Overwhelming Confidence
The silence stretched.
Overwhelming confidence.
The trainers felt anger rather than awe at the confidence Kang Yujun displayed.
An external trainer had suddenly appeared, demanding information. He claimed the guild master had commissioned him directly.
Did the guild master no longer trust them?
It was a blow to their pride.
“What in the world is the guild master… thinking!”
“Please wait! The head team leader will arrive shortly.”
“You must obtain the head team leader’s permission first.”
The resident trainers refused to yield. They had their own duties to attend to.
“Understood.”
Yujun had no intention of forcing the issue either.
No need to create unnecessary enemies.
He was still a newcomer in this industry.
I need to build good relationships with the people here.
An awakened with a ruined personality might succeed through raw power alone, but such success rarely lasted.
The same principle applied to trainers. The training industry was far narrower than the hunter world.
It runs on connections.
One misstep could disrupt everything else. That was why Yujun chose to step back first and observe the awakened.
“Trainer-nim… can you really do this?”
Lee Suyeon asked cautiously.
“It won’t be easy.”
Yujun nodded.
“Not for these people.”
It was difficult. Definitely not a problem anyone could solve. To fix this situation, the injured needed to recover first, and that required a thorough assessment of their current state.
“Could you explain the situation to me?”
One trainer frowned at Yujun’s request before speaking.
“Didn’t you receive a full briefing already?”
“I did, but I’d like to hear it directly from the trainers responsible.”
In truth, he had heard almost nothing.
I was too busy winning over the guild master to get the real details.
All he knew was that the awakened had suffered serious injuries and were undergoing rehabilitation, preventing them from clearing the tower. The most critical question—why they were injured in the first place—had been missing.
It looks like the training methods the trainers suggested are the root of the problem.
Shaaaaak—.
Concentration
Yujun activated his skill and continued analyzing the awakened.
“…You probably already know about our S-class hunter, Yu Jena. She recently learned a new training method and grew significantly stronger in a short time.”
The method rapidly accelerated mana circulation within the body, allowing for momentary amplification of mana output. They called it mana road pilates—training that strengthened the core and reinforced the mana pathways.
Since it had worked on even an S-class hunter like Yu Jena, the trainers had developed new training sessions based on her results. The entire Neverland Guild had then followed those protocols.
Just as I suspected.
“But there was a problem with those training sessions.”
“It seemed like a minor issue at first.”
“It probably started small.”
Yujun nodded, offering empathy first.
“Suddenly the mana roads swelled, circulation became obstructed, and attempts to correct it caused injuries. Eventually the mana roads themselves appeared damaged—they wouldn’t respond properly…”
“We’re rehabilitation specialists. Even the experts are struggling to get a handle on it.”
Trainers specialized in different fields: those who strengthened awakened, rehabilitation experts who helped injured hunters return to duty, and mental health counselors who addressed psychological trauma. Licenses determined what education and specialization one could pursue. Without the proper grade, higher-level training was impossible.
You need at least an A-class license to instruct S-class hunters.
To fully unlock S-class potential, an S-class license was required. Yujun had heard that Han Gyujin, recently returned from overseas, had just obtained his S-class trainer license.
These rehabilitation specialists should have sufficient skill.
The fact that they couldn’t identify the cause suggested something else was at play.
“Head team leader!”
The man in question strode toward Yujun, arms loaded with potions.
So they’re trying to fix it with potions.
“…Who are you?”
“My name is Kang Yujun.”
“…Kang Yujun?”
The head team leader recognized him immediately. He had heard the reports.
“What brings you here?”
One of the Neverland trainers leaned in and whispered quickly. The head team leader’s expression darkened.
Like the others, he bore responsibility for every trainer present and the current crisis. Now he was being told that Kang Yujun was taking charge. It was humiliating.
“I see. I understand the situation. However, Trainer Kang Yujun… do you have a license?”
Yujun was well-known in the industry, for better or worse. The question was deliberate.
Yujun shook his head.
“No, I don’t. But the guild master commissioned me directly. I’ve already received the initial payment.”
“But without a license… As you can see, the situation is extremely delicate. If someone unlicensed interferes and the hunters’ conditions worsen, it could become truly irreversible.”
The head team leader and the other trainers clearly found the situation uncomfortable. They were already on the guild master’s bad side, yet they couldn’t openly dismiss the man the guild master had brought in as a last resort. So they spoke in circles.
A novice without a license stepping forward was dangerous. He should withdraw on his own.
“I understand you received a request from the guild master, but without proper credentials…”
“If anyone gets hurt, this won’t end well. We’ll have to discuss compensation…”
“Everyone.”
Yujun spoke with a faint smile.
“I came here to help you. I’m not here to compete.”
Time was short. This was as polite as he would be.
Yujun offered another warm smile. Maintaining good relationships didn’t mean surrendering everything like a fool.
“Then you should provide it. The information.”
Shaaaaaaaak—.
An intense aura suddenly radiated from Yujun. He was clearly not an awakened, merely an ordinary trainer. Yet the pressure was unmistakable.
Many of Neverland’s rehabilitation trainers were awakened themselves. In pure power, Yujun couldn’t compare. But his presence was formidable.
The head team leader realized Yujun wouldn’t back down. That was fine. There had to be a reason the guild master chose him. They would prove through Yujun that none of this was their fault.
“…Very well. We’ll provide the information.”
They understood how serious the situation had become. There was no point resisting further. Besides, they didn’t believe Yujun could actually solve it.
A smart pad containing detailed records of the injured awakened now rested in Yujun’s hands.
“No further explanation needed, I assume?”
“Everything is on the pad.”
“Then please halt all training immediately.”
At Yujun’s command, the head team leader clapped for attention.
“Everyone, listen up! From this moment forward, we will step back. Trainer Kang Yujun will take full responsibility for the situation!”
They didn’t know how or why he had become a trainer. They didn’t know if he had any real ability. The guild master must have seen something, but this problem had stumped even licensed professionals with years of experience.
There was no way a rookie who had just entered the field could do anything about it. Talent alone wasn’t enough.
“We’ve tried everything we could. We’ve explored every option. We even attempted to resolve it using artifacts. The smart pad contains the complete timeline of our efforts.”
Whatever Yujun planned to try, the timeline would surely make him give up.
“The guild master seems quite desperate. Since we don’t know your capabilities, Trainer Kang, it’s difficult for us to comment.”
They were saying, in their roundabout way, that he would fail too. The panicked guild master was simply grasping at straws.
“We leave it to you.”
“Please don’t make their conditions worse.”
Yujun nodded and stepped forward to face the awakened. There were forty-five of them in total. Those in the middle of rehabilitation training turned to look at him.
“Hello. I’m Trainer Kang Yujun. I’m here to assist with your rehabilitation.”
“…A new trainer?”
“Wait, isn’t that Kang Yujun?”
“It is. That Kang Yujun.”
“The one from Promise Guild…?”
They all recognized him.
“Sorry, but we’d prefer to stick with our original trainers.”
“They understand our conditions best. Our states are quite severe right now, so receiving training from you would be difficult.”
The Neverland trainers crossed their arms and remained silent. They had expected this reaction. Kang Yujun had no notable reputation. The injured, sensitive awakened were unlikely to listen to a trainer who had failed at Promise Guild and switched careers.
That was why they could afford to be relaxed.
“It’s perfectly natural that you don’t trust me yet.”
Yujun smiled.
He gestured toward Lee Suyeon.
I may have no fame, but I do have results.
“Everyone, the situation worsened a lot while I was away. It’s awkward to say this now, but—I’m back! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Lee Suyeon, who had been quietly waiting in the background, stepped forward. The expressions of the Neverland awakened softened instantly.
“Suyeon?”
“You’re back!”
“Welcome back!”
“But the situation is like this when you return…”
“We’re showing you such an embarrassing sight.”
Lee Suyeon was one of the younger members of Neverland Guild. Her bright personality had helped her maintain good relationships with most of the awakened.
“Trainer Kang Yujun might seem unreliable. But please, everyone, watch this.”
Lee Suyeon dusted off her hands, then activated her skill.
“Iron Wall.”
Shaaaaaaaaaaaaak—!
Iron Wall
A powerful barrier unfolded around her body.
“……!”
“……!”
“If you use it like that…!”
Yet Lee Suyeon did not faint.
“It’s fixed now. Trainer Kang Yujun here cured me.”
Yujun nodded at her words.
“Allow me to greet you all properly once more.”
He bowed politely.
“I’m Kang Yujun, here to assist with your rehabilitation.”
At this demonstration, the awakened exchanged glances but offered no further objections.
“Shall we begin?”
Yujun’s gaze immediately settled on one person.
“Oh Yunseok.”
It was the hunter whose eyes had glowed with blue light earlier. Yujun approached him.
“You’re holding up well, I see?”