Chapter 21: A Peculiar F-Rank Hunter (3)
Because of his hat pulled low, he only drew a few glances and wasn't openly stared at.
But now that he was face to face in conversation, it seemed unavoidable that his face would be seen.
"Ahem..."
When Yeonwoo showed visible displeasure at the staff member blankly inspecting his face, she flinched in surprise.
Then, looking flustered, she lowered her head and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
"I-I'm sorry."
"It's fine. More importantly, I'm here to register as a Hunter."
"Hunter registration?!"
Why was her reaction so exaggerated?
Thanks to her loud response, curious gazes started gathering around them.
"Is he here to register as a new Hunter?"
"Seems like more people are awakening these days."
"But... doesn't he look kind of handsome?"
"Right? Go talk to him. If we say we’ll help him grow, he might follow us."
Bullshit filled the air, but Yeonwoo ignored it.
It was best to avoid public exposure until he regained his strength.
"I’m really sorry..."
Sighing at the woman who apologized over and over, Yeonwoo knew there was no point making a scene and drawing more attention.
It was best to get this over with quickly.
"Here’s my ID."
"Ah, thank you. Once the paperwork is processed, you can take the Ability User Activity Test right away."
Perhaps realizing her earlier behavior, she quickly got to work.
Maybe she knew Yeonwoo's goal, because Mulhoe mumbled something under her breath.
“-That woman gives me a bad feeling.”
“What is it?”
“-Nothing.”
Yeonwoo finished signing the documents and followed the staff member upstairs to the second floor.
"What the? Seunghye is personally guiding him?"
"That stuck-up lady? Seriously? That newbie must have something."
Could be a rich kid.
"Looks handsome enough. Maybe she’s smitten? Haha."
Yeonwoo ignored the voices behind him.
Whether this Seunghye woman liked him or not didn’t matter to him in the slightest.
***
In the past, Yeonwoo had been one of the first Hunters to experience the First Hellgate.
He had made a name for himself as a Recon Hunter.
But after getting entangled in turf wars and losing his younger sibling, he eventually faced death.
He spent the next thirteen years in the Rune Continent, losing everything as a Hunter but gaining everything as a Spirit Master before returning to Earth.
Now, thirteen years later, some parts of Earth were familiar, while others had become completely foreign.
The newly expanded Ability Test Center was quite grand.
The inside was a large white room with no furnishings.
The walls looked especially reinforced.
The sign read “Abilities Test - Non-Physical,” suggesting a different format from those who tested physical poowess like tankers.
"You said you're a ranged damage dealer in the magic class. Do you need anything for the test?"
Seunghye, insistent on conducting the test herself for some reason, asked him. Yeonwoo quietly looked into the air and muttered.
‘Status Window.’
Name - Park Yeonwoo
Age - 36
Gender - Male
Status Effects - None
Rank - F
Level 1 (Rank up at Level 10)
Physical & Ability Stats (Compared to average humans, baseline 9~11. Mana and Spirit Power 0 for average humans):
Strength 40 (Racial Trait)
Agility 38 (Racial Trait)
Stamina 45 (Racial Trait)
Mana 20
Spirit Power 385
Armor-Penetrating Attack Power 20 (Racial Trait)
Defense 284 [Scale Robe of Artemis +250]
-Skills Held:
Target Information Activation [F-Rank]
Summon Lowest-tier Spirit, Gnome.
-Current Techniques:
Current Levels: Blacksmithing Lv. 3, Crafting Lv. 2, Enchanting Lv. 5, Magic 1st Circle Intermediate (Racial Trait: Long Chant Cancellation)
-Possesses excessive Spirit Power within the soul
No major changes yet, but Areum, his quirky, lowest-tier spirit had clearly imprinted her presence.
‘What should I show?’
He was told to conceal about 30% of his ability. Thinking of basic F-rank Hunter abilities, Yeonwoo quietly closed his eyes and gathered mana into his hand.
It was only a speck, but since first-circle magic used little mana, it was manageable.
Illusions were key. With scout-types being rare these days, it was better not to reveal his true abilities.
Areum’s presence was also far from ordinary and would stand out too much.
‘Magic Missile.’
Ping!
As soon as he finished the chant, a few palm-sized arrows formed in the air.
"Ah, an unaligned damage dealer. Would it be alright to test firepower?"
As if not expecting much due to his F-rank, Seunghye pulled out a small target from the corner.
Yeonwoo fired the magic missiles at a moderate speed.
Even if he shot with full force, it wouldn’t be that powerful but deception was essential.
Swaaaa! Bang!
The missiles flew and pierced through the wooden target.
The firepower wasn’t that high for the size, as it didn’t leave too many holes.
By past combat Hunter standards, this was bottom-tier performance.
Though he held back, most first-circle magic was weak anyway.
Seunghye’s expression showed a brief moment of disappointment.
"Ah... Confirmed."
Looking at the target, she nodded with a slightly darkened face.
"Did I pass?"
"Yes... For now. Firepower is a bit low, but sometimes ranks change and attributes evolve."
Her trailing words and silence showed just how disappointed she was.
Yeonwoo never told her to expect anything.
Her being disappointed was frankly ridiculous.
As she led him outside, Yeonwoo heard her mutter under her breath.
"W-Well. No one starts off strong... With that face and body, who cares if his abilities are a bit lacking."
Clearly, she wasn’t interested in his potential but wanted some connection with him.
Truthfully, she was known to be sharp-tongued.
She even once told weak damage dealers not to bother being Hunters.
Her sudden change in attitude over a face wasn't rare, so Yeonwoo had nothing to say.
‘Hah, being handsome’s a problem too.’
“-Looks like she’s into you?”
Was that teasing, or genuine curiosity?
At least there was no malice in the voice.
For a navigator with an odd personality, she wasn’t entirely robotic, which was a relief.
‘Shut up, you punk.’
Yeonwoo playfully scolded with an intent-based message and calmly followed her out.
From there, everything moved swiftly.
Using a fake ID, he received his Hunter certification and Hunter code.
Unless someone looked deeply into him, it would be hard to tell it was forged.
He also received the metal necklace proving Hunter status and got an account on the official Hunter site.
Now he could operate freely using the app or online.
He also got the standard list of prohibited Hunter actions and information about Cores.
But it was all common knowledge, nothing to pay close attention to.
‘I’d rather hunt solo if I can... but the sun’s already down.’
He sighed. His chest felt heavy.
To stay hidden, he needed dungeons or fields where he could fight unnoticed.
But solo play, especially in low-level fogs or higher ranks, was strictly forbidden.
This was especially true for low-tier Hunters.
Sometimes even one rank lower was disallowed.
Essentially, party play was heavily recommended.
A single injury could lead to financial losses, especially in Korea.
With so few Hunters, even small mistakes could lead to deaths.
There was no reason to reduce numbers further.
***
He could sneak in if he really wanted, but Yeonwoo’s goal wasn’t to go wild alone.
It was to find Spirit Stones, grow Areum, and form new contracts with other spirits.
It was worth checking out several nearby places.
He could prepare for solo play later.
According to Mulhoe, most people hunted once or twice a day.
Mental fatigue and poor condition hindered ability use, same as the past.
Yeonwoo scrolled through the online board where people were hastily forming parties.
Field: V-Mart Saturn Branch Parking Lot.
• F-rank and above
• F-rank or above weapons or armor. Exceptions for ranged dealers or healers without weapon needs.
• Optional healing potions
Most groups demanded a certain standard of gear.
But this post Yeonwoo picked up was flexible, almost ignoring specs.
Likely because the field was small-scale and lowest difficulty.
Other posts had all kinds of absurd requirements.
"This goddamn spec-obsessed society never changes."
On paper, Yeonwoo’s specs were unimpressive.
With your real stats, Yeonwoo, you'd easily qualify for D-rank.
Maybe even higher. You’ve got freakish levels of Spirit Power...
Not only were his stats not low, but he also had armor-piercing power two levels above his current rank.
Considering his knowledge, even higher was plausible.
But Yeonwoo didn’t plan to draw attention.
Mulhoe seemed to understand that and offered appropriately careful advice.
"Let’s go with this one. It departs tomorrow, and it’s late anyway. I’ll need to find another place to stay."
Embarrassing as it was, today was just a loss.
The room he’d rented had already been wrecked by Areum.
He’d have to find a new one, farther away.
Every time things seemed to settle, something went wrong.
It felt like he was cursed.
