[ Preparation Complete (1) ]
Han Yuhyun and Seong Hyunjae. Both of them were staring at me. Yuhyun’s expression clearly said, “Why don’t we talk separately?”, while Seong Hyunjae was silently urging me to spill whatever was on my mind.
I sat there for a moment, holding off on speaking before finally opening my mouth.
“It might seem like an unexpected topic, but what do you think about the Awakening Centers?”
“The Awakening Centers?”
Their expressions said it all—they were wondering why I was bringing that up all of a sudden.
“Yes. There are about three months left until the official announcement, right? I assume they’re probably in the middle of installing the internal facilities by now. If it’s possible, could you tell me a bit more about the facilities at the centers?”
Of course, it wasn’t like I didn’t know. The news had been all over it, repeating detailed explanations endlessly. The two of them exchanged glances for a moment before Seong Hyunjae spoke up.
“The key feature of the Awakening Centers is the A-rank item, the Fantasy Maze. It’s a mental-type item that creates illusions indistinguishable from reality for its target. But like most mental-type items and skills, it doesn’t work well if your Willpower stat is even slightly above average. Even with an E-rank Willpower stat, people tend to notice the discrepancy. However, for non-Awakened individuals, it allows them to experience realistic threats in a safe environment, which can trigger their Awakening.”
The method used at the Awakening Centers was simple. They showed the participants an illusion of being attacked by monsters to trigger their Awakening. While there were cases of psychological trauma, it was a relatively safe and reliable method.
And, naturally, most people who Awakened this way ended up with combat-related skills or combat-support skills. After all, the Awakening was triggered by the need to survive a monster attack.
“It takes an average of 17 minutes per person to Awaken, and because of the potential for mental strain, there’s a time limit of 30 minutes. The association currently possesses five Fantasy Mazes, each capable of creating illusions for up to thirty people at a time.”
“So, that means around 150 people can Awaken every 30 minutes.”
“Not everyone will Awaken, so the actual number will be slightly lower, but the initial plan is to start with about 1,000 people per day, with the goal of increasing that to 3,000 within six months.”
Even if only 1,000 people Awaken per day, that’s 10,000 in ten days and 30,000 in a month. If the ratio remains the same as in the future I knew, one in a hundred of those 20,000 people would qualify as Hunters—that’s 200 new Hunters.
And didn’t it only take about two days for them to reach that initial 1,000 people? Under public pressure, the number quickly increased to 3,000 or even 4,000 per day. They didn’t even close on weekends. I still remember the headlines from that time—“Awakening Centers Surpass 100,000 Awakened in First Month!”
That meant 1,000 rookie Hunters had emerged in just one month. As someone who was at the center of that chaos, I couldn’t help but frown.
“Don’t you think that’s too many? The dungeons are already being managed safely as it is.”
“Even if there are 30,000 new Awakened people every month, only about ten of them will be worth anything. So, in practical terms, it’s not that many.”
…Yeah, I guess that’s true. From his perspective, you’d have to be at least B-rank to be considered useful. Even in society, you’re only recognized as a Hunter if you’re at least C or D-rank. I, as an F-rank, am also stuck with the stigma of being a “mere F-rank,” so what’s the point in arguing further?
“Still, hundreds of people will be earning Hunter licenses every month. That means a flood of new lower-ranked Hunters will be entering the dungeons.”
It would actually be a relief if those with mediocre stats gave up on becoming Hunters. But that wasn’t the problem—it was the ones who didn’t give up that were the issue. Especially in the early days of the Awakening Centers, almost no one gave up. People around them would encourage them, and the media only talked about the success stories.
“The quality of training will inevitably decline, and there will be a shortage of low-grade items.”
At first, the Awakening Centers didn’t offer any support funds or even a basic program. Initially, there was a week-long training program similar to the old ones, but it quickly shrank to three days, and finally, it was reduced to just one day.
“I understand what you’re worried about, hyung.”
Yuhyun said. Seong Hyunjae, who had been interlacing his fingers, also lightly unclasped his hands and lifted them.
“Amateur Hunters will flood the market, and they’ll rush into dungeons unprepared, leading to a lot of deaths. But Han Yujin, there’s nothing we can do about that. The idea that anyone can easily become an Awakened is an appealing one.”
That’s true. Just looking at the endless lines of people camping outside the Awakening Centers for days shows how attractive that idea is to people.
“But then we restrict it just to a select few? For safety’s sake, a daily limit of around a hundred people would be ideal. That would mean about thirty new Hunters a month, which could be managed safely. But if you reduce the number to a mere thirtieth of the center’s full capacity, the initial surge in public support will plummet.”
So, it’s a political issue.
“You can’t just lie and say only a hundred people a day are possible in the first place. There are already too many Hunters who know how the Fantasy Maze item works. Plus, even if the official Awakening Centers limit the numbers, once the method becomes public knowledge, private Awakening Centers will undoubtedly pop up. While the association regulates C-rank and higher mental-type items and skills, do you really think everyone will follow those rules? In the end, there’s no way to stop the flood of unprepared lower-ranked Hunters.”
“But if so many people end up getting injured or dying, the social repercussions will be severe. Even the large guilds could get caught up in it.”
That’s exactly what happened.
“We’re aware of that. Which is why we plan to offer a scapegoat.”
Yuhyun said.
A scapegoat. MKC immediately came to mind. In the original timeline, they had survived for about three more years… So, was this what those two had been scheming about? Using MKC as a sacrificial lamb?
‘Yuhyun, it was originally me and the Haeyeon Guild that got caught up in that mess.’
Of course, Haeyeon didn’t go under, but three relatively large guilds were used as scapegoats, if I remember correctly. The government and the association shifted the blame to these guilds instead of taking responsibility themselves, with sensational articles blaming the guilds for monopolizing easy dungeons, not supporting new Hunters, and exploiting lower-ranked Hunters.
I don’t remember the details since I was too busy getting beat down myself, but that’s the gist of it.
MKC would make a fine punching bag.
“Besides, even without the election considerations, there’s still a need for the Awakening Centers to produce a large number of Awakened people.”
Seong Hyunjae added.
“Dungeons may be safely managed for now, but we don’t know how long that will last. As you know, the proportion of high-ranked Hunters is extremely low. To produce enough high-ranked Hunters from such a small pool, there’s no choice but to create a large number of lower-ranked Hunters.”
Yuhyun then elaborated further.
“What the government and the association want is more high-ranked Hunters. The industries related to dungeon by-products are developing rapidly. But the most valuable by-products mainly come from high-ranking dungeons. Even though the high-ranking dungeons in the country are being managed well, not all of them are being cleared right on time except for a select few with exceptionally valuable rewards. That’s because there aren’t enough high-ranked Hunters. Those unscheduled dungeons are a waste, and soon we’ll be able to bid on overseas dungeons in countries that aren’t managing their dungeons and Hunters properly. So, they want to increase the number of high-ranked Hunters as quickly as possible.”
The two of them seemed to believe that a little sacrifice now would pay off in the future.
Well, they’re not wrong. The first year or so was chaotic, but things gradually stabilized. As the number of high and mid-ranked Hunters increased significantly, the dungeon industry grew even further.
A sigh escaped me unconsciously.
“Hyung, don’t worry so mu—”
“If we can get people to lose interest in the Awakening Centers on their own, and if we can find high-ranked Awakened faster than the centers, then there won’t be a problem.”
Seong Hyunjae’s gaze shifted slightly, showing a spark of interest. Meanwhile, Yuhyun looked utterly flustered.
“Wait, hyung! What are you planning?”
“It almost sounds like Han Yujin is saying he can do that.”
“You heard right.”
Thud!
“Hyung!”
Yuhyun jumped up from his seat. It seemed he had a hunch about what I was going to say. Judging by his expression, he looked ready to grab me by the collar and drag me out of there. I was glad I’d brought this up in front of Seong Hyunjae.
“Calm down and sit down. I was planning to reveal this anyway.”
“But—”
“The young master’s reaction is only making me more curious about what this is all about.”
It’s not a big deal.
“I’m planning to set up a special Awakening Center.”
I gestured for Yuhyun to sit back down as I spoke. He glared at me for a moment before reluctantly taking his seat again, though his lips were pressed into a thin line—clearly, he was sulking.
“A special Awakening Center?”
“Yes. As the name suggests, it’s a center that specializes in Awakenings for those with special skills. The association’s Awakening Centers can only produce combat-related Awakenings for now.”
“…Is that even possible?”
“Yes. My skill allows me to identify an unawakened individual’s Awakening potential and their optimized initial skill. Once you know what the optimized skill is, it’s not too difficult to trigger the Awakening accordingly.”
“…Hyung, seriously.”
Yuhyun muttered, almost groaning. I hadn’t originally planned to reveal this secret, but the situation had forced my hand.
“…Can you identify them without any limitations?”
“Of course, without any limitations. From F-rank to beyond S-rank. Although I can only see the skill names, so I have to infer their effects.”
Seong Hyunjae’s expression turned serious.
“Is that how you found Park Yerim?”
“Let’s just say it was a coincidence before I acquired the skill. For the sake of my credibility. Besides, discovering an S-rank Hunter is always a bit of luck, isn’t it?”
“So, the plan is to draw people away from the general Awakening Centers and towards your special Awakening Center instead?”
“Yes. It’s simple. We’ll limit the number of people the special Awakening Center can handle to around 100 a day. We’ll also emphasize that if someone Awakens at the general Awakening Center, they might miss out on their true special skill.”
Of course, depending on the circumstances, there’s a chance of acquiring it as a level 10 skill. But that’s not easy to do. To level up, you have to clear dungeons, which naturally means focusing on combat abilities. So, most people end up with combat-related skills as their level 10 skill as well.
“There’s still plenty of time before the Awakening Centers open, so I plan to start gathering people with special skills beforehand. Ideally, people with low stats but high special skills. Most Awakening Center participants are F-rank. These people would have become ordinary F-ranks if they had gone through the general Awakening process. But by Awakening with a skill that matches their aptitude, they’ve become C-rank or even B-rank. That’s the story we’ll tell.”
General Awakening Centers? You’re burying your hidden potential! You could become a B-rank, or even A-rank, and beyond! Look at this SS-rank blacksmith with an F-rank Hunter background. Of course, you want to be an Awakened, but a rash decision could cost you the chance to acquire an SS-rank special skill that would make you world-renowned!
Something like that.
“Even with a 100-person limit, there will still be plenty of impatient people.”
“Once we have enough data and establish a system, we’ll announce plans to increase the capacity of the special Awakening Center. I’ll quickly identify people’s skills, and the rest will be handled by other staff members. That should help buy some time.”
It only takes about ten seconds to check someone’s status window. If we digitalize the process, I could identify over 100 people per hour, and only about one or two in every hundred would need special counseling for their unique skills.
“If we can prevent the initial rush, things shouldn’t get too out of hand. We’ll also keep the general Awakening Centers limited to 1,000 people per day. And make sure they strictly adhere to all public holidays and have everyone clock out at 5 PM sharp. Actually, let’s go all out—make it a 10 to 4 schedule with a two-hour lunch break.”
That’s a cushy job.
“If we’re going to do that, we’ll need to throw the association a bone or two.”
“They can set up shop in high-traffic areas. I’ll help them find high-ranked Awakened. There are special skills that could be lost if people go through the general Awakening process. Just look at me—how tempting is that? Should I even throw in some overseas trips every now and then? With that much, I feel like I’m the one who should be getting something in return.”
The Beast Tamer skill. Although it doesn’t actually exist, just one more like it would rival a new S-rank. And what about Myungwoo?
Among the masses of F-ranks who would have been lost in the general Awakening process, there could be extraordinary talents hidden away. And I’m the one who will go through the trouble of digging them up.
“If the government and the association have any sense, they should be running public service announcements telling people to visit the special Awakening Center first.”
“That does make sense.”
Seong Hyunjae chuckled softly. Yuhyun let out a deep sigh, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
“I like it. There might even be some perks that come our way. Especially those overseas trips.”
“That’s too dangerous.”
Yuhyun frowned as he chimed in. Even I thought the overseas trips were going too far. I got carried away while talking.
“Let’s stick to sharing domestic Awakening data. We’ll take turns on a first-come, first-served basis.”
“Leaving it to chance, huh. Anyway, we should set a date to have a proper discussion about this. Now, if only there was a way to keep Breaker and Hanshin out of it.”
Greedy Mister. Personally, it’s better for me if those two get involved.
“Oh, and I plan to include support for lower-ranked Hunters as part of the payment for raising their Monster Mounts. Both domestically and overseas.”
Both of them looked surprised. It’s not like I can take money with me when I die, so why not use my rewards to do a bit of charity? Proper education and well-maintained gear could save lives.
If it’s something I can easily do, there’s no reason not to.
“Follow me back on SNS, Boss!”
Goblin suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the night.
“Oh! And here’s a gift!”
With her cheerful voice, she handed me a stuffed animal. It was a red-haired creature, similar to a fox, with a gold horn… Wait, Peace?
“That’s the 30cm standard version, and mine is the 50cm limited edition!”
Standard version? Limited edition? What is this? Judging by the tag, it looks like it was bought in Japan.
“Wait, is this…?”
“It’s a Peace doll! Isn’t it cute?”
“It’s cute, but why did you bring this back from Japan? How can they just sell a doll without permission? Isn’t that illegal?”
“They’re selling it as a Flame Horned Lion cub doll, but it’s just a little cover-up~.”
I mean, technically, they can argue it’s a monster doll, so I can’t really say much… But those Japanese folks… They’ll probably start making Chirp dolls too.
Goblin kept nagging me to follow her back, so I checked her SNS account. The first thing I saw was a photo of her in a teddy bear costume.
“…Disney Land?”
“I didn’t have time to go to Universal Studios!”
No wonder it took her so long—she had a blast on her trip.
“Looks like you had fun.”
“Yep! Of course, I worked hard too!”
Goblin handed me a tablet. Judging by her SNS, it looked like she was squeezing in work between sightseeing. Still, when I checked, the data was filled to the brim. She surveyed quite a few dungeons too. Well, as long as she did her job well and had fun, that’s fine.
“That’s Chirp! A little rice cake!”
-Chirp!
“A marble-drinking, love-sick little rice cake! Ta-da, look at this!”
-Chirp Chirp Chirp Chirp!!
Huh? Why is Chirp suddenly freaking out…? I tore my eyes away from the tablet and looked over to see Goblin offering a piece of a mana stone to Chirp. The stone was silver-colored. An A-rank mana stone.
“Hey, wait!”
-Chirp!!
The moment Chirp heard my voice, he hastily swallowed the piece of mana stone. That little glutton! What if something happens to him?
“Don’t give him that!”
“Why? He’s eating it just fine. Don’t tell me you’re starving your little rice cake?”
-Chirp!
Chirp chirped in response, eagerly gobbling down the rest of the mana stone. That little rascal. I quickly picked him up to check him over. His status window hadn’t changed, and he looked fine on the outside, so that was a relief.
“You’re an F-rank, and you’re just gulping down A-rank mana stones? What if you get sick?”
-Chirp!
“I’m not scolding you. I know it’s frustrating, but I’m only doing this because I’m worried about you. Hm? There’s still so much we don’t know about monster biology, so we have to be careful. We don’t even have proper treatment methods.”
-Chirp!
You don’t understand a word I’m saying, do you? Well, what can I expect from a baby monster?
“And you, Goblin, you can’t just go around handing out A-rank mana stones. You also shouldn’t be feeding other people’s monsters without permission. You need to ask first and get the okay before giving them anything. Got it? And this goes for any other monsters, pets, or even children.”
“You sound like my grandmother.”
Grandmother? What grandmother? Don’t tell me this brat’s keywords will turn me into a grandmother now, after the whole grandfather business.
Anyway, now I’m fully prepared to reel in Seok Hayan.
–TL Notes–
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