Three days later.
The fluorescent lights of the testing center buzzed overhead, humming like anxious bees. The air reeked of sweat, mana, and sterile floor polish. Fifteen-year-olds lined up nervously, each wearing a numbered tag on their chest.
[National Awakening Evaluation – Seoul Branch, Sector 3]
It was the day every citizen remembered.
For most, it was a day of disappointment.
For some, a day of glory.
And for Joo Yeong-su, formerly known as Jin Seok-woo, it was just an obstacle.
---
He sat quietly near the back of the waiting room, hoodie pulled low over his face. Other students whispered around him, some shivering from fear, others boasting about their family bloodlines.
> "My brother awakened as a D-rank with lightning affinity."
"No way, I heard kids from the Baekho Guild's training school always hit C-rank minimum."
"Tch, those nobodies from Sector 3 won't even get F-rank."
Yeong-su ignored them.
He had already awakened.
He had already fought monsters and killed a D-rank mini-boss.
This test wasn't a beginning.
It was a formality.
A lie.
---
> "Candidate #212, Joo Yeong-su," the staff called.
He stood up.
Everyone nearby glanced at him. Some with pity. Some with mocking curiosity. He looked thin, poor, forgettable.
But the system voice echoed in his head.
---
[System Notice – Concealment Mode Active]
Real Class: Hidden
Power Output Suppressed: 60%
Evaluation Mode: False Aura Signature – E-Rank (Passive)
---
He stepped into the white chamber, where two Awakened testers in full armor stood beside a mana scanner. A massive crystal pulsed in the center of the room—designed to detect mana and analyze elemental affinity.
> "Place your hand on the crystal. Remain calm," one said, bored.
Yeong-su obeyed.
The moment his hand touched the surface, the system intervened again.
---
[Overriding Crystal Read – Simulating E-Rank Awakening… Complete.]
---
The crystal flashed faint yellow, barely glowing. The examiner barely reacted.
> "E-rank. No element detected. Pass."
He turned away.
No applause. No cheers. Just a nod and a stamp.
> "You'll receive your temporary license within 24 hours. Good luck, kid."
Yeong-su left silently.
---
Outside, other students were comparing their ranks.
> "C-rank! Fire attribute!"
"E-rank? Don't even bother applying to guilds, loser."
Yeong-su walked past them, eyes down.
Until—
> "Joo Yeong-su, was it?"
A tall woman in a black trench coat stepped into his path. Sunglasses, earpiece, badge clipped to her belt. Behind her stood a younger man with a tablet, scanning results.
> "I'm Han Seo-jin. Talent scout for the Silver Fang Guild."
The crowd hushed.
Silver Fang—a mid-tier guild known for stealth Hunters and assassins.
> "You interested in joining a guild straight away?" she asked.
Yeong-su kept his face neutral.
> "I'm just E-rank."
> "Exactly," she smiled. "You don't reek of ambition. That's good. We like quiet types. You'll make money, gain experience. Safe patrol work. Dungeon cleanups."
> "I'll think about it," he replied and walked past.
She didn't stop him. But her eyes followed closely.
Behind her, her assistant whispered:
> "You saw it too, right? His mana signature is weird. It flickered for a second."
> "Yeah. I'm not sure what that kid is hiding. But I'm going to find out."
---
Back at Home
Yeong-su sat alone on the rooftop, staring at the city. In the distance, two red Gates pulsed like wounds in the sky. Helicopters circled above. Sirens echoed far off.
This world was sick. Dungeons were growing faster. Gates were more frequent.
He needed power.
Real power.
> "System," he whispered. "Show me my class."
For the first time, the system responded.
---
[CLASS: ??? – Sealed]
Progress to Unlock: 12%
Unlocked Abilities:
Foresight (Lv. 1) – View 3 seconds into the future (Cooldown: 60s)
Echo Vision (Lv. 1) – Doubled foresight under fatal threat (6 sec, 1h cooldown)
Passive: Predictive Reflex – Slightly increases evasion when attacked
Locked:
Active Skill Slot (1)
Class Signature Ability (???)
---
He frowned.
> "Only 12%? Even after that boss fight?"
The system chimed again.
---
[Next Class Trigger – Real Combat Evaluation (vs. B-Rank Threat or Higher)]
---
His eyes narrowed.
> "So you want me to fight something far above my league... to unlock what I really am."
He cracked his knuckles.
> "Fine. If the test won't reveal me, I'll carve it into the battlefield instead."
---
24 Hours Later
His phone buzzed.
[Temporary Hunter License Approved]
Name: Joo Yeong-su
Rank: E
Status: Eligible for Guild Application
Note: Independent Hunting Forbidden
---
He looked at it once. Then tossed the phone onto the table.
Joining a guild was no longer optional.
If he wanted to enter dungeons, earn money, train skills, and grow stronger…
He had to find a way into a guild.
But not just any guild.
> "I'm going to the top."
> "And I'll use this system to burn the ladder behind me."