Chapter 2
【 Korean Hunter Gallery 】
[ Information ] The Distribution of Hunters by Rank and Their Abilities.
Author : I Want to Awaken
Today, let's learn about Hunters' ranks and abilities.
As everyone knows, Awakened ranks range from the lowest, F-Rank, to A-Rank.
A lot of people get this wrong, but an Awakened person's rank is separate from the rank of their trait.
I've prepared a table to make things easier to understand.
The following summary is not an absolute standard, since every Awakened person's stats differ greatly. Don't take it as gospel.
F-Rank = Physical abilities are almost no different from those of ordinary people. This rank is rarer than A-Rank. Unlike ordinary people, F-Rank Awakened can grow by hunting monsters. They possess a trait.
E-Rank = Physical abilities are noticeably different from those of ordinary people…
……
……
A-Rank = If a B-Rank is a superhuman who can see and dodge bullets, an A-Rank is a genuine monster who remains unharmed even after taking a direct hit from artillery. Naturally, since it's a high rank, there is quite a gap between the weakest and strongest A-Rankers. Most people who receive this rank were awakened with at least C-Rank, and often B-Rank or higher.
S-Rank = A rank reached by only a tiny number of Awakened after a long period of growth. Even now, ten years after the Gate crisis began, S-Rank Hunters can be counted on one hand. It's practically an honorary rank. And yet even S-Rank Hunters can't clear S-Rank Gates, for fuck's sake. Shouldn't the Association revise its ranking system?
“As expected….”
Naturally, there was no information about EX-Rank.
“Pant, pant….”
On top of that, an anomaly had appeared not only in my status window, but also in Happy's pet status window, even though its life functions should have stopped long ago.
[ Name 》 Happy ]
[ Model Name 》 Jellykko MK - 1]
[ Magic Core Rank 》 None ]
[ Lifespan 》 Permanent (Under Contract) ]
“Can this… possibly be real…?”
The F-Rank magic core that Happy should originally have possessed had vanished entirely. Its lifespan was strange as well.
‘What does “under contract” mean? If its lifespan is permanent, could it be immortal?’
I didn't understand it well, but if the status window was telling the truth, then this Jellykko had definitely already transcended the category of magic beasts.
Happy himself, however, didn't seem to have noticed any of this at all.
“Pant, pant….”
“Huh….”
Returning to my own trait, Magic Beast Alchemist.
【 Magic Beast Alchemist 》 EX-Rank 】
The rank of my trait, which had been E-Rank, had become EX-Rank.
Could it simply be a display error?
‘That can't be.’
There had never been a single observed error in a system window.
I didn't know exactly how high EX-Rank was, but one thing was certain: it was a rank that existed beyond S-Rank, the highest rank currently known.
‘……If this is real, just how powerful has my ability become?’
Even being A-Rank would make me a valuable talent the country would practically hunt down for…
Whatever the case, determining what my ability could do was the top priority.
I went to the shop.
Of course, it wasn't to do business.
The small-scale cultivation equipment installed in the shop.
I stood in front of it and activated my trait.
【 Design 】
【 Cultivation 】
【 Enhancement 】
【 This function is not unlocked. 】
“…Enhancement is new.”
With my previous rank of E-Rank, I had only been able to use the Design and Cultivation functions.
But a new function, 【 Enhancement 】, had appeared in the work window, which had previously contained only the basic skills of a Magic Beast Alchemist.
The 【 Enhancement 】 function should be a C-Rank ability, since it was something the team leader could use.
There seemed to be several more functions below it, but apparently I couldn't use all of them yet.
It was a shame, but even this was incredible.
“Hmm, shall I test out the new function first?”
【 Enhancement 】 was a function that literally enhanced a magic beast's traits or abilities.
Even if magic beasts were cultivated using the same design and equipment, their performance could differ tremendously depending on a single use of 【 Enhancement 】.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this difference in 【 Enhancement 】 was what separated the classes of pets within the same rank.
Naturally, it was also an extremely difficult and demanding process.
Magic beasts each had different traits and mechanisms.
I had to pay attention to every single one of those traits and tune them so that no rejection occurred.
In other words, countless trials and errors were essential to increase the success rate of enhancement.
“Hmm… Shall I try it on this one?”
“……Hiss.”
I took the turtle, roughly the size of a human head, out of the cage and placed it on the workbench.
[ Name 》 Undecided ]
[ Model Name 》 Rune Turtle V - 3]
[ Magic Core Rank 》 Processed E-Rank Core ]
[ Lifespan 》 8 months ]
Those were the turtle's basic details.
And its trait was…
[ Trait 》 Rune Barrier (E-Rank) ]
‘Rune Barrier.’
The Rune Turtle was a combat-support pet with a trait that allowed it to create a magic barrier using the runes engraved on its shell.
I hadn't designed the Rune Turtle myself. I had paid to purchase someone else's design and cultivated it.
Since this turtle had an extremely simple structure, it was highly suitable for enhancement experiments.
For reference, if the success rate of enhancement was too low, failure could severely harm the pet. That was why I had chosen a model with the simplest possible structure and a trait whose results would be clearly noticeable after enhancement.
I froze—
Before enhancing it, I realized one major problem.
“Ah, now that I think about it, I don't have proper enhancement equipment here. Even if I bought it now, it would have to be shipped from overseas, so it wouldn't arrive for quite a while….”
A research institute was one thing, but in my shop, which had nothing beyond basic cultivation equipment, I couldn't perform a proper enhancement.
It wasn't completely impossible, but enhancement involved working with a living magic beast, so it required many delicate and precise pieces of auxiliary equipment.
All I had right now were the most basic catalysts and reagents.
“Hiss….”
Just as I was standing in front of the Rune Turtle, deep in thought…
띠링-!
[ Presenting directions for improving the target model ‘Rune Turtle V - 3.’ ]
Along with the system window, guidelines appeared before my eyes.
“This is…!”
The Rune Turtle's internal structure was rendered in 3D inside my mind, and I intuitively understood a variety of possibilities.
It felt like I had borrowed the omnipotent senses of a transcendent being that had spent its entire life creating and modifying creatures like these.
But as that sensation spread, I felt as though my brain were burning away. An instinctive warning bell rang, telling me not to focus on this sensation any longer.
I couldn't help but understand, even if I hated the reason, why most of my abilities had been locked away.
‘This isn't a realm humans can reach…!!’
I hurriedly tore myself away from that sensation and gasped for breath.
“Huff… huff….”
It had lasted only a moment, but through that transcendent sense, I had seen what kind of enhancement would be effective in my current situation.
“Hiss….”
The Rune Turtle looked up at me as I caught my breath.
Something about those unfocused eyes made my head grow strangely cold.
“……It's a little late to ask this, but is it really okay for me to modify your body however I want?”
The god of Jelly Dogs had said that Happy possessed a soul.
That meant these magic beasts must possess souls as well. They weren't beings that simply moved according to inputted programming.
The ethical issue I had always thought about since awakening and creating magic beasts.
“……No matter how I dress it up, this is ultimately an act of playing with a living being.”
Even so… I wanted to aim for a higher realm.
I wanted to use this ability. I couldn't deny that desire.
I wanted to experience firsthand the power of an EX-Rank ability that could change my life.
I was an utterly ordinary small-time citizen, and I wasn't such a righteous person that I would reject an opportunity I had been given for the sake of ethics or conscience.
“……So at the very least, I'll do my best to make you the best among magic beasts of your kind.”
“Hiss….”
Give them outstanding abilities and help them find better owners.
That was the least I could do for a living being, as well as an excuse to convince myself.
Fortunately, I possessed the ability to carry it out.
[ Select the direction of enhancement. ]
[ The user's database information is of the highest quality. ]
[ Enhancement success rate increases dramatically. ]
[ Enhancement Success Rate 》 Extremely High ]
*
[ Trait 》 Rune Barrier (E-Rank) → Rune Barrier (C-Rank) ]
“Ha… I actually did it?”
Even though I had done it myself, it made no sense. The trait had jumped two ranks in a single stroke.
I improved the runes on the Rune Turtle's shell and installed an additional external magic core on top of it.
Attaching an external socket and connecting it to the magic circuit was an extremely high-level task under such poor conditions, but…
[ The sub-trait ‘Evolution Lord's Dexterity’ is activated. ]
[ The precision of the enhancement process improves. ]
[ The speed of the enhancement process improves. ]
The EX-Rank trait made even that sort of work easy.
The enhanced Rune Turtle's specifications were…
[ Name 》 Undecided ]
[ Model Name 》 Rune Turtle V - 3 ]
[ Magic Core Rank 》 E-Rank → E+-Rank ]
[ Lifespan 》 8 months → 10 months ]
[ This magic beast has undergone a special enhancement process. ]
“Did its lifespan increase because of the external core?”
The fact that a detachable external core directly helped extend its lifespan was another new discovery.
“This is excellent, though…?”
I had put it under general anesthesia so it wouldn't be stressed while I worked on its shell, so I still needed to keep watching it. But judging by the increased lifespan, there seemed to be a good chance the enhancement hadn't caused any negative effects.
In any case, the runes on its shell had become much clearer, and the hexagonal magic core glowing blue in the center looked incredibly beautiful from the outside as well.
Could I call it a jeweled turtle?
“Now all I need to do is find you an owner….”
The biggest problem…
Was that with a large pet shop next door, people rarely came to a hole-in-the-wall shop like this.
*
Inside a C-Rank Gate.
A man in light armor lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
“Haa… haa….”
The surroundings were filled with monster corpses and traces of a fierce battle.
A potbellied middle-aged man approached the man lying on the ground.
“Yoo Doo-sik, Yoo Doo-sik! How about our Doo-sik upgrades his specs a little more now? It's hard to watch you scrape by like that every time. Your damage is already lacking as it is, tsk, tsk….”
The man called Yoo Dusik couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
‘Fuck… Team Leader. Have you ever considered that I can't deal proper damage from the rear because you don't tank properly?’
But Yoo Dusik, a mere C-Rank Hunter, couldn't say what he was thinking out loud.
Kim was a B-Rank Hunter, after all.
All he could do was talk back.
“Haa… I've already done everything I can…? I have Medelis Tier 3 equipment, Ormeta accessories, buffs before entering, and even drug doping. What more am I supposed to do here, Team Leader….”
“Your pet slot's empty.”
“Didn't all the talented people leave our country long ago because of the regulations, ruining the pet business?”
“There are lots of good pets imported from overseas. Use foreign-made stuff like me. A lot of shops have opened lately, Dusik.”
Ha… It was obvious. He wanted to compare his newly acquired pet against Dusik's, didn't he?
The tiger-type magic beast he'd bought recently for 400 million won. Apparently, it had been made by a renowned artisan using a C-Rank magic core. Its appearance was certainly impressive, he had to admit that.
“Got it? Our Yoo Dusik is bringing a pet next time we come, okay?”
The other team members looked at Team Leader Kim with expressions that said, ‘Here he goes again….’
‘You bastard….’
Had this guy eaten his age through his ass? He didn't even tank properly, yet he tried to feel superior over something like this.
Well, he did tank. He just protected the female team members.
But what could Dusik do?
The guild benefits at his current guild were fairly decent, and it wasn't a good time to change guilds, so he had to endure it.
Sigh….
*
Yoo Dusik visited a large pet shop in Gaepo-dong.
“What!? Fifty million won?”
No, what the fuck…? Even the cheapest combat pet costs more than most pieces of equipment!?
“They're premium magic beasts designed and cultivated by the artisans of our ‘Lepta.’ Even if it's D-Rank, not all D-Rank pets are the same! It has definite demand not only as combat support, but also as a pet. Its lifespan is also an impressive four to five years, which is longer than that of most D-Rank magic beasts.”
“Ah… yes….”
He had thought he would buy a cheap pet and satisfy Team Leader Kim's sense of superiority, but it was more expensive than he'd expected… Combat pets were D-Rank at minimum, so he couldn't lower his budget any further….
Yoo Dusik ultimately left the building without buying a pet.
“Even so, fifty million is a bit much….”
As a C-Rank Hunter, he earned plenty of money, but he didn't want to spend a fortune just to satisfy Team Leader Kim's disgusting sense of superiority.
Tsk… But if he didn't buy anything at all, Kim would probably make a huge fuss again….
That was when Dusik noticed a small private pet shop tucked beside the large magic beast pet shop.
“……Well, even if it's not for combat, a magic beast is still a magic beast.”
Team Leader Kim might even like it more. It would make his own pet look even better by comparison.
*
Jingle-
“Excuse me. Is anyone here?”
“Ah, yes, welcome. Is there anything you're looking for?”
As soon as he entered the building, a clean-cut young man came out to assist him.
‘The owner is young. Is he a part-timer?’
“Um… Do you have anything sturdy enough to take into a C-Rank Gate?”
“Ah, I'm sorry. Our shop doesn't have any proper combat pets yet….”
That made sense. There was no way a little hole-in-the-wall shop like this could cultivate combat pets. The equipment, maintenance costs, and monster materials alone required a great deal for a private individual to handle, and creating combat magic beasts as a private business was inherently far too dangerous.
It wasn't difficult to infer that a lapse in management could let one escape the shop and cause civilian casualties.
The shop probably couldn't even receive a permit without a magic beast manager who had proper certification and experience as a Hunter.
Even Dusik, a layman, knew that much.
“Then I'd like to take home something reasonably sturdy… Do you have anything suitable?”
“Ah… yes… We do have one, but….”
The shop owner seemed to be watching his reaction.
‘…Why is he acting like that? Is there some kind of problem?’
…There was a problem.
Something strange was visible to Yoo Hyeon, the pet shop owner.
[ Name 》 Yoo Dusik ]
[ Species 》 Human ]
[ Awakened Rank 》 C-Rank ]
[ Position 》 Rear-Support Mage ]
[ Combat Tendency 》 Prefers serving as a stable stationary artillery platform. Prefers long casting sessions from a fixed position to unleash a powerful single strike. ]
[ Area for Improvement 》 Unable to display his proper abilities because of the inadequate frontline in his current team. Appears capable of fulfilling his role when working alongside an excellent tank. ]
‘No… What the hell is this…?’
A status window containing information about another Awakened person—information that should normally have been invisible—had appeared before his eyes.
It even included detailed information about the circumstances he was currently facing.