B-Rank Promotion Exam (2)
“The promotion exam date has been set?”
As soon as I arrived at work, I headed straight to the reception desk with the list of recommended requests from Esila, and the guide at the request management counter began explaining about the promotion exam.
“Yes. Luckily, an A-rank hunter active in the Gangdong Branch has agreed to proctor this promotion exam. Barring any special circumstances, you should be able to take the B-rank promotion exam this coming Friday morning.”
This coming Friday morning—about a week from now. I'd thought it would take around a month just to get the date scheduled, so being able to take it in just a week was already great news for me.
“Got it. Any precautions I should know about?”
“We'll explain the exam contents on the day.... Otherwise, you'll just need to fill out this promotion exam consent form.”
I filled out the promotion exam paperwork from the guide and handed it right back through the counter window.
“Yes, all confirmed. If you're late or absent on the exam date, the next available slot will be pushed back, so please be careful.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And your request registration is complete! Have a good day out there!”
“See you at quitting time.”
I took my hunter ID with the request imprint and headed straight for the dungeon entrance counter. A bubbling sense of accomplishment surged in my mind, but I tamped it down with a shallow sigh.
“...Hoo.”
Get it together, Sung Taekyung. It's just the exam date that's been set—don't get all excited like you've already passed. Even if I promote, it's only to B-rank. Not A-rank like Hyeun or Mina, just B-rank hunter. It's barely enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the women I've been intimate with without feeling a little embarrassed.
Sure, there's often a gap between visible rank and actual skill, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm trying to climb from C-rank to B-rank. If I get cocky and slip up—dropping back to C-rank—my entire plan goes up in smoke.
To avoid that, I need to hone my swordsmanship as much as possible before the exam. No need to reveal my other awakening abilities to the proctor.
So, this is just the beginning. Just the beginning.
I tried to calm my pounding heart by repeating that to myself, but I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from curling up.
Meanwhile, in the cafeteria at the Silver and Jade Co. Gangdong Branch.
For some reason, the Sky Blue Shield party members were sharing an awkward meal that day. More precisely, one of the four members had suddenly started acting strangely, drawing all their awkward gazes her way.
“...Mina.”
“Yeah?”
“Not hungry today? Why'd you suddenly stand up in the middle of eating?”
As soon as they'd gotten their meals and sat at the table, Han Mina had kicked back her chair and stood up. Party leader Kang Hyeun pointed it out.
“Ah, uh, just? Feels more comfy standing today for some reason...”
Han Mina couldn't tell her teammates the truth. That the aftermath of yesterday afternoon's sex with Sung Taekyung made it hard to sit on the hard chair and eat.
At home, she'd knelt with her butt off the floor, wedging a pillow between her thighs and calves to minimize the pain. But she couldn't kneel in that weird pose at a proper dining table.
“You usually grab seconds on free food, but today you really don't have an appetite, huh?”
“A, a little...?”
No, that wasn't it. She just dreaded sitting down. Still, she couldn't keep fending off her teammates' suspicious stares forever, so Han Mina endured the pain and lowered her butt onto the hard chair.
The cold, rigid cafeteria chair pressed against Han Mina's slightly swollen anus.
“Hngh?!”
Her teammates' eyes snapped to her at the sudden moan.
“Th-the chair's colder than I thought. Haha...”
Han Mina brushed off their stares with an awkward smile, then grabbed her utensils and shoveled food into her mouth, practically face-planting into her tray. All while bearing the throbbing pain in her rear from something non-standard going in and out.
Amid the shame and pain, Han Mina repeated to herself in her mind. Next time, absolutely no way. Next time, I won't allow it...!!
Promotion exam day.
Cha Yuri, assigned as the daily proctor for the B-rank hunter promotion exam, returned to the Hunter Association after a week.
At a glance, she might seem like a diligent hunter working even on days off, but in truth, Cha Yuri was here for utterly selfish reasons.
The Hunter Association's exam for promoting from C-rank to B-rank. Her purely personal motive—to scout its contents—drove her here.
Especially after being rejected for a meetup with Kim Sungcheol just days ago on her day off.
She couldn't wait. Since it was text on KakaoTalk, with no expressions or emotions conveyed, she could say that. In reality, though, Cha Yuri felt a sharp emotional wound from the rejection.
As she herself said, Cha Yuri wasn't a sex monster on Kim Sungcheol's level. But her affection deprivation was severe—arguably the worst among the women he'd been with.
Cha Yuri had lived a life with no alluring body, no standout personality, blunt demeanor— the classic type men ignored.
Her sole mental refuge had been her solid position in the party via her awakening ability. So, soon after joining Sky Blue Shield, she'd devoted herself solely to honing her wind magic.
Being around teammates at least eased her symptoms a bit.
The month without her awakening ability had been a hell slowly eating away at her sanity. What if she never got it back? What if she lost her place in Sky Blue Shield? She had to reclaim it fast and return to normal.
Dozens of such thoughts tormented her endlessly, making her desperate. Her life without her ability seemed meaningless, so she'd pinned irrational hope on risking it all for one last blaze.
Foolish and unreasonable as it was, it led to the best possible outcome.
Kim Sungcheol, the Association's C-rank hunter. Their connection started because of her reckless plan.
Back then, meeting the mere trainee hunter saved her life, led to intimacy, and fully restored her ability.
Truthfully, more important than the ability was something else. To her now, Kim Sungcheol meant the one person who could fill her affection void.
Unlike her, who'd lunged at his dick first just for the promise of her power back, he'd showered her with affection from start to finish, holding her throughout.
At first, she thought it mere whim. Pouring such care into someone utterly unappealing as a woman didn't make sense to her.
But after two times, three, and it kept going... Even the emotionally dense Cha Yuri could tell his love held no lies.
She'd regained both lost ability and affection from him. Naturally, her dependence on Kim Sungcheol deepened.
So she didn't hesitate to do anything that might leave a good impression. Especially now, after that one rejection.
Was he really too busy training, or just making excuses to avoid her? She had to know.
She couldn't imagine a future without him. She wanted any excuse to meet—something he'd latch onto.
Kim Sungcheol, eager to rank up fast, would surely be interested in Association promotion exam details. And faster company transfer meant more time together.
Fifth out of five, tenth out of ten—it didn't matter. As long as she got enough affection to not wither away, that was fine.
With those thoughts, Cha Yuri headed to the Association to proctor the exam.
“......Huh?”
And naturally, she ran into Sung Taekyung—Kim Sungcheol—there for the exam.