Legendary Designer Choi Nari (6)

While Kim Eun-bi placed her hand on the mana measurement device and waited for the results, a heavy silence fell over the table. What she'd just declared was that bold—she claimed to be an S-rank hunter.

Even counting Jo Dong-geun, there were only ten S-rank hunters in all of Korea right now. Sure, I'd evolved Kim Se-in and Kim Eun-bi into S-rank hunters myself, but only a handful of people knew that. To the public, the known number was still ten—excluding folks like Kang A-jin, who operated at an S-rank level without the official label.

Choi Nari wore a bored expression. No matter how long she'd known her friend, it was hard to swallow the idea of her suddenly becoming S-rank. On top of that, hadn't Kim Eun-bi only awakened as an A-rank hunter a short while ago? There was no precedent for someone jumping from A-rank to S-rank in just a month.

The device announced the result in its mechanical voice, plunging the table into an even deeper silence. Kim Eun-bi shattered it with her high-pitched squeal.

"Whoa! It's real! I really did it, oppa—I'm S-rank now!"

She threw her arms around my neck and clung to me. Choi Yunmi watched with a complicated gaze. She already knew the method I used to level up hunters. She'd figured out that I'd slept with Kim Eun-bi just a day after parting ways with her, so her feelings were understandably mixed. But I'd laid all my cards on the table with her, and she'd accepted it with grace.

"No way—seriously?!"

For some reason, Choi Nari sounded irritated as she shook her own mana measurement device. But there was no way the machine was faulty—she'd tested it herself just moments ago. Common sense shattered by back-to-back impossibilities, she looked utterly flustered. As a last resort, she thrust the device toward me.

"You try it! You killed Jo Dong-geun, right? You gotta be at least top 10%!"

It was anyone's guess if killing Jo Dong-geun meant you'd hit top 10%. And who knew if the device's readings were even accurate?

"I tweaked this one myself with my own data. Don't worry—just put your hand on it."

She said it like she'd read my mind. No reason to hesitate then. If she'd modded it herself, she had no room to complain. I placed my hand on the device. I was curious too—how strong was I, exactly?

I waited quietly, and the voice chimed in.

At the word "S-rank," Choi Nari's eyebrows shot up again. She clearly hadn't bought that I was S-rank either.

"Huh? No way! Oppa can't be lower than me! Nari, is this thing even accurate?"

"What're you talking about? I built it myself!"

Choi Nari seemed fiercely proud of her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠work, her face souring at Kim Eun-bi's jab.

"Fine, so you're S-rank. But 89%...?"

Before she could finish, another voice cut in.

"Huh?"

Choi Nari blinked in shock. My hand hadn't moved, but the reading had changed—and drastically. But that wasn't the end of it.

The announcements kept coming, repeating dozens of times. Kim Eun-bi shot me a smug, see-I-told-you-so look from the side.

The final reading was the highest—within the top 1% of all S-ranks. I couldn't say whose mana matched that. Valentina? Chichi?

Choi Nari's perpetually cool demeanor cracked, her mouth falling open. In a dazed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠voice, she muttered, "What... what the hell are you?"

"Hoo..."

This was the first time such a precise device had measured every drop of mana inside me. Even I felt a thrill of curiosity.

"That's my ability. It's how I took down Jo Dong-geun. It cleared the blockage in Yunmi's mana and awakened her fully, and it grew Eun-bi too. Still don't believe me?"

"..."

Choi Nari fell silent, lost in thought. She didn't even glance at her device anymore. Finally, she asked, "Okay. Let's say it's all true. What do you want from me, exactly?"

Choi Yunmi lit up with a smile. "We're starting a company. I want you to join us and help."

"Huh? You want to recruit me?"

"Yeah. There's no better designer in Korea than you. I want a Korean company that can produce S-rank gear and weapons. No more paying ridiculous royalties for imports. And you know how some companies are using gear and weapons to influence politics these days. I think it's essential."

Choi Nari stowed the mana measurement device back in her inventory after hearing Choi Yunmi's passionate pitch. She thought for a moment, then replied, "Even if I joined, what could I do? Korea's the country that worshipped scum like Jo Dong-geun. Him dying changes nothing. You know a single designer can't make it happen. We'd just end up chasing foreign companies' tails."

"I'm recruiting Kim Yeonhwa too."

"What? Kim Yeonhwa?"

Even Choi Nari flinched at that. "Think about it. We've got funding that can compete. How many S-rank hunters do you think are backing us? Plus, an SS-rank dungeon..."

Her expression shifted at the mention of the SS-rank dungeon.

"That's..."

"You won't find anything better abroad. They're as bad as us, if not worse—especially the superpowers. You know that."

"But..."

Choi Nari bit her lip. "You wouldn't say that if you knew how close I am to Mihyeon. After what happened to her... how could I betray that loyalty...?"

It was confusing—talking loyalty after Jo Dong-geun was dead. Choi Nari must have promised her friend never to design hunter gear in Korea. The mood soured, no solution in sight. But I realized recruiting her was essential for launching the new company. Kim Seol-bi's gear, designed by her, was perfection—no one could improve it.

"Where's that friend now?"

"Who? Mihyeon?"

Choi Nari shot back at my question.

"Is she a civilian?"

"Pretty much. She's a normal awakener."

I nodded. I'd been a normal awakener ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not long ago myself. Even without meeting her, her story tugged at me.

"Can you arrange for me to see her?"

"What? Why?"

Not just Choi Nari—Choi Yunmi and Kim Eun-bi stared at me curiously too.

"Maybe I can help. I don't just do hunter powers—I've got sorcery and poison arts too. I might be able to heal your friend."

It was a sudden impulse. Before, I might not have dreamed of it, but now? Maybe. I'd never imagined I could heal Choi Yunmi either.

"Ah..."

Choi Nari's face clouded with thought. But the atmosphere had shifted dramatically from the start. She chewed her lip, then looked up. "Fine. If you heal Mihyeon, I'll join. No salary needed—I'll do whatever you say."

How tight-knit could they be? Beyond that, Choi Nari seemed like the type whose loyalty defined her—without it, she'd be a husk. She might even be romantically involved, but that didn't fit; Jo Dong-geun wouldn't have gone there if so. If she had loyalty to Choi Nari, it'd run both ways. No way Mihyeon tagged along to his hotel just fangirling an S-rank.

"Alright, let's eat then."

We'd been so deep in serious talk that the meal had gone cold. We hadn't even cracked that bottle of wine. A whole restaurant rented out, wasted. But no one minded.

"I'll be in touch."

After leaving the restaurant, Choi Yunmi and Kim Eun-bi headed off separately, at Choi Nari's request. Her friend's condition was too critical for a crowd.

"Oppa, fighting!"

Kim Eun-bi pumped her fist in her signature cute cheer. Alone now, Choi Nari led me to the parking lot. A sleek, high-end sports car. She pulled out her keys casually and unlocked it.