005. Talent Awakening
With my Piercing Eye, I could see everything first—enough to dodge every skill she threw. The one holding the reins in this situation was obvious.
Of course, her gravity attacks make closing the distance tricky.
I could predict them, but she kept pushing me back with relentless strikes.
Definitely a talent worth recruiting for the academy...
Supporter or mid-range dealer. One solid hit and it'd either pin your feet or deal massive damage—a skill guaranteed to rack up real harm.
Still just raw potential for now, though.
I steeled myself on how to take her down and snatched a nearby plate of scattered food, hurling it at Han Ji-su.
Of course, her gravity yanked the flying dish right out of the air, dropping it flat.
Should've dodged.
As expected. A glimpse of her skill's limits and her inexperience in real combat.
No matter how fast you activate a skill, it always takes some time.
One plate turned into two, then three in quick succession. She blocked the third with chained activations, but the second—hurtling straight at her—slipped through, splattering her face with food.
Pasta drenched in thick cream sauce.
"This fucking...!"
Han Ji-su muttered curses under her breath, wiping her face, but the sauce stung her eyes.
The moment she blinked them open, my original spot was empty.
Instead, a voice came from the side.
"Head!"
Her vision blurry and chaotic, Han Ji-su threw both arms up to guard her head.
I sneered and drove my fist into her gut instead.
A clean, satisfying hit that landed just right.
"Fuck... I said head..."
My hand didn't stop there.
"Head!"
Where this time? Head again, or gut?
As the dazed Han Ji-su hesitated awkwardly, her guard half-up, I slammed another knee into her face.
"Head! Head! Head!"
Once her guard fully slackened, I didn't hesitate—pummeling her like a sandbag.
It didn't take long for the nonstop beating to drop her.
Some people in this world deserve to get hit.
The sonsofbitches wearing human skins.
And Han Ji-su was definitely one of them.
Beating the shit out of scum like that to set them straight? Essential work, no doubt.
The problem was, after a few solid punches, she suddenly went limp and collapsed.
Unfortunately, no one would buy that it was all for some noble "reform" purpose when it came to cleanup.
What now...?
Suddenly, I was pondering damage control.
I didn't trash the place, but I threw the first punch. She went down. She's the one hurt.
Pay for the shop damage, and I'd be the total villain here...
Where the hell was Kim Do-jun anyway? Figured he could've helped tone it down, smooth things over.
That worry didn't last.
Siren wails echoed from outside almost immediately.
Shit. Not now...
Pre-regression, I had cash and pull to bury Awakener scraps like this. Not anymore.
I'd barely gotten Mom's okay to become a hunter. If her newly Awakened son got hauled in for street brawling? Game over.
After agonizing, the answer was simple.
Wake Han Ji-su up.
Breath steady against my palm. Alive and well.
I lay back on the trashed restaurant floor, hoisted her atop me in a straddle, then smeared her bloody face-mess onto mine.
Setup complete. Still prone, I splashed cold water on her face and shook her hard.
She stirred right away.
"Urgh..."
Obviously groggy, half-conscious—no clear thinking.
I didn't know what flashed through her head, but luckily, she played along perfectly.
"You sonofabitch."
Memory fuzzy on how it went down, but seeing herself on top triggered her just right—she slapped me across the face.
Only one play left.
"Stop hitting... enough..."
Arms crossed over my face in mock defense, still lying down.
Cops walk in, see my bloody mug and her mounted on top? Perfect.
Plus, gave her a shot at smacking a guy she hated. Win-win.
She swung again, not missing the chance.
Lighter than expected. She was wrecked, and I blocked well.
Supporter or mid-ranger, as predicted. Academy recruit on talent alone—no clue how to throw a real punch, pampered type.
Her happy punching didn't last.
As she flailed groggily at my face, the cops arrived.
Wee-oo wee-oo—
"Officer! In here!"
Kim Do-jun burst in with the restaurant owner and Awakener-specialized police.
"Hands up and surrender quietly!"
Spot-on timing.
***
Luckily, the cops caught the tail end—me getting(? ) mercilessly pounded.
I walked away nearly unscathed compared to Han Ji-su, and no one pegged me as the aggressor.
Probably didn't hurt that she, fresh Awakened teen humiliated by a loss, kept her mouth shut on details.
Even if she spilled, her gravity skill traces everywhere would've pinned major fault on her.
Word from Kim Do-jun: She took full blame, shunned by teammates, slapped with suspension.
Might even get booted from the academy. His grin said it all.
Justice lives on, after all.
Or something like that.
Cleanup went fine, but the real surprise? This brawl triggered an unexpected Bloom perk.
My skill logged it as an achievement, unlocking a Talent Awakening.
Bloom - Talent Awakening: The One Who Calls and Strikes
Calling out skill names before activation, or naming your strike target beforehand boosts destructive power. Mismatch between call and action is fine.
What the hell kind of insane...
No direct attack skill, so can't chant my own, but handy in close quarters.
Still, totally ridiculous.
Never saw this keyword pre-regression...
Not bad to have, but... screams "psycho" if overused.
The real bombshell wasn't some keyword.
An email invite for Hunters, The Next Generation.
The audition show scouting and training tomorrow's star hunters.
"You wanna try out for a hunter audition show?"
"Yeah. Figure I'll show my potential there first."
Mom probably thought academy exams. Non-pros cost a fortune to develop—valid worry.
"But aren't auditions crazy competitive?"
True. Gathers nationwide Awakeners to crown Hunters League's top prospects.
High stakes mean even non-winners score big if they rank well, but...
Amateurs picking the best amateur. Whatever.
"Just let Chang-hyun chase his dreams. Gotta keep challenging yourself for success."
"And that's why you just kept challenging till you blew every job?"
"Why drag up ancient history..."
Dad chimed in, but... worse than silence. Sorry, Dad.
"First place gets academy pick or 3rd Division team choice, fat prize money, even custom weapon."
"Competitive enough for that, yeah..."
"If we're doing it, let's go all in."
"Fine... Mom's disowning you if you flop."
Guilt over no custom gear or aptitude tests weighing on her. Would've backed academy trials blind otherwise.
At least no last-family-savings panic. Progress.
***
Hunters, The Next Generation. The triennial festival for promising Awakeners.
Win here, and fame plus massive rewards follow. Hunters League's hottest sport—spotting next stars is a given.
Naturally, judges were Korea's elite, past or present.
Korea a backwater league? Top here ain't world-class, sure.
Anyway, Lee Min-seok—Korean rep elevating the nation's rep abroad—was one.
Jo Ah-ra and Jin Su-hyuk beside him? No slouches in Korean fame.
"Paperwork deadline's soon."
"But didn't you say no judging while active, bro? What's up?"
"Lately, lots on my mind. Won the world, but... Korea's homeland. Too hands-off?"
He got top treatment abroad on skill, but Korea lagged world leagues. One star doesn't make a powerhouse.
"And maybe raw gems among the overlooked juniors..."
"Get it, but no one measures up to you. They'd be pro already, academy-fawned if that good."
"That's the problem, Su-hyuk. Top talent slips through 'good enough' nets."
Sounded legit. World-team vet speaking.
"How then?"
"Off-the-wall types. Non-normals who'll shatter peaks once honed. True mad geniuses hold the edge."
"Bro... madman talk again. Those belong in asylums, not leagues~"
"You never saw Ethan. Top talent acts nuts. Normie paths? Decades catching stagnant pros."
Ethan: Lee Min-seok's team ace. PEH's throne-holder in French Hunters League.
Undisputed current best.
"Fix their balance from crazy risks or copycat fails. That's the play."
"Yeah yeah, do you. Votes equal anyway."
Jo Ah-ra and Jin Su-hyuk brushed it off, but whatever.
First-time judge Lee Min-seok burned to unearth Korea's gem.
I'll raise Korea's Ethan myself.
His playing days waning, he resolved firmly.