I Came Back And Conquered It All
Chapter 59

Team Building (4)

Several measurements were repeated, but the results remained unchanged.

The air was permeated with a heavy thrill and a breath of astonishment.

“By the result of Mr. Seo Jin-Wook’s Mana output test…. SS-Rank was entered.”

With the announcement of the person in charge, a collective murmur rose among government officials again.

One of them had muttered, “···pre-Awakening?”

I blatantly gazed at the face of the man who said so. Realizing his mistake, he covered his mouth with his hands, with his face turning red.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but the Constitutional Department shouldn’t say that in front of me.”

I then went on in a lively manner, “Wasn’t it the people of the Constitutional Department who directed and certified the scene where I came in contact with the Awakening Stone?”

“I-I’m sorry. I made a slip of the tongue.”

Since Hibiki and Nate were foreigners, there was no way for them to figure out how they had Awakened.

However, I was different.

Suspecting me, who had gone through all the standard procedures, in the act of spitting on one’s face, and making the Constitutional Department be considered as an unreliable organization. The person in charge spoke in an exaggerated loud voice as if he was trying to change the atmosphere.

“Congratulations!”

Other government officials clapped their hands as he took the lead in applauding.

“Finally, there is an SS-Ranked Hunter in Korea, too! And such a young man….!”

I cut him off, “It’s not the finally determined rank yet. Shall we proceed with the next evaluation as soon as possible, at least to stamp it?”

He gave the instructions as if he felt ashamed, and I then moved to the next room. Ten pieces of the same puzzle were now placed in front. There was no need to explore every single characteristic of the pieces as Hibiki did. Then as now, I could clearly see the characteristics of all the pieces.

‘But if I finish it all in three seconds, they can guess my ability. Such a performance is not possible with a typical [Mana Detection] skill, and it cannot be explained as [Replica] that I will reveal officially and push forward as my unique skill soon.’

This was moderately faster than Hibiki, which was enough to shock people.

Swoosh!

I raised my hand and swung it in the air. Ten artifacts then soared into the air at once and began to float.

Gulp.

There was a heavy silence in the assessment room, to the point that one could clearly hear someone swallowing his saliva. I shook the pieces in the air a few times and then··· When I thought that it was time, I swung my arm once again and clenched my fist. Instantly…

Cha-cha-chak!

There was a cool and satisfying sound. The cube was assembled at once without a single mistake. Still, everyone had gone silent. When I put down the cube easily, the person in charge managed to say.

“E-End of Test.”

It took 30 seconds, and there was no deduction factor. It was a new record, after Hibiki’s.

Of course, the score was perfect.

“Damn, that’s no joke. To be honest, I still suspected that there was something wrong with the artifact that we didn’t know about···”

“Is that an area that’s possible just by being a genius? I don’t understand.”

“It’s not the genius of what we’ve experienced in the first place, I suppose, on that level….”

I let the whispering around me flow out in one ear, and I hastened once more.

“Shall we proceed with the combat capability evaluation quickly?”

The news must have already been delivered to the Celestial Dragon’s side by someone.

I had to hurry, and so I disappeared from the center.

“Oh, maybe Mr. Seo Jin-Wook won’t need a combat capability assessment.”

As I had expected.

“However, in case of a promotion, for the final assessment···.”

“I know that Hunters, the combat capability-scoring officers, are also the ones to assess the final rating. Let’s get going. To the gate.”

*

With a government official, who had taken on a guide’s role, we moved to the gate, which was situated five minutes away by car.

It has not changed from a very stable state for more than ten years since the clear, and the maximum number of entrants was 300, so it is a place used by the Korean government

In particular, it was a good dungeon to trap monsters that were too dangerous to be accommodated on Earth, experiment, or used for other purposes.

One of the other uses was the promotion review.

Whoong!

Through the waves of light, another level of scenery unfolded before me.

“H-eh!”

“This is… a Dungeon!”

Nate and Hibiki were busy looking around. I noticed the hunters staring at us from close quarters. They were the evaluation’s proctors, and those who had the authority to determine the candidates’ final grades for promotion.

It was my first time seeing them in this life, but I knew all of their faces.

Kim Ji-Hoon, an S-Rank hunter.

A-Rank Hunters Shin Gyeong-Pyo and Lee Ji-Soo.

Among them, I clicked my tongue inwardly, looking at Kim Ji-Hoon.

‘Damn it, of all people. It’s that bastard.’

He had been criticized in the previous life, and moreover, he was the worst grading officer in the present situation.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

Three hunters and government officials talked for a while with us in the distance.

“Huh? I heard there were two, but there’s one more?”

“Yes, there was an on-site receptionist.”

“And where did I see that face?”

They looked at my face from afar.

The first person to recognize me was Lee Ji-Soo, the only woman among the three.

“Wait, isn’t that the son of Celestial Dragon’s Guild Master? I heard he ran away from home.”

The rumor must have spread widely in the Hunter world.

“Oh, really. I remember.”

Shin Kyung-Pyo also recognized me and nodded his head. And ···

“Oh, really?”

S-Rank Hunter, Kim Ji-Hoon smiled maliciously at me.

‘He didn’t live a long life in his previous life. He wasn’t killed in the dungeon. Another hunter murdered him.’

There were not only a few hunters who had a grudge against him. He had a ferocious personality, and did not hesitate to use any means for his profit, and tended to regard Hunters in other guilds as potential enemies. Although the general atmosphere in this era was such, Kim Ji-Hoon was particularly intense.

“It’s my first time seeing him in person,” He spoke sarcastically.

Kim Ji-Hoon planted enemies everywhere, but among them, especially ···

“He is the son of that sociopath old man? He doesn’t look much like him.”

In particular, with Seo Gyu-Cheol, they were like an archenemy to each other.

‘That’s the brother of Grand Croix Guild Master, wasn’t he?’

The same guild seeks the opportunity to eat up Celestial Dragon’s shares little by little, as a toxic competitor to bring them down from their current position.

Kim Ji-Hoon continued to speak with a giggle, “Of all people, we meet him here. It’s superb, that thing called fate.”

Then, Lee Ji-Soo spoke as if to stop Kim Ji-Hoon, “Hey, you should tell the difference between work and private matters, right?”

“Oh, of course. We’re not amateurs.”

At this, Lee Ji-Soo glared at him with disapproval. They didn’t seem to have a good relationship, either.

Mediating them, Shin Gyeong-Pyo stepped forward.

“Whether the one being evaluated is Seo Jin-Wook or Seo Gyu-Cheol, we’re here today as evaluators. Let’s stick to our duties.”

Although he pretended to stop him, the guild to which Shin Gyeong-Pyo belonged to also has a deep connection with Grand Croix.

Calling the names of the heads of other guilds so recklessly in such public places was evidence of bad blood.

‘Two of the evaluators are hostile to the Celestial Dragon,’ Kim Ji-Hoon had said.

“Well, we’re getting paid a lot to do this, so of course, we should do it right,” he said so with his mouth, but he also gave me another glaring look.

I could read through his head. He was now thinking about how to cook me.

‘Perhaps it would be hard to move on quietly.’

The government official stepped up to restrain their conversation.

“Let’s put off the personal concerns and proceed with the assessment from participant number one.”

It then began.

*

After receiving their signal, we went close and greeted each other. I took the role of an interpreter for Hibiki and Nate as if I hadn’t heard anything prior. Hibiki needed little translation, but Nate still needed help. After brief introductions to each other, Lee Ji-Soo quickly took out a pile of magic scrolls as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Okay, let’s get started.”

The Public Official, with his terminal, sent out information about Hibiki to hunters. Lee Ji-Soo, who was reading it, nodded.

“The output is C-Rank. Forty-five seconds for the control capability evaluation?”

Her face was filled with quiet admiration. When she looked at Hibiki and praised her as she was great, she just bowed politely and answered in clear Korean, “Thank you.”

“We have a great foreign mercenary here. Fortunately, just in time, among the monsters, we’ve got now…. Oh, there’s one. I’m thinking about proceeding with this one. What do other evaluators think about this?”

“I approve.”

“As you please.”

When Lee Ji-Soo tore a scroll, the light flashed and vomited out a monster. It was an Ogre, with its hands and feet tied with magic chains.

“Grrrr….!”

The atmosphere changed in an instant.

Hibiki’s face, which had remained expressionless, shook slightly.

As portrayed in the video, the impression and feelings witnessed by her eyes were naturally totally different.

There was a low cry over the metal cover that covered the mouth of the Ogre. Even though there was quite a distance, the foul smell permeated the entire vicinity.

.

“Don’t be too nervous or worried. There is a reason that three scorers above A-Rank were assigned here. If we think it’s a dangerous situation, we’ll run and subdue it. All right, let’s go!”

When Lee Ji-Soo tore another scroll, the Ogre’s chains disappeared.

“K-arrrgh!”

As I told her, Hibiki only cast spells that could be activated as with fire mastery instead of casting all that she got here. With [Multiple Cognition], she did not activate it all at once, but continued each one to the appropriate timing.

‘At this point, if rumors about [Multiple Cognition] spread, those who monopolize S-Class magic skill cards will be interested in her. The time when Hibiki’s unique skill will be revealed is delayed to a little bit later.’

Her spells followed.

[Fireball]

[Flame Field]

[Burning Spear]

A huge fireball hit the rushing Ogre and exploded. She pushed it back far, and then a fire barrier bigger than its height appeared and surrounded it.

Boosh!

A direct blow finished it. A fiery flame struck the air in the form of a spear and penetrated the Ogre’s head!

Boo-boom!

The Ogre, who lost his head, promptly collapsed. The flames emitted by the [Flame Field], which still was in cast duration even after cutting off its breath, burned the corpse to ashes. Shin Gyeong-Pyo whistled.

“Woah, 20 seconds.”

Lee Ji-Soo looked at Hibiki with a strange look. She was also an Awakened who used magic skills.

“Every spell has been modified. There’s no original version. How many years have you been in this field of work?”

No one believed the profile on the document that she had only been Awakened for a month.

“It’s not uncommon for foreign mercenaries… and I think they’ve definitely had over five years of experience.”

They were completely mistaken. Hibiki still kept her ground with a slightly harsh breath. I could see drops of sweat running down her forehead.

Although it was a form of test, it might as well have been her first real fight, considering that she confronted a monster.

She would later destroy hundreds and thousands of monsters with her fingertips, but it was not always easy at first. She would have been very nervous and scared, even though nobody could see it on her face.

I approached her and patted her shoulder encouragingly.

“You did a great job.”

“…I was a bit slower than in training.”

She mumbled as if she was disappointed even with the record of 20 seconds.

I shook my head. “No, you did a great job.”

“I can do better next time.”

That regret was solely about not meeting her own standards.

‘Yeah, this is how she used to be.’

There was no concession to magic.

“It’s already amazing that you didn’t panic or lose your focus against your first monster. It feels different to see the Ogre in person, doesn’t it?”

“It looks disgusting as in the video, but it wasn’t as scary as I thought. In fact, it’s the scariest thing when basing on looks….”

Hibiki looked at Nate, particularly the shadow cast beside his body.

“Ah.”

The two trained together. In other words, Hibiki would have seen how Nate fought.

“Well, that’s true.” Hibiki nodded silently.

*

After a brief discussion with each other, the hunters came up with the results.

“Amano Hibiki, I’ll confirm your final rank as B.”

It was one level higher than the C-Rank given at the time of output measurement. The two additional tests acted as a bonus.

The public official signed electronic documents and saved them to the terminal.

Now, once we exited the gate, the government database would be updated immediately, and the contents of Hunter’s certificate would be automatically revised.

‘Fortunately, they are not doing anything irrational to force their grades down because of me. Well, there is going to be evidence left.’

However, it was too early to relax. It was something to wait and see.

“Next, participant number two. Nate Hope.”

Nate stepped up at the call of the public official.

“I’ll be back!”

After a similar process, the monster that appeared in front of him was a twin head troll.

‘That’s a tough one.”

Trolls, with remarkable regenerative power, could only be killed when their heads were completely shattered.

However, a twin-head troll could regenerate even if one head was cut off, as long as the other remained.

To kill it, you had to blow both heads with almost no time difference.

“Grrrrrrrr….”

A four-story building-high sized monster looked down at Nate.

Its eyes were bloodshot, perhaps because it has been stimulated in advance not to avoid combat. It was to the point that my skin was tingling because of the murderousness that filled the air.

“Hmm.”

Nate remained calm in front of the monster, which was determined to tear him up right away once the restraint disappeared.

This was a different reaction from Hibiki’s, who was confronted with a slightly stiff expression.

“As expected…”

Nate turns his head and looks at me, and whispers.

“I can tell it by looking at it. I think I can, but I won’t.”

I lifted my thumb and nodded.

As soon as Nate saw that he could make the monster into his subordinate, he seemed to know it naturally. However, he wouldn’t reveal that ability today.

“I just have to kill him, right?”

“Yes, in a comfortable way.”

As an interpreter, I stepped back and told the scorers that he was ready. Then, the Troll’s chains disappeared. The eyes of the human and monster intersected sharply.

I pondered over this.

‘There are things that can be hidden, and that cannot be hidden in a unique skill.’

Only a small number of my former colleagues knew mine and Randy’s unique skill until the very last minute.

Hibiki’s was initially kept secret, but was forced to be revealed in the process of doing raids under the Guild Union.

Nate and Angelica, on the other hand, made it public from the beginning.

‘He doesn’t have to show everything here, but he doesn’t have to hide the existence of his unique skill.’

[Traces Across Boundaries] was his most efficient offensive skills, and I was not planning to teach him any other offensive skills for the time being. If he wanted to hide his unique skills for good, he could not hunt in front of others. Even at this time, he would build up his reputation as a ‘necromancer.’

‘He’s going first to reveal it in Korea in this life.’

“Karrrrgh!”

A troll rushed in.

Nate, looking at it, didn’t turn his gaze nor move his body. Nevertheless, his shadow faltered for a while.

“Huh?”

Bewildering voices were coming out among the evaluators. A wind blew. Whistle! Ten zombies surrounded Nate’s body in an instant.

“W-What’s that?”

Shin then Gyeong-Pro shouted in a perplexed voice. “Zombie? That’s a zombie! The one that comes from a dungeon!’

Seeing that scene alone, it was impossible to jump to the idea that an ordinary human died and became a zombie. Of course, they would think of a similar monster they saw in the dungeon as they watched Nate’s control over his subordinates.

“Uhhhh….!”

“Wooo…!”

Nate’s lips opened.

He spoke in a calm and friendly tone as if he were sharing the news that he heard today from his friend.

“They say that it only dies when both of its heads are broken at once.”

That short remark was enough, and that was all that it needed.

“Urrrrrrrrr!”

At a faster pace than a running troll, ten zombies sprinted to the front!

“What! Why are the zombies so fast?!”

“···Oh my God, what is that skill?”

Zombies crawled up on the body of a giant troll.

“Kahhhhh!”

The Troll felt embarrassed and was desperate to pull the things off its body, but the zombies, which rushed at it with their fingernails and teeth, clung to them with a sound that sounded much like a warcry.

Phat!

Some transformed their bodies as if they realized that they lacked weapons. Sharp bones that did not belong to the natural human skeleton formed out of their elbows and wrists. Then they began to stab the Troll’s whole body without mercy.

Thuk, thuk!

Splat!

Thuk, thuk, thuk!

It was a familiar sight that I had seen a lot in the future.

‘Bone Blade··.’

All hell had now unleashed. Blood splashes, flesh scatters. A herd of zombies tearing up the body of a troll faster than its rate of regeneration.

The Zombie, who climbed to the stomach, dug through the abdomen of the Troll. Lifting out a large intestine from the peritoneum, it ripped up and hugged it in both hands. It kicked the pelvic bone of the Troll and jumped to the ground with the recoil in that state.

Troll, whose intestine was taken out of their alive, howled and fell.

“Karrggh!”

Thump!

The Troll fell on the floor.

The stomach, which had been badly sliced, was already showing signs of healing.

However, as soon as the monster fell, most zombies were approaching its heads.

“Blarghhh!”

While several zombies hacked their legs to prevent them from getting up, the other zombies surrounding the heads all moved on to the next movement. They aimed their left elbow at the Troll’s head and hammered their left fists with their right fists. It was a picture reminiscent of a quarry scene in which many miners rushing to the huge rock.

Boom!

Boom! Boom!

“Squeaaaaaaal!”

It didn’t take long for both skulls of twin-headed Troll to break simultaneously.

Crack!

Crush!

Two different colored pools appeared side by side, unlike the color of the blood pools that had been created in the process—a round stain made of cloudy pink color-drenched the floor. A silence had descended upon the onlookers.

Nate, who confirmed that the Troll was dead, said softly, “Thank you.”

Whistle. A wind passed by. Nate’s shadow shook. Ten zombies disappeared without a trace.

At this, Nate alone remained alone, staring at Troll’s body, as his eyes were full of hostility.