(Merlin — Days later, Hunters Guild)
"Oh… truly impressive."
That was the first thing I said when I saw the guild building in front of me. An imposing place, to say the least.
At the entrance, people walked in and out constantly. Mostly hunters — most of them seemed in a rush. I assume they were heading off to close some gate.
I ignored that and headed inside, stepping into the main reception hall. Red and orange tones dominated the decor. I presume that's a direct influence of the guild leader's fire abilities.
But for now, I ignored the decoration and looked for the person who had invited me. It didn't take long to find him. He was seated at a table off to the side, reviewing some papers.
Without wasting time, I walked over.
"Hello, Mr. Hyun. It's a pleasure to see you again."
He lifted his eyes from the documents and greeted me with a brief nod.
"How are you, Mr. Merlin? Sorry I didn't notice you sooner. I was reviewing some forms you'll need to fill out later."
"My apologies for my manners. Please, have a seat."
We sat across from each other, and I noticed his expression grow a bit more serious.
"Merlin… I can call you that, right?"
I nodded with a slight smile. I don't mind informality — in fact, I prefer it.
"As I was saying, I reviewed the public information about you and I'd like you to confirm a few details. Is that alright?"
"I'll help however I can. Please, ask."
He relaxed a bit after hearing that.
"I saw that you're a mage, but I didn't quite understand your abilities. Do you not know how to use them, or do you really not have any elemental skills?"
His tone was genuinely curious. After all, a mage without magic is unusual.
"That's right. I don't have any special abilities. But I do have high mana perception, if that's of any use."
I admit I was afraid that my lack of abilities would keep me from joining the guild. If that happened, I'd have to change my plans.
Mr. Hyun rested his chin on his hands, thinking. I remained silent while he gathered his thoughts.
"Merlin, from what I saw, you finished school not long ago. Excellent grades in every subject, above-average athletic performance even before awakening… I made a few calls to your old school and they only had good things to say about you."
He looked away from my files and back at me.
"Honestly, your résumé is better than many C- and B-rank hunters who joined recently. The only issue is the lack of an offensive skill. As a mage, you don't have a body trained for combat."
He paused. So I asked:
"So this means I won't be able to work as a hunter in your guild?"
Looks like I'll need to go with plan B…
"That's not what I meant, Merlim. As I said, your résumé is great. I'm just pointing out that, if you join the guild, you'll probably have to fight as a close-combat fighter inside the dungeons. Or I can place you in other awakened-but-non-combat positions, like receptionist or security. As an awakened, any job you do will be better than a normal person. But the salary won't compare to a hunter who enters portals."
As soon as he finished, my eyes lit up.
Perfect. I could just stand there all day observing people's mana flow, and no one would find it strange.
But it could get even better.
"I wouldn't mind being hired as security, sir. But I don't have a license or training for that."
He did something unexpected.
"Hahahahahaha!"
He laughed so hard his eyes watered.
When he finally calmed down, I asked — a little offended:
"What's so funny, Mr. Hyun?"
"My apologies, my apologies. I forgot for a moment that you're a newly awakened."
That only confused me further.
"Merlin, your hunter license isn't just decoration. Even without formal training, you're awakened. Your speed, strength, and reflexes don't compare to normal people."
"The other guards will help you, and you'll have access to our basic training center. Over time, you'll gain experience."
That cleared up a lot.
I had really forgotten how convenient being awakened is.
"That would be great, Mr. Hyun. But before we proceed, could I make a request?"
He nodded.
"Would it be possible for me to join a few raids as a porter? I know I don't have experience, but I'd like to see hunters in action… and maybe earn some extra money."
"Well… I don't see a problem with that. I'll send the contract online so you can read it calmly. If you agree, you can start next week. A few security guards retired recently — you came at the perfect time."
He smiled, clearly pleased with the bonus he'd receive for recruiting a C-rank awakened.
My smile widened.
Everything was going perfectly.
"Sir, before I go, I have one more request…"
⸻
(Merlin — Basic Training Area, Hunters Guild)
As soon as we entered the training area, I activated my mana perception and observed the awakened sparring with each other.
When I saw how mana flowed through their channels, my smile widened.
My hypothesis seemed to be correct.
I had been thinking about it while slowly expanding my own mana channels, much more carefully than during that painful first attempt. If mana channels are essential, they must have functions beyond simply storing energy.
What if hunters' abilities were being activated through them?
If that were true, my ability became far more valuable.
If I could see how abilities were activated and replicate them manually…
I could become much stronger than I expected.
Now, watching those hunters using physical reinforcement, I noticed clear differences in how they channeled mana.
When Mr. Hyun started giving me strange looks, I decided to stop for now.
We said goodbye, and I ran home to test my theory before any details slipped from my memory.
⸻
(Recruiter Gi Hyun)
That kid is… strange.
Even though I like him, sometimes I feel naked when he looks at me. It's unsettling.
And after he asked to visit the training grounds, I got even more scared.
The smile he gave while watching the hunters gave me chills.
A shiver ran down my spine.
"Enough thinking about that. I hope he signs the contract soon. I just need to recruit one more person to get that raise. I think I'll finally be able to take that trip to Hawaii. When my wife finds out… hahaha!"
He walked off laughing, already imagining himself jumping into ocean waves.
⸻
(Merlin — Home)
As soon as I entered, I greeted my parents quickly and ran to my room, praying I wouldn't forget how those hunters used their abilities.
I took off the formal clothes and stayed in just my underwear.
"Much better. Who invented wearing formal clothes in the middle of summer?"
I grumbled.
Focus, Merlim. You repeated this to yourself all day. Now just test it. No rushing. You don't want to mess up again.
I closed my eyes and focused on my mana channels.
Once I was fully concentrated, I began moving my energy in the same way the hunters did.
"First, increase the mana flow. Start from the heart."
My heart heated up and beat faster. The warmth spread through my body.
"Okay, first step done. Stay calm. Breathe."
I controlled my breathing, and the heat stopped feeling uncomfortable, becoming almost soothing.
I opened my eyes slowly as I felt my channels releasing that smooth, powerful energy.
This was the state I had observed earlier — some sort of body reinforcement.
Now, the second part.
I directed mana into the newly cultivated channels in my right hand and began cycling the energy there, faster and faster, gathering more and more.
When I felt like my hand was about to catch fire, I stepped forward and punched, reinforcing my fist with all the mana I could.
BOOM—
I was thrown backward and slammed into the wall.
When I regained my balance, I looked at the huge dent left by the pressure of the punch.
A wide grin spread across my face when I realized my hand was intact — just a little numb.
I was about to scream in joy when an overwhelming weakness hit me.
Damn it… I used too much mana.
My world spun and faded to black.
⸻
Author's Note:
Hello, dear readers! What did you think of the chapter? I feel like it didn't turn out as good as it could've been, but feel free to share your thoughts.
In the next chapters, things should speed up — and our dear Merlin's first real fight is coming. Will he win easily, or run into trouble? We'll see.
Now he has a job… but not for long. This guild still has a role to play, but it'll be brief.
If possible, leave a comment — and maybe a power stone, haha.
See you next chapter!