The F-Rank Verdict
While following Minji down the hallway, she cautiously probed with a few questions, eyeing my expression.
"By any chance, Shina… is your mom the guild leader?"
"No…?"
"Uh…? Oh… I see. Sorry, I shouldn't have asked something like that."
Minji trailed off, flustered.
I added the plain truth without a second thought.
"I don't have a mom."
"Huh?"
Her steps halted abruptly at my casual self-dig. She stared at me with wide eyes, then frantically looked around before dropping her head in dismay.
After that, a heavy silence filled the corridor for a while.
Hmm…
Did I say it too bluntly again?
It was just a fact to me, but it must've come off too dry.
We finally reached our destination, piercing through the awkward air.
"So, Shina, how much do you know about hunters and gates?"
Minji asked in a bright voice, trying to shift the mood.
"A fair amount."
"Yeah, kids these days learn it all in school. Did you study it there too, Shina?"
"I've never been to school…"
"Ah, haha…! Uh… I see."
Minji's shoulders slumped once more.
Every question she asked missed the mark, leaving her on the verge of tears.
She cleared her throat a few times to shake off the awkwardness, then switched back to her professional demeanor and began explaining.
"Since you know a bit, I'll keep it simple."
Her finger traced over a world map hanging on the wall.
"Sixty years ago, gates suddenly started popping up all over Earth. At the same time, awakeners appeared who could fight them. That chaotic period from sixty to fifty years ago… The first-generation hunters threw themselves into those gates with zero info, burning themselves out to protect the world. So many of them died back then, and now almost all have retired. Well, except for one."
A flicker of awe passed through Minji's eyes.
"After that, governments slowly regained function. Systems for hunters and gates started taking shape—gate and hunter ranks, monster ecology, mana studies, and so on. Do you know how gate and hunter ranks are determined, Shina?"
I recited what I knew from before.
"Gates are ranked by the mana wave intensity they emit. An awakener who can solo clear a gate of that rank within a set time is called a hunter of matching rank."
"You really know your stuff, Shina! Right—from F-rank to S-rank. But these days, the Association discourages solo clears. So the ranking exams have changed a bit too."
"I see."
It had been ages since I'd taken a ranking exam, so I hadn't known.
"Now there's a dedicated device for measuring hunters. They use that sometimes. It's not super precise, but it has decent discrimination power, I think."
"……Isn't there one rank higher?"
My question made Minji's eyes widen slightly.
"You know a lot, Shina. Yeah. About three years ago, there was a gate that existing gear couldn't measure at all."
Her voice dropped a notch.
"A zero-grade gate. Kim Shinwoo and our guild leader both went in there themselves."
"……"
"We're here today because of them. If they hadn't cleared it…"
"It would've been a nightmare."
She gave a faint smile at my response.
"Ahaha… Was that too boring for a kid?"
"No, it was interesting."
It had been tough work, but rewarding too. Hearing about those days from someone else brought back fresh emotions.
And so, I followed her around the building's interior.
Eventually, she stopped in front of a door.
"This is the research lab. It's a bit small, but… Hey, since we're here, want to try that measurement I mentioned earlier?"
"Measurement…?"
"Yeah, you said you're an awakener, right? Just for fun."
"Hmm…"
I pictured myself standing at the machine.
I'd been S-rank in my old body.
It might come out a bit low now, but…
At least C- or B-rank, right?
But if it came out that high…?
My retirement dreams would vanish into the distance…
"……"
"Shina?"
"Oh… no, I'm good."
"Huh? Okay…?"
Minji tilted her head at my refusal.
Kids that age are usually dying to try it… Oh, maybe she's embarrassed about the results showing up?
Minji cleared her throat delicately.
"Hey, Shina…"
"Yes…?"
"I won't look. You can do it alone. No records saved, so don't worry."
Her thoughtful gaze made me hesitate, then nod.
"Alright… I'll give it a shot."
I stepped into the measurement room.
Honestly, I was curious too…
I examined the machine from all angles. The display with its various numbers looked pretty complex. Minji fiddled with it here and there, then explained.
"Press this button to start."
She finished the setup and, true to her word, turned away and stepped back.
I took a quiet breath and stood before the machine.
The cold metal plate gleamed smoothly under the lights.
I slowly placed my hand over the handprint outline.
82%... 95%... 100%
A short mechanical beep followed, and the results appeared.
I stared blankly at the number on the screen.
Then, with a deadpan expression, I pulled my hand away.
"All… done."
At my voice, Minji whipped her head around like she'd been waiting.
She squinted at odd spots, clearly avoiding the numbers.
"Great job! How'd it go?"
She hit the reset button beside the machine.
As the screen vanished in an instant, I stammered a reply.
"It… came out about what I expected."
"Oh? Glad you're happy with it."
Relieved I didn't seem hurt, Minji smiled and led me out of the lab.
I replayed the machine's output in my head.
"……"
I recalled my status window.
Level, trait levels, all my stats—everything was rock bottom.
This body really was frail.
But…
Still… come on… If you told me to fight, I could totally hold my own…?
This is totally rigged…!
No… something's wrong.
Me, F-rank…?
"Shina…?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Huh…?"
She tilted her head at my subtle expression shift.
"……" I know I could fight really well if I had to…
We headed to the next spot.
The air grew heavier and drier with each step.
"Our Hongryeon Guild building has a special place."
"What is it?"
I played dumb, though I already knew.
"Ta-da…!"
She gestured to the massive door at the corridor's end.
"The forge."
A forge in the heart of the city, inside a high-tech guild building packed with cutting-edge gear. Anyone hearing that would think it was nonsense, but it really existed here.
Beyond the heavy iron door, faint heat haze shimmered, carrying a dim warmth. Red light leaked subtly through the cracks—the forge.
"Ahaha… You have no idea how much effort it took to install a forge in a place like this. Thinking about the hassle still makes me dizzy."
Minji rubbed her forehead with a shudder, but pride gleamed in her eyes.
"Sounds like it."
"But it was worth every penny. Well, less the forge itself and more… 'her' doing all the work."
Minji stepped inside, glancing around for someone.
The furnace flames roared fiercely, but the forge stood empty.
"Hmm…? Looks like she's not here right now. Too bad."
She scanned the vacant anvil area.
She must've meant 'her'—the forge's owner.
The one who'd crafted some of my gear by hand.
I wanted to see how she was doing…
A twinge of regret hit me too.
"Shall we head back? The guild leader should return soon."
"Sure."
Shoving aside the disappointment, I followed Minji back to the office.
As we reached the office door, voices leaked from inside. Footsteps approached, and…
Click.
The door flew open without warning, and someone hurried past down the hall.
Even in passing, I clearly saw the figure.
Hmm…? That's…
A familiar face.
Setting that aside, I entered the office where Jangmi waited with a soft smile.
"Ah, Shina, you're back?"
"Yes."
She rose, approached, and gently stroked my hair after bending down.
"Ready to head home? Tired?"
Jangmi met my eyes with concern, gripping my hand tight while grabbing my bag from the chair with her other.
"You can head out too, Minji. Good work."
"Yes, Guild Leader. See you later, Shina."
She bowed slightly, waved, and said goodbye.
"Take care."
And so, I rode with Jangmi back to her place.
She led me past the entryway, through the living room, all the way to the master bedroom—still holding my hand.
A flicker of suspicion crossed my mind, but then she dropped the bag on the bed and…
Hmm…?
"W-wait a sec…"
"Hm…? What's wrong, Shina?"
"No… um…"
Ignoring my flustered voice, she began peeling off her clothes layer by layer.
The rustle of fabric accompanied the unbuttoning of her dress shirt, revealing her underwear starkly within.
She stepped even closer.
"Ahh…"
I swallowed a groan and leaned back, head reeling.
My eyes darted, unsure where to look, trembling faintly.
"Oh? Our shy little Shina?"
Amused by my reaction, Jangmi chuckled softly but didn't stop, reaching for the rest.
I couldn't take it—I slapped my hands over my eyes.
Even after all our time together, we were still opposite-sex friends at heart.
My face burned hot in this sudden, stimulating situation; I could feel it even through my palms.
She was probably down to just underwear now.
But instead of heading to the bathroom, she drew even nearer.
"Aren't you… going in…? What're you doing…?"
"Hm…? Well, obviously…"
She said it so gently.
"You're… coming in with me, right, Shina…?"
"……?"
Eh?