Chapter 11
“An F-rank killed a mutant orc….”
The voice of the man echoed through a sparsely furnished office.
No lavish ornaments, no unnecessary decorations — just the bare essentials.
Compared to the flashy interiors of major guild headquarters, the room exuded a clean, minimalist air.
“The same kid who beat the third-year runner-up?”
“Yes. The student who achieved a perfect victory in the academy tournament.”
“Right… I didn’t see it myself, but the rumor was loud enough that even I heard it.”
The inferior student who defeated the academy’s third-year runner-up.
He hadn’t allowed a single valid hit, and in the overtime round, he’d relentlessly beaten his opponent into unconsciousness.
“And now that same kid stayed behind in his first gate raid to save our guild members… and killed a D-rank monster alone?”
“…Yes, sir. Everything in the report is true.”
The guild master alternated glances between the written report and Ye-na, who stood in front of his desk.
He stroked his thick, well-kept beard, letting out a low hum.
“So, what happened with the scouting offer?”
“Hunter Jung Juhyeok said he’s not interested in joining any guild at the moment.”
“Heh. Of course.”
A dry laugh escaped his lips.
A rookie of that caliber refusing to join any guild?
He assumed it was just polite wording — a roundabout rejection.
But Ye-na shook her head.
“It wasn’t just lip service. He’s received offers from several major guilds already, but he’s ignored them all.”
Since the gate incident, Juhyeok had become the talk of the entire hunter community.
The attention was far beyond anything from the academy tournament.
After all, a rookie had singlehandedly slain a mutant monster in his very first gate.
That kind of feat was unheard of.
Even high-ranked new hunters struggled to kill monsters two grades below their rank,
simply because they lacked real combat experience.
But Juhyeok?
In his first gate, he’d fought a mutant orc — alone — to save his party and came back alive.
An F-rank hunter, no less.
“Could it be… a reawakening?”
That was the only logical conclusion any guild could reach.
Reawakening.
When they’d looked into his records, they found a one-week gap in his attendance — a period where his whereabouts were completely unknown.
He had been a diligent student, never once skipping class or training,
so his sudden disappearance had puzzled everyone.
Then he returned — stronger, sharper, and completely changed.
So, naturally, everyone assumed he had undergone reawakening.
“But something doesn’t quite add up,” Ye-na said.
“What do you mean?”
“Even if he reawakened, that doesn’t suddenly give him experience.”
The guild master frowned thoughtfully.
When a hunter reawakens, their mana capacity and physical stats increase.
But that didn’t automatically grant them the instincts or combat experience of a seasoned veteran.
Yet Juhyeok displayed both —
perfect breathing in combat, flawless posture,
and composure that came only from years of real battles.
“I knew from the academy that his mental fortitude was strong,” Ye-na continued,
“but this goes beyond that. His foundational skillset itself feels different.”
“You mean… his base attributes — and even his fundamentals — have changed?”
“Yes. Including basic combat movement.”
It wasn’t just experience.
When he faced monsters, he reacted with calm precision —
his stance clean, efficient, and devoid of wasted motion.
One of the guild members who’d been rescued by him had described it best:
“When you look at Juhyeok, it doesn’t feel like watching a rookie F-rank.
It feels like watching a 30-year veteran D-rank hunter.”
“….”
“Given the timeline, something drastic must’ve happened during that missing week.
Even his academy instructor noted a remarkable improvement afterward.”
That blank week.
What could have happened in that time?
How could a student who hadn’t even cracked the top 200
come back and casually toy with the runner-up —
and then slay a mutant orc alone?
Even as a veteran guild master who had seen it all, he couldn’t find an answer.
“Did he tell you anything himself?”
“No. Whenever I tried to bring up that topic, he grew defensive.
It was impossible to ask.”
“I see…”
The guild master fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.
“If he’s that kind of man, then he’ll probably end up with a much larger guild than ours.”
For whatever reason, Jung Juhyeok clearly preferred working solo.
Even if he did change his mind someday,
a mid-sized guild like Mir probably wouldn’t be his choice.
The guild master sighed quietly, regret flickering in his eyes.
If only they’d reached out to him sooner…
As if sensing his thoughts, Ye-na spoke up.
“It was hard to ask about his past, but thanks to the last raid,
I think I’ve built a decent relationship with him.”
“You’re not saying you just talked a bit and that counts as a good relationship, right?”
“No, sir. He actually requested a small favor as a form of reward.”
“A small favor?”
Even if Juhyeok hadn’t asked,
the Mir Guild had already planned to reward him handsomely to show gratitude.
But apparently, he had been the one to ask first.
“If you really feel bad, then do me a favor.”
It might have sounded mercenary,
but to Ye-na, it was a relief — even a chance.
If he asked for one thing, she could give him two,
and turn it into an opportunity to strengthen ties.
She had planned to build on that thin thread of connection somehow.
But what Juhyeok asked for next… completely caught her off guard.
“He requested permission to use a mana measurement device
and asked us to assign him a party for an E-rank dungeon.”
“….”
The guild master’s eyes narrowed.
An F-rank rookie who caused a nationwide stir…
and this was what he wanted in return?
Just a mana test and a low-tier dungeon run?
That led to only one conclusion.
“So it really was a reawakening.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
His exact mana levels were unclear,
but if he could kill a mutant orc,
his power had to be at least around D-rank or higher.
For a mid-sized guild like Mir — still trying to grow its roster —
he was an asset they desperately needed.
“There’s one unusual detail,” Ye-na added.
“Hunter Jung seems extremely reluctant to appear in public.”
“Hmm… That’s rare. Most reawakened hunters crave attention.”
Indeed, the majority would do anything to flaunt their new power.
Yet Juhyeok avoided the spotlight,
refused guild offers,
and his expression darkened at even the mention of publicity.
“Maybe he just doesn’t like fame?”
“Possibly. He’s serious and reserved by nature,
so it would make sense — but it’s still strange.
That alone doesn’t explain his total aversion to guilds.”
“Could he have social anxiety?”
“No. He interacted normally during the raid,
and there were no reports of issues with his academy peers either.”
“Then why does he want to hide himself so much…?”
The guild master leaned back in his chair, rocking slightly.
After a moment, he nodded decisively.
“Whatever the reason, let’s not pry.
Respect his privacy as much as possible.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be careful.”
Everyone has their reasons —
stories they don’t want uncovered.
If they wanted to recruit him someday,
they’d need to become the kind of guild
that respected those boundaries.
“Anyway, how are Jaehwan and Suhwa doing?”
“They’re still in the hospital, but the doctors said there shouldn’t be any lasting aftereffects.”
“…That’s good.”
After all, Juhyeok had saved them.
He wasn’t just a promising rookie — he was their benefactor.
Guild Master Kim Geonyeong of Mir
was not the kind of man who would violate a savior’s trust out of curiosity.
“I’d love to thank him in person, but since he dislikes connections with guilds,
I’d probably just make him uncomfortable.”
Simply letting him use the mana detector and join an E-rank party
felt too little for what he’d done.
But still, he held himself back.
“Alright. You must be tired too. Go rest for the night.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ye-na bowed and left the room.
Left alone, the guild master flipped through Juhyeok’s file once more.
‘…Rank 207.’
A ranking that didn’t match his current achievements in the slightest.
Below it were detailed notes about his background.
[A diligent student — never once missed training except for the one week he went missing.]
[Maintained model behavior throughout all three years at the academy.]
A perfect record, free of flaws.
Even if his grades were mediocre,
the sheer persistence of attending every session spoke volumes.
“The more I read, the more I want him in my guild.”
A rare seedling —
one with grit and discipline almost unseen in recent years.
As he read, an old spark reignited in his chest —
the thrill of discovering true potential.
‘If he really has reawakened… I’d like to train him myself.’
A hardworking man reborn through reawakening,
now showing the composure and technique of a veteran hunter.
Kim Geonyeong, who had once raised numerous A-rank hunters,
felt a familiar flame of passion stirring again.
Later that evening
[The guild master approved everything.]
“Thank you.”
Juhyeok answered, phone pressed to his ear as he sat at home.
The requests he’d made — the mana test and the dungeon team —
had both been approved.
[Don’t mention it. But are you sure that’s all you want?]
“Yes. Just those two things — and please keep it quiet.”
If the news spread that he’d undergone another mana test,
his phone would never stop ringing.
He was already bombarded daily by unknown numbers
from scouts trying to contact him.
[Come on, do you think we’d leak it to anyone?]
Ye-na’s cheerful laugh rang over the line.
Then her tone softened, revealing her real intention.
[Besides, I wouldn’t want any other guilds to get info about you anyway.]
“…That’s reassuring.”
As expected, she wouldn’t leak anything that might cost her guild an edge.
Still, hearing it so bluntly made him shake his head in mild disbelief.
[But really, are you sure you don’t want anything else?
Just those two? That feels like too small a reward.]
“I can’t really think of anything else…”
Maybe he should ask for a bit of cash.
But after taking all the mana stones from the gate for himself,
asking for more would feel greedy.
‘And honestly, I don’t really need anything right now…’
He was about to politely decline —
“Ah.”
A sudden thought struck him.
[What is it? Did you remember something you need?]
Her voice perked up immediately.
Juhyeok glanced toward the kitchen,
where his mother stood quietly washing dishes.
Then he spoke softly.
“…If you know a good hospital, please introduce me to one.”
