The Lowest-Ranked Trainee
Lee Hyeokjun, the guild leader, exploded at the absurd statement.
“What the hell are you talking about, Manager Han? Are you still half-asleep? Is this your idea of a joke?”
“No, sir. I’m completely serious.”
“Get him here right now! No—forget it. I’ll go myself!”
When Manager Han kept spouting nonsense, the furious guild leader shot up from his seat.
“This doesn’t make any sense. He only started yesterday. Weren’t you the one who went to observe him yesterday? And he fixed that problem in a single day?”
On the way to the training hall, the guild leader fired off words like a machine gun.
It was only natural. Woo Hana’s flaw had been a persistent issue for a very long time.
It wasn’t the kind of problem that could be solved so easily.
“And you’re saying it’s fixed? That flaw? You saw it with your own eyes?”
“Yes. I confirmed it myself.”
“You really checked it personally?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go. Quickly.”
When the guild leader arrived in front of the private training room, he took a deep breath before stepping inside.
If Manager Han was telling the truth…
Acceleration
The moment the training room door opened, a fierce gust of wind slammed into them.
The one creating that whirlwind was none other than Woo Hana.
“Huh…?”
Woo Hana was crossing the training room at incredible speed.
An explosive burst of acceleration.
It was the ability she should have been able to wield perfectly, but her fatal flaw had prevented her from using it properly until now.
The guild leader stared blankly at Woo Hana before shifting his gaze to Kang Yujun, who was diligently training her.
“Just what in the…”
The words died in his throat.
Manager Han, watching from the side, nodded as if he completely understood the guild leader’s feelings.
The guild leader was probably thinking the exact same thing he had.
Was this even possible?
What on earth was going on here?
“I told you, didn’t I? I said I’d found a gem.”
Ten minutes later.
A sweat-drenched Woo Hana bowed deeply to the guild leader and Manager Han.
“The training went exceptionally well, I see.”
“Thank you!”
Woo Hana was visibly exhilarated. That was only natural. For the first time, she was able to unleash her full ability without restraint.
“Take a break. You worked hard.”
“Yes!”
After confirming it was rest time, the guild leader strode straight toward Yujun.
“Trainer Kang.”
“Ah, Guild Leader. Thank you for trusting me with her.”
“No, no. I should be the one thanking you! Thank you for signing a contract with our guild! To think you’d solve Hana’s problem this quickly! I’m genuinely shocked! It’s been an issue we couldn’t fix for so long…”
Now that explosive mana circulation was possible, she could properly wield her ability and even draw out the full extent of her latent potential.
Seeing that reaction, Yujun smiled inwardly and asked, “Are you satisfied?”
“More than satisfied!”
“In that case, I’d like to make one more suggestion.”
Through Woo Hana, he had clearly demonstrated his capabilities as a trainer.
‘Then it’s time for the next step.’
“A suggestion?”
“I’d like to train Sky Guild’s youths.”
“Our youths…?”
It had already been over ten years since guilds began pouring resources into nurturing their youth programs.
Each guild treated their youths as the future and invested heavily in their development.
As a result, trainers who taught youths required substantial experience and proven skill.
Because the guild demanded so much from their dedicated trainers, another custom had developed: they almost never entrusted youths to short-term freelance contractors.
Woo Hana had been an exception. Since the guild’s existing trainers couldn’t solve her issue, they had tested Yujun out on her.
That was why the guild leader looked troubled as he considered the request before offering a different proposal.
“Hmmm… How about joining us full-time instead?”
But Yujun simply smiled silently and lowered his head.
It was a clear refusal.
The guild leader gave an awkward laugh.
The initiative—and even the right to choose—lay entirely with Yujun.
That was how impressive his results had been.
Since Yujun himself wanted to take on the youths, it was better for the guild leader to break tradition than to let him slip away.
Yujun was a shining jewel right now.
When you found a gem no one else had noticed, you had to make the most of it.
In that sense, maintaining a good relationship with Yujun took priority.
“You’re right. Since we’ve signed a contract, this kind of discussion should wait until it ends. But you know we don’t usually hand our youths over to outside trainers, right?”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
That was exactly why he had made the request.
The guild leader let out a deep sigh at that confident attitude.
But he had seen it with his own two eyes.
How dramatically Woo Hana had changed.
He decided to bet on that possibility.
“Huuu… Fine! I’ll have to speak with our exclusive trainers first. They might take offense.”
After all, they might feel like their positions were being stolen.
Handing over their home turf like this would be quite a blow to the pride of the guild’s in-house trainers.
“Before that, let me ask one thing. Did you make this suggestion because there’s a specific youth you want to train?”
Yujun nodded and spoke the words he had prepared.
He had already shown what he could do by training a promising youth through Woo Hana.
Now it was time to do the opposite.
“Yes. I want to train the lowest-performing youth in Sky Guild’s program.”
“I heard a new trainer is coming?”
“It can’t be Baek Seongju, right? He’s a free agent now.”
“If it’s our guild, Trainer Baek would definitely be worth bringing in!”
Baek Seongju was one of the famous A-rank trainers. He had recently left his previous guild and was currently a free agent.
The guild he had belonged to was none other than Dream Guild.
After Dream Guild recruited a new trainer, Baek Seongju had been forced to step down.
If he came, they could expect excellent results.
His price was high, but what kind of guild was Sky Guild?
Wasn’t its parent company extremely well-funded?
“Our guild’s finances are rock solid, after all.”
“I heard it’s a newcomer, though?”
“A newcomer? Wait, you mean a brand-new trainer is coming?”
“Don’t we already have plenty of trainers? We don’t need a new one.”
Sky Guild training hall.
The hall was filled with promising awakened youths from Sky Guild.
Many of them had just graduated from the academy and were overflowing with confidence.
After all, their first job was at Sky Guild, which ranked in the sixties.
It wasn’t a large corporation, but it was still a solid mid-sized guild, so their self-esteem was naturally high.
Moreover, having gone through countless trainers at the academy, it was only natural they would look at a new trainer with suspicion.
“A new trainer doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”
“Hey. I heard it’s not just any newcomer. Apparently it’s an outsourced trainer. A freelancer.”
“A freelancer? Why? Our trainers are all skilled…”
“Don’t freelance trainers usually avoid teaching youths?”
“So it’s not like he’s teaching all of us, then?”
The youths were quite puzzled.
A freelancer meant he wasn’t a new in-house trainer for Sky Guild.
Yet the fact that word had spread like this suggested the freelancer was quite capable.
They wouldn’t entrust an entire youth program to a freelancer, so he was probably only going to take on a few selected individuals.
“Suddenly I’m a little excited.”
“They must have called him because he has incredible skill, right?”
“But who is this trainer, anyway?”
While everyone was buzzing with speculation, Woo Hana entered the training hall.
Her face was noticeably flushed with excitement.
It had only been two training sessions.
Those two sessions had changed everything.
It was on a completely different level from any training she had received before.
‘Has training ever felt this thrilling?’
Training had always been a source of anxiety.
Woo Hana was an awakened whose future within the guild was already secured.
Even so, on days when she couldn’t keep up with training, her mood would plummet.
Because she could feel her own limits.
But Kang Yujun’s training was different.
‘I understand what he’s saying right away.’
Understanding was an extremely important factor in training.
No matter how well something was explained, if the person receiving the training couldn’t comprehend it, the session was essentially meaningless.
In that regard, Kang Yujun’s training was the first ‘real’ training Woo Hana had ever experienced.
Had she ever enjoyed learning this much?
Had she ever felt herself changing so immediately?
That was why she had come to the training hall early that morning as well.
She had even canceled all her scheduled sessions with the guild’s personal trainers.
No, it went beyond cancellation.
[Contract Termination Requested]
She had no intention of receiving their training anymore.
[What’s going on? Should we meet and talk?]
[I’ve found a better trainer.]
She could have phrased it more politely, but there was no need to sugarcoat it.
‘I’ve found a real trainer!’
When Woo Hana appeared early in the morning, everyone murmured in surprise.
“Isn’t this usually the time for her personal training?”
“That’s strange. Did she come to learn from the freelance trainer?”
“I heard Hana has been hitting a wall lately. She’s not really a youth anymore either.”
Woo Hana was twenty-one years old.
It was time for her to graduate from the youth program and become a full member of the guild’s fighting force, yet she had been stuck at a wall until now.
Of course, that was only until yesterday.
Thanks to Yujun’s training, she had awakened her senses.
Strictly speaking, she had only just caught the thread of it. To truly make that sensation her own, she absolutely needed Yujun.
With his training, she could grow wings.
That was what Woo Hana believed.
At that moment, someone entered the training hall.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Kang Yujun. I’ll be working with you for a while.”
Kang Yujun.
The youths of Sky Guild looked visibly flustered.
It was a name and face they all recognized.
As far as they knew, Kang Yujun was not a trainer.
One of them cautiously raised his hand.
“Um, I have a question.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Are you that Kang Yujun?”
“Yes. Some of you probably know me. I am that Kang Yujun.”
At those words, everyone’s expressions twisted.
Kang Yujun was very well-known.
As the prime example of a leech.
He had received enormous support from Promise Guild but ultimately failed to become a proper awakened. There was no other way to describe him but a parasite.
And now that same Kang Yujun had shown up as a new trainer.
It was only natural their expressions would sour.
Yujun understood their reaction.
‘Once I start training them…’
Those distrustful eyes would soon turn to eyes of trust.
Yujun walked over to the awakened who had asked the question.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Kim Gyojun.”
“Mr. Kim Gyojun, do you find me untrustworthy?”
Yujun asked directly.
Kim Gyojun seemed flustered and couldn’t answer right away.
“Yes!”
The answer came from somewhere else.
It was a youth who looked rather hot-tempered.
Seeing the blue light glowing from various parts of his body, he appeared to be one of the top ranks among the youths.
“I see. I assume the rest of you feel the same?”
Yujun looked around at the other awakeneds. His eyes met Woo Hana’s in the process.
Yujun smiled faintly.
Woo Hana had already experienced his training and knew the truth.
‘She’s the living proof.’
Normally, there would be no reason for Woo Hana to be here.
But she was here purely because she wanted to receive his training.
Yujun liked that mindset.
And as luck would have it, there was a perfect teaching aid right in front of him.
‘Perfect timing, Kim Gyojun.’
Kim Gyojun’s entire body could be described as riddled with cracks.
‘No matter where I touch, there will be a reaction.’
Yujun immediately understood.
This Kim Gyojun was currently the lowest-ranked among Sky Guild’s youths.
“There’s no need for further words. Trainee Kim Gyojun. I will now demonstrate exactly how I conduct training.”
Yujun immediately activated his Awakened Scan skill.
Scanning awakened individual.
Analyzing awakened individual!
The information soon appeared.
It was practically a perfect analysis report of an awakened individual.
‘Special note and potential.’
Thanks to unlocking the Awakened Analysis skill, Yujun was able to clearly identify Kim Gyojun’s definite strengths.
‘His potential isn’t particularly high. But his concentration is remarkably strong.’
This was essentially the answer key for training.
The physical rank that must be identified for training, the mental rank that revealed psychological state, the awakened ability, and even special notes.
If training was conducted based on this information, failure was impossible.
‘It would be more foolish not to be able to develop him.’
Yujun smiled.
‘And if the special note is high concentration…’
That meant he would be able to focus properly no matter what kind of training he was given.
‘Also, since the Awakened Analysis level is 1…’
It meant the current analysis was very simple. Once the level increased, he would be able to analyze in much greater detail.
‘Normally, strengths and weaknesses would appear as well.’
At higher levels, he would be able to see both strengths and weaknesses.
‘Physical rank E. Mental rank A.’
The gap was enormous.
Using Awakened Scan and Awakened Analysis, Yujun decided how he would teach Kim Gyojun based on the analyzed information.
“Use your ability.”
Kim Gyojun hesitated for a moment before drawing the sword from his waist.
Shaaaaaak—.
Mana immediately poured out from his body.
The mana was faint, but unlike Woo Hana’s, there was nothing wrong with its circulation method.
However, the moment he drew up the mana, the cracks in his body began to spread even further.
‘Mana circulation is normal. But the mana is being used elsewhere.’
His weakness was his frail body.
‘He’s instinctively using mana to compensate for his weak physique.’
Yujun instantly grasped his condition.
Having the information made it incredibly easy to understand.
Of course, just because one had the information didn’t mean everyone could do this.
It was the result of thirteen years on the elite course, receiving instruction from countless trainers, combined with his natural insight.
“Trainee Kim Gyojun, about that mana.”
Yujun approached Kim Gyojun and pointed with his index finger, precisely poking a cracked area.
It was a finger movement infused with a trace amount of mana.
Shaaaaaak—!
Yujun’s mana flowed through his fingertip and into Kim Gyojun’s body.
It was a very dangerous act, but for Yujun it was a simple task with no risk.
“Spread it out. Don’t clump it together.”
It seemed he had been trained to gather mana to reinforce his weak body.
But that wasn’t the correct answer.
Kim Gyojun’s body suddenly staggered.
It felt strange.
For some reason, his body was moving exactly as Yujun instructed.
‘The cracks are disappearing.’
That meant it was the right answer.
But it still wasn’t shining.
The problem had only been temporarily resolved; it hadn’t become a strength yet.
“Use the swordsmanship you learned at the academy.”
The Awakened Academy taught students how to handle various weapons.
Since Kim Gyojun possessed the Weapon Enhancement ability, he would have received specialized swordsmanship instruction as well.
Kim Gyojun obediently followed Yujun’s words.
For some reason, he felt he should do as he was told.
Swish—!
The moment Kim Gyojun swung his sword.
Yujun took out the conductor’s baton he had brought with him and moved it. The baton was thin, like the ones orchestra conductors used.
‘Infuse it with mana here.’
The baton precisely pressed down on Kim Gyojun’s shoulder.
The mana that had been spread throughout his body instantly concentrated in his shoulder at the exact moment the sword thrust forward.
Shwaaaaaaaaak—!
The swordsmanship that had started slowly accelerated rapidly toward the end.
Bang—!
Kim Gyojun’s sword tore through the air.
“Huh…?”
Even after thrusting the sword, Kim Gyojun looked bewildered. It was a power he had never experienced before.
The speed and force were astonishing. Had he really just done that himself?
There was pain, but it was the kind of situation where even the pain was forgotten.
“How…”
Confirming the shock in Kim Gyojun’s eyes, Yujun looked around and spoke.
“This is how my training will be conducted.”
Everyone stood frozen, stunned by the completely unexpected result.
But Yujun continued his explanation without paying it any mind.
“Also, not everyone will receive my training. I only plan to teach three people.”
At those words, the trainees’ eyes changed as they began focusing intently on Yujun.