Chapter 10
“Done.”
I checked myself in the mirror and finished straightening my clothes.
“Miss, it’s about time to go~!”
At the same time, I heard Yura calling from outside my room.
“If we want to get your awakening confirmed at the Association, we need to leave as soon as possible! That way, we can get it done before the line gets long!”
Today was January 1, almost exactly half a year and another two or three months since I’d possessed this body.
It was also ‘Awakening Day,’ when seventeen-year-old boys and girls with mana awakened their abilities.
At midnight on January 1, their abilities awakened automatically, so the boys and girls who had turned seventeen had to visit the Hunter Association the next morning.
Since so many people came, they couldn’t confirm everyone’s awakening in a single day. The registration period ran from January 1 to January 5, so there was some leeway.
But I had to register in a single day.
The Association was undoubtedly after the Sword Emperor family, and if I was late, they might use that as an excuse to target me again. So I planned to be at the entrance before the Association opened at nine.
That was why I’d been rushing to get ready since early morning, and now, at seven, I was all set.
If we took the car Yura was driving to Gangnam, where the Association was located, we were expected to arrive around eight.
“I’m ready, Yura. Let’s go.”
I left my room and headed out of the house with Yura, who’d been waiting for me.
After that, we set off for Seoul.
The roads were quiet.
That was to be expected, since we’d left at seven.
On January 1, people usually flocked to the eastern coasts of Gangwon-do, North Gyeongsang Province, and South Gyeongsang Province to watch the sunrise.
Of course, even on a day like this, there were cars on the road, including the occasional passenger car or truck driven by people who had to go to work.
—Or there were people like me, heading out early to register their awakenings.
“By the way, miss. You remember what I told you yesterday, right?”
“About Hunter registration after awakening registration, right?”
Yesterday, Yura had told me about Hunter registration after awakening registration.
Of course, I already knew about it.
The Hunter Association had two main functions.
First, confirming awakenings.
And second, Hunter registration.
Awakening registration was exactly what it sounded like: confirming what abilities seventeen-year-olds with mana had awakened.
Those with offensive or support abilities were recommended for Hunter roles, while those with other abilities were simply checked and sent home.
The next step was Hunter registration.
After that, you took a simple test based on the ability you’d awakened.
Since everyone registering as a Hunter was an aspiring Hunter, they had combat skills even if they weren’t professional Hunters yet, so they took a test related to that.
Whether you passed or failed was determined by the test results.
Of course, aspiring Hunters who awakened support-type abilities took a different test.
Since their abilities weren’t related to combat in the first place, their tests were clearly different from those for people who awakened combat-type abilities.
I knew the passing standards for this test were similar to those for combat-type abilities.
Anyway, Hunter registration didn’t take place on the day of awakening registration.
You needed time to figure out exactly what your newly awakened ability could do, so it was separate from awakening registration.
There was no set deadline, either. You could take the test whenever you wanted.
Of course, I intended to take it right away.
In the story, Yoo Seol-a waited until March, after she’d completely mastered her ability, but I already knew everything about it.
There was no need for me to put off Hunter registration.
Since entering Gates was essential if I wanted to grow stronger as quickly as possible, I was going to register as a Hunter today.
“But are you really sure about this? Registering as a Hunter right away….”
“I already understand my ability, and I’ve thought through how to use it. I guess I have my temporary awakening to thank for that.”
Yura had objected, but after I brought up the temporary awakening and showed her that I could use my abilities freely, she reluctantly gave me permission.
On the condition that she would come with me into the Gate, though.
“Sigh. I’m worried…. Even if the test has you fight virtual monsters summoned by a system created by one of the Association’s crafting Hunters, while you’re wearing safety equipment they made….”
“I’ve defeated a Lizardman Warrior with my temporary awakening, so there shouldn’t be a problem. It’s just a test. They’re not going to summon anything stronger than a C-rank monster, are they?”
“I’m worried because the Hunter Association might try something after what happened last time…. And the chairman won’t be there this time, either. Sigh….”
“That’s why you’ll be with me, right? So you can step in if anything seems off.”
“Yes, that’s true. I hope nothing like that happens, though.”
No matter how reckless the Hunter Association was, they wouldn’t pull anything strange in a matter like this.
The government kept a close eye on awakening and Hunter registration, so the Hunter Association had to show some restraint.
They hadn’t gotten involved much in other matters, though, which was how corruption had taken root.
—The chairman’s constant absence was a factor, too.
“But your ability really is fascinating, miss. You can attack, provide support, and even create things with it.”
“It’s an ability related to dokkaebi, just like it sounds. When you think of the dokkaebi from folklore, it makes sense that it can do all that. And it’s not just a regular dokkaebi ability—it’s the ability of the Dokkaebi Princess, so that might be why it’s even more versatile.”
“I think it suits you perfectly, miss. Still, there may be parts you haven’t mastered yet, so I hope you’ll focus on what you do best.”
“Yeah. I will.”
Yura and I continued chatting as we traveled.
Before long, we arrived at the Korean Hunter Association.
◈
“Number 1, please come to the Awakening Registration Room.”
“Let’s go, miss.”
“Yeah.”
Since we’d arrived so early, I was the first to go through awakening registration.
After I arrived, the seventeen-year-olds who’d come to register their awakenings started showing up one by one with their parents. The line behind me was already packed and chaotic, so I was glad I’d come early.
“Please show me your ID.”
When I entered the Awakening Registration Room, I saw ten counters.
I went to Counter No. 1, the one on the far left, and showed my ID to the Association employee waiting there.
“I’ve confirmed your identity, Ms. Yoo Seol-a. Please place your hand on the scanning plate here.”
Following the employee’s instructions, I placed my hand on the flat plate.
“You’ll feel a slight tingling sensation.”
Crackle….
The employee pressed a button connected to the plate, and I felt a slight tingle in my hand.
It was an incredibly unpleasant sensation, but I had to put up with it, since this was how they checked the abilities of people who had awakened.
“Let’s see. Your ability is called Dokkaebi. It’s an offensive-type ability.”
‘As expected, it can’t detect the finer details of an ability.’
Even in the story, you couldn’t learn the details of an awakened ability through the scanning plate.
Well, that was only natural for a device like this.
An ability was a person’s trump card, so naturally, it wouldn’t reveal everything about it.
The reason Yoo Seol-a was called the Dokkaebi Princess was that she was the Sword Emperor’s granddaughter and used a dokkaebi ability. It was an epithet completely separate from her ability itself.
Honestly, I’d been curious how it would work in this place, where I’d possessed someone and made the story real. Thankfully, just like in the story, it couldn’t confirm the finer details of my ability.
“Next, your mana level is…. Huh? Why is it showing up like this?”
After finishing the check of my ability, the employee moved on to check my mana level, but seemed confused.
The mana field had probably displayed ‘error.’
An S-rank Hunter’s mana couldn’t possibly be measured with a scanning plate like this.
“Senior, could you come over for a moment?”
“What’s going on?”
Since this was the first time something like this had happened to the employee at Counter No. 1, they seemed to be asking the person at the next counter for help.
“I’m checking this young lady’s information, but her mana level is showing up as an error.”
“What?! An error?!”
The employee at the next counter seemed to know what an error meant. They sprang to their feet, looking shocked.
“Let me take a look. …Holy crap.”
The employee from the next counter came over and started checking the monitor.
After seeing it, the employee gave me a quick look, then stared at me like I was some kind of zoo animal.
“Ms. Jihye, I’ll handle this person. Switch places with me for a moment. You’re new, Ms. Jihye—you shouldn’t be handling someone like her.”
“Ah, yes. Understood, sir.”
The two of them switched places for a moment.
Because I was S-rank.
“Your name is Yoo Seol-a…? Could you be the Sword Emperor’s granddaughter who came here about half a year ago because of a mistake by the Hunter Management Division?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“The Sword Emperor family is truly blessed. The Sword Emperor’s granddaughter has followed in his footsteps and become an S-rank…. Congratulations,”
“Thank you.”
Maybe because they were a low-ranking Association employee, I could tell they were congratulating me with genuine warmth.
“You’re going to register as a Hunter, right?”
“Yes. I was planning to take the test today anyway.”
“Excuse me…? The test today?”
The employee stared at me in surprise when I said I wasn’t just making an appointment for Hunter registration but was going to take the test today.
That was only natural. Most people spent two or three months adjusting to their abilities before taking the test.
“I got used to my ability during the temporary awakening. I even fought, so I’m even more familiar with it.”
“Now that you mention it, that was why you came in before…. But are you really sure? It’s been half a year since that happened.”
“I started feeling that familiar sensation again after I awakened at midnight, so I think I’ll be fine.”
“Hmm…. Then I’ll take you to the Hunter Registration Division. They’ll give you a full briefing there before you take the test. And you can withdraw partway through, so don’t push yourself. Understood?”
They seemed genuinely concerned.
“I understand.”
“Now that your case has been transferred, please wait in the waiting room. Someone from the Hunter Registration Division will come for you.”
“Thank you. I’ll be going, then.”
I stood up from my chair and headed to the waiting room with Yura, as instructed.
Then we waited there for a while.
“Is anyone here registering as a Hunter today?”
“Ah, that’s me.”
“Please follow me. I’ll show you to the Hunter Registration Division.”
A little while later, someone from the Hunter Registration Division came and showed me the way.
And so, we headed down to the basement, where the Hunter Registration Division was located.
When we arrived, the staff who were clearly gathered for the Hunter test were already waiting.
‘Ah, of all people, he’s here….’
Among them was someone I already disliked.
“You’re our first Hunter registrant today. Welcome. I’m Nam Gi-seok, head of the Hunter Registration Division. I look forward to working with you, Ms. Yoo Seol-a.”
He was none other than Nam Gi-seok, the head of the Hunter Registration Division.