Chapter 35
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35
“A Hunter’s Rank is determined by three main factors,” Yoo Seong-un explained to Gio as they sat in a private room of a Chinese restaurant. “Job, Aptitude Skill, and Level.”
“…”
“The Hunter ranks I’ve been talking about are assigned based on a comprehensive evaluation of these three elements.”
“Are ranks evaluated by people, like some kind of civil service exam?”
“No, they’re evaluated by the ‘System,’ which is presumed to be aided by the Origin. That’s why an Awakened who seems completely incompetent to the human eye is sometimes designated an A-Rank.”
Yoo Seong-un chuckled softly.
“Back when there wasn’t an established system and people lacked basic knowledge about Hunters, some tried to forge their ranks. But since ranks aren’t something humans can just hand out, those who faked them were caught in no time.”
“I imagine they faced severe criticism.”
“It went far beyond criticism. Back then, Hunters were like absolute authorities you didn’t dare cross. It was an era where might was much closer than the law—even more so than now—so superhumans who could beat up monsters were treated with the utmost respect.”
They had faked their ranks to enjoy special treatment while everyone else was struggling.
“Naturally, they didn’t meet a good end.”
Yoo Seong-un returned to the main point.
“Ranks are usually represented by letters.”
“Is there a reason for that?”
“I suspect standardizing it across different countries was too much of a hassle. You’d think numbers would be more universal, but it was also confirmed that the very first Awakened appeared in the United States…”
“So it was tailored to an American perspective.”
“It’s not like the entire System is in English, though. Anyway, the lowest rank is F, and from there it goes up through D, C, B, and A, with the highest rank designated as S.”
Having said that, Yoo Seong-un rolled his eyes slightly.
“…Well, current scholars believe this might not be the end of it. Some argue that since F-Ranks are only slightly sturdier than ordinary people, there’s no point in having anything lower, but it’s only been thirty-one years since the Great Catastrophe.”
“So it’s too early to make definitive conclusions.”
“Exactly. In fact, there are rumors that the Association President of South Korea is hiding an even higher rank.”
Even Yoo Seong-un, who used to be the Association’s research team leader, didn’t know the exact truth.
“Surprisingly, S-Rank Hunters aren’t as rare as you’d think. That’s probably why rumors about hidden higher ranks keep circulating. Anyone can see that one S-Rank is vastly superior to another, yet they’re both labeled with the exact same rank.”
These ranks also influenced social perception.
“For starters, there’s a law stating that S-Rank Hunters must become public figures.”
“A public figure? Does that mean their personal information is disclosed?”
“Not their private details, necessarily, but they usually make their faces known or appear on TV shows. You can think of them as a kind of celebrity. Since a single S-Rank could easily lay waste to an entire country if they set their mind to it, the government places various restrictions on them.”
“That sounds inconvenient.”
“Many of them actually enjoy the popularity, though.”
Of course, just as Gio said, there were plenty of Hunters who found it bothersome.
“That should cover ranks. Shall we move on to the Jobs you asked about earlier?”
“So the Priest and Tamer mentioned by that man earlier are classified as Jobs.”
“Exactly.”
Yoo Seong-un nodded.
“Manifesting a Job isn’t mandatory.”
“So some people get a Job, while others don’t?”
“Right. Not everyone gets one, but since it has a significant impact on one’s Rank, a culture has developed that favors Hunters with Jobs whenever possible.”
“Fascinating.”
“It’s because an Awakened with a Job gains the ability to bend the rules of the world. To mere humans, that seems incredibly appealing.”
Even putting ranks aside, each ‘Job’ carried a distinct image.
“There are ten Jobs in total.”
“Fewer than I expected.”
“I think this is actually quite a lot… If there were any more, it would be hard to tell them apart.”
Doctor, Priest, Knight, Teacher, Spy, Architect, Artist, Magician, Chef, Tamer.
“Now that you hear them all, doesn’t it seem like a lot?”
“Compared to the number of actual professions in the world, not really…”
“True, but these are very different from ordinary professions.”
“That is true.”
“The Priest and Tamer Jobs you heard about earlier are quite rare.”
A Priest uses divine power to influence reality, while a Tamer exerts influence over intelligent beings. Both are considered difficult Jobs because they require the assistance of a contracted partner to function properly.
“But the praise they receive upon succeeding is just as immense.”
This was especially true for Priests.
“A Tamer can tame as many targets as they want, as long as they build up their own capabilities, but a Priest can’t do that. They must patiently wait for a god to cast their gaze upon them and bestow grace. In other words, they don’t hold the initiative.”
“But didn’t you say a Priest who doesn’t serve a god cannot function properly?”
“It’s a Job with those kinds of absurdities. But then again, we’re talking about channeling the power of an otherworldly god onto Earth. In a way, this frustrating limitation is a stroke of luck for humanity. Otherwise, it could easily turn into a disaster.”
Of course, those who awakened as Priests must find it incredibly frustrating.
“Still, once you manifest as a Priest, your affinity for the divine increases. Even if you can’t channel a god’s direct influence, you can still use Holy Power as a believer.”
“Holy Power.”
“The bungeoppang guy we saw earlier mistook you for a ‘Tamer who is also a believer,’ right? A Tamer is the only Job that can openly stroll through the streets with a monster, but Holy Power can be used by any devout believer, even if they aren’t a Priest. That’s why he made that assumption.”
“So a Job isn’t the only thing that matters.”
“Exactly. There’s no need to judge a Hunter solely by that. In the first place, while Jobs can manifest naturally upon awakening, they can also be acquired through effort later on, so they’re quite flexible.”
The other Jobs had their own unique rules as well.
“Just having a Job allows an Awakened to exert influence over the rules of the world. To put it simply, Priests gain a high affinity for divinity, and Tamers gain an affinity for non-human entities.”
“Is it all just affinity?”
“Well, unlike skills, awakening a Job doesn’t suddenly grant you a brand-new ability out of thin air. It just unlocks potential that would be impossible for an ordinary person, which is why we usually describe it as an ‘affinity.’”
Yoo Seong-un moved on to the next topic.
“But Aptitude Skills are different.”
“In what way?”
“They are a fundamental element you receive upon awakening, and no amount of individual effort will let you gain more of them. Of course, your proficiency increases the more you use and understand them, but…”
That said, no Awakened lacked an Aptitude Skill entirely, nor was there anyone with more than one.
“At least, not so far. Who knows what exceptions might appear in the future, but for now, this rule is highly universal among the Awakened.”
An Aptitude Skill was like the first-birthday grab, the doljabi tradition. The Awakened had no choice in the matter, but that single skill was enough to roughly predict how their life would unfold.
“Because that skill alone gives a general idea of the Awakened’s disposition and stats.”
“Can it predict the future as well?”
“More or less, wouldn’t you say? Once an Aptitude Skill manifests, you have to live with it for the rest of your life. There’s no way it wouldn’t affect your future.”
Most people who awakened studied their Aptitude Skill first. While a Job was something you might be lucky enough to be born with, an Aptitude Skill became an inseparable companion in destiny.
“There are plenty of people who cry because their skill doesn’t match their actual aptitude.”
Imagine awakening only to get a skill like ‘Trash Pickup’—how absurd would that be?
“Right?”
“…Does such a skill actually exist?”
“It really does, and there are even cases where it’s an Aptitude Skill. I heard that person is currently working as a city beautification official, though I don’t know the details.”
“At least they put their Aptitude Skill to good use.”
“A positive-minded fellow, indeed.”
For reference, skills were divided into ‘Aptitude Skills,’ which were innate upon awakening, and ‘General Skills,’ which were acquired through effort later on. The actual effects of the skills themselves weren’t vastly different, however.
“Naturally, people tend to value Aptitude Skills much more.”
“If the effects are the same, why is one valued more than the other?”
“Because an Aptitude Skill serves as a benchmark for evaluating a person’s soul and talent. It can’t be helped.”
For example, say there are Hunter 1 and Hunter 2, and they both have Skill A. For Hunter 1, it’s an innate Aptitude Skill, while for Hunter 2, it’s a General Skill learned later on.
“That means their starting points were completely different from the beginning.”
“I see.”
“Most of all, Aptitude Skills don’t have levels. This means you can theoretically use the skill at maximum proficiency from the moment it manifests. In reality, though, proficiency still grows the more you use it. So even with the same skill, there’s bound to be a massive difference depending on who is using it.”
And there was a petty side to humanity involved in this as well.
It’s basically a class system…
Perhaps the idea of being born with a natural gift tickled something in the depths of human nature. Awakened who manifested highly versatile or rare Aptitude Skills became incredibly arrogant, and people tended to look up to them with awe.
I’d rather not tell him about this part.
Though Gio possessed an aristocratic and imposing aura, he also had a pure side, like a child who still wholeheartedly believed in Santa Claus. Yoo Seong-un didn’t want to taint that.
For the sake of humanity’s peace, it was probably better for Gio to remain somewhat ignorant of human ugliness.
“You can learn General Skills by applying at the Center. This means even if an Awakened doesn’t have a Job or has a poor Aptitude Skill, they can still raise their rank through effort.”
“That is quite flexible.”
“And as I’ve been hinting, the visible metric that evaluates your proficiency in all of these things is the ‘Level.’”
Level evaluated one’s Job, skills, and physical abilities.
“The lowest level is 1, and the highest is 10. I sometimes wonder why they didn’t use letters for this too… but since levels can be displayed down to the decimal point, I suppose they needed a more precise system.”
“They are displayed down to the decimal point?”
“Yeah, like 2.8, 4.9, and so on.”
“Is yours like that too, Mr. Yoo Seong-un?”
“Uh…”
Yoo Seong-un hesitated for a moment before adding, “Ranks are fine, but just so you know, people don’t usually ask each other about the specific details of their System.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, there’s a strong consensus that it’s bad manners.”
“…”
Gio’s expression remained blunt and cool, but Yoo Seong-un got the impression that he was slightly shocked.
“…I apologize.”
Sure enough, Gio quickly offered an apology. As expected, Gio was someone who valued manners.
“I was rude because I am ignorant of such matters.”
“It’s fine, you didn’t do it on purpose. It’s not like asking curses either of us.”
There was no actual harm done; it was simply a cultural norm.
“It’s like… asking someone what color underwear they’re wearing today.”
“I am truly sorry.”
“Whoa, I was being a bit dramatic, so you don’t have to shake Honey for gems. Put Honey down. You’re squishing him! I don’t think trying to give someone gems every time you make a mistake is very normal.”
Only then did Gio gently set down Honey, whom he had been shaking vigorously. Honey was already on the floor, pecking at and swallowing the gems that had tumbled out one by one. The whole sequence was so practiced that it made Yoo Seong-un’s head spin.
“If you keep doing that, Honey will get upset.”
“We play like this sometimes.”
“How on earth do you two play?”
Honey had a rather satisfied look on his face, suggesting Gio wasn’t lying.
Where on that round face did I even detect satisfaction?
Despite both of them being completely expressionless, their emotions were incredibly clear. They truly behaved like father and son. Was this what people meant by a child born from the heart? Though, to be precise, he was a child made from a paintbrush.
…But he’s certainly more human now, compared to when he was inside the portrait.
He seemed much more alive.
“…Anyway, people don’t usually ask about a Hunter’s System. It’s like prying for someone’s exact height or weight. Since it’s personal information, everyone tends to keep it to themselves.”
“I will be careful from now on.”
“Oh, then I’d appreciate that.”
An existence from the Origin being this cooperative was more than just welcome—it was a miracle. As a Gardener, Yoo Seong-un felt his heart warm.
“Since you seem curious, I’ll tell you. I don’t have a Job. My Aptitude Skill is ‘Appraisal,’ and I’ve learned several General Skills. My proficiency in those General Skills is maxed out. My overall rank is A.”
“Is it alright for you to tell me?”
“What does it matter if I’m the one choosing to share it?”
“I see.”
“Of course, people don’t just share it easily. Jobs are often obvious enough that this cautious culture doesn’t really apply to them, but if someone tells you their rank, it’s a sign of immense goodwill.”
To put it simply, it meant this:
“‘I trust you. You are my friend, my lover, my family…’”
“…”
“Well, something like that.”
“That is romantic.”
“So you like that kind of stuff.”
He really did have a pure side to him.
“Did you tell me for the same reason, Mr. Yoo Seong-un?”
“Of course. I told you about my System as a sign of goodwill and trust.”
The fact that his companion wasn’t human also played a huge role in allowing him to open up so easily. Since Gio was completely ignorant of human culture, sharing things didn’t feel uncomfortable. If anything, dealing with humans was far more exhausting.
“If you’re curious about anything else, I can get you some books. They have textbooks used at the Awakened Training Center. They have ones meant for newly awakened beginners, so let me know if you need them.”
“I think I will be fine, thanks to your excellent explanation, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“If you say so… Well.”
Yoo Seong-un asked, “Are you planning to head back to the portrait soon?”
“Yes.”
Gio nodded as if it were obvious.
“The outside world has many people, many fun toys, and many things to see and feel, but…”
“…”
“I do not think this is where I belong.”
Yoo Seong-un understood what he meant.
It’s amazing he managed to maintain his composure for this long.
A normal Awakened wouldn’t have lasted a single second. Gio’s status was incomparable to that of a human. An existence that enjoyed godlike power—at least within the painting—had suppressed his very being, metaphorically severing his own limbs and binding weights to his torso, just to wander the noisy world of humans.
It must have been an excruciating ordeal.
“Of course, it was enjoyable.”
“I’m glad to hear that. By the way, do you want to watch the initiation ceremony the bungeoppang guy mentioned?”
“Yes, I would like to see it.”
“I’ll let you know when the time comes, so rest in the portrait until then.”
With that, Gio returned to the portrait.
* * *
Back in the cabin, Gio did nothing but sleep for an entire day.
“It’s dangerous outside the blankets.”
“Kkyureung.”
Completely drained of energy, Gio needed some time to himself.