Chapter 9: Promotion Test （5）
Kim Myeong-min, having moved to the reception room, offered a simple cup of tea and opened the conversation.
“I apologize for not stepping in when the Blood Orc appeared. To be honest, I received orders to let you handle it directly. But Kang San-nim’s skills were so extraordinary that I wanted to observe for a bit. If I had judged that Team 2 couldn’t handle it, I would have intervened in the battle without a moment’s hesitation.”
“……Ah, I see.”
Kang San showed a lukewarm response.
While fighting for his life, the most incomprehensible thing was Kim Myeong-min’s presence, watching from afar.
Examiner.
They have a duty to ensure the safety of the applicants.
If someone foolishly takes the E-rank test with F-rank skills and dies, it would be their own fault. But this incident, on the surface, was clearly the fault of the Promotion Test Center, wasn’t it? Thanks to that, Kang San had to fully experience Azmoon’s Trial. In the tension of possibly having his head smashed in with the slightest mistake, Kang San risked his life to defeat the Blood Orc.
Perhaps that’s why.
He couldn’t help but feel displeased with Kim Myeong-min.
“By the way, looking at Kang San-nim’s profile, it says you spent six years as a human shield. Is this really true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“It really was. To be honest, I doubted my eyes the entire time I was watching the battle. Most people who take on the Tanker role don’t have a deep understanding of the role. They’re mostly those with excellent physical abilities who simply choose it because it’s a ‘rare position.’ Those people are idiots who just endure at the front with the help of skills. But Kang San-nim was different. Your understanding and judgment as a Tanker were superior to any Tanker I’ve ever seen, to the point where your F-rank was meaningless. That’s why I decided to observe. I was confident that if such a Tanker was enduring at the front, even a D-rank Blood Orc wouldn’t be a problem.”
“……Thank you.”
It was an awkward situation.
Kang San gave an embarrassed smile at the blatant flattery.
Kim Myeong-min didn’t seem like a bad person as he had initially thought.
From the perspective of a B-rank Hunter, he was confident and seemed to have genuinely believed it was safe, which is why he didn’t intervene.
Well, he wasn’t wrong in the end.
Kang San did risk his life to protect Choi Si-won, but it wasn’t to the point of risking his life just to endure.
Perhaps he thought he had laid enough groundwork.
Kim Myeong-min stated his main point.
“To get straight to the point, I want to recruit Kang San-nim as a member of my Ranger team. I believe you are well aware of what the Rangers do. If you wish, I will register you as a regular employee and arrange for you to receive government benefits. And if you don’t like being tied down, I will treat you fairly as a mercenary. Either way, I am prepared to meet your conditions. An outstanding Tanker, especially one with limitless future potential, deserves such treatment, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Are you a Ranger, by any chance?”
“Yes, I was until recently. I’m temporarily working as an examiner now, but I’m scheduled to return in a few months.”
Kang San showed a surprised reaction.
Ranger.
The name refers to a special force that operates with government support.
Their role is clear.
When people are attacked by Link incidents, they step in to eliminate or rescue them, or they directly cross over to the Other World to carry out such missions. People call them combat specialists, and it’s an honorable profession that receives considerable treatment both financially and socially.
Kim Myeong-min being the leader of a Ranger team.
He looked different now.
That meant he wasn’t just a simple B-rank Hunter, but also possessed skills that transcended his rank.
“I’m just an E-rank Hunter. Why are you making me this offer?”
“Rank is not an absolute standard. Sometimes there are people with outstanding skills that make rank meaningless. Like Kang San-nim. Of course, you may not be able to carry out high-difficulty missions right away, but I believe that you will improve your skills to that level soon enough. I may not look like it, but I’m confident that I have an excellent eye for people.”
It was a truly bewildering moment.
A B-rank Hunter and a Ranger team leader.
He must be a person of great social renown, yet he reached out first to Kang San, who had just barely been promoted to E-rank.
It was probably because of the rarity of Tankers.
Outstanding Tankers are highly valued.
Considering that reason, Kim Myeong-min’s decision to try and secure a Tanker first wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
He briefly considered the benefits of being a Ranger, but Kang San’s conclusion was still rejection.
‘Being a Ranger is too dangerous.’
Being a Ranger isn’t just about personal gain.
It’s a very dangerous job that requires acting for the sake of others, and thus guarantees honor.
Even as a mercenary, a Ranger is still a Ranger.
Kang San didn’t want to take the risk.
But at that moment.
Kang San had an ominous feeling.
Rangers are a symbol of sacrifice and dedication.
Wouldn’t that be a setup that Azmoon would really like?
As expected.
『The fourth Trial and Tribulation has been assigned.』
『Being a Ranger is the best environment to resolve bad karma. As a member of the Rangers, dedicate yourself to the world. This Trial can be cleared simply by accepting ‘Kim Myeong-min’s’ offer.』
『Reward: Strength, Agility, Divine Power +2, 1 piece of special information.』
The Trial arrived as always.
Kang San’s expression twisted horribly.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Kang San eventually accepted Kim Myeong-min’s offer.
However, there was a condition.
“I’ll accept your offer, but please make it clear that I’m a mercenary. Even if I’m a member of your team, it’s up to me whether I accept a mission or not. As long as you don’t restrict my freedom, I’ll support your team as a member when our schedules and conditions align.”
“The mercenary system is designed for individual freedom. Thank you for accepting my offer.”
Kim Myeong-min smiled brightly.
Kang San felt a pang in his stomach, as if he was digging his own grave again, but there was no other way to clear the Trial.
Kang San returned home immediately.
It was time to check the rewards.
He needed a sweet reward to soothe his bitter heart.
『Kang San』
━ Strength: 32
━ Agility: 35
━ Divine Power: 8
━ Reaction Speed: 1
First, the stats.
As if it wasn’t enough that his stats increased by 5 each from the two Trials, a new stat called ‘Reaction Speed’ was created. The fight with the Blood Orc. It seemed that his agile movements, dodging the opponent’s attacks by observing them, had led to the creation of the stat. It was a considerable gain for Kang San. And as soon as he consumed the stat stone, a change occurred in Kang San’s stats.
『Kang San』
━ Strength: 32
━ Agility: 36
━ Divine Power: 8
━ Reaction Speed: 2
‘Agility and Reaction Speed have increased. At this rate, I’ll be able to reach the average D-rank stat of 50 in no time.’
Stat stone.
It refers to a special item stored within a monster’s body that increases stats when absorbed.
You never know which stat will increase.
When a stat stone is absorbed, the monster’s mana strengthens the human body, and the effect varies greatly depending on the amount of mana contained. A top-grade stat stone was once sold at auction. Although it wasn’t revealed how much the stats increased, the price was successfully bid for over 10 billion won.
Next, the skills.
A smile spread across Kang San’s lips as he checked the skills.
『2-Star Skill』
『Berserker』
1. Gains attack power and speed equal to the amount of health consumed. （Cooldown: 1 hour.）
2. Becomes insensitive to pain in Berserker state.
『1-Star Skill』
『Iron Man』
1. Temporarily increases defense by 5%. （Cooldown: 5 minutes.）
2. Reduces damage taken by 5%.
Two skills.
The first one was obtained through a skill spirit.
Skill spirits, like stat stones, can be obtained from monsters. They are the remnants of monsters with skills, left behind in the form of a soul. They appear as opaque spheres. When consumed like medicine, the Hunter can use the corresponding skill. Originally, items obtained during the practical test are distributed randomly through a fair method. But by unanimous decision of Team 2 members, Kang San got to keep them all. It was actually an unexpected decision for Kang San. Skill spirits are very expensive items, and you can’t buy them just because you have the money. Especially a 2-star skill, everyone would have wanted it. Yet, after holding their own meeting, they chose to reward Kang San for his contribution.
The second one was a reward from the Trial.
It wasn’t bad.
The defense increase from Iron Man wasn’t significant, but the damage reduction was a passive skill that a Tanker must have.
And the Promotion Test Center offered compensation as a token of apology. It was the ‘C-rank or lower area free selection right.’ Raids cannot be undertaken recklessly. Areas that have been explored by the government and have a confirmed rank are sold at a reasonable price or distributed to those who work for the government. Raids are a chance for growth as well as a life-threatening task. Usually, the initial investment cost is recovered through byproducts obtained from raids （items like stat stones or monster corpses）. So people try to buy areas of their desired rank and condition even if they have to pay for it.
The C-rank or lower free selection right was a pretty good privilege in that respect.
Kang San needed opportunities for growth in the future, and there would be a day when he could buy an area suitable for him.
Finally, the reward for the fourth Trial.
It was labeled as special information.
Kang San didn’t know what it was at first, but when he checked the identity of the reward, his eyes widened.
『Special Information』
『Go to Cheorwon, Gangwon-do. If you overcome the ‘Dungeon’s Trial’ there, you can obtain a fragment of your past life’s memory.』
“……Past life’s memory?”
Past life?
Azmoon’s meaning was clear.
Blood Demon.
He was trying to pass on the memories of that monster to Kang San.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
After Kang San accepted the mercenary offer.
Kim Myeong-min left the Promotion Test Center.
‘He was an unusual person.’
Recruiting Kang San.
To be honest, it didn’t make sense logically.
For Kim Myeong-min, an E-rank Hunter wasn’t even worth looking at. But Kang San showed a uniqueness that set him apart from other Hunters. His ideal judgment as a Tanker and his spirit of sacrifice, throwing himself in harm’s way for his colleagues. Above all, the skill that healed his injuries instantly was something he had never heard of before. Considering these complex factors, Kim Myeong-min judged that the picture of Kang San playing an active role as a member of the Ranger team wasn’t bad.
So he took the initiative.
And now, it was time to create a valid basis for that judgment.
‘Background checks are a necessary process.’
Rangers are dedicated to serving people.
In the past, people like police officers and firefighters used to crack down on crime and rescue people. Now, the profession that replaces that role is the Ranger. Therefore, even if a member of the Rangers is a mercenary, their past must be clean. If he accepted someone as a member of the Rangers and they turned out to be a heinous criminal, Kim Myeong-min could face severe disciplinary action for this incident.
So originally, he should have learned about Kang San first and then recruited him. But he couldn’t resist after seeing Kang San’s potential.
The fact that he was E-rank wasn’t important.
A Tanker whose skills were comparable to a D-rank.
And a talent with unlimited potential. So he had to call dibs first, lest he be taken by others.
‘His upbringing didn’t lead to delinquency.’
Childhood.
Kang San lost both of his parents.
The life insurance money and assets left by his parents were squandered by his relatives. But despite such a bleak childhood, Kang San never committed a single crime. It wasn’t because he had a strong sense of law-abidingness. Kang San was just an ordinary citizen, and he had an ordinary way of thinking that if he needed money, he would choose work, not crime.
A clean past.
That was a relief.
He had been quite worried that Kang San might be a criminal because he was so desirable.
His past was fine for now.
What remained were his relationships.
Problems that don’t show up in past behavior are often discovered through relationships.
First, he visited his former relatives.
They, who had built a luxurious household, responded indifferently to his inquiries about Kang San, making up excuses.
“We don’t know, we don’t know. It’s been so long since he left home. Someone like him has nothing to do with us anymore. Did he perhaps co-sign a loan or something? Let me be clear, we have no intention of solving his problems, so don’t even come near here.”
Rejected at the door.
They were truly wicked people.
Even though they lived in a grand house, they didn’t grant even a sliver of concern to Kang San, the source of their wealth.
After that, Kim Myeong-min visited Kang San’s other acquaintances.
There were no particular problems.
And finally.
Kim Myeong-min targeted the ‘conflict’ Kang San had recently experienced.
‘There was an incident where he reported a Mage a while ago.’
The reported crime was clear.
There was video evidence, leaving no room for refutation. But the testimony of the witness could be different.
The person he visited was Kim Chun-sik.
And right there, Kim Myeong-min had no choice but to completely erase his doubts about Kang San.
“You want me to talk about Kang San-nim? He’s my lifesaver. When that d*mn Mage ran away irresponsibly, Kang San-nim had enough time to escape, but he didn’t abandon me and saved my life. You said your name was Kim Myeong-min, right? Have you ever experienced anything like that? It was the first time I experienced pure goodwill without expecting anything in return. If you’re asking me about his flaws, I can assure you that Kang San-nim is not someone who deserves such suspicion from you.”
Kim Chun-sik’s expression hardened.
Although his tone was somewhat rough, Kim Chun-sik’s words and actions showed genuine feelings for Kang San.
After finishing the conversation and moving to another location, Kim Chun-sik lit a cigarette while looking up at the clear blue sky.
“There are still people like this in this d*mn world.”
After saving Kim Chun-sik.
And now Choi Si-won.
Kim Myeong-min smiled unconsciously at Kang San’s heroic actions.
