Chapter 25 (1/2)
Measure
Grading was not available every day, but every other week at the Hunter Center. If I missed this opportunity, I would have to wait more than a month, so I had to go.
The grading process that I experienced after a long while was still primitive.
“Mr. Seo Jin-wook? I will verify your identity… Yes. That’s good. Please put your hands on the stone here.”
It was complicated to measure potential Mana, so measuring active Mana was really the only way to do it.
“It has almost been a month since you Awakened. Do you have basic Mana control? Then pour all the Mana in your body on this stone.”
It was a method to quantify the Mana when the hunter himself injected Mana into a stone-shaped artifact.
The problem with this method was that they couldn’t catch the hunter in the act when they chose to pour just a little amount of Mana. By the logic of the current era, since a hunter had nothing to benefit from having one’s active Mana measured less than it was, they would stick to this method.
‘How much should be suitable?’
Meanwhile, my capacity had increased.
-Active Mana: 7,200 (+4,100) / 3,100
-Potential Mana: 76,000
The Constitution Department had no means to measure the potential Mana, so that was out of the question. My real active Mana capacity was 3,100, which belonged to the upper class of the D-Class Hunter.
If I included all active Mana created from Mana drain that could not be recovered when consumed, it was 7,200, but this was the amount of Mana that could earn a B-Class rating if I did well at the promotion test.
And, in the first place, a D or B rating was never given to a hunter immediately after the Awakening in this era. Therefore, it was a number that was unacceptable by common sense right now.
I read in the report that Seo Jin-wook, of his previous life, received an E-Class rating at the time of the first measurement.
‘So a reasonable number based on E-class standards should do it.’
I began mulling this over.
‘Since there’s a background that people are aware of, it’s complicated even if it’s too normal, perhaps to a reasonably excellent amount?’
Unfortunately, I had never seen the average and peak active Mana data for hunters who had first measured their rank in 2038.
Since I had never seen it, [The Successor’s Eyes] did not work, and I had no choice but to rely on the vague memory of ‘Was it this much in these times?’
When Mana was poured into the stone, the official’s eyebrows in charge of the measurement rose. He couldn’t hide the surprise as he looked at the machine.
The official then asked.
“…Are you finished?”
In my sense, it was no different from scooping out a few spoons of water from a well, but I spoke confidently, pretending.
“Yes, I made sure to scoop the last handful and put them all in.”
I harbored a strange feeling of stupidity.
When I thought about it, Choi Seung-hyun of his previous life had said similar things.
The official who was in charge of the measurement urged me to concentrate a little more and push with more strength.
Then I answered, ‘I put in until the last grain of it.’
The official shook his head, saying it couldn’t come out so little, but the result did not change. As my system message told me in advance, Choi Seung-hyun’s active Mana was 9.
In shame, I used to think that he must faint if I told him that my potential Mana was ‘1’.
“Ah, yes.”
Returning to reality to myself now, the official in front of Seo Jin-wook operated the device and printed out my hunter certificate.
He spoke with a shaken glance.
“Congratulations. You are in E-class. Active Mana is… 760.”
I asked as I received it.
“Thank you. Is this better than average?”
“Average? Originally, I shouldn’t be telling you in this way… I will tell you since it seems that our bosses are likely to give private messages of congratulations to Mr. Seo Jin-wook’s father anyway. It came out so much better than great. Probably would remain a record considering that it’s the first measurement after Awakening.”
The officials still looked at me with disbelief.
Looking at him, I muttered inside. If he found out that my potential Mana was 76,000, he would faint.
However, from the Constitutional Department’s perspective, there was no way to verify the potential Mana other than one’s statement. Therefore, there was no mandatory reporting required.
“Keep up the good work.”
I opened the door and came out.
-We will deliver the next news.
Secretary Kim was fully concentrating on watching TV in the waiting room.
-…the police spoke about the inter-Hunter violence in a warehouse the day before yesterday evening placed in Okcheon County, Chungbuk, an investigation set to examine the injured, four arrested at the scene. Meanwhile, they plan to set up the special headquarters for a joint investigation with the Hunter Management Department.
-The unidentified dungeon, also known as the illegal dungeon, currently found in the building was found to be in a ‘somewhat unstable’ state, increasing anxiousness among nearby residents. According to the relevant laws, the Hunter Management Department must assemble an expedition unit to be assigned to the dungeon within two weeks.
I approached him and spoke up.
“It’s done. Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Secretary Kim jumped up. He then asked in a whisper as he came up to me.
“Is it···?”
The question was obvious. I immediately answered.
“It’s 760.”
“…I am not surprised anymore.”
“Speak up after you relax those wide-open eyes.”
Seeing Secretary Kim and I moving along, other hunters in the waiting room murmured. As it’s being measured every other week, there were quite many crowds, from the newly Awakened hunters to the hunters who visited for promotion.
“Did you hear that? They said they came from the Celestial Dragon Guild.”
“Oh, right. The eldest son there was the same age as us, right?”
“Oh, I envy him. Those kids even have bodyguards when they come to be tested.”
“Then, is that the guy behind those rumors? That his potential Mana will be huge!”
“Is his measurement results good? Since he has potential, he shouldn’t have a small amount of active Mana, right?”
“Oh, those kids have instructors attached to them 24/7. Wouldn’t he have already activated as much as he can?”
I held back my laughter while listening to their murmurs. Instructor? He did try to stay near me 24/7. It was difficult to play along.
On the other hand, unlike most hunters who just envied, the conversation between a few people in the corner was negative.
I gave a little glance to them with the waiting number on their chest—two women and one man. What they had in common with me was that they were each accompanied by an attendant like me.
They tried to lower their voice as much as possible, but my body, which had already been significantly upgraded with Mana, captured all the smallest sounds.
“Sister, that’s him. Seo Jin-wook. Seo Gyu-cheol’s eldest son.”
“I was wondering if I’m going to see him next month or so, but I get to see him here. I heard that he’s a complete lunatic? My brother despises him.”
“Well, I’m okay with a shitty personality with that face. Is he a ‘bad guy’ style? It’s charming, you know.”
“Sister, please wake up. You fall by looking at his face. Celestial Dragon defends him as much as possible, but the rumor has spread through most major guilds. They said that he’s not just a bad guy but is a maniac. More than the personality, they say it’s an illness.”
I can hear you all, people.
Secretary Kim also deliberately turned the topic, quickening his steps as if he heard their conversation, too.
These days, I had changed like a completely different person, but he must be worried that if it got into my ears, I would cause trouble in the same way as before.
Away, what did he mean when he said he would see me next month? I familiarized their faces for now.
“Oh yeah. Team Leader.”
Secretary Kim whispered quietly. “You do know that you have to see the Guild Master right away when we get home, right?”
I nodded.
It turned out that after Awakening a month ago, Seo Gyu-cheol only had an instructor attached to me. He never ate a meal with me.
And the time to find me again was the day the level measurement results are released?