Hwang Ha-na's Status Window (Part 1)
Lee Do-hyeon spotted Ji Yu-chan with an utterly bewildered expression on his face, but he only gave him a quick glance before letting it slide. There was something far more important on his mind.
‘Ji Yu-chan’
‘Trait: Platinum Sword King [S]’
‘Skills’
▶ “Sword Analysis [A]”
▶ “Sword King’s Intuition [A]”
‘Stats’
▶ “Strength: 7 ▶ 8”
▶ “Agility: 7 ▶ 8”
▶ “Vitality: 8 ▶ 9”
▶ “Mana: 12”
[Successfully analyzed another person’s status window.]
[Permanently increases Strength, Agility, and Vitality by +1.]
‘Hah… so that’s it.’
By analyzing Ji Yu-chan’s status window, he had obtained extra stats. And by finishing off three more goblins, he could pick up another 30 points for AP and 30 for Points.
‘I should earn as much as I can while I can.’
Thinking like a responsible family man, Do-hyeon couldn’t help but smile with a little satisfaction. He had to thank the Analysis for warning him about the faint scream he’d heard at the maze exit. It had basically told him there was an emergency.
Thanks to that, he’d managed to gain both points and stats.
Do-hyeon supported Ji Yu-chan, applying a light Muscle Healing Art just in case. It wasn’t a big concern, but better safe than sorry.
While helping him up, however, Do-hyeon noticed the other two squads and asked with a hint of surprise.
“Hey, what were you guys doing?”
There was a slight rebuke in his tone, but he was genuinely curious. He’d asked what they’d been up to while Ji Yu-chan was getting attacked like that.
Ji Yu-chan had said nothing in response. Everyone else just lowered their heads.
Especially Park Dong-wook, whose eyes were trembling nonstop as he stood there speechless.
Maybe he had some excuse, Do-hyeon thought, and he headed for the exit with only the seriously injured Ji Yu-chan in tow. The other two squads followed behind him, looking utterly ashamed. Only then did the maze come into view.
‘Traps?’
‘Everything’s destroyed?’
‘Wait… while they were trying to save us, they destroyed everything?’
‘This is insane.’
All of them stared at the wreckage, eyes wide with disbelief and a heavy sense of dread.
This was a whole different dimension.
Ji Yu-chan had shown them overwhelming power, but Do-hyeon was operating on an entirely different level. He could see it even through the fading consciousness of the others, and he couldn’t help but gasp in awe.
‘It’s… unbelievable.’
He was strong enough to make you forget they’d even entered the same dorm.
Once they finally left the maze, the members of Squad 1 were still sitting around exhausted, and the instructor trio was waiting for them.
When everyone emerged, the instructor trio took Ji Yu-chan from Do-hyeon’s arms, gently placed him on a stretcher, and handed him over to another staff member.
“Please send him to the infirmary.”
Then the instructors turned to the trainees and spoke.
“You all worked hard today.”
“As expected, Squad 1 wins.”
No one dared to complain. Everyone had witnessed the overwhelming dominance.
Finally, the instructor trio looked at Do-hyeon and announced.
“And for Squad 1, a special commendation!”
“Trainee Lee Do-hyeon gets full marks.”
“Congratulations.”
Everyone in Squad 1 clapped and cheered as they heard the news.
Clap clap clap.
“Keh! As expected from Do-hyeon!”
“Do-hyeon oppa is the best!”
“Only Do-hyeon oppa could get full marks—there’s no one else.”
“That’s right. Hyung Do-hyeon is the greatest.”
The entire Squad 1 clapped enthusiastically. Squad 2, meanwhile, began to join in—slowly at first, then with more conviction—except for Ji Yu-chan, who was still unconscious on the stretcher.
Clap clap clap.
“……”
“Thank you for saving me.”
“……”
“I made it thanks to you.”
“Thank you, hyung.”
Park Dong-wook kept his mouth shut and simply clapped. Everyone else was offering thanks when the instructor trio shot them a stern glare.
“You may return to the dorms and rest, Squad 1.”
“But Squad 2 must undergo additional special training before returning.”
“Trainees who don’t know that just watching a comrade in danger isn’t enough need that education.”
The instructor trio’s cold words left Squad 2 no choice but to lower their heads in shame.
Squad 1 looked a bit confused for a moment, but remembering Ji Yu-chan being carried off, they too shot the other squad a similar look of disapproval. Squad 2 couldn’t meet their eyes.
‘That’s rough.’
Do-hyeon watched them with a faint chill in his expression. He wondered how someone could just stand there while their teammate was in danger. But he shrugged it off—his squad wasn’t the one at risk, after all.
‘Still feels bad for Ji Yu-chan, though.’
He was the one who’d been unlucky enough to draw the troll-filled squad for the group project. That was the only thing he felt sorry about.
* * *
Back at the dorm, Do-hyeon immediately headed for the communal shower and stood under the warm spray. The faint cuts and muscle strains had already been healed by the Muscle Healing Art, but the lingering fatigue felt like it was being washed away by the hot water.
“Hah.”
Stepping out after the steam rose off his body, he let the cool air from the indoor air-conditioning cool his overheated skin.
Do-hyeon rubbed his wet hair vigorously with a towel before sitting on his bed. It had only been the first day of real training, yet so much had happened.
The final live combat simulation had been risky for the others, even if it hadn’t been for him, which was why it had felt longer than usual.
‘My stats have changed a lot.’
Do-hyeon opened his status window.
『Lee Do-hyeon』
『Trait: Analysis [Ex]』
『Skills』
▶ “Sword King’s Intuition [A]”
▶ “Intimidation [B]”
▶ “Muscle Healing Art [C]”
▶ “Ambush [D]”
▶ “Stealth [E]”
▶ “Counterattack [E]”
▶ “Detection [E] (1 / 3)”
▶ “Tracking [E] (1 / 3)”
▶ “Pathfinding [E] (1 / 3)”
▶ “Mana Manipulation [E] (1 / 3)”
▶ “Fire [F]”
『Stats』
▶ “Strength: 7 ▶ 10”
▶ “Agility: 14 ▶ 17”
▶ “Vitality: 7 ▶ 10”
▶ “Mana: 12 ▶ 14”
『Points』
▶ “P: 230”
▶ “AP: 930”
‘Whoa.’
Do-hyeon stared at the stats that had ballooned beyond what he could even describe. The change was so obvious it was hard to believe. He glanced at the mirror and noticed how different his body looked—shirtless, revealing the sculpted muscles and lean physique he’d never expected to see on someone who’d never worked out a day in his life.
‘This is actually my body?’
He shook his head, still a little dazed. He’d always been scrawny. A day of awakening and he already had this physique.
Do-hyeon chuckled to himself. ‘Yeah, right. I guess I’ll have to forget about the old me.’
‘Speaking of which, how’s Ji Yu-chan doing?’
The instructors had rushed him to the infirmary, and he’d been told he was fine, but the blow had clearly been serious. A direct stab from the counterattack, and he’d even taken a back hit from Park Dong-wook. He worried for the guy.
But compared to Do-hyeon, Ji Yu-chan’s growth was still on a legendary scale. The other instructors had probably been keeping a close eye on him too, so Do-hyeon shook his head, deciding not to worry for no reason.
Then something caught his eye—his AP counter showing 930. He tilted his head.
‘Hmm… it’s coming in gradually. Think I can keep accumulating here?’
One of his small goals was to analyze Hwang Ha-na’s status window. But it would require a full 1,000 AP. He was still short by about 70,000.
‘Can I earn more?’
Once he’d succeeded with the status window and skills, there were no more hunters left to copy, so he couldn’t gain more AP. That made it important.
Skills he could just obtain directly or from a textbook, but the AP system was completely sealed. He was in trouble.
He couldn’t just ask the instructors for a lesson either.
‘I can’t find any new hunters, so I need another way? Or… is there even a way to gain AP any other route?’
Do-hyeon fell into deep thought. Analysis had always supplied answers, but it was silent now. Frustrated, he stood up.
‘Maybe the hot water just made me feel restless. I’ll grab some new clothes and head out.’
He’d planned to head to the skill record room to pick up a new textbook after today’s training, but since he couldn’t obtain any more skills, that plan was out. There wasn’t much to do, but he still had time until evening.
‘I could wander around a bit.’
The dorm felt too cramped, so Do-hyeon stepped outside. Squad 1 was nowhere to be seen—they were probably resting back at the dorm from the fatigue. Squad 2, on the other hand, was still receiving special training under the instructor trio, making the entire student building feel unusually empty.
Do-hyeon walked through the vast building with a strange sense of solitude when he spotted Hwang Ha-na coming toward him.
“It’s trainee Lee Do-hyeon.”
The tone was softer than when he’d spoken with the other trainees, so Do-hyeon greeted her politely.
“Hello.”
“You were resting. Why are you outside?”
“Well, I just felt restless, so I came out.”
Do-hyeon smiled faintly as he spoke. Hwang Ha-na nodded approvingly.
She’d probably noticed he’d done well on the first day.
“I heard you performed excellently in today’s training.”
“Thank you.”
Do-hyeon was about to continue small talk when he decided to give it another try. Analysis hadn’t increased his stats before and the skills had been minor. But now it was different—Sword King’s Intuition was helping him analyze, and his stats had grown substantially. This time he wanted to attempt it.
The result flashed before his eyes.
[Attempting to use the effect of “Sword King’s Intuition [A]” to analyze.]
[Stats have increased significantly.]
[Successfully extracting a small amount of power from “Sword King’s Intuition [A]”]
‘Huh? Does this actually work?’
He’d tried just in case, but something felt off. The moment he felt that way, Hwang Ha-na’s status window appeared before his eyes.
『Hwang Ha-na』
『Trait: Severing Dark King [S]』
『Skills』
▶ “???”
▶ Analysis failed.
▶ Detailed analysis requires 500 AP.
‘Eh?’
Even though it hadn’t succeeded, he’d still saved half the required points.
This was a chance gifted by the stats and Sword King’s Intuition!
‘It’d be a total idiot not to take it!’
Do-hyeon immediately paid the AP, and an enormous status window bloomed on the screen.