Unleashed Potential
The guild members for whom this was their first tower climb were extremely tense. The pounding of their hearts seemed to fill their ears completely.
Those at the front were especially nervous, constantly swallowing dryly.
But Woo Hana was strangely calm.
Just do what I learned.
In the previous training session, Woo Hana had discovered a clear method to resolve her flank issue.
Now I understand the sensation.
Until now, no matter how many times it was explained, she could never grasp it. Now she understood it perfectly.
Start slowly at first.
Even so, she had no intention of moving too aggressively. She might have been calm, but this was Woo Hana’s first climb too—no different from the other awakened gathered here.
Woo Hana began drawing up her acceleration ability and immediately faltered.
Huh? Why does it feel even lighter…?
Kang Yujun’s words suddenly came to mind.
She had simply followed his instruction.
Boom—!
Her body shot forward like a bullet.
She was startled for a moment, but the overwhelming sense of freedom coursing through her entire body made her want to cheer. Yes. This was her true ability.
It can get even faster.
And—
I can adjust it as much as I want!
Woo Hana carried out Kang Yujun’s teachings to the letter. As a result, everything felt impossibly easy.
Was the fifth floor always this easy?
Yet none of the other awakened who had entered with her could move as naturally as she did.
“What the—how is she moving like that?”
The 3rd Sales Team Leader, watching the entire scene from behind, could only stare in shock.
He had heard that after just a few recent training sessions she had become an entirely different person, but seeing it with his own eyes far exceeded his expectations.
He made a firm decision. The moment they returned, he would look into that trainer.
Kang Yujun—the man who had unlocked Woo Hana’s potential—was reviewing the previous training at the Sky Guild training ground.
“Hmm.”
Over several days he had trained Sky Guild’s youths, including Kim Gyojun and Woo Hana.
“Points don’t rise just because you train a lot.”
His points had increased after training Woo Hana and Kim Gyojun, but training the others had yielded nothing.
I got tired halfway through, too.
The Awakened Training System’s skills consumed mana. Not in large amounts, but steadily.
A small but continuous drain.
The exact amount varied depending on the trainee. In addition, the Awakened Scan and Analysis consumed far more mental energy than expected.
One or two people would have been manageable, but once the number reached double digits, even Yujun found himself exhausted in an instant.
I need to teach even more awakened from now on.
Once he grew accustomed to the process, he would be able to instruct them far more efficiently.
In truth, this was no small accomplishment. New trainers given twenty trainees usually became negligent with at least a few. Yet Yujun had not neglected even one.
He could not afford to.
They’re all desperate.
He understood that desperation better than anyone. They focused with everything they had because they wanted to improve even a little, learn even a little more. How could he possibly teach people like that half-heartedly?
That was why Yujun could only give his absolute best.
I was the same. Of course, I drove the trainers to despair.
In the end, no trainer had managed to awaken him. It had clearly been a matter of lacking talent. Because of that, many trainers had tasted despair. Some had even quit the profession entirely.
If there is no talent, nothing can be done. But you must be able to unlock the talent they do possess.
Not a single one of the youths lacked talent. Every last one possessed excellent potential and the capacity to unleash it.
“The power of this Linguistic Correction holds far more potential than I realized. I’m still not using it to its full extent.”
Linguistic Correction allowed him to make the target move exactly as he commanded. Its true value lay in forcing the trainee’s body to follow his will, granting instant understanding of theory.
Its first subject, Woo Hana, had been sharper than he anticipated.
“She simply hadn’t known the sensation. Once Linguistic Correction let her feel it, she soared.”
Even during this second training session, Yujun had focused on using Linguistic Correction to awaken that same sensation. As a result, Woo Hana had internalized it completely.
“And then there’s Awakened Analysis. The more I use it, the more astonishing it becomes. I thought it was only natural inside the Infinite Tower, but its effect here is considerable.”
Woo Hana’s balance was so perfect that comparing her to Kim Gyojun almost felt like an insult. Once her weaknesses were corrected, both her physical and mental grades had risen in the blink of an eye.
Yujun checked the information gained from training Woo Hana.
Awakened Woo Hana's training has been completed.
Training Score: 6/10
You have gained points according to the training score.
Six out of ten.
It was one point higher than before. Thanks to that, he had gained one additional point.
“She went from D to C.”
At that moment, a new notification appeared.
Ding!
You have received the Trainee Growth Bonus!
You have gained 1P!
“Oh?”
Trainee Growth Bonus. Woo Hana, who was currently attempting the tower, had produced results and granted him extra points.
“So I receive additional points whenever a trainee achieves clear results?”
Every solid performance from a trainee brought Yujun significant benefit. At that realization, he smiled.
His body and mind were exhausted, yet the surge of motivation more than compensated.
“First, I need to gather more points and unlock the remaining Lv. 1 skills.”
He had already opened Awakened Scan and Awakened Analysis. Only one remained.
At that moment the training ground door opened.
“Trainer Kang Yujun!”
A massive, heavily bearded awakened came thundering toward him.
“Yes, what can I do for you?”
“Did you train the awakened Woo Hana?”
The man spoke with a fierce expression. Yet Yujun answered calmly. He sensed no hostility.
“Yes, I trained her. What seems to be the matter?”
“The Woo Hana that Trainer Kang trained…”
Suddenly the giant—the 3rd Sales Team Leader—broke into a wide smile. The impact of that terrifying face suddenly beaming was considerable.
“Just how did you train her? She’s a completely different person. She cleared the entire fifth floor by herself. Thanks to her, the others barely got any training done—she handled everything alone!”
The 3rd Sales Team Leader laughed heartily and continued.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, we’ve gained one outstanding talent. I came to express my gratitude. Truly, thank you.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for giving Miss Woo Hana the opportunity.”
It had been so long since a veteran awakened had looked at him with such favor that Yujun unconsciously clenched his fist.
This feels good.
The satisfaction was immense.
The story spread quickly through Sky Guild.
Woo Hana, newly called up to the 3rd Sales Team, had displayed overwhelming ability on the tower’s fifth floor. She had stood at the vanguard, leaving the others behind, and taken down every monster herself.
“Woo Hana? What are you talking about? Wasn’t her problem impossible to fix?”
There wasn’t a single person in the guild who didn’t know about Woo Hana. She had been a youth Sky Guild continued to support, after all. Naturally, they also knew about her issue—the major flaw that, despite her talent, her mana control and circulation were poor.
They had whispered that even if she were called up to the sales team, she would never perform properly unless that problem was solved.
“So it’s fixed now?”
Her successful fifth-floor climb proved the issue had been resolved.
“I heard the newly contracted trainer fixed it for her.”
“They say it only took a few sessions!”
Most awakened within Sky Guild did not receive regular training. They usually had their own methods and only sought trainers when they encountered problems or unknowns.
“I need to go see him!”
They all set out in search of Yujun.
Inside the Sky Guild Guild Leader’s office.
“Hm? What’s going on?”
“I believe you should see this.”
Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun tilted his head at the unusually excited Manager Lee.
“What is it? Woo Hana?”
“That trainer, Kang Yujun…”
“Did some problem occur? That shouldn’t be possible. Her training went incredibly well. Of course she’s still lacking in experience, but it shouldn’t be so bad that the 3rd Team can’t handle her, right?”
“That’s not what I mean. Just watch.”
Manager Lee played a video.
Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun thought of Kang Yujun as he watched. The man had enough talent to become a tower trainer. That was why he had broken the usual practice of not assigning youths to freelancers and entrusted him with their education.
From what he heard, Yujun was quite popular among the youths. His teaching style was fresh, and they were very satisfied with how their movements were corrected on the spot.
“This is footage from the fifth floor—Woo Hana’s debut run.”
The Tower of Clouds, fifth floor.
Sky Guild often recorded videos for members just beginning their tower climbs. It allowed them to see themselves from a third-person perspective and identify their shortcomings.
Many awakened believed they were moving calmly, only to realize how awkward they actually looked on screen.
“It starts here.”
At Manager Lee’s words, the guild leader focused on the video—and was immediately stunned.
“Huh? Why does her movement look like this?”
Woo Hana, at the front of the formation, suddenly shot forward. The speed was overwhelming. He had never seen anything like it. Her movements were completely fluid, as if she had fully mastered them.
“Is this really Woo Hana? Wow—what is this? I heard the training worked, but to this degree?”
The guild leader’s mouth hung open. She was far faster than what he had seen at the training ground. It was an abnormally rapid rate of growth.
“She’s even faster? This doesn’t make sense. She’s much faster than before! No matter how good the training was, this is…”
“Yes, I was shocked as well.”
Manager Lee nodded.
“Trainer Kang Yujun gave her one more session right before she entered the fifth floor.”
“Ha, but that’s only three sessions total, right? You’re saying this happened after just three sessions? All her bad habits with mana circulation are gone, and her posture—her entire stance has been corrected?”
“Yes. Everything we couldn’t fix for so long has been corrected. And if you look at this part here…”
Although Manager Lee continued explaining, Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun could not tear his eyes from the screen.
Woo Hana’s movements in the video were nothing short of mysterious and unpredictable. Her attacking speed was impressive, but her posture was flawless. Her mana circulation was perfectly stable.
Compared to before, it was hard to believe she was the same person. What stood out most was her confidence.
Until now, Woo Hana had never properly utilized her ability. There had been the mana circulation issue, but her acceleration itself had also been a problem. Despite possessing such an excellent ability, she had never figured out how to use it effectively.
Yet in the video she was freely switching between acceleration and deceleration. She sped up exactly when she needed to and slowed down with perfect timing when required.
“I told her over and over, but she never fixed it. And now she has. Ha, unbelievable.”
Fast. Slow. He had repeated until he was sick of it that simply being fast wasn’t always better, yet there had been no sign of improvement. Even that bad habit had been corrected.
Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun could only mutter.
“Just… how did he do it?”
What kind of training had he given her to produce such a transformation?
The corners of the guild leader’s mouth twitched as he voiced his doubt.
“Ah, that’s not what’s important right now. We need to issue her performance bonus first.”
This was a clear achievement. A definite, undeniable achievement.
“And the renewal contract…”
Woo Hana would now rise like an elevator. Manager Lee asked carefully.
“…Should we proceed?”
The sword was now in Yujun’s hand. The situation had reversed; they were the ones who would have to ask for the renewal.
At Manager Lee’s words, the guild leader frowned. The power dynamic had completely flipped.
“He’ll probably refuse, but we should offer significantly better terms and test the waters. We must secure him. This is an opportunity for our Sky Guild!”
The current contract with Kang Yujun was a three-month short-term agreement. That was natural. Almost no guild offered long-term contracts to a freelance trainer who had just entered the industry—especially one with no career who, until recently, had been an expelled youth who failed to awaken.
The guild leader recalled his recent conversation with Yujun and smiled bitterly.
“So that’s why he was so confident. That’s why he rejected the contract that included conversion to full-time employment.”
He had even shortened the duration. Lee Hyeokjun had been willing to reduce it to six months, but at Yujun’s request they had settled on three.
“Let’s make the offer.”
The first step would be a substantial sum of money.
Kim Minseok, who had introduced Yujun to Sky Guild, was feeling rather anxious.
"Hey, Minseok!"
“Ah, Manager Han. How have you been? I should have contacted you first. Have you been well?”
"I've been fine! Anyway, what on earth happened with your friend Kang Yujun?"
“Pardon?”
Kim Minseok tensed at the sudden question. He had been the one to introduce Yujun to Manager Han. In other words, if Yujun made any mistakes, Minseok’s own reputation would suffer as well.
Did he mess something up?
It was possible. Becoming a trainer had been a very recent development for someone who had been a guild youth until recently. He had not even received formal trainer education.
Of course, Yujun possessed something special. If he had demonstrated that properly, the results should have been satisfactory. But since this was his first real foray into professional training, it seemed he had made quite a few mistakes.
Minseok apologized first.
“I’m sorry. That friend really does have outstanding talent. He couldn’t awaken, so things turned out that way, but his training ability is genuinely—”
"You should be sorry! You should have recommended a talent like this much sooner!"
“…Pardon?”
The response was completely unexpected. There was no trace of anger in Manager Han’s voice.
"It's a jackpot! An absolute, overwhelming jackpot!"