Chapter 04 ….
“What? Who did you say?”
“Kang Yujun.”
“Kang… Yujun?”
At the headquarters of the Sky Guild.
Guildmaster Lee Hyukjun frowned.
The Sky Guild was a mid-sized guild ranked in the mid-60s.
Neither particularly high nor particularly low — an awkwardly positioned guild in many ways. Because of that, they were always thirsty to recruit strong Awakeners.
But there was no reason for powerful or promising Awakeners to come to the Sky Guild. Like many small and mid-tier guilds, they focused heavily on recruiting and training youths.
“The Golden Youth of the Promise Guild, Kang Yujun? Why is he here?”
Kang Yujun’s name had been famous since 13 years ago.
The Promise Guild.
Currently ranked 5th in South Korea, the Promise Guild had once strengthened its youth system and gathered highly promising talents.
Among them, the most famous prospect was Kang Yujun.
At minimum S-rank potential. “Golden Youth.” His talent had been unquestionable.
Even among the prospects once called the Promise Guild’s “Jewelry Box,” he had stood out.
There had been so many prospects, yet none were considered to have higher potential than Kang Yujun. He had been an overwhelmingly hyped, top-tier prodigy.
Because of that, every guild back then had tried to pry Kang Yujun out of the Jewelry Box.
But now, 13 years later—
Not only had Kang Yujun failed to live up to expectations, he hadn’t even awakened.
Recently, there were even rumors that he had been expelled from the Promise Guild.
“Yes, that Kang Yujun.”
“Huh… I heard Promise kicked him out. Scout him? Into our guild? Wait — if he got expelled, doesn’t that mean he never awakened?”
Lee Hyukjun clicked his tongue.
“So who exactly scouted this Kang Yujun?”
“Manager Han.”
“Manager Han isn’t the type to scout carelessly… Hmm. Is he showing signs of awakening?”
“That’s not it. He was scouted as a trainer.”
“A trainer?”
Lee Hyukjun tilted his head.
Han Seokyul was a veteran Awakener who had consistently produced results. Though not an official scout, he often brought in Awakeners through his connections.
They had even conducted interviews together, and Han Seokyul’s eye for talent was quite accurate.
“Failing as an Awakener doesn’t mean someone can’t succeed as a trainer, but…”
In the first place, truly successful trainers were extremely rare.
Moreover, in Korea, not a single trainer who rose to greatness after failing as an Awakener existed.
“A non-Awakener usually can’t rise beyond C-rank trainer level…”
To truly understand Awakeners, one ultimately had to be one.
Even if they switched careers, non-awakened trainers were usually labeled C- or D-rank, shunned, and eventually pushed out of the training world.
“…Ha. This makes me uneasy.”
Still, since Manager Han personally scouted him, there was little more to say.
“Well… whatever.”
Besides, he rather liked the fact that the man didn’t despair after being expelled and immediately looked for work.
More importantly, trainers were scarce these days.
If he turned out disappointing, they could simply terminate him midway or let the contract expire. There was no real downside.
“He was the Golden Youth of the Promise Guild — he should at least have plenty of knowledge and experience. Who knows? He might turn out better than expected.”
* * *
At the Sky Guild building in Jongno.
Three people sat in the guildmaster’s office.
“Hello!”
“You must be Kang Yujun.”
“Yes, I’m Kang Yujun. It’s an honor to meet you, Guildmaster.”
Guildmaster Lee Hyukjun sat at the head seat, with Manager Han Seokyul and Kang Yujun seated to either side.
“Welcome to the Sky Guild. I’ve heard about you. I understand you recently switched to being a trainer?”
“Yes. I believe that path suits me better.”
“Manager Han praised you quite highly.”
When recommending Yujun, Han Seokyul had spared no compliments, calling him an exceptional talent.
Lee Hyukjun knew Han didn’t praise lightly, so he met Yujun with half expectation and half concern.
But seeing him in person…
He looked completely ordinary.
No visible aura whatsoever.
“Thank you for thinking well of me.”
“Right. Let’s work well together.”
With brief greetings, they finalized the formal contract.
“It’s a three-month short-term contract. Given how strongly Manager Han recommended you, we could’ve proceeded with a regular position track. Why did you refuse?”
“Because I might become a burden.”
Yujun was not officially joining the Sky Guild.
He was essentially a freelance short-term contractor.
With Manager Han’s influence, he could have easily secured a full position — but Yujun had not asked.
There was no benefit in signing a full contract before proving his worth.
At that answer, the guildmaster showed a subtly impressed expression.
The risks in talent recruitment were fully borne by the guild.
There was no way Yujun didn’t know that.
Right now, Yujun was deliberately showing humility, believing a short contract was enough.
The guildmaster smiled in satisfaction at that confidence and ambition.
Then the only thing left was to see whether he had the skill to back it up.
“Then I can assign you work immediately?”
“Of course.”
At the guildmaster’s call toward the door, someone entered.
“Hello.”
It was a fairly young woman.
Lee Hyukjun personally introduced her.
“This is our youth member, Woo Hana. One of the promising ones in our guild. Try training her. This will be your first assignment.”
Sky Guild youth Woo Hana.
She was a newly turned 21-year-old C-rank Awakener.
Woo Hana stared straight at Kang Yujun.
She knew him well.
They were only four years apart and had both been active in the youth scene at the same time, so they had crossed paths before.
Of course, Yujun had been such a nationally famous youth that he didn’t remember her — but she remembered him.
She never imagined that such a prodigy would switch to being a trainer.
Still, it was the guildmaster’s order. For now, she had to learn from him.
“I look forward to working with you.”
Woo Hana bowed politely.
At that moment, Yujun read Manager Han’s expression.
He looked like he was trying hard to hide his surprise.
* * *
After the two left, Manager Han asked worriedly:
“Guildmaster, I didn’t expect you to assign Woo Hana right away.”
“Why? You said he’s skilled. Since you personally scouted him, wouldn’t Woo Hana be the perfect test?”
“But Woo Hana…”
Han trailed off with a sigh.
Among Sky Guild’s youths, Woo Hana had very high potential — but she had a serious flaw.
“There is a problem, isn’t there? No trainer has been able to fix it so far…”
Even the guild’s current trainers hadn’t been able to correct Woo Hana’s issue.
They had continued training her, but because of that single major flaw, the money invested in her was on the verge of being wasted.
And now they were assigning her to Kang Yujun, who had just become a trainer?
“That’s far too harsh a demand.”
“Kang Yujun is the talent you confidently brought in.”
The guildmaster looked steadily at Han Seokyul.
It wasn’t wrong — so Han couldn’t argue.
“But…”
“Yes, properly training Woo Hana will be very difficult. If it were easy, she wouldn’t still have that flaw. I don’t expect Kang Yujun to fix her. I just want to check something.”
At those words, Han fell silent.
Still, he felt regretful.
In his eyes, Kang Yujun was clearly a rough gem.
But a gem loses its shine if not properly polished.
Assigning Woo Hana to him now was practically scratching the gem.
He had wanted to nurture Yujun step by step — but the guildmaster thought differently.
Seeing his troubled shoulders, Lee Hyukjun patted him.
“Don’t worry so much. You’re the one who brought him in. I’ll personally observe him. Even if he can’t train Woo Hana, I won’t fire him. At worst, the short contract just ends.”
* * *
Sky Guild private training hall.
Yujun looked at Woo Hana and immediately used Awakener Scan.
— Activating Awakener Scan!
Everything about Woo Hana began appearing in Yujun’s eyes.
[Woo Hana] Overall Rating: C+
Body: [B]
Mind: [B]
Awakened Ability: Acceleration
Stats: [Strength 5/10] [Stamina 6/10] [Agility 12/15]
‘Awakener Scan has upgraded… I can see stats I couldn’t before.’
Yujun was impressed.
Previously he could only see ability and stats — now even body and mind grades were visible.
‘Thanks to the Focus skill.’
After organizing the information briefly in his head, he spoke.
“First, please raise your mana.”
He planned to check everything from the basics.
He had confirmed the data — next was mana circulation.
Shaaaaa—
At his words, Woo Hana raised her mana.
Crack.
Centered near her heart, fractures formed around her side.
The cracks starting at her flank were spreading across her body.
Seeing this, Yujun nodded.
‘There’s a problem with her mana circulation method.’
Because of that method, she couldn’t properly utilize mana.
Then the solution was simple.
‘Just change the circulation method.’
‘…More importantly, this is interesting.’
Every part except her side was faintly glowing.
‘Aside from the cracked area, she has almost no weaknesses. And her other talents are outstanding.’
It was insane potential.
‘This kind of character was called a god-tier pick.’
In Infinite Tower, characters like this were must-keep units.
Yujun spoke.
“There’s an issue with your mana circulation. Forcefully channel mana through your side.”
At the same time, power filled his words.
— Activating Command Correction!
As Woo Hana pushed mana into her side—
The cracks began to mend.
“…!”
Her eyes widened.
She had only followed a single instruction — yet her mana flow had clearly changed.
She had received advice from many trainers until now.
But none had improved her condition.
Yet with Yujun’s simple training, her mana circulation efficiency improved.
“Good. Maintain that state and continue circulating.”
This was Woo Hana’s biggest flaw:
She couldn’t achieve explosive mana circulation.
But at this very moment, that flaw was corrected.
With just one small piece of guidance.
One sentence solved her long-standing problem.
Faced with this absurd situation, Woo Hana could only blink.
“…Why is this… working?”
She couldn’t understand.
Yujun was also surprised at the better-than-expected result, but quickly suppressed it.
He had just reconfirmed the value of his power.
‘My power can solve all of an opponent’s problems with a single sentence.’
A power every trainer would covet.
“Then let’s proceed in earnest.”
Yujun smiled and continued observing her mana flow.
Following his instructions, Woo Hana kept circulating mana.
At first the explosive flow felt awkward — but she was gradually adapting.
Yujun continued testing the newly activated Command Correction.
“Stronger.”
“Yes!”
Perhaps because she had directly felt the results, Woo Hana obediently followed.
‘Command Correction… as I thought. This was an S-rank trainer skill.’
He had sensed something strange when he corrected Minseok before.
‘Both Minseok and Woo Hana must have received training from many trainers.’
Yujun himself had been Promise Guild youth, so he knew how much training guild members received.
Especially prospects like Woo Hana — trainers constantly stuck to them.
Other trainers must have known her problem.
And surely gave feedback.
‘I’ve trained under famous trainers too — I know.’
Training methods differed in style, but the theoretical foundation was similar.
‘They probably all knew the issue. But knowing doesn’t mean you can fix it.’
Woo Hana herself must have known.
Yet she couldn’t solve it — meaning no clear solution existed.
‘They knew the problem but couldn’t figure out how to fix it.’
This case proved it.
He identified the side overload and instructed her to ignore the burden and circulate mana.
This required making the Awakener understand — something most couldn’t.
Because the risk was high.
But Command Correction’s persuasive force made it possible.
It was the combination of his knowledge, experience, and acquired ability.
‘One sentence makes them understand. It forcefully implants the answer.’
The power to fix problems with a single sentence.
‘This is the power of Command Correction.’
It was essentially the core ability of the Awakener Training System.
‘This ability will set me apart from other trainers.’
Other trainers had to persuade through words and actions.
Sensory adjustments were especially hard to explain verbally.
Posture correction and mana control were notoriously difficult.
They had to risk sending their own mana or rely on repetitive instruction.
But Yujun?
He just had to speak.
Things others found difficult — he could do easily.
“Woo Hana, that’s enough. Maintain that mana.”
Shaaaa—
Violent mana circulated through her body.
Now was the timing.
“Please use your ability.”
Her ability was Acceleration.
A technique that boosts physical ability by wrapping the body in mana — requiring extremely precise mana control.
But Woo Hana’s mana control had been a mess because of the side blockage.
“Circulate mana as I instructed and use Acceleration simultaneously.”
Acceleration required explosive mana.
Right now, her side circulation was temporarily fixed.
Things would be different.
‘This is only a forced correction for now.’
It wasn’t permanent.
‘She needs consistent training to internalize the sensation.’
He would make sure she felt it clearly.
So she could realize how strong proper circulation made her.
Shaaaaaa—!
Woo Hana activated Acceleration—
—and her eyes widened in shock.
Her internal mana exploded violently.
Never once had she released mana this intensely.
Because she simply couldn’t before.
Acceleration.
Whoosh—
In an instant, she vanished, and a fierce gust swept the training hall.
“Huff… huff… the sp-speed… it’s this fast…?”
Woo Hana reappeared, gasping.
Her whole body was drenched in sweat, looking ready to collapse.
Yet she stared at Yujun in disbelief.
Never in her life had she moved this fast.
All he did was fix her mana circulation.
And that alone produced this speed.
Her weakness had just turned into her strength.
“Woo Hana.”
Yujun looked at her calmly and declared:
“That… is your Acceleration ability.”
