Revelation at the Alumni Reunion
Before heading to the alumni reunion venue in Hongdae, there was one last place I had to stop by. It was time to finally heed the persistent requests from the Hunter Association staff who'd been hounding me all week(?).
My current Awakener ID Card listed my level at a measly 2. Showing up like that at the reunion would do nothing to impress them. 'Level 12. That should be enough to shake off the newbie vibe.'
Truth be told, I'd agonized over it for a long time. Exposing my unusual stats and growth curve to the world could come back to bite me. But after a year of hauling luggage and swallowing defeats, I needed something to wash away that bitterness—a certificate to declare my fresh start as a true hunter.
I approached the counter at the Hunter Association's Seoul branch with a blank expression.
"Here for a stat measurement."
"Y-yes... Yes?! Oh, Hunter Kim Jihoon! Just a moment, I'll check right away!"
The female staffer jumped in surprise upon recognizing my face. It was the same one who'd been chasing me down to update my card. Her shock lasted only a second before she broke into a delighted grin and dashed into the back office.
"Team leader! Hunter Kim Jihoon is finally here to update his stats!"
The commotion from beyond the door brought a faint smile to my lips.
Moments later, she returned with a middle-aged man who seemed to be the team leader, and they set up the measurement device in front of me.
"Hunter Kim Jihoon, you've finally made up your mind! Now, just lightly place your hand on this crystal orb."
A transparent orb emitting a brilliant, iridescent glow sat before me. I took a deep breath and murmured softly just before touching it.
'Grant Body Strength.'
Even with my intelligence-focused build leaving strength and stamina low, an abundance of mana—more than generous by my standards—surged through my body. It was a minor cheat to squeeze out the highest possible numbers.
The moment my palm met the orb's cool surface, mana from the device coursed through my veins, probing every corner of my body. A faint shiver ran through me at the alien sensation sweeping over me.
Soon, the orb, now infused with my mana, hummed with vibration and emitted light as it synced with the system. New data etched itself onto my Awakener ID Card in real time.
"Hunter Kim Jihoon, update complete! Let me see... Huh?!"
The staffer froze upon checking the card she'd handed back. She adjusted her glasses and rubbed her eyes, as if doubting her vision. The tiny card bore numbers that defied common sense.
• Mana Bullet
• Mana Shield +
• Mana Snare
• Lightning Arrow
She glanced back and forth between the card and my face, stammering.
"Level 12 with 552 mana...? And you gained 11 levels in just a week?"
But what truly floored her wasn't just the leveling speed. As she cross-checked my 'level 1 detailed stats' from the association's database against the current ones, a heavy silence blanketed the office.
"No way. Strength, agility, stamina... all barely changed from level 1, but intelligence alone... And luck went up by 1 too. How is this even possible?!"
My growth graph in the logs was beyond abnormal—it was miraculous. Every stat flatlined except intelligence, which shot straight up. Unprecedented in hunter history.
"Hold on, Hunter Kim Jihoon! This has to be a system error. We need to report it upstairs..."
"Isn't the procedure done? I'm busy, so I'll be going."
I coldly brushed off the flustered staffer, snatched the ID card from her hand, and left without a backward glance. All I wanted was proof I wouldn't be ignored—not to become the association's lab rat.
But behind me at the counter, an invisible wildfire was already raging.
At the same time, in the association's underground data server room.
The 'informants'—bribed by major guilds to leak promising hunters' data—sprang into action the moment they spotted the anomalous logs. They hammered their terminals to sell the info at top dollar.
"Team leader, check this out! Fresh update log from internal systems."
"What? Why report a guy who took a year post-awakening to hit level 12? Got nothing better to do?"
"No, it's the stat growth—totally abnormal. Compared to level 1, only 'intelligence' exploded exponentially. This isn't normal growth; he might know the secret to stat boosts!"
The name Kim Jihoon began flashing red on the terminal of the HR team at Cheongryong guild, one of Korea's top three.
The HR team leader bellowed in shock upon seeing the numbers.
"Contact him now! Crack this secret, and we'll dominate. Even if it's just luck, that growth means we secure him before another guild does!"
Blissfully unaware that I'd caught the spotlight, I arrived at the promised spot in front of the chicken joint on Hongdae's streets. Maybe it was excitement, but I got there a bit early, and familiar faces started greeting me one by one.
"Hey? Isn't that Jihoon? Dude, you've cleaned up nice."
As I exchanged light hellos with friends, a sleek black luxury sedan glided up to the restaurant. Out stepped Lee Minsu, the guy who'd subtly looked down on me since high school days beside Park Jincheol. With decent specs, he'd been scouted by a mid-tier guild, earning multiples of a normal person's income and soaking in elitist delusions to the bone.
"Yo, Kim Jihoon! Long time no see? Heard you've been too busy lugging bags to show your face."
He eyed my navy knit outfit and smirked.
"Dressed up a bit, huh? Makes sense—big reunion today, so you came ready to impress?"
Still seeing me as dirt under his feet. I didn't bother replying, just nodded curtly and headed inside.
The empty shop filled with alumni, their boasts growing louder. Then the door burst open, and in came today's stars: Park Jincheol, flanked by Choi Hyunwoo exuding sharp intensity. The promising pick from top guild Hye-seong. The guy Park Jincheol had bragged about conquering an E-rank gate with over the weekend.
"Oh, Jihoon! Week since last time? Eat up today, man. Hyunwoo's in a good mood and treating big."
"Yeah, Jihoon. Order whatever, not just chicken. Gotta feed our hardworking buddy."
Laughter erupted from a few alumni at Park Jincheol's words. Lee Minsu scurried over, filling beer glasses and sucking up.
"Hyunwoo's got that scale. Jincheol, you landed a solid mid-tier guild too—looking good."
The vibe centered on Park Jincheol's connections and Choi Hyunwoo's backing. As beers flowed and buzz kicked in, talk shifted to hunter gigs and cash.
"Hyunwoo, heard you pulled nearly 20 million won in dividends from that C-rank raid? Jealous."
"Eh, nothing much. Just rookie luck. Guild's even hooking me up with a dedicated car."
"Damn, impressive. I scrape by on a few million from E-ranks."
Park Jincheol flattered Choi Hyunwoo while flexing his own earnings. Lee Minsu glanced my way and sneered.
"So, Jihoon, how you holding up? Still hauling bags at F-rank gates? If it's tough, say the word—I'll hook you up with a lowbie porter spot in my guild. Gotta help out friends, right?"
"Hey, don't say that. Heard he tried soloing an F-rank last time? Lucky he came out alive—probably peeked in, freaked, and bolted."
Blatant mockery from Lee Minsu and Park Jincheol. All eyes turned to me: sneers, pity, indifference. Same as the graduation party a year ago.
But now, a calm, massive confidence filled me—worlds apart from back then. I set down my cola and spoke flatly.
"Nah, quit portering. Got some solid skills, so I've been solo clearing. Tough, but doable."
"Bull. I heard the receptionist say level 2 clear as day."
Park Jincheol scoffed, and a tipsy Lee Minsu yelled.
"If you're so sure, show your ID! A porter soloing F-rank?"
I inwardly cheered. Flowing just like those viral "gotcha" stories online? Smirking, I casually placed my ID on the table.
"Yeah, receptionists nagged so much I updated it on the way."
Lee Minsu snatched it with a sneer.
"Hunter card? You got some killer skill or...?"
His face froze solid.
"...Level 12? Kim Jihoon, this fake?"
"What? 12? From Jihoon?"
Park Jincheol, mid-sip, paused. He yanked the card from Lee Minsu, squinting drunkenly at the details before shooting up.
"MP 552...? Intelligence 36? This make any sense?!"
Alumni eyes widened. Even the poised Choi Hyunwoo halted his drink and asked Park Jincheol.
"Jincheol, those numbers real?!"
"Y-yeah... How's a recent porter pulling this...?!"
"Yo, that's on par with our guild's top-supported mage! Skills—what skills?! Gimme."
Choi Hyunwoo, eyes bulging, grabbed for the ID.
"Enough, hand it over?"
"Just a sec to check."
Scanning my Awakener ID Card, Choi Hyunwoo's eyes nearly popped.
"Mana Bullet, Mana Shield, Mana Snare, Lightning Arrow...? Four skills at level 12? And Mana Shield is +?!"
"Hyunwoo, what's + mean? Why so shocked?"
"Idiot, + means skill evolution! What the hell?!"
Choi Hyunwoo's near-scream silenced the room like a douse of ice water. Lee Minsu petrified; Park Jincheol paled, staring at me.
I stood, straightening my clothes.
"Good chicken. But Jincheol, Minsu—ease up on the trash talk. It's pathetic. Ruined the vibe, so I'm out."
Snatching my ID from Choi Hyunwoo's hand, I headed for the door. He snapped to, frantically dialing.
"Yes, HR team leader! At my reunion—friend's specs are insane...!"
As he rushed to call me back, the chicken shop door flew open. Black-suited men, Cheongryong guild logos gleaming on their chests—one of Korea's big three.
"Excuse us. Is Hunter Kim Jihoon here?"
The hierarchy flipped in an instant. Even Choi Hyunwoo, mid-call to Hye-seong, gaped at me.
"Yes, that's me."
"Could we have a quick word?"
I followed their lead to the door. Park Jincheol's trembling voice echoed behind, but I didn't look back.
"J-Jihoon... what the...?"