Chapter 31: The Devil's Evaluation Report
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31: The Devil's Evaluation Report
There’s nothing quite like having a young body.
Since I’m an Awakened, my stamina is naturally higher than a normal person's, but my original body was so old that pulling even one all-nighter would leave me groaning the next day. This body, however, is perfectly fine.
Even after burning the midnight oil with Baek Bo-min and then heading straight to the Center for a workout, I feel refreshed. Looking at this tireless body, I can’t help but be impressed.
I stopped by the house to change into clean clothes, and as I sat there looking sharp, Han Ju-hee walked into the office, arriving a bit later than usual.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused yesterday."
"You were going through a hard time. Sometimes, letting loose helps."
At my words, Han Ju-hee lowered her head slightly, looking embarrassed as if the memories of her drunken state from yesterday were resurfacing.
Then, she stared intently at my clothes.
Huh? Why?
Her gaze lingered on my clothes rather than my face. She glanced briefly at the jacket hanging beside me before speaking.
"Did you get home safely yesterday, Manager? If you’re not feeling well, I can go buy you a hangover drink."
"No, I’m fine. I might look frail, but I’m still an Awakened. I even got a workout in at the Center."
"I see... Understood. I’m sorry about yesterday."
Han Ju-hee apologized again and stepped out.
What was that about? Did Baek Bo-min say something?
Or maybe she went into the room to look for Bo-min, saw the state it was in, and figured it out. I’ll have to ask Bo-min later.
The daily routine continued. Han Ju-hee worked hard, gathering data and scheduling appointments with Heroes, while I focused on my mana training.
Baek Bo-min, who had been thoroughly put through her paces until dawn, let out a startled "Eek!" and hid the moment she saw my face this morning, though she eventually returned to her usual self as time passed.
Some might find this repetitive daily life boring, but for me, as I gradually adjust to life as an office worker, it’s incredibly enjoyable.
Maybe it’s because I’m not actually doing much work.
"Where is Jeong Yeon-woo?!"
A voice shouting from outside the door shattered the peaceful atmosphere.
It wasn't Kim Yun-ah’s voice, yet someone was screaming my name without any honorifics.
"Where is Jeong Yeon-woo’s desk?! Where is that bastard?!"
Given that they didn't even know where I sat, it didn't sound like a staff member. Who could it be?
I was sipping my coffee and looking toward the door when it burst open, and a woman with long blonde hair stormed in.
She wasn't a stranger; I had seen her often while evaluating the apprentices.
"Hero Kwon Ye-jin. It’s been a while."
"A while? You fucker, you have the balls to say it’s been a while after what you did?"
Kwon Ye-jin spat out a curse and marched right up to me.
Behind her stood other apprentice Heroes, and even staff members were crowding the doorway. The entrance was packed.
Did I do something wrong to the apprentices?
I’ve been nothing but kind to them so far. I haven't slept with any of them, and I’ve strictly maintained my boundaries as a supervisor.
No matter how much I racked my brain, nothing came to mind. As I sat there silently sipping my coffee and staring at her, Kwon Ye-jin threw a bundle of papers at my face.
Thwack. The papers hit my face and scattered onto the floor.
"...You have no manners."
"Manners? You little shit, was what you wrote in there mannerly?"
I set my mug on the desk, leaned down, and picked up the papers.
The crumpled sheets contained the evaluation I had written for Kwon Ye-jin.
I placed them on the desk and tried to smooth them out with my palm, but the haphazardly crushed paper wouldn't flatten easily.
"I take it you were dissatisfied with my evaluation."
"Fuck, a guy with pussy-all for talent thinks he can evaluate someone? You want to die, you little man?"
She’s certainly furious.
I even wrote in the report that she needs to learn to control her emotions, but it seems no one actually listens to my evaluations.
Still, it looks like they shared my reports with the apprentices one by one, so the higher-ups must be giving my words some weight.
— Slam!
As I smiled contentedly at that thought, Kwon Ye-jin slammed her fist onto the desk.
"You’re laughing? You think I’m funny?"
The items on the desk shattered and were sucked into the center of the impact.
Having barely saved my mug, I took another sip and looked at the apprentice Heroes standing behind the door.
"Do the rest of you Heroes also have a problem with my evaluations?"
Jeong A-rim, the most prominent one with her red hair, couldn't answer and averted her gaze.
Seeing the others do the same, it seemed they all felt the same way.
There’s a fine line between a critique and an insult. Especially for the person involved, it’s not easily categorized unless they choose to accept it.
"What do you think you’re doing? Is threatening a fellow clan member part of a Hero's job?"
Han Ju-hee stepped in and spoke coldly, but her words didn't work on Kwon Ye-jin.
"Fuck, look at you sucking up to this dick-toting brat. If you don't know the situation, stay out of it."
"Even if I don't know the situation, am I supposed to just stand by while you destroy clan property and threaten someone? Do you think being angry makes this right?"
I wished she’d stop. While she was right, logic doesn't work on someone who’s worked up.
Before Han Ju-hee could get hit by Kwon Ye-jin for no reason, I picked up the fallen paper and read it aloud.
"Good basic stats, but needs to control emotions. Over-reliance on skills leads to poor tactical judgment. Lacks basic fundamentals. Lacks combat endurance. Retraining recommended."
I had written it in more detail, but that was the gist of it.
I only stated the facts, but I suppose it is enough to piss someone off.
No, I wrote this for the higher-ups to see; why the hell would they send it directly to the person involved?
If I had known it would be delivered straight to the apprentices, I would have phrased it more delicately or framed it as advice.
Who’s the manager in charge of this? Are they not doing their job?
"I can see why you're angry."
"You’re the one who wrote it, and that’s all you have to say?"
"No, I’m reflecting a bit. Words can be taken differently depending on how they're said. I wrote that evaluation for the Clan Leader's eyes."
"So you’re proudly admitting you badmouthed us to the Clan Leader?"
"It wasn't badmouthing. It was the truth."
"This little shit is running his mouth just because he's a man. Hey, you think I won't hit you because you're a guy? I’m a believer in gender equality."
"Oh, we share the same philosophy. I love gender equality."
— Crash!
She kicked the ruined desk aside, removing the barrier between us.
I stared blankly at the trashed office for a moment before standing up and speaking to Han Ju-hee.
"If I request new supplies, when will they arrive?"
"Ah... I’ll contact them right away."
"Yes, please. And, Hero Kwon Ye-jin."
Before she could scream at me again for talking about something else, I called her name first.
I stared intently at the huffing, fuming woman and set my mug down on the floor.
"Let’s go."
"Go where?"
"To the training ground. Since you don't seem to understand, I’ll make you understand."
"...Pfft, Hahahaha! Are you seriously challenging me to a fight right now?"
"It’s just a simple spar."
"Hey, I heard you got scared of a goblin in a dungeon and ran away. Why? You think you can win everything just because you can hold a gun? Wake up. Guns can only kill goblins. Did you start thinking you were actually good because everyone around you was coddling you?"
It seemed the story of me killing a goblin in front of Jeong A-rim had spread, but she clearly didn't know about me taking down the Wood Monster with Yoon A-young.
If she had heard that I cleared a place they wouldn't even dare to enter, she wouldn't be acting like this.
Then again, even if she knew, she’d probably still look down on me because I’m a man.
"Why would I use a gun? You’ll get hurt. Since you like close-quarters combat, I’ll take you on in close quarters."
"Ha! Ha, fuck, this guy is hilarious. I’m not as nice as a goblin, so don't expect me to go easy even if you cry."
"Yes, please don't hold back. Give it your all."
I gave the menacing Kwon Ye-jin a bright smile and walked out first.
As I approached the door, the crowd gathered there backed away, clearing a path.
The Heroes already in the training ground stared at me in curiosity as I led a parade of apprentices and staff members.
Even Yoon A-young, who was training and dripping with sweat, tilted her head in confusion when she saw me.
"I'm so sorry... Manager..."
The male staff member who had been at the training ground apologized, looking pale as a ghost, but it wasn't his fault.
He was just doing what his superiors told him to do.
I told him it was fine and looked around at the other apprentices.
While they hadn't stormed in like Kwon Ye-jin, most of them were looking at me with hostile eyes.
However, a few seemed to acknowledge my evaluation, looking on with complicated expressions.
Look, if I knew these reports were going to reach you, I wouldn't have written them like that.
These kids are apprentices.
They are at a crossroads, deciding whether they’ll become Heroes or not, and they have infinite potential for growth.
Naturally, bad habits need to be nipped in the bud, so I focused my evaluation on their weaknesses and how they should be trained.
Since I thought it was a report for the higher-ups, I stripped away any unnecessary kindness and wrote only cold, hard truths.
From their perspective, it must look like nothing but a collection of malicious comments.
And so.
I looked at Kwon Ye-jin, who was glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me.
In the end, the weight of words depends on the position of the person speaking them.
Take the Gordian Knot, for example.
There was an oracle that whoever untied the complex knot would become the king of Asia. King Alexander simply sliced the knot with his sword.
Of course, Alexander became king as prophesied and was praised, but what if some random, shabby man had walked up and sliced it?
He’d be lucky if he wasn't beaten to death on the spot.
Ultimately, whether my evaluation report remains a malicious comment or becomes valuable advice depends on me earning their respect.
As I entered the sparring arena, which was surrounded by A-3 Reinforced Material walls, the apprentices and Heroes gathered around with intrigued eyes.
Yoon A-young watched with her arms crossed, while Bak Se-eun looked on with worried eyes.
I waved at them just as Kwon Ye-jin approached me, wielding a heavy greatsword.
"You arrogant prick, I’m going to beat you to a pulp."
I think this girl chose the wrong career path. She should be a Villain, not a Hero, I thought as I gripped my kukri in a reverse hold.
It was a training weapon, so it had no edge.
Then again, getting hit by a heavy greatsword like that would rupture your internal organs anyway, so whether it has an edge or not doesn't really matter.
Kwon Ye-jin tapped a portable measuring device against her wrist and tossed it to me.
Hmm, average stats of 25. Not bad.
Since an average of 20 is the threshold for being recognized as a proper D-rank, 25 for an apprentice is quite high.
I took my own measuring device, which looked like a sci-fi pistol, and pressed it against my wrist.
[Stamina: 16 | Strength: 15 | Agility: 15 | Mana: 28]
"Ha, you have high mana for what you are."
"I am a Mage, after all."
"You dared to talk back to me with these shitty stats?"
That’s a bit harsh.
These stats are double what they used to be, you know.
I might look pathetic with an average stat below 20, but these are stats I’ve built up by taking boosters and training hard with Juna.
As my stats were revealed, the spectating Heroes began to murmur.
I couldn't tell if they were surprised because they were higher than expected or because they were so low.
Regardless of what others thought, it was time to educate this arrogant brat.
"Shall we begin?"
"Arrogant for a Mage."
Oh, I’ve been promoted from 'man' to 'Mage.'
While I was feeling pleased, Kwon Ye-jin activated her reinforcement and charged at me.
Her skill was a reinforcement type that increased her physical defense.
The skill itself was good; the attacks of weak monsters probably couldn't even scratch her.
Thanks to that, Kwon Ye-jin had been rampaging like Lu Bu, completely ignoring defense.
Since her enemies' attacks didn't land, she just focused on attacking, ignoring formations, tactics, and everything else.
I understand the high one gets from a skill like that, but it’s a habit that must be fixed if she wants to face higher-ranked monsters.
The weak one is always the human, not the monster.
Training and building techniques are meant to overcome that, but acting like you're invincible is a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
I moved toward Kwon Ye-jin as she swung with a wide, reckless motion, relying entirely on her defense.
She seemed momentarily surprised by how quickly I closed the distance, but trusting her skill, she swung horizontally without hesitation.
Whoosh—
I grabbed Kwon Ye-jin’s elbow and moved along with the momentum of her swing.
Having finished her massive attack, she was left wide open. She scowled as she saw me right beside her, having moved in sync with her greatsword.
"Fuck, you're a guy and you don't even have any strength."
"Could we rephrase that to 'I utilized your strength'?"
"Don't give me that bullshit!"
Since we were too close for her to swing her sword again, Kwon Ye-jin lifted her leg to kick me.
It was impossible to block the attack of someone with far superior physical abilities head-on, so I jumped back at the exact moment she pushed.
As I was pushed back by her force, tracing a long arc, the chatter from the Heroes grew louder.
The apprentices might not have seen it, but the skilled Heroes knew I hadn't taken any damage.
Kwon Ye-jin, who also realized the kick felt too light, immediately charged at me again.
Charging with a greatsword held vertically... there’s no point in even using a greatsword then.
Watching her charge with the tip of a weapon that isn't even suited for thrusting, I looked at her with pity. I lowered my stance, dove inside her guard, and threw her.
Kwon Ye-jin was flipped over my back and went flying, hitting the ground, but she scrambled back up instantly.
"What I just did was use the opponent's strength to deflect the attack. If I had aimed the angle a bit lower, I could have slammed you into the ground, but for now—"
"Shut up!"
Cutting me off, Kwon Ye-jin resumed her indiscriminate assault.
If she won't listen to words, she’ll have to learn through her body.
Every time she attacked, I used her own momentum to keep pinning her to the ground.
As it repeated, Kwon Ye-jin started to get a feel for it and tried to resist, but techniques built over decades aren't so fragile that they can be broken by a moment’s wit.
After being thrown dozens of times, Kwon Ye-jin lay spread-eagled on the floor, and I looked down at her.
"Fundamentals are the strength that counters technique. The more solid your fundamentals, the harder it is to break through with technique. Do you understand now?"
"Huff... huff... Bullshit..."
Kwon Ye-jin forced her exhausted body up to attack again, only to be laid low once more.
"Haah... You won't even attack, just scurrying around like a coward... Just like a typical man."
Thud—
I slammed my kukri into the floor right next to her head, making her flinch.
The kukri, which had pierced through the reinforced material, remained fixed even after I let go. Her eyes widened.
No matter how specialized her skill was in defense, she was still just an apprentice.
If I could pierce reinforced material, it meant I could easily pierce through her skill.
"With those physical stats, how..."
"Magic~"
I gave her a cheeky smile and turned away.
The sparring arena was silent.
Maybe I’m developing a bit of a craving for attention, because I found myself enjoying the silent, stunned stares of the Heroes.
Especially the looks of near-horror on the apprentices' faces.
Maybe they’ll start listening to me now.