Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Scholarship Proposal
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‘What is this?'
System notifications he'd never seen before.
They were the alerts that had popped up right before Su-ho died, but he had no memory of seeing them.
'The system sent me back to the past?'
He'd had no idea.
That was because by the time those notifications appeared, Su-ho's consciousness was as good as dead.
'I remember reaching the Sword and Body Union realm and acquiring my first SS-Rank Skill for the first time. But Transcendent?'
Yet the system had clearly stated:
[ The system grants you, the first to reach the Transcendent realm, an opportunity to grow even stronger. ]
[ Rebooting Player An Su-ho's system. ]
It was giving him one more chance because he'd been the first to ascend to the Transcendent realm.
So, his return to the past wasn't mere coincidence?
That seemed to be the case.
Thanks to this, Su-ho could confirm that everything he was experiencing wasn't some dream or illusion—it was real.
'Perfect.'
He was starting to accept the fact that he'd returned to the past.
That was why he'd sought out the Library of Memories, after all.
But acceptance wasn't the same as certainty.
He lacked concrete proof for true conviction.
The system's endorsement changed everything, though.
From here on, he could charge ahead without a second thought.
'Alright, let's do this.'
The key point was that he'd returned to the past, allowing him to prepare in advance for the disasters that would befall him.
That solidified his resolve to enter public service once more.
Combining his sole knowledge of the future with the full might of national power, he could potentially end the Gate crisis far faster than in his previous life—perhaps beyond comparison.
'And keep those bastards in check too.'
But to do that, he needed to prepare a lot.
Having acquired the Library of Memories, Su-ho sat down and quietly began outlining his future plans.
Study for tomorrow's written exam?
With the Library of Memories, why worry about that?
No, even without it, he'd have passed that written exam with flying colors.
Su-ho began organizing his thoughts.
***
With a rough framework for his plans in place, Su-ho left the Association and immediately hailed a taxi to Paju.
Since he'd decided to become a civil servant, he aimed to maximize efficiency.
Soon, the taxi entered Paju, and Su-ho arrived at none other than Nexus—the most famous and largest private Hunter Academy in Korea.
The place was enormous, like a townhouse complex, and Su-ho nodded as he eyed the banner on the entrance wall listing successful candidates' names.
Advertising with the number of passers was the most reliable promotion tactic for any academy, genre aside.
That made it Su-ho's first target.
Entering the academy, Su-ho approached the front desk.
"I'd like to see Director Kim Su-ae, please."
"The director? Do you have an appointment?"
"No, I just dropped by. I have something to discuss one-on-one."
"Uh... Without a prior schedule, a sudden meeting is kind of tough."
"Just tell her the solo clearer of the Sudden Gate at Sindorim Station this afternoon is here, and she'll see me right away."
"S-Sindorim? One moment!"
Securing a private audience with the director wasn't hard at all.
He had a unique advantage: revealing himself as the one who'd cleared the Sindorim Station Sudden Gate in broad daylight.
That got him into the director's office without issue.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Kim Su-ae, director of Nexus Academy."
Kim Su-ae, the director.
She was an executive of the Nexus Guild—third-largest in the country—and this Nexus Academy was its affiliate, akin to a subsidiary company.
Su-ho responded to her greeting.
"I'm An Su-ho."
With a veteran professional's smile, she replied to his introduction.
"Yes, Su-ho. I heard from the front desk—you're the solo clearer of the Sudden Gate at Sindorim this afternoon?"
News of Su-ho had already spread like wildfire through the media.
No full photos due to portrait rights, but it was enough to identify him.
Su-ho nodded at her question.
"Yes, that's right."
"Impressive. So what brings such an impressive person to our academy...?"
That was what Kim Su-ae was most curious about.
A solo clearer of a Sudden Gate was a proven Hunter.
Was he after an instructor position?
But Su-ho's actual business forced her to admit her guess was way off.
"I'm here to propose a scholarship."
"A schol...arship?"
"Yes. There's the Hunter License Exam at the National Hunter Association tomorrow, right?"
"Right. Four hundred from our academy are taking it this time."
"As expected of Nexus Academy—scale like no other. On that note, I'm taking the exam tomorrow too."
"You? Su-ho?"
"Yes. I'm still an unregistered Hunter. Oh, and I Awakened as a Player today, for reference."
"......?"
Kim Su-ae blinked, doubting her ears at his words.
It made sense.
If true, it meant someone who Awakened today had cleared a Sudden Gate.
And that defied not just her common sense—but anyone's.
Too flustered, she stammered as she double-checked.
"W-Wait. Did I hear that right? You Awakened today, you're an unregistered Hunter taking the exam tomorrow, and you're the solo clearer of today's Sindorim Sudden Gate?"
"Yes, you heard correctly."
"My god...."
She'd heard right.
If so, it was true—and did that even make sense?
As her mouth hung open, Su-ho added an explanation.
"Anyway, that's the story. Right after clearing the Gate today, I went to the Association to register my documents. A staff member pulled some strings, so I can take the written and practical exams tomorrow. That's why I'm here. I'm aiming for top score this year."
It might sound arrogantly confident at first glance, but Su-ho didn't see it that way.
No, he was already certain he'd take overall first.
Of course.
He'd toppled one of the Five Great Catastrophes.
A Hunter License Exam was child's play to him.
Su-ho sipped the iced tea served to him.
Kim Su-ae couldn't close her gaping mouth.
But she soon shut it, adjusted her glasses, and asked calmly.
"From what you're saying, you seem all but certain of topping the exam... Did you study a related major or prepare long-term?"
"Nope."
She furrowed her brow.
"...Isn't that a bit arrogant? Clearing a Sudden Gate solo is amazing, but the Hunter Exam is different. With average pass rates under 20% every year, how could..."
"That's why I'm proposing this. If I don't top it, just write it off as stepping in shit and ignore me. Pay the scholarship only if I really take first."
It was a tactic common in cram schools.
Hunter academies occasionally made such offers, but top scorers were usually elites groomed openly by major guilds, so these deals rarely happened.
That's why Su-ho proposed it first.
Cases like this were rare.
Kim Su-ae asked.
"Then one more thing. If it's about scholarships, why us—third-ranked Nexus—over top-ranked Hexagon or second-ranked Prime?"
"Because Nexus needs it most."
"Pardon?"
"Word is, Nexus Academy hasn't produced a top or runner-up scorer in recent years. Despite being the largest in the country."
"That's...."
She couldn't respond, caught off guard.
It was true.
But she cleared her throat with a non-excuse excuse.
"Ahem, true, but... Top spots usually go to prospects groomed long-term by major guilds. We're not hung up on that...."
"So you're not interested in my proposal? Got it. I'll head to Hexagon or Prime then...."
"N-No! Who said no interest? Hey, you're too hasty."
As Su-ho stood, a startled Kim Su-ae grabbed him.
Of course.
It was like a pumpkin rolling in on the vine.
Stressed about not producing top scorers, she couldn't refuse this sweet deal.
Su-ho stared at her holding him back, then sat down.
"Shall we assume that's an acceptance?"
"Yes, we're incredibly grateful for the offer. So now...."
"Yes. Let's discuss the scholarship amount."
That was the final crux.
Su-ho had come here for the money from the start.
Kim Su-ae asked.
"Fine. Mind sharing your expected amount first?"
"What's the official scholarship for the top scorer?"
"Officially, full tuition refund plus 30 million won celebration bonus. And if the candidate wants, immediate hire at Nexus Guild."
Thirty million.
The highest among Hunter academies.
But Su-ho hadn't come for a mere thirty million.
"Got it. Official amount noted. But you won't pay me the official rate, right?"
"Of course not. Care to state your desired amount?"
"After taxes and deductions, about 300 million."
"300... million?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that too much?"
Her mouth gaped again.
But Su-ho was firm.
"If it's too much, don't. I'll make the same offer elsewhere. But consider the added benefits if I really top it—300 million is hardly excessive."
She nodded unconsciously.
Nexus Academy poured hundreds of millions yearly into ads, just as he said.
'If the solo clearer of the Sindorim Sudden Gate turns out to be our academy's grad....'
The economic ripple would dwarf 300 million.
No need to hesitate.
"Understood. We'll pay 300 million."
The deal was sealed.