Chapter 28
There were no people in sight.
Even those walking around were only association employees.
No hunters from guilds or unions were visible.
"Did I come too early?"
As his head tilted in confusion, a familiar face greeted him at the entrance.
"We've been waiting, Mr. Lee Sung-jun."
It was Jo Kang-hyun.
"It's been a while."
"I apologize for the inconvenience of having you come in person. Rank advancement is quite a sensitive issue for hunters, so we can't do it informally or by machine. Please understand."
He had already received considerable special treatment.
Moreover, since he had free time while resting anyway, there was no real loss. So Lee Sung-jun shook his head and spoke:
"It's no problem, but... is it usually this empty early in the morning?"
It was just a question to satisfy his curiosity, but Jo Kang-hyun's response was unexpected.
"Usually it's always crowded from early morning, but today we cleared it out entirely, thinking Mr. Lee might feel uncomfortable."
Lee Sung-jun chuckled at Jo Kang-hyun's nonchalant response.
"Is that okay for such a sensitive issue?"
Jo Kang-hyun showed a confident expression.
"It wouldn't have been possible without reason, but it happened to be time for equipment maintenance, so we could easily arrange it."
Similar to the Red Goblin Gate situation - people might complain, but given the importance, they can't really object.
"Like last time, there won't be any unnecessary chatter behind the scenes, so you don't need to worry about anything, Mr. Lee."
Such thoughtful consideration was always welcome.
A smile naturally formed on Lee Sung-jun's lips.
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Not at all, it's what I should do as your supporter. I've also taken care of all the procedures for your re-evaluation, so you can head directly to the measurement room. I'll guide you."
Following Jo Kang-hyun's lead, they walked down a long corridor.
After about a minute, they reached a white door at the end of the hallway with a sign reading "Measurement Room".
"The equipment is so precise that my presence could cause errors in the rank measurement, so this is as far as I can guide you personally."
Then, Jo Kang-hyun pointed his index finger at the measurement room door.
"Instead, our staff inside will kindly explain everything else through the speakers."
"I understand."
Lee Sung-jun nodded and immediately moved towards the measurement room.
As Jo Kang-hyun watched Lee Sung-jun until the last moment, he turned to enter the observation room right next to it, where the measurement room could be monitored.
Inside, Ko Tae-hyun, who had been waiting, spoke as if he'd been expecting this:
"How did it feel seeing him again?"
If the purpose was simply to guide him to the measurement room, any regular team member could have done it without issue.
Considering the usual shortage of manpower at the Hunter Association, it could even be considered nonsensical.
But despite this, there was a good reason why Jo Kang-hyun volunteered to guide him personally.
'I can't make the same mistake twice.'
The first time he met Lee Sung-jun, he had been disrespectful under the guise of testing him.
Fortunately, after much effort, he managed to smooth things over, but he couldn't guarantee such luck would work next time.
That's why he volunteered to guide Lee Sung-jun, hoping to gain insight, but he didn't achieve much.
"To be completely honest... I still don't understand him well."
It could be said that he was even more perplexed than when they first met.
No matter how hard he tried to look, all he encountered was deep darkness.
Thump. Thump.
Seeing Jo Kang-hyun's shadowed face, Ko Tae-hyun patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"It's natural that it's not easy... Let's change to an easier topic then. What rank do you think Lee Sung-jun will reach with this re-evaluation?"
"Since he hunted an Earth Worm alone, wouldn't it naturally be B+ or A rank?"
Seeing Jo Kang-hyun answer casually, Ko Tae-hyun spoke with his hand on his chin.
"Hmm..."
The average time it takes ordinary returnees to reach B+ rank is 1 year and 6 months.
In fact, just reaching it could be considered fortunate.
Some returnees hit a wall called their limit and ended up staying at B rank.
Given how difficult it is to reach B+ rank, even Yoon Min-soo, known for the fastest record in Korea, needed a year to reach B+ rank.
Therefore, it was absurd to even mention B+ rank for Lee Sung-jun right now.
"Your point is valid, but I think it's still too early to conclude."
Just as Ko Tae-hyun finished speaking, Lee Sung-jun entered the measurement room and placed his hand on the black crystal ball, MEP-09.
After a brief silence, MEP-09 began to emit a faint light and started operating.
Naturally, as the crystal ball's color began to change rapidly, Jo Kang-hyun and Ko Tae-hyun's gazes focused.
"E, D, C+..."
Jo Kang-hyun swallowed his words, staring at the crystal ball that had turned blue, symbolizing B rank.
However, contrary to expectations, the crystal ball's color didn't change further.
"..."
Rather, the measuring device seemed to confirm its own judgment, dyeing the entire crystal ball blue, symbolizing B rank.
"B... rank?"
Jo Kang-hyun's eyes widened, and his gaze naturally turned to Ko Tae-hyun.
"He hunted an Earth Worm alone, how can it possibly be B rank...?"
"Why are you so surprised? You know too, don't you? The measuring device only judges the stats increased by the Force system."
This was officially announced by Florian Lucas, the creator of the MEP series, when it was first unveiled.
In other words, it can't detect an individual's strength gained through training or special abilities.
That's why there were several returnees who possessed strength beyond their measured rank.
But in the end, the limitations were clear.
Due to lack of physical ability, mana, or ki (energy), most couldn't demonstrate abilities beyond their measured rank.
Even those considered the best among returnees, like the Sword Master Yoon Min-soo, could only exert power one rank higher at most.
Yet Lee Sung-jun demonstrated power that surpassed two ranks.
As he organized his thoughts, Jo Kang-hyun nodded.
"...Come to think of it, it might actually be better that his rank came out lower."
"I see you understand clearly now."
Ko Tae-hyun smiled contentedly and turned his gaze to look at Lee Sung-jun through the glass.
By now, Ko Tae-hyun's eyes were shining with a dazzling light.
'He's truly beyond imagination.'
As with all things, the slope gets steeper as you approach the peak.
The same was true for leveling up in the Force system.
The higher the level, the slower the rate of increase.
Yet Lee Sung-jun's measured rank was only B.
'Considering the boost from the Low-grade Survivor title earned for clearing a Frenzy Gate alone...'
The number of bonus points gained from leveling up would be at most around 30.
This meant that Lee Sung-jun could continue to show such tremendous growth in the future.
And that wasn't all.
Having high growth potential meant he could aim for an even higher point, a higher rank than others.
'It's hard to even guess how far he'll grow...'
A smile formed on Ko Tae-hyun's lips as he continued his thoughts.
He had thought Lee Sung-jun's role would be as a deterrent to control the rampant large guilds and returnee unions in Korea.
But that judgment was a mistake born from ignorance.
'...It's not just Korea.'
If he could achieve sufficient growth, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to speak of him on a global scale.
It meant he could change Korea's position, which had been constantly overshadowed by powerful countries like China and Japan, in one fell swoop.
Perhaps thinking the same thing, Jo Kang-hyun's eyes were sparkling beside him.
"I'll do my best to support Mr. Lee Sung-jun in fully regaining his original strength."
"I'll help as much as my authority allows, so let me know if you need anything."
The eyes of Jo Kang-hyun and Ko Tae-hyun were looking towards a bright future as they spoke.
* * *
The re-evaluation was over.
Despite finishing the re-evaluation more easily than expected, Lee Sung-jun's expression was rigid as he left the measurement room.
'B rank...'
It came out a little lower than expected.
But his expression wasn't hardened because he was dissatisfied with the rank.
'As I heard, it seems the measuring devices can only check the stats given by the system.'
The sensation of placing his hand on the measuring device, MEP-09, just moments ago was still vivid.
Unlike the 07 model, which could be considered a degraded version, a considerable amount of energy swept through every corner of his body, checking the remnants of power left by the Force system.
At first, it felt like a fairly detailed process, but that was it.
The measuring device couldn't detect direct physical changes.
'...This means it'll be difficult to accurately judge one's level based solely on the known rank.'
If he ever had to fight other hunters, it would be best to move very cautiously.
No, it wasn't just hunters he needed to consider.
The magical tools used to measure the grades of monsters and gates were also created by Florian Lucas.
'I'll need to move even more carefully when hunting monsters in the future.'
Just as Lee Sung-jun organized his thoughts and stepped out of the measurement room.
Clap clap-!
"Congratulations on reaching B rank, Mr. Lee Sung-jun."
The Vice President, Ko Tae-hyun.
Although this influential figure in the association was suddenly greeting him, Lee Sung-jun's expression didn't show the slightest change.
'It's a bit surprising that he moved in person.'
Before entering the measurement room, he had sensed Ko Tae-hyun's presence in the observation room.
But he hadn't expected him to appear in person, given his reputation for not showing up unless there was an emergency or a special situation like the appearance of a top-tier villain.
'Well... it's not bad for me.'
Since he was a figure worth cultivating a relationship with, Lee Sung-jun received the greeting with a smiling face.
"Thank you."
"I'd like to give you a gift of apology for my subordinate's disrespect last time, and a congratulatory gift for your rank promotion. Could you spare some time?"
It was a day off anyway.
Since he had no special plans, Lee Sung-jun nodded willingly.