The Scout's Revelation
The scouts who received the news could hardly believe it.
They knew that the Promise Guild had expelled Kang Yujun, but they had never imagined he would become a trainer.
After all, rumors had long circulated that Yujun’s expulsion was only a matter of time.
Awakening failure.
The Promise Guild had waited so long for Kang Yujun to awaken because he possessed considerable potential.
Even without awakening, his physical abilities were impressive, and his knowledge, judgment, and insight were all outstanding.
But without awakening, he simply couldn’t handle the monsters inside the towers.
That was why the majority of guild officials and scouts had predicted his expulsion was inevitable.
“Honestly, he lasted longer than I expected.”
Kang Yujun’s growth potential had been exactly zero percent.
Not close to zero—precisely zero.
Yet the Promise Guild had watched over him for an incredibly long time and given him every chance.
Some even called the guild a saint for it.
But the world doesn’t run on goodwill.
The Promise Guild had simply failed to escape the sunk cost fallacy and had desperately wanted to extract some kind of profit from him.
“But that same Kang Yujun is now working as an Awakened trainer at the Sky Guild?”
“Did Kang Yujun even have any formal training experience as an instructor?”
Anyone could become an Awakened trainer, but not just anyone could succeed at it.
Teaching was easy. Anyone could do that.
But the lessons had to actually reach the Awakened, produce measurable results, and create a track record.
That was why the scouts couldn’t believe that Kang Yujun—who had been a youth trainee at the Promise Guild until recently—had become an Awakened trainer.
“The Sky Guild’s Youth Training Team Leader is Kim Dohun, right? Hasn’t he been teaching Woo Hana for quite a while?”
“Trainer Kim Dohun already has five years under his belt, doesn’t he? He’s produced quite a few successful Awakened.”
Among the Awakened who had risen to the Sky Guild’s Sales Team 1, a significant number had been personally trained by Kim Dohun.
Even he had failed to improve Woo Hana.
And now Kang Yujun had trained her, transforming her into something completely different? In such a short period of time?
This was a massive issue.
On an entirely different level from the news of his expulsion.
“We should confirm if it’s really that Kang Yujun.”
If it was…
“Then Kang Yujun’s talent was simply in a different field all along!”
Ring—
While the scouts were busy debating Kang Yujun, Yujun himself received a phone call.
During his time at the Promise Guild, he had formed connections with several trainers.
Of course, only a handful of them actually liked him.
No matter how much they trained him, he never improved.
On the contrary, their own careers suffered because of it, so it was only natural they disliked him.
But there was one trainer who had maintained a good relationship with Yujun.
The man who had guided him for over a year.
“Sir, it’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has. I heard the news.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your expectations.”
“What is there to apologize for? When I was teaching you, you were the best. Aptitude is a funny thing. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
Kim Hyunggu was the trainer who had taught Yujun during his early days as a youth at the Promise Guild. He now worked as a scout.
“I have one question for you.”
“Ask me anything.”
Yujun answered with a voice full of warmth.
If he had to pick the happiest time at the Promise Guild, it would undoubtedly be those early days.
To Yujun, Kim Hyunggu wasn’t simply an Awakened trainer.
He was a life mentor who had taught a young Yujun many lessons about living.
“Are you… working as a trainer right now?”
“Ah, yes. I assume you heard about Trainee Woo Hana.”
“No way…”
“It’s true.”
Yujun readily confirmed it.
There was no point in hiding it anyway.
“I was the one who trained her.”
“I knew it! Congratulations, Yujun!”
Kim Hyunggu sounded as happy as if it had happened to him.
“Thank you, sir.”
Yujun thought he had made the right decision in telling him.
Whether sooner or later, the truth was going to come out anyway.
In that case, it was far better to let it spread through someone he trusted rather than trying to hide it.
“I plan to live as a trainer from now on. It’s a bit late, though.”
“That’s right. Life isn’t limited to just one path. Still, it’s a difficult road. You know that, right?”
“I’m fine with it. I’m used to hardship. In fact, my mind feels at ease now.”
One failure was more than enough.
Perhaps sensing that confidence, Kim Hyunggu’s voice carried a smile.
“Good. Let’s grab a drink together sometime. Since my student has chosen to walk the same path, I’d like to act like a proper teacher again.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll contact you soon!”
The news that Kang Yujun had become a trainer began to spread in earnest.
The basic class was where the youth trainees gathered.
Every youth at the Sky Guild belonged to this class, receiving instruction from a total of three trainers.
With Yujun added, there were now four trainers in total.
Of course, since Yujun was a freelancer, his position was slightly different from the others.
Originally, he should have been incorporated into the existing trainer group, making it four people working together.
But Yujun had formed his own independent team.
Even if the only member is me.
In short, it was fair to say the Sky Guild now had two separate trainer divisions.
One team with the original three trainers, and another consisting solely of the new trainer, Yujun.
The basic class was currently receiving education under these two teams.
Those three each have their own specialties. It’s much more efficient for them to operate as a unit.
But Yujun saw no need to create a unit.
Training is something I can handle perfectly on my own.
“Trainer Kang Yujun?”
At that moment, Kim Dohun, the existing Youth Training Team Leader of the Sky Guild, approached.
Kim Dohun was a trainer with short hair and a tall stature.
Like most trainers, he was a former Awakened.
The difference was that he had been an elite who reached A-Class.
Of course, reaching A-Class as a hunter did not automatically make someone an A-Class trainer.
Yujun turned his head to look at Kim Dohun.
He had expected the man to come find him.
After all, I succeeded in training a trainee that Kim Dohun had failed with.
For someone in the same profession, that was more than enough to bruise one’s pride.
“Yes, Team Leader Kim.”
“Your training of Trainee Woo Hana was truly impressive.”
Yet Kim Dohun praised Kang Yujun instead.
“Thank you. I had a similar experience myself, so I took the lessons I learned from that time into account while training her. I wasn’t blessed with talent, but Trainee Woo Hana is different.”
Team Leader Kim blinked at those words.
That was right. Until very recently, Kang Yujun had been a promising prospect at a major guild.
Of course, he had been famous in a very negative way.
“That’s true. I forgot for a moment.”
Team Leader Kim glanced at Yujun with genuine apology in his eyes.
There was no hidden meaning behind it. He had simply forgotten.
It meant that Yujun’s training had been so impressive that it had caused him to overlook the most important piece of information about the man.
To Team Leader Kim, Kang Yujun was no longer a failed prospect—he was a promising new trainer.
“From what I saw, Trainer Kang, you were unmistakably meant to be a trainer. The way you trained Woo Hana was very impressive. That must be why I forgot. Look at me, losing my mind like this.”
Unmistakably meant to be a trainer.
Those words sounded incredibly good to Yujun.
To be honest, I feel the same way.
He had spent over a decade on the receiving end of training.
Even after awakening only after being expelled, I thought I wouldn’t be able to adapt.
But now that he was actually doing it, the reality was the complete opposite of what he had expected.
This trainer work suited him far better than his days as a youth trainee.
It felt as if he had been a trainer from the beginning.
My past experiences helped, but even so, the fit is too perfect.
It felt completely natural.
“Thank you.”
“Since Trainer Kang has now officially taken charge of the basic class, I wanted to share the curriculum with you. By the way… I heard you asked the Guild Master about Trainee Kim Gyojun?”
“Ah, yes. During my initial self-introduction, I briefly taught Trainee Kim Gyojun.”
Team Leader Kim had seen it too, so he already knew.
At the time, Yujun had used Kim Gyojun to demonstrate who he was and how he would teach.
“If it’s not too rude, may I ask why you specifically chose Trainee Kim Gyojun?”
“Because he’s the worst.”
According to the Awakened Training System, among all the Sky Guild youths, the one sitting at the very bottom was Kim Gyojun.
If the word “mediocre” had to be personified, it would be him.
“He’s the worst… so why?”
“I saw potential in him.”
That was why Yujun gave a vague answer for now.
“Hmm… Trainee Kim Gyojun is actually different from Trainee Woo Hana. I think you already know without me having to explain. Besides…”
Woo Hana had been evaluated as having high potential.
On the other hand, Kim Gyojun was already on the expulsion list.
“He will be expelled next month.”
With those words, Team Leader Kim handed over a document.
It was the detailed information on Kim Gyojun that Yujun had requested.
“I personally taught him for a while, but it didn’t work out in the end. I tried quite hard, but the results weren’t good.”
Team Leader Kim explained everything about Kim Gyojun—what had happened in the past, how he had been trained, and so on.
“But now I’ve concluded there is no possibility left.”
Only now did Yujun understand what he had meant by “different from Woo Hana.”
Woo Hana was an Awakened the Sky Guild had desperately tried to save.
But Kim Gyojun was one they could expel without hesitation.
“So rather than…”
“No.”
Yujun cut off Team Leader Kim.
“I can see it.”
Maybe only he could see it.
But he was certain.
“His potential.”
Kim Gyojun frowned in concentration inside the training ground.
Shaaak—
The weapon in his hand instantly turned red.
Weapon Enhancement. That was Kim Gyojun’s ability.
The power to strengthen the weapon held in his hand.
But this ability was incredibly versatile.
It could make things harder, softer, or even longer.
It could also imbue new power into weapons. It was a highly adaptable skill.
Yet Kim Gyojun couldn’t do any of it properly.
“Damn it. Why won’t it work?”
No matter how many times he repeated the process, it wouldn’t succeed.
He closed his eyes and recalled what had happened a few days ago.
“It was definitely like that back then…”
The day he had first received guidance from Trainer Kang Yujun.
Kim Gyojun had felt something strange.
“It felt perfectly right.”
But after that, he couldn’t use Weapon Enhancement the same way again.
He had tried to recall that sensation and practiced countless times, but it never worked.
Kim Gyojun picked up his phone.
Hello, Trainee Kim Gyojun. This is the Sky Guild. We regret to inform you that your name has been placed on this month’s list of trainees scheduled for expulsion…
It was a message he had received a few days ago.
He had felt that expulsion was coming.
But actually receiving the message still hit him harder than expected.
“Haa.”
His expulsion had already been decided.
Even though he possessed the Weapon Enhancement ability, he couldn’t even use it properly.
He let out a deep, heavy sigh.
“My ability is lacking, and even my physical stats are trash.”
If he had been decent in at least one of them, he wouldn’t have been expelled.
But Kim Gyojun was lacking in both.
“Trainee Kim Gyojun.”
At the sudden voice, Kim Gyojun turned around in surprise.
Kang Yujun was standing right behind him.
“How long have you been watching…?”
He thought he had shown an embarrassing sight, but Trainer Kang Yujun said nothing.
Feeling uncomfortable with the situation, Kim Gyojun made an awkward excuse.
“There are so many areas I’m lacking in, so I was doing some solo training.”
He had already heard the stories about Trainer Kang Yujun.
About how he had completely transformed Woo Hana.
It was possible because Kang Yujun was an excellent trainer, but the real reason it had worked was because Woo Hana had been overflowing with talent.
On the other hand, he had nothing.
What he had shown during that first training session must have been nothing more than a fleeting dream.
He was already finished.
His expulsion had been decided.
“From the beginning.”
“I showed you something shameful. It’s fine. It’s all over anyway. Even if you try to do something more with me, it would just be a waste of your time.”
“Do you think you have no talent? That’s not what I see.”
At Kang Yujun’s sudden words, Gyojun’s eyes widened.
If he didn’t see it that way, did that mean he thought Gyojun had talent?
It was the first time he had heard such words since becoming a youth at the Sky Guild.
“I… have talent…?”
“Yes.”
Yujun nodded with a confident expression.
“If you think you don’t, then there’s nothing I can do about that. But to me, it’s clear. I can see Trainee Kim Gyojun’s potential.”
Awakened Training has begun!