Growing Stronger (1)
About two weeks had passed since the unprecedented incident where an E-rank gate escalated into a C-rank gate.
After checking Han Yeseo's text message, I headed toward Seoul Station. We had agreed to meet at the cafe first before tackling a D-rank gate together today.
'I've learned several new spells, and my mana pool has grown... A D-rank gate should be well within my capabilities now.'
The A-rank magic beast I defeated last time had played a massive role in expanding my mana capacity. Since it was an A-rank beast, it brought about a monumental change for someone like me, who was officially only an E-rank.
Unfortunately, no system skills dropped, but this alone was an incredibly bountiful harvest.
My pure mana capacity was now around D+ rank. To think I achieved this after clearing just a single gate. It was an absurd rate of growth.
'And... there she is!'
After that fateful gate raid, Yeseo and I had grown quite close.
Even ordinary girls with just a two-year age gap tend to become friends easily.
But in our case, we were comrades who had shared a life-or-death experience. Perhaps becoming close was only natural.
Since Yeseo currently had nothing else to do, she had invited me out under the pretext of helping a cute junior she'd befriended.
"Sowol! Over here!"
"Good to see you."
Seeing Han Yeseo again, she looked perfectly normal. She must have suffered far more than I did back then, yet she showed no lingering aftereffects.
But the warmth of our reunion was short-lived. Yeseo's gaze drifted slightly downward from my face, and her expression stiffened.
With a slightly strained look, she spoke.
"Sowol... What is up with your outfit?"
"Huh? You need mobility in a gate, so I wore the most comfortable clothes I have."
"No, I mean... it's only a D-rank gate, and I'm an S-rank..."
"Why worry so much? It's not like we're going on a picnic or meeting guys. You might be an S-rank, Yeseo, but I'm still just a measly E-rank."
It seemed the source of Yeseo's stiff expression was indeed my attire. Looking at her, she was dressed as if she were going on a date with a boyfriend.
Last time, she had dressed quite casually herself. Apparently, there was a vast difference between throwing on clothes for a quick stroll and dressing up to meet someone for a scheduled appointment.
Is this how girls are? But no matter how much I thought about it, from a wizard's logical perspective, my choice was absolutely correct.
An escalation incident had literally just happened in a supposedly safe E-rank gate, turning a secure zone into a death trap in an instant. How could anyone wear such restrictive clothing to a place like that?
'Of course, I have no intention of changing.'
No matter what kind of person the original Baek Sowol was, I had a perfectly rational excuse.
Even if gate escalations were rare, to someone who had actually experienced one, the probability felt like a hundred percent.
My very first raid was that E-rank gate, and that was where the disaster struck. From my perspective, the objective fact that gate escalations were rare didn't matter at all.
I was going to keep wearing highly mobile, practical clothes whenever I cleared gates.
"Well... you do have a point. I didn't take that into consideration. I'm sorry, Sowol."
"Oh, no, it's fine. I'm probably just being overly sensitive. It's totally understandable."
This was simply a difference in our past experiences. It was hard to say who was right or wrong.
Having both acknowledged this, we dropped the subject and moved on.
We walked deeper into the cafe and found a suitable table.
After ordering some light drinks, we had some time to kill. I looked around. Fortunately, we weren't drawing a massive crowd.
A few people whispered and pointed at us, but that was it. Everyone quickly went back to their own business.
'This is surprisingly peaceful. I thought for sure we'd get bothered by annoying people if we met at a cafe.'
This was quite unexpected. While getting hit on wasn't a constant occurrence even for a devastating beauty, the person sitting across from me was one of the fewer than a hundred S-rank hunters in South Korea.
"It's surprisingly quiet here. I thought there'd be a huge fuss."
"A fuss? Oh, because of me?"
"Yes. Honestly, you're very beautiful, Yeseo, and you're an S-rank hunter. Even a mere E-rank like me got hit on at that E-rank gate, so I figured it would be much worse for you."
I stared blankly at Yeseo. She possessed a rare, striking beauty. Even if she had gone into show business, she wouldn't have starved. She might not have reached the absolute top, but she certainly would have done incredibly well.
She had the kind of face that most random people on the street would recognize.
I was being entirely serious. Objectively speaking, while Baek Sowol's raw looks might be superior, Yeseo was the type of woman men would find more approachable and appealing.
On top of that, she was famous. I expected people to approach her claiming to be fans, but there was none of that.
It was fascinating.
"Haha, thank you. But there's a reason for this. You might think I'd be incredibly famous just because I'm an S-rank, but that's not quite how it works."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Hmm... let me give you an example, Sowol. When you first met me, did you recognize me? You seemed a bit unsure, didn't you?"
"Well... yes. But that's because I didn't really care about Awakeners before I awakened myself—"
"Exactly. That's the main reason. Very few people actually know the faces of every single S-rank hunter. And even if they do, they wouldn't expect to run into one in a place like this.
Besides, I only became an S-rank about three months ago. I've only been active as a hunter for a year and a half. I haven't shot any commercials, advertisements, or appeared on variety shows. So unless someone specifically read the news articles or was already a hardcore fan..."
"They might know your name, but not your face?"
"Precisely."
I understood the situation now. So that was why.
The only reason people had recognized Yeseo back then was because we were at a gate where hunters naturally congregated.
In a normal cafe filled with ordinary citizens, recognizing her wouldn't be so easy.
As for getting hit on? People rarely tried to pick up others so blatantly, especially in a cafe where they'd have to sit in the same space for a long time afterward.
Yeseo had suggested this place knowing all of this.
"Anyway, moving on. Since this gate has already been cleared before, let me go over the details with you."
We got down to business. The reason we were here was to share information on the D-rank gate.
Even with Yeseo by my side, I had to defeat the magic beasts myself if I wanted to grow. Thus, sharing information was essential.
"The gate is D-rank. Serial number 11-Na. There are no particular anomalies. Flying magic beasts occasionally appear, so make sure to keep an eye on the sky. Since you don't have any anti-air skills and can't utilize your unique ability yet, you don't really have a way to deal with flying targets."
"Well, that's true."
"It might be a good idea to start thinking about which class path you want to take. If you want to be a vanguard, you'll need to work out and build up your physical strength. Though, of course, your class is usually semi-forcibly decided by your unique ability and skills."
"Yes. Still, this seems straightforward enough. We have about thirty minutes before the gate opens, so let's wait here before heading out."
"Sounds good."
Of course, since it was only a D-rank gate, there wasn't much to review. I had heard that for previously cleared gates, even B-ranks could often be entered without any prior information without much issue.
The D-rank gate was scheduled to open in thirty minutes. Arriving too early would only draw unwanted attention like last time, so we decided to wait.
With time to kill, Yeseo, perhaps feeling awkward just staring at her phone, struck up a conversation.
"Oh, by the way, Sowol. Which guild are you hoping to join? Do you have any particular one in mind?"
The topic Yeseo chose was guilds.
Hmm. Guilds. It was a choice I would have to make eventually.
And not in the distant future, either. If I revealed my identity as a wizard right this second, any guild would practically beg me to join.
I couldn't hide the fact that I was a wizard forever, so it was best to think ahead. But the problem was...
"Well... I don't really know much about guilds."
"Pardon?"
"How would an ordinary person know the inner workings of guilds? I wasn't an Awakener until very recently, and there are very few ways for a civilian to learn about guild contract terms."
"Ah!"
Detailed information regarding hunter guilds and corporations was rarely made public. At most, ordinary people only knew that the 'Big Five' existed.
All civilians knew was their scale, prestige, and influence. But making a decision based solely on those factors would be highly un-wizardlike.
The most important thing was the contract. I had to go wherever the contract terms were most favorable. That was precisely why I was hiding my identity as a wizard for now.
Of course, related information occasionally popped up on the internet or the Hunter Gallery. I had seen those posts. But believing them blindly would be foolish, especially since rival guilds could easily manipulate that information.
"Then let me explain it to you. You at least know what a guild is, right?"
"They're basically like entertainment agencies for hunters, right? Though guilds are far more critical since they also arrange gate raids."
"Yes, that's a perfect summary. Sometimes the government hosts raids directly, and even independent hunters get called in if needed, but the relationship between a guild and a hunter is exactly like an agency and its celebrity."
Guilds sign contracts with hunters. Upon signing, hunters receive various benefits. They get priority access to the gates owned by the guild, and they can leverage the guild's influence to secure commercial deals or appear on variety shows.
Guilds also lease out high-end equipment and provide structured training systems to foster growth. In exchange, they take a cut of the hunter's earnings. Still, the fact that the vast majority of hunters belong to a guild speaks volumes about their necessity.
Of course, just like some celebrities, there are independent hunters who operate without a guild.
"You've heard of the 4 Great Guilds of South Korea, right?"
"Yes. Binghwa, Hwarang, Punghyeon, and Iron Blood. Those four."
Out of the countless guilds in South Korea, these four stood at the absolute peak.
"Yes. Honestly, I don't know much about the other three besides my own guild, Binghwa. But they are massive organizations whose names carry immense weight anywhere you go. To be frank, it's incredibly difficult to get in without connections. You need to be at least C+ or B-rank just to join as a trainee."
"I suppose for lower-rank gates, it's cheaper for them to just recruit external freelancers to fill the remaining slots."
"Exactly. And if you participate in those public raids multiple times, you get bonus points when applying to join the guild later, so many hunters try their best to get in on them."
Funnily enough, joining a guild doesn't guarantee you'll make more money. In fact, you might make less initially. This is because the guild takes a significant cut of your earnings, even if they provide a base salary or performance bonuses.
Yet, there was a reason why hunters still flocked to guilds. In this industry, gate raids were everything. And guilds were the most reliable and safest means to clear those gates.
It was easier to think of it as paying a premium to buy a certain level of safety. Furthermore, being in a guild meant you could participate in raids much more frequently, and finding party members was a breeze.
"So if you want to keep climbing, the 4 Great Guilds are your best bet. But it's not just the big four or other mid-to-small guilds out there. There's another giant in the Korean hunter industry that isn't actually a guild."
Of course, combat raiding wasn't the only path. Hunters were, at their core, Awakeners. Even if they didn't do active field duty, their abilities were highly sought after in various sectors. Even outside the 4 Great Guilds, there were plenty of opportunities.
"You mean Hermes?"
There were five major organizations that dominated the South Korean hunter industry: the 4 Great Guilds—Binghwa, Hwarang, Punghyeon, and Iron Blood—and one massive corporation. Hermes.
"Yes. Hermes."
Although their active hunter combat force paled in comparison to the 4 Great Guilds, they surpassed them all in sheer wealth and influence. Hermes was one of the ultimate dream workplaces for hunters.
'He actually met Han Yeseo? The wizard did?'
Inside the Guild Master's office of the Iron Blood Guild, Jeong Suhyun was deep in thought.
The wizard who had claimed to have awakened on the forum recently—the one whose magic was so flawless it was impossible to fake unless it was high-budget CGI.
That registered user, 'Mamabeobbeob', had posted a new thread, and its contents were shocking.
He had been raiding an E-rank gate when an escalation occurred, and he ran into Han Yeseo there!
That alone was shocking enough, but he had even provided real-time proof to show it wasn't fabricated! It was absolutely mind-blowing.
'He even mentioned my name. Unless he's some lunatic who prepared CGI years in advance, he's definitely a real wizard!'
There was no longer any room for doubt. 'Mamabeobbeob' had truly awakened.
But a major issue remained. The fact that he had met Han Yeseo.
Under normal circumstances, one would look forward to meeting him in the distant future. But having met Han Yeseo meant there was now a way to track down this anonymous user.
'But there's no legal way to find out.'
With the authority of the Iron Blood Guild Master, obtaining the roster of hunters who had entered that specific gate would be trivial. However, pinpointing the wizard among them was nearly impossible. Even if he did, doing so would be highly illegal.
Thus, Jeong Suhyun fell into deep contemplation. This was someone who had awakened after reading the remnants of his own past writings.
He wanted to become friends with him, to get to know him. He was deeply intrigued and wanted to pass down his knowledge to this junior wizard.
Yet, he couldn't uncover his identity. In the worst-case scenario, some other guild might snatch him up first.
So, Jeong Suhyun came up with an idea. If the wizard ever made contact with a major organization, he wanted to ensure he would be notified immediately.
Jeong Suhyun decided to put his plan into action right away.
"Chairman Jian? I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Understood. If anyone fitting that description contacts Hermes, I will let you know. They are highly likely to reach out to us first."
"I'll leave it in your hands then."
Inside the Chairman's office of Hermes, Kim Jian hung up the phone and fell into deep thought.
The emergence of a new wizard meant a massive storm was brewing on the horizon.
"Is something troubling you, Chairman?"
"A new wizard has appeared. However... their identity is unknown."
"Shall I investigate and verify their identity?"
"It hasn't been made public yet. We could find out if we dug deep enough, but it's best not to provoke wizards. They tend to be... eccentric, to say the least."
"True. If they grow normally, they will soon become a major pillar of power. There's no reason to get on their bad side by prying into their secrets."
"Guild Master Jeong Suhyun also requested that we notify him if we hear anything. If this wizard does surface, we will likely be the first to know."
True to their class name, the vast majority of wizards were eccentrics.
Whether they possessed a wizard's constitution because of their eccentric personalities, or if they became eccentric by living as wizards, was unclear.
Either way, most wizards were far from normal.
After all, even the SS-rank wizard Jeong Suhyun had a habit of neglecting his duties to shitpost on the Hunter Gallery.
"...Looking at the situation, it seems they are hiding their identity despite having awakened. If so, every single guild will scramble to recruit them once the truth comes out. A wizard of that caliber is of immense value."
"Especially since they are growing without the backing of any guild."
"Indeed."
Kim Jian reached a conclusion after reviewing the gathered data.
He tapped his temple lightly, organizing his thoughts.
"The day their identity is revealed... the history of South Korea might just change."
"Do you truly believe they have that much influence?"
"Awakening on one's own without going through official testing... means they were either an untested C or B-rank who awakened naturally, or they awakened before they were even registered. It has to be one of the two.
But I believe the former is highly unlikely. If that were the case, they would have made it public long ago. That means they were capable of manipulating mana externally even before registration... which implies..."
"They are a genius. One that far exceeds all expectations."
The Chairman looked out the window with a deeply meaningful expression.
"For the foreseeable future, that wizard will be the center of attention."