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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: A-Rank Hunter Certification
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Resident registration was issued in no time.
Now the only thing left was the long-awaited Hunter exam.
"Please stand here."
Yong-un gritted his teeth and stepped right onto the measurement device as the staff directed.
Then he drew up his demonic energy.
"W-Wait, you can't raise mana right now."
The staff member sounded flustered as he stared at the computer and spoke up.
"Hoo..."
Yong-un withdrew his demonic energy and turned to Officer Nam.
"When do we head out for that dispatch? If I get S-rank now, will Myung-un definitely be excluded?"
"Not for sure... but yeah, S-rank should get you excluded right away."
As Officer Nam replied, the staff member clacking away at the computer chimed in.
"Your brother's the dispatch target?"
"Yes, Myung-un. He's a hunter with Unwoo Guild."
"Can't confirm dispatch lists easily, but sounds like you're short on time."
"Pardon?"
The staff glanced at Officer Nam.
"You think S-rank's a walk in the park? It's an internationally recognized rank. Even rushing through the International Hunter Association takes at least three months."
"What? Three months?!"
"Even if you pass, it won't stop the dispatch. Well, A-rank would get you excluded too. If you pass, that is."
Officer Nam shot Yong-un a bewildered look.
Yong-un scowled and asked the staff,
"How quick does A-rank come through?"
"If you hit A-rank today, it's just one more exam... yeah, we could pull you from dispatch."
"What's the cutoff between A and S?"
"Ha, think I've only dealt with guys like you once or twice? Everyone swears they're S-rank coming in here. Pray for C-rank—that'll be quicker."
"Shut it and answer the question."
The staff member's face soured at Yong-un's sharp tone.
"Police request, can't say no... damn, can't even kick him out."
The staff might come off rude, but there was good reason.
Hunter management offices were slammed—hands down the busiest government agencies around.
Carving out time amid that chaos for some punk with this attitude? No wonder the staff snapped back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Ding.
[Please begin the measurement]
Right then, the machine chimed.
Yong-un slowly drew up his demonic energy.
'Can't hit S-rank. Keep it as low as possible.'
Swish.
Black demonic energy wafted up faintly, seeping into the machine.
Not the signature crimson-black of Yong-un's demonic arts, but standard demon mana.
"Knew it. C-rank and you're throwing a fit?"
The staff yelled in disbelief.
But Yong-un said nothing, slowly releasing more.
"Huh? B-rank?"
Is this B-rank?
A sigh slipped out at the lower-than-expected threshold, but now wasn't the time to dwell.
He fine-tuned the flow, drawing up a bit more demonic energy.
"Upper B-rank... no way you can push higher?"
The staff's face flushed as the mana climbed.
No more sighs in his voice.
He stared at the computer, hooked now.
Yong-un tweaked it again, nudging the output up just a hair.
Swish.
"A-rank?!"
Perfect.
Maintain this, and Myung-un's off the dispatch list.
He held steady and eyed the staff.
"This enough for A-rank?"
"H-Hold on. You got more in you?"
Yong-un smirked at the probing tone and shook his head.
"That's my limit."
"No lying! Falsifying measurements means legal penalties. Give it everything!"
Legal penalties...
Yong-un just scoffed inwardly.
"I say it's my limit—how dare you claim otherwise? Even if I could push more, that's my call. By the Supremacy of the Strong, a weakling like you commands nothing from me."
Lazy now, he stepped clean off the machine.
The device promptly announced,
⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Congratulations. You qualify for A-rank]
The machine—not the staff—had sealed the measurement.
Yong-un snorted at the staff once more, then pulled back his mana.
"Unreal. God's got no eyes. Handing that power to some selfish prick. Tsk tsk."
Selfish.
Yong-un nodded right along.
Spot on—that was his goal in this world.
Family.
Yong-un lived for them alone.
That's why he'd set down the Demon-Slaying Sword.
The staff shook his head and pulled out his phone, dialing up somewhere.
"A-rank candidate here. Requesting additional exam."
He hung up quick and glared at Yong-un.
"Guess it really is your cap. S-rank ain't falling from the sky. Don't go vanishing on us."
"Hey!"
Officer Nam, who'd held back till now, barked at the staff.
But Yong-un gripped his shoulder and shook his head.
The staff packed his gear one by one, curtly informing Yong-un,
"Examiner's coming soon. Lose to him, you drop to B-rank. Your funeral."
He shrugged, kept the attitude to the end, smirked, and strode out of the station.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"What kinda guy's that?"
Officer Nam's face twisted at what just went down.
He got they were swamped.
Still, those parting words crossed every line.
But Yong-un had wiped the staff from his mind, fixated on one thing.
'Beat the examiner.'
He stared at his hands.
Hadn't even unleashed the crimson-black demonic arts that felled the Blade Demon.
A-rank anyway.
He shook his head at this world's pitiful martial standards and lightly clenched his fists.
"Something feels off, though."
Even as he steeled himself to crush the examiner, Officer Kim tilted his head.
"I'm big into hunters—looked 'em up. A-rank follow-up examiner's always top-tier. Impossible gig. Only one's ever beaten him... why'd the staff say that?"
Yong-un's brow twitched at Kim's words.
Told to beat the examiner—and only one ever had?
Same doubt hit him. He asked Officer Kim,
"A-rank got just one like S-rank?"
"Nah, over ten A-ranks."
"Who's the one who beat him?"
"Sword Tiger Park Tae-seong. Thing is, he's S-rank..."
S-rank?
His brow twitched again.
A faint smile crept in. The head-tilt stopped.
"Pulling tricks to the bitter end."
Ignorance of this world nearly spelled disaster.
Now wise to the staff's game, Yong-un felt the urge to bone up on this place. He unclenched his fist.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Time ticked by. The staff returned with a man who looked like the examiner, stepping into the station.
"This is the A-rank candidate."
Worlds apart from his earlier attitude. The examiner nodded and approached Yong-un.
He extended a hand first.
"Nice to meet you. Hunter Exam Division, Special Examiner Park Myung-su."
"Likewise. Sword Demon—or Yong-un."
Old habits from years as Sword Demon slipped out.
Corrected fast—others missed it, but not Park Myung-su.
"Sword Demon... fits you well."
Park smiled faintly, eyeing Yong-un's palm with a grin.
'Sword seeker, huh.'
Park spotted the scabbard at his own waist and nodded.
Warriors spot warriors.
No real ones in this world till now—strange kinship stirred for Park.
Seemed mutual.
Handshake done, Park smiled at the staff.
"Finally nabbed a live one."
"Pardon?"
"Exam's over. Register the A-rank Hunter license."
"But..."
"Could be S-rank?"
"Yeah, brother's on dispatch—guy's gaming the system. Exams gotta be straight..."
Park cut the rambling staff off.
"S-rank exam plus license—how long?"
"Minimum three months..."
"Your brother's on dispatch—would you run S-rank then?"
"B-But..."
Tap, tap.
Park lightly thumped the staff's chest with his fist.
Then he stared down cold.
"Grow a conscience. S-rank screener? Two-step promo for you. But your petty ambition wrecking a family? Fine by you?"
"St-Still... gotta be honest..."
"Still clinging to that ambition?"
Park sighed deep, fished out his phone.
Dialed right up.
"Myung-su here. Bluntly: discipline one staffer, expedite A-rank Hunter license."
"D-Discipline?!"
The word drained the staff's face white.
Park muted the receiver a sec, eyed him hard.
"Didn't know? A-rank special examiners can discipline staff and emergency-issue A-rank licenses."
Unmuted.
"Emergency register and issue A-rank today."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Park's ironclad handling dragged the staff off to Hunter HQ, bitter pill and all.
Staff wasn't the only one floored.
Everyone watching in the station gawked.
"The twelfth A-rank awakener..."
"That guy's it?"
"Whoa."
Out of millions of Korean hunters, just eleven A-ranks.
They were heaven-sent legends.
And one popped up right here in the station.
A guy missing twelve years, no less.
"Name your brother—I'll yank him from dispatch now."
"Appreciate it."
"But you know you gotta join his guild for that?"
"If it takes it."
Snatch his brother from death's jaws? Child's play.
Fail that, he'd carve through every monster and hunter in the region.
"I'll fast-track it. Great for his guild too—your join catapults 'em from underground to spotlight."
Even the non-hunter cops nodded; made total sense.
A-rank Hunter signing on? Game-changer.
Everyone figured Korea's guild rankings would flip soon.
"Gotta run—busy. Here's my card."
Park handed Yong-un his business card.
Before striding out, he dropped a bombshell.
"Once dispatch's off, reconsider S-rank exam. Hit me up—I'll hook you up max. Thanks. Later, S-rank Hunter."