elegance. Who did a woman like that date? Who did she fuck?
At least, not someone like Seong Ye-han right now.
The thought was fleeting. Tearing his gaze from her, his modest lunch tasted faintly bitter.
Goblin teeth: 10 boxes. Troll blood: 50 barrels. Shadow hyena hides: 250 sheets. Dried HP herbs and assorted other crates galore.
Fortunately, no whole monster corpses in the afternoon shipment. Though the sheer volume was insane.
"Whew—"
Sweating in midwinter felt like pure shit. Cold yet hot. Too hot? Strip down or hit the air-conditioned indoors. Too cold? Layer up or find a toasty heated room.
But cold and hot? Nothing works. Pure shit.
And with the subtle sneers, whispers, and sidelong glances on top...
"Those assholes aren't even gonna lift a finger."
Han Dong-uk, a fellow E-rank from Team 3, muttered it under his breath, voice low.
His gaze fell on several massive trucks—and the cluster of people huddled beside them, murmuring among themselves.
Post-Gate Incident, global logistics had hit the monster roadblock, making it standard to hire hunters as escorts.
Who'd expect a dangerous monster attack here, reachable by subway from Seoul? But gates and monsters could pop up anywhere, anytime.
A goblin might be nothing to a hunter, but to a regular trucker, it was a real accident and life threat.
Even so, with constant military and hunter patrols sweeping the Seoul suburbs for monsters, the actual risk was low. Those guys were probably D-ranks at best.
In the big picture of the hunter industry, the gap between us here and them wasn't much.
A C-rank would scoff at the difference between E and D: "What difference?"
Yet they looked at us like we were trash. No wonder it pissed him off.
Usually, they'd at least help with unloading, so the lack of it only fueled the bad vibes.
"Gotta save up quick for the academy. This shit's filthy."
"Hey, they'll hear you. Don't pick a fight—let's just keep quiet and work."
"Sigh... Yeah, gotta endure..."
Han Dong-uk let out a deep breath at Seong Ye-han's words and refocused on the job.
Dong-uk, awakened about a month ago, was scraping together tuition for the Korea National Hunter Education Academy—commonly called Hunter Academy—due to tough family finances.
Hunters were vital to national security, so the state offered scholarships and support for students. But hunter training demanded real bodies and facilities, so full rides weren't for everyone.
Even with tuition waived, covering living expenses for years of education was another story.
That's why quite a few new awakeners, like Dong-uk, worked to save up first.
Some panel on a talk show had said it once.
Anyway, Dong-uk was like an unscratched lottery ticket. To the general public, Seong Ye-han looked like a dud—or worse, a penalty prize. Same E-rank, but perceptions differed wildly.
Sure, Seong Ye-han had the edge of full-time status now, but soon Dong-uk would leap past that minor gap.
"Don't pretend you don't know me when you're a big-shot hunter later."
"Don't ghost me just 'cause you haven't seen my face, hyung."
The kid whined about contract woes and pay gaps, but he fired back quick enough.
Seong Ye-han let it slide with a chuckle.
Connections were tough yet shallow. True bonds would reunite them years later, after Dong-uk entered the academy—someday, somehow.
A sky ablaze in red.
If the Gate Incident brought humanity one gift, it was this pristine, vivid heaven—one of the miracles from magic stones and mana.
On his beautiful commute home, walking between the deep sunset and lengthening shadows, Seong Ye-han reflected.
E-rank. The lowest of the six hunter grades. Typically assigned to fresh awakeners.
They gained a basic mana field and superior physique—but only compared to normals. Studies pegged it at pro athlete levels for those dedicated to training.
With training and experience, they quickly hit D-rank, so E-ranks were actually a small slice of the total hunter population—third rarest after S and A, per stats.
The industry treated them as talentless half-assed losers, while outsiders saw them as tough "awakened" types and dumped the dirty work on them. A shitty grade all around.
And that was Seong Ye-han's rank, four years after awakening.
Even in Hunter Academy, he'd been dead last—utter trash.
Yet despite four years of essentially no hunter life, and advice to find another path, he clung to a sliver of hope thanks to his special ability.
Special ability. Hunters who awakened one typically jumped straight to C-rank.
The line where a sturdy, fit human became a true superhuman—like in movies or comics.
The grade where the industry recognized you as a proper hunter.
But only if you could prove it. An unprovable special ability was worthless—or worse.
[Heroine Hunter]
Upon intercourse with a heroine, add her stats to your own.
His awakened power—his hope, his albatross, his obsession.
In potential alone, it outclassed any ability on earth.
Average physical enhancement special abilities boosted baseline stats by about 30%. But his—straight out of some smut novel—could grant 100% reinforcement just by sleeping with a female awakener of his level.
He'd hit C-rank instantly. With effort, even B wasn't a pipe dream.
A proper awakener. A hunter he could proudly claim.
But Seong Ye-han couldn't settle for that.
The joy and sweet dreams of his first awakening. A position where he never bowed to anyone. Where shoulders squared meant others bowed at the waist.
That's who he wanted to be.
Some special abilities could only be used once in a lifetime, depending on power. If he compromised...
He could live decently. Far more respected than now.
But he'd regret that compromise forever.
Others would call it stubborn idiocy. B- or C-rank put you in Korea's upper crust—why waste time?
Someday, time would drag on, he'd settle as an average hunter, and regret wasting these years clinging to the extraordinary more than anything.
But even so.
It was still okay. He could endure and wait longer.
[The door opens]
Hearing the familiar commute announcement today, Seong Ye-han reaffirmed his vow once more.
If he couldn't be the dragon's head...
He'd rather be a worm crawling underground.
A worm with that faint potential to become the dragon's head.