WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈
Chapter 61: All Set (1)
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The Hunter Seok Simyeong had sent led me to a meeting room with thorough soundproofing and security. It was a little smaller and more heavily used than the place I had visited because of the rearing facility incident.
Was this where they usually discussed guild business? Where was Yoohyun’s seat? After hesitating a little, I sat in a chair set apart from the others.
Seok Simyeong, who had waited for me to sit first, took the seat opposite me. The look he gave me was creepily warm.
“Hmm, this may be an unexpected topic, but what do you think of the Awakening Center?”
“The Awakening Center?”
Seok Simyeong narrowed his eyes as though it really was unexpected.
“Yes. There are about three months left until its announcement, I believe. The interior construction must be in full swing by now. If you know anything about it, I’d like to hear a detailed explanation of the Awakening Center’s facilities.”
It was not as if I did not know. TV had explained it repeatedly and in great detail. At my words, Seok Simyeong readily nodded.
“The core of the Awakening Center is the A-rank item, Illusion Maze. It is a mental-type item that shows its target an illusion nearly indistinguishable from reality. However, as is common with mental-type items and skills, it stops working once the Mental Strength stat rises even slightly. Even someone around E-rank will feel a disconnect. But when used on non-Awakened people, it can safely give them a realistic threat and trigger Awakening.”
The Awakening Center’s method was simple. It showed people an illusion of being attacked by monsters and Awakened them. There were occasional cases of psychological trauma, but it was a relatively safe and reliable method.
Naturally, most people Awakened with combat skills or combat support skills. Their Awakening was meant to help them survive monsters.
“The average Awakening takes under seventeen minutes per person. Since mental issues may arise, there is a thirty-minute time limit. The Association currently possesses five Illusion Mazes, each of which can apply the illusion to up to thirty people at once.”
“Then roughly one hundred and fifty people will Awaken every thirty minutes.”
“Since the Awakening rate is not one hundred percent, the actual number will be slightly lower. Still, I hear they intend to begin with one thousand people a day, then increase the number to three thousand within six months.”
Even at just one thousand people per day, that was ten thousand in ten days and thirty thousand in a month. If the future ratio held, one person in every hundred, two hundred out of those twenty thousand, would receive a Hunter license.
Had the initial thousand even lasted two days? Under public pressure, it had quickly risen to three thousand, then four thousand. They did not even take days off. The news headline at the time had been: Over 100,000 Awakened in the Awakening Center’s First Month!
That meant a thousand rookie Hunters had poured out in a single month. As someone who had stood at the center of that mess, I could not help frowning.
“Don’t you think that’s too many? Dungeons are already being managed safely enough.”
Seok Simyeong hesitated slightly, then nodded.
“There are certainly concerns. Rookie Hunters will suddenly come pouring out in droves.”
“Exactly. Hundreds of people will get new Hunter licenses each month. Most of them will be low-rank Hunters, and all those people will rush into dungeons.”
It would be better if they gave up on becoming Hunters due to middling stats. The problem was when they did not. Especially in the Awakening Center’s early days, almost no Hunters quit. Everyone around them encouraged them, and TV only talked about success.
“The quality of training will naturally decline, and there will be shortages of low-rank items.”
Awakening through the Awakening Center did not come with a registration subsidy, and the basic program cost money. At first, it was a week-long residential program like before, but that soon dropped to three days, then one day at the end.
“Yes. As Han Yujin said, various problems will arise.”
But Seok Simyeong continued.
“People want to become Awakened. Few people will be able to resist the temptation of being told that anyone can easily become one.”
That was certainly true. Just looking at the unending lines of people camping outside the Awakening Center for days and nights showed how appealing it was.
Even I had run to the Awakening Center first.
“If such a dream facility is restricted halfway, countless people will become dissatisfied. Of course, around one hundred people a day would be appropriate for safety. That would mean about thirty new Hunters each month, allowing for stable management. But if a facility capable of Awakening up to three thousand people is limited to one thirtieth of its capacity, approval ratings that had soared would hit rock bottom.”
Approval ratings? So it was a political matter.
“Sounds like there are a lot of people involved. Mostly on the political side.”
“That is likely the case.”
Seok Simyeong smiled bitterly.
“They cannot simply lie and say that only one hundred people per day are possible. There are already many Hunters who know what Illusion Maze can do. Moreover, even if the Awakening Center imposes limits, private Awakening Centers will surely appear once the method becomes public. It has been decided that the Association will manage mental-type items and skills of C-rank or above, but not everyone will obediently follow that. In the end, it will be difficult to realistically prevent unprepared low-rank Hunters from pouring out.”
“But if so many people die or are injured, the social repercussions will be enormous. There is a high chance that major guilds will be dragged in as well.”
They really had been.
“Yes, I know. So, ahem.”
Even though we were alone, Seok Simyeong lowered his voice.
“They intend to put MKC forward as a sacrificial lamb.”
“A sacrificial lamb?”
“Yes. They need a guild to take the blows on behalf of the other major guilds. They plan to pressure it using the previous kidnapping incident as an excuse.”
Uh... Hmm. Seok Simyeong, I think Haeyeon Guild was originally supposed to take that burden.
Three or so large guilds, including Haeyeon, had been publicly beaten up as representatives. They had monopolized easy dungeons, gotten lucky and secured advantageous positions but provided no support for latecomers, look at how these guilds exploit low-rank Hunters, and so on. The government and Association had pushed it as the fault of a few guilds, then flooded the news with other sensational articles.
I had been too busy getting beaten up myself to remember anything outside my own affairs clearly.
MKC would make an excellent punching bag.
“And regardless of the election issue, producing many Awakened through the Awakening Center is necessary.”
Seok Simyeong continued in a slightly reluctant but firm voice.
“Dungeons are managed safely now, but we do not know how long that will continue. As you know, Han Yujin, the proportion of high-grade Hunters is extremely low. To produce enough high-grade Hunters from such a low proportion, it is unavoidable that countless low-rank Hunters will emerge along the way.”
“Still, shouldn’t the sacrifices be kept from becoming too great?”
“We intend to minimize them as much as possible. Even if things become chaotic for a while, they will stabilize before long.”
Yeah, well. Things had gone wild for about the first year before stabilizing. As the number of high-grade and mid-rank Hunters increased dramatically, the dungeon industry had developed even further.
A sigh slipped out of me.
Just saying, “It’ll be dangerous if you go about it that simply,” was not enough. Of course, the people involved were not idiots. They must have fully anticipated the risks.
“Han Yujin, I fully understand your concerns, but.”
“If we make people stop going to the Awakening Center on their own, and find high-grade Awakened faster than the Awakening Center can, then there will be no problem.”
“...What?”
Seok Simyeong’s eyes widened. The confusion on his face quickly turned to brightness.
“Do you have some new method?”
“Yes, well...”
I began to speak, then closed my mouth. If Yoohyun found out I had revealed this, he would probably make a fuss again.
“I think my younger brother, the Haeyeon Guildmaster, should know as well.”
“Ah, yes! He happens to be in the guild right now.”
“I’ll call him.”
I called Yoohyun. He picked up before the ringtone could properly sound even once.
“What is it, Hyung? I heard you’re with Team Leader Seok.”
...When had he heard that? Was he getting reports on every little thing I did? Surely not.
“Are you busy? There’s something important I need to discuss.”
“No, I’m not busy. I was checking equipment for mounts. I’ll come right over.”
Not long after, Yoohyun entered the meeting room. He was my little brother, but he really was tall and handsome. A different type of handsome from Park Hayul, I suppose. Park Hayul was handsome too, but he had a more delicate appearance, while Yoohyun’s features were bolder and flashier.
He was taller, too. And had a better body.
“Hyung.”
My little brother beamed at me.
“Yeah, Yoohyun. It’s about the Awakening Center.”
I smiled back and briefly explained what Seok Simyeong and I had discussed. My brother nodded along, saying he already knew about it, but then his expression completely hardened.
“No.”
“I haven’t even gotten to the point yet.”
“No, anyway, no.”
When Yoohyun became that serious, Seok Simyeong tapped his toes anxiously. He looked like he was dying of curiosity but could not bring himself to say anything because he was watching the Guildmaster’s reaction.
“I know why you’re worried. But Yoohyun, Hyung has to say this.”
“Hyung!”
My little brother finally shot to his feet. Judging by his face, he looked ready to grab me by the nape and drag me out. ...He would not actually drag me out, right? And start talking about a life of confinement or something.
“Calm down and sit.”
“But!”
“Guildmaster, could you at least hear him out? I swear that I will never reveal anything said here.”
Seok Simyeong cautiously cut in. Yoohyun looked back and forth between Seok Simyeong and me as he considered it. It did not seem like he would easily tell me to speak, so I just blurted it out.
“I’m thinking of creating a Special Awakening Center.”
“A Special Awakening Center?”
“Hyung, seriously!”
“I said sit.”
My little brother glared at me, then finally sat back down. The way he pressed his lips shut made him look sulky.
“As the name says, it will be an Awakening Center specializing in Awakened people with special skills. The Association’s Awakening Center can only trigger combat-related Awakenings for now.”
“...Is that possible?”
“Yes. My skill lets me see a non-Awakened person’s potential Awakening stats and optimized initial skill. Once you know their optimized initial skill, it is not very difficult to tailor an Awakening to it.”
“...Why does it have to be you, Hyung?”
Yoohyun grumbled almost like a groan. I had not planned to reveal this, as promised, but circumstances were what they were.
“So...”
Seok Simyeong continued blankly.
“You can see the expected abilities of non-Awakened people, huh, without any limits?”
“Of course. From F-rank to S-rank and above. Though with skills, I have to guess their effects from the name alone.”
“Such... such a thing.”
Seok Simyeong’s expression settled. After taking a deep breath, he said, “Ah.”
“Did you find Hunter Park Yerim with that skill as well?”
“Let’s call it a coincidence before I got the skill, for my credibility’s sake. In truth, discovering an S-rank Hunter is practically the same as a coincidence anyway, is it not?”
“Yes, yes. Of course. Then you intend to keep people from going to the regular Awakening Center with this Special Awakening Center?”
“Yes. The method is simple. We limit the Special Awakening Center to about one hundred people a day. On top of that, we announce that if someone Awakens through the combat-focused regular Awakening Center, they cannot obtain the special skill suited to their original aptitude.”
Of course, depending on the person, they might obtain it as their level 10 skill. But it would not be easy. To raise their level, they would need to clear dungeons, naturally focusing only on combat ability. So most people obtained combat-related level 10 skills as well.
“There is still plenty of time before the Awakening Center opens, so I plan to gather Awakened people with special skills before then. It would be best if they have low stats and powerful special skills. Most Awakened are F-rank. These people would have become ordinary F-ranks if they had undergone regular Awakening. But they Awakened special skills suited to their aptitudes and became C-ranks or B-ranks. That will be the story.”
The regular Awakening Center? It buries your hidden talent! You could have been B-rank, perhaps A-rank, or even higher! Look at this blacksmith with an SS-rank special skill, who used to be an F-rank Hunter! Of course you want to become Awakened. But one hasty choice could make you lose a world-renowned SS-rank special skill forever!
Something like that.
“I see!”
Seok Simyeong clapped his hands. For some reason, he seemed far more impressed by my words than I had expected.
“Since the number of people accepted will be small, there will be impatient people. But once enough data has been gathered and the system is established, we plan to announce that the Special Awakening Center’s capacity will increase as well. I will quickly check their skills, and others can handle the consultations. Then people will be willing to wait longer.”
Checking a status window took under ten seconds. If it was computerized, with others handling skill analysis and consultations after entering the data, we could check over a hundred people per hour. In any case, only one or two people out of every hundred would require consultation about special skills.
“If we only prevent the initial rush, it will not get too overheated afterward. And keep the Association’s Awakening Center limited to one thousand people. Tell them to observe every public holiday and leave work right at five. No, make it ten to four and give them a two-hour lunch break.”
What a cushy job.
“So in the end, a large number of Awakened people with diverse aptitudes, rather than merely combat-oriented ones, will be born.”
“Yes, that is what will happen.”
“Ah, but to do that, you will need to offer something to the Association as well.”
“The Association?”
“Yes. There are quite a few shady people tangled up in the Hunter Association. Unlike in the beginning, the waters have become somewhat polluted.”
Seok Simyeong clicked his tongue.
“Hmm, we’ll set up shop in places with lots of foot traffic and say we’ll find high-grade Hunters. We can also salvage special skills that might disappear if someone goes to the regular Awakening Center. Even from my perspective, that’s incredibly tempting. I think that would be more than enough.”
Magical beast rearing skill. It did not actually exist, but if even one more skill like that appeared, it would rival a new S-rank. And what about Myeongu?
Among the F-ranks who would vanish meaninglessly after being hurried through Awakening, there could be tremendous gems hidden away. I was saying I would take on all the trouble of finding them.
“If the government and Association have their heads screwed on straight, shouldn’t they run public service ads telling people to visit the Special Awakening Center first?”
“That is true.”
Seok Simyeong smiled happily, while Yoohyun let out a sigh deep enough to make the ground cave in.
“Ah, and from now on, I’m thinking of including support for low-rank Hunters as part of the payment for raising mounts. Both domestically and overseas.”
“Han Yujin, you truly...”
Seok Simyeong looked at me with faintly moved eyes. I was a little embarrassed, but this time, I really was doing a good thing.
Yeah. Let’s work a little harder. It was something I could do without too much difficulty, so there was no reason not to.
* * *
Seok Simyeong agreed to relay the matter of the Awakening Center to the Hunter Association. Things were settled with Haeyeon, and I would have to contact Sesung, Breaker Guild, and Hanshin Guild as well.
MKC could just collapse.
I was about to go to bed with one burden off my mind when.
“Follow me back too, Captain!”
Goblin popped out of nowhere.
“This is a gift!”
What Goblin held out in a cheerful voice was some kind of animal plushie. It had red fur, looked like a fox, and had a golden horn. ...Peace?
“That one’s the regular thirty-centimeter version, and mine is the limited fifty-centimeter version!”
Regular version, limited version, what was all this? Looking at the tag, it seemed to have been bought in Japan.
“Don’t tell me...”
“A Peace plushie! Cute, right?”
“It is cute, but why did you buy this in Japan? Is it really okay for them to make and sell plushies without permission?”
“They sell it as a Flame-Horned Lion cub plushie. They’re obviously pretending it isn’t Peace.”
There was not much I could say if they insisted it was a monster plushie, but seriously, those Japanese... At this rate, they would start selling Peep plushies too.
At Goblin’s urging for a follow-back, I opened Goblin’s social media account. The first photo showed Goblin in a bear P mascot costume.
“...DisOney Land?”
“I couldn’t make it to UniOersal StuOios!”
No wonder Goblin had been late. They had made sure to do some sightseeing.
“Looks like you had fun.”
“Yep! Of course, I worked hard too!”
Goblin held out a tablet. Judging from the social media account alone, it looked like they had worked in between having fun. But after checking, the collected material was packed full. They had investigated quite a few dungeons too. Well, it was good to do your job well and have fun too.
“So that’s Peep! A little mochi!”
“Peep!”
“A gluttonous little mochi dating a mana stone bottle! Ta-da, look at this!”
“Peep, ppi-yak, ppi-yak, ppi-yak!!”
Huh? Why was Peep suddenly making such a fuss? I looked away from the tablet and turned my head to see Goblin holding out pieces of mana stone to Peep. The mana stone was silver. An A-rank mana stone.
“Hey, wait!”
“Ppi!”
The moment Peep heard my voice, it hurriedly tried to swallow the piece of mana stone. That little glutton! What if it got sick?
“Don’t give it any!”
“Why not? It eats it well. Are you starving your little mochi, Captain?”
“Peep!”
As if answering, Peep cried out and accepted the rest of the mana stone. That brat. I quickly picked Peep up and examined it. Its status window had not changed, and it looked fine on the outside, thankfully.
“You’re F-rank. Why are you gobbling up A-rank mana stones? What if you get sick?”
“Peep!”
“Not Peep. You might be unhappy about it, but I’m limiting you because I’m worried about you. Okay? We don’t properly understand monster ecology yet, so we have to be careful whenever possible. We don’t even know the right treatment methods.”
“Ppyak!”
As expected, it did not understand a word. Well, what could I expect from a child?
“Goblin, you can’t go around handing out A-rank mana stones either. And you shouldn’t just give food to someone else’s magical beast. You need to ask and get permission first. Got it? The same goes for other monsters, pets, or children, not just Peep.”
“You sound like my grandmother.”
Grandmother? What grandmother? Did that mean if this one became affected by my Keyword, I would have to become a grandmother after being a grandfather?
Anyway, preparations to hook Seok Hayan were complete.
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