Seed of the Future
Non-awakened civilians had all sorts of misconceptions, but the biggest one was about hunters. They thought the most important thing was the "talent" you gained upon awakening. But that wasn't true at all.
'Talent matters only after you've met the other conditions...'
Accurately grasping your own talent, getting a feel for it—that was incredibly difficult in itself. Most awakeners went through tremendous hardship in that process and gave up on becoming hunters.
For example, imagine suddenly getting a tail grafted onto you that wasn't there before. There's no way you could wield it as naturally as if it had always been part of you, right? And that was just a visible part of the body. Mastering the sensation of an invisible, unknown superpower? That was on a whole other level of impossibility.
Even with countless tests to figure out what type of superpower you had and methodologies developed for training, the difficulty never decreased. So no matter what your talent was, it wasn't the most important factor in becoming a hunter. Talent was about how far you could climb after becoming one.
You had to become a hunter first to even worry about that, didn't you?
In that sense, the most crucial thing for becoming a hunter was who guided you right after awakening.
'That's why hunter academies are popping up like mushrooms.'
There were plenty of outright scammers, and places that put on unscientific shows like some kind of shamanistic cult. And that guidance direction persisted even after you became a hunter.
'That was exactly my case before regression.'
Coaches and directors who led you down the wrong growth path for short-term results. That's why.
This kid, Lee Jeong-hun, coming to me had to be a stroke of heaven-sent luck. For him, it might even be fate.
To me, who had lived a life of regret from bad coaches and teachers, it felt like this kid—who had nearly walked the same path—was sent my way. Maybe the changes after regression weren't just in my life.
There was no flash of light like when a regular person awakened, no dramatic change you could feel. But it was clear as day in this Piercing Eye.
'Skills manifesting all at once...'
I'd thought it was a pretty strong stimulus, but for it to produce this? A bit unexpected. Of course, from a pro hunter like me, it was "pretty strong," but for a kid close to civilian level, it must have been an earth-shattering shock.
Fighting in front of his idolized, admired hunter, getting utterly wrecked by an opponent he'd dismissed as a joke without landing a single hit. That had to sting. And not from some special power, but from clumsy swordplay.
'Picking Yi Yeon-ju was a great choice.'
That emotional turmoil. The burning desire to grow. The refusal to let it end like this. Those feelings must have been intensely amplified.
'It's on a whole different level from the kiddie games at hunter academies...'
So it wasn't strange for something like this to happen.
"Kuhk..."
In any case, Lee Jeong-hun rose, having awakened his new ability. Yi Yeon-ju seemed shaken, perhaps doubting he could get up even if her slash hadn't been precise. But soon enough, she reset into combat stance.
No matter the new ability, Yi Yeon-ju still held overwhelming advantage. Yet something had clearly changed.
By allowing the attack, he'd been torn apart once, but now he rose on sheer grit, sword aimed at Yi Yeon-ju again. Tenacity that made it impossible to see him as just some kid.
'A normal child would have collapsed crying...'
Falling off a bike or tumbling down stairs, they'd at least check the wound and endure the pain. But not this kid. He instinctively knew: hesitate, and it was truly over. He had to endure, focus on the enemy in front of him.
'He has the exact quality needed for a First Division Hunters League player.'
Of course, winning against Yi Yeon-ju in that state was impossible. The standoff broke again, and the fight resumed.
Yi Yeon-ju's sword, which she'd never used before. Clashed against Lee Jeong-hun's reckless, no-holds-barred blade.
Even as a pro hunter, Yi Yeon-ju had only ever run in PvP, ignoring defense entirely. She couldn't avoid getting nicked by Lee Jeong-hun's all-out attacks.
She stabbed and stabbed again, but unlike before, heat rose as he desperately guarded vitals and fought on.
"Whew~"
Everyone knew the kid would lose, but Kim Do-jun just whistled at the sight. No complaints about the bet, no whining.
But it didn't last long. The power gap was real, and Yi Yeon-ju won as expected. Lee Jeong-hun collapsed in a shredded state, utterly mangled, ending the match.
After the match, in the training room. About five PER team members sat gathered.
The intense, silent fight had ended, but now the scene was chaos.
They'd been impressed by the kid's grit watching the match, but Kim Do-jun was dying over losing 50,000 won.
"Hey... here's your 50,000. Wait, think about it—Chang-hyun didn't explain anything, right? Shouldn't that make it invalid?"
"Nah, no."
Yoon Han-gyeol wasn't buying that nonsense. He shut down Kim Do-jun's claim cold.
In the end, Kim Do-jun handed over the bill to Yoon Han-gyeol, his hand visibly trembling.
'Sigh, serves him right for betting on a match that wasn't even his... and on a total stranger kid, no less.'
The guy was endlessly entertaining. And with his surprisingly solid fanbase, maybe he had a talent for player fan service...
Meanwhile, the actual combatants were pretty quiet.
"Ugh... Thought I could win..."
Lee Jeong-hun was shaking. Made sense. Watching shiny Hunters League matches, Yi Yeon-ju probably looked like she did nothing in team games. Plus, being a girl, he might've underestimated her strength.
"Tch... Pathetic weakling..."
"...?"
Did Yi Yeon-ju just say that? It didn't match her usual image, so I glanced her way, but she looked off elsewhere, pretending nothing happened.
'...'
Whatever.
"Kid. As you know, Yeon-ju isn't even a combat position. Now you get what pro hunters are like, right?"
"...Yeah."
Face like he'd die before admitting defeat. Strong competitive spirit.
"Still. Your performance wasn't bad. Actually, lots of good points."
"Really?"
Lee Jeong-hun's eyes sparkled.
"Th-the Hunter Promotion Center said my superpower probably didn't manifest... Um..."
"Wondering if you can become a hunter? If you have any abilities?"
I chuckled. I got his anxiety.
"Straight answer: Yeah. Plenty possible. Remember earlier? When Yeon-ju pierced your chest with her sword."
"Yeah."
"Didn't you feel something then?"
He pondered, then spoke uncertainly.
"Honestly, not sure... But after getting stabbed, all strength drained, thought it was over. Then a bit came back."
That was probably Indomitable: B+ (A+).
"Likely your ability. And not just that—more might come."
"More?"
"Hunter limits aren't set or known. Keep at it, and you'll definitely become one."
Of course, for growth-type skill users only. But as I finished, Lee Jeong-hun suddenly burst into tears.
A bit startled, but I figured why.
'He's a kid, so more honest with emotions.'
"Can I join PER later and play with you, hyung?"
"Sure."
Next season, this team would be in First Division. If he awakened then, he'd start in Third Division. At least two years before teaming up.
Survive two years, climb to First Division, and with those skills, he'd be incomparable.
"If you don't give up, I'll cheer for you to join. Become a First Division leaguer and come to our team."
He blinked, finally getting it. Hunters must spend at least a season in lower leagues to promote, so by then PER would dominate First Division.
"... "
Team now over seven, but still short. For First Division or international leagues, needed more strategies, more talent. Even starters couldn't play every game then.
"But..."
"...?"
More to say? Thanks? Something?
"S-since I'm joining this team anyway... Can't I join the Third Division team and train here daily?"
"... "
Hm... Not a bad idea, really. Caught me off guard, though. Bold or rational? Hard to say.
'Not wrong...'
With my ability insight and guidance via Bloom - Talent Awakening: Dream Commander, he'd grow fast.
Didn't take long to decide. High upside, no downside.
"Sure."
And so, through this unexpected connection, PER gained one more under player development. Might be years before we played together in First Division, but I vaguely sensed he'd be a major pillar in the future team I envisioned.