C-Rank Hunter with A-Rank Perks
Signing a contract demands caution. The hunter rank evaluation process has a notorious reputation for its high difficulty. Ranks are measured through various tests, but the one that has the biggest impact on determining your grade is the practical test known as the Instant Dungeon.
"Jeong Sion Hunter. Congratulations on breaking through round 83."
"Thanks."
In that crucial exam, I'd shattered Korea's all-time record! Sure, I hadn't done it head-on—it was through a cheesy exploit—but I'd still cleared it, right? I'm pretty damn awesome.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to have a quick word with you."
I'd just finished the evaluation and planned to register as a hunter and head out, but a middle-aged Association staffer stopped me. No way someone from the Association was calling me over to hit on a woman; it had to be about hunter business.
"Will this take long?"
"It won't be a lengthy discussion."
"Hmm... alright. Lead the way."
The Association is famous for its trustworthiness, after all. Might as well hear him out.
The room the Association staffer led me into was surprisingly spacious. It felt like one of those CEO offices from a drama—plush sofa and all. I settled in lightly, and the conversation began.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kim Hyeon-gwang, branch chief of the Awakener Association Seoul Branch."
"...You're the branch chief?"
"That's right."
I was shocked right from the start. I'd expected someone high up given the record, but the branch chief himself? Considering that all branch chiefs in Korea's Awakener Association are A-rank hunters or higher, that meant a powerhouse was sitting right in front of me.
"No need to feel burdened. It's standard procedure for me to handle hunters who clear 70 rounds or more."
"Ah... I see. So, why did you call me here?"
"Yes, let me explain. Today, you broke the domestic record in the rank evaluation."
Kim Hyeon-gwang, the branch chief, placed a stack of documents on the desk as he spoke.
"Your written exam score was high, and there were no issues with the personality assessment, so by the Association's standards, you're qualified for A-rank."
"I see."
"Yes, on paper, that's the case."
The chief glanced at me cautiously as he said it. "On paper" meant there was something conflicting with the regulations in my current situation. And I could guess what it was.
"The Association has judged that I'm not worthy of A-rank."
"...That's correct. Your clearing method was so unconventional..."
"It's fine. I know my abilities don't measure up to A-rank."
The chief pulled up footage on the monitor inside the reception room, showing me clearing round 83. I was one-shotting monsters with the Association-provided training pistol. The weird part? They were getting cleared before they even fully spawned.
"Heh heh, I've never seen a strategy like this..."
"I did my best, in my own way."
S-rank prospects barely scrape past round 70 in the Instant Dungeon, so how did I reach 83? Obviously, through loop exploits. The virtual monsters in Instant Dungeons are holographic illusions, and the unique thing is that their weakness, the Mana Core, manifests first. Shatter the core the moment it appears, and the monster's body doesn't even spawn—clear.
Of course, the spawn speed is insanely fast, and with the Instant Dungeon's nature where you never know when or where they'll pop up, exploiting this is next to impossible... but...
You attacked the Mana Core right before the monster fully spawned, clearing the dungeon.
"There were no rules saying I couldn't."
"No need to tell people not to do the impossible, after all."
That's how I cleared the Instant Dungeon. It took a filthy long time, though.
Using only my physical abilities, I topped out around floor 20. From floor 24, I switched tactics: memorize when and where monsters spawn, loop back, and snipe the Mana Core with the pistol at the exact timing. Even knowing the spawn points and times, hitting that split-second core is brutally hard... but who am I? Infinite regressor Jeong Sion.
Failed? Jump off the Association rooftop and loop. First time's rough, but it gets easy. The building's tall enough that pain's no issue. How many times did I fall from that roof? Three digits easy.
Miss the shot? Loop. Timing off? Loop. Keep looping till it works. Of course, I didn't do just that nonstop—stepped out for meals, slept, jumped again. Felt like two weeks sunk into that Instant Dungeon. Before I knew it, I'd set Korea's evaluation record.
Round 84 had 30 bat-type monsters; impossible to shatter all cores pre-spawn. Even with loops, my physical stats couldn't keep up.
Theoretically, I could've cleared to 100. Shame.
Anyway, from the Association's view, I'm a headache. On principle, A-rank fits, but actual combat power falls way short. Can't just slap a low rank on me either after that performance.
"So... the Association has a proposal for you."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. We've assessed your actual combat power as below D-rank."
"Probably spot on."
My physical abilities haven't changed from when I was a guy. Tested my three-rep max at the gym myself—confirmed.
"However, we rate your skills very highly."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Intuition and Luck. Their output is higher than expected."
The chief praised my abilities with a serious gaze, flipping through the documents. Intuition and Luck—skills totally unrelated to me, but I'd reported ones my loops could fake. Status windows are private anyway, and hiding the insane Loop power is smart. Association's trustworthy or not, who knows what could happen.
"Thus, the Awakener Association has determined your appropriate rank as C-rank."
"Perfectly reasonable."
"I'm glad you see it that way."
The Association's compromise: C-rank hunter. Considering C-rank means entering true superhuman territory, that's punching above weight for someone still near-normal like me. But their alternative wouldn't end there.
"And we'll provide you with support equivalent to an A-rank hunter."
"Support?"
"Tax breaks, subsidies, elixirs, equipment—the full suite of A-rank benefits."
...Didn't see that coming. A-rank perks are beyond imagination. Even if I set a new record, it was via exploit. This is overkill.
"Can I just take it?"
"Unfortunately, no."
As expected, no free lunch. The chief slid a document my way like he'd been waiting.
"How about working for the Association?"
"For the Association?"
"We rate your potential extremely highly. We'd like to formally support and nurture you."
...I'd heard this somewhere. Rumors that the Association, losing promising awakeners to private guilds, was raising next-gen hunters. Thought it didn't concern me, but here it was.
"That's sudden."
"I understand. Your first hunter contract is crucial—take all the time you need."
I mulled it over, doing mental math. Guild life worried me a bit. Bad rumors abound, and solo plays are tough—hard to leverage my abilities. Association work, though... fewer restrictions, and those perks were tempting.
"...Can I see the contract?"
"Here you go."
Skimming it, no shady clauses... yeah. Decision made.
"Lend me a pen."
"...! Of course."
Let's try the Association. Terms look great, and if I regret it, loop back. Giant guilds have sketchy vibes lately anyway; Association seems solid.
I signed and handed it back.
"Jeong Sion Hunter, welcome to the Awakener Association."
"Thank you, Branch Chief."
"I didn't expect you'd sign so decisively..."
Kim Hyeon-gwang scratched his head in surprise. Well, without my Loop to rewind pre-contract, I wouldn't have either.
"Didn't anticipate closing this fast... Gear and skillbooks later, but elixirs now."
He pulled two small elixir cases from his pocket.
"One is Yeongryu Dan, boosts mana quantity. The other is Bingseol Hwan, adds ice attribute to mana."
"Attribute elixirs are crazy expensive, right...?"
"Haha, let's just say our expectations for you are high."
Elixirs worth 100 million and 1.4 billion won each now sat in my hands. Post-awakening, I'd eyed them but balked at the price. Money's farmable, but these require special channels like the Association—priceless.
Association perks are no joke.
"Oh, don't take them now, by the way."
"Huh, why?"
"Your physical exam shows narrow meridians..."
"Ah."
"Efficiency will suffer, but take them in small doses as you grow."
Damn, mood killer. Inefficient absorption on these beauties? Brutal.
"To use them efficiently, what if I take both at once?"
"Hunter, taking two at once causes chain reactions—more mana absorbed, but nine times out of ten, you die."
"I see..."
"Not impossible, but... you'd die before feeling the pain."
Shame. ...Wait, die without feeling pain?
"No pain at all?"
"Bingseol Hwan's chill numbs senses, but death follows."
Hmm. System, save current point.
Saved to Point 2!
Dangerous Attempt - (2025/10/20)
"Branch Chief, is it true high-rank hunters can help absorb elixir energy?"
"Ah, yes. So when you take them later..."
As he rambled, I popped open the cases and dumped both Yeongryu Dan and Bingseol Hwan into my mouth.
"Hunter, no!! What are you doing?!"
"Already swallowed. Help now, or we lose a prospect and 1.5 billion in elixirs."
"You madwoman!"
"Here we go. Three, two, one."
Massive mana and chillstorm raged through my meridians, surging toward heart and dantian. Senses dulled, head fogged, thoughts slowed.
...Feels pain-free for real.
With the astonished chief behind me, I met death.
Awakener has died.
Loading saved point.
You have looped!
Hmm, less "met" death and more "brushed past" it.
"Hunter, no!! What are you doing?!"
"Already swallowed. Help now, or we lose a prospect and 1.5 billion in elixirs."
"You madwoman!"
"Here we go. Three, two, one."
Nine-out-of-ten death odds? Then I'll keep at it till that one-out-of-ten hits.