Another Talent
"Name: Ji Suyeon. Age: seventeen. According to intel from a Hunter Association HUMINT source, she took an awakener test with the Association a month ago."
"Hm..."
"She couldn't prove any combat ability back then, so she failed hunter registration. There's a record from an on-site interview where she claimed to have awakened as a blacksmith class."
A mana barrier ring that worked, however crudely. No way to mass-produce them by farming in the tower. Just as he'd expected, it was the work of an awakened blacksmith.
She awakened a month ago?
An awakened blacksmith, unseen for thirty years, and now two popped up at the same time. He couldn't rule out more cases besides him and Ji Suyeon.
"And she was reported missing the day after Friedwen's announcement. The orphanage didn't file a separate report."
"Orphan, kidnapped—quite the eventful life."
"Her current residence is an officetel 200 meters from the market. She's half-imprisoned there, but the surveillance isn't all that tight."
Lee Minyoung's briefing wrapped up like that. After a brief moment of professional mode, she scrunched up her face again.
"I looked into it just in case... How could they? Don't they have any humanity?"
"Awakeners really are all shitty bastards."
"...Am I a shitty bastard too?"
"You're shitty on average... Sigh, if everyone was just like you, the world would be at peace."
Pyo Yeojeong shook her head as she replied.
"So what're we gonna do? Send a special agent into an officetel in the middle of the city to snatch the girl?"
"Identifying her was part of intel gathering, but anything beyond that is too risky."
Ji Suyeon's place was in a one-room district. Asking a seasoned agent to handle something like this was unreasonable. Shameless, too—if anyone spotted it, it'd be a disaster. In the end, there was only one way.
"Shouldn't we make her come out on her own?"
"On her own?"
"President, think you could disable the nearby convenience store CCTV for a bit?"
"Vice Leader! I have no idea why you think we can do all that stuff!"
"So you can't?"
"I can."
A while back, when the awakening message appeared in Ji Suyeon's vision, she'd seen it as a blessing. A way to escape her boring orphanage life. To shed the suffocating poverty. To live as a hunter everyone envied.
She never dreamed she'd end up walking a hellish path worse than not awakening at all.
These past few days, her routine had been the same. Mornings, she'd head to the market, sing songs to sell rings. Nights, she'd make rings all day. Blacksmithing? Her hands had never even held a hammer. She had no idea how to make rings, of course. Gu Cheonhwan's gang just shoved her full of scrap rings, and she crammed mana into them.
Half were defective, quality all over the place, but what could she do? She'd make rings all night until her mana ran dry, then collapse into a dead sleep. The guards, disguised as bodyguards, kept her from recovering fully. At least they didn't beat her like when she first arrived. As long as she obeyed, they didn't even curse her out. She counted that as a blessing.
And so, another day tomorrow.
"One ring, please."
Ji Suyeon's reverie broke at the monster hunter's order. A sturdy-built man. A regular since her first day of business. Also the guy who'd gotten her punched by Gu Cheonhwan for no reason.
"Here you go."
"Thanks."
Hand over a ring, and he'd always attach a credit card and a note. The contents were similar. Come out at some dawn hour to a certain place. He'd save her. She didn't believe it. She remembered day one. Had to be one of them. Gu Cheonhwan's plant to test her. If she followed, the hidden bruisers would beat her senseless.
Eventually, she stopped even reading the notes.
"Oops, did I give you the right card? Think I gave you the dual one—check it."
"It's the right one."
"You don't even check."
"You're doing fine."
"The light source is still there."
"......Mind your own business. Buy and leave."
Light source...! Nonsense to anyone overhearing, but she understood. Ji Suyeon carefully pocketed the note. While selling and making new rings, her mind fixated on it. Once her daily grind ended and she escaped surveillance.
Where... where is it...!
She rummaged trash cans, gathered all the notes. Pieced together the torn ones, sorted by when she'd received them. After a while, the flow clicked.
She scanned the diagram. It matched exactly the mana flows she'd sensed. Mana she'd connected only intuitively, now systematically organized. A strange thrill hit her with the realization. This man was real. A fellow blacksmith, free enough to visit her daily...!
Her hands shook as she read the rest of the note.
She checked the clock. 2:40 AM. Outside the window, two guards smoked. Her heart wouldn't calm. Couldn't just sit. She paced the room like a madwoman.
I have to meet him.
That thought was rock-solid. But how? What if the guards didn't sleep? She just stomped in frustration.
3:30 AM. Lights off, pretended to sleep. Worried she might nod off for real, but needless fear. Heart pounded like she'd chugged coffee. No sleep possible.
4:10 AM. Peered out the window. No signs of life. As the man said, guards should be out cold. She quietly opened the door. Tiptoed to avoid any sound. Passing the lit management office, a gruff voice rang out.
"Hey."
"......!"
"Where to."
"C-convenience store... I'm hungry..."
"Tch, no need to tail ya? Run and you're dead."
"Y-yes, got it."
Heaven's luck? She slipped surveillance. Short-lived, but golden opportunity. Ji Suyeon bolted to the store.
In the end, he got kicked out of the convenience store. Technically, loitering suspiciously got him booted to the outdoor table.
"Late..."
She'll freeze out here. Another bust today? Gu Cheonhwan's gaslighting ran deeper than thought. Learned helplessness, right?
"Um, excuse me... customer?"
Pondering the next note while that happened. Someone called him. Not the clerk.
"Ji Suyeon?"
"Huh...! How do you know my name..."
"Not important. Sit here."
"Y-yes?"
He sat her down first. Tons to ask.
"The rings. How'd you make 'em? Someone teach you?"
"No... They just showed me a video and told me to make the same ring. So I fiddled around and..."
"And it just worked?"
"N-not lying! Really, I felt the light sources like you said... Made it by feel."
First answer drew a hollow laugh. Made it by feel? She'd used nodes crudely and clumsily, but instinctively grasped how light sources functioned? Possible? Like naturally reading a new script on first sight. More impressive than expected.
"Did I do something wrong...?"
"Nah, perfect. Wanna see this?"
He showed her a pre-shaped cubic chunk of dark iron.
"How many nodes... er, light sources do you see?"
"Hang on, hmm... About 20?"
She pointed them out with her fingertip. The largest, clearest nodes.
"What if we connect 5 of these?"
"......Feels ominous. Dunno what, but shouldn't. Totally different from rings."
"Spot on. That makes a bomb."
The points he'd indicated were key nodes for self-destruct rings. She hadn't figured the explosion part, but sensed the vibe. He casually opened the gallery.
Either way, a different talent from his. Plenty for an interview.
"You're hired."
"Huh?"
"Originally planned to kidnap you, stash you somewhere, and release you roughly."
"Th-that would definitely..."
"But you're way more capable than expected. You've got talent. Wanna work with us?"
The release bit was a joke, of course. He handed her a business card. No name, title, phone, email. Just the Friedwen logo, elegantly embossed.
"This is...!"
"Room and board, paid leave, no singing, no fieldwork sales, no overtime, full insurance, family-like company, and—"
"I'll do it! Anywhere but here!"
"Not hearing the rest?"
"Yeah... But give me one day. I'll come back tomorrow."
"No."
Couldn't accept that. He'd opened up to win her trust, even showed his un-disguised face. If she went back now, Friedwen trying to steal a hunter asset would leak. Soon, links to him, the agency, Claymore would surface. Too risky.
"Please..."
"You know too much now. Might have to eliminate you."
"Tomorrow evening, they said they'd pick up rings."
"......"
"Gu Cheonhwan and two guards. They're going mana stone hunting... Told me to make top-grade rings."
Ji Suyeon eyed the dark iron he'd pulled out. He got it.
"No need to dirty your hands. We're not desperate enough to borrow a high schooler's."
"Still... Let me handle my share."
"You serious?"
"Yes."
Couldn't argue more. Just gave her three rings as she left. She'd seen the nodes, could make her own, but better to share the load.
Once she vanished, he touched his ear.
"You heard? That's the story. Pull back for today."
Gu Cheonhwan's climb schedule checks out. But Vice Leader, can we trust her?
"Wife who got beat says she wants to poison the food—what can I do."
Sigh, got it. But just to be sure, Vice Leader isn't into that kinda thing, right? I hate pain...
"Pardon?"
Nooo~ Hee heeng.