B-Rank Promotion Exam (1)
While Sung Taekyung and Han Mina were lost in the throes of passion in their semi-basement villa, a mage hunter was testing her awakening abilities in one of the dungeons belonging to the Hunter Association Guild.
A-rank wind mage Cha Yuri.
She'd clocked into the Association Guild that morning and headed out for a light raid in a B-rank dungeon of moderate difficulty.
The reason a company-affiliated hunter like her had come to the Association Guild was to test the results of her new magic.
Just a few months ago, even maintaining her existing abilities had been a struggle for Cha Yuri, leaving her no time to spare on researching new spells.
But after going through a certain incident, she'd not only regained her lost magical prowess but also found herself with surplus energy to pour into self-developed techniques.
That "certain incident" was, of course, the somewhat embarrassing memory of her first time with a man.
And on top of that, recent encounters with Kim Sungcheol, the man she'd shared her body with several times.
After consummating with that man she'd met just hours earlier, Cha Yuri had reclaimed her former skill and even returned to her position as an A-rank hunter.
Their encounter hadn't ended as a one-night fling either. Each time they'd met afterward and made love, Cha Yuri felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
It wasn't just the pleasure of sex—though that was part of it, of course.
What mattered more to her was the sensation that her partner truly loved her and needed her.
In every encounter since their first, Cha Yuri felt genuinely loved.
For someone short, stoic, and lacking in muscles or a balanced figure, this was her first taste of a man's love.
Even if that man was a playboy sleeping with multiple women, it no longer mattered much to her.
As long as she could secure his unending love, what did her place in line matter?
Plus—and this she learned later—one of the women he'd been with was someone she knew.
Not wanting to pick fights with her colleagues, Cha Yuri chose to yield.
...And besides, she didn't feel confident she'd win in a genuine contest of charm anyway.
In this world, the common standard for what men found attractive in women was "tall" and "with some muscle."
It was a preference shaped by men, whose physical abilities paled compared to awakened women, seeking partners who could protect them for survival.
Of course, she knew tastes varied as much as there were people—just as every person had a different mother.
Still, she couldn't deny her body type strayed far from the conventional ideal of beauty.
By contrast, look at the other two women he'd slept with.
Party leader Kang Hyeun, with her tall stature and perfectly toned muscles, went without saying.
And Han Mina, taller and more muscular than Cha Yuri herself if not quite on Kang Hyeun's level—Cha Yuri would clearly rank below her too.
From Cha Yuri's perspective, there was no point starting a battle she was doomed to lose.
So she'd folded her tail first and backed down.
As long as she didn't rebel, she wouldn't get chased out of the group.
For whatever reason, she didn't want Kim Sungcheol vanishing from her side.
He already occupied so much space in her mind that if he abandoned her one day, she doubted she could bear the shock.
That's why, even on a rare party holiday, she'd yielded her chance to meet and make love with him to Han Mina's heat cycle.
She wasn't as desperate for sex as an animal-type hunter in heat anyway, and she certainly didn't want to stir up awkward relationships by being stubborn.
She hadn't yet realized that she, among all the women he'd slept with, was the thirstiest for his affection.
I'll see him next time. Next time.
Suppressing her clumsy emotions like that, Cha Yuri spent the remaining time researching magic or testing it out.
In that regard, the Association Guild was a far better venue for personal practice than her company guild.
That's why she usually used the guild's unpopular dungeons to test new spells.
First, she didn't want her colleagues catching her with underwhelming results if a new spell flopped.
Second, unlike the company guild, the Association didn't demand results—just show up, and that was fine.
The company waived dungeon fees but encouraged some output in return.
Psychologically, it was more comfortable to pay the entry fee at the Association and leave empty-handed if needed.
After two hours and a dozen casts, Cha Yuri finished testing her new spell's performance.
She picked up usable monster cores and materials from the surroundings, stuffing them into her material pouch.
The first spell packs a punch against single targets, but the range is too narrow, so I'll have to use it selectively. For the second, maybe sacrifice some power for a much wider area...
With the trial run complete, she mentally sorted out improvements as she headed to settle up and leave the guild.
"Excuse me, just a moment, Hunter Cha Yuri!"
The guide's voice calling her halted her steps.
"...What is it?"
Cha Yuri turned slowly, her tone laced with mild annoyance.
"Hunter Cha Yuri, if it's not too much trouble, could I ask when your next Association visit might be?"
"...Hmm. In about five days, or maybe a week. Why do you ask?"
"Well, we have a hunter scheduled for B-rank promotion soon. If it's okay with you, we were hoping an A-rank like yourself could supervise their exam."
"...Me?"
Cha Yuri nearly blurted "Why me?" but paused, rephrasing more politely.
"Why do I have to do it?"
"Lately, we've been losing hunters to other guilds, so there aren't many high-rankers like you who show up consistently..."
"...I see."
"If not you, we'd have to pull a supervisor from another branch or hire an external hunter. It's a hassle, so the recommendation is to ask locals first..."
"......"
"Of course, feel free to decline if you're not interested! The promotee just asked to schedule the exam ASAP, so I thought I'd ask."
Listening quietly to the guide, Cha Yuri—unlike usual—began seriously pondering the offer.
Supervising a promotion exam? Normally, she'd brush it off as a nuisance and refuse.
But today, she mulled it over earnestly.
The reason went without saying: Kim Sungcheol.
The mention of a B-rank promotion immediately recalled their recent conversation.
'Once I promote to B-rank at the Association, I'll handle the transfer to your company.'
'That means we'll get to see each other even more often.'
Remembering the gist of it, she thought quietly.
How did Association B-rank promotion exams work?
Cha Yuri, who'd done all her promotions from D to A at the company, had no idea.
Her own C-to-B had been a simple test: one-on-one against various B-rank monsters under supervision.
But Association exams might follow a different process.
She'd rarely seen Kim Sungcheol fight properly, but he had the talent and grit to reach B-rank someday.
What if she learned the exam details in advance and offered advice around his promotion time?
If it helped his promotion even a little, that would be enough.
"...I'll do it."
"Really?"
"It's my first time supervising... Any rules I need to know?"
"We'll brief you on the day. Can't risk leaking the exam content."
"And the hunter's with a company—does that matter?"
"No issue. Over half our top hunters moonlight anyway."
Satisfied after hearing the details, Cha Yuri set the date right there.
"Next Friday morning works. Contact me if it changes..."
And so, A-rank hunter Cha Yuri took on the role of temporary promotion supervisor at the Association Guild.
Unaware that this act of trying to help Kim Sungcheol would soon boomerang back in an entirely different way.