Flawless Correction
"You can really fix this...?"
"Yes."
Kang Yujun answered without hesitation.
'That can definitely be fixed.'
Training could mend it completely. 'I just need to correct the distorted flow.'
It wouldn't happen overnight, of course. But he could offer the firm assurance that it was possible.
"It can be fixed."
"H-how..."
It was the exact moment when despair threatened to bloom into hope.
"Prepare for the practical exam!"
Yet they were still in the waiting period for the trainer license practical examination. The examiner's voice echoed through the hall.
"It will begin shortly!"
"Let's focus on the exam first."
'Training matters, but right now...'
The license was Kang Yujun's highest priority.
The training room was enormous. A massive screen linked to a VR machine dominated the center, with a round circular platform positioned directly in front of it.
The trainers who had come for the test maintained their distance and stood before the platform.
"We will now begin the practical examination, in which you will train actual awakened individuals."
The theme of the practical test was straightforward: training awakened people. More precisely, correcting those with existing problems.
The trainers taking the exam took their positions. Fifteen of them stood in a line, with awakened individuals positioned before each one.
The chief examiner shouted loudly.
"From this moment on, you will train actual awakened individuals."
Shaaaaak—
The awakened individuals released their mana. These were examiners who had deliberately distorted their bodies to create optimal conditions for training.
"Before each of you stands an awakened individual with problems. Your task is to train them and restore them to proper condition. The practical exam evaluates everything—what problems the person before you possesses, and exactly how you train them. Because we observe every detail, you must give it your all as if this were genuine training."
The exam required the trainer candidates to identify the subjects' conditions and issues, then correct and train them accordingly.
Originally, examiners had only performed simple demonstrations. But after the government issued new directives, the examiners began distorting their physical states so severely that the conditions would not improve without proper intervention. The test had become indistinguishable from real combat.
The examiners endured considerable pain as a result, but the improved compensation made it worthwhile. Conducting the test this way significantly boosted their performance evaluations.
"Those who are prepared, begin immediately."
The awakened-origin trainers who had suffered heavy deductions on the written exam moved quickly.
"VR machine usage is permitted! However, artifact usage is strictly prohibited! Any candidate caught using an artifact will be disqualified on the spot."
Most relied on the VR machine because it displayed numerical values, making training somewhat easier. Artifacts, by contrast, led to immediate disqualification. Tools that revealed an awakened person's condition interfered with properly assessing a trainer's fundamental skills. The vast gap between those who possessed artifacts and those who did not made them unsuitable for fair examination.
"Ugh..."
Despite the official start of the test, the candidates let out groans. They focused intently on the awakened individuals before them, yet the sounds of discomfort continued.
"Ha."
"It's too tangled."
The first step in training was identifying the subject's problems. But the examiners' conditions were exceptionally poor. Problems clearly existed, yet they were obscured, so blurred that even the normal sections were difficult to discern properly.
Something felt even more off.
"Are they really going this far?"
The candidates were rattled. They had assumed this would be a simple demonstration, but some examiners appeared genuinely injured. Both internal and external aspects of their bodies seemed compromised.
"It has to mirror real combat."
"But do you have to actually get hurt?"
"No one is truly injured. Rest assured."
The examiner's firm declaration left the candidates dumbfounded.
"...You're saying that isn't real injury?"
It looked like authentic damage. Were these deliberately twisted conditions?
"Additionally, whenever possible, please explain the reasoning behind your training. Doing so will earn you extra points."
And if the training lacked conviction...
"Incorrect training will result in deductions."
"...I'll begin."
Each candidate turned their attention to the examiner standing before them.
"Hmm."
The examiners' evaluation rested on three criteria.
First came insight: the ability to analyze the heavily compromised condition of the examiner before them.
Second was suitability. After identifying the problems, constructing an appropriate training session tested this very criterion. No matter how quickly one spotted the issues, failure to devise a solution rendered the effort meaningless.
Finally came correction itself. After gaining insight into the awakened individual's state and confirming the suitability of the training plan, the candidate had to apply theory to real-world correction.
These three elements formed the core of the practical examination.
"Mmm..."
The awakened-origin candidates identified problems quickly. Having suffered similar injuries and abnormalities themselves, they recognized the issues with ease.
The real challenge lay in resolving them. The problems were intricately intertwined, making it impossible to construct a training session on the spot.
"For now..."
"I'll use the VR machine."
They needed more information. Through the VR device, they observed the examiners' movements.
Kyaaaaak—!
The examiners engaged monsters with aggressive determination.
Slash—!
Thud—!
Fwoooooosh—!
Each examiner's unique awakening ability produced different visual effects.
"Please move your body!"
"Use your awakening ability with greater precision!"
Drawing out that potential depended entirely on the trainer's skill.
"This is too complex."
Even with the VR machine, identifying the problems within the short time limit proved difficult. The examiners had tangled the issues with deliberate complexity.
Yet some candidates quickly analyzed the problems and constructed training sessions.
"Relax the tension in your knees. You're overusing mana—reduce it. When activating your ability..."
They began delivering corrections carefully, though somewhat hesitantly, still managing proper guidance.
"Hmm..."
As soon as a few candidates started correcting their subjects, the others grew anxious. The test was high difficulty, but with people already performing well, excuses held no weight.
"A little more mana..."
"The readings show you're failing to generate mana correctly right now."
"Based on the numerical data..."
Training continued, guided by the statistics provided through the VR machines.
"The current issue is..."
Even at this point, one candidate had yet to begin.
"Examinee?"
"Please give me a moment."
It was Kang Yujun.
The examiner standing before him was a veteran. Lee Jihun—an A-class hunter, B-class trainer, and seasoned examiner at the Certification Institute. A versatile professional with proven results in all three roles.
'At first I thought the test was excessively harsh.'
The increased difficulty had begun several months earlier when the government directed all examiners to create tests that simulated real combat conditions.
'Acting like an awakened with physical problems sounded absurd at the time.'
Yet the process had unexpected benefits. By freely manipulating their bodies, they learned to handle mana with far greater precision.
'It's made me stronger.'
Initially, intentionally disrupting their own bodies and creating misalignment had been difficult. To force trainers to examine mana pathways, identify errors, and correct movement, the condition first had to appear broken. They needed to imitate damaged postures and distorted mana flows convincingly. Sloppy imitation earned poor performance scores.
The trainer license was a nationally certified qualification. Handing it out too easily would damage the examiners' own evaluations. Therefore, they raised the difficulty to the maximum feasible level.
'A young aspiring trainer.'
Seeing Kang Yujun remain motionless, Lee Jihun assumed the young man was extremely nervous. He knew of him—had heard the former S-grade prospect had recently switched careers to become a trainer. He hadn't expected him to attempt the license exam so soon.
'He must have been surprised by the written test.'
Perhaps the shock had carried over into the practical portion.
'At this rate... he'll fail.'
Lee Jihun smiled faintly. His own performance score would likely rise considerably.
He maintained his distorted condition. Before long, Kang Yujun finally moved. His eyes were shining.
"I'll begin."
Shaaaaak—
Blue light and intricate cracks appeared clearly in Yujun's eyes.
'I won't use Awakened Scan.'
Yujun deliberately refrained from using the skill.
'This is also a chance to raise my proficiency.'
He intended to conduct the training using only his Concentration skill.
Holding his staff, a sharp gleam entered Yujun's eyes. None of the other trainers here carried one. Preferences varied—some, like Yujun, used a staff for corrections, while others simply checked points with their bare hands.
When Yujun lifted the classic staff, Lee Jihun actually welcomed it. Having been a trainer for over a decade, he remembered when staff-based posture correction had been extremely popular. All the renowned trainers of that era had used them.
In recent years, staff-wielding trainers had become rare. The reason was simple: an incident where a trainer had been severely injured while triggering an awakened person's trauma through the staff.
Awakened individuals were sensitive and delicate. Training had to be tailored accordingly.
"Staffs were used frequently in the past. You seem quite comfortable with one, Examinee Kang Yujun."
"Yes, that's correct."
Yujun had received extensive training with this very staff. He was intimately familiar with it.
Swish—!
Thud—!
"From now on, do not speak until I give you permission."
His movements were perfectly assured.
"Abnormal mana rod in the shoulder region. Initiating correction."
"!"
Lee Jihun's expression froze instantly. The training had begun simultaneously with the diagnosis.
"Shoulder correction complete."
It had succeeded immediately.