novelraw Chapter 13 : Chapter 13
Chapter 13 : Chapter 13
Chapter 13. Kim Jin-ho
“As of today, the written evaluations are over. With the practical evaluation tomorrow, it will be decided whether you will live as Awakeners or as civilians from now on.”
“Instructor. Where will the practical evaluation be held?”
“The evaluation will be conducted through a hunt in
As the instructor urged them to give up, the 1-Star contractors, who were practically no different from civilians, raised their hands in a group.
These were the ones who, through the training period, had chosen to live as civilians rather than Awakeners.
Among the 1-Star contractors, the only one who didn't raise his hand was Lee Han-seong.
“Trainee Lee Han-seong, are you not giving up?”
“Yes. I will become an Awakener.”
“Hmm, with your grades, you should be able to pass. Do your best.”
Besides, Pigeon Park was a place he intended to visit at some point, even if it wasn't for the exam.
This was because he could obtain the catalyst to promote the courier spirit ‘Pheidippides’ from a 2-Star pigeon.
If he promoted Pheidippides and gained a stake in the spirit through History Alteration, the Constellation could recover a little more.
-Nyaaa.
[The Unnamed Constellation looks forward to the 2-Star pigeon hunt.]
The Constellation also wanted him to catch a 2-Star pigeon this time.
At Lee Han-seong's choice, the other trainees began to murmur.
“Even if his physical abilities improved through Bone-Shedding Rebirth, he should still be weaker than an Awakened Beast. What's with his confidence?”
“I know, right. The practical evaluation also prohibits cooperation, so he can't get carried by the promising talents like he did during the Sudden Rift.”
“He probably thinks that since he has the basic physical fitness and written exam scores from the training center, he just needs to avoid failing the practical part.”
“Well, if you add skills to a body that has undergone Bone-Shedding Rebirth, he could probably manage to get the minimum score somehow.”
The gag order on the Sudden Rift incident was surprisingly thorough.
Although the story of Lee Han-seong's participation in the battle had circulated, it was underestimated to the level of ‘he just participated,’ considering his status as a 1-Star contractor.
Perhaps they wanted to believe it that way.
Still, perhaps because of the grades he had shown at the training center, the level of criticism was lower than expected.
Compared to before the regression, when he was bombarded with insults for a 1-Star contractor daring to try to become an Awakener, this was child's play.
Of course, that reaction back then was also fueled by the machinations of the new Association President who had pushed his father out.
‘If I hadn't condoned the spreading of false rumors, it might have been dangerous.’
In their common sense, it would be impossible for a commoner like a 1-Star contractor to become an Awakener, yet their reaction was like this.
If there had been no false rumors, the new Association President's side would have definitely felt threatened by Lee Han-seong.
‘No, actually, I can't be complacent even now.’
If that side had a thorough personality, there was a possibility they would make a move, no matter how non-threatening he tried to appear.
In preparation for that time, he planned to hide about 30 percent of his full strength in this practical evaluation.
***
The next day, the day of the practical evaluation.
The trainees from this batch, who had scattered to various training centers after their spirit contracts, all gathered at
This meant he had met Kim Jin-ho, who had been assigned to the 2nd Awakener Training Center, again.
“Lee Han-seong? You're taking the practical evaluation too?”
Kim Jin-ho, who seemed not to have expected Lee Han-seong to take the practical evaluation, looked surprised upon spotting him.
Soon, a smirk appeared on his lips.
“What's a 1-Star contractor like you doing here? You're going to fail anyway.”
“That's something we'll have to wait and see.”
“Ah, could that rumor be true? That you were promised a pass with the backing of the Association President…. But even if you pass like that, it's useless if you can't actually hunt, isn't it?”
Just as he was about to say something to Kim Jin-ho's sneering face.
“You're noisy. Can you be quiet?”
“You seem to have a lot of time on your hands before the exam. You even have time to chatter.”
“Move.”
The promising talents stepped forward first, each landing a blow in turn.
“Who do you think you are…? Uh….”
True to his nature of being strong against the weak and weak against the strong, Kim Jin-ho, who was about to flare up, recognized the promising talents and started to grovel.
“Sorry, sorry. You're all right. My bad.”
Especially to Jin Yu-seong, who had contracted with a spirit from the same Heavenly Slaughter Constellation, he fawned as if he were dealing with the old Lee Han-seong.
“But since we met like this, is it possible to talk about a party later?”
“……?”
“I'm the top student at the 2nd training center. Of course, there aren't any 5-Star or higher contractors like you guys there, but among the 4-Stars, I'm probably the best. You'll end up partying with me when you join the Heavenly Slaughter guild anyway, so it's good to get close beforehand.”
“Hmm. My party is already full.”
Jin Yu-seong glanced at Lee Han-seong, then decisively cut Kim Jin-ho off and walked past.
A talent like Kim Jin-ho wouldn't be a bad addition to a party, but since he had already decided to recruit Lee Han-seong into his party, he was trying to score points with Lee Han-seong by showing him that he was cutting off Kim Jin-ho, who was in conflict with him.
“Uh…? Oh.”
Kim Jin-ho's face turned red after his party offer was rejected.
But it was quite funny how he couldn't say anything to argue since his opponent was a promising talent.
Lee Han-seong smiled sweetly at Kim Jin-ho, who was suppressing his emotions.
This single smile would be the most effective provocation for him right now, more so than a hundred curses.
Sure enough, Kim Jin-ho gritted his teeth upon seeing his smile.
Grit.
His hands, clenched into tight fists to endure the boiling anger inside, trembled.
He wanted to get angry, but since he had just been reprimanded by the promising talents, he seemed to be holding it in.
However, it seemed he didn't plan on just enduring it, as Kim Jin-ho came closer and whispered quietly.
“I'll let it slide for now because of the promising talents, but just you wait inside. I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull to pass this practical, but I'll expose it all.”
He smirked at the words that he would thoroughly interfere if he tried to get his Awakener's license through illicit means.
It was a threat that held no weight for him, who planned to take the test legitimately anyway.
“Do as you please.”
“You seem to think I'm bluffing, but look forward to it. In this exam, a guy with no qualifications will never get a license.”
Thump.
As he walked away, Kim Jin-ho lightly bumped his shoulder. Lee Han-seong brushed off the shoulder that had touched him as if it had gotten dirty.
The cat, which had been sleeping in a loaf position as a projection on Lee Han-seong's head, seemed to have been woken by the bump and shifted its body.
-Nya?
“It's nothing, so you can go back to sleep.”
Lee Han-seong set aside his feelings for Kim Jin-ho and gently patted the cat that had woken up.
The Constellation was a much higher priority than the guy who was about to waste his efforts.
***
“From this moment, we will begin the 2025 Awakener Qualification Ability Test practical evaluation. Points will be awarded based on the strength and number of Awakened Beasts hunted by the trainee, so please do your best in the hunt.”
The chief examiner supervising the practical evaluation stepped forward in front of the gathered trainees and announced the start of the exam.
Woooong!
As soon as the words were finished, an intangible wave spread out from the chief examiner.
Flap-flap-flap.
A flock of 1-Star pigeons flying in the sky above Pigeon Park descended into the park.
The pigeons, feeling threatened, had achieved their 1-Star awakening and hidden themselves, using the dense trees of the park as cover.
“Begin.”
That was the starting signal.
Tadadadat!
Without anyone needing to go first, the trainees rushed into the park.
Glancing at the three promising talents running at the forefront, Lee Han-seong averted his gaze and began to move quietly from around the middle of the pack.
He had the Constellation's projection leading the way.
‘I don't need to worry about that side, they'll do fine on their own.’
Following the cat, which was visible only to him, the moment he entered the boundary of the park, which was shaded by dense tree branches.
Ssssk.
He secured stealth by activating
He determined the optimal path on the uneven ground with protruding tree roots using the Herbalist's
Jiiing.
Towards the path that appeared as a green arrow in his vision, he consumed only the optimal amount of stamina that the serf's
Sssshhh!
He increased his speed.
His posture and speed were as stable as if he were running on a flat track.
It was a movement made possible because three or four skills interlocked like precise gears and unfolded as if they were a single skill.
Yet, the cat was always running a few steps ahead of him.
‘If I could use the Demonic Sword of Gluttony, I wouldn't have had to avoid the trees blocking the path and could have just smashed through them.’
Even if the use of the Demonic Sword was possible in the practical evaluation, he had no intention of using it.
There was no point in showing off his strength, as it would only raise suspicions, and he could pass the exam just fine without the Demonic Sword.
Instead, a common-grade iron sword, distributed as a basic item upon completion of the training center, was hanging at his waist.
-Coo coo coo.
Focusing on his hearing, which was enhanced by the Primitive Man's
, he confirmed the presence of a pigeon through the cooing sounds from afar.The cat, which had found the prey first with its pricked ears, rushed towards the pigeon.
Sssssk.
Following the cat that closed the distance in an instant and got behind the pigeon.
Shing- Swish!
He naturally linked the motion of drawing the sword with the slashing motion and unleashed the Swordsman's
It wasn't the basic form of
Pshwaaaaak!
The 1-Star pigeon spurted blood as its carotid artery, a vital point, was slashed.
The cat triumphantly perched on top of the fallen pigeon.
It was a clean hunt utilizing a surprise attack.
-Coo coo coo coo?
The pigeons that belatedly reacted to the death of their kin all turned their heads towards Lee Han-seong.
Goooooh!
He soothed their hostility with Henrietta's
Ssssk.
He once again melted into the darkness of the shade with the cat using
-Nyaa? Nyan-nyanya!
[The Unnamed Constellation awakens its dormant hunting instincts at your skilled hunt.]
[The Unnamed Constellation urges you to choose the next prey.]
Perhaps the cat's instincts were stimulated because the opponent was a pigeon; the Constellation's excitement was transmitted to him.
His senses became a little sharper, and his body felt like it was reacting more flexibly.
Infected by the Constellation's excitement, a subtle smile also appeared on Lee Han-seong's lips.
The cat, which had already started running towards the next prey, looked back as if to hurry him up.
‘Yes, yes. I'm coming. Your Constellation-ness.’
Lee Han-seong, repeating stealth and surprise attacks, hunted the pigeons one by one.
Two pairs of eyes were watching him from afar.
One was the gaze of the examiner evaluating the test, but the other was not an examiner but a fellow trainee.
《Clairvoyance》.
Kim Jin-ho, who had contracted with a 4-Star sniper spirit, was watching Lee Han-seong from a distance with his first Awakening Skill.
***
‘Is that Lee Han-seong? Is he really a 1-Star contractor?’
Kim Jin-ho's eyes widened as he watched Lee Han-seong hunt his third pigeon already.
Contrary to his expectations, Lee Han-seong was continuing his hunt with skillful use of his skills, without any tricks.
At this rate, his passing was a foregone conclusion.
‘What if Lee Han-seong actually makes a comeback?’
No, for a 12-Star vessel to awaken, hunting 1-Star beasts is useless, no matter how many.
He wouldn't be able to awaken unless he had an achievement on the level of hunting a 3-Star monster or Awakened Beast on his own.
‘Right. There's no way he can awaken just by using common skills well.’
After all, it's impossible to hunt a 3-Star without an Awakening Skill.
And even if he received help from others, the distribution of karma is based on contribution to the achievement, so it would take a long time to awaken.
‘Well, even if he tried to get help, there would be no one to help him.’
According to his brother, who worked as a secretary for a high-ranking official at the Association, if the elder he served became the next Association President, he would thoroughly obstruct Lee Han-seong's awakening.
This was to completely erase any chance of the current president, Lee Hyeon-seong, making a comeback.
Recalling that fact, he felt a little relieved.
“But that's that.”
The plan to expose Lee Han-seong's cheating and get his pass canceled was now useless.
Kim Jin-ho changed his goal.
“I'll make you realize the difference between you and me. That a commoner, no matter how much they struggle, can't beat a contractor with an Awakening Skill.”
He planned to crush Lee Han-seong's spirit by scoring an overwhelming point difference.
Shu-shu-shu-shu-shuk!
Arrows were fired in succession, targeting the pigeons whose locations he had identified with Clairvoyance.
The common skill
P-p-p-p-puk!
Moreover, with the addition of the rare skills and
Pigeons located outside his range were no exception.
With the addition of the rare skills
Since a 4-Star vessel could gather enough karma for awakening by hunting about 30 1-Star beasts, his awakening was imminent.
Ping- Thud!
[You have achieved the accomplishment, ‘Pigeon Slaughterer’.]
[You have acquired enough karma for awakening and will awaken to 1-Star.]
[The new common skills
A system message popped up just as he caught his 30th pigeon.
The new skill
While Kim Jin-ho was examining the changes from his awakening.
Kugugugugu!
Suddenly, a strange phenomenon occurred throughout Pigeon Park.
“What is it?”
An examiner stepped forward in front of the bewildered Kim Jin-ho, who didn't know what was happening.
“It seems a 2-Star beast is about to appear. Will you evacuate?”
“Is it not mandatory?”
“If it were before you awakened, I would have forced you to evacuate, but now you are also qualified to participate in the hunt for the 2-Star beast.”
At the examiner's explanation, Kim Jin-ho nodded.
Indeed, through this awakening, he had gained the leeway to increase his synchronization rate with his spirit a bit more.
If he unlocked his second Awakening Skill, he should be able to hunt even a 2-Star beast.
“Then please wait a moment.”
Kim Jin-ho temporarily deactivated Clairvoyance and focused his consciousness inward.
It was to raise the synchronization rate with the sniper spirit.
11%… 12%… 13%…
The synchronization rate gradually increased.
In the meantime, unaware that Lee Han-seong was approaching the 2-Star pigeon, Kim Jin-ho only focused on raising his own synchronization rate.
19%… 20%!
By the time Kim Jin-ho's synchronization rate reached the level to unlock his second Awakening Skill, the 2-Star pigeon had already been dealt with.