Unleashed Potential
In the Lightning Guild headquarters, the announcement came without fanfare.
“Deputy Lim Seokjae has officially joined our Combat Team 1.”
“I’m Lim Seokjae. Looking forward to working with all of you.”
Every guild had its own naming conventions, but the elite were invariably assigned to either Combat Team 1 or Sales Team 1.
Lim Seokjae’s consistent performance in regular raids had finally earned him a permanent spot on the first team. He had possessed the raw ability for years; the only thing holding him back was his inability to unleash his full power. That critical flaw had kept him on the sidelines until now.
With the issue resolved, he was fast-tracked into the elite unit and immediately tapped for an uncleared tower raid.
“Today’s scheduled uncleared tower run is the Tower of Thunder at 14:00 hours.”
Regular raids came in two varieties: ascending already-conquered towers and challenging those that remained uncleared. The latter carried the guild’s reputation and future on its shoulders, so only the best were selected. The government fees and logistical costs for mounting such an expedition were staggering.
“Let’s move out.”
The Tower of Lightning stood among the uncleared towers in Gwanghwamun. It demanded specialized lightning-resistance artifacts, and the role of main damage dealer was absolutely critical. Most guilds therefore assigned their S-class awakeners—or the absolute top tier of A-class—to that position.
“Deputy Lim, don’t hold back. Give it everything you’ve got.”
Behind him stood several of the guild’s highest-ranked A-class tankers. Lim Seokjae glanced at them and felt a surge of awe.
Combat Team 1 really is on another level.
This was the team he had always dreamed of joining. Becoming part of it meant he was now a true core asset to the guild. Still, a thread of anxiety remained.
The monsters inside uncleared towers were brutally strong. He wasn’t sure his current ability would be enough to hold the main dealer position.
No. Stop overthinking it.
Lim Seokjae chose to put his faith not in himself, but in Kang Yujun.
“Moving out.”
Because this was his debut raid, every eye was on him. First raids were notoriously difficult; most people couldn’t display their true strength right away. The monsters in uncleared towers were overwhelmingly powerful—on an entirely different scale from those in cleared ones. For that reason, the entire strategy had been built around the new main dealer.
This run was meant to give Lim Seokjae valuable experience. The team already had three main dealers; with him, the number rose to four. The other three hung back, ready to support him at a moment’s notice.
“Ready.”
A lightning fox materialized in front of him.
It sprang forward. Lim Seokjae drove his fist straight out to meet it.
A tanker stood right behind him. All he needed to do was reach out.
Extend.
He remembered Kang Yujun’s calm instruction.
Shape the flow of mana. Make it like a raging river. Then detonate that formed mana exactly where you want it.
The impact landed with a sickening crunch.
A thunderous explosion of power ripped outward—Kwaaaaaaaaah!
“Whoa.”
“Wait… is this seriously his first uncleared raid?”
“No hesitation whatsoever.”
“His movement is insane.”
From the very first clash, Lim Seokjae began delivering one astonishing performance after another. By the end of the day they had cleared all the way to the seventh floor with surprising ease.
“We reached the seventh floor without any real trouble today.”
“And the clear time was faster than usual, right?”
“Deputy Lim was outstanding.”
The team showered the newcomer with praise. If he could perform at this level on his first raid, the results after he gained more experience would be even better.
Lim Seokjae bowed politely in response, but his mind was elsewhere.
Limits.
An uncleared tower raid was no simple matter. This is still impossible for me to handle alone.
His condition had improved dramatically, yet the realization only made him think of Yujun’s training even more intensely. I need to learn more.
“Everyone, listen up!”
After the raid concluded and the tower ascent rewards were settled, congratulations poured in.
“Congratulations, Deputy Lim.”
“You’re today’s MVP. The team leader said he’s giving you a special bonus.”
“Damn, who the hell trained you? Your skills improved overnight. Come on, introduce me.”
Everyone in the Lightning Guild knew that despite his powerful superhuman strength, Lim Seokjae had never been able to use his full potential. In just a few days he had transformed into someone else entirely. Curiosity was inevitable.
He had fired the industry-renowned personal trainer and signed with someone new. Who could possibly have remade him so completely?
“It’s a secret,” Lim Seokjae replied with an awkward smile.
“Then what are you going to do with the bonus money?”
“I have plans for it.” His eyes sparkled. “There’s someone I need to give it to.”
* * *
In the Neverland Guild master’s office, the atmosphere was tense.
“So what you’re saying…” the guild master murmured as he listened to Lee Suyeon’s full report, “is that you didn’t gain much from England?”
The situation really was straightforward. There wasn’t much to dissect.
“The overseas trainers were excellent. I learned a great deal from them. But… they couldn’t fix my problem.”
Despite the exorbitant cost of the trip, the results had been disappointing. The British trainers’ unconventional methods had been impressive, yet none of them could address the root of Lee Suyeon’s condition.
“They told me there was nothing they could do. They didn’t even understand why it was happening.”
She had met numerous trainers there—several A-class, though not S-class.
“You must have met Matt, then?”
“Yes, I did meet Matt.”
Matt was the rising star trainer the guild master had personally recommended. He had climbed from the bottom to A-class in record time and was famous for resolving complex issues that plagued awakeners. Promising talents and well-known hunters across England sought him out; people even called him the Fixer.
Yet even the Fixer had failed to solve her issue.
“Then how…?”
How had she returned cured of something Matt couldn’t touch?
“The message said a domestic trainer fixed it…”
“That’s correct. Trainer Kang Yujun took care of it for me.”
The guild master fell silent. He didn’t even know where to begin.
Kang Yujun was a failed youth prospect. A trainer? And he had succeeded where Matt had failed?
“You came back today without the fainting issue resolved, correct?”
He decided to go over the facts one by one.
“Yes. I returned today, and the fainting problem remained.”
“And then… today that same problem was fixed? By the Kang Yujun currently sitting beside you?”
“Exactly! It’s completely resolved!”
Lee Suyeon nodded vigorously, her face bright with enthusiasm.
“All right… let’s accept that for now. Let’s say it’s possible. Setting everything else aside, let’s say it’s possible!”
Assume Kang Yujun’s skill was simply that extraordinary.
But the man’s identity was the real sticking point. He wasn’t a trainer—he was a failed youth who had been expelled recently. He couldn’t possibly have accumulated any meaningful experience as an instructor.
The guild master had heard scattered rumors since then, but none of them had been believable. He rubbed his forehead again. Nothing about this made sense, from start to finish. The current crisis facing the guild only made the confusion worse. His frown deepened.
Yujun spoke calmly. “Guild Master, is that what’s truly important?”
The guild master blinked.
“The real question is whether the facts are accurate. You only need to verify what you’ve just heard. I have transitioned into a trainer and discovered a talent I never knew I possessed. I trained Woo Hana, the results were recognized, and she has been promoted to Sky Guild’s Sales Team 1.”
Sales Team 1 in Sky Guild signified full first-string status—an elite awakener acknowledged by the entire organization. It meant tower raid duty.
“And today I also corrected the weakness of Miss Lee Suyeon, who just returned from overseas.”
Yujun’s expression radiated confidence.
“If you find it difficult to believe I solved her problem, I can demonstrate it right now.”
The guild master’s headache began to fade. The deep crease between his brows smoothed out.
“…You’re right.”
There was no reason to complicate things. Why doubt him when the proof was standing right there?
“Then… could I see it?”
“Of course!”
Lee Suyeon immediately poured her full power into creating a barrier.
Iron Wall
A perfectly solid barrier instantly formed around her. It wasn’t merely sturdy—it carried a grayish hue that suggested it could withstand any assault imaginable.
“What do you think? I only just became able to do this, so it still feels awkward. It’s like my body expects me to faint any second, and the whole thing doesn’t feel real yet.”
Lee Suyeon kept chattering brightly even while maintaining the barrier.
“Incredible.”
It was real. The guild master’s gaze lingered on the barrier before shifting to Yujun.
“This is insane.”
No other word fit. A smile slowly spread across his face.
With this, a new S-class awakener might be born.
At the same time, his curiosity about Yujun’s training methods surged. What technique could possibly cure a chronic condition that even A-class trainers had failed to touch? Countless instructors who had produced numerous A-class awakeners over the years had never managed it.
Then reality crashed back down. The guild’s current crisis refused to be ignored. This wasn’t the time for celebration. While curing Lee Suyeon’s condition would be an enormous boon, the Neverland Guild itself could collapse at any moment.
“Ha…”
The guild master let out a heavy, complicated sigh. Yujun smiled at him.
He’s overthinking again.
The man needed someone who could cut through the noise and make things simple.
“Shall I explain it again?”
Yujun stepped forward. The guild master was now listening with genuine interest. His attitude had completely changed from their first meeting.
“As I mentioned before, I already heard that the situation isn’t good.”
“…Did Sky Guild tell you? If they did, the rumor must have spread everywhere by now.”
The guild master scowled. “Damn it. The mercenary guild will demand an outrageous contract fee now that they know how desperate we are.”
Neverland needed manpower immediately. The mercenaries would inflate their price to match that urgency. The guild was already operating at a loss; paying even more might make it wiser to simply pay the penalty and accept the drop in guild ranking.
But that wasn’t ideal either…
“Guild Master,” Yujun called again, cutting through the spiral.
“Would you like me to help?”
“…You can help?”
“I’d need to assess the situation first, but you were going to spend the money anyway, weren’t you?”
Yujun grinned confidently.
“Give that money to me instead. I’ll solve your problem at the same price.”