WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

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◈ Xianxia Cultivation with a Dragon Heart ◈

Chapter 18: Prospective A-Rank Hunter

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Soon recovering from the shock, the administrative officer left the wreckage of the ruined metal pillar where it was and proceeded with the remaining tests.

For defensive ability, Han Yujin cast Jade Skin Art, after which the officer checked the Mana concentration with a device resembling a laser thermometer.

“Every defensive ability differs so much that it is too soon to make a firm judgment. Still, this should protect your body well enough in actual combat. How does it feel?”

“It feels like I’m wearing a metal plate.”

“Excellent. At minimum, it’s C-rank, and it may even be B-rank... It’s unfortunate that we can’t perform harsher tests, since it activates directly against your skin. The more we can determine in advance, the safer you’ll be in the field.”

After asking about the sense of weight and Mana consumption, the officer moved on to the next test.

The mobility test was simple as well. Han only had to run as hard as he could along the long U-shaped track on one side of the training room. It measured his speed much like a vehicle speedometer.

Han cast Wind-Cloud Art and quickly ran the track without revealing his ability to fly. The officer checked the result on the computer terminal and clapped enthusiastically, which was a little embarrassing.

“It’s no less impressive than a B-rank acceleration ability! Let’s test it one more time!”

The officer’s excitement, as if it were their own achievement, greatly softened Han’s first impression of them as an arrogant elite.

The telekinesis test took a while. Han had to lift, move, and throw objects of various shapes and weights. He was not simply throwing them at random, either. He had to hit targets that appeared at random positions more than twenty meters away.

Bang! Crash!

A metal rod flew through the air and struck a target dead on. The target tipped over with a screech that made it seem ready to break, and Han found himself glancing at the officer nervously.

“Power, speed, and precision are all B-rank or higher. There’s a separate training room for A-rank and higher, so we can check again there later.”

Han wondered whether that was necessary when he was only getting a Basic Certification, but he was curious whether his Object Manipulation Art could truly receive an A-rank evaluation, so he let it pass.

Concealment Art was tested with a machine resembling a Mana scanner, but one large enough for the subject to stand in. The result surprised even Han.

“It’s... S-rank. Your concealment ability is remarkable.”

“S-rank?”

“You’re already close to being indistinguishable from the air itself, so there’s no room for improvement. If you add equipment such as invisibility camouflage equipment, it’ll be even more complete. You could work as a scout.”

Scouts were the ones who entered Rifts first to assess the internal environment and check for hazards.

Someone had to perform that role, but few people possessed the right talent, making them an extremely valuable resource with correspondingly high pay. It was common for them to be exempt from the combat that followed.

'Concealment Art was better than I thought.'

Or perhaps the ability to conceal Mana on Earth was simply that pathetic. If the ability was pathetic, then the standards used to judge it could not help being pathetic too.

Only Spirit Vision Art and Healing Art remained, but there was no suitable way to test either here.

“Mr. Han Yujin.”

The officer, deciding to wrap up the tests for now, added,

“Based on these results alone, you can become an A-rank Hunter.”

“A-rank...”

“Of course, you should receive preliminary training for your own sake. You’ll also need some field experience, and I’ll personally arrange that with the Hunter vocational school.”

“With the school? Do you mean their teachers?”

“Active Hunter safety personnel will be assigned as well. You’ll join the students during their practical training. This is how it’s usually done for people like you who awaken late. Normally, you would apply yourself.”

“Ah.”

“And...”

After trailing off for a moment, the officer asked as politely and kindly as possible,

“If your awakened ability is knowledge, would you be willing to share that knowledge?”

“If it is, how would that work?”

Han’s immediately positive tone prompted the officer to explain enthusiastically.

In short, Han would file patents, sign licensing contracts with interested parties, and receive royalties. If he contracted directly with the Special Ability Management Bureau, a government agency, they would assist him through the entire process.

“Licensing royalties for this type of arrangement are usually set at around ten percent. If you want more, I’ll do my best to negotiate it. If the terms still seem too poor, you could negotiate with a particular company instead, but...”

The officer trailed off at the end, but Han could easily guess what came next.

He knew how cumbersome and time-consuming it would be for an individual to register patents related to glyph knowledge without the assistance of a government agency. The contract process afterward would likewise require a great deal of time and energy.

“I know this is too important to decide immediately. So, I’m thinking of assigning you a case officer for now. What do you think?”

“A case officer?”

It was not as though he were an entertainer getting a manager. For a moment, Han wondered whether the Special Ability Management Bureau had that much free time, but he soon understood.

The moment he awakened, he had demonstrated the potential of an A-rank Hunter. More importantly, that potential took the form of knowledge that could be shared with others.

Knowledge was power, even on a national level.

That was especially true for a country that had always felt the shortage of its Hunter force due to having a relatively small population for its level of prosperity. Even more so when the Great Rift that had wiped out the former North Korea beyond the 38th Parallel Defense Line still remained.

The Great Rift in the former North Korean region was a demonic realm ranked as the third most dangerous in the world. It threatened not only Korea but China and Japan as well, forcing close cooperation between all three countries.

If Han’s knowledge could strengthen the Hunter force, the Korean government would naturally be very eager for it.

'Come to think of it, this treatment might be natural...'

After considering it briefly, Han asked about something else.

“I’d welcome a case officer. But there’s something else I want.”

“What would that be?”

“Money is good too, but I want my knowledge to spread as widely as possible. Not just throughout the country, but overseas as well.”

“Ah, I see.”

The officer smiled and nodded as though he understood. They seemed to have concluded that Han sought fame along with money.

“Then it would be even better for you to contract with our Special Ability Management Bureau. If you contract with a company, they’ll naturally focus on monopolizing the technology as much as possible and extracting profit from it.”

It was reasonable, so Han nodded in agreement.

Of course, he also considered other factors.

As far as he knew, the Republic of Korea’s Corruption Perceptions Index was quite good. If he remembered correctly, it was around 84 out of 100, enough to rank within the top ten in the world.

Perhaps because the country had endured so many crises, or because supernatural events like Rifts caused by dimensional collisions and the emergence of Awakened had struck on top of that, people who were nothing but smooth talkers had been weeded out early. That tendency had remained strong ever since.

Naturally, politics still produced plenty of unpleasant situations, no matter how much better Korea was than other countries. Still, it was not to the point where he needed to distrust everything outright.

In short, there was little concern that he would be badly betrayed if he signed a contract with the Special Ability Management Bureau.

'And I heard the Special Ability Management Bureau is especially unusual among government agencies.'

For a mere bureau, it held a great deal of importance and independence. There had even once been discussions about elevating it beyond an agency and into a ministry.

Han did not know the exact reason, but it seemed to have settled into its current peculiar state because of various international agreements concerning superpowered individuals, as well as the political logic and concerns inevitably created by superpowers themselves.

“Now then, shall we change locations and continue the tests?”

This referred to the perception and healing abilities, as well as telekinesis, for which there was a dedicated training room for A-rank and higher.

Han’s thought that he had already done more than enough to earn a Basic Certification vanished completely at the officer’s next words. He would have to go through all of this eventually if he intended to work as a Hunter.

In that case, it was better to get it over with while a civil servant was personally helping him. So Han obediently followed the officer.

* * *

Telekinesis could be thoroughly tested in a dedicated training room elsewhere in the same center building. The result was A-rank in power and speed, B-rank in precision, and A-rank overall.

They then drove to a nearby hospital to test Han’s healing ability. During the ride, the officer busily made calls and seemed to handle some administrative work. In the meantime, Han discreetly searched on his smartphone to see what grade of civil servant the officer was.

It turned out that they were a Grade 5 civil servant. Han even saw claims that this was equivalent to a lieutenant colonel in the military, which made him wonder whether someone of that rank normally stayed at the center.

In any case, being personally assisted by such an elite civil servant made the special treatment feel very satisfying.

Whether it was the power of a Grade 5 civil servant or something else, the healing test also proceeded smoothly, earning Han an upper C-rank evaluation. They then moved to an outdoor training ground, where the setting sun allowed him to receive a B-rank evaluation for perception ability.

After every testing procedure was finished, the officer kindly drove him home.

“You said you’re a university student. Will you continue attending?”

“I think I’ll take a leave of absence first and decide afterward.”

“If you still have leave available, putting it off is one option. But if you don’t have any particular interest in academics, dropping out would be fine too.”

It seemed to be casual conversation expressing their personal opinion, not something they said as an officer. Han secretly agreed, so he nodded readily.

“It’s not as if you’d be leaving under bad circumstances. You’re going to become an A-rank Hunter. People even call them walking conglomerates.”

“Come on, isn’t conglomerate a bit of an exaggeration?”

“But you’re special, Mr. Han. I don’t know who you’ll ultimately sign with, but you’ll receive licensing royalties too...”

The way the officer smiled as they spoke made them seem thoroughly easygoing now. Nothing remained of Han’s first impression of an arrogant elite.

“Is your place farther in here?”

“You can just let me off here. It’s close.”

The officer had said it after listening to the navigation directions. Han repeatedly refused his offer to drive even that short distance, and was about to get out of the car when the officer spoke again.

“Ah, right. I almost forgot.”

They reached into the inner pocket of their suit jacket, took a business card from their wallet, and handed it over. They did so with both hands and the utmost courtesy, leaving Han with no choice but to respond in kind.

“I’m not saying this merely to be polite. If anything troublesome happens, please feel free to contact me. Your case officer will contact you within two days as well.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Then I’ll be going. You’ve had a tiring day, so get plenty of rest.”

“Yes, please drive safely too. Thank you for helping me so much today.”

“No need to thank me. It was my job.”

After they parted with smiles, Han watched the back of the departing car and suddenly felt just how drastically his circumstances had changed.

The scenery around him had not changed at all, yet the same familiar sight seemed to feel different now that his situation had changed.

Simply standing there and breathing filled him with contentment. At the same time, he felt slightly lightheaded.

'Yeah... In the end, this has to be my home base.'

For better or worse, it was the hometown he could not deny.

Even if his awakened ability allowed him to freely adventure through all sorts of diverse and fascinating worlds, even if he had precious and mysterious experiences there.

In the end, he would always wake up in the reality of Earth.

As he headed toward his ordinary old, cramped studio apartment, a thought suddenly came to him.

'How on earth did Earth After the Apocalypse end up destroyed...?'

Was that place truly the future of this world? Or was it merely one branch of possibility, like in some movie, a parallel world both similar and different?

'I should check today.'

At the very least, he needed to find out what had killed him in that gold shop.

And just in case.

If that truly was Earth’s future, then he would have to find some way to deal with that apocalypse.

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