Chapter 488: Changing Incheon (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 488: Changing Incheon (1)
The place Roman Dmitry left behind was a miserable sight.
The members of the Directly Controlled Unit—the Incheon government's strongest force—were sprawled across the floor with battered faces.
Lee Tae-seong looked at them, unable to hide his complicated feelings.
'Ranking up by a whole grade within a month... Is that even possible?'
Ranking up was no simple matter.
It usually took years of grueling effort just to advance a single rank, and the difficulty spiked exponentially with each higher tier. That was why there were barely any B-Rank hunters or higher in the provinces. Anyone who achieved something so difficult immediately sought wealth and glory in Seoul; no one wanted to live a humble life out in the countryside.
A significant portion of the Directly Controlled Unit members were C-Ranks, yet they had been ordered to rank up to B-Rank—a level considered exceptional.
It was impossible.
If such a thing were so easily done, South Korea would never have been dismissed as a weak nation to begin with.
Lee Tae-seong looked at one of the unit members.
"Cheol-min."
"Yes, sir."
"You said you knew Kang Min-ho. Tell me about him."
Park Cheol-min was a C-Rank member of the Directly Controlled Unit.
Since he had mentioned Kang Min-ho earlier, his comrades all turned their eyes toward him.
Park Cheol-min spoke in a cautious voice.
"...To be honest, I happened to meet Kang Min-ho before he became as strong as he is now. Because of that connection, he came to see me a few months ago. He was struggling as an E-Rank and asked me to teach him how to get stronger. So, frankly, I don't understand it. Back then, Kang Min-ho was definitely at a level fitting for a mere E-Rank. Searching the Hunter Database would show the exact same thing."
"Then what are the chances of him succeeding in a double rank-up in just three days?"
"Impossible. I refuse to believe someone who couldn't even react properly to my attacks could rise to the same level as me."
It was a firm judgment.
Anyone who knew even a little about Kang Min-ho would know how absurd Roman Dmitry's statement was.
Lee Tae-seong's expression grew complicated.
He wanted to believe in common sense.
But...
"...Common sense has already been shattered."
He looked down at his sword.
It was a B-Rank weapon crafted by an artisan in Seoul, yet it had shattered into pieces when facing Roman Dmitry. Just like that ruined blade, common sense had been broken. With absurd situations happening one after another in Incheon, he couldn't be absolutely certain that Roman Dmitry's words were impossible.
Lee Tae-seong raised his head and looked in the direction Roman Dmitry had vanished.
"For now, let's all get ready. If the impossible becomes reality, we'll have to figure out our next move then."
* * *
Three days later.
Kang Min-ho stared at the promotion exam site in Seoul.
Since all hunters in South Korea underwent their promotion procedures here, he had headed to the capital early in the morning.
His heart pounded in his chest.
When he first heard Roman Dmitry's command, he had been deeply bewildered. However, after preparing for the promotion exam for three days, he had regained his confidence. His skills had already been proven in the Ant Cave. A typical E-Rank hunter would struggle against even a single Soldier Ant, but hadn't he faced over a dozen of them at once?
He was different from a month ago.
He believed there was a good reason behind Roman Dmitry's command.
'He showed a nobody like me the path to becoming strong. People would offer mountains of gold and silver just to learn the Dmitry techniques, yet Lord Roman Dmitry asked for nothing in return. The only thing I can do is follow his orders to the best of my ability. If he tells me to jump into a pit of fire, I will jump. If he tells me to fight for him, I will fight. Blindly following him is the role I must play.'
He steeled his resolve.
Of all the people who had crossed his path in the past, not a single one had ever paid attention to Kang Min-ho and his meager talent.
This was the first time.
He was so deeply grateful for Roman Dmitry's favor that he could not allow the man to be made a laughingstock in front of others.
'I will rank up, no matter what.'
He stepped inside.
The counter was crowded with people hoping to rank up.
After waiting for a long time, it was finally Kang Min-ho's turn. He handed over the documents recording his achievements and spoke.
"From E-Rank to C-Rank. I would like to take the double-rank promotion exam."
"A double-rank?"
The clerk glanced at Kang Min-ho.
A double-rank exam was highly unusual.
Because the gap between ranks was so vast, it was practically impossible. The few who had succeeded in a double-rank exam were usually those who had obtained a miraculous opportunity from the start—for instance, Inheritors or Chosen Ones. It was not uncommon for those who grew strong through such miracles to leap from a low rank to a high rank all at once.
However...
"Hmm."
The clerk frowned.
The documents were strange.
To take a double-rank exam, there had to be sufficient justification, but the paperwork only listed numerous E-Rank missions.
He looked at Kang Min-ho once more and responded bluntly.
"...Are you really saying you want to take the C-Rank exam with this kind of record?"
* * *
The promotion process was simple.
One applied for the desired rank and proved their qualifications against an opponent of that rank.
Normally, people did not recklessly attempt promotion exams.
Since many who challenged it with half-baked skills ended up severely beaten, hunters only visited the exam site when they were absolutely confident they could match an opponent of that tier. Thus, Ki Myeong-jun, a C-Rank hunter, wore an expression of utter disbelief. Letting out a wide yawn, he checked the documents and spoke to the examiner walking beside him.
"What? You want me to face a guy like this?"
"According to the clerk at the desk, they were going to send him back, but he insisted on taking the exam. He even signed a waiver stating he wouldn't hold us responsible if he died during the test. It's truly absurd. He might actually die, but since he paid the massive promotion fee and insisted on taking it, we couldn't stop him."
"The world's gone mad. Coveting a C-Rank with a pathetic record like this."
It was laughable.
The Hunter Database.
Its records proved reality.
Kang Min-ho was a typical low-grade hunter who had only completed numerous E-Rank missions. No matter how closely one looked, there was no reason to be wary of him. There was only one eye-catching entry: during the recent Incheon Ant Cave Incident that had caused a massive stir in South Korea, he had been present at the scene alongside Roman Dmitry.
The examiner explained that part.
"Actually, I remember evaluating this hunter, Kang Min-ho, a few years ago. It was for his E-Rank exam, and I still remember him because of how desperately he fought. There's no way someone like him achieved anything special in the Ant Cave Incident. Word has it that this Roman Dmitry might be an S-Rank, so he probably took care of all the ants himself."
"In other words, he just got carried."
"Exactly."
Ki Myeong-jun crumpled the documents.
Thinking there was no need to look any further, he tossed the balled-up papers onto the floor.
"Then we need to properly discipline this punk who doesn't know his place. Lately, there are too many idiots who think they can just mindlessly take the promotion exam and get lucky. If I send him back with an arm chopped off, they won't spout such nonsense anymore."
"You may do as you please with him."
Ki Myeong-jun smirked.
This was perfect; he had been feeling bored anyway.
Like displaying a criminal's severed head, making an example of Kang Min-ho would serve as an excellent warning to everyone else.
* * *
Kang Min-ho stepped onto the stage.
Under the watchful eye of the examiner, he drew his sword and faced his opponent, Ki Myeong-jun.
Shring.
"I am Kang Min-ho. I look forward to a good match."
"Yeah, yeah," Ki Myeong-jun nodded dismissively.
His attitude made it clear he didn't even care to exchange names.
As they faced each other, the examiner immediately gave the signal.
"Begin."
Whoosh.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Kang Min-ho was the first to charge.
He activated the Asura Mind Method to use Dash, and Ki Myeong-jun showed a flicker of surprise as the distance between them closed in an instant.
He was faster than expected.
Dash was nothing more than a common, low-tier skill, but the way he pierced through the space was entirely different from what was commonly known.
'Look at this.'
Shring.
Ki Myeong-jun drew his sword.
Lightly channeling his Mana, he brought his blade down toward the charging Kang Min-ho.
'Downward Slash.'
Boom!
Rumble!
It was a powerful strike.
He had intended to seize victory in a single blow, but contrary to his expectations, Kang Min-ho calmly blocked the attack.
From that moment, Ki Myeong-jun began to sense something was off.
Both the rapid speed of the charge and the effortless block of his attack were clear proof that Kang Min-ho exceeded the level of an E-Rank, but Ki Myeong-jun could not accept this reality.
Kang Min-ho's record was pathetic.
The very fact that someone with such a history dared to covet a C-Rank irritated him.
"Let's see you hold out against this!"
Whoosh.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
He pressed Kang Min-ho hard.
Swinging his sword in wide arcs, he continuously struck down at his opponent, easily parrying Kang Min-ho's counterattacks while aiming for his vital spots instead.
The hunters affiliated with the promotion exam site were a sort of mercenary. They received a salary while stationed at the exam site for a certain period, and they regarded their time there as a form of closed-door training.
Think about it: it was a position where one could fight dozens of times a day.
Ki Myeong-jun was a veteran. Even among C-Ranks, he was a cut above the rest, and Kang Min-ho was helplessly pushed back by his experienced attacks.
Flash.
Kang Min-ho's arm was knocked aside.
As the blade swung to slash his chest, he spun his body and hastily retreated.
'He's strong.'
Ki Myeong-jun.
He was definitely strong.
As someone who examined C-Ranks, he possessed the strength to crush hunters who were just barely aiming for the rank. And for some unknown reason, he was highly hostile.
Kang Min-ho watched Ki Myeong-jun as he rapidly charged in.
Just a month ago, this was an opponent he wouldn't have dared to challenge, but now, he didn't feel the slightest bit of tension.
It was a matter of perspective.
Kang Min-ho had experienced Roman Dmitry, and he had witnessed him slaughtering the ants.
It was a whole new world.
From the moment he witnessed a realm he couldn't even dare to approach, fear ceased to exist within the boundaries of common sense.
'He is certainly strong, but he's not an impossible opponent.'
Why was that?
A smile tugged at his lips.
This exam—he would pass even if he only held out for three minutes. Winning wasn't the absolute objective, but Kang Min-ho wanted to bring back a result that would satisfy Roman Dmitry.
Therefore...
Grip.
He gripped his sword tightly.
As Ki Myeong-jun closed in right before him, he began to execute the Asura Sword Technique in earnest.
Boom!
Rumble!
A powerful shockwave erupted.
When Ki Myeong-jun faltered, taken aback by the unexpected power, Kang Min-ho immediately unleashed the forms of the Asura Sword Technique, pressing his advantage hard.
The Asura Sword Technique did not merely stop at reinforcing one's Aura. The swordsmanship itself was embedded with forms designed to corner an opponent under any circumstance, and those forms now shone brilliantly through Kang Min-ho's blade.
In this world, those called hunters clung to skills.
Rather than wielding a power they understood and mastered themselves, they simply accepted a power bestowed upon them by some unknown entity.
Ki Myeong-jun was no different.
He was a being who flaunted his strength by using skills like he was playing a game. To him, Kang Min-ho's swordsmanship—which precisely understood and executed its forms to corner him—was bound to be bewildering.
It was a paper-thin difference.
Yet it created a monumental gap.
Although Ki Myeong-jun's counterattack grazed his skin, Kang Min-ho pressed forward with absolute conviction.
'The Dmitry technique that Lord Roman Dmitry taught me... It is on an entirely different level compared to what Inheritors learn. I don't know how he knows such a technique, but the difference between knowing the principles and not knowing them is vast.'
Clang!
"……?!"
Ki Myeong-jun was pushed back.
It was an opening.
Ki Myeong-jun certainly dominated in terms of raw strength, but a clash of blades was not decided by strength alone.
He lost his balance.
As Ki Myeong-jun stumbled, Kang Min-ho detonated his Mana.
Boom!
Rumble!
"Aaargh!"
Ki Myeong-jun screamed.
Hit by a shockwave that felt as if it were tearing his entire body apart, he failed to block properly and went rolling across the floor.
Thud.
Clatter.
Ki Myeong-jun's sword fell to the floor.
Ki Myeong-jun himself lay bleeding, entirely unable to get back up.
The result was clear.
"...K-Kang Min-ho is the victor," the examiner stammered in shock.
This was a shocking result that defied all common sense.