Two months later.
Winter in Seoul chilled the skin, but it did little to cool the fire burning inside me.
By now, I had already cleared twelve dungeons, pushed myself to Level 15, and unlocked three skills. My stats rivaled low B-rank Hunters — and I hadn't even awakened officially.
But now was the time.
Today, I'd take the Hunter Association's Awakening Evaluation — the formal procedure every Korean citizen went through if they showed signs of mana sensitivity.
Normally, people waited for symptoms — dizziness, strange dreams, or a Gate encounter — but I "faked" mine.
A few subtle cues at school. Mana fluctuations nearby. My homeroom teacher notified the authorities, and now, I was scheduled.
Exactly what I wanted.
Korea Hunter Association – Seoul Branch
The building was massive — clean, fortified, humming with mana.
Inside, dozens of people waited: students, workers, housewives, and elderly folks. All hoping they might awaken as Hunters.
I kept my head down.
"Name?" the clerk asked.
"Lee Joon-Hyuk."
She blinked. "You're only ten?"
I nodded. "I've been… feeling things. My teacher said I should get checked."
"…Right. That's unusual for someone so young, but not impossible."
She gave me a mild look, then gestured. "Alright. You'll be in Group C."
Inside the testing chamber, a large crystalline Mana Stone pulsed at the center of the room. The awakening process was simple — touch the stone, and let it read your soul.
A stern examiner stood nearby.
"Only one at a time," he said. "No pushing, no crying. Step forward when called."
I waited as one by one, others touched the stone. Most failed to awaken. A few glowed briefly and got E- or D-rank assessments.
Then it was my turn.
"Lee Joon-Hyuk," the man called out.
I stepped forward.
The room grew quiet.
Just a kid, huh?
Poor thing, probably won't awaken at all…
I ignored them and reached out, pressing my hand onto the crystal.
The world stopped.
[System Alert: Would you like to link this physical body to your current Leveling System?]
[WARNING: Awakened systems may conflict with preexisting enhancements.]
[Note: You are already beyond the Awakening Threshold.]
[Proceed with system integration?]
[Yes.] [No.]
Yes.
BOOM.
Mana erupted from the crystal — violent and blinding.
Gasps echoed across the room as blue light engulfed me, the crystal trembling with raw energy.
"Wh-What the hell?!"
"Is that normal!?"
"No way—!"
The examiner staggered back. "Get the chief evaluator! Now!"
The light faded slowly… and I stood there, unharmed, calm, glowing faintly with a dark blue aura.
[Awakening Integration Complete.]
[Title Granted: Unbound One]
[Class: Unknown]
[Estimated Rank: Unmeasurable.]
[Manual Analysis Suggested.]
The crystal flickered again. The screen normally used to show rank remained blank.
Everyone stared.
One woman muttered, "Did he… break it?"
The lead examiner stepped forward, clearly rattled.
"Lee Joon-Hyuk," he said, voice sharp. "You're… not an ordinary Awakened."
"No, sir," I said quietly. "I'm not."
Later That Day — Hunter Association Private Office
"He's dangerous," muttered one official.
"He's powerful," said another.
"Ten years old and the crystal couldn't read him. That hasn't happened since… Sung Il-Hwan."
They all turned silent.
After an hour of testing, the Association still couldn't determine my class. My stats were off the charts for someone unregistered. My aura was… wrong.
They gave me a temporary rank of C — to keep things quiet.
But I knew.
I was already stronger than most B-Ranks, and I hadn't even touched the real threshold yet.
Back at home, my parents embraced me.
"We're so proud of you," my mother said, trying not to cry.
"Don't worry about the job," my father smiled. "We'll figure everything out. Just focus on school for now, alright?"
I hugged them both.
They didn't know the world that waited.
Didn't know the monsters, the S-Ranks, or the war coming.
But I would protect them.
With this power, I could.
Meanwhile…
Far away, in the shadows of the world, powerful beings stirred.
The Monarchs whispered.
The Rulers watched.
And somewhere, a sleeping power — buried deep within Jin-Woo — pulsed faintly.
Something had changed.
The balance was shifting.
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