“Ah, it must be that person.”
“Who?”
“The porter who survived and awakened in a transformed Gate yesterday. I heard the manager talking about him.”
Assistant Manager Kim immediately understood why the young man looked tired. He had probably been writing the transformed Gate report.
“If he awakened while running away, is he a Rogue?”
“Probably?”
“That’s ambiguous.”
“Well, at least he isn’t a Martial Artist. Martial Artists have to go work in construction.”
For Martial Artists, who could use their skills only while unarmed, a hunter’s life was nearly impossible.
The conversation could not continue. The young man approached them.
“I’m here to get my Awakened certification.”
“Please give us your ID and place your hand on this device.”
Awakened certification was a simple procedure. It ended once the mana-sensing device checked your mana.
A green light came on. It meant he was Awakened.
“Mr. Han Hye, your Awakened certification is complete. Would you like to disclose your status window?”
“No.”
Han Hye refused firmly. Assistant Manager Kim nodded. Most people chose not to disclose it.
Until a few years ago, disclosing your status window during Awakened registration had been mandatory.
However, the law was revised after all the information on domestic Awakened hunters was sold to China.
Hunter information was a valuable asset in itself, so the system had changed to protect it as much as possible.
“Then please tell us directly.”
Even so, you had to provide your class and a rough outline of your abilities. From E-Grade onward, hunters were summoned to release-type Gates.
Awakened had to be assigned to positions, so you could not place a Mage or Healer on the front line.
“Please note that if you are not a Mage or Healer and you lie, you may be punished under the relevant laws.”
“My class is Spatialist, and my ability is something like an inventory.”
“Pardon?”
“I can put things in and take them out.”
“?”
As the staff members stared in surprise, Han Hye scratched the back of his head. Then a WHUMMM— sounded, and a black hole appeared.
Han Hye put his smartphone into the hole, then took it back out.
“Basically, like this?”
It was an ability they had never seen before, even as people who handled Awakened certification work.
The staff members recovered quickly enough to continue.
“Ah, yes. Mr. Han Hye, you have been confirmed as an F-Grade hunter.”
“Okay.”
All Awakened began at F-Grade, regardless of their class or skill grades. They had to build up achievements to advance.
“Y-you know that if you intend to live as a hunter, you need to attend the workshop organized by the Association, right?”
“Yes.”
It was a system introduced a few years ago to reduce the death rate of low-level Awakened. The duration was not long.
One week.
They learned about the inside of Gates and gained experience by entering low-level Gates with a supervisor.
“The next workshop starts in just three days, so the deadline is tight. You can attend the workshop after that, which will be held a month later.”
“I’ll attend this workshop.”
“Are you sure? There is an evaluation during the workshop. You will do better if you study the textbook provided by the Association beforehand…….”
“I’ll be fine.”
Han Hye answered firmly. The tight schedule was not a problem. He had Subspace.
After hearing additional explanations about the workshop, he collected the textbook.
“Where do I go for the ‘Talent Assessment’ test?”
“Go to the third floor.”
“Thank you.”
Han Hye calmly turned and left.
Without caring how shocked the two people were.
“…….”
The eyes of the two people left behind met. Why was no one awakening as a porter? If someone like that appeared, they would even invest expensive secret manuals in them…….
That was the conversation they had been having just moments before.
“Deputy Manager Park?”
This was not a situation where they could sit still. After Deputy Manager Park nodded, they immediately picked up a smartphone.
“Team Leader, I have something to report…….”
The team leader who received the call phoned someone higher up. After the same thing was repeated three times, the call reached the President of the Hunter Association.
“What is it?”
The Association President answered the call while handling outside business, their voice a little annoyed.
However, it took less than three seconds for that annoyance to become shocking.
“What? Subspace? An inventory ability?”
It was precisely the ability they were looking for. Not only the Association President, but various countries as well.
But there was still something that had to be confirmed first.
“Was it really verified?”
The practicality of the ability. How many incidents had rare classes caused in the early days of the Gate Crisis?
Considering the losses they had suffered because of them, it had to be verified for certain.
“You saw it right in front of you? Then that’s enough. So, how big did they say it was? You do not know?”
The Association President could feel their heart racing.
Subspace. They did not know how large it was. If it was only the size of a small backpack, it would not be of much use.
‘…But what if it is fairly spacious?’
For example, if it were the size of a small studio apartment? They had to recruit him. No, they absolutely had to recruit him.
It was not that the Association President expected the person with Subspace to have the strength of an S-Grade hunter.
Rather, they expected that person to increase the survival rate of S-Grade hunters—national strategic assets whose value could not be measured in money.
‘Of course, he needs to have the aptitude to be a hunter.’
Subspace did not require combat talent like that of other A-Grade or S-Grade hunters. But it did require basic aptitude.
Quite a few people had possessed good abilities and skills, yet failed to adapt to Gates and given up their lives as hunters.
In other words, if he had both the ability and the aptitude to be a hunter, an Awakened with Subspace would become a top-priority recruitment target.
For the future, and to improve advanced teams’ survival rate.
Level?
It did not matter. They could raise him.
‘We can find him elixirs and secret manuals, then teach him combat techniques.’
It would be good if he fought better, of course, but they did not expect that much. Subspace would be classified as support.
It would be enough if he could protect himself beside Mages and Healers in the rear. It would be even better if he could serve as a rear guard, too.
“What is the skill grade? Ah, you said he did not disclose his status window.”
-Yes.
“Treat him with the utmost courtesy at the workshop and keep a close eye on him. If he shows promise, we absolutely have to recruit him.”
The Association President added, just in case.
“Did you understand properly? Keep a close eye on him, and as I said before, be extremely courteous. Do not make him uncomfortable under any circumstances.”
-I will keep that in mind.
***
The Hunter Association’s Talent Assessment test was a benefit for Awakened. Like Awakened certification, it was not complicated.
It was not a test where you picked up and used weapons by type. It was over in one second.
The rare class called Assessor.
Using the Assessment skill, an Assessor told Awakened which branch their talents belonged to.
It saved people from wasting time on fields for which they had no talent, so every Awakened went through the process.
For me, who knew nothing beyond having the Subspace ability, it was exactly the test I needed.
“Mana will enter your body. Do not resist it; simply accept it.”
“Okay.”
An unfamiliar mana entered me. It felt like it briefly scanned over me.
“Mr. Han Hye, you should pursue swordsmanship.”
“Swordsmanship?”
“Yes. I sense you are inclined toward swordsmanship.”
It was a vague answer, but I was satisfied enough. I had been debating between the sword and magic, but the result had come easily.
It would have been a disaster if it had pointed to a spear or axe.
‘Writing the report took about two hours.’
It took less than twenty minutes to register as an Awakened and complete the Talent Assessment.
Still, I had been at the Hunter Association for over four hours. Because of Mr. Deoksu’s funeral.
Although he died inside a Gate, the Hunter Association held funerals for those who had no family.
I went early in the morning to attend his funeral. Of course, there were not many people.
There were only me and a few people who seemed to be unawakened hunters. Because he was a good person, I sincerely prayed that he would rest in peace.
I hope that someday, I can catch that dragon, too.
.
.
.
After returning home from the Association, I immediately learned the secret manual.
[You have learned Basic Swordsmanship of the Svinhood Empire (E-Grade). Swordsmanship (F-Grade) Lv. 1 changes to Basic Swordsmanship of the Svinhood Empire (E-Grade) Lv. 1.]
It was E-Grade swordsmanship, but I was grateful for it.
Like the old me, most Awakened had F-Grade swordsmanship. That was because they learned from swordsmanship dojos on Earth.
Unless you awakened as a Warrior and gained a swordsmanship skill, comprehended it on your own, or obtained a secret manual, you were almost always F-Grade.
Knowledge of swordsmanship flowed into my mind. My head hurt a little as the information entered.
“Mmm.”
Once the headache disappeared, my hands itched. Was it because knowledge of swordsmanship had just been hammered into my mind?
I wanted to swing a sword for real. As it happened, the circumstances were good.
‘Thank you, Mr. Deoksu.’
Yesterday, Mr. Cheolgi and I had examined the Subspace a little. It was a space six meters wide, long, and high.
Mr. Cheolgi said it could also be used as a training ground, then gave me several training tools.
-Use them. I do not need them.
He said they were things he used in the past and had kept in storage.
A training dummy containing a low-grade magic stone, an iron sword, a wooden sword, sandbags, and more.
They were a little old, having been from several years ago…….
-You are not dumping trash on me, are you?
-You little bastard……. I got those when I signed my Dragon Knight contract. They are more expensive than you think.
When I looked them up, they truly were more expensive than I had thought. In any case, he gave them to me without holding back. Thanks to that, I picked up a wooden sword in my now well-stocked Subspace.
It was a little old, but it seemed to be a fine product. Then I recalled Basic Swordsmanship of the Svinhood Empire.
*-Position the hand holding the sword in front of the left side of the chest. The back of the hand faces forward.*
I moved my sword according to the information the secret manual gave me. It was a movement I was performing for the first time. Even with the information, it was naturally clumsy.
I struck the training dummy made with a low-grade magic stone with my sword.
THUD— THUD—! Even though the dummy had no form, the impact sounds were loud. That was because the magic stone beneath it emitted a mana force field.
Since it was the same as the mana force fields of Awakened monsters, I naturally could not cut it without using mana.
No matter how hard I swung, my sword would only bounce off.
The force field could break if it received too many impacts or if I cut it with mana, but I only had to recharge it with mana.
‘Is this roughly how it works?’
I realized that this was swordsmanship focused on defense. When only the information entered my head, I wondered why the moves were like this…….
Once I moved myself, I understood. They were movements for blocking an enemy’s attacks.
Block and cut, parry and thrust, deflect and cut.
The moves were varied, but the principle was similar. It was swordsmanship that first defended against the opponent’s attack, then counterattacked according to it.
Perhaps because I had diligently attended a swordsmanship dojo even when I was a porter, I felt that I understood the principle.
As befitted ‘basic’ swordsmanship, it was not complicated. It was neither a flashy sword dance nor a sequence of particular moves.
‘The more I move, the more it feels like I’m mastering it.’
From the proper way to hold a sword to systematic defense and counterattacks, it was swordsmanship perfectly suited to someone who had just awakened.
I especially liked that I defended first.
As with all Awakened, survival was the most important thing.
As I caught my breath and looked around the Subspace, Mr. Cheolgi’s words from yesterday came to mind.
-Like you said, there does seem to be something there. Equipment and secret manuals appeared inside the Subspace.
-Right? I told you there was a secret.
-When the skill level rises, the space may get bigger and better things may appear inside.
That would be the next stage.
-The next stage?
-That is right. It was D-Grade equipment and E-Grade secret manuals, so maybe C-Grade weapons and D-Grade secret manuals? After that, B-Grade items might appear.
For now, it was only a vague guess, but it was not an impossible idea. Every ability had levels and could ‘grow’.
Of course, my Subspace would grow as well. What would change as it did was still unknown.
‘There’s definitely something.’
Weapons and secret manuals, and the choice between swordsmanship and magic.
It looked like a gift for someone who had just awakened. Maybe one day I would really obtain B-Grade or A-Grade swordsmanship.
‘Well, it will take time to raise the skill level.’
Raising a skill level was not easy. Along with repeated use, you needed to understand the skill itself.
Or, if you were lucky, your skill level could rise as a Gate subjugation reward.
Whatever secret lay inside the Subspace, I would be able to confirm it after some time passed.
Of course, I needed to grow as well.
‘I want to raise my level quickly.’
Then my skill level would rise, my stats would rise, and I could find out whether there were better weapons and secret manuals…….
‘Wait.’
Then I noticed the Windflow Sword lying beside the desk.
[Windflow Sword (D-Grade)]
-A sword used by Curio, the Swordmaster of Bogtan known as the ‘Wind God’, in Curio’s youth.
-The power of wind dwells within the sword.
-If Strength and Agility are 15 or higher, Wind Cleave (Lv. 1) can be used.
I had been too distracted to remember, but this was definitely a sword that could use a skill.
‘If Strength and Agility are 15 or higher.’ What were my stats now again?