The Hero Returns

Act 9

It snowed a lot. It was the worst snowfall of the winter; the traffic was even paralyzed. Several cars arrived at the Awakeners Accreditation Authority. Some people were standing and waiting outside of the car in the midst of this heavy snowfall.

"A lot of people gathered in this weather."

A middle-aged man with a long, thick cigar in his mouth stared at the falling snow. There were many groups of two or three people around the building, but he didn't care about them because he already knew them. They were people he met by chance before.

"The information was blocked though… It is strange," the man's assistant said.

"Well, they all have ears. And if they want to figure out, there are always ways. We did the same, didn't we?" he replied.

Ripper Guild. It was one of the ten largest guilds. In terms of the number of awakeners possessed, it was the best guild in Korea. The middle-aged man was a vice guild master of such Ripper Guild. His name was Kim Seok-jin. Money, power, and honor: the vice guild master position gave him all of that. In fact, he was the one who actually led the guild instead of the guild master, who did not show up most of the time. Of course, the fact that he was just the guild's second in command didn't change.

<<This is all because of that damn rank.>>

Kim Seok-jin breathed the cigar smoke through the snow and recalled the guild master of Ripper Guild, Park Ji-yeon. She was an awakener of S-rank, and only five of them existed in Korea. The Ripper Guild was able to come this far, not only because he worked very hard, but also thanks to her name and title as the only S-rank awakener in the guild. She was as beautiful as the celebrities and also had outstanding talent and achievements as an awakener. Half of the awakeners who joined the Ripper Guild joined because of her.

"Damn it. This is so unfair," Kim Seok-jin said quietly to himself.

"What are you talking about?"

"…Nothing."

Kim Seok-jin dropped the cigar he had been keeping in his mouth and stepped on it like a habit. He knew why he was in such a bad mood.

<<I'm not some kind of errand boy.>>

He didn't like the fact that he had to come by himself to scout a person. He had thought he could just send one attendant, but he could not do that because Park Ji-yeon meddled.

"Vice guild master. You go."

Park Ji-yeon made him do it because she was too busy climbing the tower. In the end, it was his job to recruit the new S-Rank.

"Let's see… In other guilds…"

He glanced around. He could see several outstanding guilds.

"From Blue Dragon... the guild master himself came. Silence Guild... How many are there? Are they going to push with this number of people?"

The competition was pretty stiff. He had no idea how all they got the information, but not only the guilds but also the press came. Of course, this crowd was nothing. At the time of Park Ji-yeon's rank reexamination, there was no place to put their feet.

Kim Seok-jin lit up one more cigar and asked his assistant, "This S-rank candidate is in his twenties?"

"Yes, sir. He will be the second S-Rank awakener in their twenties after our guild master. As looking at what happened in Anyang a while ago, I think it won't be hard for him to get S-Rank."

"Then the problem will be ranking, I suppose."

"Yes. We have to figure out Kim Su-hyeun's Magic Factor and physical ability... But since he is just in his second year as an awakener, I think it will be hard to compare him with other S-Rank awakeners."

"Well. The proficiency of skill will be different."

"But still, he has great talent."

The evaluation of Kim Su-hyeun had been made many times here and there. But he never showed himself for an official appearance. His only accomplishment was he caught the boss of the green-colored dungeon when the outbreak had happened in Anyang City. And now, it was time to take an objective assessment.

Then, all of a sudden, the journalists on one side were disturbed. They whispered to each other to keep the information, but awakeners who had good ears could hear what they were saying.

<<He came,>> Kim Seok-jin thought and started to walk quickly.

***

"...Why are there so many people?"

"There is no perfect secret in the world. Actually, there are not that many. When the reexamination of Park Ji-yeon of Ripper Guild happened, there were at least thousands of people gathered."

"You mean the reporters?"

"Hundreds of guilds, too."

Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho talked about the many people gathered in front of the Authority building. It looked like there were about one hundred people. Su-hyeun, who had initially intended to take examine quietly, felt embarrassed.

"Su-hyeun! Over here!"

Then, a familiar voice came from one side. When he turned his head, he could see Hak-joon and Yun-seon. Their faces looked much happier than before. Su-hyeun did not know anyone here except them, so he started to walk to them, waving his hand.

Rather, he tried to go.

"Are you the awakener Kim Su-hyeun? I am from Daewoong News. Could you give me a moment...?"

People started to gather in a flash. Su-hyeun stopped his walking because of the crowd and said, "Let me through."

It was a calm voice, but everybody could hear it. Some slippy people stepped back but some did not.

"It will only take a second! As a new S-Rank awakener candidate—"

"You stopped the catastrophe that almost happened in Anyang City, how did you know about—"

They were the reporters. Unlike the others who came out to scout for their awakeners' guild, the reporters' goal was quickly to send out articles about Su-hyeun. For journalists whose monopoly and preemption were important, they were even more enthusiastic to cover Su-hyeun.

"I hold grudges," Su-hyeun looked around and met eyes with each one of them and said, "I will remember you guys faces and where you belonged. I have a pretty good memory."

The reporters became silent, watching a smiling face of Su-hyeun. What he had said was if they didn't step back, he would not respond to the coverage next time. If they said something wrong to Su-hyeun in here, they would take all the blame for their mistakes. So, soon after, the reporters started to step back as well. Su-hyeun passed through and headed to Hak-joon.

"Wow. That was strong." Hak-joon gave him a thumbs up.

Su-hyeun smiled at him and looked at both Hak-joon and Yun-seon. "How are you?" he asked.

"It's all good. Except for those from the Authority that bother us," Hak-joon answered.

"There will be no issues. I am the one who killed Jung Dong-yeong. You were just there."

"Then won't you be in trouble?" Hak-joon asked.

"If I have trouble, I can just go to the moon. Even if I don't have a flight there, it would be no problem to go abroad."

Hak-joon laughed at Su-hyeun's joke. Surely, his face and smiling looked way better than before.

"We came here to say thank you."

Yun-seon carefully opened her mouth to the conversation between the two. Su-hyeun shook his hand in embarrassment when he saw her bowing. "Oh, you don't have to do this. I had been thinking about doing something to Ares Guild for a long time now...."

"But if you did not help us, this fool would have suffered more. I also still suffered from poison," she said.

"Well, I did suffer a lot," Hak-joon said.

At Hak-joon's joke, Yun-seon pinched his arm with her long fingernail. She glared at him as if telling him to be quiet. "You are slow-witted," she said.

"Ah, he looked burdened," Hak-joon replied.

"But still we have to say what we have to."

"Do we have to do that now?"

"Then, when will you do?"

Hak-joon and Yun-seon glared at each other and argued. It was pretty childish.

<<They are still kids in the early twenties,>> Su-hyeun thought.

The face of Hak-joon he had watched so far was always a little bit gloomy. He looked mature, not like his age. The dark mood that he had was not his original personality. He became like that under certain circumstances. But now, his shadow cleared up and his original personality appeared. His character was a little different from what Su-hyeun had thought.

<<Not just him. She is different too.>>

Su-hyeun looked at the two who fought like cats and dogs as if it was funny. He turned his eyes to Lee Ju-ho. "Isn't it about time?"

"We still have three minutes."

"Let's go inside now. Let them keep fighting."

"Shall we?"

When Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho turned their bodies to the building, Hak-joon and Yun-seon thought they might make a mistake. They started to worry if their actions might make them upset.

"Su-hyeun. It's not that..."

"I am sorry. We didn't pick up the mood..."

Su-hyeun looked back at the two restless people and shook his head.

"You don't have to be sorry. You guys look good. You don't have to thank me, and you really don't have to feel sorry. And Hak-joon—" Su-hyeun said.

"Yes?"

"—You owe me one."

At Su-hyeun's words, Hak-joon blinked his eyes and soon smiled big.

"Yes, of course! If you need me next time, just let me know."

Hak-joon felt comfortable that Su-hyeun told him so. It was much easier just to run for him instead of only feeling sorry or thanking vaguely.

"Good. Don't forget that," Su-hyeun said and started to walk to the entrance of the building.

The S-Rank examination was something that the Authority was paying attention to as well. So, many of the examiners gathered and waited for Su-hyeun. When Su-hyeun showed his awakener registration card, the examiners looked at the people behind him.

One of the examiners asked him, "Will you allow people to watch your reexamination?"

Since it was Su-hyeun's personal exam, he could decide whether to proceed privately or publicly. And hundreds of people here came to see the screening in person, to see the birth of a new S-Rank awakener. They wanted to report the scenes to the press or scout him for their guilds, or just watch it. But...

"Except for the three people here..." Su-hyeun pointed Lee Ju-ho, Hak-joon, and Yun-seon. "...please, tell the other people to go back."

"You mean...all of them?"

The examiner looked embarrassed and looked around the people gathered in front of the entrance. There were people from major guilds such as Blue Dragon, Silence, Ripper, and etc. In addition, there were journalists such as major stations and internet newspapers that could guarantee his fame. But Su-hyeun refused to allow all of them to watch the exam.

"Are you going to be a mercenary soldier?" Hak-joon, who was following Su-hyeun, also made a surprised face like the examiner.

A mercenary was a contract awakener who only fought when they were paid. They were also an awakener who did not join either governmental institutions or any guilds.

"I don't plan to work as mercenary either..." Su-hyeun walked further into the building and he swallowed the last of the sentence. <<I also don't plan to be involved with childish play.>>

Guild, press, agency, all of those, seemed like child's play to Su-hyeun. In the future, all of those things that share power, compete, and quarrel would all be a luxury because mankind would be destroyed. Su-hyeun had no intention of entertaining them at all.

<<I rather go alone. That will be easier.>>

Su-hyeun shook his head inside and looked back Hak-joon.

"No. I guess there's two of us."