Chapter 49 — You've Really Done Well, Oppa!
Chapter 49 — You've Really Done Well, Oppa!
Translation: GodTL
"Rank... reassessment?"
"That's right. Your current level has far surpassed that of a D-rank."
I'm well aware that I've been growing at an unprecedented rate.
But it's only been about a month to a month and a half since my last rank reassessment.
Wouldn't it look suspicious if I went for another reassessment in such a short time?
And...
"...Have I really grown that much?"
I do recognize that I've improved, but I thought it might still be a bit too early for a rank reassessment.
If you consider the case of the 'Garden of the Dragon Sword,' that performance wasn't so much about my strength as it was about multiple conditions aligning perfectly.
"Sometimes you seem like a genius, but at times like this, you can be surprisingly dense."
But Rokan seemed to think differently than I did.
"Do you still consider yourself just an ordinary Hunter? Do you honestly believe everything you've accomplished so far is at the level of a D-rank Hunter?"
"......"
Honestly, I couldn't think that way.
Just the power of the Dragon I once drew from the Dragon Bone Sword alone was already far beyond the level of an average D-rank Hunter.
But I didn't consider that my own true strength.
Could a power that comes with risks every time I use it really be called my own?
Perhaps that's why I'd been undervaluing my abilities.
Excluding those factors, I even wondered if my achievements so far weren't all that impressive.
But at this moment, thanks to Rokan vouching for my progress,
I realized that such worries were unnecessary.
If Rokan was saying this much, it meant that even excluding those factors, I had achieved remarkable growth.
"Then I'll go ahead with it. Since we're on the topic, I'll go for the reassessment right away."
"Good, that's the way. Since we're on the topic, I'll take you near the assessment center."
With those words, Rokan used Teleport to take me near the center and then vanished without a trace.
Everything happened so fast that it left me a little dazed, but first things first...
I needed to contact Sia.
I sent Sia a message saying I was going for a rank reassessment, and within less than a minute, she called me.
[Oppa, so you're going right now?]
A mix of wonder and pride.
Her voice seemed to carry both emotions at once.
"Yeah. Since it came up, I figured it's better to get it done sooner rather than later."
[Hmph. I wish I could've gone with you.]
Come to think of it, the last time I had a rank reassessment, Sia and I were together.
She probably wanted to share the joy of receiving a new rank by my side, so I could understand why she might feel disappointed.
"Well, then... if they allow recordings, I'll film the assessment and send it to you."
Hoping to ease her disappointment, I comforted her.
[And if they allow live streaming, call me on video! Promise!]
She must have been really disappointed about not being there, because she emphasized the word "promise."
"Okay. I'll do that."
[Fighting, Oppa! I'm sure you'll get great results!]
With Sia's encouragement, I entered the assessment center and filled out the necessary paperwork.
When I submitted the documents, the receptionist skimmed through them before looking at me with a puzzled expression.
"Mr. Yun Min-jun, it hasn't been long since your last reassessment, has it?"
"No, it hasn't."
"Just a month and a half... Hmm..."
Well, cases like this must be rare.
I already knew it would seem unusual.
Still, wasn't it a bit much to make it so obvious in front of me?
After organizing the documents, the receptionist spoke.
"Since it hasn't been three months since your last reassessment, regulations require you to pay the assessment fee."
This was the first I'd heard of it, but thinking from the Hunter Association's perspective, it made sense.
"Then how much is the fee?"
"250,000 won."
It wasn't an amount I couldn't pay, but it was more expensive than I'd expected.
"However, if your rank is confirmed to have increased during the re-evaluation, the full examination fee will be refunded. Though, that's also a rare occurrence."
"I see."
Well, then all I had to do was get the refund.
After paying the fee, I headed to the examination room for the re-evaluation.
Hmm, this familiar air.
Maybe because I'd been here recently, but even that wooden sword and the training dummy felt vividly fresh in my memory.
On top of that, by sheer coincidence, it was the same examination room where I'd taken the test just a short while ago.
Though the examiner was different.
"Mr. Yun Min-jun."
"Ah, yes."
The examiner who entered the room skimmed through the documents before speaking.
"According to our records, it's been just over a month since your last rank evaluation."
"That's correct."
Just like the receptionist, the examiner seemed intrigued by the fact that I was back for another evaluation in such a short time and brought it up again.
Fortunately, she didn't press further. After checking the documents, she handed me the rank-measuring ring and spoke in a professional tone.
"I assume you're familiar with the examination process, but let me know if you need any explanations."
"I'm fine. But, um... if it's alright, could I record my rank evaluation?"
"Are you a YouTuber or something?"
Apparently, this kind of request wasn't uncommon. The examiner asked in a bored tone.
"No. It's just... my girlfriend wanted to see it."
"You can record, but live streaming isn't allowed."
"Got it."
After setting up the recording equipment, I stepped into the examination room where the test would take place.
"I'll signal you when we begin."
I channeled mana into the rank-measuring ring, and the moment I got the signal, I immediately began striking the training dummy.
What was I like the last time I took the rank evaluation?
I couldn't recall the details, but from what I vaguely remembered, I definitely felt slower back then compared to now.
Not only did I physically sense that my movements had become noticeably more agile, but the vibrations coursing through the wooden sword were also undeniably stronger than before.
The stronger the vibrations, the more it meant the force I could channel into the blade had increased.
Though, since I wasn't using my usual Dragon Bone Sword but a wooden one, I couldn't fully unleash my capabilities.
Still, with every swing, I could feel it.
A power entirely different from my previous self was writhing within me.
And right now, the faint gray aura flickering at the tip of my sword was proof of that.
With every strike against the dummy, the gray aura danced, tracing the path of my blade.
Channeling the sensation I'd felt in Minos's Tomb into my sword, I struck the dummy with the resolve to shatter it—something that should have been nearly impossible.
And—
I might not have achieved the same result as before, but with the same intensity as when I'd used Dragon Words, I poured my fierce will into the edge of my sword.
Lost in the moment, I swung relentlessly, not even noticing how drenched in sweat my entire body had become.
And finally—
"The measurement is complete. Please step out and wait."
The announcement came through the speaker, signaling the end of the examination.
My whole body ached, and my breath was ragged from exerting myself in such a short time, but an inexplicable exhilaration also surged within me.
Gulping down bottled water from the corner of the examination room, I waited calmly for the results.
Then, after a short while—
"...This is strange?"
The examiner muttered to herself as she looked over the results before typing furiously on the keyboard again.
"Um, is there some kind of problem?"
"No, it's just... give me a moment. I think there might be an error in the results."
With a muttered "This can't be right," she tilted her head and kept typing until she finally confirmed that the results were accurate. Then, she displayed them on the monitor.
[Yun Min-jun / B / Examination
Strength: 47 (+3)
Stamina: 41 (+3)
Agility: 44 (+3)
Mana: 48 (+3)
Average: 45 (+3)
Special Skill: [EX]??? (+3)
Final Average: 48]
"...!"
The moment I saw the results, I was so stunned I even forgot to make a sound.
A solid B-rank—no, a high B-rank at that.
Just a mere month and a half ago, I had been nothing more than a dime-a-dozen D-rank Hunter. And now, somehow, I had reached the realm of B-rank.
But that wasn't the only astonishing thing.
My eyes locked onto the newly appeared skill in the special skills section—one whose nature I couldn't even begin to fathom.
[???(EX)
Skill Description:???]
An EX-rank skill, with no name or description to speak of.
This was a skill that had only ever existed in my status window, never once detected during any previous rank evaluations.
Every time I had tried to bring it up to my comrades, they'd treated me like I was insane, so eventually, I'd just stopped mentioning it altogether.
But this time, not only had it been detected—it even had a (+3) modifier next to it.
I still had no idea what this skill was, but... was it finally revealing its true worth?
"Here are your test results. If you show this to the reception desk where you submitted your paperwork, you should be able to get a full refund for the examination fee."
While I had been lost in thought, the examiner handed me the results.
Her voice was as calm as before, but the faint tremor in her pupils betrayed just how shaken she was.
"Thank you."
I took the results and returned to the receptionist who had processed my paperwork earlier, handing them over.
Sure enough, she, too, looked visibly stunned.
Anyway.
With everything settled, I immediately called Sia.
As if she had been waiting for the results with bated breath, she picked up before the first ring even finished.
[Oppa! How was it? Did the results turn out okay?]
"Yeah. Better than I expected, actually."
[What rank did you get?]
Her voice was practically vibrating with excitement and anticipation.
"B-rank."
[Seriously?!]
The sheer volume of her sudden shriek nearly ruptured my eardrums.
I went on to explain the detailed stat values, as well as the previously undetected EX-grade skill whose nature remained a mystery.
"Just what is that skill...?"
[Right? You mentioned it years ago too. No one believed you, but you swore there was a skill like that.]
Sia paused in thought before continuing.
[I think... it might be related to Dragon power.]
"Dragon power?"
[Yeah. Given the circumstances, that seems like the most plausible explanation. If the system is only now starting to recognize it, then it's probably connected to that time you used Dragon Words in the dungeon.]
Her theory was that, much like how a blocked meridian suddenly clears, my experience with Dragon Words had allowed me to break through to a new realm—and this was the result.
It sounded pretty convincing to me.
[I'll have to ask Grandfather for more details, but... either way, this is amazing!]
"Tell me about it. At this rate, it might not take us as long as we thought to reach our goal."
I shouldn't be getting ahead of myself already.
[Definitely. Oh, Oppa—I've got something to take care of, so I'll call you later. Have a good day!]
Uncharacteristically, Sia abruptly ended the call, citing urgent business.
...What was that about?
Ever since we reunited, it was rare for Sia to be the one to hang up first.
Well, no—now that I thought about it, it had happened a few times before.
But even so, cutting the call short before even ten minutes had passed? That was definitely a first.
Could it be related to that schedule Rokan mentioned earlier—the one he had this afternoon?
I wasn't sure, but maybe she was setting aside some private family time with Rokan.
Or... what else could it be?
Something about it felt off, but I decided not to dwell on it.
With the re-examination successfully completed, I should just head home and rest.
On a happy day like this, I should be celebrating with Sia over drinks.
What a shame.
Sia's Lair, Jeju Island.
Unlike usual, the place was bustling with people.
From ordinary citizens to famous celebrities, chaebols, and even politicians—a diverse crowd had gathered.
But what reason could these people—who shared no obvious connections in nationality, profession, or background—have for suddenly congregating in her lair?
At a glance, there was no common thread between them.
But in truth, they all shared one crucial trait.
Every single one of them was a Dragon in human form.