Because the Hunter Association was utterly terrified of losing a potential national asset, absolutely everything had been prepared for Min-jun's arrival in record time. There was no waiting in long lines with the nervous E-Rank rookies, nor were there tedious administrative forms to fill out by hand. He was immediately escorted into the deepest, most secure underground testing facility of the headquarters.
The room was vast, sterile, and entirely intimidating. Bright fluorescent lights glared down on reinforced steel walls, and the low, steady hum of heavy machinery vibrated through the floor. In the dead center of the room sat the high-precision mana measuring device—a massive, glowing sphere of highly sensitive magic crystal, hooked up to dozens of thick cables and digital monitoring screens.
Standing in front of the device, Min-jun calmly adjusted his glasses and listened to the nervous head technician explain the process.
"Hunter-nim, please place your hand firmly against the crystal and release all of your mana into the device," the technician instructed, sweating slightly under the immense pressure of the room. "If the machine short-circuits, completely overloads, or turns pitch black... then you will officially be categorized as an S-Rank Hunter."
"..."
Min-jun stared at the technician blankly.
He looked at the massive, clearly state-of-the-art machine, and then back to the sweating staff member. They were asking him to intentionally destroy a multi-million-dollar piece of high-precision government equipment just to prove he was strong.
What kind of absurd, caveman logic is that? Min-jun thought, sighing internally. Why do they even bother building these expensive machines if the only way to measure an S-Rank is to literally blow it up? The government budget waste in this world is truly astonishing.
However, Min-jun wasn't the only one in the room.
Up in the glass-paneled observation deck that overlooked the testing floor, a heavy, suffocating tension had settled over the crowd.
"He is finally going to pour his mana into the crystal."
"Let's see just how deep his reserves truly are."
"He's still just a young university student. I don't think he'll have the mental discipline to control it well."
These whispered voices didn't belong to the standard Association staff. They belonged to the apex predators of the South Korean Hunter industry—the Masters and elite executives of the top major Guilds.
Normally, an Awakening test was highly classified. The Association preferred to keep rookies isolated so they could pressure them into joining the government forces. However, Min-jun had explicitly requested that the Guild representatives be permitted to watch his official measurement.
Instead of hiding his power and playing the mysterious, lone-wolf protagonist, Min-jun laid all his cards on the table. This wasn't arrogance; it was a highly calculated marketing strategy. By letting all the major players witness his value at the exact same time, he was intentionally sparking a fierce bidding war. He wanted them to fight over him. He wanted them to bleed their corporate budgets dry to offer him the most absurdly lucrative contract possible.
Min-jun's grand plan hadn't changed. He absolutely needed the backing of a powerful Guild.
Being a dramatic, one-man army like Sung Jin-woo might look incredibly cool in a comic book, but in reality, it was a logistical nightmare. When you clear a dungeon, who hauls out the hundreds of pounds of monster carcasses? Who mines the mana crystals from the cave walls? Who negotiates the market prices with the aggressive black-market buyers? Who handles the legal permits required to even step foot near a Gate?
If Min-jun went solo, he would spend ninety percent of his time doing grueling physical labor and fighting with IRS tax auditors.
But if he joined a top-tier Guild? The Guild would provide him with a fleet of specialized porters, the best corporate lawyers in Seoul, elite accountants, and a dedicated PR team. All he would have to do was step into a dungeon, fire a few arrows from the safety of the backline, and walk out. The Guild would handle the messy cleanup, and liquid cash would magically appear in his bank account by the next morning.
Furthermore, unlike Jin-woo, who received magical, perfectly tailored weapons directly from his System, Min-jun had to acquire his own gear. High-tier Hunter equipment was astronomically expensive and strictly monopolized by the elites. Sure, as an S-Rank, billionaires might offer him free weapons just to get on his good side. But Min-jun knew human psychology perfectly. If you don't pay with money, you pay with a favor. And in the Hunter world, owing a favor to a billionaire was the most expensive, dangerous currency of all.
I need a corporate sponsor, Min-jun reminded himself. Let's show them a good return on their investment.
Manager, are you ready?
[Affirmative. Awaiting user input.]
As Min-jun slowly raised his hand toward the crystal, up in the observation deck, Choi Jong-In leaned forward, his eyes narrowed behind his stylish glasses.
"Vice Master," Jong-In spoke quietly, not taking his eyes off the boy below. "What is your assessment?"
Beside him, Cha Hae-In held her scented handkerchief tightly against her nose. But despite her discomfort being surrounded by so many high-ranking Hunters, her beautiful eyes were completely locked onto Min-jun.
When Jong-In asked his serious question, Hae-In hesitated. She thought about the uniquely refreshing scent that had washed over her when Min-jun first stepped out of the van—a scent she thought she would never experience again after Awakening as an S-Rank. It was a crisp, clean scent, like morning dew and ozone. It was practically addictive.
"He... he has no limit, Guild Master," Hae-In answered softly, her voice carrying a rare tone of absolute certainty. "And his mana... it is completely clean. He is entirely different from all of us standing in this room."
To Cha Hae-In, thanks to her unique sensory mutation, every powerful Hunter smelled like rotting blood, rusted iron, and wet dog. It was a disgusting, suffocating reality she had to live with every day. Yet, Min-jun was a complete anomaly. For the first time since she Awakened, she could take a deep, full breath around an S-Rank without gagging. It made her instinctively want to step closer to him.
"I see..." Jong-In pushed the frame of his glasses up the bridge of his nose, a sharp, predatory smile forming on his lips.
He had officially made up his mind. He didn't care what the Association's machine said. He trusted Cha Hae-In's nose far more than any piece of government hardware. He was going to sign Kim Min-jun to the Hunters Guild, no matter what it cost.
Meanwhile, standing a few feet away from the plotting Guild Masters, Association Chairman Go Gun-Hee maintained a solemn, heavy expression. His mere presence kept the chaotic, greedy energy of the room somewhat contained.
"Chairman... should we really allow them to stay? Should we have security escort them out?"
Chief Woo Jin-chul leaned in, whispering nervously. Jin-chul felt that letting the corporate vultures watch the test was incredibly risky. He was deeply afraid that whatever number popped up on that screen was going to make the Guilds completely lose their minds. They were going to throw ridiculous sums of money, luxury sports cars, premium real estate, and VIP privileges at the boy.
South Korea was in dire need of a true hero. The nation needed a steadfast pillar—someone to hold up the collapsing sky when the Gates finally broke open. Jin-chul firmly believed Min-jun was that candidate, and it made his stomach turn to think about these dirty, pesky corporations corrupting the young man with vulgar wealth.
"No, leave them be. This was the young man's specific request," Chairman Go replied, his deep voice calm and unwavering. "And truthfully, even if he decides to join a private Guild, it is infinitely better that he joins a Guild here in South Korea rather than fleeing to America."
Keeping Min-jun inside the country's borders was the ultimate priority.
"Besides," Chairman Go added, a subtle, confident spark lighting up his aged eyes. "We can offer this young man something far more valuable than mere wealth and material luxury."
Chairman Go Gun-Hee possessed a deep, unshakeable confidence in the human spirit. He genuinely believed that the Korean Hunter Association could offer something that no billionaire could ever buy: legacy, honor, and true heroism. He believed that no matter how many sports cars or millions of Won the Guilds threw at him, no passionate young man in his twenties could possibly resist the noble, burning desire to protect his homeland and be revered as a national savior.
Down on the testing floor, Min-jun had no idea what Chairman Go was thinking. If he did, he probably would have laughed out loud. He had zero interest in dying a tragic hero's death.
Min-jun placed his palm flat against the cool, smooth surface of the magical crystal.
Manager. Optimize the output. Don't break the machine. Let's just hack the display.
[Executing command. Modulating mana frequency to bypass hardware limitations and access visual output code.]
Instead of violently surging his power forward and shattering the multimillion-dollar crystal like a brute, Min-jun let the Manager fine-tune his mana into a highly concentrated, digital frequency.
The massive crystal didn't explode. It didn't turn pitch black.
Instead, a strange, low frequency hum echoed through the room. Suddenly, all of the massive digital display screens surrounding the arena—the ones meant to show the exact numerical value of a Hunter's magic power—violently glitched.
The numbers rapidly scrambled, flashing wildly in a chaotic blur of pixels. Then, the screens froze.
Instead of a number, the Manager forced the Association's highly secure mainframes to spell out a single, calculated word across every single monitor in the room.
[ L I M I T L E S S ]
"..."
The entire underground facility went dead silent. You could have heard a pin drop.
Up in the observation deck, the Guild Masters stood completely frozen, their mouths slightly parted in absolute, uncomprehending shock. Down on the floor, the head technician looked like he was about to pass out from sheer terror, frantically pressing buttons on a console that no longer responded to him.
Min-jun simply pulled his hand away from the perfectly intact crystal. He turned toward the reinforced glass where Chairman Go was standing, casually adjusting his glasses, and offered a perfectly polite, innocent smile as if he hadn't just completely hijacked the government's secure network.
"Well," Min-jun called out smoothly, his voice echoing in the stunned silence. "Should we move on to the physical portion of the test, Chairman?"
"...."
Up in the glass box, Chairman Go stared at the glaring word on the screens. A slow, booming laugh suddenly rumbled from his chest. He grinned happily, his eyes burning with intense excitement.
"Yes," Chairman Go said, his voice trembling with anticipation. "Let's go."
---
Still, whose team are you on?
Sung Jinah or Cha Hae-In?
Who do you support?
Or, should I add more, such as Lee Joohee, Kanae Tawata, or someone else?